Corn Talk: Why not knock it down now?

[SD51555]

Outside of standing above the snow concerns, has anyone considered knocking corn down now or sooner to allow sun in to get a second crop going for fall?

Let's assume we've got legitimate soil health/cover cropping reasons for doing this to skirt any blue state baiting violations. Could there be more value in a second green crop coming up among knocked down corn? I'd want to leave those stalks 3-4' high so there isn't a crop suppressing amount of residue on the ground. There could be some huge bonus forage for a guy in zone 4 or further south with a shorter maturity corn, and 45 days to get a brassica crop up along with it.

 

[Tree Spud]

Good idea. In Wisconsin, I believe it is illegal to know corn down without harvesting. Our DNR equates that with baiting. Then there is the issue of a difficult OM thatch layer. Stalks take a long time to break down and they would create problems for certain rototillers & discs.

I would cut good shooting lanes good shooting lanes and leave the rest for vertical cover. Then knock the rest down late season.

 

[hillrunner]

Outside of standing above the snow concerns, has anyone considered knocking corn down now or sooner to allow sun in to get a second crop going for fall?

Let's assume we've got legitimate soil health/cover cropping reasons for doing this to skirt any blue state baiting violations. Could there be more value in a second green crop coming up among knocked down corn? I'd want to leave those stalks 3-4' high so there isn't a crop suppressing amount of residue on the ground. There could be some huge bonus forage for a guy in zone 4 or further south with a shorter maturity corn, and 45 days to get a brassica crop up along with it.

How would you cut it 4' up? I like the idea of leaving enough height to give the deer some security but still allow light to the ground.
I'd rather the ear stay on the stalk and the greens be the only food on the ground. The seed corn farms have a tool they use for detasseling that could accomplish this but I'm sure that's not in the budget.

 

[SD51555]

@Foggy47 could weld up a simple horizontal bar to go on the three point and just drag that thru at desired height off the ground.


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[hillrunner]

@Foggy47 could weld up a simple horizontal bar to go on the three point and just drag that thru at desired height off the ground.


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That could be accomplished with a loader too but you will break the stalks leaving a tangled mess behind. My thought was that a cleaner cut would leave much of the residue in the air while still allowing sunlight to the ground and enough exposed soil to get seed to soil contact.

 

[RGrizzzz]

I've read a little about inter-cropping corn. You can broadcast seed when corn is still short. It will sprout and sit a bit idle while the corn grows. Once the corn dries, more sunlight will get through and the crop will take off. It's usually red clover or brassicas.

Also, it's illegal in PA to knock corn down and leave it lay. It's not a normal "farming practice".

 

[Telemark]

How would you cut it 4' up? I like the idea of leaving enough height to give the deer some security but still allow light to the ground.
I'd rather the ear stay on the stalk and the greens be the only food on the ground. The seed corn farms have a tool they use for detasseling that could accomplish this but I'm sure that's not in the budget.

Ninja sword.

 

[jsasker007]

Good idea. In Wisconsin, I believe it is illegal to know corn down without harvesting. Our DNR equates that with baiting. Then there is the issue of a difficult OM thatch layer. Stalks take a long time to break down and they would create problems for certain rototillers & discs.

I would cut good shooting lanes good shooting lanes and leave the rest for vertical cover. Then knock the rest down late season.

Minnesota has rules against "crop manipulation too".

 

[jsasker007]

That could be accomplished with a loader too but you will break the stalks leaving a tangled mess behind. My thought was that a cleaner cut would leave much of the residue in the air while still allowing sunlight to the ground and enough exposed soil to get seed to soil contact.

My flail mower lifts up to close to 2 feet off the ground. Maybe that would work?

 

[BenAllgood]

I've read a little about inter-cropping corn. You can broadcast seed when corn is still short. It will sprout and sit a bit idle while the corn grows. Once the corn dries, more sunlight will get through and the crop will take off. It's usually red clover or brassicas.

Also, it's illegal in PA to knock corn down and leave it lay. It's not a normal "farming practice".

This right here. Mitt Wardlaw who owns Southern Ag Consulting uses this with annual clovers. He actually drills the corn into the clover. He's been on a couple of podcasts.