On-Farm Research Corner
In Iowa, when cover crops are seeded after corn and soybean harvest, there's not much time for them to grow before winter sets in. Even when planting covers after small-grain harvest, late-summer hot and dry periods often stifle germination and preclude a lush fall stand that farmers hope for.
Over the past decade, some PFI farmers have been experimenting with interseeding cover crops between rows of cash crops through PFI's Cooperators' Program. They have tested different interseeding rates, dates and mixes to determine if interseeding can provide summer weed protection and increased fall cover crop growth on their farms without affecting crop yield.
Neil Peterson, of Fonda, Iowa, has found that interseeding his oat crop with legumes or mixes in the spring usually gives him a nice cover crop to graze his cows on from the first week of September until corn and soybean stubble is available later in the fall after those crops are harvested.
To hone his practices, Neil has been experimenting with different seeding rates and seed mixes through the Cooperators' Program for several years. “It's nice to do research trials on interseeding,” he says, “because even though it's not a new practice, it is not a common practice. I am figuring out on my own what species work and how to do it better.”
Neil encourages fellow farmers who are interested in interseeding or other novel practices to not be afraid to try something new. “You're not going to know by looking at the neighbors if the neighbors aren't doing it,” he says. “Sometimes a new practice works, sometimes it doesn't. If you're interested, you should try it.” Start small with test plots if you can. If you're interested in research, PFI's Cooperators' Program is always looking for farmers who are interested in scientifically investigating practices on their farms.
