 Filling the seed hopper with the biodiversity planting mix. |
 Using a 5 foot, no-till drill to plant the seed mix at a rate of 38 lbs per acre. |
 Adjusting the drill to insure correct seeding rate. |
 Checking behind the drill to guarantee good seed placement and uniformity. |
 Drilling the seed in between power poles where the producer typically is unable to grow a crop. This has previously been managed by repeated treatment of herbicide. |
 Drainage ditch that is highly erodible along crop field. |
 Planting a 30 ft strip along both sides of a drainage ditch with highly erodible land. |
 First emergence was averaged to 10 days due to drought and planting dates. Here, you see buckwheat and millet as first to emerge. |
 The quick covering of an erodible and uncultivated bank between power poles in the margins of a soybean field. |
 Sunflower emerging. This will provide biomass, shade to reduce weed pressure, and insectary. |
 You can see here a diverse cover of plants to provide weed suppression and erosion, insectary, and wildlife habitat. |
 A Japanese Beetle is feeding on the Sunn Hemp leaf. Possible use as a pest trap crop. |
 Buckwheat is the first to flower providing pollen and nectar during the dirth of summer. Some Buckwheat in the planting was observed to flower at only 4 inches in height or about 3 1/2 weeks of growth. |
 The drought stress tendency of summer planting is a major variable to be considered. This planting was very sporadic in emergence and had considerable competition with weed pressure due to the drought in the first 3 weeks of growth. |
 Sunn Hemp blooming to frost. This is the planting on a drainage ditch bank in a soybean crop. Phto taken Oct 29th |
 Stand of the biodiversity planting the week of the first frost. This planting was crucial in stabilizing the soil through two major hurricane events. |
 A dense stand of buckwheat coming into bloom. Millet, sunn hemp, and sunflower plants can be seen nearly surpassing the height of the buckwheat in just six weeks. |
 Sunflowers blooming and being visited by butterflies. |
 Sunn Hemp standing 10-12 feet tall, producing enormous amounts of biomass and Nitrogen (legume). Also, this was standing after experiencing unprecedented floods and weather of two hurricanes. |
|