Interest in cover crops continues to grow and there are a couple of cover crops that can be planted after a corn silage crop that is harvested in the mid-September through mid-October period.
COVER CROP OPTIONS AFTER CORN SILAGE
Interest in cover crops continues to grow and there are a couple of cover crops that can be planted after a corn silage crop that is harvested in the mid-September through mid-October period. Typically we hear that cover crops are planted to reduce soil erosion, keep soil microbes active, maintain or build soil organic matter, build soil structure, suppress weed growth, scavenge nutrients from the soil and possibly provide supplemental forage for livestock. In addition to these reasons, some livestock producers are looking at cover crops as an opportunity to better utilize manure.
Once we reach that mid to late September planting time frame and later, the best cover crop options become winter cereal rye and winter wheat. Even though winter wheat in this case is intended for a cover crop and not a grain crop, growers should still abide by the hessian fly-free planting date and not seed winter wheat until after September 26 in Wayne County. The reason is to protect those wheat fields that will be going into grain production. Winter cereal rye can be planted anytime from late August through late October. Typical seeding rates for cover crop use are cereal rye at 90 to 120 lbs. /acre and winter wheat at 60 to 120 lbs. /acre. Generally the heavier rates are used with later planting dates.
Both winter wheat and winter cereal rye will respond well to nitrogen and both crops provide an opportunity to utilize a fall and spring application of manure. Forage crude protein value will be higher in a winter wheat or winter cereal rye that has had manure applied as compared to a non-fertilized crop. When harvested at the late boot to early milk stage of growth the following spring, both crops can produce 2 to 4 tons of dry matter yield with crude protein values in the mid to upper teens and NEL values of 0.61 to 0.64 Mcal/lb. range.
For more information about cover crop options and use, contact the Wayne County Extension office at 330-264-8722.
FALL GRAZING MANAGEMENT
From a plant health standpoint, overgrazing during the fall is more detrimental to the plant compared to overgrazing followed by rest in the early part of the growing season. In the fall of the year environmental conditions are not favorable for rapid leaf growth. An overgrazed plant will not be able to recover and generate a lot of leaf growth. However, even though plant leaf growth is slow, if there is sufficient leaf area present, photosynthesis is not slowed down. Physiologically this means that the carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis during this time period accumulate in plant storage organs. This is exactly what the plant needs to survive the winter and produce new growth next spring.
Our cool season grasses store the majority of carbohydrate reserves in stem and tiller bases, some in rhizomes and only a little in roots. For example, orchardgrass stores carbohydrates in the lower 3 to 4 inches of stem bases and tillers while tall fescue and bluegrass both maintain carbohydrate storage at the base of tillers as well as rhizomes. This allows tall fescue and bluegrass to tolerate lower grazing/clipping heights than orchardgrass.
Once we reach the fall period it is critical that grass plants be managed to insure that adequate leaf area is left after a grazing pass. Photosynthesis will manufacture the carbohydrates needed for winter storage, provided there is adequate leaf area. Since leaf regrowth is slow, this means leaving a typical grazing residual plus some extra. Fororchardgrass, leave 4 to 5 inches at a minimum. Tall fescue and bluegrass should be managed to leave a 3 to 4 inch residual.
BURNDOWN HERBICIDES FOR NO-TILL WHEAT
Weed control is one component of producing high wheat yields. Mark Loux, OSU Extension weed specialist offers the following recommendations regarding burndown herbicides for no-till wheat.
Herbicide options for burndown of existing weeds prior to planting of no-till wheat include glyphosate, Gramoxone, Sharpen, and dicamba. Dicamba labels have the following restriction onpreplant applications – “Allow 10 days between application and planting for each 0.25 lb. ai/A used”. A rate of 0.5 lb. ai/A would therefore need to be applied at least 20 days before planting. We have as usual been receiving questions about the safety and legality of 2,4-D use prior to wheat planting. We do not know of any 2,4-D product labels that support this use of 2,4-D. There is some risk of stand reduction and injury to wheat from applications of 2,4-D too close to the time of wheat planting. Liberty is also not labeled for use as a burndown herbicide in no-till wheat.
While glyphosate can adequately control small winter annual weeds, it should be combined with Sharpen or dicamba in fields with a history of marestail problems (or in fields downwind of a neighbor’smarestail nightmare). A mixture of glyphosate and Sharpen may be the better alternative because of the 10-day waiting period for dicamba. Sharpen should provide limited residual control of winter annuals that emerge after herbicide application, and the rate can be increased from 1 to 2 oz./A to improve the length of residual. Gramoxone should also effectively control seedlings of marestail and other winter annuals. Be sure to use the appropriate adjuvants with any of these, and increase spray volume to 15 to 20 gpa to ensure adequate coverage with Sharpen or Gramoxone.
Source : osu.edu