Context

Returning to an inter-seeding study done in Wisconsin (http://ipcm.wisc.edu/blog/2015/08/interseeding-cover-crops-into-v5-corn/):

“Corn was planted in early June. Five cover crops treatments were planted into corn: (1) radish, (2) red clover, (3) winter rye, (4) oat/pea mixture (70% oats, 30% pea), and (5) no cover crop. Table 1 shows seeding depth and rates. Cover crops were drill seeded when corn was at the V5 growth stage (July 14) using a modified no-till grain drill (Fig. 1).”

The corn was planted in June, and inter-seeded mid July, a month and a half later. It was obviously kept cultivated until then.

Implications

Mulch can be applied at the 10tons/acre rate for complete weed suppression, and corn seeded through the mulch (most likely with a jab planter) in standard single row layout.

Mulch can then be removed at the v5 stage, and a cover crop immediately inter-seeded. No further cultivation of corn should be required.

This means that (in Wisconsin) mulch can be re-used as soon as mid-July.

Research

  1. Trails measuring biomass of removed mulch should be done. This would yield useful information as to the decomposition rate, and potential acreage that could be further mulched at the 10tons/acre rate.
  2. Methods of mulch removal between corn rows should be explored. While a pitchfork might work well on fresh hay drying down on grass, the limited width between corn rows makes mulch concentration problematic. Raking mulch away from the corn initially makes sense for easy of collection, but beyond that, some sort of micro-baler seems appropriate.
  3. Inter cropping patterns to limit the need for mulch to be transported significant distances should be explored (i.e. pulling mulch onto a neighboring potato patch for hilling, or using removed mulch to smother an existing cover crop).