12 months grass weed attack

Beefsmith

Member
Like many others were thinking of reducing crops we plant for harvest 23. Our idea is to spend what we’d normally do on fertiliser and then plant less acres leaving our grass weed fields fallow for 12 months. If we did this we think that multiple chits and burn off would be the best plan of attack. We’ve got a shallow disc/press and thinking we run it then spray off when we get weeds chitted. Yes I know it’s going to cost but it seems like a good option to try to sort the issue out once and for all. Maybe 4 burn offs and four chits with discs?
 

ajd132

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
Like many others were thinking of reducing crops we plant for harvest 23. Our idea is to spend what we’d normally do on fertiliser and then plant less acres leaving our grass weed fields fallow for 12 months. If we did this we think that multiple chits and burn off would be the best plan of attack. We’ve got a shallow disc/press and thinking we run it then spray off when we get weeds chitted. Yes I know it’s going to cost but it seems like a good option to try to sort the issue out once and for all. Maybe 4 burn offs and four chits with discs?
Doesn’t work very well
 

Flatlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lorette Manitoba
Did the same to a field that drowned out 15 years or so ago. Works good but I used a cultivator to kill off the weeds. I would let them get3-4 inches tall then move the soil. Some would get transplanted again but after a month a new batch would be there again So would work it again. After a series of flushes were done I sprayed it out before any set seed again. If your ground is wetter you’ll want a crop of some sort to suck out the moisture or the following year it’s very wet again. Or mine can be. Main thing is to try to rotate the soil to encourage deeper seeds into growing. Multiple passes of roundup i find will lock up manganese.
 

ajd132

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
Did the same to a field that drowned out 15 years or so ago. Works good but I used a cultivator to kill off the weeds. I would let them get3-4 inches tall then move the soil. Some would get transplanted again but after a month a new batch would be there again So would work it again. After a series of flushes were done I sprayed it out before any set seed again. If your ground is wetter you’ll want a crop of some sort to suck out the moisture or the following year it’s very wet again. Or mine can be. Main thing is to try to rotate the soil to encourage deeper seeds into growing. Multiple passes of roundup i find will lock up manganese.
For blackgrass niab have proven this technique to be a complete waste of time. We’ve tried it ourselves and numerous others i know have and it literally makes no difference if you have any level of seedbank.
best thing to do is just rotate spring crops and try to keep it at an economic level (which is sometimes easier said than done!)
the OP will end up very dissapointed in my opinion if he tries it.
 

Humble Village Farmer

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Essex
Very old way of thinking. Plant a cover crop and mow when necessary. This will be better for wildlife, cheaper and you’ll probably see the improved soil will benefit your crop and reduce your grass weeds to some extent
I would go further. Spray off and drill your cover crop end of may early June. Bg won't compete at that time. Spray off and drill as normal. Limit your seed cost to around £20 a ha. In both situations a direct drill would be preferable
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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

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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/
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