Farm Field Rehab for Fescue

[Dataway]

I have about 20 acres of farm field on our property in NW TN that has been fallow for a year now. Was planted for the last couple of decades with wheat, soybeans and corn. I'm looking to smooth it and plant with tall fescue ... more for a lawn than for haying. Right now it's a moonscape of crabgrass, johnson grass and every imaginalble type of prehistoric looking weed. This spring it was about four feet high and I knocked it down to about 5" with a Bush Hog, since then we've kept it rotating from about 8" down to 3" with a couple of zero turn mowers ... but of course we do it in sections.

I'd like to get it in fescue for the fall growing season (right now it's very dry). I'm trying to figure out how to approach this. The weeds really need to be turned under I think, they have formed large knots of roots that make discing with my small 5' cultivator a very long process, at least half a dozen passes. We are considering getting a tiller for the compact track loader, or for the Ford 1715 (if it has the HP) and tilling, smoothing and planting in managable size sections of a few acres at a time.

Equipment at my disposal are a Kubota BX2200, Ford 1715, rock rake, drag harrow, 5' disc harrow, SVL65 track loader, couple of ExMark ZTM, 55 gal sprayer, 100 lb broadcast spreader.

Come next spring I'll have to put down and effective pre-emergent and probably overseed.

I'm not looking forward to the slow process of tilling the entire field but I don't see any other way of really disposing of all the clumps of weeds to facilitate smoothing. Not a single rock within miles of our place so that at least is no worry.

Looking for suggestions or advice. Thanks

 

[Dataway]

Here is a video taken in late spring with the remains of a wheat harvest evident (wife riding her dirt bike around the property)

Here it is a few weeks ago ... looks ok at a distance but it's horrifying up close

 

[Kiwibru]

Hmmm, weird that you got no answers. You are close to the answers. Here is my take having done a similar recovery effort.
I would pull a series of soil tests at 6" deep. Make ten or so pulls, aggregate them into one test sample to send off. You need a base line to move forward from. No data, management is a guess. Apply any needed nutrient based upon agronomic rates provided by your test lab agronomist. Chemical or organics, your choice but organics would require more inputs over a longer number of years moving forward.

Resist the temptation to do deep plowing. Sure makes sense to zap the weeds that are each season creating a seed bank within the sward. As soon as you plow or disturb to any great depth they will come roaring back, plus the fact you are destroying the biological community of soil organisms that live in the top 6" of your soil, thus massive carbon release and soil structure degradation.

Consider your mowing as removing competition for the future fescue. Mow it down close during the optimal planting time for your area. (Out here in the islands we do fall planting from mid-August to mid or late Oct. just before frost. That way the fall rains help the germination.) So, how to get the seed in?

We mow to the lowest setting or over graze with sheep, then re-seed with a No-till drill. Look for someone with a ten or twelve food drill that you can rent or borrow. (You only need about 40hp tractor if you can find a Great Plains 606NT.) With adequate rain, soil temps above 50°F. you get germination, young seedlings can compete with existing sward. Combine your fescue seed with a robust, large leaf NZ type clover seed in the rear drill box such as Kakariki or Haifa, inoculated if possible. This will add long term nitrogen from the legume component and make the forage higher in Crude Protein.

Let the field respond, do not graze for the first year if at all. Let the new plants set in, deepen roots, it will blow you away how well it works. With adequate resources provided you may luck out and get a forage crop off of it the next year.

 

[RayIN]

Dataway, you might find some USDA resources to help with your land restoration at: Farm Answers
Dad spoke with the local office about building a pond on our farm. I think they paid most of the total cost, including the required woven wire fence around the pond.

I remember dad attending a USDA farm school under the GI bill about 1952. He took me with him every time he could, I still remember some of what was taught all those years ago, because I found it very interesting.
Does anyone know if that program still exists?

 

[Hay Dude]

I’d do a complete burndown with herbicide, then no till drill with Tall Rebel Fescue if you want it to be clean. Then it can be a hay field, field, or lawn.
If you dont want to burn it with herbicides, then scalp it as low as possible and drill seed when climate is conducive to growth.

 

[Smokeydog]

Have had good experience with local soil conservation agent. Access to resources, equipment, cost sharing if needed.

Mowing at the right time and way helps to control weeds. Seen a difference from using a flail mower vs bushhogging on maintaining fallow pastures.

Think there are more people in government to help farmers than farmers now.

 

[DJ54]

I used Renovation Clover for a long-term nitrogen here in south central Ohio. I used the frost seeding method and it worked great for me, but I had my hayfield prepared in late Fall for using this method. Cost per lb. was not cheap, but a lot less than the urea I'd been spreading for years, and the predicted rain never showed to set it in. Seed dealer warned me to not put over 1 lb. per acre as it can become invasive. Followed his advice and it's done wonders. No need to spread urea as it can kill it.

Most definitely get hooked up with your local County extension agent and soil conservation office for your amendments. Here, the soil conservation office rents a no-till drill for $15 an acre. Way less than buying your own. It will take a 60+ hp tractor to pull it.

 

[Kiwibru]

Definitely contact your local Conservation District. They should have at least one conservation resource farm planner on staff who can make a site visit, provide science based conservation practices that are national in scope. If they are a local, county office, they are the local node for the national NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Service) which historically was called SCS (Soil Conservation Service). They work with the local county conservation districts all over the U.S. and offer great cost share options through the EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentive Program) for farmers and forest land owners. There processes and tools identify resource concerns that can be helped using cost share dollars, 75% in most cases. That is paid for by the EQIP contract, higher with local resources through the state conservation system. NRCS and the local C.D. are the only non-enforcement, non-regulatory agencies in the U.S. due to legislation of 1935 on the Federal level that was created to address the Dust Bowl. They have been at it since then and because science is always building on new research findings and farmer input, the system is always updated over time and feeds all of this into the national delivery system set up way back then.

 

[jyoutz]

Hmmm, weird that you got no answers. You are close to the answers. Here is my take having done a similar recovery effort.
I would pull a series of soil tests at 6" deep. Make ten or so pulls, aggregate them into one test sample to send off. You need a base line to move forward from. No data, management is a guess. Apply any needed nutrient based upon agronomic rates provided by your test lab agronomist. Chemical or organics, your choice but organics would require more inputs over a longer number of years moving forward.

Resist the temptation to do deep plowing. Sure makes sense to zap the weeds that are each season creating a seed bank within the sward. As soon as you plow or disturb to any great depth they will come roaring back, plus the fact you are destroying the biological community of soil organisms that live in the top 6" of your soil, thus massive carbon release and soil structure degradation.

Consider your mowing as removing competition for the future fescue. Mow it down close during the optimal planting time for your area. (Out here in the islands we do fall planting from mid-August to mid or late Oct. just before frost. That way the fall rains help the germination.) So, how to get the seed in?

We mow to the lowest setting or over graze with sheep, then re-seed with a No-till drill. Look for someone with a ten or twelve food drill that you can rent or borrow. (You only need about 40hp tractor if you can find a Great Plains 606NT.) With adequate rain, soil temps above 50°F. you get germination, young seedlings can compete with existing sward. Combine your fescue seed with a robust, large leaf NZ type clover seed in the rear drill box such as Kakariki or Haifa, inoculated if possible. This will add long term nitrogen from the legume component and make the forage higher in Crude Protein.

Let the field respond, do not graze for the first year if at all. Let the new plants set in, deepen roots, it will blow you away how well it works. With adequate resources provided you may luck out and get a forage crop off of it the next year.

This^^^^
The OP will really set back the progress by tilling or plowing the soil. I would treat the broadleaf weeds by spray application of 2-4-D, then drill seeding the fescue grass. Avoid applying the 2-4-D under the drip canopy (and maybe 2 canopy widths) of desirable trees and continue to mow those areas short to manage the weeds.

 

[Hay Dude]

I’d do a complete burndown with herbicide, then no till drill with Tall Rebel Fescue if you want it to be clean. Then it can be a hay field, field, or lawn.
If you dont want to burn it with herbicides, then scalp it as low as possible and drill seed when climate is conducive to growth.

Just to add that after I did a burn & drill seed, next year my yield was up 200-250% from the anemic stand that was there. Forgot to mention I applied 2 tons wet lime per acre. You can bet the farm it’ll need lime. Every time I send in soil samples, lime was needed.
That was 3 years ago.
Yields are still strong.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Plowing is not always as effective as it seem, sometime necessary but in your case it's not. Keep mowing it and with seeding and proper soil health (fertilization/nutriment and PH) it will take over and suppress the weeds. Plowing is only necessary when brush are taking over or when you need to work the field drainage/groundwork (smooth out bumpy or uneven ground). The first field I did was 16 acres and I plowed the whole thing because it was overgrown with brush, it turn out very good, I have a few section with weeds due to poor soil nutriment in some area, I mow these area and keep seeding it to suppress them, weeds love poor soil ... Below is my second field, its 14 acres, the fist section in red I plowed late 2022 (September/October) since it was starting to grow with brush and small conifer, I plowed to removes these roots, with heavy seeding and fertilizing (seeded early summer 2023) it turn out very well (minimum weeds) by summer 2024. The section in blue I plowed in spring of 2024 I seeded it in mid summer, might have cheeped out in fertilizer (I will apply a other spread this spring) It is still early since we didn't get a whole lot of rain but this section the weeds got into it more then usual (I think), I will have lots of work pulling these out this spring/summer but it's still early to tell it might turn out... Since the blue section got more weeds that I anticipating and since the pink section had minimum overgrowth I did minimum tilling. (simply disking the hell out of it to expose the dirt) I don't have a drill so I spread my seeds with a rotary spreader, it works but it's not as effective as a drill (more waste). This section is ready to seed and fertilize this spring, I will see how this turn out by end of next summer.

Bottom line is it takes time depending on the amount of rain you get its a slow process but it's even longer if you plow, you will need more fertilizer and a many more working hours if you plow plus weeds will/can still get to it.

 

[jyoutz]

Dataway, you might find some USDA resources to help with your land restoration at: Farm Answers
Dad spoke with the local office about building a pond on our farm. I think they paid most of the total cost, including the required woven wire fence around the pond.

I remember dad attending a USDA farm school under the GI bill about 1952. He took me with him every time he could, I still remember some of what was taught all those years ago, because I found it very interesting.
Does anyone know if that program still exists?

Contact your local USDA Farm Services or NRCS office to see if they offer any short courses or literature on the topics you’re interested in.

 

[oldnslo]

are you friends with any neighbors that farm in that area. They would potentially have some advice on works best on your soil types. What works on the heavy soil in northern Illinois may not work in Tennessee.

Maybe check with some local farmers cooperatives for some advice and they might be associated with the USDA.

 

[gstrom99]

View attachment 2124076

What app/program did you use to make that map? We have 38 acres for hunting, and the SIL wants to map it out like that.

 

[Rockbadchild]

What app/program did you use to make that map? We have 38 acres for hunting, and the SIL wants to map it out like that.

yeah knowing wont help you lol.... I used the drafting program from work called AutoCAD and I print screen maps from google map and paste them on AutoCAD, scale them to scale and used them.

 

[jyoutz]

What app/program did you use to make that map? We have 38 acres for hunting, and the SIL wants to map it out like that.

You can use any GIS program to do this.

 

[gstrom99]

yeah knowing wont help you lol.... I used the drafting program from work called AutoCAD and I print screen maps from google map and paste them on AutoCAD, scale them to scale and used them.

Thanks. I only used AutoCAD once or twice, but that was years ago and don't have access anymore anyway... We'll look into the GIS suggestion.

 

[RayIN]

If/when you have wet areas in a field, use a sub-soiler implement as deep as your tractor will pull it. This breaks up the hard-pan that traps water between it and the surface.
Of course you must catch a dry-spell to do this or you leave it in worse condition.
After a few days the ground disturbance will settle down and be practically invisible. Or, if you prefer, just drive over the disturbed ground and flatten it down

 

[Kiwibru]

Thanks. I only used AutoCAD once or twice, but that was years ago and don't have access anymore anyway... We'll look into the GIS suggestion.

try Web Soil Survey from USDA-NRCS. You zoom right in on your farm and create an Area Of Interest with the online tools that allow you to delineate your farm parcel boundaries, then pull the soil data for custom mapping. There is a lot of data so spend time with it. Very useful.

Web Soil Survey - Home

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is the Federal agency that works in partnership with the American people to conserve and sustain natural resources on private lands.

websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov