Verified FBN Member (KS)

Agronomy

Has anyone tried oats for a cover crop after beans and before corn?

We currently plant rye after corn before beans and it works great. We Eliminate April burn down sprayer pass plus enjoy all the agronomic benefits. Hoping to find something that will eliminate the spring burn down ahead of corn but afraid rye will keep the ground too cool to plant corn first week of April. South central Kansas

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Verified FBN Member (IN)

Notill planting into living cover crops in general has been easier for me. I use a .5 bu bin run wheat, 1bu bin run oat, 4lb crimson clover mix after sb harvest (Aug-Oct)before going to corn(April-May). Spray after I plant with own rig so I get the most use of residuals. Ground dries faster and has been same temp as bare ground. Ground temp doesnt drop as much overnight as bare ground in early spr...

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

North of Sterling. JD 750 into semi frozen ground first week of March. This was on an organic field.


They didn't really emerge until beginning of April, but after things warm up there is more risk of fighting mud. There was about 12-15 inches of growth at termination early May.

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

We tried spring planted oats peas rape mix ahead of corn. We're doing the field on Wednesday so we'll see, but it survived the dry August better than the fields next to it.


We terminated with tillage and had to replant because of cold rain for a week after planting so by then soil temps were not an issue.

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

What part of Illinois are you in and how early did you get your covers planted?


Verified FBN Member (IL)

If you lower your seeding rate the stand thins and the surface will dry and warm. You still get the benefits of live mychroryzia and soil structure without cold damp seedbed.