Using old IH tractors...

Dave H (MI) · Jul 15, 2009

...to grow corn. Or at least that is what we are contemplating. I took the MTA and the 3-bottom and plowed up the back of the hayfield and put in some punkin seeds by hand to see if the wildlife would allow them to grow. So far they are more interested in the grass/alfalfa at the front of the field. That test passed, we would like to put about five acres of field or indian corn back there in the spring and use it to help supplement our poultry feed. We also have a market for some of it on the ear. Previously the most corn I have grown at one time is a 50x50 foot plot of flint corn. Things I have: Tractors, plow, cultivator, sprayer. Things I think I still need: Disk, planter, picker. Am I missing anything on the equipment list? Any recommendations on the planter and picker (kinda like to stay with IH)? Any tips on transitioning from hay to corn? Fella who used to handle the field (now deceased), told me once to plow in the fall and let the frost get to the roots. I am open to any advice you can give me.

eric Phipps · Jul 15, 2009

Just have fun! Going from established hay/grass to corn poses issues. Make sure you kill off the grass/alfalfa this fall (roundup), this will help (some) with weed pressure in the spring. Get a cultivator and keep the corn as weed free as possible to achive the best yield. Enjoy!

GordoSD · Jul 15, 2009

I plant up to 7 corn food plots every spring. For deer and pheasnts. I would recommend you get a JD 7000 4 row wide planter. You should be able to get one for about 1500 dollars. Install the heavy duty downsprings. Then you can just disc the plot in the spring, wait for weeds to appear, then burn them down with roundup and then plant the corn. Stop the plowing , you are just bringing up dormant weeed seeds and losing a lot of moisture. Millions of acres of corn grown here every summer and less than 1% ever sees a plow. Or cultivator. But you are going to have to cultivate as there isn't any RR colored corn.

Gordo
A farmer here in SD has developed hybrid collored corn He did it as he supplies the corn to do the murals on the Corn Palace here. He has developed four colors of brown, two blue, two reds and some multicolors. I don't know if he would supply you but you might ask.Email me for his info.

Logger · Jul 15, 2009

If you are already damp in your area, don't do no till. Holds a lot of moisture in, but that could work against you if you live in a wet area. Farmers planted for many years plowing and disking (we do potatoes, so we always will plow.) and it still works well. Work with what equipment you got, as it seems to be more hobby than anything else. I use an old two row IH planter for my corn. I'd kill the grass in fall, then plow it under as deep as you can. That will rot much of it. When the weeds poke out in spring before planting, kill it again, then plant.

Dave H (MI) · Jul 16, 2009

Thanks for the info guys!

Using old IH tractors...

Dave H (MI)

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eric Phipps

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GordoSD

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Logger

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Dave H (MI)

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