Winter rye is a hearty cereal grain that is considered a “workhorse” and, although it is not the highest quality forage crop, it is often chosen for its reliability and versatility. It thrives on well-drained, loamy soil but it also performs adequately in heavy clay as well as droughty, sandy soils. It can grow in low-fertility soils; it prefers a soil pH of 5.0 to …
Continue reading “Winter Rye Cover Crop: When to terminate?”
INTRODUCTION: From improving soil health to pollinator habitat to protecting water quality, cover crops can provide a multitude of benefits! One way cover crops can protect the field from erosion and reduce nutrients from reaching our waterways is by covering the soil with their leaves and stems. This is called surface cover by cover crop …
Continue reading “Measuring Percent Surface Cover: In-Field vs Remote Technology”
With the reality of high fertilizer prices, we encourage you to manage nutrients on your farm as efficiently as possible! The goal this year should be to reduce input costs without sacrificing yield. Below are three strategies that can help you manage nutrient supplies resourcefully. 1) Don’t Guess, Soil Test The first, best step to …
In 2018, the UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils (NWCS) team hosted a No-Till Training Program for Agricultural Technical Service Providers (TSP). This training was created to help foster a stronger working knowledge of no-till equipment, soil health, and technology used to make no-till systems successful, better enabling TSPs to support farms and farm operators …
Nutrient recommendations based on soil testing and other soil and crop information are the basis for manure and fertilizer management for your field crops that optimizes economic returns while protecting water quality and the environment. The recommended nutrient rates reported on the UVM Soil Test Report and found in the Nutrient Recommendations for Field Crops …
Continue reading “Updated Nitrogen Recommendations for Corn Now Available”
Our morning Cover Crops webinar series is in full swing! Thus far, we have held three webinars featuring Bill Curran, PennState Extension; Heather Darby, UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program; and Kirsten Workman, UVM Extension Champlain Valley Crops, Soils, & Pasture Program. Don’t worry if you missed the live broadcasts of these webinars; recordings …
Join us this Thursday, July 23, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for our annual Crops and Soils Field Day at the Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh. The day will include our infamous tour where you will see many of the research trials we are conducting, including those on heirloom beans, silage corn, flax, …
Cover crops can add organic matter, increase soil fertility, and reduce erosion, among many other benefits. However, our short growing season makes getting covers established after corn harvest challenging. As an alternative, farmers and researchers alike are looking at ways to establish cover crops as the corn is growing. The first window to establish covers …
Continue reading “Using the Penn State Interseeder to Plant Cover Crops”
Before you sidedress your corn, we recommend doing the Vermont Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Test (PSNT). The PSNT measures nitrate, the main form of nitrogen (N) taken up by plants and an indicator of N available to the crop for the remainder of the season. The PSNT should be taken right before you sidedress, so you can …
Continue reading “Sidedressing Your Corn: How Much is the Right Amount?”
Recent intense rainfall events have caused flooding, ponding, and soil saturation in many of our corn and hay fields. What are the prospects for these crops? Corn Fields Beautiful and dry spring weather allowed most folks to get corn planted in a timely fashion. We’ve seen corn around the state that is just about knee …
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