Herbicide use when terminating cover crops

[DRG3]

My question is- does applying herbicide to a cover crop when terminating (buckwheat in this case) reduce the benifit or soil building properties of the organic matter.

I have some buckwheat that I planted right at the first of June and will be putting in fall oats it late august or early sept.

When It comes time to terminate the buckwheat - should I spray it with gly- and if so- does the spray reduce the benifit via loss of nutrients that the living plant may have vs a dead plant? I know there is some real ignorance of plant biology in this question- but I planted this to build my soil after ag production and want to maximize the benifit.

Thanks in advance

 

[SD51555]

Not directly, but yes. The fallow period that follows kills off most of your mycorhizal fungi. Much like the way if you cut off all utilities to a town for two weeks, most people will die, but not all.

That late in the season, I’d just broadcast into it and mow it or drive it down. You’ll get a bunch of volunteer seed, but you should germinate them to use them up.


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[Skeeter]

Gly is antimicrobial so you'll set back the microbes some too.

 

[DRG3]

I’ve heard a lot about sowing brassicas in buckwheat then nocking it down. My soil is pretty poor (one of the reasons for the buckwheat) and I’m not sure it will support brassicas. I was planning on oats. Can they be seeded effectively into standing buckwheat?

 

[Foggy47]

I’ve heard a lot about sowing brassicas in buckwheat then nocking it down. My soil is pretty poor (one of the reasons for the buckwheat) and I’m not sure it will support brassicas. I was planning on oats. Can they be seeded effectively into standing buckwheat?

I've never had good luck with broadcasting oats. Seems to me that is one seed that needs to get covered and good contact with the soil. I may try some again this year.....now that I have my drill. One other issue I had.....was that is so very s l o w to feed through my seed broadcaster. Where I would be putting out 100 lbs of rye.....I may only get 20 out of the same settings for oats.

Maybe if you followed a broadcast of oats with a disk?

Maybe someone else has the keys to oats planting.

 

[omicron1792]

If you’re early in your process I would use rye heavy heavy for several year.

Pro tip. Deer don’t care. They will eat the rye just as good as the oats.

 

[FarmerDan]

I've never had good luck with broadcasting oats. Seems to me that is one seed that needs to get covered and good contact with the soil.

Maybe someone else has the keys to oats planting.

It's clear to Foggy!

Oats need a long exposure to moisture to kick germination into gear. Left on the surface they dry out too quickly - before or after germination. Seeds belong in the soil.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

If i had buckwheat, i think I'd only spray to kill any other undesirables mixed in with it. Seems a guy should be able to mow or roll buckwheat to terminate well enough for plotting purposes.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Wait until the buckwheat is mature, seed an anual clover with a winter grain into it ( I’d go with wheat if you are not “up north”) and maybe a pound per acre of radish. I have also had good luck with just broadcasting winter peas. Mow or better yet roll the buckwheat on top of it and you will have a salad bar of greens that the deer won’t be able to get enough of.


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[Foggy47]

Buckwheat is the easiest crop to terminate. Just give it a good hard stare.....and its gone. Seriously....pull any drag, chain links, or packer over it and it's history.

 

[gunfun13]

Anyone know if there is there any difference to soil health between using glyphosate (Round Up) and glufosinate (Liberty)?

 

[DRG3]

Wait until the buckwheat is mature, seed an anual clover with a winter grain into it ( I’d go with wheat if you are not “up north”) and maybe a pound per acre of radish. I have also had good luck with just broadcasting winter peas. Mow or better yet roll the buckwheat on top of it and you will have a salad bar of greens that the deer won’t be able to get enough of.


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What is the seeding rate for wheat in this case?

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

What is the seeding rate for wheat in this case?

100#\acre


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