Laserfiche WebLink
Seeding will be done either with a cultipacker type seeder or a drill equipped with double-disk <br />openers, depth bands, and packer wheels. A cultipacker may be used behind the drill to also firm <br />the seedbed. Either of these two types of seeding equipment will provide the greatest level of <br />success in terms of properseed placement and finning ofthe soil around the seed. Seeding depths <br />are usually about 1/4 inch deep for the species to be seeded, and never more than % inch deep. <br />Seeding will primarily be done using the alternate row method where all grasses are seeded in <br />every other row and the legume is seeded in the remaining rows. This method decreases <br />competition, especially for species such as birdsfoot trefoil which can be somewhat difficult to <br />establish and are poor competitors in the seedling stage. This method is an accepted method for <br />establishing good pasture and will assure the desired proportion of grass and legume species over <br />the life of the pasture. If it is determined that the drill seeding method is not desirable for a <br />particular area, then a broadcast seeder will be utilized to distribute the grass seed onto the <br />surface of the ground. A large tractor mounted broadcaster having the capacity of holding several <br />bushels of grass seed will be used and the tractorwill traverse the field such that overlapping of the <br />seed will occur. After the seed is broadcasted, a spring tooth harrow will be drug over the field to <br />bury the seed approximately 1/4 inch. Since not all of the seed will be covered, the seed rate will <br />be increased 50% over the drilled seed rate. If the harrow is not utilized, such as in a topsoil <br />stockpile situation, then the broadcast rate will be double the drilled rate. <br />No mulch is to be applied on lands reclaimed to irrigated land use. This would only provide <br />additional opportunities for establishment of competing annual and perennial weedy species and <br />volunteer grain that would negatively impact the stand. The use of irrigation will establish an <br />effective vegetative coverinarelativelyshorttimeafterseeding. Companion cropsofannualgrains <br />will also not be used during stand establishment. While some erosion and weed control benefits <br />might be gained, the potential for reduced stand establishment and density is real. A companion <br />crop's greatest importance (oradvantage) has been in providing a cash crop to the operator during <br />the first season following pasture seeding. The cover crop, mentioned earlier as a means of <br />temporary stabilization, is not a companion crop. <br />Fertilization will be carried out based on the results of soil tests taken in replaced topsoil and <br />recommended rates for stand maintenance and achieving the various production levels desired. <br />Nitrogen is not essential to the establishment of new pasture or hayland seedings if adequate soil <br />levels exist, higher heavy initial rates may be detrimental to stand establishment. If soils show a <br />low nitrogen fertility, an application of 30-60 pounds/acre of available nitrogen should be adequate <br />(revised 1-15-03) 2.05.4(2)(e)-4 <br />