Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
I've got some Extase after OSR, then AB6 and that looks seriously lush.
-
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AB15 2 year legume fallow
- Thread starter Flat 10
- Start date
I've got some Extase after OSR, then AB6 and that looks seriously lush.
- Location
- Essex
Can you put in some red clover or something in the autumn then?Not allowed to put see seed on in spring. At least, don't think you can. Option is supposed to let corn marigolds grow in spring.
Thankfully I've resisted tack sheep for a good few years, so shouldn't be any thistle seeds imported in hay bales, although ragwort has blown through the hedge from neighbours stewardship field
- Location
- Yorks
There's nothing specifically prohibiting it in the AB11 prescription. The land parcel wouldn't be in the option until April.
Would think absolutely fine to establish a post harvest cover in the season before the option starts. No problem at all, and would tick the box for SFI Intermediate Soils Standard.
The prescription is to cultivate (before end of April iirc), leave over Summer, then can destroy 1st Sept.
We had varying weed species cover last year. We had the corn marigolds, which the option aims to achieve. Some better sand land came nicely full of fat hen, that was a good thick cover. The really sandy land was a bit thin on weed cover, or at least thinner than I'd have liked, so a bit of residual cover crop species (reinvigorating itself in Spring) would have been good.
So if the cover had some species which might survive a light discing, then there would be a bit more cover of desirable species over summer. Or maybe after the spring cultivation, there may be some dormant phacelia seed which springs into life
(it does tend to self-seed), or vetch which didn't get totally wiped out by the cultivation.
- Location
- Essex
I would spin on some cheap seed before cultivating. Seems a bit odd that they would want you to do that in the nesting season. Of course, what they mean and what you mean by cultivation could be 2 different things.There's nothing specifically prohibiting it in the AB11 prescription. The land parcel wouldn't be in the option until April.
Would think absolutely fine to establish a post harvest cover in the season before the option starts. No problem at all, and would tick the box for SFI Intermediate Soils Standard.
The prescription is to cultivate (before end of April iirc), leave over Summer, then can destroy 1st Sept.
We had varying weed species cover last year. We had the corn marigolds, which the option aims to achieve. Some better sand land came nicely full of fat hen, that was a good thick cover. The really sandy land was a bit thin on weed cover, or at least thinner than I'd have liked, so a bit of residual cover crop species (reinvigorating itself in Spring) would have been good.
So if the cover had some species which might survive a light discing, then there would be a bit more cover of desirable species over summer. Or maybe after the spring cultivation, there may be some dormant phacelia seed which springs into life
Are you going ahead with spraying off AB6 mid May (where black-grass pressure dictates) and establishing a summer cover crop?
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I will be. Although there's not much BG; some epic trails of wheat; and annoying levels of groundsel.
What cover crop will you put in? I assume just broadcast it on?
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Yes, will broadcast a nice mixture of small seeds, ideally ahead of rain. If nothing it will give the birds something to nibble.
No year 1, going to get topped this coming week, plenty of black-grass here too, seems a shame to top.
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Looks rather different to the fields of AB15 I see that were sown (hardly established) last September. Hardly a clover grew and those that did the slugs ate. They are just a mess. Hey ho.
Had to drill that twice, first effort in August was too dry and what did germinate was decimated by csfb. Field was totally bare, so redrilled early September and it fared much better.
We had one half field fail from early September drilling alongside the other half of the field in bumblebird. Horrible wet knackered clay soils. Has been redrilled this spring and still waiting on rain
yellow belly
Member
- Location
- south west lincolnshire
Topping now is not good for ground nesting birds on nests but rules are rules
- Location
- South Oxfordshire
I have the same dilemma, lots of flowering species and active pollinators, but blackgrass now heading. Been topped once already.
I'm going to leave for the wildlife benefits, and have to sort out the seed burden at a later date, not ideal!
I'm going to leave for the wildlife benefits, and have to sort out the seed burden at a later date, not ideal!
Real dilemma, I didn't want top to early or I feared the black-grass will send up more ears but much shorter and subsequent topping will be fruitless, hoping to top three weeks apart the last one being around 20th June where hopefully it will be much less prolific.
Field pictured above going to leave for now, no too much black-grass, Groundsel is the main weed which I'm not concerned about at all.
I think when it comes to initial AB15 establishment, the option to leave the previous stubble until the following spring, then direct drilling AB15 seed could be better all round both agronomically and environmentally.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I must say that my own small plot of AB15 looks complete crap. I mean, its chock full of lovely nature. But aesthetically it has not done anything like as well as the previous field of it. And the cause has been some bugs that have simply not left the clovers and vetches alone. Im renewing my stewardship but will not be using this option - I will go down the AB6 route but with a cover crop thrown into it.
Definitely less stressful.
- Location
- Essex
Are they pea and bean weevil? In a bad year they can really muller legumes.