No-till collard production with high biomass cover crops and organic
mulches
Spreading lespedeza
mulch |
OM accumulation after
3 yrs |
Collard harvest
|
Conservation tillage leaves at least 30% of the soil covered
by the previous crop residue after planting. No-till, a type of conservation
tillage, is excellent for soil conservation because it builds organic
matter, reduces erosion, improves soil moisture content, and reduces
the number of passes across the field, among other benefits.
No-till typically involves growing a cover crop, then killing
it either mechanically or with herbicides. The residue is laid flat,
and the next crop is planted directly into the residue. Organic
farmers, however, usually rely on tillage because they cannot spray
herbicides to kill the cover crop. Our goal is to find solutions that
make no-till feasible for organic produders.
This experiment involves herbicide-free no-till collard
production with organic mulches and high biomass cover crops. We are
collecting data over a 3-year period in order to determine the effects
on:
Weed suppression
Soil water retention
Soil organic matter content
Soil nutrient status
Collard yields
This is a short clip of the no-till
transplanter in action. One person drives
the tractor while another feeds the transplanter.
Our experience has shown that if a large amount
of residue is on the surface, it is more successful to use row cleaners
before transplanting in order to get good soil contact with the root
ball. This transplanter also works best using seedlings grown in Speedling
trays.
