Land Stewardship offers herbicide-free alternative to kill cover crops

The Vincennes University Jasper Campus Land Stewardship Initiative is offering a crimper for farmers to try out as a herbicide-free method to kill cover crops.

“This kind of equipment has been around for a while, but it has been receiving more attention as cover crops are becoming more widely used,” said Mike Smith with the Land Stewardship. “The main advantage we see is that it allows for reduced herbicide use when killing cover crops in the spring.”

RiteWay Manufacturing has provided a roller/crimper on loan to the Land Stewardship Initiative. The crimper has ridges fixed around a rolling drum that crush and abrade plant growing points that lie close to the soil surface. While the crimper will not work on every species, it is notably effective at killing cereal rye, one of the most widely used cover crops.

According to Smith, the mat of crushed plants can also delay weed growth in the field. “Reports of how well different designs of crimpers work vary wildly, so that’s one of the reasons we are experimenting with it in a small area rather than using it across the entire farm,” he said. “I’m hoping that other farmers in our area might want to give it a try in small areas on their own farms as well and we’ll be able to help each other learn how it’s best used.”

Interested farmers can borrow the crimper at no cost. Contact the Dubois County SWCD at 812.482.1171 Ext. 3 for information on its use or to make a reservation.

Experimenting with this crimper is one of the ways the Initiative will work to demonstrate environmentally sustainable land use that is economically viable. Potentially reducing herbicide inputs would benefit both the environment and wallet.