converting grass hay fields to row crop

I have several hay fields that I would like to convert to a corn soybean rotation. These are all rented fields that I have made the hay off of for several years. I am spending more time than I like making hay and am thinking I will convert these hay acres to add to my row crop acres which don't need as much attention mid summer. I am trying to avoid using the moldboard plow if possible to avoid dead furrows and leaving bare soil exposed over winter. I am thinking about spraying the hayfield this fall and leaving the dead grass over winter, then in the summer no till into the stubble. I have a 6RN JD 7000 for a planter and have never no rolled before, I am running 200 acres currently, all conventional till. If my planter does not seem to no till well in the spring, I would think a pass or 2 with a disc would prep the ground for planting.

Could this work? Or should I just moldboard it?

Also wondering, will I lose all green manure value by spraying the existing grass hay with roundup?

no fall spray its a waste of money, in the spring take your first cuttin hay off then no-till beans, spread fert to the soil sample and spray, I do this just about every year with very good yeilds

Depends some how far north or south you are. Up here in MN get a cutting of hay off, you will be pretty short season for beans any more. Up here a fall spraying really helps with the miserable perannual weeds, like Canadian thistles. They aren't affected so much with a spring spraying. Can really knock them down with a fall spray.

Paul

No need to moldboard. Where do you live? Here in northwest Iowa the routine way is to take the first cutting around the first of June or maybe after the first week in June, then spray with Roundup and no till. The grass needs to grow back a bit before you spray the Roundup so that gets you a week later in June. Your 7000 should no till into the sod OK. Does your planter have two down pressure springs per row or four? Two springs will probably do the job unless the ground is real hard.

One drawback to doing it this way is the possibility of the rain shutting off in May and you cant get the seed into moisture. I got caught that way once when I baled the first cutting and planted no-till. The rain quit, the hay sucked all the moisture out of the soil and the beans ended up yielding five bushels per acre. There is a no till bean following hay field a few miles south of me that looks terrible this summer because the rain didn't fall after the hay was taken off.

If I was to do it again I would no till Roundup beans as soon as possible in the spring and spray the Roundup either right before planting or within a week after planting and forget the crop of hay. In the disaster I had I lost much more money on five bushel beans than I made on the hay. Why chance it?

I rented a hay farm this year. I forgot about the hay. I sprayed as soon as I could with Gramoxone. I can't get that good of a kill with roundup. Gramoxone will kill it in about 2 days. Then I no tilled corn with a 7000 planter. I got a pretty good stand, not perfect, but good.

I have used a jd 7,000 planter to plant lots of no till acres.Check to see if you are getting good soil to seed contact. {might have to set your planter depth a little deeper in no till}Watch for cut worm issues. The decaying roots will help loosen the soil and help with the humus. The only places I have had issues is if dry fertilizer was put on prior to planting and the soil was to wet.[ packing the ground making the ground too hard for good seed contact]Limit your before planting passes on the field and stay off the row after you plant.Spraying the grass this fall would be ideal.

Many of the hay fields in my area are hay because they are not suited for row crops. Some hay fields are on hills where erosion would be an issue. Some fields get flooded in spring. Some hay fields the ground is crap, yellow sand. Grows grass hay for horses.

Don't have an answer about roundup. 60 years ago when our pastures were rotated back into row corps, dad would plow it under, the old school way. Not sure if round up was even invented yet. What's wrong with using a plow? I would think the soil in a hay field would need broken up. Is your ground flat or hilly?

I am putting my alfalfa into row crop again, tired of the weather, and will kill it with roundup in the spring, then plant.

Leave the grass for cover tillspring then spraqy down with round-up you dont want bare ground over winter thats why they sow cover in the fall.

I am in Central MN. I have not taken a 2nd cut off of the hayfields yet, the grass is now about a foot tall or so. I am starting to wonder if I should take a 2nd cutting off of the field this fall, then spray next Spring. I am thinking if I leave the grass long over winter (regardless if sprayed or not) it will create a mat that won't allow the ground to dry out enough to allow some crumbling of the soil that is needed for seed to soil contact.

Regarding spraying this fall vs. spring, I'm thinking the ground may be a bit more loose (allowing better soil to seed contact) in the spring if the field is sprayed this fall due to the grass roots being dead vs alive and still growing.

These are all just my thoughts, I do not have any no-till experiences to base any of this off of, which is why I am asking here. I appreciate all thoughts or ideas.

You are on the right track. I would take the second cutting now, if the rain will quit for awhile. If you kill it this fall the dead grass will provide good winter cover. What i would be concerned about with a fall kill is weeds coming up in the spring because of no grass competition making it necessary to spray in the spring also.

Mow the hay. Then let it green up and spray it with Round Up this fall. Then plant/spray in the spring. The fall kill works much better on old hay stands.