Planting and Weed Management Field cultivators will kill most rye cover crops at the 6 to 8 inch stage, with scratchers dragging behind to bring residue to the surface. If needed, taller rye can be cut with a stalk chopper first. After waiting about a week for the disturbed weed seeds to germinate, a second field cultivation will kill the remaining rye crop. Plant soybean seed at least 1 inch deep when the ground has sufficiently warmed. Some organic farmers believe that adequate ground temperature is critical, and did not plant their soybean crop until June this year.
Weed control is the most critical element of organic soybean production.
Tillage operations are both an art and science. You should check the hoe s penetration, weed kill and crop response to determine optimal speed and depth. Cultivate as quickly as possible at a slow speed the first time. The harvesting, cleaning and storing of certified organic soybeans is specified by your certification agency. Storage bins must be free of other products and used only for organic beans.