Getting the most out of your forage or turf crop starts before the seed is even in the ground.
One of the keys to a successful seed production field is good planning — take it from BrettYoung Seed Production Specialist, Jordan Schmidt.
“The best time to begin that planning is in the fall prior to planting,” he said. “Your local BrettYoung Seed Production Specialist is here to help you at every step.”
Schmidt said there are a few reasons why fall planning is crucial. Fall, he said, is a great time to scout your fields in an effort to select your best options going forward. A thorough fall weed assessment can help identify difficult-to-control weeds like kochia, Canada thistle, quackgrass, downy brome, foxtail barley and sow thistle. Growers should look to control perennial and winter annual weeds in the fall before they become more difficult to manage once the forage or turf crop is established.
Fall is also a great time to consider your crop rotation and nurse crop options. Knowing the crop rotation and herbicides previously used on the field is also important when planning for the following season.
“You may want to give some extra consideration to the length of the season and the standability of the crop as those characteristics will play a part in how well the forage or turf seeds establish,” said Schmidt. “And once you select your nurse crop, additional planning can help to ensure the field is going into winter with the ideal amount of tillage, thus simplifying seed bed preparation in the spring for those crops.”
Fall also offers a good opportunity to review soil tests and create a fertility plan. For fields that will be producing seed next year, soil sampling can help determine nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels before the growing season. It’s also a good time to develop a weed management plan and control winter annuals that could compete with the crop next spring.
“This is important as fall or spring will be the last opportunity to incorporate those products into the soil as you establish the turf or forage seed crop,” he said.
To learn more about fall planning, contact your BrettYoung Seed Production Specialist.
