Can you beat plough and combi on small acreage?

[BenSimons]

Hi everyone, currently we put in just over 200 acres of corn, have used a plough and combination for the last 25 years, this setup is probably worth around £10k
Is there a better way of doing it than this? Long term I do want to look into direct drilling and changing our system completely but at the moment this isn’t an option and we have potatoes and maize in the rotation. We have had somebody driving the combination for years while I plough and it has worked fine, but I’m going to be on my own soon and I’m thinking how I can do it more efficiently. Have considered a cheap 4m combination as one tractor is big enough which would help a bit but not a huge amount. Thanks in advance.

 

[alomy75]

Better? This debatable. Cheaper? Probably. Easier? Most definitely. Assuming ‘corn’ means cereals you could direct drill but what are you going to do with your tates/maize?

 

[DrDunc]

What will all the direct drillers do for weed control when glysophate is banned?

 

[thorpe]

What will all the direct drillers do for weed control when glysophate is banned?

 

[Gordon Geko]

Hi everyone, currently we put in just over 200 acres of corn, have used a plough and combination for the last 25 years, this setup is probably worth around £10k
Is there a better way of doing it than this? Long term I do want to look into direct drilling and changing our system completely but at the moment this isn’t an option and we have potatoes and maize in the rotation. We have had somebody driving the combination for years while I plough and it has worked fine, but I’m going to be on my own soon and I’m thinking how I can do it more efficiently. Have considered a cheap 4m combination as one tractor is big enough which would help a bit but not a huge amount. Thanks in advance.

You could go min till/DD etc (follow the fashion) and then revert back to the plough expecting it to cure all the problems created eg grass weeds,compacted waterlogged soils etc,expensive spray bills OR just stay with present system and be a luddite You could plough land as soon as fields are cleared power harrow and roll and round up if needed before drilling In the long run you have probably got the cheapest system unless you have the very best land where min till/DD might work

 

[deere 6600]

big plough work till lunchtime hook off one pass drill on if you know there is 2 dry days easier planning

 

[whindy]

Stick with what you are doing.
Or end up over run with Grass weeds and a big chemical bill for sprays that won't kill them very well

 

[Boohoo]

What will all the direct drillers do for weed control when glysophate is banned?

Use whatever is introduced as a glyphosate replacement. Glyphosate will only be banned when the pesticide manufacturers have a more profitable replacement ready to launch.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Ask the guys in Ireland who don't have blackgrass or brome issues the reason they don't have blackgrass or brome issues.

I'll post a small clue in image form:

 

[Nearly]

Can't beat it as such but a dose of glypho and a directish drill will save some time at some part of the rotation.
Even glypho, subsoiler and combi drill has a place.

Work out the diesel use for plough and combi. Some contractors will dd for very similar money.

 

[KB6930]

We put in 1200 acres a year with a 5 furrow a 3m sumo trio doing around 2/300 a year and a 4m combi with 2 of us so 200 really shouldn't be a problem for 1 person

 

[Hilly]

What will all the direct drillers do for weed control when glysophate is banned?

Robot that can identify weeds either burn or pull ?

 

[deleted user 837354]

We put in 1200 acres a year with a 5 furrow a 3m sumo trio doing around 2/300 a year and a 4m combi with 2 of us so 200 really shouldn't be a problem for 1 person

That is interesting. How many days work would you reckon on to plough 1200 acres with your setup?

 

[KB6930]

That is interesting. How many days work would you reckon on to plough 1200 acres with your setup?

30 acre a day usually 800 acres of autumn crops average field size of 18 ish acres. The sumo plants rape and pulls up rape stubble and we do roughly 100 to 120 acres of rape a year .
I do all the ploughing the boss drives the drill in the autumn spring is easy it's all ploughed before I drill it myself

 

[Chae1]

30 acre a day usually 800 acres of autumn crops average field size of 18 ish acres. The sumo plants rape and pulls up rape stubble and we do roughly 100 to 120 acres of rape a year .
I do all the ploughing the boss drives the drill in the autumn spring is easy it's all ploughed before I drill it myself

Why do you pull up rape stubbles? Do you still plough them after pass with sumo?

 

[KB6930]

Why do you pull up rape stubbles? Do you still plough them after pass with sumo?

No just drill them with the combi same with pea ground after the viners it's usually about 40/50 acres

 

[SilliamWhale]

What will all the direct drillers do for weed control when glysophate is banned?

Probably plough or grass.

How do ploughing farmers control weeds without herbicides?

 

[Drillman]

I’ve ploughed 200 acres with a 5 furrow on my own for years. Also drilled around 600 acre with 4m combi a year as well.

200 of both on my own is a doddle

 

[BenSimons]

Thanks for everyone’s responses, seems pretty obvious what needs doing then . Only thing I would say is all our machines are from the 90’s so when people say they plough 30 acres a day with a 5 furrow, of course in a perfect day I could do that but it’s pretty rare to have a day without a snapped pin or bolt to replace, a snapped top link or bent stay, a flat tyre on the plough or a dodgy sensor on the tractor or something else. Maybe your machines are newer and it’s not such an issue.

 

[Drillman]

Thanks for everyone’s responses, seems pretty obvious what needs doing then . Only thing I would say is all our machines are from the 90’s so when people say they plough 30 acres a day with a 5 furrow, of course in a perfect day I could do that but it’s pretty rare to have a day without a snapped pin or bolt to replace, a snapped top link or bent stay, a flat tyre on the plough or a dodgy sensor on the tractor or something else. Maybe your machines are newer and it’s not such an issue.

Up until 18 months ago we were using a 1990s 5 furrow plough. Best day was 40 acre with it, pulled with a 18 year old tractor.. 30 was easy enough even with the daily pitstop to change points on our land.

the purchase of a bigger tractor dictated a change of plough otherwise it probably still be here.