# Can I no-till wheat into sod?



## CockrellHillFarms (Aug 30, 2011)

I have 40 acres of unproductive brome. Its rented ground that I've had for several years. I've tried everything I can to revive the brome but I think its been done in by the people who had it before me. It wasnt ever taken care of. I thought I could fix it, but I cant. So I thought about no tilling wheat into. Its pretty thin ground, I can go in there and mow it, bale whats there (maybe make 15 bales on 40 acres). Let rain catch it to get some re-growth and spray it dead. I've read on the internet that its possible to do. Some have been very successful, others havent. I'd say the trick is getting the grass killed and getting a good rain on the seed so it starts to tiller out and take over quickly. Has any body tried this? I've asked around here and everyone looks at me like I'm crazy. (which I might be!) But I need more ground for straw and I thought this would be a good transition into moving this field into productive ground. I thought I could work the ground after the wheat and figure out what I want to do with it going forward. I dont think I have enough time to get the sod turned under before I need to plant wheat this year. Thats why I'd like to try this. It would need to be worked several times and get a rain or two on it before I could get it planted. Its been very dry here and the ground I'm working now isnt discing well.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

As long as the existing vegetation is sprayed and killed I don't see any problem with no tilling wheat into the sod as long as the drill is meant for no till. I did this very thing this spring only I was no tilling beans instead of wheat. I would think that wheat would work as good as beans if not better. Since the field has been previously abused you had better take a soil sample to tell how much admendments the soil needs....probably a pretty good amount.


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

Yes that will work. Sounds like a very good plan. As soon as it greens up and you spray it with Glyphosate, I would drill it as soon as I could. Glyphosate has no residual. Try to catch as many Fall rains as you can.

I NT wheat into pastures every year just as they go dormant. Works very well.

Fertilize to the best of your ability. I would fertilize and lime it properly next year after you take the straw off and till it up.

If you are that dry, make sure you get the seed stuck in the ground good. Do you have to rent a drill? Ideally, you use a Deere drill with a closed center hydraulic system tractor.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Bonfire put you on the right track. I do it all the time. No problem


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## MikeRF (Dec 21, 2009)

I tried this one time and ran into 'takeall" in a big way. This cereal disease used to be a big concern for guys growing continuous wheat rotations in the UK. They had an effective fungicide (don't recall the name) that was never licenced in North America.

How do you guys that are growing wheat following hay get around this?


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## CockrellHillFarms (Aug 30, 2011)

Its funny. Most people around here look at me like Im crazy. Because everyone around here no-tills beans in a hay field. And yes, it would be either a JD drill or a haybuster drill. The only thing that bothers me is compaction. I just hope the field isnt compacted and thats the problem. But I really think the grass was too far gone for me to save. I loaded it up the last few years with fertilizer and it just wouldnt recover. When brome isnt cared for, it goes down hill quickly with over grazing or too much mowing etc.


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

The only problem I have with a Haybuster, and its only when the ground is hard or compacted as you say, are the double disk openers. I never really could get good seed placement on dry ground with the rental Haybuster. I think the 2nd disk is added resistance and by design, the two disks throw soil away from the furrow. By the time the press wheel gets there, there's not a lot to cover the seed, in dry conditions.


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