Task 1. Preparation and planting of sunflower and millet 9 Acres Task 1: Field Layout, Preparation, and Planting. This request for quote will be for the tillage, planting and tending of two annual crops placed adjacent to each other to provide a dove field for public hunting. The hunter cover and two inside strips of lure crop (remaining strips of the field on each side of the hunter cover) shall consist of black-oil peredovik sunflower (i.e. hunter cover and 1/2 lure crop closest to the hunter cover). The remaining ½ of lure crop needs to be planted to millet (either proso millet or a mixture of proso, brown top, and other millet spp. Figure 1 shows the required field planting layout. After completing any grubbing of woody vegetation, or mowing of herbaceous vegetation, the contractor must assure that the field is tilled at least 6 inches deep, fit down, or cultipacked to create a firm planting bed free of large clods. If areas are tilled in the fall, there must be a winter cover crop planted. Task 2. Manipulation of Crops. Late-summer manipulation (either through mowing, tilling, or a combination by August 20th, 2025) must result in greater than 25% bare ground with seed scattered across the top of the ground. Vegetation must be mowed as short as possible in the lure crop areas and late-summer tillage should not be more than 2 inches deep. Ideally, mowing should be done as slow as possible, angling down and contacting the rear of the mower deck across the surface of the field. Tillage, if needed to meet bare ground goals, should just cut up mowed vegetation laying on top of the ground and scarify the top of the ground for bare ground, grit, and seed exposure. Strip tillage can be utilized to accomplish bare ground goals within lure crop areas as needed but the whole field should not be tilled. Hunter cover should be greater than 3 feet tall by August 20th, 2025. The project manager will inspect the field to assure weeds have been controlled and crops are at sufficient height at the deadline.
