Direct Drill Swedes & Redstart

Joe

Member
Location
Carlow Ireland
Looking for advise and steps on direct drilling forage, mainly Swedes and Redstart. I seem to remember @neilo posting an outline previously for swedes but cant find it.

After bit of research found a fella running a Simtech-Aitchison close by and does some hire work, before I call him just want to work out difference in cost of DD vs traditional method done here plough, till and precision drill.
So basically field looking to put redstart in is 4 for P and 2 for K, swede fields are both 4,4 and all three fields need some lime. I normally put redstart in mid May and Swedes in mid June, I want to know if below would be best approach

1. Burn off grass two weeks before drilling: - good bit of nettle infestation on one field, anything worth mixing with roundup to kill better?
2. Spread lime before drilling?
3. Drill
4. Apply fertiliser
5. Would spreading slug pellets be advisable in DD setup or if no issue in traditional method would it be needed here?

Does this make sense and anything missing or need to be aware off?
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Put around 2kg slug pellets per acre with the seeds to allow the drill to meter out easier and get pellets near the seeds.

Could you hammer the nettles by spot spraying them with a good selective spray pre roundup as nettles quite often recover from roundup.

You may need to put boron in some form to prevent the roots from rotting once grown.

Yes,spread lime if ph is low as it will slightly counteract acidity of degrading grass once burnt off.

Right ph is essential to get your swedes established,You won’t be getting the swedes for 2 months so I’d try and test the field and get the lime on ASAP if needed.
 

Joe

Member
Location
Carlow Ireland
Put around 2kg slug pellets per acre with the seeds to allow the drill to meter out easier and get pellets near the seeds.

Could you hammer the nettles by spot spraying them with a good selective spray pre roundup as nettles quite often recover from roundup.

You may need to put boron in some form to prevent the roots from rotting once grown.

Yes,spread lime if ph is low as it will slightly counteract acidity of degrading grass once burnt off.

Right ph is essential to get your swedes established,You won’t be getting the swedes for 2 months so I’d try and test the field and get the lime on ASAP if needed.

Thanks @Yale didn't realise could put the pellets in the drills with the seed, have a broadcaster on the quad but if can put in drill that's even handier. Always use boron fertiliser when putting swedes in, should have said sow swedes every year just first time thinking of using direct drill. I have soil tests from last year and fields are all in a lime plan so know exactly whats needed there.
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Thanks @Yale didn't realise could put the pellets in the drills with the seed, have a broadcaster on the quad but if can put in drill that's even handier. Always use boron fertiliser when putting swedes in, should have said sow swedes every year just first time thinking of using direct drill. I have soil tests from last year and fields are all in a lime plan so know exactly whats needed there.

That’s great,you’re on the ball.

The guy who direct drills for us pulls his hair out when folk won’t address underlying issues like ph etc. And then complaining when seed doesn’t take.
 

Joe

Member
Location
Carlow Ireland
Anyone have an opinion of Aitchison drill vs Duncan drill, have option of trying both and wondering which would be better. Especially considering this trial might lead me to buying one
 

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
Thanks @Yale didn't realise could put the pellets in the drills with the seed, have a broadcaster on the quad but if can put in drill that's even handier. Always use boron fertiliser when putting swedes in, should have said sow swedes every year just first time thinking of using direct drill. I have soil tests from last year and fields are all in a lime plan so know exactly whats needed there.
The problem with mixing pellets with the seed is that it makes it a bitch to accurately calibrate the drill. An agronomist once told me that putting slug pellets into the slot attracted the slugs down into the slot and argued that they would be better placed on top maybe with the fertiliser, would this be correct?
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
The problem with mixing pellets with the seed is that it makes it a bitch to accurately calibrate the drill. An agronomist once told me that putting slug pellets into the slot attracted the slugs down into the slot and argued that they would be better placed on top maybe with the fertiliser, would this be correct?

That’s very interesting.

I’m not sure how accurate the seed delivery would be when sowing 500-700 Grammes per acre in small swede seed with an Aichson drill.

Thought provoking about the pellets in the slot though.
 

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
That’s very interesting.

I’m not sure how accurate the seed delivery would be when sowing 500-700 Grammes per acre in small swede seed with an Aichson drill.

Thought provoking about the pellets in the slot though.
Problem is when weighing the seeds for calibration, the slug pellets must be very evenly mixed with the seeds not just tipped in the drill if you know what I mean. Keep intending on adding a slug pelleter to the back of the drill but getting it to turn off on headlands and only spread 3m makes it not a simple as it sounds and it needs to be very simple for me;)
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Problem is when weighing the seeds for calibration, the slug pellets must be very evenly mixed with the seeds not just tipped in the drill if you know what I mean. Keep intending on adding a slug pelleter to the back of the drill but getting it to turn off on headlands and only spread 3m makes it not a simple as it sounds and it needs to be very simple for me;)

I have to say in all the years we have had the contractor in to sow all we have ever done is have a couple of plastic sacks,tipped the seed/slug pellet mix from one to the other multiple times then into the seed box.

Can’t really say the field has looked any different across it seed rate wise.
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Anyone have an opinion of Aitchison drill vs Duncan drill, have option of trying both and wondering which would be better. Especially considering this trial might lead me to buying one

@Kevtherev

Personally I prefer the Sim Tech.

This is because backup in the UK with Duncan has been patchy however you are in Eire so your dealer network may be stronger.
 

Kevtherev

Member
Location
Welshpool Powys
The problem with mixing pellets with the seed is that it makes it a bitch to accurately calibrate the drill. An agronomist once told me that putting slug pellets into the slot attracted the slugs down into the slot and argued that they would be better placed on top maybe with the fertiliser, would this be correct?

Yes that’s correct as slug pellets contain an attractant
 

Kevtherev

Member
Location
Welshpool Powys
@Kevtherev

Personally I prefer the Sim Tech.

This is because backup in the UK with Duncan has been patchy however you are in Eire so your dealer network may be stronger.

To be fair LW Yarnold at Worcester is on the ball with Duncan spares.
Seeding units are amazone.
Not a lot in both drills as they both use the baker boot.
Some say the Aitchison has a better seeding unit for small Seeds.
 

Joe

Member
Location
Carlow Ireland
Right after mental lambing and only 40 left back thinking about this direct drilling of forage crops into old grass lays craic.

Attached are pictures of two fields both used for lambing and more or less empty now with exception of 8 ewes in first one. First one is field I plan putting Redstart in mid May and second is marked for Swedes end May or beginning of June. I have a few questions
1. Are these bare enough to Direct Drill once sprayed off, is the enough of a lack of trash?
2. if so for the Redstart field would I better off giving it a slap of roundup now before growth starts, or is it so bare that few weeks would matter and better let it grow little before spraying?
3. What would be best way to keep Swede field clear, throw few cast ewes on it or same as other field let it grow a little and maybe roundup early?
 

Attachments

  • Lane1.jpg
    Lane1.jpg
    150.4 KB · Views: 104
  • Lane2.jpg
    Lane2.jpg
    173.8 KB · Views: 112
  • BIG1.jpg
    BIG1.jpg
    50.4 KB · Views: 118
  • BIG2.jpg
    BIG2.jpg
    56.6 KB · Views: 103

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,286
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top