Cambridge rolls to desiccate cover crops?

James999

Member
What are peoples views and experiences on rolling cover crops to desicate them on a frost?
We have a mix of Tillage radish, Lilla Phacellia and Ovidio Berseen Clover on some land going into spring crops.
we drill using a Weaving Sabre tine and I am worried about having to much trash in the spring for the drill?
Ideally would graze with sheep but struggling to find some locally.
And advise of experiences?
 

grainboy

Member
Location
Bedfordshire
You need this
A4178650-A6B3-47C9-8594-214DBB862B87.png
 

James999

Member
Well the idea is I don’t want to use glyphosate and we have a 12m set of heavy dalbo rolls in the shed so now we have some frost a coming through to crack and bruise the plants letting the frost get into them? Just not sure how successful it is?
A crimper roller like pictured above would be ideal! Looks the part
 

Jerry

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Devon
Well the idea is I don’t want to use glyphosate and we have a 12m set of heavy dalbo rolls in the shed so now we have some frost a coming through to crack and bruise the plants letting the frost get into them? Just not sure how successful it is?
A crimper roller like pictured above would be ideal! Looks the part

Think there’s crimper roller options in the current grant scheme though that’s prob too late for this year??
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
Well the idea is I don’t want to use glyphosate and we have a 12m set of heavy dalbo rolls in the shed so now we have some frost a coming through to crack and bruise the plants letting the frost get into them? Just not sure how successful it is?
A crimper roller like pictured above would be ideal! Looks the part
We are just Cambridge rolling our mustard cover crops after a hard frost to dessicate them before ploughing in.
 

Warnesworth

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Chipping Norton
No chance of it working
What he said^. Plenty try and fail. Crimpers don’t have enough crimps imho. You need a good solid minus 4 for any sort of success apparently.
Flailing may work providing the cut material has broken down enough by the time you want to drill, or you’re into a blocking drill world of pain.
 

Fish

Member
Location
North yorkshire
Done this several times, but only on a solid frost, -6 or below with frozen ground and with the cover crop still cover with frost, as soon as the temperatures recover and the frost comes off, I stop.
If done as above, the Radish will be history, the Phacellia may recover, is berseen frost hardy ?
The reason I have done this in the past is to open the cover crop up to expose the small grass weeds that might escape the pre drill glypho.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
What he said^. Plenty try and fail. Crimpers don’t have enough crimps imho. You need a good solid minus 4 for any sort of success apparently.
Flailing may work providing the cut material has broken down enough by the time you want to drill, or you’re into a blocking drill world of pain.
I flail topped and left 2-3 months. But actually, in hindsight, the late topped material, 2 days before drilling, did a better job. Possibly the root structure was maintained?
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,290
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top