Arable silage or wholecrop?

Scholsey

Member
Location
Herefordshire
Having a go mowing and forage wagoning a small patch of winter wheat which had quite a bit of grass in and was a less disease resistant variety, does anybody do any ‘arable silage’ have heard low 20’s protein % quoted with obviously no starch compared to a proper matured wholecrop. With protein prices where they are I fancied a go.
 

Scholsey

Member
Location
Herefordshire
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HarryB97

Member
Mixed Farmer
I cut 5 acres of Blackgrassy winter barley today that is in ear but has no grain fill yet. Does anyone have a rough idea what it might analyse like?
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Scholsey

Member
Location
Herefordshire
What on Earth is wrong with that wheat crop? It look happy and healthy to me, that bit of grass won't hurt, should have got ready to put a T3 on and wholecropped it.

Bit limited being organic, got 48 acres that we will wholecrop, needed something a bit quick to stop a silage pit wall falling over so a awkward 8 acre patch drew the short straw. Had 12 wagon load off 8 acres.
 

Scholsey

Member
Location
Herefordshire
What on Earth is wrong with that wheat crop? It look happy and healthy to me, that bit of grass won't hurt, should have got ready to put a T3 on and wholecropped it 30+% starch from that shouldn't be too hard.

I'd only advocate cutting that off now if the crop was patchy/non-existent and you wanted to plough it and put maize in quick.

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This is what the other stuff should have looked like, wheat with burseem clover, will wholecrop this end of june/early July.

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Bit of chickweed in the bottom and tiny pit of volunteer grass due to my crap ploughing but really pleased considering only thing to drive in the field since planting last October was umbilical dribble bar.
 
View attachment 1039265
This is what the other stuff should have looked like, wheat with burseem clover, will wholecrop this end of june/early July.

View attachment 1039266
Bit of chickweed in the bottom and tiny pit of volunteer grass due to my crap ploughing but really pleased considering only thing to drive in the field since planting last October was umbilical dribble bar.

Looks fantastic!
 

Jdunn55

Member
View attachment 1039265
This is what the other stuff should have looked like, wheat with burseem clover, will wholecrop this end of june/early July.

View attachment 1039266
Bit of chickweed in the bottom and tiny pit of volunteer grass due to my crap ploughing but really pleased considering only thing to drive in the field since planting last October was umbilical dribble bar.
Have you had that analysed before? Would be interested to know what the protein comes back as with the berseem clover! Looks brilliant, when did you dribble bar the slurry on?
 

Scholsey

Member
Location
Herefordshire
First year trying it, my seed man’s idea, hoping to increase wholecrop protein and add a bit of N for the following grass seeds. Last year got 10t/ac 40% starch from the winter wheat with 8-9% protein.

If could get the protein to 10-11% and lose 4-5% starch whilst adding a bit of green to aid consolidation think would have a seriously nifty wholecrop mix.

Was a bit late with the slurry this time, last week of march, can hardly see where he has been now, put 50m3 on.
 

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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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