Topical Tips
In autumn, the foundations of the harvest are laid on half of our arable land.
It is therefore very important not to close the season after sowing and postpone crop care until spring, but to watch and monitor the development of all the fields we have gone to the trouble and expense of sowing.
1. Importance of catch crops
There are several main advantages to be gained by growing catch crops:
- protection from soil erosion - wind and water; - moisture retention - so valuable for our climate and soil types; - soil temperature under cover is maintained higher in winter and consequently with higher activity of soil life; - soil structuring through the root system at different depths, improving the pore system and consequently optimizing aeration - highly disturbed in some regions and soils;
1. Predecessor
When growing soybeans, we need to consider some factors:
a/ soybeans should be sown at three-year intervals because of the risk of sclerotinia. In some European countries there have been successful trials with two-year monoculture, but then the field should be allowed to rest longer. The advantage is that in the second year, due to the multiplication of nitrogen-fixing bacteria as a biofield, the yield and protein content of the soybean increases.
b/ after corn, soybeans may have a more significant attack of Rhizoctonia or show phytotoxicity to some herbicides used in corn
c/ It is best sown after cereals with a flush surface that leaves the soil relatively weed free. The soil should not be oversaturated with nitrogen as this makes it difficult for tubers to form with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.