Tag: compaction

Soybeans Go!

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We had some soybeans that have dried down fast enough to get harvested. Even though they were our latest planted soybean field, they were the first that have been ready. It’s a beautiful 70+ degree day and it still feels a bit like summer.

Since it rained 2-3 inches last weekend, I’m a bit skeptical as to if we should be harvesting right now. The soybeans are dry, but the stems are a bit stiff. The ground is soft and we are making some pretty big tracks, which equates to some major compaction. Yet, when we can harvest, we just have to go for it. Rain in the forecast isn’t near, so it looks like going time. Go!

Prevented planting

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We had a few acres that were prevented planting acres, meaning, we couldn’t plant them because the weather did not give us an opportunity to plant the corn we had planned on planting in May or June. We sowed tillage radishes and rye to help break up some compaction, stop water runoff and soil erosion, and reuptake some nitrogen we had put down the fall prior.

They grew fast and really help the soil. It was a first experience for us with cover crops. I think it will help us move forward using more cover crops on more of our acres in the future.