![[Weevil Damage]](/forage/image/smtslide1.gif)
Minimum-tillage systems can be used to establish perennial legumes and grasses on sites that cannot be plowed. Special 'sod drills' plant directly into small grain stubble, corn stubble, or sods of hayfields and pastures. With the technology available, seeding forages into small grain or corn stubble is more reliable than seeding into hayfield or pasture sods.
Minimum-tillage planting of forages requires careful attention to the same practices used in conventional seeding, particularly the lime requirements of legumes and the control of vegetative competition during establishment.
Overgrazing in the fall and (or) spring before spring seeding will reduce vigor of the sod and improve establishment. If herbicides are not used, overgrazing and mowing must be used to control vegetative competition. The combined use of close grazing and herbicides is most effective in suppressing or killing sods.
Once all recommended cultural practices have been employed and existing and potential weed problems identified, select chemical weed control measures to supplement these other management practices. Chemical weed control for no-tillage forage establishment may involve (1) control of biennial and perennial broadleaf weeds before seeding with postemergence translocated herbicides; (2) control of existing vegetation before or at the time of seeding with a burndown herbicide; and (3) control of weeds that emerge after seeding with postemergence herbicide applications.
Herbicide guidelines for no-tillage forage establishment are given in Table 10.
After suppression of vegetation with herbicides, a sod or 'no-tillage' drill can be used to apply seed and fertilizer. These drills are designed to cut through sod or grain stubble, leaving a narrow tilled furrow where the seed is placed. 'No-till' corn planters also can be used for seeding by running the seed through the insecticide boxes mounted on the planter. If one of these specialized machines is not available, the sod should be torn up with a disk so that a conventional drill can be used for seeding. If a drill is not available, seed can be broadcast. Disking before drill or broadcast seeding will improve seed-soil contact and coverage and, thus, germination and establishment of the forage seedlings. If sod cannot be disked or tilled in any manner after treatment with herbicides, seed and fertilizer can be broadcast on the soil surface. This is not a reliable practice, but it sometimes does result in partial stands of legumes and grasses when vegetative growth of the sod is sparse or weak. This practice should not be attempted on abandoned hayfields or pastures having a heavy vegetative cover or trash mulch.
If broadcast seeding results in a sparse stand of birdsfoot trefoil, allow the plants to flower and scatter seed on the ground. Under conditions of favorable moisture and minimum competition, this seed may increase plant stand density and improve forage production.
Minimum-tillage seedings should be closely observed for insect damage during emergence and early growth. Insect control measures are the same as for conventional seedings. Potato leafhopper can seriously damage young plants, causing stunting and yellowing of leaves. This insect must be controlled to maintain seedling growth and forage production in the seeding year. Planting time applications of *carbofuran (Furadan) are not recommended and are no longer legal in New York.