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NEMO | Hello Mike. I have been doing covers with corn and beans for a few years and here is what I have found. Rye does help considerably with erosion but can cause problems in extremely wet springs like we have been having. By slowing the water runoff, you end up getting all available water in the ground which is good for erosion and later use when dry weather hits. When it is to wet and cool, the rye does not pull much moisture leading to delayed planting and if you end up with a replant situation, it can turn to muck with all the dead cover. I have never waited until corn germ to kill cover and apply residuals. Would apply burn down and residuals 24 hours ahead of planting. I am not telling you to do what I do, just something to consider. I also added liquid to planter and dribble 2" off row applying a 90/10 uan/ ATS mix with Factor for stabilization. This was a big help on getting corn to take off. I put the rest of the liquid needs injected between rows right after planting using the same 90/10 mix but the injected gets FunctioN to hold the N until later season use. Planter applied 30# N and applicator between rows 135# N. Our wet springs make some challenges. As far as the low disturbance AA bars, I have had all N applied in spring not the fall as they do not apply deep enough IMHO for fall apps and are more susceptible to temperature swings. Those bars are heavy though and in the spring on soft ground can leave a deep track. Do like like what they do though. I wish someone had a strip rig to fall apply AA in the fall and then plant on the strip and still use the planter N for starter but fear erosion down the strips on rolling ground as I have seen water cut down a knife track and take the soil as deep as the knife runs. This is not good. By the way, your corn looks good and keep trying different things and keep an open mind and you will do great. | |
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Learning about cover crops
