New Wrinkle in Double Cropping

New Wrinkle in Double Cropping AIR SEEDERS Air Seeders (42B) 2-5-14 A North Dakota innovator is experimenting with a new "wrinkle" in double cropping. He's attempting to seed winter wheat and spring wheat simultaneously, then harvest two successive crops from the single planting. The second crop would thus be produced with absolutely zero tillage since it's "hitchhiked" onto the first tillage-planting operation. To begin with, he installed mechanical dividers in his grain drill with alternate compartments filled with spring and winter wheat. He's also experimenting with a different method of planting spring and winter wheat simultaneously. Instead of keeping the seed separate, he blends the wheats together before going to the field. For example, he has blended Roughrider winter wheat and Kitt spring wheat in various blends involving 20, 40 and 60 lbs. of winter wheat with 60 and 75 lbs. per acre of spring wheat. Winter kill of the winter wheat has been the biggest problem. At this early stage, it appears that blending the two wheats works as good or better than keeping the wheats separate but planting them simultaneously. We'll keep you posted in future issues on how this experimental "best idea" turns out.

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