Biting the hand that feeds you.

[Clive]

Zero till has completely failed this planting season
Abd if thats not the case why are so many ploughing who have never ploughed for years

i can show you many, many examples of failed plough establishment this year around the countryside , its been difficult no matter what system you use,

I have plenty off decent looking zerotill crops growing here if you want to come have a look around I’m happy to show you

it’s a far more wether safe system than cultivation that’s for sure

 

[Clive]

I do an avarage if 1000 miles a week driving around the country . I know what i see . Ploughed ground everywhere where you have not seen a plough for years . The only way to dry ground now is get a plough in it

I saw a cow once, does that make me an expert dairy farmer ?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I forgot what the old people tought me that a plough dries ground . After 2 years messing the plough us back

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I saw a cow once, does that make me an expert dairy farmer ?

No but if you saw a 100 herds of cows out grazing would you then argue that it was not an early spring , you cant argue against fact

 

[Tim W]

Do many gardeners garden without digging over their garden first ?

Yes ...but that doesn't mean we throw the spade away
There is a time for everything including both the plough & mintil

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Why do min tillers always sound like vegans

 

[Sid]

Why do min tillers always sound like vegans

And Nuffield scholars!

 

[ajd132]

Yes ...but that doesn't mean we throw the spade away
There is a time for everything including both the plough & mintil

Only if you want to carry all the extra cost ‘just incase’.
Doing zero till and ploughing within the same rotation is utterly pointless and defeats the whole point of the farming system. It’s not about establishment it’s so much more, most cannot understand this though and see farming systems as just different lumps of metal to drag about. Actually understanding whole farm ecology and soil biology is not what this industry has been taught to do. So we are slaves to corporate giants and hooked on a treadmill of synthetics.
learn rather than being told.

 

[Hilly]

Yes ...but that doesn't mean we throw the spade away
There is a time for everything including both the plough & mintil

Two lots of equipment raises costs ?

 

[Chris F]

I do an avarage if 1000 miles a week driving around the country . I know what i see . Ploughed ground everywhere where you have not seen a plough for years . The only way to dry ground now is get a plough in it

If I was a no-till farmer and ploughing was the only way to get a crop in, I'd do it if it was financially a beneficial move to my farm. You might not consider it ideal, but farming isn't a religious set of rules, you have a lot of tools to get the job done and pick the right one's for each season (i know you are all secretly wishing you had a Triton drill right now). I think the "reset" button, as I've heard it called, has been pressed a few times this season.

That said, if the ground is so wet that you can't drill. Is trying to plough it that good of an idea in the first place? Truth is best intentions and making money don't always go hand in hand.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

I do an avarage if 1000 miles a week driving around the country . I know what i see . Ploughed ground everywhere where you have not seen a plough for years . The only way to dry ground now is get a plough in it

Bout like setting your house on fire to heat up dinner. It does work every time, no doubt.

 

[2wheels]

Only if you want to carry all the extra cost ‘just incase’.
Doing zero till and ploughing within the same rotation is utterly pointless and defeats the whole point of the farming system. It’s not about establishment it’s so much more, most cannot understand this though and see farming systems as just different lumps of metal to drag about. Actually understanding whole farm ecology and soil biology is not what this industry has been taught to do. So we are slaves to corporate giants and hooked on a treadmill of synthetics.
learn rather than being told.

a lot obviously depends on soil type. a free draining soil lends itself to all types of tillage/no till whereas the heavy wetter types demand careful handling but i'm stating the obvious.

 

[ajd132]

a lot obviously depends on soil type. a free draining soil lends itself to all types of tillage/no till whereas the heavy wetter types demand careful handling but i'm stating the obvious.

I think heavier soils actually lend themselves to no till more

 

[SteveHants]

Well I like haggis and most supermarkets stock them.

That is the point of this thread, right?

 

[Two Tone]

Here we go again, the old No-till/Min-till/ Ploughing argument!

Different Farms, different farmers in different areas.

I’d could argue that there are only 2 farmers in my area that got all their drilling done on time in good conditions and we (I am one of them) ploughed the whole lot in good conditions. No waiting or messing about delaying drilling because we didn’t need to. The plough being our major tool to combat BG.

BUT, NONE OF THIS IS THE POINT!!!

I acknowledge and admire those who can make other systems work. I’m very envious and I wish them well.

HOWEVER, it is important that a balanced view is given to those policy makers that don’t understand ALL the challenges of ALL farms in ALL areas.
AND that they AREN’T OVER-INFLUENCED BY A FEW THAT THINK THEIR WAY IS THE ONLY WAY!


We don’t all farm “Boys” land.

 

[Hampton]

And Nuffield scholars!

Because if you claim you are re inventing the wheel you tend to get freee jollies

 

[7610 super q]

If I was a no-till farmer and ploughing was the only way to get a crop in, I'd do it if it was financially a beneficial move to my farm. You might not consider it ideal, but farming isn't a religious set of rules, you have a lot of tools to get the job done and pick the right one's for each season (i know you are all secretly wishing you had a Triton drill right now). I think the "reset" button, as I've heard it called, has been pressed a few times this season.

That said, if the ground is so wet that you can't drill. Is trying to plough it that good of an idea in the first place? Truth is best intentions and making money don't always go hand in hand.

Neither does sitting around waiting for perfection. If I waited for perfect conditions, I'd have planted nothing since 1994. It's all a gamble.

 

[spin cycle]

It will be hard to find Norfolk

lots of butchers round here sell it january ......year round haggis maybe not

 

[spin cycle]

Tame Haggis is easy to find, wild Haggis on the other hand requires ninja like skills to track and capture!

much the same as beaver then

 

[Sid]

Because if you claim you are re inventing the wheel you tend to get freee jollies

Bit like a consultant pinching ideas from you to sell on to the next guy he visits and charging YOU for the privilege!