New Champlain Valley SPRING 2017 CROP, SOIL & PASTURE Team · 2017. 3. 31. · FSA and their crop...
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Champlain Valley CROP, SOIL & PASTURE Team 23 Pond Lane, Suite 300 • Middlebury, VT 05753 802-388-4969 • [email protected] www.uvm.edu/extension/cvcrops • Streamlining Programs Means Less Effort for Farmers, pg 2 • Manure Training for Applicators and Farmers, pg 3 • Grazing Charts: An Adaptable Record Keeping Tool, pg 4 • Cover Crops: From Research to Reality, pg 5 • Crop Yield and N Management in a Cover Crop/No-Till System, pg 6 • Vercal Tillage: How Does It Fit in the Tillage Connuum?, pg 7 SPRING 2017 FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE IN THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY AND BEYOND By Jeff Carter, Agronomy Specialist, Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Team Agronomy and Conservaon Assistance Program Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) classes have been a major emphasis of acvity for the past months and 31 farmers completed their NMP through the UVM Extension goCrop™ classes that were held in Richmond, Middlebury and Pawlet. Statewide, over 70 farmers completed the classes offered by the St. Albans and Middlebury Extension Crop teams so farmers can develop their own crop management plans. There are plenty of field meengs, corn planter clinics, farmer manure trainings, stream floodplain restricon discussions, and buffer workshops going on now and more to come this spring, all geared to- ward how farmers will adopt pracces to meet the Required Agricultural Pracces (RAP) rules. Stay updated about current events via e-mail: join our email list at www.uvm.edu/extension/cvcrops. Field Research/Demonstraon We will be starng some new projects this year with financial support from the NRCS Vermont Conservaon Inno- vaon Grant Program; the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets; and the Northeast SARE program to connue our work with local farmers. One study will start a benchmark program for the economics of growing cover crops and using no-ll for crop planng. What is the true cost and benefit of moving to no-ll with cover, and then how profit- able are you? We need beer data about the Vermont farms who have changed to these new crop systems to be sure of the right investments for your parcular farm. Starng with a handful of farms who have agreed to provide the details about their operaons, the data from this project will reflect current finances of these conservaon pracces as they are used here on our soils. Whole-farm phosphorus (P) mass bal- ance has been around for some me, but few farms complete the accounng of where the extra P comes from. We have a project to work with several farm- ers and their feed consultants to collect data on the extent of P imported to local dairy farms. This is good informaon to have, but really the issue is what to do then? Not all P is leaving the farms, and that is why farmers use the P-Index to beer understand the risk of P loss and “plug” any leaks in the farm system. We will be field tesng the new 2017 Vermont P-Index and a new Northeast P-Index on several farms and relate that data to whole-farm P-Mass balances and farm conservaon. We will collect data to help farmers with crop management decisions under the revised Vermont P- Index. This will then be used to address the NMP 590 standard, which is the ba- sis for all farm nutrient plans. What to do then if you have a high phosphorus soil test? Another study we have is to evaluate the use of field applicaons of amendments to reduce soil test P in the field. We will be looking at three types of gypsum, including one with humates, also contrasted with short-paper fiber (SPF). When spring does get here, we will also see how good the cover crops perform that we planted last fall. Have a queson for Jeff? Jeff Carter (802) 388-4969 ext. 332 jeff[email protected] In This Issue VERMONT RAP RULES The Vermont Required Agricultural Prac- ces Rule affects all farmers this year, and so it affects our Extension work. Focus on Agriculture means a focus on helping you to learn (like Poop Skool) and then figure out the best next steps to take (whatever that is). Give us a call, or just come to the meengs that we host with the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalion. This is a great way to keep up with new ideas so you can deal with changing mes in Vermont agriculture.
Transcript of New Champlain Valley SPRING 2017 CROP, SOIL & PASTURE Team · 2017. 3. 31. · FSA and their crop...
Champlain Valley CROP, SOIL & PASTURE Team
23 Pond Lane, Suite 300 • Middlebury, VT 05753 802-388-4969 • [email protected] www.uvm.edu/extension/cvcrops
• StreamliningProgramsMeansLessEffortforFarmers,pg2• ManureTrainingforApplicatorsandFarmers,pg3• GrazingCharts:AnAdaptableRecordKeepingTool,pg4• CoverCrops:FromResearchtoReality,pg5• CropYieldandNManagementinaCoverCrop/No-TillSystem,pg6• VerticalTillage:HowDoesItFitintheTillageContinuum?,pg7
SPRING 2017
FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE IN THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY AND BEYONDBy Jeff Carter, Agronomy Specialist, Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture TeamAgronomy and Conservation Assistance Program
Nutrient Management Plan (NMP)classeshavebeenamajoremphasisofactivityforthepastmonthsand31farmerscompletedtheirNMPthroughtheUVMExtensiongoCrop™classesthatwereheldinRichmond,MiddleburyandPawlet.Statewide,over70farmerscompletedtheclassesofferedbytheSt.AlbansandMiddleburyExtensionCropteamssofarmerscandeveloptheirowncropmanagementplans.
Thereareplentyoffieldmeetings,cornplanterclinics,farmermanuretrainings,streamfloodplainrestrictiondiscussions,andbufferworkshopsgoingonnowandmoretocomethisspring,allgearedto-wardhowfarmerswilladoptpracticestomeettheRequiredAgriculturalPractices(RAP)rules.Stayupdatedaboutcurrenteventsviae-mail:joinouremaillistatwww.uvm.edu/extension/cvcrops.
Field Research/Demonstration
WewillbestartingsomenewprojectsthisyearwithfinancialsupportfromtheNRCSVermontConservationInno-vationGrantProgram;theAgencyofAgriculture,FoodandMarkets;andtheNortheastSAREprogramtocontinueourworkwithlocalfarmers.Onestudywillstartabenchmarkprogramfortheeconomicsofgrowingcovercropsand
usingno-tillforcropplanting.Whatisthetruecostandbenefitofmovingtono-tillwithcover,andthenhowprofit-ableareyou?WeneedbetterdataabouttheVermontfarmswhohavechangedtothesenewcropsystemstobesureoftherightinvestmentsforyourparticularfarm.Startingwithahandfuloffarmswhohaveagreedtoprovidethedetailsabouttheiroperations,thedatafromthisprojectwillreflectcurrentfinancesoftheseconservationpracticesastheyareusedhereonoursoils.
Whole-farmphosphorus(P)massbal-ancehasbeenaroundforsometime,butfewfarmscompletetheaccountingofwheretheextraPcomesfrom.Wehaveaprojecttoworkwithseveralfarm-ersandtheirfeedconsultantstocollectdataontheextentofPimportedtolocaldairyfarms.Thisisgoodinformationtohave,butreallytheissueiswhattodothen?NotallPisleavingthefarms,andthatiswhyfarmersusetheP-IndextobetterunderstandtheriskofPlossand“plug”anyleaksinthefarmsystem.Wewillbefieldtestingthenew2017VermontP-IndexandanewNortheastP-Indexonseveralfarmsandrelatethatdatatowhole-farmP-Massbalancesandfarmconservation.WewillcollectdatatohelpfarmerswithcropmanagementdecisionsundertherevisedVermontP-Index.Thiswillthenbeusedtoaddress
theNMP590standard,whichistheba-sisforallfarmnutrientplans.Whattodothenifyouhaveahighphosphorussoiltest?AnotherstudywehaveistoevaluatetheuseoffieldapplicationsofamendmentstoreducesoiltestPinthefield.Wewillbelookingatthreetypesofgypsum,includingonewithhumates,alsocontrastedwithshort-paperfiber(SPF).Whenspringdoesgethere,wewillalsoseehowgoodthecovercropsperformthatweplantedlastfall.
Have a question for Jeff? JeffCarter(802)388-4969ext.332
In T
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VERMONT RAP RULESThe Vermont Required Agricultural Prac-tices Rule affects all farmers this year, and so it affects our Extension work. Focus on Agriculture means a focus on helping you to learn (like Poop Skool) and then figure out the best next steps to take (whatever that is). Give us a call, or just come to the meetings that we host with the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition. This is a great way to keep up with new ideas so you can deal with changing times in Vermont agriculture.
RMA UPDATE: STREAMLINING PROGRAMS MEANS LESS EFFORT FOR FARMERSAcreage Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI)Farmersaretime-strappedfolks.Havingtoreportthesamethingtomultipleagenciescanseemlikeawasteoftime.Welcome,ACRSI.
ACRSIisajointeffortamongproducers,FarmServiceAgency(FSA),RiskMan-agementAgency(RMA),andthecropinsuranceindustry.TheAcreageCropReportingStreamliningInitiative(ACRSI)replacesduplicativecropreportingofcommonacreageinformationbypro-ducerstoboththeFarmServiceAgency(FSA)andRiskManagementAgency
(RMA).Producersnowhavemultiplewaysinwhichtoreporttheircommonacreagedataandwillnothavetore-portthesameinformationtwicetobothFSAandtheircropinsuranceagents,savingtimeandpotentiallyreducinginadvertenterrors. ACRSIisavailablenationwideforthe2017acreagereport-ingseason.
CropssharedunderACRSIincludealfal-fa,barley,canola,corn,grass,oats,rye,sorghum,soybeansandwheat,aswellasacresundertheConservationReserve
Program(CRP)andfallowfields.Othercropsinthisprogram:cotton,peanuts,riceandsunflowers.
Thesecoverapproximately94%ofthecroplandacresreportedtoFSAandRMA,andhavesimilarreportingrequirementswithbothagencies.FSAandRMAwillgainexperiencecollectingandsharingdataforthesecrops,andwillusethelessonslearnedtomakeinformedde-cisionswhethertoincludeadditionalcommoditiesinthefuture.
UPCOMING EVENTS & INFORMATION FOR SUCCESSPlanter Clinics: Getting Ready to No-TillForthethirdyear,ourteamishostingno-tillcornplanterclinicsincoordinationwithChamplainValleyFarmerCoalition.Areyouonoure-maillisttofindoutdatesanddetails?Likeconventionaltill,successfulno-tillcomesdowntohealthysoil,aproperlyset-upplanter,andtherighttiming:they’reevenmorecriticalsinceyoucan’tcorrectmistakeswithanextraharrowpass!
No-Till Resourcesatwww.uvm.edu/extension/cvcrops IncludingFactsheets,No-TillCornPlanterTuneUpChecklist,andClosingWheelGuide
Buffers and Grassed Waterways, Oh My!Weknow,buffersandgrassedwaterwaysarenotalwaysthefavor-itetopicsoffarmers,butwhenitcomestowaterquality,theycanmakeabigdifference.WithourgrantfocusintheMcKenzieBrookwewillbehostingspringandsummerfieldevents.Lookforeventdetailssoon,andpleaseletusknowifyouwouldliketohostoneonyourfarm.Wewilldiscuss:
New RAP rule on buffers in effect April 15, 2017.AllfarmerscoveredundertheRAPswillberequiredtohavea25-footbufferonstreamsanda10-footbufferonditches.Let’sfaceit,thiswillmeanadjustingplowingandplantingpracticesthisspring.
Grassed waterways.Althoughnotmandated,thesecanbeveryeffective,particularlywhereotherpracticesaren’tenoughtopreventgullyerosion.
Welcome, Claire!
Claire Bove is the newest addition to the Middle-bury UVM Extension of-fice, hired in February as the Vermont Coordinator for the High School Equiv-alency Program (HEP). HEP helps migrant and seasonal farm workers or their children obtain the equivalent of a high school diploma, and subsequently gain employment or pursue postsecondary education.
About Claire & HEP: blog.uvm.edu/cvcrops About Farm Worker Programs: uvm.edu/extension/agriculture/farmworker
Contact Claire: 802-388-4969 x 338, [email protected]
UPDATES ON EVENTS & MORE SIGN UP FOR OUR E-NEWSLETTER AT
WWW.UVM.EDU/EXTENSION/CVCROPS
Spring 2017 Newsletter2 www.uvm.edu/extension/cvcrops
MANURE TRAINING FOR APPLICATORS & FARMERS: PREPARING FOR THE UPCOMING SEASONBy Nate Severy, Agronomy Outreach ProfessionalThiswinterwehavebeenverybusyput-tingtogetherworkshopsandmeetingsfocusedonnewmanurespreadingrulesandhowfarmersandcustomapplicatorscanmakethemworkontheirfarms.Manureorother“agriculturalwastes”cannotbespreadwithin25feetofastreamand10feetofaditch.Therearealsonewrestrictionswhenspreadinginfloodplains,trainingrequirements,andrecordkeepingrequirements.Everyoneunderthecertifiedsmall,mediumorlargefarmdefinitionmustspreadma-nureaccordingtoaNutrientManage-mentPlan(NMP),andallfarmsmustapplymanurebasedonagronomicrates.
WereceivedagrantlastfallfromtheVt.AgencyofAgriculture,FoodandMarkets(VAAFM)todevelopaneducationalandcertificationprogramforcustomma-nureapplicatorsincoordinationwiththeNorthwestCropandSoilTeam.ThisprogramwillbeverysimilartothePes-ticideApplicatorProgram:applicatorswillhavetotakeandpassanexam,re-certifyyearly,andaccumulate8hoursofprofessionaldevelopmentover5yearstomaintainthecertification.Thefirstexamwilltakeplacenextwinter,mostlikelybeforeChristmas.
Forthisupcomingcroppingseason,eventhoughcustomapplicatorswillnothavetheirapplicatorcertification,thesebusi-
nesseswillbeexpectedtofollowalloftheRAPspertainingtospreadingma-nure,includingkeepingapplicationre-cords.TohelpeveryonelearnabouttheRAPsandwhatrecordsneedtobekept,wehelpedorganize3custommanureapplicatorworkshopsand5farmerandcustomapplicatoremployeeworkshopsthroughoutVermont.Attheseevents,attendeeslearnedaboutthenewrulesandwhatisexpectedfromthem.TheseworkshopsalsoprovidedaforumwherepeoplewereabletoaskquestionsandengageinopendialoguewithVAAFMstaff.Ateachmeetingthereweregoodconversationsthatgeneratedimportantquestionsanditisgreattohearrespect-fulconversations.Evenwhenpeopledonotagreetheycanstillhaveagooddiscussion.Weareheretohelpappli-catorssortouttheirquestionsabouttheRAPsandwillcontinuetokeepthedialoguegoing.
Goingintothe2017croppingseason,Ibelievethatrecordkeepingisgoingbeabigobstacleformanypeople.Goodre-cordkeepingtakesextratime,patience,anddedication,evenonasmallfarm.Ifsomeoneisnotprepared,recordkeepingcouldbechallengingforacustomappli-catorthatspreadsmanureonthousandsoreventensofthousandsofacresonmanydifferentfarms.Atourmeetings,westressedthatthekeytogoodrecord-
keepingistoseamlesslyintegrateitintoyourbusiness.SomearealreadydoingthisthroughtechnologieslikeUVM’sgoCrop™orflowmeterswherefield-by-fielddataisautomaticallyrecordedanddownloadedintoacomputer.Otherpeoplehaveputrecordkeepinglogsonthebackofemployeetimesheetsandre-quirethattheemployeefillouttheloginordertobepaid.Forcustomapplicatorswhoneedhelpwithrecordkeeping,UVMExtensionhasdevelopedarecordkeep-ingbook(copiesavailableatouroffice).Eachpagehasacarboncopysoattheendofthedaytheapplicatorcanfilloutthepage,tearoffthetopandgiveittothefarmerforhis/herrecords,andthentearoffthecarboncopyandputitinafileathome.Allofthesesystemsareacceptable,butitisimportanttousethesystemthatwillworkbestforyou,andwillstrengthenyourbusinessgoingintothefuture.Eventhoughthereisaninitialinertiarequiredtomakerecordkeepingsuccessful,thehopeisthatitcanalsopayoffforthefarmerbydocumentingandimprovingonagronomicpractices.
Ifyouhavequestionsaboutmanureap-plicationorwouldlikemoreinformationormaterialsonrecordkeeping,contactouroffice.IfyoudonothaveanNMPandneedtoobtainone,contactyourlocalconservationdistrictorNRCSofficeforfundingpossibilities.
Copies of UVM Extension’s nutrient application recordkeeping book are available by contacting our office, (802) 388-4969.
3University of Vermont Extension | Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture Team
GRAZING CHARTS: AN ADAPTABLE RECORDKEEPING TOOLBy Cheryl Cesario, Grazing Outreach SpecialistThereisasaying,“Youcan’tmanagewhatyoudon’tmeasure,”andthisholdstrueforpastureaswellascrops.Therearemanywaystomonitorandkeeprecordsofpastureyieldsandgrazingactivity.Personally,Iamafanofwhat-everrecordkeepingsystemworksfortheindividualfarmer,asithastobeefficient,straightforwardandprovideusefulinformationtobeworthwhile.
OnetoolIhaveseenusedwithsuccessistheHolisticManagementGrazingPlan-ningChart.Thistoolwasinitiallydevel-opedbyHolisticManagementInterna-tionalasapartoftheiroveralldecisionmakingframeworkforfarmplanning.TroyBishopp,oftheMadisonCountySoilandWaterConservationDistrictincentralN.Y.,wasabletobringthecharttothemassesthroughaNortheastSAREgrant,withthehelpofanetworkofserviceproviderswhothenreachedouttoindividualfarmers.In2013,Ibegandistributingthesechartssofarmerswhowereinterestedcouldtrythemoutandevaluatetheirusefulness.
Onthesurface,thechartisjustalargesheetofpaperwithalotofrowsandcol-umnsthatformagrid.Thisgridisreallya“year-at-a-glance”calendarthatcanbeapowerfulplanningandrecordkeeping
tool.Withasimpledailyactivityoffillinginaboxthatcorrespondstothedayandthefieldorpaddockwheretheanimalshavemoved,apatternformsprovidingavisualrecordoftheentireseasonlaidoutatonce.Withthischart,thereisnoflippingpagesbackandforthinacal-endartofigureoutwhatanimalswerewhereandwhen.IpersonallylikebeingabletolookatachartandseehowmanydayssinceIlastgrazedagivenarea,andithelpsmereadjustmyplan.Attheendoftheseason,Ifinditinformative(orinthecaseoflastsummer,depressing)toseehowmanytimesIwasabletograzeagivenfield.Forexperiencedgrazers,tryplanningamonthaheadbyfillinginthechartinpencilandthenhavefunseeinghowcloseyouwere.
ThiswillbethefifthyeardistributinggrazingchartsandIamseeingfarm-erstrackallkindsofinterestingdataincludingdailytemperatureandrainfall,periodsofhayfeedingand/orconfine-ment,applicationsofchickenmanure,bullintroductionandfrostdates.Organicfarmersfindtheserecordskeeptheiran-nualorganicinspectorhappy,andtheyareacceptablerecordsforNRCS“pre-scribedgrazing”payments.Onefarmeriscomparinghisgrazingcharttohismilkproductionrecordstounderstandmilk
peracre.Anotherfarmerchartscrops,color-codingthedailyentriesforplant-ing,spraying,harvestingandmanurespreading.Whenhecomesineachfalltoupdatehisnutrientmanagementplan,alltheinformationisathisfingertips.
Iwouldlovetohearfromfarmerswhoareutilizingsomeofthenewer“apps”suchasPastureMap™orGrazingCalcula-tor™.AlsoonthehorizonisgoGraze™currentlyindevelopmentasacompan-iontoUVMExtension’sgoCrop™nutri-entmanagementsoftware.Ultimately,therearetoolsavailableforeveryone,whetheryouwanttoenterdataonthegowithyourphoneorlikethecomfortofhavingatangiblepaperrecord.
AlimitednumberofprintedplanningchartsareavailableatourMiddleburyoffice,ordownloadavarietyoftem-platesat:
www.madcoswcd.com/grazing-charts
Rotations are tracked with the grazing chart at Elysian Fields in Shoreham, Ver-mont.
Spring 2017 Newsletter4 www.uvm.edu/extension/cvcrops
COVER CROPS: FROM RESEARCH TO REALITYBy Kirsten Workman, Agronomy Outreach ProfessionalForthelast5years,ourteamhashadgrantfundingfromtheUSDAtodoresearchanddemonstrationprojectsinvestigat-ingnovelwaysofcovercroppingincornsilageandsoybeansystemsinVermont.Westartedwithasmallprojectin2013inFerrisburghatDeerValleyFarmcomparing2differentcovercropmixturesplantedintothestandingcornanddrilledafterharvest.Thatprojectwassuccessfulandprovideduswithenoughpreliminarydatatostartinvestigatingadditionalcovercropmixturesandplantingtimingonalargerbasis.
In2014,westartedourNRCSConservationInnovationGrant,“BetterCoverCropMixesinVermont.”Thisprojectenabledustoevaluateseveralthree-waycovercropmixturesalongsideawinterryemonoculture.Thecovercropswereplantedintostandingcorn(atV5/V6growthstageandattassel)aswellasdrilledafterharvest.Similarly,weinterseededintosoybeansatR3-5andR6-8.Asaresult,weultimatelyevaluated15differentthree-waycovercropmixturesduring29differentplantingeventsforatotalof319researchplots.Thisworkcouldnothavehappenedwithoutourfarmpartners.Forthisprojectalone,wecollaboratedwith10farmson13fieldsin7Vermonttowns.
So what? youmaywonder.Theseplotsprovideduswithvaluabledatatosharewithproducers,NRCSstaff,technicalserviceprovidersandagencyfolks,andthatinformationishelpingusmakesoundrecommendationsforsuccessfulcovercroppinginVermont.However,thetruevalueofthisproject(andourothercovercropprojects)istheabilitytoenablehundredsofVermontfarmerstowitness,learnaboutandadoptthispractice.Inthissinglegrantprojectdescribedabove,wewereable todosomeamazingoutreachtofarmers.Thisincluded12fielddays,6presentations,7newsletterarticlesand5Across the Fencetelevisionepisodes.Ourfielddaysinvolvedover200farmers,61agriculturalbusinessemployees,and112agencystaff.Ourworkshopsandconferencesreached153farmers,81ag.businessemployeesand221agencystaff.Andwhilethatinitself isatremendousfeat,therealso what isthatwehaveseenexponentialincreasesintheadoptionofcovercropsinVermontoverthelast3to5years.
AccordingtotheU.S.DepartmentofAgri-culture'sNaturalResourcesConservationService(NRCS)data,“Vermontfarmersplantedarecord-setting25,727acresof
covercropsonmorethan2,000fieldsin2016onapproxi-mately25%ofallannualcroplandinVermont.That'sa58%increaseintheacresofprotectivewintercovercropsplantedin2015.”Bymycount,itisa250%increasefrom2014.Whiletheseresearchanddemonstrationprojectsarebynomeansthesolereasonforthisimpressiverateofadoption,Idobelievetheyareanimportantpieceofthepuzzle.EnablingfarmersintheChamplainValleytoapproachtheseconserva-tionpracticeswithsolid,localinformationthatallowsthemtobesuccessful.Theyareabletoinvestigatespecies,plantingmethods,potentialpitfallsandseeforthemselveswhenandifthesecovercropsmakethemostsenseontheirfarms,intheirsoilandweatherconditionsandwiththeirequipment.Andmostimportantlytheyaregettingthemostoutoftheircovercropsbyestablishingtheminatrulyeffectiveway,meaningthecovercropsarefunctioningasintendedandprovidingerosioncontrol,takingupmanurenutrients,andprotectingwaterquality.Inaddition,thefarmersarefiguringouthowtodoitmoreprofitably,utilizingthesecovercropsforforageorasakeycomponentintheirno-tillsystems,usinglessseedandplantingitbetter,andevengrowingtheirownseed.Essentially,Vermontfarmersaremakingthemanintegralpartoftheirfarmingoperations.Thisisthetruemeaningofadoption.Notjustthrowingseedouttherebecausethereiscost-sharemoney,butREALLYMAKINGITWORK.
An example of cover crop research plots comparing broadcasting seed on the soil surface versus planting with a no-till grain drill. Both were planted on the same day, after corn silage harvest, on Vergennes clay soil, and received aproximately 4,000 gallons of liquid dairy manure/acre. Pictures were taken about two months after planting and in the following spring.
5University of Vermont Extension | Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture Team
CROP YIELD AND NITROGEN MANAGEMENT IN A COVER CROP/NO-TILL SYSTEMBy Kristin Williams, Agronomy Outreach ProfessionalWejustfinishedatwo-year,multi-farmstudyonthehealthofclaysoils,fundedthroughaVTConservationInnovationGrantthroughtheNRCS.Measuresofsoilhealth(usingCornell’ssoilhealthtest)werenotconsistent,andwefoundthatcompar-ingpracticesovertimewasmoreinformativethancomparingfieldtofield.Oneinteresting,andmaybeobvious,lessonwasthecorrelationbetweensoilhealthpracticesandcropyields.
So, how do soil health practices influence yield?Researchsuggestssoilhealthcanimproveyields.Itisimportanttonoteourprojectfocusedondemonstration,notreplicatedresearch.Wecomparedno-tillandconventional/reducedtillcornsilageon5farmswithclayfieldsinourregion.Asimplet-testrevealednosignificantdifferenceinyieldbetweenno-till(19.1tons/acre)andconventional(19.2tons/acre).Moreimportantly,wewereabletodemonstratethatafarmercangrowno-tillwithoutyieldlosses,andbesuccessfulwithgoodmanagementpractices.Ayieldgainmighttaketimeasthesoilbuildsupitscondition.
Wealsowonderedhowcovercropspeciesormixesmightaffectcornsilageyield.Wehadanopportunitytouseafieldwherethecornwasaccidentallykilled.Weplanted15differentcombinations,including4singlespecies,6two-waymixes,and5three-waymixes.ThisprojectwasaslightanomalyinthatthecovercropswereplantedwithadrillinlateAugust,whichallowedforamorevigorousproductionofallcovercrops.Radishwasastarinthefall,maximizingbothphosphorusandnitrogenuptake.Wedidnotmeasurephosphoruscontentinthespring,sowedonotknowhowmuchwasretainedinthesoil.Itseemstohaveallowedformoreavailablenitrogeninthesoilatthetimeofapre-sidedressnitrogentest(PSNT),thereforerequiringlessnitrogen.Surprisingly,legumemixcovershadgoodfallbiomass,butthatdidnottranslateintomoreNmineralization.
WeappliednitrogentoeachplotasperthePSNTrecommendationfor20tons/acrecornsilage.Attheendoftheseason,wemeasuredcornsi-lageyieldandcomparedthattonitrogenapplied(seegraph).Thewinterryeplothadalowercornsilageyieldandrequiredmorenitrogen.Otherthanthenutrienteffectoflessuptakeandslowerdecomposition,theremayhavebeenaphysicalbarriercreatedbythestandingryecrop,whichwasparticularlyvigorousinthespring.However,ourthree-waymix(winterrye–oats–radish)actuallyhadthehighestaveragecornsilageyield,eventhoughitrequiredmoreNatPSNTtimethanthepureradishstand.
So,donotgoabandoningyourwinterryejustyet.Infact,wethinkthisthree-waymixhaspromiseandwearelookingforamixthatgivesbothfallandspringsoilconservation.Radishalonewillwinterkill,whichmaybegoodformineralization,butnotasgoodforspringsoilconservation.Oatsalsowinterkillbutprovidefasterfallsoilcoverthanryebyitself.
Whenusinganover-winteringcovercrop,itisclearthattim-ingandsuccessofterminationiscriticalforsubsequentcropyields.Nitrogenmineralizationmayhappenlaterintheseasonwithaplantsuchaswinterryethathasaheaviercarboncon-tent.Inano-tillsystemparticularly,youmayneedtoadjustyournitrogenrates/timingandputmoreonupfront.Ifyouareusingcovercrops,aPSNTseemslikeawiseinvestment.
Itisalsoimportanttorememberthatsoilhealthisalonggame,anditmaytaketimetoseetheresultsofyourlaborswithcovercrops.Wehavereplicatedthisprojectbyreplant-ingthesecovercropsinthefallof2016,thistimeplantedinSeptember,andwilllookatthisagainthiscomingseason.
MoreinfoaboutUVM’sPSNTtestcanbefoundat:go.uvm.edu/getpsnt
Corn silage yields for 2016 in tons/ac on cover plot plots, standardized to 35% dry mat-ter, compared with nitrogen applied in lbs/ac using urea fertilizer at sidedress time. Cover crop plots are divided into single species, 2-way mixes and 3-way mixes. ARG-Rad numbers are actually the average of 4 different plots, but all had very little to no ARG established. Cover crops were planted with a no-till drill in late August.
ARG-Rad*
W Rye Oat
Buck
Radish
W Rye
-Oat
W Rye
-Buck
W Rye
-Rad
W Rye
-Pea
W Rye
-Vetch
W Rye
-Oat-R
ad
W Rye
-Oat-R
Clover
W Rye
-Oat-V
etch
W Rye
-Oat-V
etch
W Rye
-Oat-B
uck
Corn Silage Yield and Nitrogen Applied at Side-Dress Time
Yield@35%DM-tons/ac NAppliedlbs/ac
*TheAnnualRyegrass(ARG)didnotestablishwell,sothisplotwaseffectivelyjustradish
Single Species 2X MIX 3X MIX
Corn
Sila
ge Y
ield
at 3
5% D
ry M
atter
tons
/ac
Nitr
ogen
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lbs/
ac
ARG: Annual Rye Grass; Buck: Buckwheat; Rad: Tillage radish; W: Winter; R: Red
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Spring 2017 Newsletter6 www.uvm.edu/extension/cvcrops
VERTICAL TILLAGE: HOW DOES IT FIT IN THE TILLAGE CONTINUUM?By Rico Balzano, UVM Extension Agronomy Outreach ProfessionalHere inVermont,when farmersareconsideringano-till system, severalquestionsoftenarise:Whataboutin-corporatingmanure?Whataboutcoldsoils?Whataboutrutsleftoverfromharvest?Verticaltillageoffersasolutionwithminimalsoildisturbanceandvirtu-allynosoilinversion,therebymaintain-inganaturalsoilstructureessentialforsuccesswhenotherwiseno-tilling.
Verticaltillagecanbeavagueandcon-fusingtermforbothequipmentdealersandfarmers,mostlybecausetherearesomanyimplementsthatclaimtoac-complishverticaltillage.Averygeneraldefinitionofverticaltillageequipmentisanyimplementwithdisks,shanks,orteeththatenterANDleavethesoilvertically,onlymovingsoilupanddown.Implementsthatmovesoilhorizontally,suchasmoldboardplowsanddiskhar-rows(withconcavedisks),createrestric-tionlayersthatimpedewatermovementandrootgrowth.These implementsshearorsmearthesoil,whichcanleadtocompactioninorbelowthetillagedepth.
Bydefinitionin-linerippersandchiselplows(withstraightpoints)areverticaltillagetools,andcanbeusedto“reset”thesoilprofilewhenrestrictionlayer(s)
arepresent.Ideally,this“reset”shouldhappenonlywhennecessaryandnotonanannualbasis,whichwouldjustamounttoaconventionaltillagesys-tem.Mostoften,verticaltillagereferstoshalloworsurfacetillagethatsizesandincorporatesresidueandmanurewithoutcreatingastratificationlayer.Usuallythedepthislimitedto2”toavoidcreatingacompactedlayerundertheseed.Thisallowsverticaltillagetofitintoareducedtillagesystem,withthegoalofseedingatorbelowtillagedepth.Otheradvantagesofverticaltillageinareducedtillagesystemincludewarmingtheseedbedinthespring,incorporatingcovercropseedinthefall,incorporat-ingmanure,andlevelingoutrutsfromharvestorotherfieldactivities.
Mostverticaltillagetoolsconsistofverti-calcuttingbladessetstraightorataveryshallowangletosizeandincorporateresiduewhileminimizinghorizontalsoilmovement.Also,mostimplementshavesomecombinationofrollingbasketsandcultivatorwheelstobreakupclodsandleveltheseedbed.Aeratormachinescanbeeffectiveverticaltillagetools,especiallywhenequippedwithsomecombinationofcoulters,rollingcultiva-tors,orrollingbaskets.Somemanufac-
turers’verticaltillageimplementshaveconcavedisksorstraightdiskssetonanaggressiveangle.Theseset-upscanhelpincorporateresidueandmanure,butincreasethechancesofsmearingsoilandcreatingcompactioninthetillagezone.CaremustbetakennottouseANYtillageimplementwhensoilmoistureistoohigh,asmoreharmthangoodwillbedone.
WhendoneattherighttimeandrightdepthverticaltillagecanbeaneffectivemanagementtoolforreducedtillagepracticeshereinVermont.
(above) Vertical tillage implement (Great Plains) with straight cutting disks, rotary harrow and rolling baskets.
(right) Aerator machine (Gen-Til) equipped with coulters for vertical tillage.
Where’s Rico?
Rico Balzano has moved to the Rutland Extension office, but he is still an active part of our team and continues to be involved in pro-gramming content and outreach.
Contact him at:
(802) 773-3340 ext. 281, [email protected]
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7University of Vermont Extension | Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture Team
23PondLane,Suite300Middlebury,VT05753
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Vermont Extension, Burlington, Vermont. University of Vermont Extension, and U.S. De-partment of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status. Any reference to commercial products, trade names, or brand names is for information only, and no endorsement or approval is intended.
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2014-68006-21864. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
UVM Extension is grateful to our supporters and funders:
Champlain Valley CROP, SOIL & PASTURE Team
Middlebury, VT (802) 388-4969 • (800) 956-1125
[email protected]/extension/cvcrops
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NortheastSARE,Project#s:ONE13-177;GNE14-091NIFAAgricultureFoodResearchInitiativeGrant,Project#2014-68006-21864VermontNRCSConservationInnovationGrants,Project#s:69-1644-13-5;
69-16944-13-4
Project LeaderJeffCarter,AgronomySpecialist
Agronomy OutreachRicoBalzanoCherylCesarioNateSevery
KristinWilliamsKirstenWorkman
AdministrationKarenGallott
