Weed Management Interview Booklet - Page Layout

SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AT WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY PROUDLY PRESENTED BY THE ORGANIC RESEARCH PROGRAM

The WIU Organic Research Program is part of WIU’s School of Agriculture.

The program’s main research site, the Allison Organic Research and Demonstration Farm is located in south-west Warren County, about 15 miles north and west of the WIU main campus in Macomb IL. The land was identified as uniquely suited for organic research because of the Allison family’s long history of farming without pesticides and has been rented from the family since 1989. Most research at the farm involves typical IL commodities: corn, soybeans, small grains and forages, such as alfalfa. In recent years, crop rotations have been diversified to include sunflowers, purple and gold popcorn and many new cover crops. The 77-acre Allison Farm is one of the largest organic research farms in the United States.

The primary goal of the WIU Organic Research Program is to identify, evaluate and disseminate practical science-based solutions to challenges faced on organic grain farms in the Midwest region. In addition to field research, documentation of management strategies used on successful organic grain farms has become a key activity. Each year in early August, the WIU Organic Research Program hosts a field day to showcase recent research at the Allison Farm and offer a forum for outside experts to share their knowledge with both organic and conventional farmers.

Western Illinois University School of Agriculture Organic Research Program www.wiu.edu/ag/organicfarm Dr. Joel Gruver, program director »» Knoblauch Hall 302 »» J-Gruver@wiu.edu »» 309/298-1215

Andy Clayton, research technician / farmer »» Knoblauch Hall 303 »» AW-Clayton@wiu.edu »» 309/298-1172

2

LYNN BRAKKE....................................... PAGE #4 DAVE CAMPBELL................................... PAGE #6 JACK ERISMAN...................................... PAGE #8 MARVIN MANGES & LORI WELLS......... PAGE #10 SCOTT SHRIVER.................................... PAGE #12 ILLINOIS FARMING................................ PAGE #14

3

DIRECT WEED CONTROL TACTICS

What cultivation tools do you use on your farm?

A row crop cultivator with 18” sweeps and rolling shields works well for controlling weeds in the 22” crop rows. Lynn can cultivate within 1 ½” on each side of the crop row using RTK guidance, and mechanical guidance on the cultivator allows the machine to move side-toside independently; he can cultivate as fast as 10 mph.

Lynn may use a rotary hoe for weed control, up to 4 times per year, if needed. A Melroe spring tooth harrow is sometimes used, especially when the weeds are too big for the rotary hoe and if grass is too abundant; Lynn finds that this tool can be used on soybeans as tall as 10”.

Do you have any experience with flame weeding?

Lynn has several flamers. He sometimes uses a flamer

LYNN BRAKKE

on soybeans, but only at the cotyledon stage. A flamer is used for corn at spiking if the rotary hoe does not work well enough, as well as when the corn is about 3’ tall.

Do you have experience with any “organic” herbicides?

No.

Is manual labor (e.g., walking beans) part of the weed management on your farm?

Yes, hand weeding is important at Lynn’s farm, especially

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: 2 YEARS OF COLLEGE (PRODUCTION AG) FARM LOCATION: MOOREHEAD, MN YEARS FARMING: 31 YEARS FARMING ORGANICALLY: 19

ORGANIC CROPS AND ACREAGES »» »» »» »»

1064 acres of corn 365 acres of soybeans 678 acres of alfalfa 147 acres of kidney beans

STANDARD CROP ROTATION(S) FOR ORGANIC CROPS »» »» »» »» »» »» »»

YEAR 1: Corn YEAR 2: Soybeans YEAR 3: Corn YEAR 4: Soybeans YEAR 5: Corn YEAR 6: Soybeans YEARS 7-9: Alfalfa (for 3 years)

4

CONVENTIONAL CROP AND ACRES, IF APPLICABLE

if there is thistle in the corn. Soybeans typically are walked 2 times using about 15 people.

ORGANIC CROPS

ORGANIC CERTIFYING AGENCY

Tillage with a chisel plow occurs immediately after harvest, if the weather permits. Lynn will occasionally use a moldboard plow, when needed.

A field cultivator is employed 1 or 2 times in the spring, and sometimes a coil packer is used if the soil needs to be firmer prior to planting.

LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISES

MOST CHALLENGING WEEDS IN ORGANIC FIELDS

None

Oregon Tilth

Lynn has a cow-calf operation consisting of about 90 head of grass breed mixes and sells about 35 head per year as organic/grass fed beef. He has a 6-month waiting list for customers.

STANDARD TILLAGE PRACTICES FOR

Foxtail.

CROPPING SYSTEM STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING WEED PRESSURE What role does primary tillage play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

Lynn believes it is critical, and he prefers to do it in the fall.

What role does crop rotation play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

Crop rotation is very important to Lynn. He would like to see 5 to 7 crops in rotation if it is possible, in order to have that many cash crops on his farm.

What role do cover crops play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

Lynn finds that cover crops do not seem to work that well as far north as his farm in Minnesota.

Do you use any specific methods of depleting the soil seed bank (e.g., fallow, stale seed bedding, etc.)?

Lynn has tried having fallow fields in the past and is thinking about having more fallow fields again.

Do you have any specific clean-up strategies following weed control disasters?

He sometimes moldboard plows if too many weeds go to seed.

Do you specifically select crop varieties/hybrids for competitive advantage over weeds?

Lynn looks for this in soybeans. He did raise natto beans, but he quit because they were not competitive enough against the weeds.

How different are your weed management practices from those of other organic grain farmers you know?

Lynn finds that many practices are similar, but some organic farmers plant winter rye in the fall and either clip or roll it prior to planting soybeans into the rye.

The rye is clipped at about 6”.

Do you know any organic farmers who seem to be particularly skillful weed managers? If so, what do you think gives them the edge?

Lynn believes that RTK guidance seems to help. Also, farmers who have good attention to detail and start organic farming with a clean seed bank seem to do well.

organic farmers?

Lynn finds that a controlled traffic system, using 33’- and 99’-wide equipment, seems to help with weed control. Examples of this equipment and width are a planter and row crop cultivators at 33’ and a flamer, rotary hoe, and spring tooth harrow at 99’ in width. Lynn recently changed his track size on his tillage tractor and went from 16” to 25” wide to reduce psi and ground compaction, because there were too many weeds growing in the traffic areas. He also went back to angling the tillage passes; since doing these two things, he has seen fewer weeds in the track areas. The recent addition of front duals on his planter tractor has also seemed to reduce weed pressure and increase yields.•

What are your favorite information sources about organic weed management?

He attends conferences and talks to other farmers, but he does not feel there is enough information about organic weed management. Lynn asserts that there needs to be new and different information pertaining to organic weed management based on research.

Are you considering any new weed management strategies?

Lynn has been experimenting with a 1970’s John Deere machine that had been used to thin sugar beets. He hopes he can modify it to take weeds out of crop rows, but he cannot get it to accurately sense the corn plant yet.

Are there any specific aspects of organic weed management that you think need more research?

Lynn would like to see the economics of having fallow ground in organic farming and wants to know if it is worth it over a period of years. He would also like to learn why certain crop rotations bring about certain weeds, as well as what is taking place in the soil that

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

How are your standard organic weed management practices affected by extended wet conditions? Have you developed any effective techniques for controlling weeds organically during wet conditions?

affects the weeds.

Do you have any additional comments to share about organic weed management that might benefit other

A flamer and harrow are used at Lynn’s farm.

5

DIRECT WEED CONTROL TACTICS

What cultivation tools do you use on your farm?

Once the crop is planted, Dave uses a John Deere 400 rotary hoe on corn and beans (3-5 days after the ground was last worked up, and again 3-5 days later depending on the weather). The first time he runs the hoe deeply at 14-15 mph, and the second time more shallowly at 8-10 mph. It has hoe bits welded on for more penetration. He has a Buffalo 4-row cultivator (36”) and uses a Scout II Guidance system on the second and third times through the field; the machine has a 24” sweep and disk hillers.

Dave goes 3-4 mph the first time cultivating, and 7-8 mph during the second and third times. The first time he also uses a Culti-vision mirror, which is mounted on the tractor and allows him to look forward at the mirror and still see the cultivator behind.

DAVE CAMPBELL EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: 1 YEAR AT KISHWAUKEE

COMMUNITY COLLEGE, FINISHED AT ELGIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND RECEIVED ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE. RECEIVED BACHELOR’S IN EDUCATION FROM WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY.

FARM LOCATION: MAPLE PARK, IL YEARS FARMING: STARTED ON HIS OWN IN 1984 (28 YEARS) YEARS FARMING ORGANICALLY: 28 YEARS

Do you have any experience with flame weeding?

No.

Do you have experience with any “organic” herbicides?

No.

Is manual labor (e.g., walking beans) part of the weed management on your farm?

Yes, local high school boys walk the beans 1-2 times every year. They cut the broadleaf weeds rather than pull them. Grass weeds, such as foxtail, are not taken out since they are usually not a problem. Foxtail has been a problem on occasions in selected areas such as headlands and adjacent to waterways; however, in these occasional grassy spots it would be cost prohibitive to cut or pull out all of the foxtail weeds.

The cost for manual labor for controlling weeds ranges ~$25-$90 per acre and the overall mean average is ~$65 per acre.

ORGANIC CROPS AND ACREAGES CONVENTIONAL CROP AND »» 156 acres total ACRES, IF APPLICABLE »» »» »» »»

58 acres of corn 48 acres of soybeans 36 acres of wheat 14 acres of hay

STANDARD CROP ROTATION(S) FOR ORGANIC CROPS

6

»» Oats or wheat with red clover »» Corn »» Soybeans ON A SMALL PART OF THE FARM: oats and hay (alfalfa, timothy, orchard grass) for three years, and then corn

None

ORGANIC CERTIFYING AGENCY ICO

LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISES None now

STANDARD TILLAGE PRACTICES FOR ORGANIC CROPS

Both a tandem disk and moldboard plow are used on some of the ground in the spring.

A narrow sweep field cultivator is used as a primary tillage tool, and a wide sweep field cultivator is used as a secondary tillage tool primarily to kill weeds. A drag harrow is used on the last tillage pass before planting so that a level seed bed is achieved.

MOST CHALLENGING WEEDS IN ORGANIC FIELDS Canada Thistle

CROPPING SYSTEM STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING WEED PRESSURE What role does primary tillage play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

Dave tries to vary tillage every year within his threeyear rotation so he is not tilling in the same tillage zone.

Before planting soybeans, he disks cornstalks once in late April or early May prior to moldboard plowing, with the intention to cut up the stalks, level the ground, and allow the weeds to germinate. The weeds will grow for a little while before the moldboard plowing occurs around mid-May. (A moldboard plow is used on 1520% of his ground at about 6” deep and always in the late spring on level ground.) The day following plowing, Dave disks with a drag harrow attached to the back of the disk to help seal off the soil surface, thus conserving soil moisture. It also stimulates a flush of weeds, which are killed about 2 weeks later with a field cultivator set to a shallow depth. He will usually plant within a couple of hours of this last field cultivation.

In fields where there is some slope, Dave will chop corn stalks, disk, and chisel plow in the fall. In the spring, these fields are then field cultivated shallowly before planting soybeans. These fields consist of some red clay, which is why he prefers to stay away from deep tillage in the spring as these soils will stay wetter and cooler.

What role does crop rotation play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

It plays a huge role at Dave’s farm. He finds that he can disrupt weed patterns and cycles with crop rotations.

What role do cover crops play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

For Dave, they play a major role. Cover crops disrupt the time when the weed seeds can get started. The red clover in winter wheat or other small grains will help choke out weeds. Oilseed radishes will help loosen soil and aid in weed control. In fields that previously had a small grain without clover, he drills a mix of oil seed radishes, oats, and buckwheat around the middle of August. They will all winter kill, which leads to less tillage in the spring.

Do you use any specific methods of depleting the soil seed bank (e.g., fallow, stale seed bedding, etc.)?

During the first few years of farming, Dave utilized a false seed bed approach in the spring and would till ground every 2-3 weeks in order to stimulate weed growth, but he quit using that approach due to additional tillage passes and the concern over the loss of soil carbon.

Dave now utilizes a stale seed bed method. With this approach, he tills the ground earlier, waits as long as possible, and then tills just before the weeds are too big to handle with the field cultivator. This reduces compaction and field passes. He typically will then till 2-3 weeks before planting and then once more just prior to planting.

Do you have any specific clean-up strategies following weed control disasters?

Walking beans (hand weeding) is one method that Dave uses. He might consider mowing and tilling under a weedy crop before the weeds take over and go to seed. This would also give him the chance to establish a cover crop afterwards. His plan would be to chop the weeds and crops before tilling them, and then plant the cover crop at the appropriate time.

Do you specifically select crop varieties/hybrids for competitive advantage over weeds?

Absolutely; Dave chooses a medium bush, food-grade soybean for better canopy to compete well with the weeds. For corn, he looks for a hybrid with early vigor, quick emergence, and good leaf canopy. He tries to plant 2 or 3 corn hybrids per year in order to evaluate varieties against one another for the next year’s planting decisions.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

How are your standard organic weed management practices affected by extended wet conditions? Have you developed any effective techniques for controlling weeds organically during wet conditions?

What are your favorite information sources about organic weed management?

Joel Gruver’s PowerPoint presentations! New Ag Network; Michigan State Extension Bulletin Handbook; Adam Davis, with the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service; Acres USA; and the Rodale Institute are all good sources that he uses.

Are you considering any new weed management strategies?

Dave may try planting rye over the top of soybeans (at planting, directly over the row), so that the rye will choke out a number of weed seeds in the soybean row before the rye dies out.

Are there any specific aspects of organic weed management that you think need more research?

Dave would like to see more information about weed seed predation and breeding varieties that compete better with weeds.

Do you have any additional comments to share about organic weed management that might benefit other organic farmers?

Dave believes that timeliness of is very critical to the success of weed management. Patience is also very important.•

Dave plants later if soil is too wet or soil temperature is too cool. He sometimes switches the cultivator disk hillers around so they throw dirt into the rows and around the crop if weeds come on strong, usually due to both cool and wet conditions. He finds that switching the disk hillers around helps to cover up many of the medium sized weeds.

How different are your weed management practices from those of other organic grain farmers you know?

He does not weed flame like many others do.

Do you know any organic farmers who seem to be particularly skillful weed managers? If so, what do you think gives them the edge?

Dave finds that there are a number of organic farmers in the Malta, IL, area who are very good. He believes that they have the necessary equipment, pay attention to detail, and are very timely.

7

DIRECT WEED CONTROL TACTICS

What cultivation tools do you use on your farm?

For Jack, timing on corn is dictated by his conventional neighbors. He tries to plant 10 to 14 days after they do to avoid GMO pollen contamination from their fields. He conducts coil tine harrow 2 to 4 days after planting corn and soybeans; if it rains and there is no time to harrow, he then uses the rotary hoe 2 to 3 times. The solid seeded soybeans usually are not rotary hoed. A buffalo cultivator is used on corn 2 times (running at 4 to 8 mph with 26” sweeps on 36” rows), and cat whiskers/wands connected to a hydraulic guidance system are used to help guide the cultivator. His GPS on the tractor is within 4” of accuracy using the satellite, but it sometimes drifts and loses the signal and, therefore, is not ideal for cultivation.

Do you have any experience with flame weeding?

No.

JACK ERISMAN

Do you have experience with any “organic” herbicides?

Jack tried them years ago but did not find them to be effective.

Is manual labor (e.g., walking beans) part of the weed management on your farm?

He does not use it anymore since seeding the soybeans to a solid stand, except to remove volunteer corn from food grade soybeans.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: SOME COLLEGE FARM LOCATION: PANA, IL YEARS FARMING: 50 YEARS FARMING ORGANICALLY: STARTED IN 1990 AND BECAME CERTIFIED IN 1993

ORGANIC CROPS AND STANDARD CROP ACREAGES ROTATION(S) FOR 2012 season: ORGANIC CROPS »» 286 acres of blue corn »» 258 acres of yellow corn »» 357 acres of soybeans »» 271 acres of oats »» 203 acres of rye »» 200 acres of pasture »» 9 acres of wheatgrass »» 39 acres of hairy vetch »» 179 acres of hay »» 68 idle acres (with cover) »» 240 acres of permanent pasture

8

»» YEAR 1: Corn »» YEAR 2: Soybeans »» YEAR 3: Small grains overseeded with 2 grasses and 2 legumes »» YEAR 4: Meadow (hay/ pasture) »» YEAR 5: Corn »» YEAR 6: Small grains with grasses and legumes »» YEAR 7: Idle

CONVENTIONAL CROP AND ACRES, IF APPLICABLE None

ORGANIC CERTIFYING AGENCY ICO

LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISES

300 head of beef cow-calf, most finished on grass. The cattle have been organic, but the herd was de-certified in 2011; the pasture is still organic.

STANDARD TILLAGE PRACTICES FOR ORGANIC CROPS

Jack believes that nothing is really “standard”. He has tilled with a tandem disk with notch blades, but because orchard grass causes a lot of root balls in tillage, he has also tried plowing and a tiller. His goal is not to till deeply.

and legumes are both flail chopped just as the soybeans emerge, and then hairy vetch is over-seeded during the first 25-30% of soybean leaf drop.

Jack has also planted no-till soybeans into rye, which had been planted in April. The rye does not mature when planted this late, but it will grow enough to help with weed control.

MOST CHALLENGING

Jack started no-till farming WEEDS IN ORGANIC in 2011 by drilling soybeans (280,000 seeds per acre) into FIELDS a meadow consisting of orchard Mostly foxtail, but sometimes grass, perennial ryegrass, red cockleburs and morning glories. clover, and alfalfa. The grass

CROPPING SYSTEM STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING WEED PRESSURE

What role does primary tillage play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

For Jack, it depends on the situation. He finds that in some cases, not tilling will help reduce cockleburs from germinating, but be believes that morning glory is another story.

What role does crop rotation play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

Jack finds it to be very important.

What role do cover crops play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

They are important to Jack. Since the summer of 2011, he has been collaborating with the University of Illinois to conduct cover crop studies of radishes, rye, hairy vetch, and buckwheat. An example of a cover crop practice on his farm is broadcasting hairy vetch at 25-30% of soybean leaf drop in the no-till system last fall. The soybean leaves will cover the hairy vetch seeds, allowing them to have enough moisture to grow; this legume cover crop will have corn planted into it in 2012. Additionally, Jack has used rye extensively as a cover crop, seeded in every month from August through April. He has also used oats and turnips as cover crops on his farm, and some brassicas have been used to help control nematodes.

Do you use any specific methods of depleting the soil seed bank (e.g., fallow, stale seed bedding, etc.)?

Jack doesn’t like fallow because of the tillage involved. The most important factor to him is building soil, so he would rather have cover such as grasses (i.e., meadow).

Do you have any specific clean-up strategies following weed control disasters?

Jack had broadleaves (ironweed and giant ragweed) in the oats, so he cut oats with a draper windrower and let the crop and weeds dry for 2 to 3 days before harvesting using a pickup reel on the combine. The oats were at about 17-18% moisture when they were windrowed.

He also had a similar problem in some rye crops for seed. In that situation, he used a disk mower to lay down the crop and then set the header on the combine as if harvesting soybeans.

He found this to be fairly efficient with some loss in the wheel tracks from mowing, but he was using standard on-hand equipment.

Do you specifically select crop varieties/ hybrids for competitive advantage over weeds?

Yes, if Jack can find something with many good traits, especially since he sells mostly food-grade soybeans.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

How are your standard organic weed management practices affected by extended wet conditions? Have you developed any effective techniques for controlling weeds organically during wet conditions?

He has not explored this.

How different are your weed management practices from those of other organic grain farmers you know?

Jack thinks that most don’t use the coil tine harrow like he does. If he needs to double hoe for effectiveness, he will halflap in the opposite direction each pass through.

Do you know any organic farmers who seem to be particularly skillful weed managers? If so, what do you think gives them the edge?

Gary McDonald is the best he has seen. Jack finds him to be intense, but Gary has fewer acres to work with. Gary doesn’t work the ground any deeper than 4” deep, and he is very particular about setting his cultivator.

What are your favorite information sources about organic weed management?

Jack prefers conferences and the “Steel in the Field” publication.

Are you considering any new weed management strategies?

Jack will continue with no-till; 2011 was the first year for notill beans into sod where it may be part of a partial or complete no-till/low-till rotation system. He has planted beans into sod before, but not as part of a systematic plan.

Additionally, he might consider planting wild oats or cheat, which should die by mid-May. Since both of these would produce a solid mat of material, they might be good candidates for no-tilling a crop into them. Jack is also going to try strip tilling that will involve the use a tiller with some knives taken off. It will make 10”-wide swaths at about 3” deep on approximately 75 acres, which has been meadow and hay for 4 years.

Are there any specific aspects of organic weed management that you think need more research?

Absolutely; Jack would be interested to learn what botanical species (cover crops) can be planted in a system to create favorable conditions that benefit the soil and following crops. Also, he would like to know which bushy, early group 4 maturity soybean would outgrow orchard grass, alfalfa, ryegrass, and red clover. This is his current no-till blend, with each making up 25% of the total mix by seed count.

Do you have any additional comments to share about organic weed management that might benefit other organic farmers?

Jack believes it is essential to keep an open mind.•

9

MARVIN MANGES & LORI WELLS EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: MARVIN: 1.5 YEARS AT PURDUE; LORI (DAUGHTER): MBA

FARM LOCATION: YALE, IL YEARS FARMING: SINCE 1977 YEARS FARMING ORGANICALLY: SINCE THE LATE 1980s ORGANIC CROPS AND ACREAGES

CONVENTIONAL CROP AND ACRES, IF APPLICABLE

None, except 20 transitional acres that »» 1000 acres total »» 800 acres tillable: ~400 acres in hay/ will be organic in 2012. pasture ground, and ~ 400 acres of row crop

STANDARD CROP ROTATION(S) FOR ORGANIC CROPS

»» Corn »» Beans »» Small grains such as rye, wheat, or perennial grass with legumes for 1-3 years »» Sometimes popcorn, sunflowers, and buckwheat are part of the rotation

10

ORGANIC CERTIFYING AGENCY ICO

LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISES

Beef cattle were certified organic, but anaplasmosis hit in 2008 and they had to use antibiotics.

STANDARD TILLAGE PRACTICES FOR ORGANIC CROPS

Since 2011, Marvin and Lori have used a vertical tillage tool after disking and before planting. The disks are fluted and are 22” in diameter, spaced 8” apart.

Some fields are disked multiple times, There are 2 rows of rolling baskets and ridges are built in some fields during (rocking tandem) on the back of this the final cultivation. tillage tool. An Unverferth rolling harrow (rolling baskets) is used within a couple Marvin and Lori use disking for of hours after planting to break up the preparing the land before planting with dirt clods. Marvin and Lori also find that or without cover crops. They disk to this makes it easier to rotary hoe and get a decent seedbed and find it to be cultivate later. “okay” for incorporating cover crops.

They have 1 disk: an International/Case MOST CHALLENGING IH 496 (24’ disk). The back disks are 20+” in diameter, and the front blades WEEDS IN ORGANIC FIELDS are approximately 18-19” in diameter Foxtail and cocklebur. (worn down from their original 22”). The spacing between the disk blades is 9 “.

DIRECT WEED CONTROL TACTICS

Do you use any specific methods of depleting the soil seed bank (e.g., fallow, stale seed bedding, etc.)?

They don’t use GPS, but the 2 Buffalo cultivators (8-30” rows) are equipped with Scout II guidance. The first cultivation is done as close to the row as possible and slowly. Two rotary hoes are used at 8-10 mph.

Do you have any specific clean-up strategies following weed control disasters?

What cultivation tools do you use on your farm?

Do you have any experience with flame weeding?

Marvin and Lori use an 8-row flamer on popcorn and heirloom corn. Weeds are usually taller than 6”, and they find that flaming corn at the knee-high stage works well.

Do you have experience with any “organic” herbicides?

No.

Is manual labor (e.g., walking beans) part of the weed management on your farm?

No.

CROPPING SYSTEM STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING WEED PRESSURE

Some ground has been fallow, because it was too wet to plant.

Marvin and Lori use a “weed topper” which has 9 belt-driven lawn mower blades. They find this to be effective on cutting off the tops of weeds that are taller than the soybeans before they go to seed, and it helps make harvesting easier. They also use the flamer as a clean-up strategy.

Do you specifically select crop varieties/hybrids for competitive advantage over weeds?

Yes, they choose a quick-emerging soybean variety.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Marvin and Lori prefer to attend conferences.

Are you considering any new weed management strategies?

Lori is thinking about incorporating new strategies down the road, but she is still learning.

Are there any specific aspects of organic weed management that you think need more research?

They believe that it would be valuable to know about the economics of fallow ground. Lori also thinks that there needs to be more research on weed control but recognizes that there are too many variables within that topic.

Do you have any additional comments to share about organic weed management that might benefit other organic farmers?

Marvin and Lori assert that introducing livestock into the system helps by having intensive rotational grazing. Also, mowing after the cattle have moved will help control weeds.•

How are your standard organic weed management practices affected by extended wet conditions? Have you developed any effective techniques for controlling weeds organically during wet conditions?

Marvin and Lori choose to let the weeds germinate, and then they disk to kill them.

What role does primary tillage play within your overall approach to How different are your weed organic weed management? management practices from those In some cases, Marvin and Lori use disking 2 or 3 times of other organic grain farmers you before planting a crop to condition the soil, turn under know? cover crops, and kill weeds. Other times tillage is not Marvin and Lori do not hire labor to hand weed. needed, because a ridge-till planter is used to plant into ridges with no prior tillage.

Do you know any organic farmers What role does crop rotation play who seem to be particularly skillful within your overall approach to weed managers? If so, what do you organic weed management? think gives them the edge?

Due to recent extreme weather, crop rotation has been ineffective for Marvin and Lori.

They believe that Ben Meister in Fairbury, IL, has good soil and can get crops in early. They also find that Dave Campbell is conscientious and hires hand labor.

What role do cover crops play within your overall approach to organic weed What are your favorite information management? sources about organic weed For the last 4 years, Marvin and Lori could not get cover management? crops planted in the fall because it was too wet or too late. When the weather is fit, hairy vetch is established prior to corn, and winter rye is established prior to soybeans. The vetch and rye are shredded with a Balzer shredder with cup knives to give an updraft. Then they “peel and plant” (if there are already ridges) or disk at 2-3 inches deep if there are no ridges.

11

DIRECT WEED CONTROL TACTICS

What cultivation tools do you use on your farm?

After planting but before emergence, Scott likes to “blind harrow” with an Einbock Tined Weeder. This can be done fairly quickly (4-6 mph). After emergence and until the crop is large enough to cultivate, they will either rotary hoe or Einbock the crop; the hoe is fast but not as thorough as the Einbock, which operates at only 2 mph. Their first cultivation is done with a Danish Tine style cultivator, which has 5 shanks per row. The shanks next to the row are points (not shovels), allowing them to run very close to the row and not throw dirt over the crop. Scott’s farm also has a cultivator (3 shanks per row with standard shovels) with tunnel shields for small crops. Additionally, there are 2 rolling cultivators (Lilliston style), one set to pull dirt away from the row and one set to roll dirt into the row. They also have a couple of cultivators set for medium sized crops (3-5 mph) and a couple of single-sweep cultivators for “lay by” or final cultivation (run at a maximum speed of 6-8 mph). Scott believes that having lots of tools with different purposes allows them to fine-tune each one for a specific purpose. Once a cultivator is “set” for a specific task, there is not a lot of adjustment needed later; they can just pick the cultivator for the job, hook it up, and go.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

FARM LOCATION: JEFFERSON, IA YEARS FARMING: 17 YEARS FARMING ORGANICALLY: 13 ORGANIC CROPS AND ACREAGES »» »» »» »»

700 acres of corn 700 acres of soybeans 300 acres of small grain 100 acres of alfalfa

STANDARD CROP ROTATION(S) FOR ORGANIC CROPS »» »» »» »» »»

YEAR 1: Corn YEAR 2: Soybeans YEAR 3: Corn YEAR 4: Soybeans YEAR 5: Small Grain

Scott’s farm has 4 tractors that can run in the crop, and at times all 4 are in use. Two of these

CONVENTIONAL CROP AND ACRES, IF APPLICABLE

LIVESTOCK ENTERPRISES

ORGANIC CERTIFYING AGENCY

Scott believes that nothing is “standard”. At his farm, they do a lot of tillage with 40’-wide equipment to manage residue, incorporate cover crops, and control weeds.

None

OCIA Chapter 1 of Iowa

12

None.

STANDARD TILLAGE PRACTICES FOR ORGANIC CROPS

MOST CHALLENGING WEEDS IN ORGANIC FIELDS Foxtail and waterhemp.

are set up with RTK Guidance. They plant with the guidance to make the rows straighter, which in turn makes the cultivating easier and allows them to set the equipment tighter. Cultivating with the guidance is not completely automatic, but it lets them run faster and look behind more without doing as much damage to the crop. Scott also highly recommends a hydraulic third link on a tractor. This makes changing cultivator depth, rotary hoe, and tined weeder pressure adjustments much easier, so they can be done more frequently and on the go.

CROPPING SYSTEM STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING WEED PRESSURE

Do you have any experience with flame weeding?

Scott’s definition of “primary tillage” has more to do with residue management and eliminating compaction than with weed control. He has noticed that plowed ground seems to stay somewhat “cleaner” at times.

Yes, Scott has a 16-row flamer that they initially used only as a rescue tool but now use a lot more. It is a must-have tool for them, but at the same time Scott feels that the crop can be set back as much as the weeds, especially when flaming small crops.

Do you have experience with any “organic” herbicides?

What role does primary tillage play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

What role does crop rotation play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

No.

Scott believes the small grain year really changes the timing of tillage, weed emergence, and so forth, which keeps the weeds from adapting to the same weed control every year.

Is manual labor (e.g., walking beans) part of the weed management on your farm?

What role do cover crops play within your overall approach to organic weed management?

Scott has hired crews to walk both corn and soybeans. The corn has been done rarely, mostly to catch patches of bad weeds like cocklebur, sunflower, ragweed, and so forth. The soybeans are done almost always, although this past year they needed to be walked very little.

Scott has also found that late-planted soybeans (after June 20th) are easier to keep clean and do not need to be walked; however, they suffer in yield loss due to late planting.

Although the cover crops are supposed to express some allelopathic effects against weeds, it is really hard for Scott to see that. He still employs cover crops but mostly for soil building and erosion control.

Do you use any specific methods of depleting the soil seed bank (e.g., fallow, stale seed bedding, etc.)?

Scott does not really use any specific methods.

Do you have any specific clean-up strategies following weed control disasters?

Scott prefers to plow fields deeply to bury the weed seed and residue.

Do you specifically select crop varieties/hybrids for competitive advantage over weeds?

Scott tries to pick fast-emerging and vigorous early-growth crops. He believes the most important thing for weed control is to keep the crop ahead of the weeds.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

How are your standard organic weed management practices affected by extended wet conditions?

Have you developed any effective techniques for controlling weeds organically during wet conditions?

The farm experienced 3 extremely wet years in a row, and Scott found the most important thing was to be ready with multiple rigs so that when the weather did allow them to be in the field, they were there in full force. They discovered that the flamer could run a day or two before the cultivators, because it does not till the ground. Another thing that helps them is running Caterpillar tractors with tracks and all 16-row equipment; this makes a traffic pattern that is hard enough to run on more of the time, but it eliminates any compaction everywhere else.

How different are your weed management practices from those of other organic grain farmers you know?

a little differently in order to fit their equipment and style, but there are similarities among practices, too.

Do you know any organic farmers who seem to be particularly skillful weed managers? If so, what do you think gives them the edge?

Scott sees that other farmers are similar in that everyone experiences successes and failures. He cannot identify a particular “edge”, except that when he sees failures it is usually due to the farmer not being timely with his or her practices.

What are your favorite information sources about organic weed management?

Scott prefers conferences, field days, and consulting with other farmers.

Are you considering any new weed management strategies?

He is building another flamer that will have tunnel shields and tops to hold in the heat. This is following the research conducted by the University of Nebraska.

Are there any specific aspects of organic weed management that you think need more research?

Scott is not sure of any specific research topics but is interested in the effects of nutrient imbalance, or gypsum application on weed seed emergence.

Do you have any additional comments to share about organic weed management that might benefit other organic farmers?

Scott believes that timeliness is the most important aspect of controlling weeds.•

In Scott’s view, everybody does things

13

14

Illinois’ 74,300 farms cover nearly 27 million acres -- about 75 percent of the state’s total land area. The large number of farms, coupled with the diversity of commodities produced, makes it difficult to describe a typical operation. However, statistics provide some indication about what it means to farm in Illinois.

The average size of an Illinois farm, including hobby farms, is 358 acres. Most farm acreage is devoted to grain, mainly corn and soybeans. Nearly 10 percent of Illinois farms have swine.

Beef cows are found on about 23 percent of farms, while about 3 percent have dairy cows. Some farms produce specialty crops and livestock, including alfalfa, canola, nursery products, emus and fish. Many farming operations also support recreational activities such as hunting and fishing.

Illinois is a leading producer of soybeans, corn and swine. The state’s climate and varied soil types enable farmers to grow and raise many other agricultural commodities, including cattle, wheat, oats, sorghum, hay, sheep, poultry, fruits and vegetables. Illinois also produces several specialty crops, such as buckwheat, horseradish, ostriches, fish and Christmas trees.

15

Western Illinois University School of Agriculture Organic Research Program www.wiu.edu/ag/organicfarm ALL INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY ORGANIC RESEARCH PROGRAM PERSONNEL

Publication layout and design by Amanda Pankhurst