DATELINE APRIL 2008 - Grain prices up and cattle down... thinking of converting perennial forage to annual crops this spring? Will there still be enough time to terminate the old sod? Not likley if tillage methods are required. Possible, but intensely risky when unknown weather events are factored in. Most success with sod seeding occurs when termination of the unwated pasture or hayland was initiated last year, allowing sufficient time for decay and moisture conservation BEFORE seeding.

PRECAUTIONS for Spring Termination:
1) Spring greenup conditions required for herbicide spraying (glyphosate) may rob soil moisture!
2) Fresh sod impedes the performance of most direct seeding implements!
3) Soil fertility can be inherently low in sod!
4) DO NOT ignore perennial weed infestations and potential invasion of flushing weeds!

Peas is an option because of:

1) large seed with strong emergence, which provides a degree of forgiveness to assure good seed to soil contact in less-than-perfect seedbed conditions.
2) short-season/early maturity, to offset risk of late seeding following the greenup-sprayout period imposed by spring termination.
3) N-fixation, to offset the delayed mineralization or decreased nutrient cycling common in decomposing sod, thus requiring only simple single-shoot direct seeding implements and lowering fertilizer input costs.
4) there is generaly less carryover risk for soil-borne disease or insect pests.

Direct seeding annual crops requires a high degree of management. Seeding directly into spring-terminated sod requires a large amount of luck. Experience counts, so start small and share your experience with an RTL agronomist and/or neighbors.

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