Articles
Medium Red Clover
General Comments A short-lived perennial that is best companion planted with spring cereal grains or frost seeded (March-April) into fall established cereal grains. The early-planted MRC will establish, but stay small until after grain and straw harvest in July or August. It will then grow vigorously and is less susceptible to dry conditions or competition from weeds […]
Crimson Clover
General Comments Crimson clover is a southern-US adapted clover that typically winter kills but may, in a warm winter, survive in Wisconsin. Crimson is slightly more tolerant of dry conditions than berseem, but is more sensitive to lower pH. For fall forage potential, expect 0.5-1 ton of dry matter per acre. A 30-50 lbs N nitrogen […]
Berseem Clover
General Comments Berseem is a fast-growing, annual clover that will winter-kill. Berseem clover will grow quickly when planted in mid-summer if moisture is sufficient. For fall forage, 1.5 to 2 tons dry matter (TDM) per-acre biomass production is possible A 40-60 lbs N per-acre nitrogen credit is possible for a subsequent crop (following year). However, growth and N […]
Annual Ryegrass
General Comments Annual ryegrass (ARG) is not a true annual, but is generally not cold tolerant so it typically dies out in Wisconsin winters It has rapid growth with good biomass production when summer seeded on most soil types. It has a shallow, fibrous root system desirable for erosion control. Though a somewhat popular and […]
Alfalfa removal in the spring
While removal of old stands is recommended with fall applications, many fields are now slated for removal due to winter-kill. This can be challenging, but options exist depending on the situation. Below I discuss management options for common scenarios this spring.
Yield and management of Roundup-Ready alfalfa
Establishment of dense vigorous stands of alfalfa is essential for long-term profitability, but establishment can be challenging because seedling alfalfa is vulnerable to competition from annual weeds and wind and water erosion. Roundup Ready Alfalfa was re-introduced last year as a new tool available to farmers growing high-quality alfalfa. While not for everyone, it will be useful for many alfalfa growers.
Selecting Cover Crops
UW-Madison Extension experts discuss selecting cover crops and questions that you should be to ask yourself to help clarify your goals for using cover crops.
Why cover crops?
Cover crops can provide many benefits for the soil in crop productions systems. Benefits can include conserving soil and water as well as improving the soil. Reduced Erosion An obvious effect of growing cover crops is covering the soil surface, which can significantly reduce the potential for wind and water erosion. This is particularly true […]
Planting Methods for Cover Crops
Interseeding (Drilling or broadcasting early season into standing crop) Establishing cover crops after corn and soybeans is a challenge in Wisconsin due to the minimal amount of growing season left after harvest. Interseeding a cover crop during the vegetative growth of these crops provides Wisconsin farmers a cover crop establishment method earlier in the season. […]
Cover crop options for planting after winter wheat
Wisconsin’s short growing season doesn’t provide a lot of time for growing cover crops. However, the early harvest of winter wheat allows an excellent window for cover crops to grow, protect the soil and provide other benefits. Cover crop recommendations typically change depending on where you are in Wisconsin but because of the early harvest […]
