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SOIL HEALTH IN PRACTICE - REAL SOLUTIONS FROM REAL FARMERS

Double Crop Companion Flowers maining cover crop biomass can all be grazed after harvest,
providing an additional income stream for those able to cap-
We all know that diverse and long crop rotations are more italize on it.
agronomically sound than short rotations with few crops (see
Dwayne Beck’s article on page 9). Despite this fact, many farm- One farmer that has utilized this double crop sunflower plus
cover crops concept to good advantage is Joe Swanson of
ers have moved away from longer rotations that include cereal Windom, KS. In 2019, Joe planted sunflowers along with a
grains, partially due the current low profitability of wheat.
This is unfortunate because summer harvested crops provide companion crop blend that included mung beans, buckwheat,
watermelons, pumpkins, crimson clover, flax, mustard, and
the window to plant a diverse cover crop that includes rapid
growing summer annuals for tremendous soil improvement rapeseed. This mix was planted at the same time with Myco-
gen sunflowers with an airseeder, all in the same rows togeth-
in a short period of time, and generate additional income er, but with sunflowers in one box and the cover crop blend in
from grazing. But farmers without livestock may lack the abil-
ity to convert a cover crop directly to profit so growing cash another. Stand establishment
and growth of flowers and
crops rather than a grazing crop is often very important to
financial well-being of the operation. This has led to following covers was spectacular, but
the sunflower yield was dis-
small grain harvest with double crop soybeans or eliminating appointing, perhaps due to
the small grain year altogether, as double crop soybeans are
often not feasible or marginally profitable and they offer very an infestation of stem borers.
The pumpkins and watermel-
limited soil benefits compared to a diverse cover crop.
ons produced exceptionally
One creative alternative is well and provided opportuni-
to follow small grain harvest ties for “pick your own” proj-
with double crop sunflowers ects with local youth groups.
and have an underseeding (Note: be sure to clear any
of cover crops to create soil harvesting of fruits and veg-
benefits. The sunflowers and etables and selling for profit with your FSA office). According
the cover crops can be mixed to Joe, the best result of this project was the soil health bene-
together and seeded at the fits, which will not become readily apparent until he sees how
same time or a more precise well future crops do. But as Joe says, “All that diversity and
placement of the sunflower biomass have to be helping the soil. Although the sunflower
seed with a corn planter may yield was disappointing, we are glad we tried this and we plan
help it yield better, but this to continue to experiment with the mixtures going forward. It
requires a second pass with a was a fun project, and not just to us but the entire neighbor-
drill to seed the covers. Since
hood. If I had a dollar for every person who stopped and took
Photos by Joe Swanson only the top of the sunflower a picture, I would have made more money from photos than
plant is harvested, the cover
I did on the crop!”
crop can be left standing in
the field after harvest.

The companion covers should be selected to not impede the
harvest of the flower as well as adding benefits to the system.
For example, legumes like cowpeas, mung beans, crimson
clover, spring peas, or hairy vetch can be included to host ni-
trogen fixing bacteria. Buckwheat and mustards can be used
to produce copious amounts of aromatic nectar that will mask
the sunflower aroma from sunflower head moths, feed ben-
eficial pollinators and honeybees, and also attract lady bugs
and lacewings that can help control many other insect pests.
Grasses like oats or annual ryegrass can provide soil protec-
tion from erosion and soil aggregating root exudates. The re-

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