The Rural Voice, 1980-05, Page 7But for the corn cash cropper, Terry
Daynard recommends rotating three crops
- for example corn, soybeans or white
beans and wheat, particularly in Huron and
Perth counties.
Red clover and alfalfa, as mentioned
before, can also be used in the rotation
cycle - either plowed down in the first year,
or grown again and used for seed or hay in
a year two.
Rob McLaughlin, another University of
Guelph crop scientist, said in a recent
article that forage seed production is an
attractive alternative in crop rotation.
"Most of the equipment used in
southwestern Ontario is adaptable to small
seed production. Red clover is favored over
alfalfa because it is a short rotation
legume. There is a good market for red
clover seed, and it is easier to produce."
Terry Daynard said many farmers
assume if crops are to be rotated with corn,
then they must make the same financial
return from the crop. However, he said
crop scientists now believe if red clover is
grown one year, and then corn, the farmer
could make almost double from his corn
crop, since there would be higher yields,
no need for adding nitrogen to the soil or
insecticide for corn rootworm. If the red
clover makes any profit at all for the
farmer, then he'd be ahead on his two year
average.
Also. Mr. Daynard said, the benefits of
the red clover will last more than one year,
and researchers expect some carryover at
least into the second year, which again
should mean higher yields for the
succeeding crops.
The crop scientist said while researchers
still don't know the full benefits of red
clover as a plowdown, or how to manage
the crop to get the best seed returns in the
first year it's grown, they do know there's a
potential for export markets in the crop,
which means the seed wouldn't all have to
be sold domestically.
Another crop worth considering, Terry
Daynard said, is alfalfa, and farmers are
now looking at the export market for this
crop selling it in the form of bales or cubes.
Since the "things giving good yield will
Laurence Taylor, who farms east of
Londesboro is vocal on the value of crop
rotation.
(Photo by Ranney)
automatically give us better soil structure
and less erosion," the crop scientist said,
researchers are now emphasizing yield
gains in crop rotation, rather than the other
issues. He said the farmer now getting an
average 80 bushel an acre corn yield must
make the jump to crop rotation if he wants
to achieve 100 bushel an acre yields.
Terry Daynard firmly believes the
amount of corn grown in Ontario will
increase, not decrease in the future. But he
also thinks farmers are going to start
cycling their crops, as they did in the past.
After all, with corn hybrids already
developed with potential yields of 300
bushels an acre, the return to crop rotation
doesn't have to mean a decrease in the
cash cropper's income.
John Ketcheson is another Guelph
professor concerned with the hazards of
continuous cropping of corn and white
beans.
Prof. Ketcheson believes the farmer
himself has to do something to lessen soil
erosion and damage to the soil structure
because "if he doesn't do something,
maybe society will say he can't grow corn
in a certain area."
The professor points out it's easy for
farmers to forget the problems of erosion in
years between serious runoffs, but he said
the consequences aren't only lost fertility
and possible yield reductions, but also the
pollution of lakes and streams as well.
John Ketcheson has a number of
solutions he can suggesi to lessen erosion.
Crop rotation is certainly one of them - and
on large field where runoff is a problem, he
recommends dividing the fields into alter-
nating strips of hay and corn - at least for
farmers who also raise livestock.
On level, fine -textured soils, farmers
should plow in the fall, but they might
consider the advantages of the chisel -type
plow. It stirs the soil, but there isn't the
inversion there is with moldboard plows.
The one factor which isn't known yet is
whether the shallower tillage may mean an
overall reduction in crop yields.
Farmers can also use grass borders
between their fields, and along drainage
ditches or plant windbreaks along larger
fields common in cash crop operations.
Prof. Ketcheson said a group of farmers
in Oxford County are now keeping records
of their yields from a variety of tillage
methods for the University of Guelph.
Farmers growing row crops on rolling,
medium -textured soils should leave resi-
dues on sloping land surfaces over the
winter months, plow shallow in the
spring and use minimum tillage for
seedbed preparation.
THE RURAL VOICE/MAY 1980 PG. 5