AHL2 - Winter Bird Food

[Chris W]

The aims are:

• provide food resources for farmland birds, especially in late autumn and winter
• encourage flowering plants in the summer, which will benefit insects including bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies
• support an IPM approach if located close to cropped areas

Which cannot reasonably be achieved drilling after mid June, how can you have flowering plants in the summer drilling in October?

No… what you have listed is the “purpose” not “the aim”.

“This action’s aim is that there are areas of winter bird food that produce a supply of small seeds for smaller farmland birds from late autumn until late winter.”

The wording of the agreement and correspondence with DEFRA dictate that they are indeed different!

When you get to the management practices section of each option, most say they should be managed to ensure the actions aim is met. But some, (such as IPM3) state they must be managed to ensure the actions aim AND purpose is met.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Brasicas will all struggle to flower in the year of sowing even if sownearly

In my experience, mustard and radish will flower reliably in the year of sowing.

 

[JCfarmer]

That's weird because we have never had blocky or streaky fields, after years of sowing mixes. I'm even getting a bit blasé about mixing sometimes, if I'm in a hurry.

What drill have you got?

 

[Andy26]

What drill have you got?

Probably also depends how much you put in the hopper at a time, putting 1500kg to be drilled at 15kg/ha, would probably have different results to putting 100kg in at a time.

 

[JCfarmer]

Probably also depends how much you put in the hopper at a time, putting 1500kg to be drilled at 15kg/ha, would probably have different results to putting 100kg in at a time.

Exactly and if you have a box drill with many metering wheels rather than one accord type at the bottom of the hopper, single metering would be worse for seed separation.
Ahl2 drilled here with a Claydon and sulky hopper with camera inside, no more than 3ha's worth in the hopper.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

What drill have you got?

A Weaving big disc.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Probably also depends how much you put in the hopper at a time, putting 1500kg to be drilled at 15kg/ha, would probably have different results to putting 100kg in at a time.

Not in my experience. I sometimes take a couple of buckets out of the slide if I stop for something, and chuck them back in the tank. I've heard that the more different seeds you have, the less they separate.

My advice would be to be brave and try some.

The worst problem I have had is calibrating, because mixtures always vary a bit, so one bucket might weigh 7 kilos and the next one will be 7.3 or 6.8.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

In my experience, mustard and radish will flower reliably in the year of sowing.

My turnips and rape sown in July are starting to push up buds now , be no seed until mid April

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

My turnips and rape sown in July are starting to push up buds now , be no seed until mid April

Brassicas will all struggle to flower in the year of sowing, even if sown early.

You said all brassica. You meant some.

 

[Bramble]

Because there is not a proper guide as such and defra have left this option to individual interpretation people will view it differently. We have been plating these mixes for 30 years in ELS/CS/HLS etc and they most certainly do work after a wheat harvest. The aim of AHL2 is to provide a winter bird feed crop to be in place until the end of February. Its up to you how you achieve it.

AHL2 needs to be in place Nov - Feb according to the guidance.

If you are going to take land out of production for a full 12 months to achieve this option then you are better off growing combinable crops.

Was given similar advice by an agronomy firm.

Have been advised to consider winter cereal/AHL2+IPM4 overwinter/maize in spring

 

[Clive]

Was given similar advice by an agronomy firm.

one that sells inputs you might no longer need by any chance ?

advice is worth what you pay for it

 

[Bramble]

one that sells inputs you might no longer need by any chance ?

advice is worth what you pay for it

Sell inputs and environmental advice now

 

[Clive]

Sell inputs and environmental advice now

perfect bedfellows

 

[Clive]

Brasicas will all struggle to flower in the year of sowing even if sownearly

osr ? mustard ? - most brassicas are annuals so will not only flower in year one but will also seed

 

[Derrick Hughes]

osr ? mustard ? - most brassicas are annuals so will not only flower in year one but will also seed

I've not seen forage rape and stubble turnips flower or seed in year one , maybe if sown end of March but not tried it myself


Turnips are a biennial plant, taking two years from germination to reproduction. The root spends the first year growing and storing nutrients

 

[Clive]

I've not seen forage rape and stubble turnips flower or seed in year one , maybe if sown end of March but not tried it myself


Turnips are a biennial plant, taking two years from germination to reproduction. The root spends the first year growing and storing nutrients

mustard flowers within weeks of drilling - i’m not sure anything is faster ?

our june drilled ab8 ab9 mixes this year were bursting with many flowers by august some brassica and lots other species

 

[Derrick Hughes]

mustard flowers within weeks of drilling - i’m not sure anything is faster ?

our june drilled ab8 ab9 mixes this year were bursting with many flowers by august some brassica and lots other species

Mustard will yes as will fodder Radish

 

[yellow belly]

Because there is not a proper guide as such and defra have left this option to individual interpretation people will view it differently. We have been plating these mixes for 30 years in ELS/CS/HLS etc and they most certainly do work after a wheat harvest. The aim of AHL2 is to provide a winter bird feed crop to be in place until the end of February. Its up to you how you achieve it.

AHL2 needs to be in place Nov - Feb according to the guidance.

If you are going to take land out of production for a full 12 months to achieve this option then you are better off growing combinable crops.

Have you been inspected
was this a rotational block or planted first year in October then kept on same land for 5 years

there is no way that the aims will be met in the first year with an October planting
the Pictures to prove it works will so very little in December

 

[ploughman1963]

I think you have to think outside the box a bit - we are used to using varieties that suit food production. Last year we had to use an organic mustard variety that was from France and we tried to get out of using because our seed advisor pointed out that it bolted at the first sight of any stress and very early. Seems to me that variety is ideal for AHL2 drilled after wheat. We should be looking at the plants that are usually rejected after trials perhaps

 

[Andy26]

No… what you have listed is the “purpose” not “the aim”.

“This action’s aim is that there are areas of winter bird food that produce a supply of small seeds for smaller farmland birds from late autumn until late winter.”

The wording of the agreement and correspondence with DEFRA dictate that they are indeed different!

When you get to the management practices section of each option, most say they should be managed to ensure the actions aim is met. But some, (such as IPM3) state they must be managed to ensure the actions aim AND purpose is met.

Late autumn being November, winter Dec to Feb, if you can sow plants after WW and have them producing seeds by November then that's good going. I think it's just possible following Winter Barley.