Interseeding legume and grain crops with high-oil-content sunflowers

Project Overview

FNE08-628
Project Type: Farmer
Funds awarded in 2008: $9,100.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2009
Region: Northeast
State: New Hampshire
Project Leader:
Dorn Cox
Westwick Farming LLC

Commodities

  • Agronomic: rye, sunflower

Practices

  • Crop Production: intercropping, multiple cropping
  • Education and Training: farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research
  • Energy: bioenergy and biofuels
  • Farm Business Management: whole farm planning
  • Production Systems: organic agriculture
  • Soil Management: green manures

    Proposal summary:

    This continues a previous SARE grant, and is designed to address weed pressure in high-oil-content sunflower plots that will be used to make biodiesel. Variety trials and interseeding treatments are now getting consistent results, but weed management remains a problem. The farmer will now explore whether some yield loss can be improved by adjusting the seeding dates, and will also look at how the costs and performance of buckwheat, hairy vetch, and crimson clover compare in a large-scale application. Outreach will be through extension twilight meetings supplemented by conferences and Farm Bureau events.

    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.