Dryland CornSoil Improvement
We have 20 acres and the soil is glacial till composed of 1-3 feet of silt mixed with rocks covering sand, gravel, and rocks 200 feet deep. I haven't had the soil tested but it is very poor and or well water is pH 8.2 (alkaline). The property burned in 2016 and the vegetation is mostly big sagebrush, snow buckwheat, rabbitbrush, cheatgrass.
To improve the soil nitrogen content I hand broadcast a mixture of Cicer Milkvetch, Alfalfa, White Clover, and Sanfoin in the Fall of 2018. This grew best in rocky gravelly soil brought to the surface when laying the well water line. Presumably the seeds fell between gravel and rocks and were protected and the alfalfa has done best. I have tried spring seeding of falcata was not successful, fall seeding is best. I have also been considering using hairy vetch as a winter cover crop in areas growing corn but this would need to be replanted every year. We have irrigated alfalfa fields and contractor cutters with their own equipment in the area. In retrospect it would have been better to focus on planting alfalfa sooner. Although alfalfa doesn't contribute much N to soil while growing it can provide a superb resource of nitrogen rich mulch if cut annually as well as being suitable for various types of livestock (chickens, pigs, rabbits, sheep, goats). The only drawbacks are that it uses up soil moisture, bare soil will be exposed during establishment, and it is an excellent feed for grasshoppers.
We are working on planting 5 acres of alfalfa so we can generate our nitrogen rich mulch for feritlizer. Alfalfa needs a well prepared seed bed with finely tilled soil. Fertilizer should be applied at a rate of 40 lbs of N per acre. We till weeds and brush into the soil, spread fertilizer, till this again to incorporate the fertlizer into the soil and create a finely tilled seed bed. Then we firm the soil with a cultipacker, broadcast the seed, and drag with the rebar harrow to cover. Alfalfa should be planted after a good rain and needs to be planted at least 6 weeks before a hard frost. This is usually late September so the alfalfa should have enough time to get established before winter.
We had no rain in September 2024 and it is too late to plant alfalfa this fall. We'll either try in Spring or next Fall. We added fertlizer to 5 acres and tilled some, but it was very dusty work and wind erosion has become a concern. The tilled area is stable but we'll wait for rain.
Fertilizer for 1 acre alfalfa 2024 | |
| 50 lbs Urea 46-0-0 | N 23 lbs/acre (40 total N for alfalfa) |
| 150 lbs 1152 11-52-0 | N 16.5 lbs/acre + P205 78 lbs/acre (up to 150lbs) |
| 167 lbs KCl MOP 0-0-60 | K2O 100lbs/acre (up to 150lbs) |
| 52 lbs FeSO4 31% Iron Monohydrate | Iron 16 lbs/acre |
| 30 lbs Zinc Sulfate 35% Zinc | Zinc 10 lbs/acre |
| 50 lbs MgO 45% Magnesium Oxide | Magnesium 22.5 lbs/acre (*50-100) |
| 18 lbs MnSO4 28% | Manganese 5 lbs/acre |
For 5 acres alfalfa short list | |
| 250 lbs Urea 46-0-0 | N 23 lbs/acre (40 total N for alfalfa) |
| 750 lbs 1152 11-52-0 | N 16.5 lbs/acre + P205 78 lbs/acre (up to 150lbs) |
| 835 lbs KCl MOP 0-0-60 | K2O 100lbs/acre (up to 150lbs) |
| 90 lbs MnSO4 28% | Manganese 5 lbs/acre |
| Boron Coating | - added by supplier - |
| N Stablilizer | - added by supplier - |
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