Companion cropping OSR

Adams1978

Member
Looking at doing companion cropping with our OSR this year and was after some pointers on seed rates, seed mixes, and potential issues.

We are using Sim Tech T Sem pneumatic drill

Was looking at buckwheat and vetch with maybe some clover, wondered what seed rate people had tried with these and thoughts of just mixing it all together and drilling? Are people using any other companion species?

I assume the buckwheat will die in the cold weather and the vetch and clover will need controlling at some point?
 

juke

Member
Location
DURHAM
Looking at doing companion cropping with our OSR this year and was after some pointers on seed rates, seed mixes, and potential issues.

We are using Sim Tech T Sem pneumatic drill

Was looking at buckwheat and vetch with maybe some clover, wondered what seed rate people had tried with these and thoughts of just mixing it all together and drilling? Are people using any other companion species?

I assume the buckwheat will die in the cold weather and the vetch and clover will need controlling at some point?

Berssem clover and buckwheat should die of with first frosts , vetch will go with astrokerb/kerb application, be careful with your early season volunteer cereal herbicide as it may take out the companions too, we used fussilade last year and it was safe enough on buckwheat and vetch.
Our rate was 8 kg buckwheat 15 kg vetch to the ha.
Can't comment on lumping it all In one hopper we blew the companions of the back of the main. Drill
 

Adams1978

Member
Tried Clearfield OSR and a mustard mix, worked well and did 2t/a
Mustard went on at 5kg/ha broadcast on top after drilling the OSR and before the OSR was rolled in :)

This was after 2-3 years of failed OSR due to CSFB

Is there any issue taking the mustered out as it is a brassica?
 

Adams1978

Member
Berssem clover and buckwheat should die of with first frosts , vetch will go with astrokerb/kerb application, be careful with your early season volunteer cereal herbicide as it may take out the companions too, we used fussilade last year and it was safe enough on buckwheat and vetch.
Our rate was 8 kg buckwheat 15 kg vetch to the ha.
Can't comment on lumping it all In one hopper we blew the companions of the back of the main. Drill

Was thinking that it might be easier to broadcast on the field then rake in, then drill the OSR in to it.
Are you using something like a opico variocast and putting the seed down the pipe or broadcasting it?
 

juke

Member
Location
DURHAM
Was thinking that it might be easier to broadcast on the field then rake in, then drill the OSR in to it.
Are you using something like a opico variocast and putting the seed down the pipe or broadcasting it?

We have a turbo wizard that's mounted onto the claydon, we have the splash plates angled down into the following harrow just to try n get some soil over it, n then rolled .. osr goes in the claydon
 

flip0207

New Member
Location
Germany
This year will be our first year of companion cropping OSR. We're mixing 2,5 kg/ha buckwheat, 10 kg/ha vetch and 3 kg/ha white clover. Hopefully vetches and buckwheat will be frostkilled. White clover will cover the soil after OSR harvest next year. Any comments on the seed rates?
 

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
This year will be our first year of companion cropping OSR. We're mixing 2,5 kg/ha buckwheat, 10 kg/ha vetch and 3 kg/ha white clover. Hopefully vetches and buckwheat will be frostkilled. White clover will cover the soil after OSR harvest next year. Any comments on the seed rates?

Think I'd up the buckwheat a bit. Vetch won't necessarily be frost killed, but you can harvest it with the rape and sieve out the seeds easily enough. We got two or three tonnes of vetch seed out of our rapeseed this year, makes cover cropping much cheaper with free seed....
 

JD6920s

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Shropshire
We have a turbo wizard that's mounted onto the claydon, we have the splash plates angled down into the following harrow just to try n get some soil over it, n then rolled .. osr goes in the claydon

How has the companion cropping gone with the spring oats this time, have you harvested them yet?
 

juke

Member
Location
DURHAM
How has the companion cropping gone with the spring oats this time, have you harvested them yet?
Think the spring oats will be combined in about 2 to 3 weeks time. ( round about normal) the clover struggled a bit this time we drilled the oats plus companion in late April it didn't get ain't rain for two weeks after drilling . It did come not to bad at all.
If we can get 2.5 tons of oats or above this year I think it will be well worth doing.

In conclusion I think we will up seed rates a bit more next year.

I will report back once we have final yields unfortunately we have no control to go against . All I can say is our best field of wheat followed last year's effort of oats/ companion. This year we have wheat following oat/ companion . Winter beans and osr so will be good to see this time next year .
 

JD6920s

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Shropshire
Think the spring oats will be combined in about 2 to 3 weeks time. ( round about normal) the clover struggled a bit this time we drilled the oats plus companion in late April it didn't get ain't rain for two weeks after drilling . It did come not to bad at all.
If we can get 2.5 tons of oats or above this year I think it will be well worth doing.

In conclusion I think we will up seed rates a bit more next year.

I will report back once we have final yields unfortunately we have no control to go against . All I can say is our best field of wheat followed last year's effort of oats/ companion. This year we have wheat following oat/ companion . Winter beans and osr so will be good to see this time next year .

Thanks, we too are waiting for spring oats to be ready, hopefully not too long, but have some green in the straw yet.
This rain should help a bit if it does come hot again as they have talked about, as don’t want to cut them and have the straw at risk of too much wet, so fingers crossed.
 

juke

Member
Location
DURHAM
@JD6920s it's not perfect but this is how we would like the whole field to look with a companion some bits are better some bits are worse than the photo.. pretty certain we will be continuing this idea again next spring in the effort to improve. Almost certain the following wheat crop gets an establishment benefit from the clover being there
 

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stroller

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Somerset UK
@JD6920s it's not perfect but this is how we would like the whole field to look with a companion some bits are better some bits are worse than the photo.. pretty certain we will be continuing this idea again next spring in the effort to improve. Almost certain the following wheat crop gets an establishment benefit from the clover being there
Are they spring oats? I'd like to try getting a white micro clover established but not sure how to go about it with regard to weed control in the companion crop, or which one to try it with wosr,wheat, spring oats or in with the cover crop.:scratchhead:
 

Michael S

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Matching Green
Berssem clover and buckwheat should die of with first frosts , vetch will go with astrokerb/kerb application, be careful with your early season volunteer cereal herbicide as it may take out the companions too, we used fussilade last year and it was safe enough on buckwheat and vetch.
Our rate was 8 kg buckwheat 15 kg vetch to the ha.
Can't comment on lumping it all In one hopper we blew the companions of the back of the main. Drill

I am going put 8kg/ha of buckwheat in with the rape through a Simtech and broadcast 4kg/ha off the back of the rolls through a Techneat Avadex spreader.

Am I doing the right thing?

Michael
 

juke

Member
Location
DURHAM
Are they spring oats? I'd like to try getting a white micro clover established but not sure how to go about it with regard to weed control in the companion crop, or which one to try it with wosr,wheat, spring oats or in with the cover crop.:scratchhead:

Yes they are spring oats after cover crop , clover is broadcast of the back of the drill at a rate of 3 kilos to the acre . Herbicide wise we did use something on some radishes that decided to grow back can't recall if hand what that was . Only grass weed herbicide that we have used is glyphosate to kill the cover crop.
 
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juke

Member
Location
DURHAM
I am going put 8kg/ha of buckwheat in with the rape through a Simtech and broadcast 4kg/ha off the back of the rolls through a Techneat Avadex spreader.

Am I doing the right thing?

Michael

Buckwheat sounds about about right at8 kgs that's similar to what we did. 16 kilos of vetch to just make sure you get it covered with soil...

Buckwheat will die with frosts , vetch astrokerb will take it out .. we didn't get any pigeon problems this year till the vetch was dying back and the beast from the East struck..
 

JD6920s

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Shropshire
Think the spring oats will be combined in about 2 to 3 weeks time. ( round about normal) the clover struggled a bit this time we drilled the oats plus companion in late April it didn't get ain't rain for two weeks after drilling . It did come not to bad at all.
If we can get 2.5 tons of oats or above this year I think it will be well worth doing.

In conclusion I think we will up seed rates a bit more next year.

I will report back once we have final yields unfortunately we have no control to go against . All I can say is our best field of wheat followed last year's effort of oats/ companion. This year we have wheat following oat/ companion . Winter beans and osr so will be good to see this time next year .

Have you managed to cut your oats yet?
We tried last weekend but not quite ready, and the weather has gone a bit pear shaped since so not been back but will be as soon as we get a window.
 

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