Tillage Radish® Resource Guide - Cover Crop Solutions

RESEARCH2012 Cover Crop ResearchEarly Season Corn Hybrids& Earlier Cover Crop PlantingSteve Groff Farm-Scale Cover Crop Research Results n Conducted at Cedar Meadow Farms, Holtwood, PA, by Steve Groff and staffResearchbackgroundand notesShort Season Corn Yield Research ResultsnnnnnnFields were planted between April 16th and April 25th. Each direct comparison (field) was planted the same day.Each yield data point represents 3 replications of 4-30” rows 500 to 1,000 feet in length. Plant population at planting was32,000 seeds per acre for each hybrid.Each field was fertilized according to need.Field moisture was adequate until the middle of June when it turned dry for 5 weeks. Then from the middle of July through harvest,moisture was adequate.All bushels are dry bushels. Each hybrid was harvested at optimal maturity between Sept 9 and Oct 1, targeting moisture around 21%.Research was conducted at Cedar Meadow Farm, in Southeastern PA. - USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6B.Field #ShorterSeasonYIELDMidSeasonYIELDLongerSeasonYIELDAvg. Yieldin fieldField 183 day207.4195 day212.12107 day178.47199.33Field 289 day164.81102 day153.45110 day177.93165.39Field 392 day155.74102 day144.25111 day158.07152.69Field 597 day195.24108 day164.71111 day189.55183.17Avg. Yieldby MaturityBu. Differencevs Longer Season Hybrid180.79 168.63 176.01+ 4.78 - 7.38Total Gross Value on Harvest DayLocal price of corn was $8.40 at first harvest date of Sept 10th and dropped to $7.78 the last harvest date of Oct 1st.Field #ShorterSeasonYIELDMidSeasonYIELDLongerSeasonYIELDField 1Field 2Field 3Field 583 day89 day92 day97 day$1,742.16$1,321.70$1,248.71$1,606.5095 day102 day102 day108 day$1,781.64$1,231.07$1,157.29$1,281.37107 day110 day111 day111 day$1,388.73$1,384.06$1,230.02$1,475.09Profitby MaturityDifference in Gross Profitvs Longer Season Maturity$1,479.77 $1,362.84 $1,369.48+ $110.29SummarynnnnAll costs associated with trial are the same for each replication except the cost of the seed, which does not necessarily correspond to each maturity and varies little.After each plot was harvested, a cover crop was planted within 1-3 days. In 2013, a single hybrid will be planted in each field.The previous replications will be used again to determine if the earlier established cover crop will effect the succeeding corn crop yield.2011 results showed a 32 bu advantage of a replicated trial of a 103 day hybrid vs a 111 day hybrid.1-800-767-9441 42 CoverCropSolutions.com