Delaware Agronomy Blog

University of Delaware Cooperative Extension

Category: Planting (page 1 of 3)

Cover Crop Termination and Growing Degree Days

Cover crops respond to planting conditions and temperatures like other crops, and their growth will certainly follow winter temperatures as they accumulate growing degree days (GDD). Rather than set a solid burn down date based on a month or corn/soybean planting dates, you should scout fields to check on the current stage and biomass present. If your goal is to reduce interference with cash crop planting, then warmer winters and excessive growth may occur earlier in the spring than usual. If your goal is to build biomass for nitrogen, weed suppression, or a moisture retaining mulch layer, your potential burn down date can still vary from year to year. Additionally, our wet spring has caused variable conditions our fields, with saturated conditions killing off some cover crop growth (Figure 1).

Figure 1: A rye cover crop with variable growth. The brown colors are ponding and bare soil where the cover crop did not survive the winter.
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Soybean Planting Management in Delaware

Soybean Row Spacing and Population Studies

Modern soybean varieties can tolerate lower seeding rates and still produce good yields, providing there are no other issues with stand loss or stress. In southern Delaware two studies (2022 and 2023) observed no yield difference when planting full season beans (MG 4.2, late May planting date) when planted between 60,000 to 180,000 seeds per acre (Figure 1). You may consider dropping your seeding rates, considering your regional weather, planting date, and soil conditions.

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Corn planting timing effects on yield and the relationship to deer feeding

Figure 1: Deer being allowed to eat our plots because it was part of the research.

Based on some observations in prior years, we planted irrigated corn on three different timings (April, May, and June) to observe three outcomes 1) yield, 2) nutrient uptake, 3) herbivory by deer. Average yields were all below 200 bushels, at 143, 175, and 128 bu/acre in the April, May, and June planted plots, respectively. Yield losses are potentially related to a range of factors, including deer feeding, weather, and soil nitrogen.

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Fall Establishment of Small Grains for Tillers

Proper establishment of small grains will ensure success when springtime temperatures begin to warm. Some practices that help with planting include germination tests, tillage (after corn), and planting during the optimal window (https://sites.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/?p=12483). When considering planting rates, research at UD has not seen increased yields above 1.5 million seeds per acre (https://sites.udel.edu/agronomy/2020/10/01/2018-2020-wheat-seeding-rate-yields/). This follows many regional recommendations, but without good seed to soil contact, moisture, or N, you may still have a slow start.

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2022-2023 Cover Crop Growth and Tillage

For all crops, initial establishment is as important as fertility in maximum yield. The same principles adhere to cover crop growth, with earlier establishment and good seed to soil contact necessary for good coverage.

Figure 1: Fields in March 2023 of a) turbo tilled rye cover crop after rainfed corn, b) no-till broadcast rye after irrigated corn, c) flown on after full-season + double crop soybeans and d) turbo-tilled rye after irrigated corn.
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