Chopped straw, rakes and slugs!

JD6920s

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Shropshire
What's your opinion on raking chopped straw/stubbles to get the best kill of slugs and slug eggs whilst trying to achieve a good chit for a pre drilling clean up? ie.
Do you rake chopped straw straight after combining, or, several days after to create a slug habitat to then destroy, if so, what would the optimum time lapse be?
Or, even a few weeks later to allow a more natural germination of seeds then shake the slugs up?
And if the latter how would this affect the chit, or would you spray before the rake if there was a good flush?
 

tw15

Member
Location
DORSET
Recon the best time to rake straw is the early hours after midnight when the slimmy buggers are out on top looking for food pointless rakeing in the middle of the day. Better still after it has rained at least you will kill some with the rake if they are on top as well as bringing eggs out to get frazzled by the sun.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
I have good results raking chopped OSR straw during the day when it's dry, otherwise if it's a bit damp I find it tends to clump up.

Chopped cereal straw, plough is only way for us. Just too much material.
 

britt

Member
BASE UK Member
I would say the sooner after combining for the first go the better.
In rape stubble I found it thins out the volunteers with each pass so they never got too big or thick, but there was always a cover.
My plan was to go 3 or 4 times between havest and planting.
But it was a rather short season last year with the late harvest.
 

Niels

Member
If it's to damp, generally straight behind the combine or after rain/dew it does lump yes and you get an uneven spread. Best wait until it's dry. Barley straw has been a pain especially this year as the straw was unfit and wouldn't rake at all. Just tended to stick in the machine and bulldoze.
 

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