The short-term impact is that we can't get into the field. We've had a lot of rain this year (and a little snow). Our UKAWC site has measured over 20" of rain at Spindletop Farm since January 1, 2018. We average 40" a year... This spring has, for the most part, also been cooler than average. Upshot: it's wet. And it's been cool. Cover crops are growing slower, weeds are slower to emerge (though I saw common lambsquarters, giant ragweed, and marestail emerging in late February after a warm spell AND they're all still alive). See some photos below for differences in cereal rye growth between this past winter and previous winters... One thing we can do in this weather? Get some horticultural therapy in a high tunnel! Our group has a project with Dr. Krista Jacobsen in the Horticulture Department, and colleagues at the University of Tennessee and University of Georgia. High tunnels are a big investment, producing valuable real estate inside! And, depending on location and the type of tunnel, the environment is favorable for crop growth year-round, so most growers keep crops growing in them continually. This can be hard on the soils. Our project examines (1) some novel cool and warm season cover crops that might fit into short windows between cash crop production and (2) how growing winter cover crops provide nutrient cycling and weed management services. Today, we buried some bags of weed seeds to examine how our incorporated cover crop residue influences weed seed decay. We also transplanted tomatoes! Stay tuned for all of these results...
0 Comments
|
AuthorErin Haramoto, University of Kentucky weed science Archives
May 2018
Categories |