Blackgrass reduction with DD

[York]

To be honest I went into DD thinking it would help BG. And initially it did, but crops looked hungry on the back of no mineralisation.....so I added fertility in the form of manures and starter ferts, and the BG came back!

Now I DD cos I genuinely find it easier asto what I should or shouldn't be doing.

I'm sure all these stacked residuals are knackering soil life in the top inch.

Spring oats / barley can cope with 10x the blackgrass wheat can

Blackgrass doesn't really compete with beans or decent OSR

Winter cereals don't suit no till on well bodied soils unless you have big summer covers or Knee high OSR vols to get the water out.

Photo below shows (dead) thistles doing their part of structuring and wicking water out....not all weeds are enemies.....

That's the reason that they are around. They have a purpose in nature....
they are only enemies for your pocket unless you can sell them for a profit. Maybe a new enterprise to seel the thistles as flowers in shops?
York-Th.

 

[warksfarmer]

so a tool to get out the hedge
I wonder if this combination of front "ripper" and DD in the back is not just a short term thing and in the end, let's say in 10 years, you will desperately look down the road as you can't afford it as each time you had to go deeper.
Jim, I just want to encourage you to read once more Hands on Agronomy and do 2 spilt fields for 5 years consequently. As Neal Kinsey said, and I see it on several farms, this BG is a soil structure problem and soil structure is made by soil chemistry. And YES, you can change it.
The pity is that too many are not even doing this trial on 2 split fields for 5 years as they give up after 1 year as they don't see a instant fix.
Look the BG problem wasn't coming up over night, so give it some time to be sorted out as well.
York-Th.
p.s. I'm not after opening a can of forms again.

Who says Neil Kinsey is right?

Do you believe the bible to be fact or just a long winded book that should be in the fiction department of the local bookstore?

 

[SilliamWhale]

Who says Neil Kinsey is right?

Do you believe the bible to be fact or just a long winded book that should be in the fiction department of the local bookstore?

Don't start Lee. I've asked this wise old German sage for some science to back it up for a while now and surprisingly for big fan of science York hasn't come up with much, and not only that York doesn't like it when people question him in the absence of much data which is why I'm on his ignore list.

The ironic thing is that if this albrecht stuff is based on chemistry it ought to be easily testable and provable. And it doesn't seem to be, which is why its totally reasonable to ask the questions York doesn't want us to ask and he doesn't know how to answer beyond being patronising towards people from the "island".

 

[warksfarmer]

Don't start Lee. I've asked this wise old German sage for some science to back it up for a while now and surprisingly for big fan of science York hasn't come up with much, and not only that York doesn't like it when people question him in the absence of much data which is why I'm on his ignore list.

The ironic thing is that if this stuff is based on chemistry it ought to be easily testable and provable. And it doesn't seem to be, which is why its totally reasonable to ask the questions York doesn't want us to ask and he doesn't know how to answer beyond being patronising towards people from the "island".

Now thats how to say it!

 

[SilliamWhale]

Well I don't mind being wrong and I don't mind people disagreeing with me.

But I think its wrong to patronise people simply because the the theory espoused doesn't appear convincing.

 

[York]

Who says Neil Kinsey is right?

Do you believe the bible to be fact or just a long winded book that should be in the fiction department of the local bookstore?

Sorry Lee,
he is still around. Don't know how many truly independent consultants in Ag industry can look at a over 40 years successful consulting history and still be on the market with increasing demand and also still independent.
Hope you can look at his age on a similar record. As farmer this would be, besides other aspects, a farm which looks much better than you took it over.
York-Th.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I didn't put it up...I tell you Simon, he's worshipped like a God here, bit like the Duke of Edinburgh in the South Sea Islands

And Norman wisdom in Albania become to think of it (true)

 

[Colin]

Now thats how to say it!

Don't poke the bear!

 

[York]

Don't poke the bear!

Now if I'm meant, it's not a bear but a "german Oak" where a swine rubs
Concerning believes in religion, I follow our famous King Friedrich II, King of Prussia which is attributed to:
Let every man seek heaven in his own fashion.
York-Th.

 

[Colin]

Now if I'm meant, it's not a bear but a "german Oak" where a swine rubs
Concerning believes in religion, I follow our famous King Friedrich II, King of Prussia which is attributed to:
Let every man seek heaven in his own fashion.
York-Th.

I'm not rubbing against you! And not just because I'm not a pig