The annual Ohio No-Till (Summer) Field Day will be held in Seneca County on Sept. 10.  Hosted by Bret Margraf and his family at their farm (7838 SR 587, McCutchenville, OH 44844), it will feature the role of cover crops in continuous no-till, manure application techniques, experiences of farmers new to no-till, soil pits, and much more. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and the program starts at 9:00 and runs until about 4:00 p.m. Cost is $25 for those who register by Sept. 3, or $50 at the door.

The Margrafs grow primarily corn, soybeans and wheat. Wheat is a key part of the rotation and they put a lot of effort into maximizing yields.

One of the key speakers is Chris Bowley, co-owner of Wheat-Tech, Russelville, KY. He is a native of England, and an authority on High Yield Wheat Production. His presentation is sponsored by S&D Application of Wayne, Ohio, a company that partners with him to offer consulting to farmers in both Ohio and Kentucky.

Cover crops is a primary topic for the program. Have you considered this option? When spreading liquid manure soon after harvest, add cover crop seed to the tank. Tim Harrigan, Ext. Ag. Engineer at Michigan State University, has been doing research on slurry seeding for several years. “Cover crops and manure are great companions. The manure helps the cover crop seed germinate and grow rapidly, and the cover crop takes up manure nutrients which protects water quality.”

Glen Arnold, OSU Extension Field Specialist, will discuss his research on applying liquid manure after corn has been planted. “This extends the window for spreading manure. Ideally, plant one day and apply manure the next. But even later, a dragline can be used on plants 3 or 4 inches high without damaging the corn.”

Managing cover crops will be discussed by several speakers including Jim Hoorman and Rafiq Islam, both OSU Extension, and farmers David Brandt and Keith Dennis.

Multi-species cover crops (5 to 10 varieties) are gaining in popularity because of the multiple benefits they can provide. The cost can remain about the same because fewer seeds of each cover are used. The covers selected, and ratios, are adjusted depending on the preceding and following cash crops. Diversity of plant heights and rooting structure are valuable. The benefits of cover crops extend well beyond providing a “cover” on the soil. The living roots in a continuous no-till soil provide sustenance to the billions of biological organisms that inhabit crop fields.

Several “field demos” are being planned for the field day. The Margrafs have used controlled traffic for six years and a shallow pit dug across a traffic lane will show the benefits. Aerial application of cover crop seed will be scheduled. Harry Landsberg and Craig Eibling will spread poultry litter. Frank Gibbs will conduct a tile line smoke test that will show whether having cover crop roots growing in earthworm holes might reduce the direct flow of liquid manure to a tile.

Agenda for Ohio No-Till (Summer) Field Day

8:00:     Registration: (visit exhibitors and no-till machinery; donuts & drinks)
9:00      Tillage practices in Seneca, Crawford and Wyandot Counties :Bret Margraf, SWCD
9:30      High Yield Wheat Production: Chris Bowley, co-owner of Wheat-Tech, Russelville, KY.
10:00 Residue Management: David Brandt, Bret Margraf and Bob Featheringill
10:30    BREAK
10:45    Slurry Seeding Cover Crops: Tim Harrigan, Ext. Ag. Engineer, Michigan State University
11:15    Sidedressing with liquid manure after corn planting: Glen Arnold, OSU Extension Field Specialist
11:45    Beginning No-till: Keith Dennis, Perry County; and Lenny Kirian, Seneca County
12:00    Poultry Litter application (demo by LandTech)
12:15    LUNCH
1:00      Minimizing losses of P and N with good management: Kevin King, Engineer, USDA-ARS, Columbus
Seeding cover crops from above (airplane and high clearance seeder): Speaker TBA
1:45-3:45 (4 stops in the field)
Cover crops (above ground benefits): David Brandt, no-till farmer
Cover crops (below ground analysis): Jim Hoorman and Rafiq Islam (OSU)
Soil pit: George Derringer, USDA-NRCS
Soil pit: Frank Gibbs, USDA-NRCS (retired)
3:45  Smoking tile lines: Frank Gibbs
4:15  END

Sponsors for the event include: OSU Extension and OARDC, NRCS-USDA, SWCDs in Seneca, Wyandot, and Crawford Counties, Ohio’s Country Journal, Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Assoc., and Ohio Soybean Council. Other major contributors include: Bird Agronomics; Walnut Creek Seed; Kalmbach Feeds, Custom Ag, Diversified Agri Services, S&D Application and Cover Crop Solutions.

Registration for the event should be mailed by September 3. Cost for pre-registration is $25; on-site registration is $50. Checks should be made payable to Ohio No-Till Council. Registration form and checks should be mailed to:

Mark Wilson
1122 Sommerlet-Hoffman Rd. E.
Marion, Ohio 43302