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Unique Crop: Sodbuster Radish In Hwy 29, Hwy 97 Field
March 25, 2013
A rather unique, and pretty, plant grew throughout the winter in a field at the corner of Highway 29 and Highway 97 in Molino.
According to Libbie Johnson UF IFAS Escambia County extension agent, the crop was a mixture of Sodbuster radish and oats in a filed owned by local producer Eric Koehn.
Sodbuster brand radish is a new cover crop developed in New Zealand, according to Richard Petcher, retired Auburn Extension Agronomist agent and proprietor of Petcher Seeds. The Sodbuster’s large taproots are superior and can penetrate as far as six feet deep. The fleshy upper part can “bust” a hole from 10-20 inches long and 2-3 inches wide. And the taproot both plows and breaks the hard soil while scavaging for plant nutrients.
The crop was recently sprayed by a herbicide to kill it. The root will decompose in just a few weeks, leaving open holes where rainwater can penetrate the soil. According to Petcher, the crop is an excellent scavenger for nutrients and can release 80 pounds of Nitrogen and 5 tons of organic matter for the next crop. Wildlife, especially deer, love this radish.
In November, Eric planted five pounds of seed per acre and added some oats to the mixture. Although he didn’t add apply any fertilizer to the crop, he said he is satisfied with the stand and hopes to see some benefits in the cotton he plans on growing on the field this summer.
For more information on Sodbuster radish, visit www.petcherseeds.com or call the UF IFAS Escambia County Extension office at (850) 475-5230 or email libbiej@ufl.edu.
Comments
3 Responses to “Unique Crop: Sodbuster Radish In Hwy 29, Hwy 97 Field”
I have been very curious as to what this was! Thank you for telling us about it!
The field was so pretty with the white flowers.. I was wondering what the actual plant was. I used the field that was on Molino road for a photoshoot one day.. I seen the bulb in the ground but wasn’t sure what it was.
It made for some wonderful photographs though!
Thanks for the article, I wondered what they were growing every time that I came past there. The white on top was pretty.