Dodge County Badger Cover Crop Plot Kreuziger Farms, Clyman, WI

Photo by Damon Reabe

Dodge County, WI

Plot Location

Multi-Agency Effort!

Public/Private Partnership!

Why Plant Cover Crops: N Source N Scavenger Soil Builder Subsoiler Topsoil loosener Erosion Preventer Weed Suppressor Forage Producer

Obvious benefits for improved water quality and wildlife habitat.

“Increase soil biological activity” “Build soil organic matter”

Badger Plot Research Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the use of cover crops will increase nitrogen recovery, improve soil quality and increase grain yields in a corn, soybean and winter wheat crop rotation.

Winter Wheat field prior to Harvest

Harvest Date: July 29, 2013

For these plots, seeding rate and recommendations were taken from NRCS Agronomy Tech Note 7

Drill calibration:

Plot Design:

Cover Crop Planting Day: July 30, 2013

April 4, 2013

2 Frost seeded clover plots planted:

May 5, 2013

The Results:

Frost Seeded Red Clover Trifolium Pratense

Control Plot-Volunteer Wheat Triticum aestivum

Crimson Clover Trifolium incarnatum

Crimson Clover/Radish mix Trifolium incarnatum/Raphanus sativas

Spring Barley Hordeum vulgare

Buckwheat

Buckwheat was hand pulled and removed to prevent future weed problems

Fagopyrum esculentum

Hairy Vetch/Oats mix Vicia villosa/Avena sativa

Oilseed Radish Raphanus sativus

Red Clover Trifolium Pratense

Annual Ryegrass Lolium multiflorum

Peas/Radish mix Pisum sativum/Raphanus sativus

Sudangrass Sorghum bicolor

Getting the Word Out!

• WLWCA email list • UWEX All Ag list • Posters/signs/newsletters • Staff working with producers • 408 Direct mailings/Invitation to all

attendees of county NM workshops

Agency Day!

Producer Day!

Cover Crop Field Events: Oct. 1-2, 2013

Over 150 in Attendance!

Cover Crop Field Events: Oct. 1-2, 2013

Soil Quality discussion: • Aggregate stability • Compaction • Glomulin • Soil Structure

Nutrient Cycling discussion: • Scavenging Nitrogen • Growing nitrogen • C : N ratios

Weed/Pest discussion: • Herbicide labels • Harvest as a forage? • Termination (fall vs. spring)

Talk about Soil Quality! • Controlled Wheel Traffic • Strip-Till system • Cover Crops

Dodge County Badger Cover Crop Plot Kreuziger Farms, Clyman, WI

Photo by Damon Reabe

Dodge County, WI

Plot Location

2014 Yield Check