Roles of Rye in Seed Production and Manure Management

Mike Paustian and his family operate a farrow-to-finish hog farm near Walcott, Iowa. They also grow 1,400 acres of row crops, including corn and soybeans, using 100% no-till and cover crops. Cover crops are drilled in immediately after harvest. This practice allows for good growth prior to applying fall hog manure. Mike plants cash crops green in the spring for maximum biomass production. Recently, he started relay intercropping rye and soybeans and harvesting the rye for cover crop seed. This led him to take part in PFI’s Cover Crop Business Accelerator Program to explore growing rye for seed on more acres.

At this field day, Mike and his family will share their experiences with relay intercropping. They’ll discuss the results of applying manure into standing cover crops. You’ll also hear how they use skip rows in rye ahead of corn.