Converting neglected corn field to pasture

Hello
We purchased a home on 22 acres and spent last winter/summer fixing it up and in the process neglected the remaining 17 acres which was half corn/half beans the previous year (2021 growing season). All of 2022 the field was not touched, it grew sparse with a mix of sunflowers and natural grasses and other natural weeds/ground cover, it was pretty sparse/patchy.

October of 2022 we had someone cut/bale the field, he set the cutter head as short as he could get it and with it being that late in the season the field didnt grow at all, about 4 inch tall.

Whats the best way to convert this to pasture? Goal for the future is a couple cows once we get fence fixed and to hay the rest.

Equipment I have on hand, Oliver 1600, a 12' disc, 2 bottom moldboard plow and a old 72" cultivator (3 pt). I can rent a no till seeder from a local place for about $50/day.

Thanks
Alex

First step is a soil sample. Corn in particular doesn t leave a lot left for grasses to grow well. You will likely need both fertilizer and lime. It takes a long time for lime to work so that may be all you want to do this year, depending on actual test results.

Plants use acid from their roots to soften up nutrients in the soil and pull them in with rainfall moisture. If your soil is
very acid, then the plants starve even if you have a soil full of nutrients. Their acid is too weak to loosen up any
nutrients from the acidic soil. So that soil test for $35 or less and knowing your soil ph is real important. In my
location our soil it too high in ph, 7.4 average with some spots 8. That gives us different problems. Much of the
country the soils is too low in ph, and it is simple to fix with lime. Like can take a year to really work, and might need
to be reapplies every 5 years or so. If you need any.

The soil test will also tell you common nutrients in your dirt, as well as how much your soil can hold. If it is a rich
heavy clay or light sand.

From these numbers you can chose to add fertility that is needed, and perhaps different forages that match up with
your soil condition.

Yes this sounds complicated, but the more of it you do the better your results will be over the next decades of your
time! All for a $35 or less simple lab test. And it really isnt that complicated.

In my location we have feet of snow around yet, by the time we can get in the fields in spring we need to be planting,
we dont have time for heavy spring tillage. Here it should have been worked up in fall. If you are in a warmer
climate spring tillage might work well.

A good disk might work up the dirt well, if you have loamy or sandy soil. The plow would be better, but then you
need to use time and the disk to work down the lumps and soften the soil back up. Level with a drag - harrow, bed
spring, chain link fence with a log on it, whatever. The more level you get it the happier the next 20 years of life will
be.

Seed it, drag it, and hope for timely rains.

Here weeds come up real bad in spring and typical pasture grasses and forages sprout very slowly. It can turn into a
real mess. We often plant 2 bu of oats per acre with the forage seed, the oats will grow fast and crowd out the
weeds some, keep soil erosion down. You can cut the oats just before it heads out for a good cattle hay.

Some folk prefer to plant the pasture forage seeds in fall, this gives them all summer to get the field right, and if you
plant is late August or early September there is less weed pressure and the crop grows and sets up good before
winter. Then it flourishes next spring.

Just some general ideas. There is no one way, it all depends on your goals and your climate and just exactly what
your field really looks like.

Paul

Soil test to start. Instructions and kits should be at your local extension service office. Your test report will have recommendations for the intended crop. For planting prep I would look into a selective herbicide to kill off weeds and such. To smooth it out try just running a disc and drag over it.

Thanks for the replies. I ordered a soil
sample, should have results in a few days
and I'll report back.

Id say contact county ag agent for advice . Whats going graze on this pasture . Kentucky 31 is toxic to sheep , of clover like toxic to horses .

Do some research before planting .