CCSP -No till Farm
September 23, 2008
Greetings,
We are all blessed to have not had a hard freeze so far this fall! It is safe for the next week in the current forecast but there is a cool down coming this weekend. The beans are starting to be combined locally with yields in the 30 bushel range. Where there were more timely rains combining has not quite started and I am sure yields will be better in those areas. We finished the winter wheat seeding last weekend just in time for a couple of shots of rain that should get things off to a good start. We did a burn down of 22 oz Roundup Ultramax with 1.5 pints 2-4D. It was kill down week for several things. We also kill down the 2 year old alfalfa at the same time. The mix this year was 44 oz Roundup, 1.5 pts 2-4D and 3 oz Valor. This combination really worked fast. I put the valor in to go after dandelion. Dandelions have been bad the last couple of years, so they are getting some more attention. The alley ways were also killed down as multiple weeds were building up there and the same mix was used. Valor as shown activity on foxtail barley as well so we are hoping to get some control on that as well. The plans for the alleys will be to put in rye this fall and then some type of grass next year.
The corn is getting close to the point a hard frost will not be the end of the world. Since our corn pretty much dried out it appears maturity was hastened. Elsewhere a hard freeze may not be welcome just quite yet. In checking the oakes ndawn http://ndawn.ndsu.nodak.edu/get-table.html?ttype=corngdd&station=43&begin_date=2008-05-01&end_date=2008-09-22&dfn=&dfy=&year=2007&d5y=
we are not as far behind on heat units as I thought. Just 68 as of today.
Have a good week.
Kelly Cooper- farm manager
Corn and Beans
Winter Wheat into Spr wht stubble
Winter Wheat into Flax stubble
Switch grass
Alfalfa seeded August 4
Cover Crop
click on thumbnails for a larger picture.