Commercial Division: Updated Section D Notes for Erosion Control

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Millborn Seeds

The South Dakota DOT has updated the Section D notes for Erosion Control.
HGM (Hydraulic Growth Medium) was added to address situations where topsoil is poor, unavailable or costly to import in a seeding situation. The case study below describes repair of a severe slope with Biotic Earth. Millborn Seeds in Brookings is the approved dealer for Biotic Earth products in South Dakota.

Clink on the following link to view the SD DOT Section D notes: http://www.sddot.com/business/design/docs/downloads/notes/Section_D-Erosion_Control_Notes.docx

March 2013 Case Study
Indiana Veteran’s Home Slope Failure Repair

PROBLEM
In the spring of 2011, officials at the Indiana Veterans Home in Lafayette, IN decided to repair a severe slope failure that had occurred on the property. The failure left them with a 1.8: 1 slope to repair. Lawson Fisher, the engineering firm designing the project contacted D2 Land and Water Resources for suggestions on how to vegetate and stabilize the site. The slopes were so severe that there were safety concerns with placing and keeping topsoil on the slope.

SOLUTION
D2 recommended utilizing Biotic Earth Black, a hydraulic growth medium, applied at a rate of 4,000 lbs. per acre, as well as Earthbound Scientific at a rate of 175 lbs. per acre. Biotic Earth Black was applied over the existing subsoil along with a custom native seed mix. Biotic Earth Black is a proprietary blend of rich organics, plant fibers, micro nutrients, humates and fungal mycorrhizae which will revitalize poor subsoil and enable vegetation establishment without importing topsoil. The contractor then covered the material with a Turf Reinforcement Mat (TRM) that contained a Coconut Fiber medium. The TRM provided immediate protection from the erosive forces that could affect the Biotic Earth Black. It also helps to regulate temperature and maintain the moisture levels in the germination zone. The TRM was anchored to the slope using 3’ lengths of rebar. The project was installed in early June of 2011.

RESULT
By the fall of 2011, the native plants which can take up to 3 years to fully establish, had begun to fill in and stabilize the slope. Germination rates of the various plants were observed to be higher than what was normally expected using that seed mix.

Since the fall of 2012, the site is covered in dense vegetation, which combined with the TRM, protects the slope from the threat of erosion and slope failure.

CONCLUSION
Biotic Earth products can be used in conjunction with other erosion control materials to provide a safe, natural, cost-effective alternative to traditional methods of slope stabilization. This case study also shows that in areas where topsoil is not practical a soil amending approach is a reasonable solution.

Case Closed.

Read the rest of our Case Studies here and learn how Biotic Earth products can control erosion.

Overcoming the Critical Issues of Hay Shortages in the Midwest

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Millborn Seeds

Prior to the summer of 2012, livestock producers were feeling comfortable. The 2012 winter was the easiest most have seen. Spring was dry and warm for calving. On-farm forage supplies were high due to abundant rainfall in 2011. There was even an open winter to allow cattle to graze crop residues. However, much of that has changed across the Midwest in the last year due to an intensely weak first cutting alfalfa coupled with the 2012 summer drought.

According to the recent report by the USDA’s Crop Protection, hay supplies are the lowest they’ve been since 1957. In fact, if CRP contracts wouldn’t have opened up for emergency feed, hay shortages would be even more critical.

“Cow herd numbers across the Midwest continue to decrease with the lack of pasture and forages. Unless you plan to increase your feed crop acres, prepare to cull cows,” said Justin Fruechte, a Specialist in the area of Forage grasses at Millborn Seeds.

Pastures were extremely stressed last year which will affect spring performance. Additionally, acre allocation to forage production is trumped to cash commodities and on-farm supplies are detrimentally short. It doesn’t take an economist to draw a supply and demand curve and correlate it to a future price increase. Thus, producers are seeking out affordable feed options such as forage in effort to maintain their herd.

Annual forages can produce high yields in a short period of time without tying up acres for multiple years. Forage type cereal grains can provide extra feed for wintering stock cows. Forage oats, Triticale, and Forage barley are all very high yielding options for hay or green chopping. For higher quality forage or higher protein sources, forage peas can be added to compliment a cereal grain. Italian Ryegrass provides a high quality, high yielding forage, which provides multiple cuttings. In fact, out of all the forage grasses, Italian Ryegrass has seen the most research and genetic improvement. Its advancements for yield potential and disease resistance has made it a staple for many livestock producers.

For more information on forage options and how they can help provide solutions to hay shortages, please contact Justin Fruechte, Forage and Cover Crop Specialist at Millborn Seeds. 1.888.498.7333 or justinf@millbornseeds.com.

The Effects of Mycorrhizal Inoculation on the Drought Stress Tolerance of Corn

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Millborn Seeds

This is a great case study done on the positive impact of using Mycorrhizal Inoculation as a tool to fight drought conditions in corn production. This is also very applicable for use on commercial construction grass projects as well. Seed that has been inoculated with Mycorrhizal Fungi is able to better draw from existing soil nutrients and moisture.

The Effects of Mycorrhizal Inoculation on the Drought Stress Tolerance of Corn
Nathan Hankes and Bill Anderson, Ph. D.

Background
Mycorrhizal fungi alter plant-water relations in several ways, but the potential role of the fungal hyphae as regulators of plant water uptake remains a controversial issue. Many mycorrhizal inoculants have been introduced into the market that claim the ability to improve water uptake, thereby reducing drought stress. Since irrigation water is becoming increasingly scarce and global climate changes are creating weather pattern fluctuations, these products are receiving considerable attention; however, the effect of soil type, specific crop, and weather patterns on the ability of the mycorrhizae to affect plant-water relations is largely unknown.

Objectives

Determine the soil water content percentage at the time of plant death for both mycorrhizal inoculated and un-inoculated corn plants.
Determine whether mycorrhizal inoculation is a viable agronomic tool for growers.

Methods
Conventional corn was planted into 2-gallon pots and grown in a greenhouse setting. Two treatments were replicated ten times. The pots were filled with a 1:1 mix of pasteurized field soil and a peat moss/composted bark mix. One trial had two grams of MycoApply® Micronized Endo Powder incorporated in the soil at the time of seeding. The experimental design was completely randomized.

The plants were allowed to grow in a regulated climate of 21°C during the day and 18°C at night, with a sustained relative humidity of 60 percent. All plants were watered regularly for five weeks. On the 36th day a drought was initiated.

The plants were allowed to wilt and die. When the sixth foliar leaf wilted below a 45° angle in relation to the stalk or the stalk lodged, the plant was considered dead, and an approximately 300 g soil sample was collected. Soil was collected 5 cm below the soil surface near the root mass using a small spade.

The soil sample was added to a beaker, weighed, and placed in an oven at 105°C until its mass stabilized. The moisture content (MC) of the soil as a percentage was calculated using the following equation:

A – Mass of beaker

B – Weight of moist soil and beaker

C – Weight of dried soil and beaker

Results
A slight average MC difference appeared between inoculated and un-inoculated plants at the time of death. On average, inoculated corn plants died with 0.526% less water in the soil, but after running one-way ANOVA data analyses, it was determined that there was no statistical difference between treatments. Inoculated plants did, however, survive 5.6 days, or 28%, longer during a drought than un-inoculated plants, on average, at the 95% level of significance.

Conclusion
While there was no statistical difference in soil moisture content percentages between treatments, there was a statistical difference between treatments in number of days a plant survived a drought. The research suggests that utilizing a mycorrhizal inoculant as a means of improving drought stress tolerance in corn plants may be a viable agronomic tool.

Further Research
There are two methods that could be applied to this particular study to enhance the results: first, the soil could be taken from much deeper in the soil profile to get a more realistic representation of the moisture content. Secondly, the roots could be dyed and the mycorrhizal hyphae counted in order to ensure the effectiveness of the inoculation.

There is plenty of research that could be conducted to improve the current understanding of mycorrhizal inoculation’s ability to improve drought stress tolerance. It would be interesting to learn if soil type and soil fertility affect the effectiveness of mycorrhizal inoculation in improving drought stress tolerance.

This article first appeared in the November 2012 edition of Millborn’s monthly
e-newsletter. Click here to sign up.

Planning for Feed

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Millborn Seeds

By Justin Fruechte, Forage & Cover Crop Specialist

On the farm, feed supplies can make or break you in the livestock business. Developing forage is a never ending plan. How are you going to graze during the year? What are you going to feed in the winter? How can you cut your input costs and still achieve high yielding quality forage? We all know how our fixed inputs have changed. Land, equipment, seed, fertilizer, fuel, and chemicals have all increased in value. Fortunately, many of our cash receipts have increased; but let’s be honest- everything is relevant to our expenses.

With the volatility in today’s markets, it is crucial to become diversified. Diversification on your grain or livestock operation always allows you to capture a gain along the way, and hedge the outstanding fluctuations we’ve seen in the commodity markets. This becomes a difficult challenge in a society that has forced specialization within industries, but as a farmer or rancher it is crucial factor in developing a steady cash flow.

Obviously when we see trying times through Mother Nature we become well aware of where our shortages are in our business. How many pastures have you seen this fall that could be golfed on? How many bales of hay did you have to feed this summer to cows that normally would have been grazing?

Luckily, our mild winter last year left us in great shape with our on farm storage. With horrible hay yields this year and extra use of last year’s feed, is your storage still in good shape? If we have a normal South Dakota winter, are you ready to buy $250/T hay?

If you think about it economically, we are all aware of how nicely corn pencils out. We’ve seen forage acres continue to diminish and through the scale of economics, sellers of alfalfa and grass are happy. If there aren’t CRP acres to cut or drought stricken corn to chop, what could your feed bill look like next year?

If you want to remain a player in the livestock business, start planning for your forage acres next year. Diversifying your land use to grow more feed will be crucial in the next few years. Alfalfa is still the queen. Through better breeding programs and more technology, selecting the perfect variety for your land and livestock can easily be done. Developing that plan and locking in seed for those acres is always an economic benefit.

This article first appeared in the October 2012 edition of Millborn’s monthly e-newsletter. Click here to sign up.

Aerial Seeding of Cover Crops

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Millborn Seeds

By Justin Fruechte, Forage & Cover Crop Specialist

Even as they wait to harvest corn and soybeans, South Dakota farmers can seed cover crops into the rotation thanks to aerial seeding technology. Just ask Lauren Greenhoff. This August the agriculture pilot has seeded several fields of corn and soybeans, flying just 20 feet above the crop.

“This is the first year I’ve done this and I expect demand to increase next year,” Greenhoff says, of the efficient planting method.

Adding cover crops to the cropping rotation to improve soil health and improve overall yields is a growing trend.

By implementing a blend of cover crops into a rotation, farmers can expect to see a significant difference in soil health the following year, which ultimately impacts yields of next years’ crop.

Maintaining a soil ecology that promotes vigorous and sustainable crop production depends heavily on plant diversity which cover crops provide. They work to increase the overall beneficial soil organism community by providing a carbon source to feed the biological community year-round.

Even though we’re in a drought, as long as there is a shot of moisture in the forecast, planting one to two weeks before defoliation should give cover crops enough time to establish before the first frost.

In years past farmers only planted cover crops following an earlier-season small grain harvest – like wheat – aerial seeding gives all farmers the opportunity to take advantage of the benefits cover crops offer.

Along with increasing soil health, when the right cover crop mixture is planted, cover crops also help reverse the damaging effects of compaction and can aid in the soil’s ability to retain moisture. I spend a lot of time working with our customers to help them select the best cover crop mix to meet their soil nutrient needs and forage demands.

Aerial seeding 101

A seasoned pilot, Lauren Greenhoff will tell you that flying a plane for aerial spraying or seeding is much different than flying from point A to point B.

“Everything is different. When you are flying to a destination you’re only close to the ground twice – when you take off and when you land. In aerial spraying or seeding the plane is only 10 to 20 feet above the crop,” said Greenhoff, who spends much of the growing season applying crop protection products, and now seeding, as the owner of Leading Edge Aerial Spraying, Dell Rapids, S.D.

To learn more about aerial seeding or to develop a customized cover crop mixture to meet your field’s needs, give me a call at 888-498-7333 or justinf@millbornseeds.com.

Watch Justinʼs video about Aerial Cover Crop Planting.

This article first appeared in the September 2012 edition of Millborn’s monthly e-newsletter. Click here to sign up.