Advanced cover cropping strategies for specific goals and how to evaluate them. Grower Panel: Dan Petker, Petker Farms and Rick Kootstra, Kootstra Farms

1. COVER CROP INNOVATIONS
EOCC 2020

2. WHERE WE FARM…

3. ABOUT OUR FARM
• Third generation
• Corn,soy,wheat, hay,some hort
• All acres see minimal iron
• Organic amendments are hard
to come by.

4. FUNCTIONAL COVERS

5. EROSION CONTROL

6. DEALING WITH EROSION IN SOYS

7. FIE LD SC ALE GRASS-WATERWAYS
January 1st,2020

8. MANAGE EXPECTATIONS

9. NITROGEN
• Red clover in winter wheat is standard
• 25-35# N credit following year
(Is it worth anything?)
• Definite increase in soil tilth

10. MAKING RED CLOVER WORK

11. VALUE OF THE N CREDIT & CLOVER
Red Clover $/ac N Credit Range 28% Equiv $/ac
Application 5.00$ 25#/ac 8.4 gallon 13.41$
Seed (12#) 24.00$ to or
Total Cost 29.00$ 35#/ac 11.7 gallon 18.68$
N Credit Value: -$10.32/ac to -$15.59/ac
Ignore the N Credit…
bu/ac Sale Price $/ac Clover Value
Corn Yield With Red Clover 245 1,225.00$ 96.00$
5$/bu
Corn Yield w/out Red Clover 220 1,100.00$ -$

12. CHASE SOME IDEAS

13. PLANT BUCKWHEAT…

14. … FOR PHOSPHOROUS
• Buckwheat also suppresses
wireworm
• Roots act as shallow,aggressive
tillage
• Beekeepers come knocking

15. FIELD COVERED, READY FOR SPRING

16. BUCKWHEAT, CORN YIELDS &
SOMETHING ELSE
Buckwheat Oats Yield Diff Soil Analysis
242.7 234.1 8.6
232.5 233.8 -1.3 P Bicarb 13
231.2 224.9 6.3 P Bray 19
228.2 223.2 5 SOM 2.6
218.6 214.6 4 CEC 12.8
213.4 206.4 7
227.8 222.8 4.9
K Rate Yield/ac K$/ac Net $ Return/K$ Soil Analysis
400 238.4 $ 87.98 $ 1,104.02 $ 12.55
350 233.2 $ 76.98 $ 1,089.02 $ 14.15 K ppm 120
300 228.1 $ 65.99 $ 1,074.51 $ 16.28 %K 2.4
250 225.7 $ 54.99 $ 1,073.51 $ 19.52 $/MT Potash $ 485.00
200 216.6 $ 43.99 $ 1,039.01 $ 23.62 Bu Price $ 5.00
150 209.9 $ 32.99 $ 1,016.51 $ 30.81

17. TARGETING COMPACTION

18. COVERS IN HORTICULTURE

19. GOING FORWARD
• Sunflower/buckwheat/winter barley biostrips (Boron & Phos for corn)
• 60” corn for better establishment of covers,to generate more C
• 80’ wide perennials around fields margins
• More living roots through-out the year

20. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME!
@PetkerFarm