Clover in arable rotation?

[haybob]

Any thoughts/opinions on a Clover, Clover, wheat, wheat rotation? Thought it might fit in well with my 4 arable fields. Trying to come up with a simple rotation without growing OSR . Would a ley be better with grass in it or would it be a pain in the following wheat? Any value in Clover hay?

 

[teslacoils]

Ab15 stewardship then several wheats.

Grass, clover etc won't get close to stewardship money.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Do you have any stock ?
Clover hay not that easy to make, put some grass with it , but im sure your aware that if you growing crops to sell off as fodder your removing a fair few nutrients despite what the clover puts back

 

[haybob]

Yes forgot to mention the sheep. I was thinking of grazing white Clover leys for 2x years then back to wheat for 2 years

 

[L P]

Works well here, although organic, try and let clover go to seed second year

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Yes forgot to mention the sheep. I was thinking of grazing white Clover leys for 2x years then back to wheat for 2 years

I would go semi Herbal
Chicory Red/ White Clover and Hybrid Ryegrass , little red would be fine with sheep and a lot more productive than white

 

[Nitrams]

Ab15 stewardship then several wheats.

Grass, clover etc won't get close to stewardship money.

Give us the lowdonn on ab15 pls

 

[teslacoils]

Give us the lowdonn on ab15 pls

Plant a load of clovers.
Year one top them a lot. Get £200+/ac
Year two top once, leave, mow and bale August. Get £209+/AC
Plough out into wheat.

There's a bit more than that - getting the stuff growing in the first place for one - but it's good Dosh.

 

[Kevtherev]

Yes forgot to mention the sheep. I was thinking of grazing white Clover leys for 2x years then back to wheat for 2 years

If you have sheep then maybe some stubble turnips/grass clover in a rotation between cereals?

 

[jack6480]

Rent it to a poor dairy farmer

 

[Foxcover]

WW/spring linseed/WW/spring beans with winter covers before the spring crops?
Good entry for wheat.

 

[Flat 10]

Give us the lowdonn on ab15 pls

It has its own lengthy thread

 

[DrWazzock]

If you have sheep then maybe some stubble turnips/grass clover in a rotation between cereals?

I’d put grass and clover in. Ryegrass and clover leys. We do that. Fattens lambs well with no cake needed. Clover alone will be too much protein and not enough sugars for livestock. Never had a problem with the grass in rotation with wheat though best not let the grass go to seed.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I’d put grass and clover in. Ryegrass and clover leys. We do that. Fattens lambs well with no cake needed. Clover alone will be too much protein and not enough sugars for livestock. Never had a problem with the grass in rotation with wheat though best not let the grass go to seed.

Don't forget chicory
The mix I put in here is 3 kg clover 0.75kg Chicory 6.5kg Highenergy Ryegrass

 

[DeeGee]

Rent it to a poor dairy farmer

Could prove to be a bit tricky……..

 

[Boysground]

Rent it to a poor dairy farmer

Or forget the payments grow Lucerne for 3 years at least and sell the silage to a nice dairy farmer

No N a little p&k and lots of soil n afterwards

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[DrWazzock]

Don't forget chicory
The mix I put in here is 3 kg clover 0.75kg Chicory 6.5kg Highenergy Ryegrass

Indeed. And we’ve stitched in clover and chicory with good results.

 

[skye @ bofin]

WW/spring linseed/WW/spring beans with winter covers before the spring crops?
Good entry for wheat.

If you grow spring beans, you should take a look at the NCS project - The ambition of the project is to increase pulse cropping in arable rotations to 20% across the UK (currently 5%). In addition, up to 50% of imported soya meal used in livestock feed rations can be replaced with home-grown legumes. Both of these aims will be steered by science and proven by real farm enterprises, with significant benefits for both crop and livestock productivity, including cost savings of over £1bn/year.

We have a knowledge-exchange platform set up known as PulsePEP which you can join here. Our farmer members of PulsePEP are invited to attend our workshop for free on 11 September in Peterborough to discuss what the first set of paid on-farm trials should focus on when looking at knowledge gaps.

 

[ollie989898]

Or forget the payments grow Lucerne for 3 years at least and sell the silage to a nice dairy farmer

No N a little p&k and lots of soil n afterwards

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I would want slurry or similar back for this.

Red clover for two years would also be worth considering. Would be a lovely entry for winter wheat.