Wheat field

[armadillophil]

I have a farm in Kansas. The farmer planted 150 acres of wheat this fall. I am going to take about about 8 acres out of production for cover. This will consist of two 3 acre tracts and then a 200 yard setback off the creek. My plan is to rototill the perimeter of fields and a few strips and then plant switch. I was going to leave the wheat and just let it go and seed out and let field start to regen back to pasture. Thoughts? Would it be better to just till everything up?

 

[Catscratch]

You might ask your farmer about herbicides and any residuals that he's been using. And, I'd expect a rash of weeds like marestail to pop up if you let the wheat go. With that said a nice weedy field can make wonderful deer and bird habitat.

 

[bigboreblr]

Rototill can cause the same issue. Old seeds dormant in the field, there's a ton of them. IF you rototill, wait 2 or 3 weeks after you rototill and spray some herbicide on the young weed seeds. Switchgrass planting depth is like clover, 1/4 inch or so. Letting that rortilled field settle a few weeks will help some too. Cultipacking after rototilling is helpful too. Then cultipack again after seeding.

Farmer just harvest the seeds? Or does he bale the stems too?

Might want to ask about tips to spread the seed if you're not using a drill. 10lbs an acre is tough to spread evenly.

 

[armadillophil]

He justs harvest wheat no bale. It might be better to spray the wheat with roundup then drill the switch???

 

[bigboreblr]

I'd spray that, when things start to warm up. Doesn't need to be 65, but does need actively growing plants. And plants big enough to stick out of the thatch

 

[buckdeer1]

All my NWSG that was planted through CRP was planted in wheat in the spring.I drilled the NWSG and then sprayed the wheat same day.I would check to make sure that farmer didn't put grass pre emergent.You say a few strips.Are you using for cover or screen to block view?Reason I bring up is that according to FSA 120ft is the min that you should plant buffer strips to make it harder for predators to hunt them. Plant and keep mowed 1 ft tall first year to control other weeds.