How to set up fields now for success next year?
Control weeds — yes!
Preserve soil moisture and reduce spring weed pressure via fall weed control. Before applying fall herbicide, ask: have perennial weeds regrown enough post-harvest to allow good control? If winter annuals are a primary target, have enough reached the rosette stage that allows best weed control? Should you be layering products? Is herbicide residue a concern (how will products break down over winter)? (When to spray fall weeds)
Manage crop residue – yes
Residue management should be done as early as possible in fall. While thinking about residue, send canola stem samples away for pathogen testing. Cut cereal stubble may be starting to re-grow: balance the benefit of snow capture against the challenges longer stubble will bring at seeding. (Manage residue with the combine alone) (Residue management for a strong spring)
Fall tillage of unproductive areas – no
Harrowing or disking headlands, sloughs and unproductive areas offers little benefit but can carry significant cost in manhours, diesel, erosion (especially of gullies), disease spread (especially clubroot), and weed seed distribution (especially wild oats). Some use tillage to control foxtail barley but seeding to perennials is a better option. (Consider tillage wisely)
