Cover Crop Looking Good

This was a field that was planted to peas. The peas were bypassed because they matured too quickly. There were so many really hot days in a row the canning factory could not keep up with all the peas that progresses too quickly. After the field was inspected by the crop adjuster I disked it a couple times to kill the weeds and prepare for the cover crop seeding.

This field was planted early in August. With the rain and warm weather the cover crop sure took off! Before it was planted my neighbor a pork producer injected 5,000 of finishing barn hop manure. I am sure that is one of the reasons the oats and purple top turnips are growing soo fast. Most of the nitrogen in the manure is tied up and slowly is mineralized or converted to nitrate nitrogen. However, what is available could be lost with heavy rain.

The beauty of a cover crop is the oats will take up the nitrogen and it will be locked up in the plant tissue. Then next year when the field is corn the plant residue will break down and release the nitrogen for the corn. Plus, it is nice to see something green growing in the field protecting the soil!