The Rural Voice, 1985-11, Page 27underseeding a forage into wheat or
barley in spring and plowing it down
in the fall, the nitrogen fixed can be
beneficial to subsequent crops and
can lower costs by reducing fertilizer
requirements.
The research at Centralia shows
that if red clover is used as a
plowdown, no nitrogen on corn is re-
quired for at least one year after in
order to produce a yield of 7,746 to
8,295 kg/ha (124 to 133 bu/acre).
However, the yield was not quite as
high as a check which received 150
kg/ha (135 lbs/acre) of nitrogen and
produced 8,729 kg/ha (140 bu/acre).
Similar research at Kemptville has
shown that no extra nitrogen on corn
is required for two years following
alfalfa plowdown.
"Though alfalfa has a greater abili-
ty to fix nitrogen," says Forrest,
"single and double -cut red clover
were used at Centralia's research
because of seedling vigour and its ex-
tensive root system."
Double -cut red clover produced
more top growth in the fall and a bet-
ter corn yield the subsequent year
(8,295 kg/ha or 35 bu/acre) than
single -cut red clover (7,746 kg/ha or
124 bu/acre).
Lionel Wilder, who farms near
Zurich, claims that double -cut red
clover catches easier and is faster -
growing than single -cut. He has used
barley and wheat underseeded with
red clover in his rotation program on
his 1,500 -acre cash crop farm for a
number of years. He also claims that
about 20 to 25 lbs/acre Tess of actual
nitrogen is required on his following
crop of corn.
Forrest believes that farmers do not
take full advantage of plowdown.
First, the forage should be left in the
field as late into fall as possible. "Do
not be over-anxious to get the plow-
ing done early." Even after a heavy
frost when top growth has died, the
bacteria responsible for fixing
nitrogen are still working.
Second, because there is a tendency
to underestimate the amount of fixed
nitrogen available, extra fertilizer is
applied unnecessarily. The purpose of
the plowdown is to reduce the
amount of chemical fertilizer re-
quired, thereby decreasing input costs
as much as possible.
Research is underway to determine
the quantity of applied nitrogen re-
quired (if any) to increase corn yields
economically in the first and second
year following plowdown. The se-
cond year's corn crop following
plowdown had substantially lower
yields when no fertilizer was applied.
Of course, the amount of nitrogen
required will depend on the kind of
legume, condition of stand, stage of
growth, subsequent crop grown, and
perhaps method of tillage.
"More important than the nitrogen
aspect is the improvement of soil
structure," says Wilder. Both he and
Bill Munn, a cash -crop farmer from
Mensal, who follows his plowdown
with a bean crop, say that the exten-
sive roots of clover loosen the soil,
making breaking easier. This could
decrease compaction, the number of
tillage operations, and the power
needed for tillage, and also increase
root penetration, which influences
the plants' uptake of water and
nutrients. The rotation is also
beneficial because it interrupts pest
and disease cycles.
The value of forages is hard to
quantify, Forrest says, but in the long
run they provide immeasurable
benefits.
The practice of plowdown is cost-
effective and ecologically sound, two
criteria necessary to progressive farm-
ing today.!l
HILL and HILL FARMS LIMITED
at
VARNA CLINFIELD
(Con. 2 Stanley Twp.)
We are both ready to receive your
1985 SOYBEANS • CORN
7500 bushels per
hour unloaded
Open 24 hr a day
5 Dryers will
ensure speedy
service
Custom combining
and trucking
available
YOUR "FIRST LINE SEEDS " DISTRIBUTOR
Pete Rowntree
482.3191
HillAND Hill
FARMS
\ LIMITED
Bev Hill
482-3218
vOv 1 \1BI R 14,E 25