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Balance Weed Suppression & Yield Loss by Timing Cereal Rye Termination Right
Balancing cereal rye’s ability to suppress weeds in no-till soybeans, while also minimizing soybean yield loss, hinges on in-season precipitation
TAKEAWAYS
- Terminate a cereal rye cover crop early in a dry spring to protect yield. Jim Stute’s research data showed a 27% yield loss by delaying termination to anthesis in a dry spring.
- Plant green in a wet spring to manage soil moisture and allow for the flexibility to use cereal rye biomass to achieve your specific soil health and weed suppression goals.
- Consider 10-day and long-range weather forecasts when making termination decisions.
- Plant cereal rye early. Follow the combine with the drill, rather than waiting to seed covers until after harvest.
Deciding when to terminate a cereal rye cover crop to optimize its weed suppression benefits without hurting no-till soybean yield comes down to adaptive management, says Jim Stute, an independent research agronomist and no-tiller in East Troy, Wis.
After his earlier research trials showed a cereal rye cover crop suppressed more than 97% of herbicide-resistant marestail in no-till soybeans but dropped yield as much as 27%, Stute set out to pinpoint the sweet spot for when to terminate cereal rye to get the most weed suppression with the least impact on yield. Stute worked with local farmers Tom Novak, Nick Kau, Tyler Troiola and Tom Birmingham to conduct a 2-year study that resulted in 7 site years of data.
The study, funded by North Central SARE, took place during the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons, one dry year and one wet year that ended dry. The differing weather revealed there’s no time that’s always right, no matter the…
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