DD on livestock farm

neilo · Jun 9, 2018

scholland said:
I presume there is a reason it isn't dd more commonly, maybe input cost?
I don't have access to a precision drill so this is the only way into beet for me.
It is really dry now, fert spread 2 weeks ago is still on the surface [emoji31].
Ill keep updates on here as it grows on.

Beet is usually grown for lifting, which needs the row widths to be the same (ours is at 20") as the harvester. More precise spacing between the beets in the row should give a more uniform root size, as opposed to getting a few radish sized ones where 2 beets germinate together. As well as making mechanical handling & lifting better, that 'should' maximise yield/ha.

For grazing, many of those advantages are redundant or unnecessary, particularly if you are drilling at quite a low seed rate (40k seeds/ac and less).

hendrebc · Jun 9, 2018

I think @Kiwi Pete tried some beet in with an einbock type air seeder

Kiwi Pete · Jun 9, 2018

hendrebc said:
I think @Kiwi Pete tried some beet in with an einbock type air seeder

Yes it is just being fed to dairy cattle now

Don't think the yield has been measured but I will say there was a good even strike despite a fairly challenging season to get crops away

Have recently seen a DD beet crop down in my friend's sand dunes - we are talking 50 metres and one foot from high tide here - and it has big bulbs and big gaps in between with little bulbs - not what I see in the airseeded broadcast beet I did on a much more similar brown silty clayish to soil what we have at home, the precision planted crop is a picture as well (on even better soil, being a part of the diary platform)

I just don't use the coated PP type seed through mine and neither does Chris (DD man)

hendrebc · Jun 9, 2018

Kiwi Pete said:
Yes it is just being fed to dairy cattle now

Don't think the yield has been measured but I will say there was a good even strike despite a fairly challenging season to get crops away

Have recently seen a DD beet crop down in my friend's sand dunes - we are talking 50 metres and one foot from high tide here - and it has big bulbs and big gaps in between with little bulbs - not what I see in the airseeded broadcast beet I did on a much more similar brown silty clayish to soil what we have at home, the precision planted crop is a picture as well (on even better soil, being a part of the diary platform)

I just don't use the coated PP type seed through mine and neither does Chris (DD man)

I think we need some pictures next time your down that way

scholland · Jun 9, 2018

If it would just rain I think we'll get a crop. Warmer today at least so not such a cold drying wind!
I
@Kiwi Pete I think the un pelleted seed would suit this establishment better. View attachment 680394

scholland · Jun 9, 2018

neilo said:
Beet is usually grown for lifting, which needs the row widths to be the same (ours is at 20") as the harvester. More precise spacing between the beets in the row should give a more uniform root size, as opposed to getting a few radish sized ones where 2 beets germinate together. As well as making mechanical handling & lifting better, that 'should' maximise yield/ha.

For grazing, many of those advantages are redundant or unnecessary, particularly if you are drilling at quite a low seed rate (40k seeds/ac and less).

Ye I get the lifting argument but with the fashion of more beet being grazed I would have thought dd would be more common.

neilo · Jun 15, 2018

Did you get a good dollop of rain to pep that beet up @scholland , or did it all get blown off?

scholland · Jun 15, 2018

neilo said:
Did you get a good dollop of rain to pep that beet up @scholland , or did it all get blown off?

Very nice amount of rain, then gales [emoji31]
It has done a lot of good but the wind is a pain. I'll go for a look over the weekend when the wind dies down.

scholland · Jun 18, 2018

neilo said:
Did you get a good dollop of rain to pep that beet up @scholland , or did it all get blown off?

Thursdays gales and salt spray have been hard on everything here. The Beet near the sea and facing west may be a write off, but facing east I think will be OK.
Pictures of east first then west.
View attachment 683500 View attachment 683502

neilo · Jun 18, 2018

scholland said:
Thursdays gales and salt spray have been hard on everything here. The Beet near the sea and facing west may be a write off, but facing east I think will be OK.
Pictures of east first then west.
View attachment 683500 View attachment 683502 View attachment 683504

You’re right. The beet on the West has indeed gone, or the picture has.

scholland · Jun 18, 2018

neilo said:
You’re right. The beet on the West has indeed gone, or the picture has.

Work this time? 1 picture from West.

neilo · Jun 18, 2018

I wish my worst beet looked like that. Post-em spray seems to have knocked mine for six and haven't been brave enough to stick the 2nd dose on yet.

scholland · Jun 18, 2018

neilo said:
I wish my worst beet looked like that. Post-em spray seems to have knocked mine for six and haven't been brave enough to stick the 2nd dose on yet.

Thanks Neil, not much putting a smile on my face this morning but that gives me a little hope!

Mowing grass so that's the rain on [emoji106][emoji106]

scholland · Jun 22, 2018

Been very dry, salty and windy but 2 damp days have hopefully kick started things again. View attachment 684858

d-wales · Jun 22, 2018

scholland said:
Been very dry, salty and windy but 2 damp days have hopefully kick started things again. View attachment 684858 View attachment 684860

They look better than mine. Did you dd straight into grass? If so what settings and what are the distances between rows

neilo · Jun 22, 2018

d-wales said:
They look better than mine. Did you dd straight into grass? If so what settings and what are the distances between rows

They’re well in front of mine too, but that dandelion looks very healthy if the beet’s had herbicide.

@scholland ’s pictures are certainly pushing me towards drilling my own beet, or at least the grazing beet (not that intended for lifting). Mine was precision drilled by a contractor but there are still plenty of misses and plenty of double plants.

Placement is probably no better than scholland’s.

d-wales · Jun 22, 2018

neilo said:
They’re well in front of mine too, but that dandelion looks very healthy if the beet’s had herbicide.

@scholland ’s pictures are certainly pushing me towards drilling my own beet, or at least the grazing beet (not that intended for lifting). Mine was precision drilled by a contractor but there are still plenty of misses and plenty of double plants. Placement is probably no better than scholland’s.

Yeah. Old drills are so unpredictable. I've got some rows which have only come up a week or so back.
Makes sense to drill straight into grass [emoji40]
Can you get 20inch rows with a Moore unidrill?

scholland · Jun 22, 2018

d-wales said:
They look better than mine. Did you dd straight into grass? If so what settings and what are the distances between rows

Some into grass, most into where swedes were.
Moore drilled, 1 but with every other Coulter closed, this bit only sowing 1 in 3.

scholland · Jun 22, 2018

neilo said:
They’re well in front of mine too, but that dandelion looks very healthy if the beet’s had herbicide.

@scholland ’s pictures are certainly pushing me towards drilling my own beet, or at least the grazing beet (not that intended for lifting). Mine was precision drilled by a contractor but there are still plenty of misses and plenty of double plants. Placement is probably no better than scholland’s.

Yes a good dandelion!
It has been so dry here that they've been really slow the last 4 weeks, so herbicide was a while ago.

I think dd beet can work but I've learned a lot this year already. Most of it isn't actually drilling issues, timings and weeds more so. I'm pretty happy with spacings Tbh. Yes some are bunched and some gaps.

Being remote it isn't easy to react to herbicide need and I possibly should have tweeked the product I used but stuck with what i had in stock.

They have a very vigorous tap root, much more so than swedes for example, so why wouldn't they dd?

I will report yield and ewes fed per ha later in the season. If the weather warms up this week I expect to see a lot of growth...

d-wales · Jun 22, 2018

scholland said:
Yes a good dandelion!
It has been so dry here that they've been really slow the last 4 weeks, so herbicide was a while ago.

I think dd beet can work but I've learned a lot this year already. Most of it isn't actually drilling issues, timings and weeds more so. I'm pretty happy with spacings Tbh. Yes some are bunched and some gaps.

Being remote it isn't easy to react to herbicide need and I possibly should have tweeked the product I used but stuck with what i had in stock.

They have a very vigorous tap root, much more so than swedes for example, so why wouldn't they dd?

I will report yield and ewes fed per ha later in the season. If the weather warms up this week I expect to see a lot of growth...

Don't tell you need to...it will probably make me jelous

DD on livestock farm

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