Improved Management of Rye Cover Crops for Organic Soybean Production

Project Overview

FNC04-539
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2004: $16,150.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2009
Region: North Central
State: Minnesota
Project Coordinator:

Annual Reports

Commodities

  • Agronomic: general oil crops

Practices

  • Soil Management: general soil management

    Summary:

    The project goals were to see what practice least reduced rye competition with soybeans and what practice best suppressed competition from late emerging weeds in the soybean field.

    We planted the rye in the fall of 2004, October 6. This was planted on oats ground that had been plowed so we had a good stand and food growth yet that fall. In 2005 we planted November 1st and we didn’t get any growth that fall. The following spring it came up uneven but a fair stand.

    The different treatments showed varying degrees of success in controlling weeds, but the treatment where we destroyed the rye and planted to rows and cultivated out yielded the other treatments substantially.

    I received help with the project from Matt Harbur and staff from the Southwest Research and Outreach Center at Lamberton, MN. They took stand counts, weed counts and yield counts.

    The yield was not as good as I expected and the 2nd year was really disappointing because of the dry, hot summer. I like the concept, but don’t recommend it because of the lower yield and generally here we are short on moisture in July and August.

    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 or SARE.