No-till drill into corn stubble for Switchgrass or NWSG’s

[Wintomatic]

Will a no-till drill get through the stalks/ trash left from combining corn?
I can rent the NRCS no-till drill. Does anyone have experience with this for planting switch grass or NWSG’s. Also may try no-tilling soybeans into corn stubble.

 

[Jimmy G]

Hopefully if funding comes through I'll be also using a NRCS no till drill this spring. But my agent said it works much better after soybeans.....I had beans this year

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[BuckSutherland]

I farm West of Minneapolis about 60 miles.


Are the stalks chopped or unchopped? Im guessing your gonna have a little stuggle going into stalks, especially if they are all chopped. If you had a farmer that could rake and bale them off in the spring that would be ideal. If we get a decent spring that can work really good. Otherwise up the seeding rate and go. The worst that can happen is you have to replant.

 

[Wintomatic]

I could go over it with the rotary/ trash mower, but there will be a lot of debris.

 

[Wintomatic]

If a no-till drill won’t work well I might just till it and plant soybeans in the spring. I kind of wanted to notill the switch/ NWSG’s in the fall anyway.

 

[BuckSutherland]

That doesnt look too bad trashwise. The farmer must have had a pretty light population. I am guessing not top of the line soils?? I would up the seeding rate and give the grass a shot if that's your ultimate goal. I would seed directly into the picture shown without any type of mowing.

 

[MickT]

I’ve drilled through much worse.


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[swat1018]

I no-till everything. Corn trash doesn't bother a good drill.

 

[BuckSutherland]

No-till into corn stalks in MO or IN are a much different story than no-till into stalks in WC MN. We dont get near the residue decomposition that warmer climates get.

 

[buckdeer1]

By spring I bet you would be fine.I usually plant mine to wheat in fall then spray with gly as early in spring as I can and drill the NWSG into the wheat.Are you having to plant a mix of NWSG per NRCS or can you plant what you want?I would consider adding switch or just planting switch.Also plan for a burn break such as mowing around edge or plant WW or clover.I have a fire break around 1 and I mow and use a hay rake on the other to create a fire break

 

[MickT]

I’ve drilled through fresh cut wheat hay in a drought when the ground was rock hard. No issues. I had to increase the seeding depth so it would cut but that’s part of using a drill. These were much heavier thatches than what you’ll be dealing with.


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[Wintomatic]

I will plant switch grass if I can’t get into CRP, If I do it will be a mix ( heavy on the switch grass)

 

[Bill]

I own a drill and still find it easier to broadcast switch grass in January or Febuary. Probably later up were you are.
Just before the ground starts to thaw and freeze again. If you want to add fluffy grass seeds it won't broadcast easily unless you can find the seed de bearded.

My drill has 9 inch rows and if there were moisture in the ground that trash combined with my MO mud would plug my drill up bad...

 

[Dukslayr]

I own a drill and still find it easier to broadcast switch grass in January or Febuary. Probably later up were you are.
Just before the ground starts to thaw and freeze again. If you want to add fluffy grass seeds it won't broadcast easily unless you can find the seed de bearded.

My drill has 9 inch rows and if there were moisture in the ground that trash combined with my MO mud would plug my drill up bad...

Bill, I plan on making a visit to the NRCS office sometime in the next month to visit with them. My deer, turkey and pheasant population could really benefit from some switchgrass (or a mix). I’m assuming they won’t let me plant straight switch grass (maybe they will, I don’t know), but if they do, would some sort of “throw and mow” method work in existing CRP? There are areas that were baled this year that I would love to put into switch grass or a bend and wondering if I can broadcast, then mow short (those baled areas are already pretty short). I could also hit it with my cultipacker as it starts to thaw. I’m guessing it won’t put compeye what’s already there unless it’s killed first but curious anyway.

 

[Bill]

Bill, I plan on making a visit to the NRCS office sometime in the next month to visit with them. My deer, turkey and pheasant population could really benefit from some switchgrass (or a mix). I’m assuming they won’t let me plant straight switch grass (maybe they will, I don’t know), but if they do, would some sort of “throw and mow” method work in existing CRP? There are areas that were baled this year that I would love to put into switch grass or a bend and wondering if I can broadcast, then mow short (those baled areas are already pretty short). I could also hit it with my cultipacker as it starts to thaw. I’m guessing it won’t put compeye what’s already there unless it’s killed first but curious anyway.

You would probably be wasting your money and time. The cool season grasses in the hay field would have a big jump start on any warm season grass. Not saying you wouldn't get a clump here and there but I don't think you would get the results you were after.

 

[Dukslayr]

You would probably be wasting your money and time. The cool season grasses in the hay field would have a big jump start on any warm season grass. Not saying you wouldn't get a clump here and there but I don't think you would get the results you were after.

That was my assumption too. I don’t even know what all is/was planted with this CRP enrollment but it’s 11-12 years into a 15 year contract so it could certainly use a boost.

 

[Bill]

That was my assumption too. I don’t even know what all is/was planted with this CRP enrollment but it’s 11-12 years into a 15 year contract so it could certainly use a boost.

You know I read to fast there and made an assumption it was a hay field. Maybe NRCS has records of what was planted there before? If there are warm season grasses in the seed bank you may have options. I once sprayed a field, that had patches of blue stem and Indian grass, in the spring with just gly. Killed off the cool season stuff and the field exploded with natives.

 

[Dukslayr]

You know I read to fast there and made an assumption it was a hay field. Maybe NRCS has records of what was planted there before? If there are warm season grasses in the seed bank you may have options. I once sprayed a field, that had patches of blue stem and Indian grass, in the spring with just gly. Killed off the cool season stuff and the field exploded with natives.

I’m assuming they have a record of it...at least initially. I plan to sit down with them and a map of my 11 fields and figure out exactly what’s been planted (to their knowledge) and what my restrictions are on each of the contracts. Hopefully they’ll let me put it some switch and NWSGs in some of the thinner areas.

 

[swat1018]

I’m assuming they have a record of it...at least initially. I plan to sit down with them and a map of my 11 fields and figure out exactly what’s been planted (to their knowledge) and what my restrictions are on each of the contracts. Hopefully they’ll let me put it some switch and NWSGs in some of the thinner areas.

Has it been burned? Like Bill said, a spray of glyphosate after green up, before NWSG start to emerge does wonders at knocking back cool season grasses and let the NWSG take off. I'm guessing there is plenty of NWSG seed in the ground in your area.

 

[Dukslayr]

Has it been burned? Like Bill said, a spray of glyphosate after green up, before NWSG start to emerge does wonders at knocking back cool season grasses and let the NWSG take off. I'm guessing there is plenty of NWSG seed in the ground in your area.

The problem is I really don’t know what’s been done. This is my first year with the property so I’m operating with limited knowledge. The areas that have been mowed and baled this year I’m guessing will not lend themselves to burning as short as they are.