Brassicas!

[sticknstring]

Anyone have a good crop this year? I didn't plant any - went with other crops, but I found this field recently scouting some new land. First time I've seen a "harvestable" large field of brassicas. Big radishes and softball-sized turnips. Like a switch w/ our first few frosts - they're being hit hard. Have you guys seen farmers plant these before on a large scale? Cattle/pig feed or what?

[creepworm]

Have you guys seen farmers plant these before on a large scale? Cattle/pig feed or what?

Prevented planting acres are often planted in a tuberous crop such as radishes due to the nitrogen holding capacity of them. Good news is they can not be harvested or tilled under until at least November 15th at the earliest so you have a great deer attractant until then. Even then, I highly doubt anyone in wright county has equipment to harvest them and they will most likely be tilled under to take advantage of the N credits. Therefore, you will most likely have a deer attractant for the entire bow season.

[sticknstring]

Why would the farmer plant brassica to increase nitrogen when brassicas themselves have a very high nitrogen requirement? Why go through all the work of planting and fertilizing when you could just side-dress next year's corn crop with urea? I'm thinking either soil compaction and/or erosion?

[MNice]

I'm not 100% sure, but a few of my buddies mentioned to collect crop insurance with the monsoon like spring, they had to plant a cover crop. Possibility??

[Jameson]

Bunches of good reasons for the farmer to plant the radishes/brassicas. I hope many farmers did it this year with the late Spring, and that it catches on a bit for future years. Some farmer-planted farmer-sized fields of brassicas could be a huge help to MN deer.

[sticknstring]

Quote:

Bunches of good reasons for the farmer to plant the radishes/brassicas

Any that haven't been mentioned yet? I'd love to see it catch on, but I don't see the farmer benefit over a good crop yield

[creepworm]

Why would the farmer plant brassica to increase nitrogen when brassicas themselves have a very high nitrogen requirement? Why go through all the work of planting and fertilizing when you could just side-dress next year's corn crop with urea? I'm thinking either soil compaction and/or erosion?

Brassicas do not necessarily increase nitrogen, they hold the N that is present from last years fertilizer and the breakdown of organic matter in the soil. When they are tilled under, they will break down, releasing the N stored in the tubers for what will probably be a corn crop next year.

Brassicas can also help with soil compaction. The tap root can break through a hard pan that a more fibrous root system such as corn can not.

I would guarantee this was a prevented plant field, so in order to receive a check, the grower had to plant some type of cover crop in it to reduce erosion. So yes erosion plays a part in this as well. I was mentioning N as a reason to plant a field with brassicas instead of oats or sorghum, which are also popular crops to plant on prevented plant acres.

[creepworm]

Any that haven't been mentioned yet? I'd love to see it catch on, but I don't see the farmer benefit over a good crop yield

In a normal year where the spring is not a monsoon this will not happen, that field is corn or soybean right now. This field is planted to brassicas solely for the fact that this grower wanted a check, had to plant something in order to receive that check, and decided brassicas provided the most benefit in his/her cropping system. Do not count on this catching on in any way when there is not record spring rainfall.

[sticknstring]

Great info CW! It all makes sense to me. Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond! Hopefully I can turn this situation into some freezer meat!

[benbosh]

Brassicas can also help with soil compaction. The tap root can break through a hard pan that a more fibrous root system such as corn can not.

I would guarantee this was a prevented plant field, so in order to receive a check, the grower had to plant some type of cover crop in it to reduce erosion. So yes erosion plays a part in this as well. I was mentioning N as a reason to plant a field with brassicas instead of oats or sorghum, which are also popular crops to plant on prevented plant acres.

Yup what he said. Those roots can go down 4-5 feet believe it or not. Come down to southern MN and theres a field with a cover crop every other field it seems.