Late drilling cover crop options ?

Tractor tom7480

Member

• Oct 14, 2015

• #1

What experience does anyone have of drilling cover crops ( if any ) in first / second week of October. Obviously they should be planted a month or 6 weeks earlier but with the recent spell of good weather I was thinking of trialling something like fodder rape or similar just to see how it would perform drilled later.

 

clbarclay

Member

Location

Worcestershire

• Oct 14, 2015

• #2

I drilled a fss mix cover on one feild intended for fallow last week. Cost was minimal, but thinking some cover will be better than nothing. Ideally I would have planted sooner, but just got the land and couldn't put it on sooner. It was also cultivated (guessing ploughed or deep non invertion judging by the tramline depth) defore the last crop, so something growing on it ought to help prevent slumping over winter.

Time will tell, not expecting a lot of growth though before the spring crop planting period.

 

S

SilliamWhale

Member

Location

Does it matter anymore how far WalterP is from me?

• Oct 14, 2015

• #3

The only thing I'd chuck on now is feed barley

 

M

mo!

Member

Mixed Farmer

Location

York

• Oct 14, 2015

• #4

I'm hoping the straw in the swaths will take root...at least when it floods it will leave it clean...

 

Longneck

Member

Mixed Farmer

• Oct 14, 2015

• #5

Broadcast some oats and harrow in?

 

britt

Member

BASE UK Member

Location

leics/warks border

• Oct 14, 2015

• #6

Volunteer linseed can make a nuisance of itself. If you can get some "off the heap" it's worth adding.
Beans, wheat, barley, oats.

 

The Ruminant

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

Hertfordshire

• Oct 17, 2015

• #7

SilliamWhale said:

The only thing I'd chuck on now is feed barley

Click to expand...

Oats? Rye?

 

D

David_A

Member

BASE UK Member

Location

Fife

• Oct 17, 2015

• #8

We are in the process of broadcasting oats onto fields after potatoes destined for spring barley, thinking something is better than nothing.

 

Tractor tom7480

Member

• Oct 18, 2015

• #9

Oats it is then ! Planning direct drilling half rate this week for over wintered stubbles to be drilled in March with beans or barley. Yet to decide on that one.

 

Shutesy

Moderator

Arable Farmer

Location

Essex/Herts Border

• Oct 18, 2015

• #10

Tractor tom7480 said:

Oats it is then ! Planning direct drilling half rate this week for over wintered stubbles to be drilled in March with beans or barley. Yet to decide on that one.

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Personally i wouldnt be planting oats as a cover before spring barley unless your ploughing them in before drilling the barley rather than direct drilling. Should be fine before spring beans though.

 

Tractor tom7480

Member

• Oct 18, 2015

• #11

Tame oats are easily dealt with just a pity wild oats aren't the same.

 

Shutesy

Moderator

Arable Farmer

Location

Essex/Herts Border

• Oct 18, 2015

• #12

Tractor tom7480 said:

Tame oats are easily dealt with just a pity wild oats aren't the same.

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Its not the killing off of them thats the problem. Its the decaying plants alleopathic affect on the emerging barley thats the issue i recon.

 

Tractor tom7480

Member

• Oct 18, 2015

• #13

Isn't that the same prob with any cover crop ?
I ll be putting down NPK with the seed ( if it's barley ) the N might negate the decay effect.

 

Shutesy

Moderator

Arable Farmer

Location

Essex/Herts Border

• Oct 18, 2015

• #14

Tractor tom7480 said:

Isn't that the same prob with any cover crop ?
I ll be putting down NPK with the seed ( if it's barley ) the N might negate the decay effect.

Click to expand...

My pre spring barley cover crops have no graminaceous type plants in them. Its the alleopathic affect of other grass family plants breaking down that cause the issue. So things like brassicas and legumes breaking down should be fine whereas oats, wheat etc could potentially have an alleopathic affect. Legumes or brassicas ie spring beans or spring rape should not be affected by exudes from decomposing grass type plants when sown.

 

Brisel

Member

Arable Farmer

Location

Midlands

• Oct 26, 2015

• #15

That's great but legumes or brassicas aren't going to establish now though mustard might grow a bit. It's questionable how much biomass you'll get from oats between now & March/April.

Whatever you do it needs to be cheap as there simply isn't enough growing season left before spring.

 

Tractor tom7480

Member

• Oct 26, 2015

• #16

I agree entirely with your comments brisel, oats seems like the best option, that's why I'm going that road. The field previously had spring barley direct drilled for the first time last year. So, the purpose here is more to ready the soil for direct drilling in March into a more friable structure rather than bio mass production. Also I'm planning cover crops for other fields sept 16 & what I really want to see is what sort of cover crop you get when you drill late. It's more experiential that anything else. The oats is home saved might as well give it a go & see if there's anything to be learned. ))

 

Brisel

Member

Arable Farmer

Location

Midlands

• Oct 26, 2015

• #17

Please let us know how you get on. I'l heading down the cover crop/DD route so am following the cover crop discussions with interest. I'll be looking to plant some kind of biomass crop after WW in September/October fitting in around autumn cereal drilling.

Of course you'll be paying your royalties on home saved seed...

 

Tractor tom7480

Member

• Oct 26, 2015

• #18

Forever paying someone, something
Will throw up a few pics as we go.

 

M

moo

Member

Location

Worcs.

• Oct 26, 2015

• #19

Brisel said:

Of course you'll be paying your royalties on home saved seed...

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Why would you pay royalties if your not going to harvest the crop????

 

Brisel

Member

Arable Farmer

Location

Midlands

• Oct 27, 2015

• #20

moo said:

Why would you pay royalties if your not going to harvest the crop????

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Because you have to by law. The BSPB does not distinguish between crops not taken to harvest & those that are. When the legislation was written cover crops were not considered.

Direct quote from the BSPB, though not in the public domain

"The law regarding farm saved seed is quite straightforward; if a protected variety is sown then the farm saved seed payment is due, whatever the purpose or outcome.

The only exemption is if you are classed as a small farmer.

The farm saved seed payment is applicable with green manure crops, as the grower still makes a financial gain from the crop.

Sometimes with cover crops a concession is made at the breeders discretion but we need to be satisfied it is a cover crop and that very low seed rates are being used."

http://www.bspb.co.uk/farmsavedseed/index.php
http://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/cover-crops-seed-royalties.35151/
Any developments on this @Barry ?