Published Jun 23, 2011

Cover Crop Field Day Spencer, IA

By Sarah Carlson

Jeff Joyce, beginning farmer near Ruthven, IA hosted a field day focused on strip tillage, cover crops nutrient management on June 17, 2011. 55 farmers came out to eat burgers grilled by the local county cattlemen and hear presentations from Jeff, Paul Kassel (ISU Extension), Dr. John Sawyer (ISU Agronomy Extension), Dr. Mark Hanna (Ag Engineering Extension), John Lundvall (Iowa Learning Farm) and PFI. Ruthven is on the border of Palo Alto and Spencer county, north of HWY 18. Jeff had 100lbs/A of winter rye flown onto his fields into standing soybeans on August 25, 2010. He then strip tilled late October 2010 with a Remlinger Strip Till Bar. He placed dry 52+80+80+24 dry fertilizer in the strip along with 70+0+0 as anhydrous ammonia with N-serve. The rye grew great! In the spring he sprayed 42oz/A of Buccaneer Plus (glyphosate) on April 25, 2011. Cold weather slowed down the kill of the rye. But with 42oz/A he eventually got a good kill. 24oz/A given good conditions is the recommended rate for glyphosate used to burn down a spring small grain cover crop. Jeff planted two corn hybrids: Northrup King N53W 3000 GT and N56V 3000 GT at a population of 33,000 seeds/A. Corn was planted on May 13, 2011. He included starter fertilizer 24+10+0 (28-0-0 plus 10-34-0) with Nutrisphere N applied 2×1 with shop built attachment behind planter closing disc. The planter is a Deere 7200 with Martin row cleaners and Deere shallow closing system.

Jeff followed after planting corn with 1.0 qt./A of Volley ATZ with 2.0oz/A of Balance Flexx on May 15, 2011. Jeff will be side-dressing the field this spring.

To hear the field day check out this video taken by the Spencer Daily Reporter  2011 Field Day.

Jeff is looking to expand his acres of cover crops to 320A this fall. He has signed up for cost-share dollars through his county NRCS office. Practice 340 on the EQIP list cost shares an over-wintering cover crop ~$50/A. Because Jeff is a beginning farmer he is in a category and will receive an extra incentive for trying out this practice for the next 3 years. If you would like more information about signing up for cover crops through your local NRCS office contact PFI’s hotline at 515-232-5661 and ask for Sarah Carlson.