Rye Catch Crop with Manure

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1 Weed Seed Viability in Manure and Rye Catch Crop with Manure Natalie Rector MSU Extension Educator February 2009

2 Weeds from manure Yes, you will have more weeds after manure. But you have herbicides to deal with that. ~Lee Thelen, crop producer in Clinton County

3 A weed seed s s road to manure... Began as a feed source Pelleted Milled, ground, mixed Ensiling: Works better than the rumen Foxtail, pigweed, lambsquarter almost zero Lambsquarter (one of the harder to kill) 2 weeks of ensiling= 34% germs 4 weeks of ensiling = zero

4 Passes through the animal Poultry Gizzard destroys 98% of seeds, especially soft ones Rumen Helps destroy seeds, especially grasses

5 Stacking Weeds in manure storage increases microorganisms, ammonia gas and uric acid, killings some weeds Composting Temperature dependent/management Ammonia gas and salt toxicity it Heating may break dormancy/accelerate aging

6 Weeds New species of weeds If feed or manure comes in from far away Tillage and Nutrients in manure maybe causing the appearance of more weeds Chickweed and lambsquarter respond to N N also provides crop competitive advantage Current weed seed bank in soil Ranges in NC region from 56-15,000 seeds/sq.ft. Which end of the spectrum are you currently at and which end is the source of the manure at? Yes, more potential weed seeds, Has not been found to reduce yields Timely weed control needed, as always

7 Catch/Cover Crops

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9 Rye + Manure=Mutual Mutual Benefits Rye has lots of organic matter/fodder/top growth Manure has lots of nitrogen Takes microorganisms to break down fodder Takes N to feed the micros Rye takes up N; needs N to decay

10 Worst Case Scenario Rye gets large in spring Lots of fodder Ties up N Deprives early corn crop of N»Finally releases N after major need of corn crop

11 Best Case Scenario Rye germinates and grows nice in the fall Manure is applied Rye keeps manure from running off Rye roots take in NP&K nutrients from manure Next spring, rye begins growing early» Takes up more nutrients» Killed early and efficiently» 2 weeks later plant corn» Spike of manure decays rye quickly, and releases lbs. of N

12 Costs Rye seed $15, $22, $30/acre (1, 1.5, 2 bu) Seeding cost; Aerial seeding $12.50/a, Drilling, Bulk spread Roundup $12/a (0.75 lbs/ai) plus trip over field Opportunity Costs of time in the fall Risks, neighborhood stories Harness it early in the spring

13 Benefits N recycling $10-$40 $40 of N (40 cents/lb. N) Reduced chance of runoff or tile line Bi Bring up Potash hfrom deeper in soil Guesstimate: 20 lbs. worth $15/a Soil quality over time Infiltration, water holding capacity, OM,

14 Benefits to working on a System Can graze in fall, winter, spring Provides feed Greenchop or grazed Provides relief during wet seasons to rest permanent pastures $/A feed value Vegetation for fall and spring manure applications Infiltration, resistance to run off, firmer soil to drive on, can still inject.

15 Visual appearance in neighborhood Decrease erosion Improved soil quality, water infiltration, ti tilth Weeds: smothers/competes/allelopathic Take for seed and harvest straw $17.50 per bu for rye seed x 65 bu./a

16 Rye Growth Stage at Incorporat ion Young Spring management Tillage to (~8 in. tall) control rye Young (~8 in. tall) Herbicide burndown to control rye, followed by no till planting Comments Herbicides plus tillage may be needed to control rapid growthofrye of rye if spring weather is favorable. More carbon is lost, but N will recycle faster. Allow 1 2 weeks between killing and planting. Manure can be applied in the spring with sufficient tillage to incorporate the manure and also kill the rye. Without manure, there may be some N tie up to future corn crop. Allow several weeks between the herbicide burndown and no till or strip tillage planting. Kill the rye early while it is actively growing and growing conditions are good generally 8 12 inches tall. This will conserve moisture.

17 Boot stage Remove rye by Boot stage Mature green chopping or grazing Nutrients from the roots will remain and contribute to the following crop. Planting can occurimmediately following the greenchop operation. There should be no regrowth at this stage. Plow/Tillage Plowing down mature rye will create an N deficit in corn seedlings unless manure was added; the majority of the N may be released too late for the corn crop to benefit. Sandy soils may be excessively dried out. Allow 1 2 weeks between tillage and planting. Manure Plowing down mature rye will create dry soil combinations: and an N deficit in corn. Applying manure will Plow, then partially offset the N deficit, but it may be too apply manure late to double crop. Summer alfalfa seeding OR can be timely. Harvest cover Will contribute the most to building soil crop for seed and straw organic matter. Seed can be harvested for next year, straw baled, and the rotation provides a site for manure applications.