No Till Food Plots - So Easy

[at1010]

“Quorum Sensing” specific to soil health,is a fascinating concept! I could never explain it as well as Phd. Christine Jones does, so I’ll leave it to her.

“Once the diversity of plants and hence the diversity of functional groups of soil microbes reaches a certain threshold – or quorum – everything changes. The microbial community begins to function as a coordinated ‘super-organism’ and can perform tasks that individual microbes cannot achieve alone”

Quorum Sensing in the Soil Microbiome » Green Cover

...In the microbial world, the term quorum sensing (QS) refers to density dependent coordinated behavior that regulates gene expression in the...

greencoverseed.com

 

[Ohiosam]

This little book has tons of good info and is only $5.

DTC

Crop Diagnostic Training & Research Center

ag.purdue.edu

 

[at1010]

This little book has tons of good info and is only $5.

DTC

Crop Diagnostic Training & Research Center

ag.purdue.edu

Heck ya!! I just ordered a copy, thank you for the recommendation!! I cannot wait to read it.

 

[at1010]

Great video below. I have always enjoyed Dr. Grant. Although his situation is far better than most, relative to hunting and the amount of land he manages specific for whitetails, I still have always found him to be humble and inspiring. He has a nice no till drill, but the overall idea behind the no till method for deer and soil building, in the Ozarks - no less, is fantastic! That ground is predominately rock and you can see how/what types of positive impacts he has made both on the deer antler size and the quality of soil irrespective of his region (not know for big bucks or great soil).

This is a short video that he highlights some of those methods.

Ep. 651: Best Food Sources to Hunt In the Early Season

See the best food sources to hunt over in the early season! Then watch as Grant and Daniel bow hunt in Kentucky.

www.growingdeer.tv

 

[giles]

I've been trying to think of something like that for the bottom of my property. It floods every now and then and I used to plant it with Big and Beasty. Once the weeds took over and I was working out of town, I just let it go. 7 years later, it isn't as sandy, more of a dark dirt.

 

[giles]

I guess to dwell on what sparked my memory was the talk of fawns. I always concentrated on late winter doe health and spring fawns. I need to get back to this program.

 

[at1010]

I find it’s often best to derive ones beliefs from multiple sources, backed by an immense amount of credibility.

This allows us to develop the most well rounded approach and understanding of the topics we have chosen to learn.

A person will get the most out of this, if he/she can enter into a new lesson without subconscious bias altering the gathering of information. Although not easy, I implore everyone to give it a try.

When it comes to soil health there is a lot of information out there and the “deer” world is loaded with products, fixes, and solutions to issues we didn’t yet know existed (ok, that last point was meant to be satirical). However, much of this information total negates or skips over the basic functionality of soil.

I am not an expert, so I read from those who are, some of which are world renowned, to help me understand how soils function.

This small cover crop field guide is fantastic!!

This is written for farmers but covers many of the important topics and definitions we has habitat managers should not overlook.

All that to say, don’t take my word for it, simply look at the folks who put this book together, talk about a powerhouse team! The Midwest Cover Crop Council!!

Thanks for following along and @Ohiosam for recommendation. I read it the day I got i!

Stay safe TOO!

AT

 

[at1010]

Here is a really cool website, you do have to sign up but it is free. You can play around with various seed mixes, based on your goals. Example, increase organic matter, deer habitat, nutrient cycling.

As you play with various mixes, you can then scroll to bottom and see the CtoN ratio. I use this tool often to balance my Winter to Summer mixes, plus it is fun to see all the variations of seed that are available.

SmartMix Calculator

Our SmartMix calculator creates a custom cover crop mix that’s just right for your field. With easy-to-use educational resources, we help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your selections and craft a mix that will serve you well.

smartmix.greencoverseed.com

Hope you all enjoy! Thank you for following along.

AT

 

[at1010]

Well boys been a little quiet on here!

Not to much to report. I have been working with Merit Seed on my spring blend. With a baby on way, and life being busy - I am going with fairly fast maturing plants that will pump nitrogen and carbon into the soil.

Plan is
Buckwheat
Medium/crimson clover
Sunflower

Seed will be done around May. I’ll probably spray, seed and maybe mow. Unless I buy a roller crimper by then - but I am not seeing that happening.

I’ll follow this crop up around August with fall mix

Turnips
Radish
Rape
Rye
Wheat
Triticale
Medium red clover
Hairy vetch
(Might adjust and open to suggestions to try)

Thanks for following along!

AT

 

[bowhunter1023]

Are you thinking about a Packer Maxx? I may pull the trigger this year after seeing how reasonably priced they are.

 

[at1010]

@bowhunter1023 well I actually had one before they were owned by Lincoln (current owner). I had that thing for 9 years man!! It wore out last but I didn’t have tow kit and I ran that sob hard, 1.5 miles one way down a gravel road and back!!

rumor has it they are coming out with a flip model with a crimper attachment. I am hoping that happens this spring and I’ll buy another one. A steel roller crimper from the Brandt family (famous regen ag folks)up in Carrol Ohio is around 2600 bucks, so I hope the packermaxx will be perfect for me- once again.

I can’t speak to how well it works. Till or not till, for the cost of the implement, can’t beat it.

*last year I didn’t use it to roll plots and they turned out great but I’m certain my germ rate would have only increased had I used it.

thanks all!

 

[at1010]

I dont think I have shared this in the past. The stuff Dr. Grant is doing in the Ozark moutains is amazing! This is about an hour long video but well worth the watch, if you are into building your soil through his "buffalo method" - esstentially regen ap methods.

 

[at1010]

Ok this is really cool!

Studying water infiltration - the better water infiltration we get, the more likely our fields are to be sustained through drought. If water infiltration is poor, an inch of rain might result in mostly water run off - vs. growing our crops for deer!!

 

[at1010]

So I am a big nerd/fan boy/whatever you want to call it, of Ray Archuleta. I found this demonstration to be fasinating, as well as the others, so I wanted to share.

Shows the importance of thie biotic glues that hold soil together, this helps with water infilration to nutrient transfer from roots/soil and back through the symbiotic relationships that exist in a functioning soil system.

Pretty cool stuff!

 

[at1010]

So, I wanted to share an interesting exchange I had with a large REGEN AG farmer from Iowa this past week.

I tend email or DM people if/when I have questions or don’t understand something. Well, this gentleman posted a picture of his diverse cover crop mix, under a layer of snow, hardly sticking out. He then said “the fairly consistent snow cover, is great insulation for cover crops down below".

As I read this, I had some ideas of "why" this would be beneficial but wanted to ask him personally, to confirm my thoughts. As we exchanged messages, it was his thought and understanding (although he doesn’t have all the data points yet gathered) that by having the ground covered with snow, it insulates the soils surface, by doing so this keeps the ground from a total hard freeze (think Igloo effect) - this in turn allows microbial activity to stay active- even if at a reduced pace.

When the ground freezes, microbial activity is essentially stopped due to microbes being subaquatic (hence the reason soil aggregation, pours in the soil, is so crucial to microbe survival and proliferation).

Amazing, even when you think the snow is becoming a nuisance, there is something in the ecosystem that is likely benefiting..... glass is half full folks!!

Link to more information on soil aggregates- https://www.ndsu.edu/soilhealth/soil-health/soil-property-1/aggregation/

Thank you for reading.

AT

 

[Stressless]

Exactly, think igloo but for the soil. Ponds work the same when the ice on top is covered by snow. Heat is conducted from the soil to the cooler air. When the soil is bare, this heat loss occurs more rapidly and the ground can freeze more deeply. However, when snow is present, it acts as insulation, reducing heat loss from the soil just like the fiberglass insulation in your house. Any added depth to that, like matted organic matter, adds extra "R" value, if the organic matter enters thermal decomposition, or thermolysis, is a chemical decomposition caused by heat. The decomposition temperature of a substance is the temperature at which the substance chemically decomposes. The reaction is usually endothermic as heat is required to break chemical bonds in the compound undergoing decomposition.

We've all turned compost or "wads of organic matter" that has warmth or will steam in the winter - thermolysis.

 

["J"]

So, I wanted to share an interesting exchange I had with a large REGEN AG farmer from Iowa this past week.

I tend email or DM people if/when I have questions or don’t understand something. Well, this gentleman posted a picture of his diverse cover crop mix, under a layer of snow, hardly sticking out. He then said “the fairly consistent snow cover, is great insulation for cover crops down below".

As I read this, I had some ideas of "why" this would be beneficial but wanted to ask him personally, to confirm my thoughts. As we exchanged messages, it was his thought and understanding (although he doesn’t have all the data points yet gathered) that by having the ground covered with snow, it insulates the soils surface, by doing so this keeps the ground from a total hard freeze (think Igloo effect) - this in turn allows microbial activity to stay active- even if at a reduced pace.

When the ground freezes, microbial activity is essentially stopped due to microbes being subaquatic (hence the reason soil aggregation, pours in the soil, is so crucial to microbe survival and proliferation).

Amazing, even when you think the snow is becoming a nuisance, there is something in the ecosystem that is likely benefiting..... glass is half full folks!!

Link to more information on soil aggregates- https://www.ndsu.edu/soilhealth/soil-health/soil-property-1/aggregation/

Thank you for reading.

AT

Ticks live winter after winter due too this exact example you just stated. Seems like your scenario would work just as it does for them...

 

[at1010]

Exactly, think igloo but for the soil. Ponds work the same when the ice on top is covered by snow. Heat is conducted from the soil to the cooler air. When the soil is bare, this heat loss occurs more rapidly and the ground can freeze more deeply. However, when snow is present, it acts as insulation, reducing heat loss from the soil just like the fiberglass insulation in your house. Any added depth to that, like matted organic matter, adds extra "R" value, if the organic matter enters thermal decomposition, or thermolysis, is a chemical decomposition caused by heat. The decomposition temperature of a substance is the temperature at which the substance chemically decomposes. The reaction is usually endothermic as heat is required to break chemical bonds in the compound undergoing decomposition.

We've all turned compost or "wads of organic matter" that has warmth or will steam in the winter - thermolysis.

Very nice addition of information! I was not familiar with the term, thermolysis - I will use this in future, I am sure.

Thank you for the add sir!

This is precisely why the balancing of CtoN ratios is so crucial - need to always have food present for the microbes to eat and other mutually beneficial bacteria to thrive off as well.

 

[at1010]

Ticks live winter after winter due too this exact example you just stated. Seems like your scenario would work just as it does for them...

Glass HALF Full J! Tick survival is not a good thing! HAHAHA Very good points sir!

 

[Hedgelj]

Wow, this thread is an awesome read. @at1010 I don't to remove from your thread but I'm going to be picking your brain about the farm. They are doing some timbering right now and also with the removal of trees this fall there's going to be some openings in the canopy and torn up ground I'm looking forward to exploiting for some small plots.

Thanks for some more videos to watch and such.