Roller Crimper

[SD51555]

Went to my land this afternoon for a look at how much rain I got yesterday (2/10") and to check my plots that I roller crimped on Friday. Was kinda shocked to see 30% or more of my rye has stood back up. Wonder if I rolled too early? Maybe should have waited for milk or dough stage in the seed head? Kinda disappointed to see this. Not sure if I should now wait for the said condition to re-roll?.......use a flail mower and take the tops off?? or just leave it as it is???

Was hoping someone with experience here would chime in. Thanks.

If it's only 30%, I might just let it go. That little bit shouldn't hurt your summer release. It'll probably help it as that blend is on heavy on the carbon users. I'd start being worried about the summer release not tolerating being driven on anymore.

 

[Foggy47]

Thinking on the last two responses. Thanks for opinions. I don't think I am doing much damage to the summer release with one more pass at this point. But, if I wait a week or so.....then the summer release may in fact get big enough to damage that crop. OTOH....the 30% of extra biomess may be what I need going into fall.....when I will likely roll it again and put in my fall crop.

Probably 6 for one....half a dozen for the other. Going to take a day or three to think and listen to others. Thanks!

 

[River-X]

Foggy…give it a couple days buddy. I had 30% or more stand back up also. After a few days, majority is turning very pale to white. It was dead, just didnt know it yet. If you look carefully at the stalks that are standing, you will see at least one spot where it was crimped, and thats all it takes to break the circulation to feed the seed head. Patience will be your friend.
The rye I rolled first has been down for at least 6 days and is showing the true outcome of having been rolled. It has made it’s peace with God.

If you had sprayed that field and looked at it two days later, other than some minor wilting, would you see the plants laying down and begging for mercy? Probably not. I sprayed some yellow Rocket in a plot earlier this year and it took 2 full weeks to be certain that the stiff dose of gly had done it’s job. I’m pretty certain you terminated a large percentage of your Rye. I will go out and take pictures of mine right now and post a little later tonight, you will see.

 

[Foggy47]

Foggy…give it a couple days buddy. I had 30% or more stand back up also. After a few days, majority is turning very pale to white. It was dead, just didnt know it yet. If you look carefully at the stalks that are standing, you will see at least one spot where it was crimped, and thats all it takes to break the circulation to feed the seed head. Patience will be your friend.
The rye I rolled first has been down for at least 6 days and is showing the true outcome of having been rolled. It has made it’s peace with God.

If you had sprayed that field and looked at it two days later, other than some minor wilting, would you see the plants laying down and begging for mercy? Probably not. I sprayed some yellow Rocket in a plot earlier this year and it took 2 full weeks to be certain that the stiff dose of gly had done it’s job. I’m pretty certain you terminated a large percentage of your Rye. I will go out and take pictures of mine right now and post a little later tonight, you will see.

lol....the voice of reason. Gotta like it. Patience Grasshopper....patience. Grin.

 

[River-X]

My in-laws were over today at noon for some swimming and pool party for Father’s Day. My brother in law wanted to see my field that I have been doing this no till food plot strategy on and he was simply amazed at how well that crimper worked to terminate that Rye and how good the soybeans and summer release were thriving under the thatch. It made me feel darn good to get an “atta-boy” from him as he is a professional farmer.

 

[River-X]

Patience “Grass-Crimper”…. Hahahaha

 

[Wild Thing]

Another vote for letting it go and not worrying about it. It will eventually lay down, if not on its own then probably when you drill your "fall release" crop into it. BTW - I do not plan to roll or terminate my summer release (Wild Thing recipe) when I drill my fall crop into it - I will just drill over top of it. In the mean time, just think of it as slow release fertilizer which is essentially what it is. When it does lay down and start decomposing it will be putting nutrients back into your soil - what's the rush?

The other issue is that you will likely harm some of your small plants that are just now germinating. I planted around the same time you did and I have germination now.

You can see what my cover crop looks like in the photos I posted in Post #29. I went over it once to spray it and a second time to plant it. If I wanted more of it to lay down I would have to go over it again with my cultipacker (poor man's roller/crimper). Yes it would help more of it to lay down, but it would require another pass over my plots and further contribute to soil compaction. I don't think it is necessary so I'm not going to do it - even if it looks a little odd.

If you need it to look "picture perfect" to make you feel better then go ahead and roll it again. Your call Foggy.

 

[River-X]

Crimped 3 days ago…
Notice how well it is standing up. But in the next picture you will see that it is dying slowly.

In this second picture you will see the seed head from a plant that is standing straight up, rolled 3 days ago. Notice three items…1. The seed “sheaths” are already beginning to loosen from around the seed, not nice and tight around them like 3 days ago. 2. Notice the brighter color green in the veins of the seed “sheath”, (the very bottom of the seed head where it meets the stem, looks like a small leaf). Just like in people when you start to hemorrhage, your body (or the plant) starts to put all the important fluid (body=blood, plant=moisture/chlorophyll) into the vascular system to try and prolong life and save the system. 3. Entire seed head already shows signs of rapid dehydration and is starting to get brown / white from the tip down.

For comparison, I will include the same picture from the other day. This picture is of a seed head just prior to rolling/crimping. Pollination flowers were still attached and yellow. Healthy, tight sheaths around the seeds. Not very much moisture in the seeds yet, but a little. The dying seed head in picture 2 has absolutely no moisture in it at all. It never turned into a viable seed, even though the stem is standing straight up and looks virtually untouched, except for two areas where the stem was crimped.

Hope these pictures help to see the progression of termination.

 

[River-X]

This Rye is in the same field, but because we were getting showers on and off for a few days, it took me three days to complete the task of getting it all rolled/crimped. The Rye in this picture was rolled 5 days ago. Looking a bit more flat than the picture in the post above which was at 3 days ago. Notice there is still quite a bit of green color in this and it is mainly down towards the bottom of the plants. Quite a few still standing up, but again, they are laying down slowly as they croak.

In this picture below you will see where I started the whole field on day 1.. This Rye was rolled 7 days ago when the majority of the Rye in the field was showing the small yellow flowers hanging on the seed head. Same field, just different day due to rain in between opportunities to get out and get the work done. Notice how flat this stuff is and the lack of color in the top 2/3 of the plant. Still a smidge of green hanging on below the lowest crimp point, but giving up the ghost none the less. I’m calling it a success! I think the picture shows the color difference pretty good, not as obvious as seeing it in person, but you can tell the difference. The picture shows rye rolled 7 days ago, then some beans that were sprayed with gly, then the rye that was rolled 5 days ago.

 

[River-X]

I should have clarified…it took me three different days of working on it, over a 7 day stretch. After reading my posts above it sounded confusing on the timeline.

 

[Foggy47]

^^ Good info above. Gonna keep watching and learning. Will get some more pics and report on what I see in a few more days.

 

[Foggy47]

I should have clarified…it took me three different days of working on it, over a 7 day stretch. After reading my posts above it sounded confusing on the timeline.

Funny thing about posting here.....I do my best editing AFTER I hit the "post reply" button. lol.

 

[Foggy47]

Feel pretty good about my winter rye crimping termination now. I think at least 80% or more is toast. Good clover growth from last fall planting and the summer release is taking off too. Other areas planted in buckwheat and sunflowers are germinated too. Mowed a plot that the high water took over and gave me weeds later. All a part of the game. Will nuke it twice....and then replant that with brasica in July.....and more rye and clover in August. (last pic)

One thing I learned from this process....is that more rye is better. I put down 100 lbs / acre....and wish I had started with 150=# / acre. Biomass is your friend.....expecially when getting started. I am glad I got that summer release to help build biomass.

 

[Wild Thing]

All looks great Foggy!

 

[River-X]

Thanks for the update Foggy. Things look real good there! Please continue to post about your results. The information helps us all!

 

[Foggy47]

Thanks for the update Foggy. Things look real good there! Please continue to post about your results. The information helps us all!

Ditto. I sure like seeing others post in this area too! We all need to learn.

 

[MN Slick]

Feel pretty good about my winter rye crimping termination now. I think at least 80% or more is toast. Good clover growth from last fall planting and the summer release is taking off too. Other areas planted in buckwheat and sunflowers are germinated too. Mowed a plot that the high water took over and gave me weeds later. All a part of the game. Will nuke it twice....and then replant that with brasica in July.....and more rye and clover in August. (last pic)

One thing I learned from this process....is that more rye is better. I put down 100 lbs / acre....and wish I had started with 150=# / acre. Biomass is your friend.....expecially when getting started. I am glad I got that summer release to help build biomass.

Looking good Fogman. One thing I struggle with is how much rye/tritcale in the fall mix. Too much rye and the other species in a diverse mix suffer so I don't get the benefits of multi species. Too little and there isn't enough carryover into the spring for good thatch and weed suppression. So far my mixes have been light on rye and suffered come spring. Last fall I drilled my mix in late August then broadcasted 50 lbs per acre of rye in late September but for some damn reason I don't have much luck broadcasting seed.......even winter rye. It's a work in progress!

 

[Foggy47]

Looking good Fogman. One thing I struggle with is how much rye/tritcale in the fall mix. Too much rye and the other species in a diverse mix suffer so I don't get the benefits of multi species. Too little and there isn't enough carryover into the spring for good thatch and weed suppression. So far my mixes have been light on rye and suffered come spring. Last fall I drilled my mix in late August then broadcasted 50 lbs per acre of rye in late September but for some damn reason I don't have much luck broadcasting seed.......even winter rye. It's a work in progress!

Yep.....I have never been able to succeed at broadcast seeds of any kind either. The drill seems to be the ticket for me.......tho I may try broadcasting again. Wonder if the protection of some thatch may help? ......provided the seed reaches the ground. Mowing or at least a cutipacker has worked to a degree for me......but rainfall was always needed to follow. Now with the mulch it would appear I can hold a little moisture and may pull it off (?).

 

[KingLoser]

Hi all, new here and just doing tons of research before I dive into my first property I am in the process of buying.

Was this recent termination you're crimping AFTER your drill? Has anyone done the crimp and drill in one pass?

 

[omicron1792]

Hi all, new here and just doing tons of research before I dive into my first property I am in the process of buying.

Was this recent termination you're crimping AFTER your drill? Has anyone done the crimp and drill in one pass?

Hey king.

I have a 6' land pride drill for the 3pt and a 6' Goliath crimper mounted on front of tractor. My first attempts will be with this fall's planting. There have been a couple people chime in that it is pretty complex to do both at same time, however I am hopeful that I can figure out how to do most of it one pass. My thoughts are that in difficult areas to just lift up crimper and drill the seeds without crimping first, then turn around and crimp right after as to not have to go back and change implements or do on a different day.