Cover Crops: Sunflower & Compaction

The AgroExpo Team and MSU Extension have joined forces to deliver an educational series to help growers discover and evaluate cutting-edge ideas, techniques and strategies for cover crops. In this video, Paul Gross (MSUE Field Crop educator) highlights how to use cover crops to improve compaction.

[@wackyrice1]

Super video. . . answered all my questions. Now I'll see if I can get the farmers I know to listen.

[@johnhaug8792]

Once sunflowers remove heavy metals from the soil can the stalks, leaves and flowers be composted without adding the metals back into the soil?

[@IgneousExtrusive]

If you have high concentrations of heavy metals and your goal is to permanently remove them from your soil, I would dispose of the plants. Once they decompose anything that was taken up by the plants will still be in the material. Otherwise it's not an issue.

[@EstherCervantes-hk4pz]

yes, they help with compaction especially in gardens where automobiles are allowed to drive into and on. lol

[@oldmanfigs]

Great video…thanks sir

[@alicelindborg5096]

How about adding alfalfa to the mix?

[@dadaplaylist]

when we cut the sunflower, do we keep the root system in the soil or should we remove it?

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

I leave the roots to decompose in the soil, if possible.

[@ThePresentMoment23]

Leave the roots in. Reseed. Repeat. Ide imagine the soil slowly becomes more “grainy” making it less compact?

[@simonpure109]

@@ThePresentMoment23 what if it's a black soil that retains moist or wetness brother?

[@ThePresentMoment23]

@@simonpure109 the roots will help aerate the soil, I assume.

[@priestesslucy]

​@@simonpure109the roots help a soil become more water absorptive and free draining.
The organic matter is a sponge that lets the excess it can't suck up pass through freely

[@charlescoker7752]

Which variety is best for a cover crop? There are some that grow 10 feet tall. And like these 5 feet tall?

[@bharatkhavatakoppa9414]

Sir U have any information how i can turn my saline to fertile soil...

[@DMSATL]

If sunflowers are grown in the Spring/Summer, as a cover crop, what would you plant in that location after terminating the crop? Would the sunflowers be given the entirety of the Autumn/Winter to die and decompose before planting simmering in that area the following Spring?

[@DMSATL]

Edit:
…planting something…

[@daniellincoln1090]

Sunflowers attract tons of birds that eat their seeds and even leaves. The birds leave tons of droppings that fertilize the soil.

[@togo3624]

I would love to grow sunflowers. Unfortunately our deer population loves young sunflower shoots and will completely eradicate the crop as it emerges.

[@helenachase5627]

I wonder if the icicle radish planted beside that would have got through

[@priestesslucy]

Difficult to tell. I've seen cases where a hardened clay layer was impermeable to daikons.
It's possible that just filling the useable soil horizon with living roots and nurturing the most vibrant soil ecology you can is the best medicine. Let the microbes and the worms soften that compaction layer over time and eventually roots will start punching through

[@bharatkhavatakoppa9414]

Sir I totally insane about your sun flower crop sir how can you get wider leaves in sunflower crop...

[@joshuafinch9192]

I think that's a consequence of being at the end of the row and having full sun along the length of the stem, allowing the plant to build really large leaves. You might get a similar response with a low seeding rate using sunflowers as an emergent/tall layer in a multi-plant family mix.

[@amandeepsingh7973]

Good job

[@fluffybbpeachhun6768]

I am super monster panic or my sun baby,first I replant my baby and lost so much roots it was more delicate than a sakura tree! I was too scared my since sun baby can eat and weakens too now I deal almost no roots I hope you have or a solution for this my baby is turning yellow but taller that before

[@shafaa1]

Wtf?

[@DJ-uk5mm]

Thanks for sharing}

[@Beautydev23]

I am your new subscriber

[@amandeepsingh7973]

Next video please sir

[@fluffybbpeachhun6768]

I am in the tropical almost by the equator In Asia Philippines

[@ronaldmcboggled9855]

Thanks Sun Leno! Lol jk