Spring Seeded Buckwheat and Sweet Corn

Lycoming County, 2007

• Ron Hoover, On-Farm Research Coordinator
• Titus Martin, Martin Family Farms
• Tom Murphy, Penn State Cooperative Extension Educator
• Michele Gauger, On-Farm Research Assistant/PASA

Summary

Titus Martin runs a mixed vegetable, small fruit, poultry operation. Titus contacted us in the fall of 2006 with some interest in the spring of 2007 to use buckwheat as a cover crop before planting corn. Titus reported that in previous years, he realized some weed suppression where a buckwheat cover was tilled prior to planting of field corn. This phenomenon is being investigated during 2007. Most of a field was planted to buckwheat during early spring, leaving six areas measuring approximately 10 by 50 feet unplanted to the cover crop.

A visit to the farm in late June found minimal differences in weed density between areas where buckwheat or no crop was grown. Although row cultivation had taken place the week before the visit, weed density within the corn rows was similar between treatments. Additional visits will be conducted later in the summer.