Alley cropping anyone tried it?

[HarryB97]

Our agronomist was telling us that when he was in France lots of farmers divide their fields up into blocks of different crops rather than having a field of just one crop. The theory being that beneficial insects will benefit from different crops, if weed control is bad in one type of crop one year then only a section of the field will have poor control and if one soil type favours one type of crop it should do better. I was thinking about doing a trial field or two as we are ring fenced so logistics are not an issue or am I wasting my time?

 

[Brisel]

Nothing to do with Napoleonic inheritance laws dividing every farm dozens of times then?

My farm has been subdivided many times. The average field size used to be 45 acres, now it's around 15. Mostly divided up by beetle banks and game covers. No reductions in fungicide bills & it's a logistical nightmare vs the 200 acre blocks I used to run. No reduction in pests like autumn aphids or cabbage stem flea beetle. On the plus side the boss loves it & it's teeming with wildlife. No summer insecticides applied in wheat for years. No WOBM to speak of nor grain aphids.

 

[teslacoils]

There are strip system fields on the Isle of Axholme. Just a few. Used to be a lot.

Was a lot.
Now a few.

Wonder why that's is? May as well go back to bloody horses, stooking crops, outside toilets, cholera and an earth-centric model of the universe.

 

[snarling bee]

Wonder why that's is? May as well go back to bloody horses, stooking crops, outside toilets, cholera and an earth-centric model of the universe.
[/QUOTE]

That's probably what XR are talking about when they fly away on their half term week in the sun.

 

[Flat 10]

Our agronomist was telling us that when he was in France lots of farmers divide their fields up into blocks of different crops rather than having a field of just one crop. The theory being that beneficial insects will benefit from different crops, if weed control is bad in one type of crop one year then only a section of the field will have poor control and if one soil type favours one type of crop it should do better. I was thinking about doing a trial field or two as we are ring fenced so logistics are not an issue or am I wasting my time?

Try it and tell us. GPS should make doing alternate spray widths easy. I would try something where spray drift is unlikely to be a big problem, eg wheat and barley.

 

[HarryB97]

Try it and tell us. GPS should make doing alternate spray widths easy. I would try something where spray drift is unlikely to be a big problem, eg wheat and barley.

It definitely is appealing but alternative spray widths may be a bit complex especially with spray drift and filling in the sfp form etc, was thinking about thirds or half or fields initially.

 

[Flat 10]

It definitely is appealing but alternative spray widths may be a bit complex especially with spray drift and filling in the sfp form etc, was thinking about thirds or half or fields initially.

That’s not alley cropping then is it?

 

[HarryB97]

Nothing to do with Napoleonic inheritance laws dividing every farm dozens of times then?

My farm has been subdivided many times. The average field size used to be 45 acres, now it's around 15. Mostly divided up by beetle banks and game covers. No reductions in fungicide bills & it's a logistical nightmare vs the 200 acre blocks I used to run. No reduction in pests like autumn aphids or cabbage stem flea beetle. On the plus side the boss loves it & it's teeming with wildlife. No summer insecticides applied in wheat for years. No WOBM to speak of nor grain aphids.

Potentially but don't no much about Napoleonic history! I imagine you're right and long term there will be a natural reduction in field sizes as we are back to a mixed farm and large fields are more of a pain now stock is back on the ground

 

[HarryB97]

That’s not alley cropping then is it?

Half way house initially before fully commiting as if it's a pain on a larger scale with bigger plots then it'll be a nightmare on alternative spray widths!

 

[Flat 10]

Half way house initially before fully commiting as if it's a pain on a larger scale with bigger plots then it'll be a nightmare on alternative spray widths!

But I’m not sure you will see the benefits otherwise. Try it and let us know

 

[HarryB97]

But I’m not sure you will see the benefits otherwise. Try it and let us know

Give the neighbours something to laugh at if nothing else!