Month: April 2014

Several contrasts are becoming more apparent in our Farming Systems plots as spring progresses. With more growth, differences among treatments are accentuated. Many small grains that were planted in the fall in this trial had both an early and late planting, with the early fall planting thriving better across the board than the late fall…

Cover crops survived the winter somewhat inconsistently this year, as we could see at the cover crop walk at the Steven Stoltzfus farm in Manheim, Lancaster County, PA (sponsored by Penn State Extension and NRCS).  With what became almost a six month winter this year, starting with an unseasonably frigid November, we got a taste…

The growing season was shortened by about a month in the fall and again this spring. This was evident in our research plots, where small grains planted mid-September (about a month ahead of normal) looked optimal, and those planted at later dates struggled. Winter annuals were really put to the test this year, and differences…