Page 5
Greon manure for desert soil
iy c;kok(;k kknney
In year gone by, land
development In North Morrow
County was usually done 5 or
10 acres at a time. But times
have chnnKed and so has the
scope of land development.
Thousands of acres may be
broken out of desert and put
into production at one time. It
is no longer then practical or
wise to just wait until a blow
breaks out and then run for the
honey wagon and straw.
The key word when dealing
with wind erosion on land
developments the size we have
wen in this area is not control
but PKKVENTION.
One preventative measure
the corporations have used
with very good success is the
use of green manure crops.
Planted preferably right after
harvest or early enough to
allow good fall growth, these
crops have the added advan
tage of serving as a cover
crop.
Besides the obvious advan
tage of serving as a cover crop
during fall and early spring
winds, the Incorporation of
I Eastern Oregon Farms r ,. .
Cicenline, Inc.
The Dulles
I A new market for the farmers I
I v and i . . acid 8
) A new source of feed for the i Ln iiiii i i"i
rancners. .LfWU-Lnj-L
s- Congratulations to Morrow Soil & Water
. Eastern Conservation District for its efforts in :
Mf Oregon improving land in Morrow County
(ggl Farming ; !
V5 Co. j: j; ;
; Irrigon, Ore. 97844 (503)481-2811 ;! jj ., ;;;;yris-:i ;!
BI-COUNTY CHEMICAL ;j: JZt ij
I ( t .V 7"""-" y big difference in future pro- '
I I T7 ",l I 1 ZTSJ- ductivity for your ranch. (
. j 1 l! 111 rf Your efforts in the preven- i
Farm ChemiCalS (; y I 11 tkm and cure of soil erosion ,
' , fL -fi -3w v 'J t?.4 assures continued profitable (
nfj I1 t . ' r''r"- production. " '
dMU 1 1 l , ' l A full-service bank like ours ' ,
j' ' T" I can be helpful in many ways in
Ffrtili7ers !' L "f "?s; vour family's and ranch's i
'V-" purposeful planning for the
future. !;
Ill OAUK OF ,
uJZastern Urcqon
Art Stefan! Jr. . j; ;j
Area Fertilizer dealer !' member, federal deposit insurance corporation v
green manure crop Into the
soil also gives at least four
other benefits:
1. Green manure adds
. organic matter to the soil. Soil
tests by a local fertilizer
company show our desert soils
to range between ,4-.5 per cent
organic matter or practically
nonexistant. These desert
soils are prone to blow
because their coarse texture
and very low organic matter
allows very little soil structure
(the ability to form clods).
The addition of organic matter
Improves this soil structure.
Unfortunately, commercial
fertilizer cannot directly pro
vide this organic matter.
2. The incorporation of
green manure returns soil
nitrogen. If legume is used
there will be a net increase in
nitrogen due to the fixating
ability of legume.
3. The organic material
added by green manure is also
used as food by soil organisms
and allows a build up of these
micro organisms.
4. A growing green manure
crop has a conserving influ
ence by taking up soluable
nutrients that might otherwise
be lost by leaching or erosion.
In selecting a green manure
crop these characteristics
should be kept in mind:
1. Rapid growth.
2. A large volume of tops.
3. The ability to grow well on
poor soils.
Crops used locally include
wheat, sudan grass, corn,
wheat grass and oats.
In conclusion, green manure
crops provide a practical and
economically beneficial
means for land developers to
prevent wind erosion and the
Morrow County Soil and
Water Conservation District
would like to thank local land
developers who have utilized
this cultural practice.
(2ip
Morrow County,
we're proud of your
efforts in soil and
water conservation!
EDOZER.GRADER
CONSERVATION WORK
Tom White lone, Ore.
pcaraaccsE ))
Our moderate cost policies will
insure your farm and workers,
protect you from financial ruin.
1 Turner, Van
1 i
n Protect valuable
farm property...
and profits, too!
Insure with us.
Marter & Bryant 1
I
insurance g
Heppner, Ore. $