Cornell Cover Crops

Labor efficiency is a high priority on vegetable farms worldwide. It takes different forms in different places. Cover crop practices require high labor efficiency as well, and we could use research to find improvements.

@auren Make sure the students are getting an actual college education, not just a piece of paper. The credential is worth nothing without the education it is supposed to represent.

universities below the top 20 are going to face a massive enrollment crisis. can’t lend $400k against a credential that no longer has a wage premium. math does not work. we're going to see more and more of these schools up for sale. how would you turn around your fav school?

Third key to cover crop success: Kill On Time Terminate when plants will kill completely Herbicide: Susceptibility depends on both temperature and growth stage. Time application when both are correct. Don't miss a spot! 10/10

Third key to cover crop success: Kill On Time Terminate when plants will kill completely Winter kill: Young plants like Crucifer rosettes are much hardier than older ones that started to bolt or bulb in the fall. Check for runts that survived winter.    9/10

Third key to cover crop success: Kill On Time Terminate when plants will kill completely Cultivation or shallow tillage: Separate roots from shoots or roots from soil     8/10

Third key to cover crop success: Kill On Time Terminate when plants will kill completely Roller crimping: make sure there is enough biomass and that the stems are brittle. No immature tillers.    7/10

Third key to cover crop success: Kill On Time Terminate when plants will kill completely Mow killing: make sure all potential growing points are higher than the mower blade. Early flowering is often best,    6/10

Third key to cover crop success: Kill On Time Terminate when plants will kill completely Chose an effective method for the species, growth stage and season.   5/10

Third key to cover crop success: Kill On Time Always terminate before there is a risk of seed production. Watch mixes closely, any component can become an unwelcome volunteer. 4/10

Third key to cover crop success: Kill On Time To minimize tillage and speed soil warming in spring, terminate just after green-up. 3/10

Third key to cover crop success: Kill On Time Wheat, triticale and rye are at very different stages. At these stages,terminating wheat gives an N credit, rye a big deficit. 2/10

Third key to cover crop success: Kill On Time It is time for winter cover crop termination. The right time depends a great deal on management goals. Here is a series of tweets on getting that right. 1/10

@KamounLab So many greenhouse experiments used to be done in steamed field soil. What conditions can those results be generalized to?

The default assumption in plant biology should be that microbes are relevant until proven otherwise #TwitterWisdom #plantsci

@LucasAHaag @clintwfischer Daughters might be very tempted to sell their share to an investment firm in order to have unrestricted cash now. That is a very common transaction for any payouts over time like annuities, lottery jackpots and court settlements.

@clintwfischer How does this get unwound? Daughters ownership goes to their heirs? Nephews rights to rent the ground are transferable to his kids?

Farm couple w/ 2 daughters • 1,500 owned acres of corn & soybeans • another 2K rented • full, modern equipment line Both daughters married, moved away, and neither will be coming back to farm → Nephew farms full-time w/ them (want him to continue the farm) 1. If they did no planning = → daughters inherit everything 50/50 → no guarantees Nephew continues to farm -BUT- 2. They did significant planning. To make sure the farm continues. Nephew will be continuing the farm legacy Their plan: → Land into a LLLP* → Operations (machinery, grain, leases, etc) into an LLC* → Off-farm assets + Land Trust income goes to daughters* *All owned/directed by their Living Trust So, after mom & dad pass away, here's what happens: A) the daughters split equally the off farm assets (investments, retirement accounts, life insurance, the house, etc) B) Nephew gets farm operations LLC C) Nephew gets access to the land via the Land Trust D) Daughters manage the Land Trust and receive income from Nephew's rent checks The takeaway: --> the farm can keep going, but you've got to have a plan

What caused gaps in winter cover crops you are terminating now? What used to cause gaps, but you have fixed?

Second key to cover crop success: No Gaps Broadcasting is common, but takes a lot of care. Do overlapping passes, and cover the field twice at different angles Follow broadcasting with something that presses in the seed to get seed-soil contact.

Second key to cover crop success: No Gaps Prepare the field so that the planter will not skip. Use a planter that can handle stones, crop residue, crusting or others impediments to accurate placement. Adjust the planter so that the seed furrow closes​ consistently and completely.

Second key to cover crop success: No Gaps Why it matters: weeds will grow in even small gaps in the cover crop stand. Now is a good time to evaluate winter covercrop stands and think about what could remedy any gaps. Scouting is fast because the weed-filled gaps are easy to spot.

Second key to cover crop success: No Gaps A series of tweets with things to think about.

@DevaCowlover The article is about what success looks like after 20 years of experience with a new approach. There is no indication that they were ever doing poorly. They seem like precise data-driven managers under any system. Too many articles cover hopes after zero years of experience.

So you have to basically go broke for 19 years in the name of "sustainability" before you see a profit or results? This is insane!