No Synthetic Fertilizer Trial

Connecting Farmers To Soil Health

Hello Friends.

We hope harvest went well. It was obviously a busy time of the year for everyone (including us) given our lack of "weekly emails".

Today, we wanted to touch on some of our harvest results from our Nutrient Density Trial (No Synthetic Fertilizer) the year after the Full Season Cover was grown.

The goals of the study

1. Use plant diversity and livestock to increase soil biology and improve soil resiliency.

2. Grow a mono-crop cereal (oats) with no synthetic fertilizer, fungicide or insecticide.

3. Evaluate Yield & Nutrient Density of the grain.

The study Timeline

Year 2:

Step 3: Sowed Monocrop Oats (no synthetic fertilizer)
Step 4: Harvest Oats
Step 5: Evaluate Results & Nutrient Density

Year 1:

Step 1: Sowed Full Season Cover
Step 2: Rotationally/Mob Grazed

Step 1 & 2

The Full season cover

We sowed the Full Season Cover on the 20th of May in 2019. We rotationally grazed 20,000 Ibs/acre/day of cow/calf pairs. Cows were moved to a new paddock every two days. (picture 1 below)

The land was left to rest for 40 days and animals were rotationally grazed on regrowth.

Below is the residue we are trying to achieve. Why? To lay a balanced C:N feedstuff/ration on the soil surface to stimulate soil biology - the same soil biology synonymous with a cows rumen.

“In one drop of rumen fluid, there are 10,000 times more soil microbes than there are people on this earth. “
-Dr. Christine Jones

Step 3

sow monocrop oats

Oats were sown on the 9th of June 2020 into a living stand of Annual Rye Grass and Red Clover. (re-growth from the Full Season Cover in 2019)

Pre-emerge herbicide was applied three days prior to seeding. Burndown trials were done with and without glyphosate.

No synthetic fertilizer was applied in spring (or fall).

The spring soil test showed 5 ppm Nitrate Nitrogen.

Notice the residue from burn-off almost completely gone? This is the power of a biologically active soil.

Interesting observation: 27 days later, the predominant residue in the field was corn residue. (from 2019) Why? The soil biology chose to leave the high cellulose/difficult to digest corn stover alone.

This is an example of a balanced C:N ratio and shows the effect functioning soil biology can have on residue management.

Herbicide was applied. — Broadleaf herbicide was applied.

Step 4

Harvest oats

Harvested oats on September 10th

Yield: 104.5 bu/acre (over the scale)

Harvest Notes: there was significant seed loss due to wind in the area.

Next Year Research: we plan on doing trials with no synthetic fertilizer, half rate program & 3/4 rate program. We hope to find a “sweet spot” in reducing fertilizer after a full season cover is grown.

Uptake/Removal? Soil Analysis showed 5 ppm Nitrogen this spring & no synthetic nitrogen was applied.

By conventional farming wisdom, for us to be able to grow 104 bu/acre Oats, we would need:
1.1 Ibs of Nitrogen to grow 1 bu of Oats
1.1 Ibs x 104 bu = 114.4 Ibs/acre Nitrogen

There was roughly 10 Ibs/acre in the soil and we can contribute approx. 40 Ibs from Organic Matter. This totals 50 Ibs/acre.

So where did the remaining 65 Ibs (114 Ibs - 50 Ibs) of Nitrogen come from?

Step 5

NUTRIENT DENSITY TESTING

We will be working with Jill Clapperton of Rhizoterra to evaluate Nutrient Density.

The crops included in our Nutrient Density study are buckwheat, red fife wheat, brandon wheat, barley & oats.

Grain produced under these management practices in which soil biology and plants are working in symbiosis without the interruption of synthetic fertilizer will always produce a more nutrient-dense food product. One that is less input-intensive for farmers (lower risk) and of higher quality for the consumer.

Our vision for the future is that these end-users (food companies) will pay farms to adopt practices like this to produce a higher value food product.

Thanks For Reading

To learn more about how we can help to incorporate plant diversity and cover crops into your operation:

Full Season Cover. Click Here
Warm Season Cover. Click Here
Fall Seeded Cover (Silage). Click Here
Fall Seeded Cover (Grain). Click Here

With Gratitude,

Covers & Co. Team

Joseph Gardiner, Travis Avery, Mark Fallis, Owen Taylor

Covers & Co.October 12, 2020