Can you direct drill hybrid rye into an old grass ley?

jackrussell101

Member
Mixed Farmer
8 days post drilling
20221018_165411.jpg
20221018_165417.jpg
20221018_165424.jpg
20221018_165436.jpg


11 days post drilling

20221020_155442.jpg
 

jackrussell101

Member
Mixed Farmer
Depends on lot of factors
Heavy land?
Soil PH
Any wireworm present in the old ley?
It is clay loam, hopefully ph ok as we limed only a few years back.

Wireworm and pests could be a problem but I've just decided to risk all and go for it, as we're desperately short of fodder.

Hoping this mild wet weather will push it on so it gets away from them, fingers crossed 🤞
 

sheepdogtrail

Member
Livestock Farmer
Your drill did a excellent job if you ask me. It made a mini seedbed. The trick is to get the seed under the root mass of the POA Annua. At this point it is going to be up to pest pressure and the POA ability to out compete the Rye. I think the Rye will win this fight with the old PP grass. Pest in the fall, well that is another matter. At least it is for me. Waterfowl used to love my fall plantings. They are big pest.

What type of drill?


The cereal rye has a great start. Hope it works for you.
 
Last edited:

Hesstondriver

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Huntingdon
Your drill did a excellent job if you ask me. It made a mini seedbed. The trick is to get it under the seed under the root mass of that POA Annua. At this point it is going to be up to pest pressure and the POA ability to out compete the Rye. I think the Rye will win this fight with the old PP grass. Pest in the fall, well that is another matter. At least it is for me. Waterfowl used to love my fall plantings. They are big pest.

What type of drill?


The cereal rye has a great start. Hope it works for you.
Sorry , what is POA ?
 

jackrussell101

Member
Mixed Farmer
What are you planning on doing with it, wholechop in spring?
Silage hopefully in April then flipped into Maize.

Ideally I would like to get away from growing maize because of costs/cultivations but it's quite a good feed for beef cattle and somewhere to lose the muck in the spring.

I wonder what other alternatives there are that are a good source of starch for feeding beef other than maize?
 

jackrussell101

Member
Mixed Farmer
Your drill did a excellent job if you ask me. It made a mini seedbed. The trick is to get it under the seed under the root mass of that POA Annua. At this point it is going to be up to pest pressure and the POA ability to out compete the Rye. I think the Rye will win this fight with the old PP grass. Pest in the fall, well that is another matter. At least it is for me. Waterfowl used to love my fall plantings. They are big pest.

What type of drill?


The cereal rye has a great start. Hope it works for you.
Thank you.

It's a Simtech Aitchison TSG 300.
 

sheepdogtrail

Member
Livestock Farmer
Sorry , what is POA ?
The genus of a type of grass. It is very common, quick growing grass. It goes dormant in the summer under dry and warm (above 70 f) conditions. You can keep it green with lots of water (5 inches per month) applied to it.

I consider it a weed. Livestock parasites love it. It provides the perfect environment for the continuation of the species.

 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 116 38.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 116 38.3%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 42 13.9%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 6 2.0%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 5 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 18 5.9%

Expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for farmers published

  • 217
  • 1
Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer from July will give the sector a clear path forward and boost farm business resilience.

From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024

s300_Farmland_with_farmFarmland_with_farmhouse_and_grazing_cattle_in_the_UK_Farm_scene__diversification__grazing__rural__beef_GettyImages-165174232.jpg

Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...
Top