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Sixty-inch row corn tested south of Clinton

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A photo of cover crops in 60-inch corn at the demonstration project site.

 

Demonstration project to monitor yields and soil health indicators 

Things may look a little different this season on some farms in the Clinton area. Several producers have been trying different methods to get cover crops established in corn. A demonstration project, just south of Clinton, is looking at cover crops and whether 60-inch corn rows can help establish a cover crop better than 30-inch rows. Wider corn rows can increase light penetration to the ground to improve cover crop establishment but the impact on corn yield or the following bean yield is not known. 

In response to a growing interest from local farmers wanting more information on this practice, a community-led demonstration project was established at a farm, belonging to participating landowner Bill Gibson, along Highway 4. The trials include 30-inch versus 60-inch corn, different corn populations, effect of different cover crop mixes tailored to the corn crop and subsequent bean crop, and effect of cover crop seeding rate.

“Twin rows of 60-inch corn were planted in early May, and the cover crop mix was drilled in at the V4 stage in early June,” said Ross Wilson, Water and Soils Resource Coordinator with Ausable Bayfield Conservation. Wilson provides video updates on the progress of the project every few weeks.

Find the videos here:

The video updates and project design are also available by visiting the abca.ca website at this web page link:

“We will be monitoring the corn yield, cover crop biomass production, as well as soil health indicators this autumn,” said Wilson, who is a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA). “Next year we plan to track the bean yield and the subsequent soil health indicators.”

Ausable Bayfield Conservation would like to thank project partners Claussen Farms Custom Farming Inc.; Pioneer Seeds Canada; Hensall Co-op; and Bill Gibson and Family. The project also gratefully acknowledges funding from the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation and the Healthy Lake Huron – Clean Water, Clean Beaches Partnership.

Landowners in the Clinton area, as well as the farms along the lake, are now eligible for an enhanced cost-share program that offers $30 per acre, up to 100 acres, for planting cover crops. When the program is paired with funding from the Huron County Clean Water Project, eligible agricultural producers can receive a total of $40 per acre thanks to the enhanced Main Bayfield Cover Crop Boost Program.

To find out more about grants to plant cover crops contact Hope Brock (hbrock@abca.ca) or Nathan Schoelier (nschoelier@abca.ca), at Ausable Bayfield Conservation, 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
Funding is limited and some restrictions apply. Application intake deadlines are July 31 and August 31.

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