real impacts of cover crop cocktails
DESCRIPTION
69th SWCS International Annual Conference July 27-30, 2014 Lombard, ILTRANSCRIPT
SWCS 2014COVER CROP COCKTAILS
HOWSEEDINGCONCEPTSAFFECTTHEFINALSTAND
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SEEDING CONCEPTS
FACTORSDICTATINGtheFINALSTAND
• Competition• Timing/CalendarhasaHUGErole• Typeofseedbeingplanted(seedsize)• Weather
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Seeding PURE or MIXED STANDS
PureStand• Purestandsareusuallyeasiertomanage
• Thefollowingcashcropcouldrespondmoreuniformlyacrossafield
• Managingpestsmightbeeasier
MixedStand• Symbioticrelationshipsallowsinglespeciestoperformbetterinamix
• Providemultiplebenefitsthatasinglecovercropcannot
• Ifpartofastanddoesnotperform,otherpartsmaycompensate
2014 La Crosse Seed – Soil First™ Premium Cover Crop Seedwww.laxseed.com
2014 La Crosse Seed – Soil First™ Premium Cover Crop Seedwww.laxseed.com
Competition / Emergence
• Somespeciessimplygerminatefasterthanothers– Brassicas,somelegumes,oats
• Differentspeciesresponddifferentlytolongerdaylength(likesoybeans)– Radishplantedearly– watchout!– Annualryegrassplantedearly– nothing……
2014 La Crosse Seed – Soil First™ Premium Cover Crop Seedwww.laxseed.com
Look to the Calendar
• Earlierintheseason,plantingsmaynotworkwell– Toomuchcompetitionfromcashcrop(light&water)
– Toomuchweedcompetition– Cocktails – somespeciesinamix(largerseededspecies)willperformbetterinmoisturethaninhot&dry
2014 La Crosse Seed – Soil First™ Premium Cover Crop Seedwww.laxseed.com
Look to the Calendar
• Laterintheseason,plantingsmaynotworkwell– Notenoughwater/toomuchwater– Adequateseed‐to‐soilcontactmaybethreatened
– Cocktails – somespeciesinamix(largerseededspecies)needadequategrowingtimepriortofirstfrosttomaximizegrowthcomparedtoothersthatgrowlongerintothefall
2014 La Crosse Seed – Soil First™ Premium Cover Crop Seedwww.laxseed.com
2014 La Crosse Seed – Soil First™ Premium Cover Crop Seedwww.laxseed.com
2014 La Crosse Seed – Soil First™ Premium Cover Crop Seedwww.laxseed.com
Seed Size
• Small…– Teffgrass 1,300,000– Balansaclover 500,000– Turnips 220,000
• Large…– Fieldorwinterpeas 2,000– 3,000– Buckwheat 15,000– HairyVetch 16,000– 18,000
2014 La Crosse Seed – Soil First™ Premium Cover Crop Seedwww.laxseed.com
Seed Size
• Seedsizeusuallydictatesseedingdepth– Balansaclover=1/8”to¼”– Cerealrye=¾”to1”– Sorghumsudan=¾”to1½”– Usingtherightseedingequipment
(&managementafter)iscritical– Seedplates– Properpacking/rolling– Moisturealwayshelps!
• Smallerseedscanseparateinabag???
2014 La Crosse Seed – Soil First™ Premium Cover Crop Seedwww.laxseed.com
Weather
• Rainfallcanmakeallthedifference– Smallerseededspeciesmaynotgetestablished
• Coldtemps=favorscerealgrains• Warmtemps=favorsbrassicas,many
legumes,warmseasonannuals
• Justbeaware!Ifsomethingdoesn’tlookright,it’sprobablycompetition.
2014 La Crosse Seed – Soil First™ Premium Cover Crop Seedwww.laxseed.com
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