News Feed Forums Regenerative Agriculture Using Biologicals and cover cropping to replace manure Reply To: Using Biologicals and cover cropping to replace manure

  • John Warmerdam

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    April 20, 2022 at 1:50 am
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    We did our first run of the Fall Primer in the fall of 2020 on stone fruit in California. We have been moving away from glyphosate, reducing our other herbicides, and gone practically no till. We have used cover crops on some fields but mostly just leave the weed crops and mow them down. We had used manure the last few years to help jump-start our soil as we had honestly been neglecting it (taking it for granted). With lots of reading and podcasts I got a better feel for the regenerative space. For us we need to disc in our manure for food safety reasons, and I wanted to skip the disking, so I left the manure out this year and I’m glad I did. We have had what looks like a big push of nitrogen in our fields, and that is with almost no soil applied N in the fall, or otherwise. We did a run of molasses and fish oil last fall and this spring, and that is likely what is pushing that increased supply. All fields are different, but I can see it visually, and on the sap tests. I think it would be a great fit for a row crop farm since N is likely a limiting factor, while I need to be sure not to over do it even with none applied. Give it a shot, and be patient, it may take two years for you as well.