Claydon versus min till trial

JACK F

Member
Location
Essex
First year with claydon last year and split some fields of 2nd wheat to trial it.

Half drilled with Weaving subdisc working 11 inches. 2 passes with power harrow. Weaving drill. Roll.
Half drilled direct with claydon with leading tine 4 inches. Roll. (No straw harrowing)

Six identical runs cut on one field with weights recorded on combine:
Claydon 2.16t 2.15t 2.09t
Min till 2.17t 2.14t 2.06t

Verdict was there was absolutely no appreciable difference between the two systems in yield and both doing over 4t/a in the fields drilled.

Will do some more this autumn on clean fields but to be honest with blackgrass pressure we will be returning back to the plough more.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
Fits in with my feeling that DD is sometimes more, sometimes less, mostly the same and after a certain point you stop comparing too much because you will gain and lose all the time. Which for me means you may as well no till things rather than till as its cheaper.


the above compares multi pass min till with single pass min till though really - I would expect no difference

what would have been more interesting would have been a comparison to zero-till ?

I still wouldn't expect massive difference though in most seasons unless the same was repeated over 5 years or more
 

rob1

Member
Location
wiltshire
the above compares multi pass min till with single pass min till though really - I would expect no difference

what would have been more interesting would have been a comparison to zero-till ?

I still wouldn't expect massive difference though in most seasons unless the same was repeated over 5 years or more
Dont think two passes with a ph is min till max till perhaps, my gut feeling is that is is easier to go via strip till on certain soils than straight to pure ddespecially those with less OM to help the structure
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
Dont think two passes with a ph is min till max till perhaps, my gut feeling is that is is easier to go via strip till on certain soils than straight to pure ddespecially those with less OM to help the structure

It's still tillage vs tillage though really just different levels of tillage ? not a tillage vs no till comparison ?
 

JACK F

Member
Location
Essex
Do agree I should not really call it min till. 2nd power harrow pass is more to help with the chopped straw incorporation to help to drill run as it is for seedbed preparation.
Still found it an interesting comparison as the drill covers as much ground a day with 155hp as the Weaving subdisc does with 200hp. Big savings to be made between systems with no apparent yield loss.
Also drilled 50% of osr with claydon and 50% with stocks units on subdisc.
One working at 6 inches and other 11 inches with no variation in yield. Claydon fields lovely and level in comparison and will drill all osr now on with it.
Not grown spring beans last year but will see if any difference between direct drilled versus ploughed and drilled next spring.
Being frowned upon by some people at using a claydon, zero till a step too far for me at moment. Not got the courage !!!
 

willy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Rutland
It's still tillage vs tillage though really just different levels of tillage ? not a tillage vs no till comparison ?

If you want to be really anal, then you should broadcast the seed on that is truly no till, even your discs do impact the soil
 

willy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Rutland
I have tried both no till and strip till ( in my eyes). What I conclude is this. You need to produce the crop in the most cost effective way with a long term view to improve and not destroy your growing platform ( soil). For me it's a mixture of tine drills but you do need to get even plant stands to get optimum yields
 

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