How do you manage for your next crop if you chop a biggish crop of wheat straw i am ploughing will it plough down ok or will it be a night mare to manage the following crop never done it before have plenty straw baled for myself now with last years carry over could sell it but if if this dambed wet showery carries on thinking of chopping its all new to me
Chopping straw
- Thread starter Gedd
- Start date
- Location
- Lincolnshire.
Ploughing works fine here. In a very wet season the longer stubble could be ploughed back up the following year but by then it is very fragile and won’t hinder that year’s cropping. Nice clean start for the crop too
Take skimmers off plough if trash builds up in plough.Doesn’t look pretty but gets job done.
Ploughing fine. Other options can be problematic.
casper74
Member
- Location
- North Yorkshire
I have sometime chopped headlands when weather is 
and if I think I have enough straw, always ploughed in no bother and had no bother with Simba x-press working the top, most combines seem to be able spread it a fair way now.
and if I think I have enough straw, always ploughed in no bother and had no bother with Simba x-press working the top, most combines seem to be able spread it a fair way now.I have wondered this. I think part of the idea is that the flora and fauna and soil structure improves so much that the straw and compaction are no longer issues. For those on the journey, LD subsoilers, straw rakes and slug pellets are available to help. I am cynical after seeing dramatic combine rows in a neighbours DD wheat crop in last year’s easy combining season.
- Location
- North Yorkshire
I'm going to put chopper on for last field of barley as it's getting late now. Plan to follow with OSR, was intending to DD but I think I'll broadcast off the back of the Sumo now, any thoughts? Though I'd follow with a good dose of slug pellets and a bit of N?
alomy75
Member
Ploughing down a lot of straw will leave an anaerobic layer at depth which, when the following crop’s roots hit it will make it sick. DD with a tine drill is fine but disc could be trouble. If I had a lot of straw I think (if I wasn’t dd) I’d mix up the top layer with a short disc then plough it down. Ploughing will do a better job like this too. Not called max-till for no reason (tin hat on)
- Location
- North West
We chop 50-70% of our straw (wheat and barley) never been an issue ploughing it down of min tilled. We'll usually do a light pass with the discs after cutting to get a chit it allows helps the plough bury the trash.
- Location
- Lincolnshire.
On silty clay I wouldn’t recommend mixing before ploughing. It’s fine if it doesn’t rain but is potentially a mess if it turns wet. We haven’t had a problem with an impenetrable layer of straw. However we plough 2/3 of our ground most years so compaction isn’t a problem on our soils.
CORK
Member
- Location
- East Cork, Ireland
This is our approach here too. We get a government grant to chop and incorporate straw (Carbon sequestration).
Getting the chopped straw in contact with the soil and its microorganisms as soon as possible after harvesting seems to be important to get it to break down quicker. We just give it a relatively shallow (2-3”) run of an Amazone Catros asap after harvesting.
The mixing should only be done in good conditions though. Doing the cultivation in relatively dry conditions will also help destroy slugs and their eggs.
Going early with the light cultivation also gives the soil time to settle and weatherproof again before the autumn.
- Location
- Lincolnshire.
Of course unnecessary cultivation costs money and emissions. As the plough makes its mark year on year the soil structure will improve and anaerobic conditions will be much less likely. These conditions promote below ground biomass production as rooting improves year on year, again reducing the need for “pre mixing”. This process can be thought of as a “positive feedback loop”.
Gormers
Member
- Location
- east yorkshire
It will plough down no problem done it many times
alomy75
Member
Interesting. I take it then you didn’t go to Groundswell this year?!
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Best left to weather a bit before ploughing in. Better still with some muck on.
Lot depends on quality of chop so get blades sharpened.
In big crops we have often lightly disced it before ploughing. But always roll after to avoid a layer of chocolate pudding if it rains, or reducing grip if it doesn't.
Lot depends on quality of chop so get blades sharpened.
In big crops we have often lightly disced it before ploughing. But always roll after to avoid a layer of chocolate pudding if it rains, or reducing grip if it doesn't.
Jo28
Member
- Location
- East Yorks
And what did they say?
- Location
- Lincolnshire.
Unfortunately I was busy, maybe next year.