www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-11-weed-management-and-herbicide-resistance crop-specific-considerations Crop-Specific Considerations Corn While the potential for yield and profitability is strong, a major limiting factor to adopting reduced tillage in corn production is the concern of less-effective weed control. Because adequate nitrogen availability is essential for corn development, use a legume cover crop that provides both weed control and nitrogen fixation, such as hairy vetch, red […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-11-weed-management-and-herbicide-resistance weed-management-strategies Weed Management Strategies When tillage is either significantly reduced or eliminated, herbicides become one of the most relied-upon strategies for weed control, but they must be used in conjunction with appropriate cultural practices. There is no single “big hammer” solution to weeds; rather, a strategy involving “many little hammers,” or cultural weed control practices such as cover crops, […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-11-weed-management-and-herbicide-resistance sidebar-reduced-tillage-with-cover-crops-in-organic-production Sidebar: Reduced Tillage with Cover Crops in Organic Production Mark Schonbeck, Virginia Association for Biological Farming Ronald D. Morse, Virginia Tech (emeritus) Continuous no-till is difficult to achieve in organic production, but “rotational no-till” may offer a more feasible approach as part of an organic reduced-tillage system. Using this approach, fields are tilled after harvest and before planting a high-biomass cover crop, but both […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-9-planting-in-cover-crop-residue cover-crop-termination-methods Cover Crop Termination Methods Termination methods include rolling/crimping, herbicide application, mowing, burning and incorporation. Rolling/crimping results in a mat of cover crop residue on the soil surface. Plants are flattened by the roller and crimped at regular intervals in one pass. The objective is to discourage root growth by injuring the plant without cutting the stem. All the plants […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-8-sod-grazing-and-row-crop-rotation-enhancing-conservation-tillage economics-of-the-sod-based-rotation Economics of the Sod-Based Rotation Table 8.2 shows the crops, costs and revenue for an example 200-acre farm transitioning to a sod-based rotation with livestock grazing. Prior to the first year, the farm used a standard conservation rotation with two-thirds of the farm in cotton and one-third in peanuts. The net returns for the standard conservation rotation are shown at […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-7-cash-crop-selection-and-rotation common-crops-grown-in-the-southeast Common Crops Grown in the Southeast Cash crops commonly grown in the Southeast work well in two-, three- and four-year rotations, and with cover crops (Table 7.2). They can be grown using conservation tillage but have historically been grown in monoculture systems. The following sections discuss growth habits and Southeast production considerations for soybeans, hay, corn, wheat, cotton, rice, peanuts, sorghum, […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-7-cash-crop-selection-and-rotation crop-rotations-versus-monoculture Crop Rotations Versus Monoculture Crop rotation systems are superior to the monoculture production systems that dominated the Southeast during the “cotton boom” from the mid-1800s to the 1920s. Monoculture systems grow the same crop in the same field year after year. Often, these systems dominate when one crop has greater profit potential than others that thrive in the same […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-6-in-row-subsoiling-to-disrupt-soil-compaction Chapter 6: In-Row Subsoiling to Disrupt Soil Compaction Randy L. Raper, Oklahoma State University Warren J. Busscher, USDA-ARS Alan D. Meier, North Carolina State University Kipling S. Balkcom, USDA-ARS Until the 1880s, agricultural vehicles were relatively light, horse-drawn and not particularly damaging to soils. Mass production of tractors began in 1902 [15] and these heavy vehicles caused excessive compaction, especially if operated across […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-5-cover-crop-management cover-crop-management Cover Crop Management Cover crop management begins with determining the objectives for the cover crop and then selecting a cover crop (see previous sections). When first using cover crops, consider the additional management needs. For example, wheat might be a better choice than cereal rye for a winter cover crop if growers are new to cover crops. Cereal […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-5-cover-crop-management cover-crop-selection Cover Crop Selection The desired outcome is an important consideration when selecting a cover crop. Keeping the end result in mind during the cover crop selection process goes a long way in making the best choice. Be sure the plants chosen are not a host for pests of the following cash crop. In addition, consider the following characteristics […]