Changing to no till on 300 acres

petemelv

Member
Mixed Farmer
We are looking to move down the regen route, mob grazing and no till, we have around 300 acres of arable (decent ground thats been pretty much spring barley and winter wheat for years) that we are looking to direct drill after a cover crop next year, there is another part of the farm that when I prove it works will probably come into rotation. My question is, I'm up for selling the plough and seeder that we have to fund a direct drill but its still miles away from anything I can find. How do I get going on 300 acres with a limited budget.
 

Banana Bar

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bury St Edmunds
We are looking to move down the regen route, mob grazing and no till, we have around 300 acres of arable (decent ground thats been pretty much spring barley and winter wheat for years) that we are looking to direct drill after a cover crop next year, there is another part of the farm that when I prove it works will probably come into rotation. My question is, I'm up for selling the plough and seeder that we have to fund a direct drill but its still miles away from anything I can find. How do I get going on 300 acres with a limited budget.
3 metre JD 750a at Manns, no idea on price but it’s a perfect place to start.
 

boasley

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
East Devon
I'm doing something similar on about 300 acres. 3 metre Simba Freeflow is a good drill for a few thousand pounds if you can find a tidy one, then loads of options to put different legs on it. Mine's running on Simtech Aitchison tines, it will drill into anything, total cost of drill and tines about £6k, 150 hp on front, happy days...
 

Smithy67

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fife
As above, I have a 3m Simba Freeflow on Metcalfe points. Does a super job.
I went cold turkey in 2015 which with hindsight was making life difficult for myself, might have made it easier by maybe doing a couple of years non inversion, one year at 6inches the second at four but if you already have grass and dung you may be starting from a better position. That's only an opinion by the way! Good Luck.
 
rob allen
has some nice
c o for sale
can pass his details on
 

Attachments

  • FF8E4394-19EF-4A5E-8D83-57E9BA1A672E.jpeg
    FF8E4394-19EF-4A5E-8D83-57E9BA1A672E.jpeg
    316 KB · Views: 0
  • 8B775E6F-4EB4-452B-B5B1-8768CA16F2AD.jpeg
    8B775E6F-4EB4-452B-B5B1-8768CA16F2AD.jpeg
    329.9 KB · Views: 0

David.

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
J11 M40
You will probably have a keen near neighbour with the latest kit available to man, who will come and drill some for you for £20 something an acre.
It is a low risk way to try the system before committing to what may be the wrong tool.
And the neighbours will be impressed when they think you have bought a new tractor and Sky drill, or whatever.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
design the rest of the system, rotation , nutrition etc before you worry a put what drill

the drill is a detail in successful regen ag

use a contractor until you have it working then probably a used 750a or VOS converted CO would be my choice
 

petemelv

Member
Mixed Farmer
Yeah true clive , just want to get going. Feel like there is going to be a wave of people going regen this year/next year so trying to get a jump on snapping up a drill before they all dissappear.
 

willyorkshire

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
East Yorkshire
design the rest of the system, rotation , nutrition etc before you worry a put what drill

the drill is a detail in successful regen ag

use a contractor until you have it working then probably a used 750a or VOS converted CO would be my choice
Interesting, I don't disagree with your approach. We actually searched out the drill to drill as we wanted, looked at a few drills and some crops but not that plentiful on Yorks wolds yet. In second year of strip till into break crop and wheat stubbles, all chopped straw. Few issues so far. Sold old drill to part fund, now down to one tractor and SP sprayer. Still plough one in six for pots and vining peas - reluctantly. Feel it's undoing the work of minimal disturbance.
 

Badshot

Member
Location
Kent
Tbh going from a plough based system to DD, I'd go with a tine, but it'd need to be able to cope with a cover crop.
The Atchison is probably the simplest and most capable.

I'd only look at a disc sometime down the line personally.

And then it'd be a gd, mates got a JD, it's good, but a lot less forgiving than the gd.
The gd always covers the seed, the JD often leaves an open slot.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 65 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.1%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

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

    Votes: 6 3.2%

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

  • 1,287
  • 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