Expert Guide: Summer Crop Management Tips

Did you know maize plants can fix up to 180 kg of nitrogen per hectare? It’s crucial to manage summer crops well for farming success. Farming faces challenges due to changing weather. So, it’s vital for farmers to adopt smart methods to get strong harvests. This guide is here to help, offering expert advice on handling summer crops. It promotes the use of eco-friendly farming for better crops. It focuses on crop rotation, pest control, and keeping the soil healthy. This information is great for managing different crops like mungbean, sorghum, sunflower, maize, and soybean.

• Mungbean needs soil over 15°C to grow.
• Sorghum does best in soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.0.
• Sunflower uses 40 kg of nitrogen per ton of grains it makes.
• Maize helps by fixing up to 180 kg of nitrogen for future crops.
• Soybean grows in 130-160 days and uses soil nitrogen.

To manage summer crops well, it’s key to understand these details. This info is crucial for high yields and for practising farming that’s good for the environment and ready for climate change.

Summer crops are a smart move for farmers. They boost income and bring many farming benefits. These include new ways to make money, using labour and machines better, and reducing the risk from bad weather.

Planting summer crops adds a second income to farms. This helps throughout the year, not just in winter. Some crops, like green beans and red cabbage, can be harvested multiple times. So, farmers have a steady flow of money from these crops.

Summer crops make farm work and machine use smarter. Farm equipment stays useful all year, stopping it from sitting idle. This means more value from the farm’s machines. It also helps spread out the work more evenly over the year, lessening the stress of busy periods.

Planting a variety of crops makes farms less vulnerable to weather. If there’s frost or a heatwave, not all crops will suffer. For example, red cabbages handle heat better than green ones, giving protection when the heat is high.

Adding organic matter to the soil improves tilth, water holding capacity, and nutrient holding capacity, leading to an enhancement in soil structure.

Cover crops and plants like teff help the soil stay healthy between cash crops. They keep nutrients in the soil, stop weeds, and prevent soil from washing away. This is important for keeping the land fertile and the farm sustainable.

Not all summer crops are the same. Each one has its own needs for soil, temperature, and water. It’s important to know these needs to grow them well. The right crops will help you get more from your farm.

Mungbeans love warm weather and grow best in temperatures over 15°C. They add nitrogen to the soil, which helps other crops. They’re ready to harvest in 50-70 days. To get the best from them, harvest on time to avoid spoilage.

Growing sorghum is good for the summer because it grows fast. It can be grown twice in a year. This crop does well in many soils and climates. It can survive high temperatures up to 96°F. Sorghum takes 70-100 days to grow and needs to be checked on often.

Sunflowers do well because they grow deep roots. This lets them pull water and nutrients from the ground better. They are ready to flower in about 70-100 days. Although we don’t eat them, sunflowers are great for attracting bees and making the farm more diverse.

Maize, or corn, needs warm weather to grow. It matures in 90-120 days. You should watch its water levels and keep pests away. Maize is a key crop because it’s used in many ways, making it valuable in summer.

Soybeans help the soil by adding nitrogen. They can grow in hot and dry weather which makes them very reliable. They grow within about the same time as mungbeans. But, you need to plan well to get the most from them.

By understanding each crop’s needs, your summer farm can do better. Choosing the best crops can boost your farm’s success.

Weed control is key for good crop yields. Before planting, knocking down weeds helps. It makes the area cleaner for crops to grow well.Adding special weed killers to the soil stops new weeds. This makes sure the weed killers work well. But, be careful as some crops are easily hurt by these weed killers.

Knockdown herbicides are great before planting. They get rid of existing weeds. This makes it easier to plant new crops without weed competition.

Residual herbicides create a barrier in the soil. This stops new weeds from growing. Timing and how you apply them are important to make sure they help, not harm, your crops.

Checking for leftover weed killer is crucial for the next crop. Some chemicals might stop the new crop from growing well. Knowing when it’s safe to plant again is important.

• Digging and cultivating brings hidden weed seeds to the surface, assume weed seeds are present every time the ground is opened.
• Mulch helps in smothering out weeds by depriving them of light, keeping it about 2 inches deep is recommended.
• Weeding is more effective when done on young weeds compared to older ones.
• Cutting off weed heads delays seed dispersal, reducing the spread of weeds.
• Close plant spacing prevents emerging weeds by shading the soil between plants.
• Drip irrigation reduces weed-seed germination by 50 to 70 per cent in most climates.
• Crop rotation with diverse crops can reduce weed pressure and prevent weeds from becoming prolific over subsequent years.
• Cover crop selection based on competitiveness can improve weed suppression.
• Seed quality characteristics like cleanliness, germination rate, and vigour influence the competitive ability of seedlings.
• Sowing date, seeding rate, row spacing, and plant population affect the final crop population’s ability to compete with weeds.
• Proper field tillage can create a good seedbed for uniform crop establishment and kill emerged weeds.
• Blind cultivation, or shallow tillage after seeding, can destroy tiny germinating weed seedlings before they compete with the crop.
• Between-row cultivation as a follow-up tactic should be implemented when weeds are around one inch tall.
• A diverse cover crop selection can help with weed suppression through allelopathy, light interception, and physical barriers.
• Proper soil fertility can reduce the chance of weed establishment.
• Cleaning equipment before moving to new fields can prevent the spread of weeds between fields.
• Agricultural losses due to weeds in the United States estimated at 10 billion to 12 billion dollars per year.
• Over 30,000 weed species worldwide, with over 4,800 causing significant economic losses in food, feed, and fibre production.

It’s key to know which weeds you are dealing with. Different weeds need different control methods. Selecting the right weed killer is crucial. Many factors can affect what you choose, like the type of plant, its growth stage, and the weather. Choosing the right herbicide means your weed control will be more effective.

Choosing sustainable farming is key for long-lasting farm success and a healthy planet. Using certain methods improves the soil, manages nitrogen levels, and ensures good, sustainable harvests.

Switching crops in fields is very important for lasting farming success. It makes the soil better, lowers the chances of pests, and keeps the land fertile. By planting different things each season, farmers stop pests, cut down on diseases, and add goodness to the soil.

Cover crops are a big help too. In 2017, farmers grew cover crops on 15.4 million acres, jumping by 50% in just five years. This shows more and more farmers know the good cover crops do. In fact, from 2012 to 2017, eight states in America doubled the area they used for cover crops, showing how valuable they are for eco-friendly farming.

Plants like mungbean and soybean are great because they pull nitrogen from the air and put it into the soil. Depending on the place, they can add 50-150 pounds of nitrogen on each acre without needing artificial fertilisers. This means farming can be done more responsibly.

Farmers using cover crops see better harvests. Over five years, those who used them saw their corn harvests grow by 3% and their soybeans by nearly 5%. This is especially amazing because these numbers include a year that was very dry, 2012. Even in that tough year, the corn and soybean harvests rose by over 9%.

Farming without tilling the land, or no-till farming, helps keep the soil healthy and reduces water run-off and soil loss. It means disturbing the land as little as possible, keeping it full of nutrients and in good shape.

No-till farming works great with cover crops too. Plants that aren’t legumes, when used as a cover in the fall, can soak up 30-50 pounds of nitrogen for each acre. But mixtures of cover crops are even better, producing more plant matter and nitrogen than one type alone.

By mixing and matching these eco-friendly ways, farmers can have better crops and look after the planet at the same time.

Having efficient irrigation systems is key for using water wisely and getting good crop yields, especially in places with changing rain. Good irrigation helps crops grow better and makes farms more profitable.

Drip irrigation saves water by directly giving it to the plant roots. It uses less water and keeps the soil moist, which helps plants grow better. It is perfect for dry places where every drop of water counts.

Sprinkler systems are great for big, evenly planted fields. They spread water like rain, covering a wide area. Types like micro-sprinklers help save water and suit different crops.

Methods like mulching and adding overhead netting save water and keep soil moist. Mulch can be made from peat moss or shredded leaves. Netting helps stop plants from getting too much sun and protects workers.

More farmers are using soil moisture sensors to check water needs. These tools help plan watering more accurately. And, smart solutions from places like the North Willamette Research Extension Center make irrigation even better.

Keeping the soil healthy is key for farming that’s good for the environment. It’s all about making sure the soil fertility is right. We do this by not disturbing the soil too much and by having plants with roots in it all year. This way, the soil gets better at letting water in, which helps keep minerals where plants can use them.

To keep nutrients in check, it helps to grow many different types of plants. This actually makes farms less likely to have bug or plant diseases. So, farmers don’t need to use as much chemical stuff. Also, having animals around can make the soil even happier. This lets them grow plants that come back every year or that cover the soil in between crops.

Plant cover on the ground is great because it stops rain from washing away soil and nutrients. It also helps keep the soil from drying out. This saves money for farmers and keeps the soil from being carried away by the rain. This is really important in the colder months when not many plants are growing.

Adding things like manure or compost to the soil is a big plus for keeping it healthy. These things make the soil better at holding onto important nutrients that plants need. They also stop these good bits for plants from leaving the soil. Plus, they help keep the soil at the right pH level, which plants love.

Having plants in the soil all year changes how the soil works, making it better at sharing the good stuff with plants. This way, we can keep the soil’s carbon levels high. Carbon in the soil is important because it’s one of the best ways to fight global warming. Soils are very, very good at storing carbon.

Some places in Minnesota and Wisconsin are looking closely at the water in the soil. They want to see how well the soil can keep water and nutrients for plants. Their work is collecting a lot of data to understand what makes soils healthy in different areas and with different crops.

To sum up, looking after the soil well is crucial for successful, sustainable farms. By taking good care of the soil’s nutrients and structure, and by adding more organic matter, we can make sure farms keep growing strong for years to come.

Setting a planting schedule with soil temperature in mind is key for high crop yields. It’s important because the right soil warmth boosts seed growth and plant growth. By keeping an eye on the temperature, farmers choose the perfect time to plant. This helps make sure crops grow as much as they can.

Every type of crop likes its own soil warmth to start growing well. For example, to grow well, spring wheat needs at least 37°F (3°C). Soybeans prefer it to be warmer, at 59°F (15°C). And sunflowers do best at 60°F. Warm soil helps plants take in water and nutrients, while cold soil slows their growth. So, soil temperature is very important for farming success.

Getting the right temperature deep in the soil is crucial for knowing when to plant. This depth is where seeds will actually be placed. Things like how much sunlight the soil gets, its type, and how much organic matter it has, all affect the temperature. A soil thermometer measures the exact depth for planting, giving the best information for growing seeds well.

When plants are put in the ground matters a lot. If it’s too early and the soil is not warm enough, seeds may not grow. They could catch more diseases and pests. But, waiting too long to plant can make the season for growing shorter. This can lower the amount of crops a farm harvests. Knowing the right soil temperature to plant is crucial. For example, planting sweet corn right before the frost-free date is good. The last chance to plant it is 80 days before the first frost in fall.

Realising how crucial soil temperature is helps farmers decide well. They can choose the best times to plant for each crop. This leads to healthier plants and more food crops.

To get summer crops right, we need to know the basics. It’s key to balance water use and moisture to get the best yields. Keeping an eye on the weather helps us make the best decisions for our crops.

The correct soil pH is vital. Each crop needs a different pH level for best growth. For example, mungbean needs a pH between 6.2 and 7.2. Sorghum grows best in pH 5.5-6.0 soil. And sunflower does well in soil with a pH of 5.6 to 7.5.

It’s important to know that some crops help put nitrogen back into the soil. This helps the next crops grow better. Here’s how much nitrogen some summer crops can add:

Weeds are a big deal in sorghum growing, especially grassy ones. Farming sorghum without tilling can boost your yield by 0.5-1.0 t/ha. For maize, you need to plan carefully when using herbicides again. The time between crops that herbicides can be used varies a lot.

To grow more mungbeans, think about how many seeds you need and when to plant them. Planting late can speed up sorghum growth, but it takes patience.

Using tech tools like HawkEye® can also improve how you manage soil and nutrients. This helps use water better and lets crops reach their full potential.

Getting the right amount of fertiliser on your crops is key to big yields. You should get your soil tested every four years for up to 4 hectares at a time. This check makes sure your plants get exactly what they need in nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and lime.

Soil testing is very important for managing nutrients well. We look at the levels of phosphorus and potassium with a scale of 1 to 4. Farms usually try to keep their levels at 3 for both. Knowing these levels helps spot areas that might leak into water, causing pollution.

Putting fertilisers in the right spot, at the right time, and in the right amount is crucial. There are rules to follow (SI 605 of 2017) to protect the environment. Places with special soil, like high organic matter, need careful phosphorus control.

Spraying nutrients on leaves can quickly fix any nutrient problems. It helps make sure the plants get what they need all season. This method is particularly useful in areas where other methods don’t work well.

A good strategy includes soil tests, careful fertiliser use, and foliar feeding. This way, your plants will have everything they need. They’ll grow well and provide a good harvest.

High-quality seeds are key for a good cropping season. With changing climates, picking the right seeds is critical. So is using effective methods to treat and test seeds. These include selecting seeds well, seeing the benefits of seed treatment, and checking germination rates.

Good crop production starts with careful seed selection. Farmers and seed firms should pick seeds that are very likely to grow well. Seed viability, which means how many seeds turn into healthy plants, is very important. The international seed market is worth over US$43 billion each year. The quality of seeds is closely linked to food safety and how much we can grow. Dependable suppliers make sure farmers get seeds that will sprout and grow well in different conditions.

Seed treatments protect against diseases, pests, and tough environments at the start. Knowing how the seed’s parts work together when they grow shows why protecting them is key. Using advanced treatments helps avoid pre-sprouting and other stress. This means more even crops, essential for good farming and high productivity.

Germination rate testing is a must for farmers. It helps figure out the right number of seeds to plant. This is to ensure only healthy, strong seeds are planted, making the crop grow well. Things like how old the seeds are, the weather, and where they came from matter a lot. Testing seeds carefully helps farmers know how well they’ll grow. This makes their planting plans better. It leads to better crops and makes sure their money on seeds is well spent.

Keeping pests at bay is critical for the success of summer crops. It needs a planned and varied strategy. Early action is key to stopping pest problems from getting worse. Prevention, done early, is best because it’s kind to the environment.

To control pests, first you need to know them. Keep an eye out for pests by checking the crops often. This way, you can act quickly with the right approach, saving the plants from harm.

IPM is about using different ways to beat pests. It looks at pest life cycles, their usual harm, and what kills them, to choose the best control methods. This saves crops with less impact on the environment.

Going organic is good for the earth and your crops. It means using friends of the farm, like helpful bugs and careful use of some non-chemical barriers. When these fail, most organic plans allow safe sprays to help out.

Climate resilience is crucial in farming today because of unpredictable weather. Having good methods to deal with drought, heat, and frost is very important.

Growing plants that can survive with little water is key. These plants can still produce enough when water is scarce. Cover crops are very helpful. They keep soil moist, prevent erosion, and stop nutrients from washing away. This all helps crops withstand drought.

Heat-resilient crops are also vital in today’s changing climate. Some plants, like maize and sunflower, handle high temperatures well. Using these types keeps farms productive even in hot weather, protecting farmers’ incomes.

Frosts can harm crops, but we can reduce the damage. Choosing frost-safe areas and using covers like row covers helps. These steps protect plants, preserving the farm’s productivity.

It’s a good idea for farmers to learn from workshops and other farmers. Working together and staying up-to-date can help them face weather challenges better.

Harvest planning and post-harvest management are key to top-quality crops. They keep the crop value high from the field to the market. By picking the right harvest time, doing the post-harvest right, and storing crops well, growers can make sure their goods meet market needs. This cuts down on waste.

Finding the best time to harvest is very important. Growers want to sell as much top-grade produce as possible. This includes fruits that are big, look alike, are fully ripe, and last long. They check the crops’ maturity, the weather ahead, and what buyers want.

After harvesting, crops go through steps like drying, cleaning, and grading. This keeps them fresh longer. For instance, hanging tomatoes and peppers keeps them safe from harm. Good weed and pest control helps harvest more saleable crops.

Storing crops correctly stops losses from pests, diseases, and the weather. Special stores can slow down the ripening of fruits with low oxygen and no ethylene. Chilling vegetables and fruits after harvest also helps them stay fresh. Keeping the right temperature stops harm to some crops.

Effective harvest optimisation and post-harvest processes really help. They lower waste and save money. Storing crops well keeps them good for a long time.

Managing summer crops well is a mix of old and new farming methods. It’s key to know why growing different types of crops is good. This way, if the weather or markets are bad, farmers in places like Nevada can protect their earnings since most use their land for just one or two kinds of crops, like alfalfa or grass hay.

Places like Humboldt and Nye counties show we need more crop variety. However, Lincoln County’s more types of crops from 1997 to 2012 prove change is possible. Doing this means money can be made on smaller farms, farms are better at coping with climate changes, costs go down, the land gets healthier, and people can find jobs. But, there’s the issue of not enough people wanting the new crops, and problems with things like getting the right tools or knowledge, and following public rules.

The University of Nevada, Reno Extension is a great help with picking the right crops for the area. Even though leaving the land ‘fallow’ in summer is good for saving water and dealing with weeds, not much water is kept for later use. It’s important to know this to manage crops well. By looking into what crops will do well and where to sell them, farmers can choose what’s best for their land and for the future. With the right care for pests, nutrients, and the crop after it’s picked, using a combined method can ensure successful summers of farming.