Source:
Farmers and their Innovative Cover Cropping Techniques [DVD]. V. Grubinger. 2006. University of Vermont Extension. Available for purchase from: http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/Videos/covercropvideo.html(Verified 31 Dec 2008).
This is a Vegetable Farmers and their Innovative Cover Cropping Techniques video clip.
Watch video clip at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n9AamByA6c
Featuring
Bob Muth, Muth Farms. Williamstown, NJ.
Audio Text
This is Sudex, it’s our main summer cover crop, we like it a lot, because it helps alleviate soil compaction, you can also use it for nematode and disease suppression. Normally we like to plant Sudex around Memorial Day, but this year with the wet weather we got significantly delayed we were planting in June and into July. I spread or plant mine with a Vicon seeder - I’ll sling it out around 25 pounds to the acre and then lightly disk it in.
This is the stage we like to flail it, when it’s about head high or a little bit above, this’ll be about 4 tons of dry matter per acre. Some people tell me that planting Sudex can create a significant weed problem but that’s not a problem as long as you mow it before it shoots those seed heads, that’s why we like to see it mowed it when it’s about head high, not much bigger than that.
Another advantage of Sudex I’ve seen over the years is good weed suppression. If you grow this for a couple years you can significantly reduce your weed population. There’s no light in there for those weeds to get established and grow.
This video project was funded in part by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (USDA).
