Buckwheat Power
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=55434
Printed Date: 09 Sep 2025 at 1:04pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Buckwheat Power
Posted By: AllisUpstate
Subject: Buckwheat Power
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2012 at 6:52pm
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This isn't technically a farm equipment topic - although I did use the D17 IV. I am slowly bringing our small 130 acre farm back, after renting it to local dairy farmers for the past 10 years while my wife and I were working on building our small business. Anyway, last year I tackled a field that had been in corn silage for many years. I could barely get a plow in the ground last year when I put buckwheat/clover in as a cover crop. It was fallow this spring, with a high growth this year of native timothy and orchard grass. I brought the D17 up today to plow it under to put in tiller radishes/crimson clover/rye in preparation for corn for grain next spring. I have never seen such soft ground! I made two passes, then quit. I took off the plow, and put on the disk and that seems to be all it will need before seeding in the cover crop. I couldn't believe what a transformation there was in the soil quality. It smelled alive and totally different from last year. I had given the field up for dead, but now can't wait for next spring, after the radishes have "plowed" it up for me down to 20" or more. We're not pure organic or anything, but it sure is fun hitching a free ride on nature. At this rate, I won't need the 7010 I have been looking at. |
Replies:
Posted By: CTuckerNWIL
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2012 at 7:26pm
It's amazing what Mother Nature can do if you just let her
------------- http://www.ae-ta.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.ae-ta.com Lena 1935 WC12xxx, Willie 1951 CA6xx Dad bought new, 1954WD45 PS, 1960 D17 NF |
Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2012 at 7:48pm
| Yep, buckwheat/clover is a good soil conditioner, and the tilliage radishes are a good follow-up. I have used those radishes for cow forage, and even tried them in a salad, myself. The gas produced could light up a small city! Great for a Dutch oven, for the ole lady! I have seen water leaking out of the radish holes, the following spring. They work exactly as advertised, as far as soil drainage goes. |
Posted By: singingpig
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2012 at 8:03pm
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Welcome to the dark side ;O) A lot of the members here will tell you organic practices are wrong, don't work yada yada yada.....actually they are good solid soil management practices that work for conventional farmers, too It is what used to just be called farming before the advent of ag chemicals.
Not only do you have improved soil tilth but the buckwheat scavenges Phosphorous and makes it available for the next crop, clover fixes fre Nitrogen from the air.
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Posted By: jlogli
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2012 at 8:15pm
Back to the old ways! ------------- 1945 WC on full steel, WD wide front, WD45 power steering, 1966 D-17IVfactory 3 point.1967 D-17IV SC. 1973 rotobaler white top. orange top roto, model 90 combine,82S, four bottom plow.302 baler. |
Posted By: Scott(SC)
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2012 at 10:02pm
| I've tried Buckwheat and Rye so far. What kind of radishes and what do they do? |
Posted By: AllisUpstate
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2012 at 10:47pm
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Scott, I bought mine from Crop Solutions, but they are available all over. I think the 'Tiller Radish' is probably their trade nonesense. This will be my first trial of radishes as a cover crop. The best book I have found is "Managing Cover Crops Profitably", ISBN 978-1-888626-12-4. The idea is they root very deeply, opening up channels and loosening the soil. They are frost killed in our region, and in the spring/summer should decompose and release nitrogen just about when the corn needs it. We'll see next summer, but if I can save 50+ lbs N/acre plus build up the soil - why not? |
Posted By: Scott(SC)
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2012 at 6:56am
| I only dealing with about 4 acreas, trying to grow some vegetables for extra income and for ourselves. This was farmed with cotton last nearly 50 years ago, and I'm trying to rebuild it as naturally as possible. I grew Abruzzi Rye last winter and Buckwheat in some new ground this Spring/Summer. It does plow in soft. I've already bought enough Rye for the Fall/Winter and Buckwheat for the warm weather. I thought about sowing the Buckwheat in the corn when the corn is around 2'. It took Buckwheat 4 weeks to reach 2', so I figure the corn will stay ahead of it. When do you plant the Tiller Radishes? I've heard of Cultivating Turnips, are they about the same? Thanks. |
Posted By: AllisUpstate
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2012 at 12:09pm
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Scott, The company I bought my radishes from recommends at least 6 weeks of growth prior to killing. I'm planning to get them in by this weekend, as they'll have just enough time before first frost. I don't think you'll have that problem in SC! They do warn that if they grow for too long, they can re-seed. I think any root vegetable crop would accomplish the same goal, of burrowing deep into the soil, below the plow pan to loosen up the ground and promote drainage. That book I cited above is really worth getting. They list just about every cover crop, and detail when to plant, how to kill it, etc. I keep reading it to get ideas for new rotations and cover crops. There aren't that many choice up here in the NE, especially after grain corn. |
Posted By: Scott(SC)
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2012 at 1:05pm
| The only area I don't have planted, I had a big grass problem. I plan to keep disking it about once a week to kill out the weeds. Everything should play out by the end of October and I'll plant the Rye for this season. I might do the radishes next summer after the corn. Where did you find that book? |
Posted By: Warren(Oh)
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2012 at 1:25pm
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http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=managing+cover+crops+profitably&tag=mh0b-20&index=aps&hvadid=22941607&ref=pd_sl_6g6jb1i3c3_e" rel="nofollow - http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=managing+cover+crops+profitably&tag=mh0b-20&index=aps&hvadid=22941607&ref=pd_sl_6g6jb1i3c3_e |
Posted By: Longmeadow Farm
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2012 at 4:37pm
| Sounds like I should try radishes on a number of fields with heavy clay soil. I too experienced following a conventional dariry farmer, who used one of the farms I'm renting for 30 plus years. I put a plow in the ground and my 6080 reared up pulling the 4x16 plow through some rather tough clay spots.... had to put the front end weights on. What I vividly remember is the absence of earth worms, earthy smell that emanates from healthy soil and no gulls following the plow... as there were no earthworms. The soil was sterile from years of raw manure, synthetic chemical fertilizer, herbicides... wouldn't even grow a decent crop of weeds. I plowed under buckwheat, alsike colver, winter rye..applying compost and copious loads of rotted cattle manure with lots of hay/straw. Took a few years, but now I can plow, the reclaimed land, without the front end weights and experience one of the wonders of Mother Nature... gulls.....hundreds of them..following the plow. Thomas Jefferson often lamented over the fact that some people who farm, apparently set out to abuse and destroy what took mother nature centuries to form. Mr. Jefferson took land ravaged by years of tobacco growing that would not produce anything and brought it back to life... perhaps one of our first sustainable farmers. Thomas Jefferson loved the land... sadly, not every farmer does..... |
Posted By: BRIIAN D
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2012 at 10:11pm
You can down load that cover crop for profit for free from sare web site. I only use organic methods on our farm with great success .
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Posted By: Teddy (punchie)
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2012 at 5:13am
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Remember the field needs to rest too, some don't do it at all. One year out of seven. I'm guessing most are having to do that this year with no rain as sad as it is maybe it was time, but what do I know. AS I say I'm just a P-time farmer. Planting a cover crop etc. you can only take out what you put in. Be it cover crop, stovers, lime, and fertilizer etc.
------------- Ac D-19, a Number of WD's, One WD45, Two 444 balers, Ac plows and etc. |