07/03/2024
How to Restart Your Flooded Ground
Remember, if you don’t put something there, Mother Nature will (w**ds).
Rock County Soil Health Team met on July 3rd to pull together our thoughts on recommendations for prevent plant and drown out areas in our region.
Why are we concerned?
There is a considerable amount of drown out or prevent plant in our area. We as a soil health team would like to give you some options for those acres to help reduce fallow syndrome and to help reduce future w**d pressure.
First step, we recommend is to check with your crop insurance agent before you destroy anything.
Next, check in with your FSA to see if you need to report anything for future options or opportunities.
Check into your chemical program used on the site, then assess with your agronomist to come up with the best plan option for your site for follow-up crops, or impacts of future plantings.
Considerations on your herbicides- having an awareness of potential restrictions on haying and grazing is imperative as you move forward.
Assess your Goals
Are you looking for:
• w**d suppression
• grazing,
• or forage harvesting etc.
• biology/compaction
Once you have determined your goal, that will help you to determine your next step.
Biology impacts can be huge. According to our mentor members’ experience- if you keep the soil bare, it can reduce yields by 15 plus bushels the following year. This is called “Fallow Syndrome” and is a risk in these areas. Keeping living roots in the ground is a key solution. Nitrogen and other nutrients could be captured on these sites for future crop usage as well. We as a team recommend covering this area with as much cover crop diversity as possible to offset any potential impacts from previous herbicide applications.
Another added benefit to cover crops would be the reduction of potential erosion impacts in these areas for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Cover crop seedings will vary based on your goals and potential herbicides on these sites. Our farmer mentors and SWCDs have recommendations for you once these details are discussed. Timing is everything with these affected acres, so timely planning and ordering your seed early are strongly recommended.
There may be some programs available for these sites as well.
If you need help or have questions, contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) office.
SW MN Office Info:
Rock SWCD/Land Management Office (507)-283-8862
Pipestone SWCD/Conservation and Zoning (507)-825-1185
Nobles SWCD (507)-376-9150 Ext 3
Murray SWCD (507)-836-6990 Ext 3
