New Farm

Bill_Ryan · Jul 18, 2001

Wrt large scale no til farming, there was recently a public TV special on some midwest farmers doing just that. Anyone else see it? I don't recall the particulars as I was half listening to the TV at the time.

Or maybe it was shallow tilling and not no tilling....I think that may have been it.

It was very large scale operation doing it (1000s of acres).

Bill

cowboydoc · Jul 19, 2001

Bill,
Yes most of the guys around here do no till farming already. But how do you no till without using chemicals? That's one of the catch 22's around here is that you have to use more chemical to keep weeds down but you get less run off.

cowboydoc · Jul 19, 2001

Bill,
Are you talking grass hay or alfalfa? I do the same thing here but if you don't roundup before you till it under you're going to get most of the weeds and grass coming back in your alfalfa.

DVerbarg · Jul 19, 2001

Bill,

My parents have 35 acres in alfalfa hay. I agree with synopsis of plowing under the field and waiting a couple weeks for the vegetation to die then discing. This seems to effectively kill the vegetation. Here in northern end of Illinois we are able to get 3 to 4 cuttings per year. A typical alfalfa hay field gets tilled every 3 to 4 years. The alfalfa plants begin to thin and then allow other unwanted vegetation to grow (weeds). I've been told that alfalfa releases some type of enzyme that prohibits other alfalfa plants from growing next to it, thus the issue of thinning plants. This is another reason that the fields need to be plowed under and wait for a couple weeks before reseeding. The enzyme thing is all heresay. Never read or seen any evidence to back it up. Anyone else ever hear of this or know anything about it?

DaveV

jdkid · Jul 20, 2001

Hi ya
something just come to mind (and the fact i have been away to our new farm)there was a thing on TV here in NZ about green farming (was on a gardening show) fire to clear ground there was a burner made in the UK like a sprayer but used flame not spray ,also boiling water/steam same kind of deal but used super heated water ,and also a spray made from pine trees can't recall what it was called but i'll smack my head a bit and see if i can rembour .i know it cost a bit more than most chems but if ya were green ya could use it (killed every thing like roundup)
catch ya
JD Kid

jdkid · Jul 20, 2001

Hi ya
yes i have heard of it happing but i thought it was more if you went to reseed alfalfa ground need a year or 2 between (brake crops)planting of alfalfa .like ya say i have not read anything about it tho .3-4 years from a stand in NZ we would get 5-6 good crops then it may thin abit the stands on our farm i over sow with grass to thicken them up and use them for balage (grass has higher suger leavels )
catch ya
JD Kid