clover understorey

[DrWazzock]

In my experience clover needs to be sown in the spring rather than summer as it needs to get big enough to survive winter frosts.

Clover is resistant to glyphosate but doesn't like a lot of the herbs used in winter cereals such a DFF, Flufenacet etc.

On undersown Spring cereals we have used Triad and Spruce once the clover has got to the 3 leaf stage, with no bad impact on the clover.

I would drill my winter wheat into an established clover grass ley that I'd sprayed off with glyphosate as an entry into a clover under canopy system. It would work for us as we have rotational clover leys anyway. I've done oilseed rape this way but the rape canopy smothered the clover. Should be OK with wheat though I haven't tried it. Might be a leather jacket problem as well.

 

[Great In Grass]

If you go by the rule of clover being planted into soil temperatures of 10dC+ for 10 weeks you won't go far wrong for an excellent establishment of white clover.

 

[Will Blackburn]

My crop of wheat killed out the clover understory nearly completely. Don't normally grow wheat so well.

 

[TelesnaAg]

Did the wheat shade clover and kill it or did you use pre em on wheat when sowing?

Ant....

 

[martian]

My crop of wheat killed out the clover understory nearly completely. Don't normally grow wheat so well.

Was it the clover that made the wheat so good?

 

[Will Blackburn]

Was it the clover that made the wheat so good?

I have to say the most likely cause was the FYM applied before DDing the crop in. I think I have previously been underestimating a decaying grass leys demand for soil N.

 

[DrWazzock]

I have to say the most likely cause was the FYM applied before DDing the crop in. I think I have previously been underestimating a decaying grass leys demand for soil N.

First year after grass ley we find an N deficit. 2nd year a big return, 3rd year less of a return, 4th year no difference to continuous arable. This is for four year grass leys normally ploughed out. Big return of N in 2nd year caught me out when I first started back into grass leys.

 

[Hartwig]

First year after grass ley we find an N deficit.

That sounds perfect for growing legumes after a ley !?

Anybody DDed beans or peas after grass then and which observations ?

 

[Will Blackburn]

Yes, a field half winter beans half wheat after 6 years grass. Beans loved it wheat looked under done as we didn't add any FYM to that field.