The Rural Voice, 1988-04, Page 57ADVICE
(cont'd from previous page)
will be porous, allowing optimum air
and water movement to nourish the
crop. Composting manure, growing
cover crops and plowdowns, and the
proper handling of crop residues are all,
indirectly, weed -control measures.
Of these measures, the one that is
most often inadequate is crop rotation.
In general, rotations based on only three
or four species invite weed problems.
And in my experience, fields that are left
too long in either spring crops or hay/
pasture tend to run into trouble.
There are also many direct ways to
control weeds effectively. The simplest
and most common is known as "blind
harrowing," and can be used on all
spring crops that have not been un-
derseeded. It consists of waiting until
the planted seed is sprouted and just
about to emerge and then harrowing.
The type of harrow used is of no
significance, but timing is crucial. The
object is to wipe out the first generation
of weeds, which will have sprouted al-
ready and be very vulnerable, while the
cultivated crop is still beneath the sur-
face. The succeeding generation of
weeds will be too late; they will find it
impossible to compete for Light and
water, and if we have a healthy, bal-
anced soil, we can look forward to a big
crop and small weeds.
There is no easy recipe for organic
weed control. We must be open-
minded, humble enough to observe and
learn, and far-sighted enough to be pa-
tient. Remember, we are developing a
way of farming that will feed our
children's children.0
STUDY ASSESSES
COW WEIGHT, YIELD
Cow/calf producers may be inter-
ested in the results of research carried
out at the Elora Beef Research Station
recently.
The study looks at cow weight and
milk yield and, most importantly, at
their effects on profit in various beef
operations.
Profits range from low to significant
depending on the space, labour, and feed
supply available, the study noted. For
details, ask for Publication 357, Cow
Weight and Milk Yield in Beef Produc-
tion, from your local Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture and Food office.0
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APRIL 1988 55