Maize 2021

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
@som farmer you cut your rye yet? Before maize? Any pictures?
waiting for the go ahead, rye obviously doesn't like late drilling, and wet spots, so a few patches a bit bare.
all nicely out in ear, best of it is 5 feet, interestingly the vetches are only just under the height of the rye, but there's a lot of crop there. Getting a bit twitchy, as we want to drill maize behind it, its a deep loamy soil, definitely enough moisture there, so should be ok.
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
waiting for the go ahead, rye obviously doesn't like late drilling, and wet spots, so a few patches a bit bare.
all nicely out in ear, best of it is 5 feet, interestingly the vetches are only just under the height of the rye, but there's a lot of crop there. Getting a bit twitchy, as we want to drill maize behind it, its a deep loamy soil, definitely enough moisture there, so should be ok.
it's off, contractor said 15 t/acre, direct cut 12 feet, didn't take long to fill a trailor. We had several patches which hadn't grown, due to water logging over winter, and some very thin areas around them, also the volume of vetches had started to pull the rye down, so some lost there, as well, so yield pretty good, all being well, photo's on route. Rye is a very hardy crop, it's grown in really cold winter countries, but it must be drilled early, preferably in september, which doesn't fit the maize crop, so there is a compromise on timing, which l think was our 'bare patches' problem, the rye hadn't been in long enough, we waited for the maize to ripen, so mid oct sowing, despite all that, 15t/a, is a good result, especially if we have a good maize crop. We had quantity, it will be interesting to see what quality is, plenty of vetch in it, so protien could be good.
 

Durry cows

Member
Location
Derbyshire
it's off, contractor said 15 t/acre, direct cut 12 feet, didn't take long to fill a trailor. We had several patches which hadn't grown, due to water logging over winter, and some very thin areas around them, also the volume of vetches had started to pull the rye down, so some lost there, as well, so yield pretty good, all being well, photo's on route. Rye is a very hardy crop, it's grown in really cold winter countries, but it must be drilled early, preferably in september, which doesn't fit the maize crop, so there is a compromise on timing, which l think was our 'bare patches' problem, the rye hadn't been in long enough, we waited for the maize to ripen, so mid oct sowing, despite all that, 15t/a, is a good result, especially if we have a good maize crop. We had quantity, it will be interesting to see what quality is, plenty of vetch in it, so protien could be good.
Looking forward to pictures, sounds good!
 

O'Reilly

Member
it's off, contractor said 15 t/acre, direct cut 12 feet, didn't take long to fill a trailor. We had several patches which hadn't grown, due to water logging over winter, and some very thin areas around them, also the volume of vetches had started to pull the rye down, so some lost there, as well, so yield pretty good, all being well, photo's on route. Rye is a very hardy crop, it's grown in really cold winter countries, but it must be drilled early, preferably in september, which doesn't fit the maize crop, so there is a compromise on timing, which l think was our 'bare patches' problem, the rye hadn't been in long enough, we waited for the maize to ripen, so mid oct sowing, despite all that, 15t/a, is a good result, especially if we have a good maize crop. We had quantity, it will be interesting to see what quality is, plenty of vetch in it, so protien could be good.
Did you buy the seed ready mixed? Rye seed is horrendous money, mixing on top of that would make it worse. Like the idea though. Thought of putting winter beans in with a cereal for whole crop, not sure how that would turn out.
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
Did you buy the seed ready mixed? Rye seed is horrendous money, mixing on top of that would make it worse. Like the idea though. Thought of putting winter beans in with a cereal for whole crop, not sure how that would turn out.
mixed on farm, yes, seed is expensive, £720 from memory, vetches, can't remember, but, an average crop at 15t/a, with no spray, only light N, followed by an average crop of maize, puts a lot per acre 25ton+, in the pit. Vetches should put protien in the silage, and N into soil. Apparently, rye/vetch mix, is the best N scavenger there is, so climate friendly as well.
 

Myfyriwr

New Member
Location
Wales
image.jpg

Very very slow start here, catching up now but a while to go to make the knee high by the Fourth of July mark.
 

corkman2013

Member
Location
co.cork
I have sweetcorn growing here sowed on April 8 under plastic. Best is above my knees and looks great. Some rows only half as high. I suspect compaction from previous maize and potato crops. Can I feed the crop to grow out of the compaction
20210618_112841.jpg
20210618_112152.jpg
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
With my shallow chalk soils most years it’s not knee high by July. This year looks like being a split. The heavier silt soils will definitely make it, the crops on proper chalk may but only just. I do have 30ac that went in late after grass and that has caught up the rest.

Bg
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
ours went in 4th june, after a 15ton/acre crop of h/rye and vetches, was showing in line day 6, and is storming ahead, 8/10 inches yesterday, l have seen some maize looking worse than that, that was sown early may. They are always on about soil temp needs to be correct, early sown crops, don't think temp was there, and it stayed in the ground, till it rose.
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
ours went in 4th june, after a 15ton/acre crop of h/rye and vetches, was showing in line day 6, and is storming ahead, 8/10 inches yesterday, l have seen some maize looking worse than that, that was sown early may. They are always on about soil temp needs to be correct, early sown crops, don't think temp was there, and it stayed in the ground, till it rose.
10/12 ins today, it's had slurry, map spun on, and will have a foliar fert this week, giving it the works because it was late going in. But we have already had 15 t/ac fresh weight already, so there is latitude for a lower yield, just hoping not.
 

Martyn

Member
Location
South west
PXL_20210621_140418389.PORTRAIT.jpg

Our was drilled on the 4th of June, now starting to move. Two young foxes in the distance. I'm finding some young plants pulled out and left flat on the surface with roots pulled, is this rooks?
 

dowcow

Member
Location
Lancashire
View attachment 969092
Our was drilled on the 4th of June, now starting to move. Two young foxes in the distance. I'm finding some young plants pulled out and left flat on the surface with roots pulled, is this rooks?

Yes. They usually walk along a row pulling plants out, some say for the worms that come out with the roots rather than the seed. Mine has hardly any missing row sections due to crows this year but seems to be getting grazed either by hares, rabbits or deer I suspect. There's a typical crow damaged row in the bottom right corner of your photo.
 

Martyn

Member
Location
South west
Yes. They usually walk along a row pulling plants out, some say for the worms that come out with the roots rather than the seed. Mine has hardly any missing row sections due to crows this year but seems to be getting grazed either by hares, rabbits or deer I suspect. There's a typical crow damaged row in the bottom right corner of your photo.
I hope the plants out grow the rooks thens fast not massive damage but frustrating
 

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