Wheat as a cover crop

alomy75

Member

• Feb 13, 2022

• #1

Thinking aloud now; how about wheat spun on a standing crop of (in my case, beans or wheat) to keep some living roots in the ground in that August to October period? I’m warming to cover crops but not to leguminous ones, ones that cost loads to buy or ones that could present as weeds in following years and I’ve got back to buckwheat and wheat. I’m thinking wheat would spin on quite nicely through a fert spreader late June time(?)

 

L

Lincsman

Member

Arable Farmer

Location

Lincolnshire

• Feb 14, 2022

• #2

alomy75 said:

Thinking aloud now; how about wheat spun on a standing crop of (in my case, beans or wheat) to keep some living roots in the ground in that August to October period? I’m warming to cover crops but not to leguminous ones, ones that cost loads to buy or ones that could present as weeds in following years and I’ve got back to buckwheat and wheat. I’m thinking wheat would spin on quite nicely through a fert spreader late June time(?)

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Should keep all the diseases going until the proper wheat crop emerges.

 

PSQ

Member

Arable Farmer

• Feb 14, 2022

• #3

If you want to use a spinner then use spring oats instead. I did some as a green manure on a couple of patches of failed W.OSR, and it ticked all the boxes.
The only issue with applying to a standing crop will be having to spread every 12m as it's like throwing feathers. Better spun on immediately after harvest at 6 or 8m spacing for overlap, and tickle them in with a light cultivation.

 

alomy75

Member

• Feb 14, 2022

• #4

Lincsman said:

Should keep all the diseases going until the proper wheat crop emerges.

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Disease is a concern but only really rust that’s going to carry on the green bridge. Septoria there anyway in the stubble/straw

 

alomy75

Member

• Feb 14, 2022

• #5

PSQ said:

If you want to use a spinner then use spring oats instead. I did some as a green manure on a couple of patches of failed W.OSR, and it ticked all the boxes.
The only issue with applying to a standing crop will be having to spread every 12m as it's like throwing feathers. Better spun on immediately after harvest at 6 or 8m spacing for overlap, and tickle them in with a light cultivation.

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Good idea but was hoping to go earlier or may as well just leave the volunteers

 

L

Lincsman

Member

Arable Farmer

Location

Lincolnshire

• Feb 14, 2022

• #6

Funny how systems change, back in the 70's it was super flow drags stubble cleaning before the next crop, now its add more seeds to keep it full of volunteers and avoid killing weeds and not allowing more weeds to germinate before planting.

 

Last edited: Feb 14, 2022

jack6480

Member

Location

Staffs

• Feb 14, 2022

• #7

Lincsman said:

Funny how systems change, back in the 70's it was super flow drags stubble cleaning before the next crop, now its add more seeds to keep it full of volunteers and avoid killing weeds and getting not allowing more weeds to germinate before planting.

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You can’t reinvent the wheel

 

H

Hindsight

Member

Location

Lincolnshire

• Feb 14, 2022

• #8

Lincsman said:

Should keep all the diseases going until the proper wheat crop emerges.

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Aphids may like it too. And as we know these progressive regen farmers don't do insecticides.

 

alomy75

Member

• Feb 14, 2022

• #9

Hindsight said:

Aphids may like it too. And as we know these progressive regen farmers don't do insecticides.

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Good point. Do we reckon buckwheat would spread to 24m out of a spinner?

 

BenAdamsAgri

Member

BASE UK Member

Location

Oxfordshire

• Feb 15, 2022

• #10

If you want cheap and quick then oats, mustard, linseed and buckwheat would likely be best
Spreading is an issue, perhaps a local avadex contractor may have a suitable machine

 

Andrew K

Member

Arable Farmer

Location

Essex

• Feb 22, 2022

• #11

ben__adamss said:

If you want cheap and quick then oats, mustard, linseed and buckwheat would likely be best
Spreading is an issue, perhaps a local avadex contractor may have a suitable machine

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Maybe drill it?

 

alomy75

Member

• Feb 22, 2022

• #12

Andrew K said:

Maybe drill it?

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On my land I don’t think the cover crop would have time to do anything before I want to drill the next proper crop. Also the cost/time element of ‘drilling’ a cover crop is restrictive in my mind. The results aren’t tangible enough imo. But £15/ha or whatever to get an Avadex chap to spread I can live with

 

BenAdamsAgri

Member

BASE UK Member

Location

Oxfordshire

• Feb 23, 2022

• #13

Andrew K said:

Maybe drill it?

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Not sure that’d be sensible when the cash crop is weeks from harvesting