That's been our thing for 20 years now. It turns out pretty as a picture, but if you plant into the standing rye when it's in it's milky stage, then let the beans emerge, then go back and roll / crimp the rye once the rye is in it's doughy stage, you'll have a lot better stand. I'd mix up the covers some also. You may have some issues if their are any legumes in the covers, it can mess with the whole bacteria mix that cause nitrogen fixation in the soil, but I've had a ton of volunteer alfalfa come up and it didn't hurt a thing. It's a tough thing to get started on because all that vibrant soil health / nutrition comes on with a 2-3 year delay. You see, the 2nd year you plant green, let's say you did corn on that ground next year, you would want a crop with some rye, but with a lot of legumes, especially vetch. So you plant in to it, let the cash crop establish up to v1, then roll it. At that point, their is essentially 2 layers of cover crop mat, but not a lot of it has broken down to show any significant improvement in NPK levels. 3rd year is the charm though. Their are a lot of things you can do that are different and that won't hurt your yields, but will reduce your inputs. If you jump to full organic like me, then you'll see a yield drag, but you can get more for what you have. I am not pro organic strangely enough. As a matter of fact, I think that using a lot of these soil health methods, and combining that with very tightly monitored nitrogen application would be the most ecological and moral way to farm because it makes the most out of each production acre, resulting in cheaper product and more of it. Basically, if one were to jump to full organic and not utilize cover crops and still did heavy tillage, they are every bit as much of a menace to the environment as any farmer. But a guy like you who carefully ventured into cover crops and no till / strip till, very light VT, yet still used (about 20% of) chemicals is HUGELY improving the environment. The pesticides and fungicides are real tricky. They pretty much create 90% of the need for themselves, because they kill beneficial's. The more of it you use, the greater the need will be for it in the future. I don't use any, I have more pest pressure than my conventional friends, but if they didn't use pesticides, they couldn't even get a crop at all. So who is right? Thank you for the video friend, since you went through all that trouble, I thought I'd take the time to comment.
I’d love to know how to do this in a garden, I went a whole year no till, and just gave in the other day because winter rye and clover just kept coming back after weed whacking several times so I broke out the tiller 😩
Jon Stevens Maple Grove Farms They turned out fine. Not much difference in yield.The real savings was one less liberty application. It really kept the field clean
I'm hoping to be almost organic honestly being filled this year. Go into Rye might have to just do a little burn down so the ride doesn't take all my moisture and go to grain. Behind the burn down try a strip or two of some annual clovers to see if they can hold weeds back for the year. And then in other soybean fields I would go in with winter wheat
Jon Stevens Maple Grove Farms I have the same goals. No till organic soy beans is what I’m shooting for long-term. I know there’s a lot to learn yet. Just got back my grid samples. I have raised organic matter A half of a percent on some fields in 5 years, only using cover crop every other year in a corn bean rotation.
Not sure, I don’t have any experience with snap beans. I wouldn’t think it would be an issue. To me it’s very important to get the cover crop flat on the ground to avoid any other issues at harvest.
That's been our thing for 20 years now. It turns out pretty as a picture, but if you plant into the standing rye when it's in it's milky stage, then let the beans emerge, then go back and roll / crimp the rye once the rye is in it's doughy stage, you'll have a lot better stand. I'd mix up the covers some also. You may have some issues if their are any legumes in the covers, it can mess with the whole bacteria mix that cause nitrogen fixation in the soil, but I've had a ton of volunteer alfalfa come up and it didn't hurt a thing.
It's a tough thing to get started on because all that vibrant soil health / nutrition comes on with a 2-3 year delay. You see, the 2nd year you plant green, let's say you did corn on that ground next year, you would want a crop with some rye, but with a lot of legumes, especially vetch. So you plant in to it, let the cash crop establish up to v1, then roll it. At that point, their is essentially 2 layers of cover crop mat, but not a lot of it has broken down to show any significant improvement in NPK levels. 3rd year is the charm though.
Their are a lot of things you can do that are different and that won't hurt your yields, but will reduce your inputs. If you jump to full organic like me, then you'll see a yield drag, but you can get more for what you have. I am not pro organic strangely enough. As a matter of fact, I think that using a lot of these soil health methods, and combining that with very tightly monitored nitrogen application would be the most ecological and moral way to farm because it makes the most out of each production acre, resulting in cheaper product and more of it.
Basically, if one were to jump to full organic and not utilize cover crops and still did heavy tillage, they are every bit as much of a menace to the environment as any farmer. But a guy like you who carefully ventured into cover crops and no till / strip till, very light VT, yet still used (about 20% of) chemicals is HUGELY improving the environment.
The pesticides and fungicides are real tricky. They pretty much create 90% of the need for themselves, because they kill beneficial's. The more of it you use, the greater the need will be for it in the future. I don't use any, I have more pest pressure than my conventional friends, but if they didn't use pesticides, they couldn't even get a crop at all. So who is right?
Thank you for the video friend, since you went through all that trouble, I thought I'd take the time to comment.
Thanks for the advise, it really takes a different skill level to be successful with covers. I get a little better every year
Pretty wild stuff. Thanks for showing it. I'd be nervous too.
Will you be planting rye again in fall or what will you do for next winter cover crop?
I’d love to know how to do this in a garden, I went a whole year no till, and just gave in the other day because winter rye and clover just kept coming back after weed whacking several times so I broke out the tiller 😩
looks really good! how did it turn out? in ND they leave it tall because they don't want the ground cover.
Jon Stevens Maple Grove Farms They turned out fine. Not much difference in yield.The real savings was one less liberty application. It really kept the field clean
I'm hoping to be almost organic honestly being filled this year. Go into Rye might have to just do a little burn down so the ride doesn't take all my moisture and go to grain. Behind the burn down try a strip or two of some annual clovers to see if they can hold weeds back for the year. And then in other soybean fields I would go in with winter wheat
Jon Stevens Maple Grove Farms I have the same goals. No till organic soy beans is what I’m shooting for long-term. I know there’s a lot to learn yet. Just got back my grid samples. I have raised organic matter A half of a percent on some fields in 5 years, only using cover crop every other year in a corn bean rotation.
Can this be use to mulch thyme plants to prevent weeds?
Should work just as well
Did you sown the beans after rolling rye
Now we roll as we plant with the rollers attached to the front of the planter
it is possible to have dry rye without glyphosate? I want to use rye cover in my organic farm.
You can kill it with a roller crimper once it pollinates
@@hemmebrotherscreamery I wonder about snap beans with rye cover crop. Do you think it will run ok?
Not sure, I don’t have any experience with snap beans. I wouldn’t think it would be an issue. To me it’s very important to get the cover crop flat on the ground to avoid any other issues at harvest.
Do you have a video harwesting that?
P8.5 I did not get a video harvesting it. But it cut just fine. No real yield difference. The big savings was in one less liberty application