2015 Harvest with Stripper Header -- Dry Peas

     We have finished harvesting our spring planted standup peas.  The weather decimated the crop.  We started out with a great plant population, but growth and seed development was stopped by frost and heat.   Our yield was ≈200#/ac of poor quality (small and dimpled) peas.
      The stripper header did fine.  We missed a few low pods, and there was a little pod shatter where the 32' solid head didn't fit the terrain.
      I think the split and skinned seed is manageable with the stripper head; however, a decent yielding crop is needed to evaluate this aspect of the harvest.  We had more splits than I would normally want, but, was it from the pea condition or from rattling around a near empty combine impacting with metal parts.  With two spinning rotors and so little cushioning material going into the combine, this may be challenging.
      Such a short crop needed an auto trim for the speed we traveled.  Kye doesn't think auto height control would have helped but feels we need to reduce the force of ground impacts.  The pea harvest is much dirtier than the small grain harvest.  Pods, leaves, and vines shatter into fine dust that envelops the machine.  We chemically dried the crop so very little green material entered the machine (weeds or crop).
      There is a lot of pea stubble left standing, making it look more like a grain field than a pea field.

Watch the crop, particularly the branchy china lettuce plant before and after the combine passes over the peas. (Sorry, the full screen web version of this video is poor.)

This area shows good growth of pea vine (a little over my knee), but few pods.  A close look will show that there is standing winter wheat stubble that is helping support the pea vine.  Where we have standing stubble the peas stand a little taller.  Wheel tracks don't have much effect on the stubble support, but flattened areas such as truck loading spots and some corners with multiple turns are too wide, and vines sag.  Supported vines appear to hold the bottom pods higher off the ground which is good for the stripper header.

2015 Soil Moisture

[Update: Sept.5-6]  --Received 0.5"of rain.  First measurable moisture since May27th with 0.11".
       August 25th:  ---Since September of 2014, to date, we have received 13.2" of moisture.  That is below normal, but not by much.  The real story though starts in June of 2015.  We haven't had more than a trace of moisture since May.  Along with the lack of moisture, we have had an unusually hot summer beginning in June with many weeks, (not days as is usual), with temperatures hovering around 100-/+.  We have also received significant wind lasting several days at a time this summer.
       I have a test area in the field where we earlier held the drill demonstration in tall stubble.  There are four sites close together.  All these site have HOBO temperature sensors associated with them, but I won't pull them until we seed.  The sites are as follows:  a)--bare ground with a board pressed firmly to the ground, b)--tall stubble with light surface residue, c)--mowed stubble with heavy surface residue (1"+) with no dirt showing, d)--bare ground without being cultivated.
       At this point in time, at all sites, we could reach moisture with the CrossSlot drill.  The exposed bare ground was baked hard, but good moisture was only 1.5" down.  The tall stubble with light surface residue was easy for the shovel to penetrate; however, the moisture was just as deep as the exposed bare ground, --it may arguably be better moisture.  Nothing can match  a thick layer of surface residue.  When I scraped away the residue, good moisture was at the surface, and the shovel easily penetrated the ground.

The pic shows the value of litter on the surface.  I wiped the litter to the side with my hand without taking soil.  Moisture is right there at the surface.

Organic Matter (OM)

      I just received a copy of the August/September edition of "Hay&Forage Grower" magazine.  An article  titled: Grazing boosts organic matter, written by Dennis Hanock of University of Georgia, had several things of interest to me.  The background for this article is, row crop land having been converted to pasture-based dairy farms.
       First interest, --is a short statement defining OM: --Scientifically speaking, soil OM is a collective term that refers to the amount of carbon-based material in the soil.  In a sense, soil OM quantifies the living component of the soil (such as roots, fungi, bacteria, and earthworms).  Too me, this is refreshing.  Mostly what I find as a definition for OM is a piece of the "collective term".
      Second, --is a short statement of why OM is important: --Soil organic matter acts as a sponge.  It holds water, improves the soil's cation exchange capacity, allowing it to hold more nutrients, and provides a host of other advantages.  This supports other source statements, but is a more compact statement.
      Third, --is a statement that a preliminary report from local research is showing the  primary source of OM buildup is from roots and root exudes, and not from litter left on the soil surface.  This research is supporting findings of a consortium of American and European scientists in a recent review published in the journal Nature.  I have been hearing and reading recently about the part litter plays in OM.  It's different than what I believed in the past; however, the above definition of OM plays to this.
      Fourth, --there is an indication that 3-4% OM in the top 4" is obtainable and gives dramatic results. Older pasture-based dairies indicate that OM stabilizes at the 3-4% level.  Newer studies are looking into this.
      These are the main points that I picked up on.  The context of these points can be put better into perspective by accessing and reading the article.   <hayandforage.com>

GMO's are safe !

       This guy expresses my view on the subject. <  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM1x2wnhtz4 >   Unfortunately, like most people expressing their opinions on GMO's (pro or con) he is long on generalities and short on supporting material.  Most of the con's that I have looked into, make the mistake of using material that is not peer reviewed.  To me, that is a red flag, giving question to it's credibility.  Most of the GMO critics that I take the time to read or view reference work and statements of Dr. Don Huber of Purdue University.  When put under the scientific microscope, his research and conclusions could not be replicated.  Purdue and it's scientific community has distanced themselves from him.
      I noticed a logo in the video -- "VOCATIV".  <http://www.vocativ.com/>  This turns out to be a media and technology company founded by Mati Kochavi.  Vocativ uses proprietary data-mining technology(??) to explore the [deep web](??) in order to discover stories and generate original content.  Interesting -- I'll keep track of them.  They may be more credible than the run of the mill media we get most of our information from.
      Another information source that piquet my interest is "Genetic Literacy Project".
                            http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/mission/

GMOs and Labeling

      An interesting presentation by a Sociologist at Iowa State University on why people are caught up in the labeling issue.  This video is 6m30s long.  You have to listen close to the questions directed to Carmen Bain as they are a little hard to hear.
      [Summary] -- Labeling is a "proxy" issue that encompasses many different issues in peoples minds about science and food safety.
       click to view---->       Carmen Bain on Labeling of GMO's

STRIPPER HEADER -- REACCH RESEARCH

 Below is a YOUTUBE video  "Lauren Port--Growing Tall Cereal Crops".  The video is 13m,16s long and is part of REACCH.   There are 15 videos in the series, all featuring different subjects.
     (REACCH) -- REagional Approach to Climate CHange is a collaboration of three universities, --Washington State University, University of Idaho, Oregon State University, to study climate change and it's effect on agriculture in the grain producing areas of the PNW.
     [Summary] -- Research shows that the tall stubble left by the stripper header reduces temperature, and air velocity across the soil surface.
                 click on ------>    Stripper header research

COVER CROP

    May 9th, we seeded our first cover crop mix on approximately 50 acres.  It was a 10 cultivar mix of brassica's and legumes, with one grass (Graza, Anaconda, and Nemaflex radish, Ethiopian cabbage, Attack mustard, buckwheat, Crimson clover, Hairy vetch, Journey pea, and winter Triticale.

     May 13th, we seeded a second cover crop mix on approximately 20 acres.  It was a five cultivar mix of brassica's, legumes and grass (Graza radish, Ethiopian cabbage, Winfred mustard, Proso millet, journey peas.

     Our drill seeds on 10" spacing using two ranks.  The depth of the front rank was set for 1.5",  and seeded the peas and  Triticale.  The back rank was set at 1" and seeded the small seed cultivars.  Some acres of each mix was seeded on 10" spacing without the peas.  Both mixes were seeded at 10#/ac and emerged well.  We forgot to reset the front rank depth from 1.5" to 1"and that tiny seed still made a respectable showing.

     The last real rain we received to date was 0.46" on May 12th.  June 12th, we had 28 degree night.  Our winter wheat across the road was damaged, but the cover crop seemed to have no damage. Temperatures have been abnormally high for late May, June and July, with weeks of temperatures in the high 90's and 100+.  With all this adversity, this cover crop is doing amazingly well. 

      What we are trying to accomplish with cover crops is not yet well defined in my mind.  Mining nutrients?  Making N?  Building OM?  Modifying pH?  Making Cover?  All the above?

This pic shows the color change between the two mixes.  The darker green in the background was the PGG, 5 cultivar mix.  In the foreground the Nemaflex and Anaconda radishes bolted, bloomed and are setting seed.  Few Graza radish plants have bolted.  They spread large leaves across the ground.

This pic shows the 10 cultivar mix from Landmark in a low area providing a little more moisture.  Most of the cultivars are present in the pic.

This pic shows the three radishes.  All three types have grown tubers of about the same length.  The Nemaflex and Anaconda appear to be more bulbous than the Graza (middle).  The Nemaflex and Anaconda tend to grow more upright than the Graza.