Based on discussions with dairy producers in Maine, we have found significant interest in cultivation methods for corn. We found that most producers are either interested in either cultivation using no herbicides, or reducing rates of herbicides by including some cultivation in their operation. Based on this interest, we set up a study this summer to look at how much you could reduce herbicides by including some cultivation into the corn production process. We evaluated weed control and corn silage yields. When we compared the single tine cultivation to no cultivation at V2, we found no real difference in weed control.
Timing is critical with all cultivation, but it is particularly important with tine cultivation.
You need to cultivate either just before corn emergence or as corn starts to emerge. I think we used the tine cultivator just a bit too early in 1998. Last year in another experiment, we cultivated a bit too late which shows one of the difficulties with this type of cultivator. With a tine cultivator, you have to cultivate when the soil is dry and the weeds are just beginning to emerge. That is often a hard combination to find in New England.