- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
You never said it was easy though
Puts BF's anger over subsidy changes into perspective, doesn't it?
Farmer Roy's Random Thoughts - I never said it was easy.
- Thread starter Farmer Roy
- Start date
Puts BF's anger over subsidy changes into perspective, doesn't it?
- Location
- Cornwall
You never said it was easy though
Puts BF's anger over subsidy changes into perspective, doesn't it?
He won’t see it that way! Fortunately I doubt he comes in here much!
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
Can you imagine his posts out he had £250k randomly knocked off his sub cheque one year
- Location
- Cornwall
So looking at a 5 year average for your weather and where you believe weather patterns are going, would you adopt skip row planting across all summer crops now? Or would you still just do a percentage as an insurance against a bad year again?
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
interesting question
10 years might be a better timeframe. Everyone talks about "average" weather, but given our climate I think "unicorn" might be a more appropriate term. Unfortunately, we are all guilty of hoping & planning for that mythical "unicorn", rather than aiming for year on year consistency. In 10 yrs we might have a couple of really good ones, a few really bad ones, with the balance ranging from ok to mediocre . . . Even in "average" years the timing of the rainfall varies quite a bit. I also believe our climate is getting warmer, drier & more volatile
so, back to original question. Yes, I believe adopting risk minimising strategies such as skip row over 100% of area is the way to go. Gaining an increase of even a few hundred kg in a bad year ( theoretically when prices are high, especially in crops like sorghum which are largely a domestic market ) is going to make a much bigger difference to $ / ha than potentially losing a few hundred kg in a good year when markets are swamped with cheap grain . . .
one problem with skip row sorghum, especially in a zero till scenario, is the lack of stubble / groundcover in the skip row ( with potential implications for the next crop & also soil biology ) and less crop competition against weeds. I am thinking that maybe staying with a solid plant but reducing plant population ( from say 50,000 ppha to 30,000 ppha ) might be a better compromise. But then, I could always plant an oat / vetch cover immediately after harvest like I plan to do after cotton, to generate groundcover, if we ever get any moisture again . . .
skip row works with cotton & sorghum as they both have really good root systems & sorghum in particular is good at compensating for thin or patchy stands
apparently there is no benefit from skip row in sunflowers, their roots don't utilize that moisture between rows. Along with corn ( not that there is much dryland corn grown here, nearly all irrigated ), the better strategy appears to be reduced plant population ( in low population sunnies just produce bigger heads if conditions are favourable )
I should have done some population trials on the sorghum along with the row configurations
I certainly think skip row is a viable risk management option here, my only concern is lack of groundcover as stated earlier
sorry for the long answer, but things are rarely simple
or easy
10 years might be a better timeframe. Everyone talks about "average" weather, but given our climate I think "unicorn" might be a more appropriate term. Unfortunately, we are all guilty of hoping & planning for that mythical "unicorn", rather than aiming for year on year consistency. In 10 yrs we might have a couple of really good ones, a few really bad ones, with the balance ranging from ok to mediocre . . . Even in "average" years the timing of the rainfall varies quite a bit. I also believe our climate is getting warmer, drier & more volatile
so, back to original question. Yes, I believe adopting risk minimising strategies such as skip row over 100% of area is the way to go. Gaining an increase of even a few hundred kg in a bad year ( theoretically when prices are high, especially in crops like sorghum which are largely a domestic market ) is going to make a much bigger difference to $ / ha than potentially losing a few hundred kg in a good year when markets are swamped with cheap grain . . .
one problem with skip row sorghum, especially in a zero till scenario, is the lack of stubble / groundcover in the skip row ( with potential implications for the next crop & also soil biology ) and less crop competition against weeds. I am thinking that maybe staying with a solid plant but reducing plant population ( from say 50,000 ppha to 30,000 ppha ) might be a better compromise. But then, I could always plant an oat / vetch cover immediately after harvest like I plan to do after cotton, to generate groundcover, if we ever get any moisture again . . .
skip row works with cotton & sorghum as they both have really good root systems & sorghum in particular is good at compensating for thin or patchy stands
apparently there is no benefit from skip row in sunflowers, their roots don't utilize that moisture between rows. Along with corn ( not that there is much dryland corn grown here, nearly all irrigated ), the better strategy appears to be reduced plant population ( in low population sunnies just produce bigger heads if conditions are favourable )
I should have done some population trials on the sorghum along with the row configurations
I certainly think skip row is a viable risk management option here, my only concern is lack of groundcover as stated earlier
sorry for the long answer, but things are rarely simple
or easy
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- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
I've lost the other thread, so here is this weeks market report
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Sounds very similar to the reports here.
I am contemplating selling at least half the cattle here store, local sale coming up.
I can drive them there, put a reserve on them, and if they don't get to reserve I will simply walk them 300 yards home again!
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Owaka Calf sale is one of the first on the south island calendar and usually have top prices as a result - I recall putting up pictures from last year but forward cattle will likely fetch around the $1350 mark again, fairly buoyant and positive here at the moment with good returns across the sectors: lamb around $7, $150 for cull ewes, venison over $10
joys of being reasonably adaptable is that we can simply change what we do to suit - will likely trade the smaller 50 cattle in for 80 weaners and fatten the remaining 60-odd.. and grazing hoggets instead of trusting lamb to stay put sounds a little more relaxed for wintertime
I don't mean to gloat not at all Roy, hoping some (rare) TFF positivity will help.
Feel free to spill if ya want, mate all ears for my friends better still get your butt over here for a holiday, "pay yourself first" is my golden rule when faced with adversity
Kettle is hot, and will put down a brew this weekend
joys of being reasonably adaptable is that we can simply change what we do to suit - will likely trade the smaller 50 cattle in for 80 weaners and fatten the remaining 60-odd.. and grazing hoggets instead of trusting lamb to stay put
sounds a little more relaxed for wintertime I don't mean to gloat
not at all Roy, hoping some (rare) TFF positivity will help.Feel free to spill if ya want, mate
all ears for my friends better still get your butt over here for a holiday, "pay yourself first" is my golden rule when faced with adversityKettle is hot, and will put down a brew this weekend
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
+1 for the positivity in hard times @Farmer Roy , hang in thereI don't mean to gloat
Feel free to spill if ya want, mate
Kettle is hot, and will put down a brew this weekend
Grab Pete's offer if you can, it's well worth the visit and you wouldn't need the 30 hour flight.
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Been down the coalmine, mate?
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
The colour of my hand ?
The sun here IS very strong you know
The sun here IS very strong you know
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Must be something else farming crops and just watching them fizzle in the heat, at least with a softcock southern dry patch there are still animals and critters and life to see and think about+1 for the positivity in hard times @Farmer Roy , hang in there
Grab Pete's offer if you can, it's well worth the visit and you wouldn't need the 30 hour flight.
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
FonterraFarmer
Member
- Location
- Waikato, New Zealand
FonterraFarmer
Member
- Location
- Waikato, New Zealand
FonterraFarmer
Member
- Location
- Waikato, New Zealand
Northern hemisphere happy tablets?Expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for farmers published
Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer from July will give the sector a clear path forward and boost farm business resilience.
From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024
Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...
From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024
Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...