Soil organic matter

[jamesb]

I never asked for or told anyone to give away their straw. I am simply pointing out that relative to other dry matter straw removal is less than most guys think. And the fact soil om doesn’t suffer for 30 to 50 years of removal, it simply isn’t as big a deal as many seem to think. Everyone knows there is nutrient value in straw. Not everyone knows the result of 50 year old straw removal impacts, or lack of, on soil om.

I agree that some straw remove is not bad if not done continuously but what irritates some is the guys who expect to get for free. We have a lot of guys ask to bale straw. Out of those, one in three at most will offer to pay. Worst for me was the guy who had us drop a quarter, showed up in the heat of the day when it was clearly to dry to bale and then abandoned the field with quarter made bales and the rest of the windrows to harrow ourselves. Kinda leaves a bad taste in the mouth and wrecks it for the next guy to stop in. If their was a full on demand for continuous baling of straw, I would have to make sure that removal compensation will be greater than the value of what would return to the soil if chopped and spread. If there is a profit in this then I'm all in.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

In 2018 due to the drought and shortage of feed and straw I made an exception, and all of our cereal straw was baled. Either sold in the swath, on shares, or hired it baled, or I baled some. At least in theory. Had 70 acres that never got baled at all, one quarter that had half bales, and piles of straw, and left over swaths all over it. Bales still in the fields when trying to seed. And compaction from hauling bales in during the wet spring(as in, roads that didn't even grow). I also had to fence around bales still in the field in the fall to run our own cows on the stubble.

I do sometimes trade straw for manure, which in theory is a good idea, don't have to deal with seeding through the residue, and when it comes back it is already enriched, and partially broken down, and can be transferred from the best land to the poorest.

[SASKFARMER]

We have taken land that was mined and added pig shot every three years and our organic matter is coming back strong.

Strong Organic matter is very good for soil.

[Sheepwheat]

I see how if you’ve had bad experiences with ppl how it can leave a sour taste in your mouth re straw. I can’t believe ppl want it free or for 5 bucks a bale or whatever. I get y’all’s point more knowing that.

I guess if your as upstanding a citizen as I am, cheating ppl and expecting free rides from ppl is a foreign concept. Lol...

[burnt]

Began experimenting with cover crops here a few times lately, in addition to broadcasting red clover on wheat in the spring.

Rye will take off like crazy in soybean stubble if harvest is early enough, had 8" top growth the first time. So roots structure would be more than that and that's were the beneficial biological action is happening.

Last year we did oats/barley/peas after barley harvest. It got to be over 2' tall by late October when we decided to cut and bale it for cow feed.

Debated about leaving it for building organic matter or taking it for feed.

Agronomist said to cut and bale it as most of the soil amendment comes from below the surface. So we did.

Cut one day and baled 2 days later, still so green the tractor would (and still will) barely lift a 4.5' bale. Cows think it's candy and have to blend it with coarse first cut.

Should add that with global cooling, harvest is getting later and more challenging. So it's tougher to establish a good cover crop post-harvest.

[helmsdale]

Biggest issue I have here is lack of moisture...

Spread straw at least helps keep evaporation down prior to the crop filling in. For guys in wetter areas, as long as you were replacing nutrients you probably aren't out much. I have a hell of a time being convinced to part with straw around here... every bit of trash counts when growing season moisture can be <4".

[Sheepwheat]

Moisture regime and climate, soil texture etc. certainly plays a part. As well as how bad your soil needs the material returned. A guy with deep black soil and too much moisture will have different thoughts than a guy with brown or dk. brown soil and in an area that suffers from low rainfall and high evap. rates.

[Blaithin]

Biggest issue I have here is lack of moisture...

Spread straw at least helps keep evaporation down prior to the crop filling in. For guys in wetter areas, as long as you were replacing nutrients you probably aren't out much. I have a hell of a time being convinced to part with straw around here... every bit of trash counts when growing season moisture can be <4".

Keep in mind that if you dedicate part of your rotation to adding to root biomass and therefore OM, you’re exponentially increasing the moisture holding capacity of your soil.

I have the numbers somewhere, I’ll look them up later.

Residue/litter on top always helps too. Not saying that doesn’t, at all. Just if you have more OM and root systems in your soil, the precipitation you get will infiltrate better and the soil will be able to hold more. Which can then be protected by your straw litter cover.

Work them together as a team instead of just one and you’ll get better results.

[helmsdale]

Keep in mind that if you dedicate part of your rotation to adding to root biomass and therefore OM, you’re exponentially increasing the moisture holding capacity of your soil.

Work them together as a team instead of just one and you’ll get better results.

I've contemplated the idea of cover crops. Or taking a portion out and putting into forage. In a perfect world I'd like to graze the forage rather than bale and haul it off.

The cover crop issue for me comes back to the lack of growing season moisture... The number of years we've had more moisture than was necessary to grow a crop, which includes subsoil recharge post harvest is perhaps 5 since 1970. There was excess in 75, 99, 05, 10, 16.

But then 76, 00, 01, 11, and 17 were drier and that subsoil moisture that would have grown a cover crop wouldn't have carried forward into the next year.

They're likely a great option for many guys, but there just isnt any extra water to go around out here...

[Blaithin]

I've contemplated the idea of cover crops. Or taking a portion out and putting into forage. In a perfect world I'd like to graze the forage rather than bale and haul it off.

The cover crop issue for me comes back to the lack of growing season moisture... The number of years we've had more moisture than was necessary to grow a crop, which includes subsoil recharge post harvest is perhaps 5 since 1970. There was excess in 75, 99, 05, 10, 16.

But then 76, 00, 01, 11, and 17 were drier and that subsoil moisture that would have grown a cover crop wouldn't have carried forward into the next year.

They're likely a great option for many guys, but there just isnt any extra water to go around out here...

I think they’re something you have to start small in. Evidence is there to support that they help increase moisture which would be hugely beneficial in dry areas. But you’re going to have a decline in production while their benefits catch up before you start to see them working.

It’s also said to help if the producer using them shifts from thinking of Yield/Bushel per acre to Profit per acre. I don’t know that anyone ever gets as high a yield per acre of the main crop, maybe eventually, but they can have more profit per acre because of decreases in input costs.

Each farm is going to be different.

[Sheepwheat]

Yeah here we have too much moisture often. But our growing season is too short for adding cover crops most of the time.

The great thing about forage crops, even hayed forage, are that at least with deep rooted legumes, lots of nutrients that have leached down get recycled and used.

I like my neighbors corn system. They graze corn all winter now. No hay hardly needed. Then they rotate to crops and grow some amazing crops after the corn. They are in my view really building the soil. All that corn fertility they put on, or almost all, gets recycled into organic matter and readily available nutrients, and it shows after a few cycles.

Have been researching doing this with the sheep: looks like sheep can graze corn just fine too.

[STRNGR]

OM /moisture

We find having straw left on zero tillage makes a great difference when dealing with long dry periods! If run into wet cycles, will bale some. Wheat varieties now a lot less straw also, so not as much to deal with, find Canola straw more a problem following year when seeding, but does warm up quicker