Presented at Tri-State Organic IP Video Program Session II: Organic Weed Management - March 15, 2007

KBS NAN ORGANIC WEED MANAGEMENT PART 2

John C. Simmons 3-15-07

Topical outline

My farm

Since I was old enough to drive the JD2010 tractor/baler & wean piglets—about 8-9yrs old.

Farmed conv w/Dad & Uncle until their retirement in 1990.

Started transition in 1993 1st certified crop in 1996.

All certified by 1999.

My crops

O.P.Corn, Spelt, Oats, Wheat, Buckwheat, Soy, Sunflower, Rye, Clover Hay/Seed, Alfalfa, Barley, Other Clovers, (Crimson/Alsike), Cattle—Grass-Fed in Season—Hay & Grain in Winter, Hogs—Sprouted Grains—experimenting w/pasture, Maple Syrup, Baking Mixes from stuff I grow & stuff I’m trying to learn to grow. Other various “Native Plant Species”.

All crops are produced as Seed/Food/Feed, in that order.

My rotation:

#1

Yr 1 Corn/rye cover—plowdown clover from previous crop

Yr 2 Soy—no cover—searching for an appropriate species

Yr 3 Oats/clover inter-seed at planting

Yr 4 Winter Spelt or Wheat/clover inter-seed, frost seeded

Yr 5 Clover seed crop from prior year inter-seeding

Yr 6 Sunflower/rye cover or if too late to establish rye, oats in early Spring

Yr 7 Buckwheat following rye or oat plowdown interseeded to clover

Yr 8 Clover seed crop

Yr 9—1 Back to corn

#2—an abbreviated version of #1

Yr 1 Corn/rye cover—plowdown clover from previous crop

Yr 2 Soy—no cover—searching for an appropriate species

Yr 3 Oats/clover inter-seed at planting

Yr 4 Winter Spelt or Wheat/clover inter-seed, frost seeded

Yr 5—1 back to Corn

Why?

Flexibility

1)If weather/soil conditions prevent a crop from being planted in the regular rotation, I have several substitutes to choose from that will maintain my program.

2)I am observing the variable planting/growing/harvest seasons which help to slow down the weed dominance.

3)I am spreading my work load—planting/weed control/harvest schedules so that I can usually manage my 560 acres w/out assistance.

4)Crop variety is augmented by relatively small field size—largest single field is less than 30 acres—most are 10-15 acres. This creates a lot of border exposure to different crop groups. As the sunflower, buckwheat, and clovers are flowering crops, they tend to attract beneficial insects.

5)As I incorporate cattle/hogs into my farm, the small and mixed field size should provide ample opportunities to graze the cattle on cover crops, grain stubble, etc allowing the animals to glean crop losses, and enhance soil quality with their “biological contributions”

As this program begins to mature, I am able to observe less annual weed pressure in the longer term rotations. The variable planting dates also allow me opportunities to attack and sometimes eliminate perennial trouble makers like Canada Thistle, Quackgrass, and Field Bindweed.