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Years ago, I would look at this field as a disaster. I would have worked this ground twice by now, tilled in beans, sprayed the beans, waited and prayed for rain, sprayed again, then tilled it all come fall to plant another crop.
Today, you can't wipe the smile off my face when I look at this picture. If you notice there is a doe meandering through this field. Also, note that much of Ohio is very worried about a drought right now. Does this field look like it lacks water to you? The reason is that it is a functioning soil system, taking advantage of the symbiotic relationship with the mycorrhizal fungi network, allowing the plants to become far less susceptible to drought!! This field is a photosynthetic machine - root exudates are being pumped into the soil to feed the biology and help build OM!
We cannot see is the various stages of growth and plants in this picture. but they are there. I suspect that doe is filling her rumen with hairy vetch, clovers, buckwheat, oats, sunflowers, and the awnless rye grain seed heads. Turkeys will come through here bugging and eating the clovers as well. The field would be buzzing from the sound of pollinators, doing what God intended.
Come July-August, I will spray this field, let it dry, and seed right into the standing thatch. If time permits, I will bush hog off the thatch 2 weeks later just to help spread out the layer of thatch. This thatch will feed microbes, but not nearly as much as the constant root exudates being pumped into the soil will. The thatch will help to retain moisture, and keep the soil cooler during the "dog days of Summer", lastly it helps to keep weed competition down.
After that, I will sit back and allow the microbes to go to work, and allow the wildlife to continue to utilize these nutrient-dense fields.
Hope you all enjoy this perspective on why I love Wildlife Pastures!
Build Better Soil!
AT.
