James Hepp of Rockwell City, Iowa, likes to see good fall growth on his cover crops for weed suppression. The last few years, James successfully overseeded rye, sometimes mixed with oats, on 80 to 150 acres of standing corn using a Hagie highboy. While this year he’s changing his strategy, he maintains the August overseeding approach could be right for some farmers.
Watch for rain: Check the forecast for mid to late August: “Sometimes we just try to get it done, but if you can get a good half-inch of rain afterward that is great,” says James. He seeded at 50 to 60 lb/acre, and although that rate was sufficient, he recommends bumping up to 65 to 70 lb/acre to meet weed suppression goals. With his highboy, James could complete all of his overseeding, up to 150 acres, in one day.
A method for weed suppressions: For farmers without a drill, overseeding into a standing crop or just after harvest is a method worth trying, at least on part of their acreage. “Just go out and watch it, take notes, test for weed suppression of water, hemp or thistles,” advises James.
Post-harvest broadcasting an alternative: During recent drought years, James saw some ear breakage due to overseeding with the highboy, so last year he switched tactics, opting to broadcast into the cornstalks right after harvest. This method still allows for good growth and provides some weed suppression. This year, he is planning to broadcast 200-250 acres. In the future James would like to upgrade to an air-seeder for better accuracy and speed, but for now, he is content to experiment with the equipment he has and to get more acres in cover crops.
