- Location
- Darlington
New posts for me too. Far to small and insignificant to achieve DD but massively interested in soil structure and conservation.I check the new posts bit, at risk of sounding like a stalker I tend to read your posts
New posts for me too. Far to small and insignificant to achieve DD but massively interested in soil structure and conservation.I check the new posts bit, at risk of sounding like a stalker I tend to read your posts
its ok I've found the light in brexitGet out!!, if it's dark you've obviously not seen the light!
Interesting and inspiring, as ever Brisel, and thank you. Looks a good system, though think I'd keep the wb in front of WOSR, very handy to of dealt with volunteers and have the osr land ready to drill before the wheat etc is ready to cut. Its also the most profitable of all straw crops/ac to sell, and doable easier in July than chasing wheat straw in September when its wet. Even at £35/40/t theres the thick end of a hundred quid an acre added to the top line.
What cover crops are you growing?
Spud
I'm trying a few out this autumn, but stubble turnips will feature where I have a weed problem. Growing them for the cattle cleaned up the land a treat. That's the Golden Hoof at work.
The aim of the cover crops is partly for wildlife above ground as well as soil structure below it. The focus on more soil friendly mixes will come in time as I head for true no till. There's much to learn in the mean time.
Why winter barley? Negative net margin, more grass weeds & with DD and a reduced area there's less time needed between crops. Nothing wrong with it - it just doesn't fit in here as well any more. It used to be great. Early start to harvest, time for straw baling & compost spreading before an early entry into osr. Potential to get nearly half the farm harvested in July too. Whatever suits your system. I've changed mine. I'm not bothered by wheat straw - worthless to sell here & always followed by a spring crop anyway.
What's wrong with your same oat/mustard mixture? Do you grow other brassicas in that rotation?
New posts for me too. Far to small and insignificant to achieve DD but massively interested in soil structure and conservation.
No Brassicas, and it works well pre spring beans and potatoes, I'd just rather not have an oat cover before an oat crop ideally (and keen to do a bit of learning trying other things to tweak the system) What I'm not keen for is a £ heavy megamix offered by some of the seed houses at cereals!
The rotation on the land in question is Spring oats, (spring break cleans things up, not barley land, good straw from them, low risk to grow, no slugs, competitive against grassweeds) 2xww, Winter beans (grassweed control, efa, diversity, lowers risk) 2xww and back to s oats.
Brisel
Forget the mankini you can join BASE-UK wear your normal clothes and be with 175 like minded farmers enjoying the benefits of Conservation Agriculture.
which ones youThat number will soon be 176! I spoke to Steve at Groundswell & thought that BASE would be a worthwhile investment
thats the plough manThe black one, hiding in plain sight
I do keep looking at them and must say, have been tempted. Think there would be a bit of a market for repairing pastures and establishing cover crops at worst.We were in the same situation and bought a Moores drill and have been impressed with the results.
At £4000 i think it will of about payed for itself in the first year