Benefits of Side-Disking Hop Rows

 

 

There are multiple cultural practices that can be employed in hop agroecosystems to improve production and yields. One such practice is side-disking. Hop growers use an offset disc to till 2-3 feet in the alleys along each side of the hop rows. Side disking serves multiple purposes. First, it cuts any bines thereby concentrating production in the 3-4 ft. hop rows where the hop plants receive fertilizer and water.  This also prevents the hops from growing into or across the alley, and any potential for mixing cultivars. Second, it can help reduce competition from weeds. One method of side-disking, referred to as “earthing-up” (Rybáček, 1991), involves the movement of soil from the alleys into the hop rows. Any young hop shoots that are covered with soil will change to roots, increasing the number of small roots and root hairs and nutrient uptake.

 

Most growers side-disk 2-3 times per season. The timing of side disking or “earthing-up” will depend upon local soil and hydrological conditions and degree of weed growth. In general the first side disking occurs right after training (late May-early June in Michigan). Growers could disk a second time in late June, but should avoid disking during reproductive growth (burr stage- harvest) since disking can destroy surface root hairs necessary to maximize yield. Some growers will also disk post-harvest in October as well.

 

 

 

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.