thistle

As we get into summer, thistles become an increasingly unsightly and unwelcome presence in our grazing pastures. As well as being unattractive, thistles reduce a ley’s productivity, restrict access to grass and cause issues such as orf in sheep. Both creeping and spear varieties are often seen...

How do I control thistles and nettles in neglected pasture and stay on top of it? Ideally I would like to do this without harmful to wildlife chemicals - are there any other kind that will do the job? Or do I use chemicals once to bring the pasture back without the weeds? Pasture is currently...

Written by CPM Magazine from CPM Magazine Download PDF Investment in a new piece of kit has helped a Cambridgeshire farmer to make the most of intercropping. CPM finds out more. By Charlotte Cunningham As farmers seek sustainable weed control solutions, interest in intercropping has risen...

Written by CPM Magazine from CPM Magazine Download PDF As the challenges of modern crop production push farmers towards cutting inputs while achieving the same results, could new bread-making variety, RGT Goldfinch, be a breakthrough as the first commercial insecticide-free wheat on the...

Having just driven the length of the A303 I have to ask if there is an SFI code I am not aware of for the of growing Ragwort. In the 50yrs I have traveled that road I have never seen so much on farm land

Sprayed off earlier in the year , nothing but rain since ( or windy , or both) Lots of speltchy rocks so it’s a toppers graveyard. Choice of A. Leave it and spray next year B. Top what I can get to C. Use an old two drum mower You thought’s ladies and gentlemen

Topped a newly rented field today with the disc mower. There was the odd ragwort through it. If I put 18 month beef cattle in it for the next two days will it do them any harm? Surely the ragwort will still taste crappy so they'll eat the mown grass? If they're going at two years old does it...

What's this and what is it's life cycle , It's in new grass sheep don't seem to be clearing it may have to try the cows on it ? One vague diagnosis said wild lettuce .

Will this is a bit alarming. We were shearing two days ago in a pen in a field carpeted in blooming clover and other flowers. The weather wasn't bad and it wasn't raining. We're in an upland area and what crops are here aren't being sprayed anyway. During the few hours we were there, we didn't...

As drone technology is advancing and the approval process SLOWLY going through the red tape. How can you see drone technology helping your farm in the future? What realistic pricing would you pay per acre to spray your fields or spread seeds in your fields? What's your thoughts? Thanks in...

Hi all, This is probably going to be one of those weird threads. So first, a bit of context. I’m an electrical engineering/robotics student here in the UK. As a part of my studies I have to design and ultimately build a robot that has real world applications. Most of my classmates are...

I know it's been brought up many times but round my area it's getting very difficult on some lanes to get through with tractors and machinery safely. As usual it's the non farmers and in some cases it's vegetation growing on verges (Which is usually the councils problem) I reported some self...

It's gone cold here in Cumbria, quite a plain day really for June, with the longest day just round the corner it begs the question,have we seen the best of summer 2024? Let's hope not but it just has the feel, like you normally have in about August where it stops you in your tracks and you...

Can you turn up on the day abd buy tickets on the gate or do you have to pre book

So last year I strongly suspected that there was not a full 3l in the last thistlex i used, but not having the full contents to hand (used most of it and seemed short) it was impossible to check but as I got to the end I seemed short. i carefully measure the contents into the sprayer with a jug...

Got 10ac with lots of small docks, rushes and buttercup. Got enough Hurler to do the field - but what about the buttercup and the rushes? Will the Hurler kill them too?

Would like to treat myself to a new knapsack sprayer, are any brands better than others?

Changing the sprayer to a new to me machine. It’s got twin lines. Pre-emergence stuff will be 300l/ha on one line so which nozzles for that? And the other line which will be used more often would be at 150l average but fluctuate between 120l and upto 200l. I like spraying around 10km/hr maybe...

Does anyone find thistles recover after spraying with MCPA spray? 2 weeks ago I sprayed some fields off with larke MCPA for creeping and sow thistles which looked to be doing a good job a week later, but now a fortnight later they almost look to be recovering? I put it on at the individual dose...

I am struggling to work out whether this action can now be moved during a new 3 year SFI agreement. I have an existing agreement in place where it is rotational if I wish, but it seems the goalposts have been moved for new agreements? Rotational or static action If you’re establishing a new...