Presented at Tri-State Organic IP Video Program Session II: Organic Weed Management - March 15, 2007
KBS NAN ORGANIC WEED MANAGEMENT PART 2
John C. Simmons 3-15-07
Topical outline
My farm
Since I was old enough to drive the JD2010 tractor/baler & wean piglets—about 8-9yrs
old.
Farmed conv w/Dad & Uncle until their retirement in 1990.
Started transition in 1993 1st certified crop in 1996.
All certified by 1999.
My crops
O.P.Corn, Spelt, Oats, Wheat, Buckwheat, Soy, Sunflower, Rye, Clover Hay/Seed,
Alfalfa, Barley, Other Clovers, (Crimson/Alsike), Cattle—Grass-Fed in Season—Hay &
Grain in Winter, Hogs—Sprouted Grains—experimenting w/pasture, Maple Syrup,
Baking Mixes from stuff I grow & stuff I’m trying to learn to grow. Other various “Native
Plant Species”.
All crops are produced as Seed/Food/Feed, in that order.
My rotation:
#1
Yr 1 Corn/rye cover—plowdown clover from previous crop
Yr 2 Soy—no cover—searching for an appropriate species
Yr 3 Oats/clover inter-seed at planting
Yr 4 Winter Spelt or Wheat/clover inter-seed, frost seeded
Yr 5 Clover seed crop from prior year inter-seeding
Yr 6 Sunflower/rye cover or if too late to establish rye, oats in early Spring
Yr 7 Buckwheat following rye or oat plowdown interseeded to clover
Yr 8 Clover seed crop
Yr 9—1 Back to corn
#2—an abbreviated version of #1
Yr 1 Corn/rye cover—plowdown clover from previous crop
Yr 2 Soy—no cover—searching for an appropriate species
Yr 3 Oats/clover inter-seed at planting
Yr 4 Winter Spelt or Wheat/clover inter-seed, frost seeded
Yr 5—1 back to Corn
Why?
Flexibility
1) If weather/soil conditions prevent a crop from being planted in the regular
rotation, I have several substitutes to choose from that will maintain my program.
Presented at Tri-State Organic IP Video Program Session II: Organic Weed Management - March 15, 2007
2) I am observing the variable planting/growing/harvest seasons which help to slow
down the weed dominance.
3) I am spreading my work load—planting/weed control/harvest schedules so that I
can usually manage my 560 acres w/out assistance.
4) Crop variety is augmented by relatively small field size—largest single field is
less than 30 acres—most are 10-15 acres. This creates a lot of border exposure
to different crop groups. As the sunflower, buckwheat, and clovers are flowering
crops, they tend to attract beneficial insects.
5) As I incorporate cattle/hogs into my farm, the small and mixed field size should
provide ample opportunities to graze the cattle on cover crops, grain stubble, etc
allowing the animals to glean crop losses, and enhance soil quality with their
“biological contributions”
As this program begins to mature, I am able to observe less annual weed pressure in
the longer term rotations. The variable planting dates also allow me opportunities to
attack and sometimes eliminate perennial trouble makers like Canada Thistle,
Quackgrass, and Field Bindweed.