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Highway Weed Fights Farm Erosion
Emerald Crown Vetch, a purple-flowered plant that's widely used along the nation's highways, can also be used as an erosion fighter on farms, says Rex Gogerty, Hub-bard, Iowa, who plants the easy-to-maintain "highway weed" on slopes around his farm.
"It stops erosion and eliminates mowing on steep slopes since it
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Highway Weed Fights Farm Erosion CROPS Weed Control 18-2-39 Emerald Crown Vetch, a purple-flowered plant that's widely used along the nation's highways, can also be used as an erosion fighter on farms, says Rex Gogerty, Hub-bard, Iowa, who plants the easy-to-maintain "highway weed" on slopes around his farm.
"It stops erosion and eliminates mowing on steep slopes since it stops growing at a height of about 12 in.," says Gogerty. Since the crop reseeds itself each year, a stand of Crown Vetch should last virtually forever.
Gogerty establishes the crop on ditch banks by "plugging" or digging in crown vetch plants into existing grass. "That works
okay for small patches but the highway commissions and people seeding larger plots generally broadcast at least 10 lbs. of seed per acre along with a half bushel of oats for a nurse crop. It's easy to get started and spreads rapidly. Once up, it provides an attractive ground cover."
Crown vetch is available from many seed growers and companies. (One Iowa source is Doug Hertz, Rt. 1, Box 42, Nevada, Iowa 50201 (ph 515 382-4547).
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Rex Gogerty, Rt. 2, Box 60, Hubbard, Iowa 50122 (ph 515 487-7617).
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