What are the factors to consider when terminating a hay field in the spring?
The following is a list of factors that should be evaluated when considering spring termination of hay land. Seeding date – Spring termination of hayland will delay the date of seeding. In order for herbicide applications to be effective, sufficient plant material must be present. Grasses should be at the three to four leaf stage and legumes need to be actively growing to allow for good herbicide coverage. Seeding will also need to be delayed three to five days after the herbicide application to allow thorough translocation into the plant. Allowing for these factors results in seeding delays of 2 – 3 weeks as compared to a fall terminated stand. Soil moisture – Another factor that must be managed properly is soil moisture. In many areas of the province conservation of spring moisture is essential for crop establishment. Direct seeding into sod will retain available soil moisture that would be lost if multiple tillage operations were used to prepare a seedbed. Even with direct seeding i
