Jake ENNS, Altona MB

Our family farm is located approximately 60 miles south of Winnipeg MB. I farm with my wife and two sons on 1700 acres of sandy to clay type soils. We started a no-till program in 1989 on the whole farm. The crops we produce are wheat, corn, Canola, flax, peas, lentils, sunflowers, Buckwheat, alfalfa and are currently looking at producing navy beans, and oats.

We have had good success with corn, sunflowers and buckwheat as alternate crops. One problem we have encountered occurs with perennial weeds like dandelions and Canada thistle in corn following sunflowers. We believe that the weeds develop in the year of sunflowers. The dandelion and thistle seed spread and germinate late in the fall, especially in a wet year. Although we can uses a broadleaf herbicide in corn, we have to spray early to avoid damage to the corn. At this time the weeds do not have enough foliage to take in the herbicide necessary to kill them.

Below I will highlight in point form some factors and conditions that we use to make a decision as to what crops to grow in our rotations. Rotations and diversity in our zero till crop productions is essential for success. In other words, rotations of different crops allow rotation of more herbicide groups, different planting dates, disease control and varying residue levels.

SUNFLOWERS

Sunflowers - High moisture user, deep tap root, broadleaf cool and long season plant.

Conditions for growing Sunflowers in No-Till:

1. Fairly clean field (preferably after a cool season grass crop)

2. Plant into high residue cover

3. High moisture condition in field

Advantages:

A. Can tolerate sandy or clay soil types well

B. Germinates well in cool and wet soils

C. Can tolerate dry conditions in a mid season

D. Will utilize deep subsoil moisture and nitrates

E. Low residue and easily chopped

F. Dry sunflower stalks are a dark color, allowing soil to warm faster in spring

G. Sunflower ground is usually dryer allowing to seed subsequent crops early (corn, wheat, barley, flax, etc.)

Disadvantages

A. Need special header to harvest

B. Crop may need to be desiccated and/or dried.

C. Sunflower stalks may interfere with next springs seeding operations (poking seed tubes out of holders; penetrating soft tires, etc.)

BUCKWHEAT

Buckwheat: cool and short season broadleaf

I grow buckwheat when certain conditions exist however not necessarily all of them.

Conditions for growing buckwheat No-Till

1. A field needs a clean up spray for perennial weeds

2. Fair price of buckwheat

3. Grass plant crop the year before

4. Not very heavy ground

5. A grass plant can follow next year.

Advantages

A. Can be seeded at a later date from June 1 to July 1 in southern Manitoba.

B. Minimal need to use in crop herbicide because buckwheat is so prolific that it can get ahead and shade out most annual weeds.

C. Allows a late spring burnoff for excellent control of annual and perennial weeds.

D. More time to seeded and harvest = lower equipment cost.

B. Buckwheat straw is usually a darker color allowing for faster soil warm up in spring.

F. Buckwheat straw is very brittle and requires less chopping than wheat straw.

0. A good buckwheat crop seems to mellow up the soil

H. Low fertilizer requirements.

Disadvantages

A. An early frost may limit the yield.

B. In a heavy and sometimes lodged crop, the need to have a good swather with a pickup reel

C. Volunteer buckwheat can be a problem next year, may need to spray twice.

CORN

Corn: warm and long season grass plant

Conditions for growing grain corn No-Till

1. Light to medium soil (sand to clay loam but not heavy clay)

2. Following a low residue crop preferably a dark coloured low residue like buckwheat, sunflower or peas.

3. Able to plant early, May 1 to 20th

4. Low wild oat populations because we do not have suitable herbicide to control wild oats in corn.

Advantages

A. Highest producing grass crop

B. Control annual broadleaf weeds and germinating seedling with Banvel (residual control with high rates)

C. Harvest late thus reducing pressure on harvest equipment (combine and trucks)

D. Low freight costs because of expanding livestock industry in Manitoba.

E. High residue material decomposes well on the soil surface

Disadvantages

A. High fertilizer cost

B. Drying cost

C. Special header for harvesting (Corn Head)

D. Early fail frost may reduce quality