The Rural Voice, 2019-09, Page 57Editor’s Note: This story was written
after the car tour on July 2 when the
beans were first planted. Look to the
end of the story for an update on how
each bean field fared over the
summer.
There was a bit of stunned
silence when farmers first
visited Dave Gowan’s bean
field near Tara. A farmer who “likes
to do things differently” Gowan said
he had planted no-till beans into a
20-variety cover crop with waist-high
rye that was seemingly smothering
the emerging beans.
The rye had been terminated the
same day as planting. Beans were
planted at a rate of about 190,000 per
acre. Plant counts indicated
emergence was about 100,000 plants
per acre.
Gowan had opened his field for
inspection as part of the Bruce
County Soil and Crop Improvement
Association’s annual Mystery Car
Tour held this year on July 2. The
day was like an outdoor classroom
walking though farm fields learning
about planting techniques, pest and
disease issues and other aspects of
practical agronomy they could share
with one another. Information from
the first two fields on the tour was
covered in the August issue of The
Rural Voice.
Once everyone wrapped their
mind around what Gowan was trying
to accomplish, they could see that
despite the huge amount of organic
matter still in the field, the beans
were coming along.
“Have you done this before?”
asked Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson,
an agronomist with RealAgriculture
who led the event. He looked a bit
quizzical because from the edge of
the field, the beans were not looking
that great. Emergence was scattered.
“Yes, and I had better luck that
year,” said Gowan.
It had to be noted that the June 9
plant date was not ideal this season
due to copious amounts of rain that
followed the planting.
The beans were planted in twin
rows 21 inches apart which Gowan
likes because it “allows more light to
get in there.”
Johnson said he was scratching his
head about the twin rows and why
Gowan would choose a 20-variety
cover crop mixture versus an eight-
variety cover crop.
“Well, it worked! It’s novel,” said
Gowan with a laugh.
The field featured some of the
best soils in Bruce County according
to fellow farmers. So even if
Gowan’s choices were unusual, the
field would be forgiving.
Someone asked if Gowan had
rolled or crimped the cover crop
before planting. Gowan said he
thought about it but figured the beans
would come through. A walk deeper
into the field proved he was right.
Andy VanNiekirk, a farmer and
Certified Crop Advisor from Staynor,
September 2019 53
Soil Showdown: Beans in cover crops and beans in bare
Crops
• By Lisa B. Pot •
Dave Gowan of Tara (above),
took the skepticism in stride as
farmers on the Bruce County
Soil and Crop Improvement
Association’s annual Mystery
Car Tour inspected his field of
beans. It had been planted into
a heavy cover crop. Two months
later, the beans are thriving and
that cover crop served as an
excellent ground cover keeping
moisture in the soil. An organic
bean field owned by Fiete Suhr
(right) was also inspected.