Sunflower Interseeding Trial

Sunflower, a relatively new crop for Vermont, has the potential to add value to a farm operation in the form of fuel, feed, food, and fertilizer. However, pest pressures, including weed competition, have limited the yield potential of Vermont sunflower in the past. The practice of interseeding, or planting cover crops between rows, could limit the early-season weed pressures and allow for a competitive advantage for sunflower, increasing yields and quality. Crops like clover, tillage radish, and annual ryegrass may also benefit long-term soil health and decrease expensive inputs by adding organic matter and nutrients into the soil

Impact of High Glucosinolate Mustard Biomass and Meal on Black Bean Yield

Brassicae crops (mustard family) contain chemicals called glucosinolates. These compounds are present in the leaves, stem, roots, and seed of the plants. When the plant biomass is incorporated into the soil these glucosinolates are broken down into a number of secondary compounds. The primary compound is isothiocyanate which can be biocidal to germinating seeds, insects, nematodes, and other microbes (fungi, bacteria, etc). In recent years, plant breeders have worked to develop high glucosinolate varieties of mustard to be used as biofumigants in crop production. These high glucosinolate mustards (HGM) are being used as cover crops and the entire plant biomass incorporated into the soil. Interestingly, the mustard is also an oilseed with a potential use in biofuel production. Extraction of the oil from the seed leaves a meal that is also high in glucosinolates as well as nitrogen. Hence, the meal used as a soil amendment could potentially provide nutrients and suppress weed and diseases

Sunflower Reduced Tillage Trial

Sunflowers are being grown in the Northeast for their potential to add value to a diversified operation as fuel, feed, fertilizer, and an important rotational crop. However, early season weed competition can limit the yields of sunflower crops, especially when wet or adverse soil conditions do not allow for mechanical cultivation in early summer. Planting sunflower into a freshly-terminated cover crop of winter rye could help reduce weed pressures. Winter rye would suppress weed germination by covering the ground early in the season, and also through the allelopathic compounds produced in the plants’ roots, which inhibit germination of small-seeded plants. In addition, winter rye, a reliable and winter-hardy cover crop, benefits water quality and soil health, adding soil stability and organic matter between cash crops. Rye has the ability to scavenge nutrients from a previously fertilized and harvested crop, minimizing fertility inputs and keeping the ground covered through the winter

Winter Canola Survival

Winter canola (Brassica napus) is a relatively new crop in Vermont. This crop has the potential to be added into a rotation to both promote soil health and yield a crop for oil production. Generally planted in late August or early September, winter canola should produce ample vegetation and root growth prior to plant dormancy (Figure 1). Growers can often fit a canola crop in after harvesting winter grains or other early crops. Regrowth in the spring depends on the harshness of winter conditions, but generally the plants are “greening up” in April, and will enter the rosette stage and begin to leaf out soon afterwards

Long Season Corn Silage Variety Trial

In 2013, the University of Vermont Northwest Extension Crops and Soils Team evaluated yield and quality of long season corn silage varieties at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT. Long season corn can be difficult to grow in Vermont, due to the climate’s restricted Growing Degree Days (GDDs). In addition, wet springs are becoming more common, delaying corn planting later into the season. However, on many farms, long season corn can produce higher yields and quality than many short-season varieties. The test site was at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT, which has what is considered one of the longest growing seasons in Vermont (2,259 GDDs in 2013). In this year’s trial, 24 varieties were evaluated from six different seed companies. While the information presented can begin to describe the yield and quality performance of these long season corn silage varieties in this region, it is important to note that the data represent results from only one season and one location. Compare other hybrid performance data before making varietal selections

High Glucosinolate Mustard and Potato Trial

High glucosinolate mustard (HGM) can be planted as a cover crop to suppress weeds and disease. Studies have shown a reduction in soil-borne diseases, as well as advantages in mitigating weed pressure, after planting HGM cover crops. Mustards, and many other cruciferous plants, contain glucosinolates, which are allelopathic, meaning they produce biochemicals that affect the growth and survival of other organisms. High glucosinolate mustard varieties have high levels of glucosinolates and have been shown to suppress the growth of weed seedlings, as well as helping to reduce soil-borne disease. The glucosinolates in HGM plants hydrolyze into molecules called volatile isothiocyanates, which are partially responsible for allelopathy. Little research has been done in the Northeast to quantify the effects of HGM cover crops in reducing skin disease in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). Potato demand hinges on appearance, as consumers often refuse individual potatoes with skin defects such as common scab or rhizoctonia, and potatoes for seed are rejected if they have significant damage to skin quality. Rhizoctonia, a soil fungus, is particularly common in cool, wet growing regions like the Northeast. Reducing these skin diseases would increase the marketable yields of potato crops. High glucosinolate mustard cover crops would provide additional benefits to weed competition and soil health. Keeping the ground covered with a living cover crop for months after a regular-season cash crop is harvested helps to stabilize and build soil aggregates, as well as providing organic matter and scavenging nutrients in the soil. The integration of HGM cover crops into vegetable production could prove to be a beneficial introduction in multiple ways

Vermont Organic Corn Silage Performance Trial Results

Many organic dairies are considering corn silage production to help reduce expensive concentrate purchases. Corn silage is a good source of energy/starch for livestock. In 2012, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program conducted organic corn silage variety trials in Alburgh and Randolph, Vermont. The purpose of these trials is to provide unbiased performance comparisons of commercially available organic silage corn varieties. It is important to remember however, that the data presented are from replicated research trials from two locations in Vermont and represent only one season. Crop performance data from different locations and over several years should be compared before making varietal selections

Sunflower Variety Trial

Oilseed sunflower is a relatively new crop for Vermont and the Northeast in general. Because of regional differences in soil conditions, length of growing season, and weather patterns, it is important to select varieties that will perform well under Vermont’s specific conditions. Sunflower varieties that will perform well here will generally be early to medium in maturity and have good disease resistance. In addition, varietal differences in plant stand characteristics (such as height and head diameter) may confer ability to resist pest pressures and increase yields and overall quality. The goal of this study is to evaluate pest pressure as well as seed and oil yields of varieties that will most likely mature during a northeast growing season

Sunflower Population and Nitrogen Rate Trial

Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) is a warm-season crop with the potential to add high value to diversified farms in the Northeast as a rotation crop, an on-farm fuel production source, and an added-value retail crop. Production of high-yielding sunflower crops is highly influenced by plant population and adequate nitrogen (N). Applying excessive N to sunflower can have detrimental effects to the crop and environment as well as decreasing profits for farmers. Sunflower populations can also have a significant impact on yield and quality. In Vermont where a more temperate climate prevails, higher plant populations may be advantageous compared to the more arid sunflower-growing regions in the U.S. Plains. As target populations increase, N application recommendations generally increase as well. With the need for regionally-specific recommendations, the University of Vermont Northwest Crops & Soils Program has initiated a yearly study since 2010 to determine the effects of target population and N application rate on plant stand characteristics, pest damage, and seed and oil yields of sunflower. The following are results from the 2012 study