Tillage Radish® Resource Guide - Cover Crop Solutions

RESEARCHCover Crop Solutions Research ProgramsAt Cover Crop Solutions, the leader in cover crop seed varietieslike the famous Tillage Radish®, we are conducting multi-yearresearch focused on quantifying the economics of planting a shorterseason corn in order to get cover crops planted earlier. The project isfocused on a corn-bean rotation.In 2011, we found that we could successfully grow shorter seasoncorn hybrids. In fact, with a 103 day variety from T.A. Seeds weachieved strong yields, 194 bu/ac, compared with a 111 day varietyyielding 163 bu/ac when grown under the identical conditions inthe same field. This proved to us that some of today’s short season(or early maturity) corn hybrids could be used to allow a longergrowing window for fall-planted cover crops.We already know how cover crops build soil health and providemyriad benefits. With cover crops and short season corn, just howshort is short?So, in 2012, we wanted to see just how early we could harvest ashort season hybrid corn. Would yields and quality be respectable?What happens to cover crops when you give them more days toestablish and mature? How does that affect soil health?This year we were again surprised by the findings, with a coupleof short season hybrids, an 83 day and an 92 day variety eachshowing strong yields. To us, this proves that it can be practical toharvest much earlier and spread out the harvest as farmers say. Theidea is to plant your cover crops immediately after the corn harvest,giving those cover crops a great start.Also, when corn prices are in flux, like they have been this year, youhave a wider window when you can make your selling decision.In 2012 we were able to take advantage of high corn prices in midSeptember, which then dropped over a dollar per bushel over thenext few weeks.Special thanks to T.A. Seeds for letting us use their weigh wagon to measure these plots.1-800-767-9441 40 CoverCropSolutions.com