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Salute Soil Health: Here is a list of “do nots” critical for promoting soil health.

July 28, 2021

3 Min Read
tractor planting into cover crops
PERSISTENCE PAYS: Roger and Nick Wenning, Greensburg, Ind., no-till corn into green cover crops successfully. However, they’ve learned from mistakes along the way. Tom J. Bechman

Many articles give advice on what to do for a successful soil health system. Rarely do you see advice on what not to do.

For those of you who find the “don’ts” more useful than the “do’s,” here are seven don’ts for your soil health system:

1. Don’t put price before quality. Quality cover crop seed may seem expensive, but it has many advantages. Bin-run seed may be cheaper per pound, but it could have a lower germination rate or could contain weed seed. You may need to apply more to get the same seeding rate as a quality seed.

If you go the cheaper route, make sure you get a complete test showing purity, germination and weed seed contained, so you know what you’re getting. Variety not stated, or VNS, seed can mature at different rates and/or heights, causing uncertainty with termination timing and effectiveness. A variety-specific seed will mature more uniformly and predictably.

2. Don’t spread residue unevenly. Success for your cover crop starts with harvest of the cash crop. Thick and uneven residue on the surface causes issues with cover crop emergence and establishment. Where residue is thick, cover crop seed will not have enough light to germinate. During harvest, you want your combine to spread residue evenly. Don’t let the size of the header outgrow the width of your residue spreader.

3. Don’t forgo starter fertilizer when planting corn into cover crops. Nitrogen that the cover crop scavenged will not release until the cover crop decomposes, usually later in the season. Use starter with N to ensure corn is getting the nutrients it needs.

4. Don’t plant wheat into mature, crimped cereal rye. Mature cereal rye can cause contamination in wheat if the seed germinates, becoming a weed. This is especially true when rye is crimped but it’s not crimped before it forms viable seed. Due to both plants being grasses, there is no easy way to remove rye from the wheat. If you have wheat in your rotation, consider avoiding cereal rye altogether or terminating earlier to prevent viable seed formation.

5. Don’t spray annual ryegrass when it’s cold. The plant needs to be actively growing for herbicides to work. Minimum temperature should be at least 45 degrees F for three or more days post application, and the day should be sunny. Stop spraying by midafternoon to give herbicide time to work before dark. If you haven’t mowed your lawn twice yet, you shouldn’t be spraying annual ryegrass.

6. Don’t forget to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Especially in soil health systems, adaptability is the key to success. Rain, drought and equipment breakdowns can throw a wrench in your preferred plan. Don’t get frustrated when Plan A doesn’t work. Adapt to the situation and make the best of what you’ve got.

7. Don’t see a mistake as a reason to quit. Each unsuccessful situation is a learning experience. Take what worked and what didn’t to form a new plan of action for next time. No one has ever given up on corn or soybeans because of one bad experience. Don’t give up on soil health systems after one unsuccessful year.

Kautz is a district conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. She writes on behalf of the Indiana Conservation Partnership.

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