Countryside Seeds Ltd

Countryside Seeds Ltd

As of the 1st July a slight change to the business, it's become incorporated and with it a change of name. Farm machinery sales have not been a part of Farm Equip's business for a number of years and we felt now was the time for a new name to reflect more of what we do, so Countryside Seeds Limited was born.

We still offer friendly service and advice with up to date products at keen prices.

Company History

Farm Equip was launched by myself (Kevin) on the 1st January 1980. Initially selling farm consumables from the back of a yellow transit van.

Over the past few years the business has become almost predominately the sale of seed in its varies guises where it be a single bag of lawn seed to tonnes of grass/cereal seed.

I am in the very lucky position to be a distributor for some of the UK’s leading seed houses which include Barenbrug UK Ltd, DLF Trifolium Ltd, Grainseed Ltd and Soya UK to name a few.

I am more than happy to work with the customer on compiling their own mixture.

To contact me you may PM through the forum or I am very happy to be telephoned on 07881 804442.
Email: [email protected]

As like a lot of you I'm self employed so no 9-5 here so please telephone at your convenience.

 

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Barenbrug's "High D" A highly productive short-term Italian ley.

The concept
High D is a highly productive Italian ley, which will give exceptional crops for silage, hay or grazing from a high input system. It is ideal for growers who want to produce the maximum amount of forage possible from their own land.

High D has a very long growing season; its exceptional spring growth makes it ideal for lamb finishing or early turnout. An early grazing can be followed by up to four cuts of quality silage and a late flush for grazing.

THE REASONS

• Includes BARMULTRA II, which combines exceptional spring growth with 1st cut yields of 107% and 2nd cut of 101% of control varieties
• A 1st cut at the end of May, following a spring grazing will produce 70+D value silage, with a 2nd cut 5 weeks later

The product
How to manage and get the most out of it

• A 1st cut at the end of May, following a spring grazing will produce 70+D value silage, with a 2nd cut 5 weeks later
• Responds very positively to high levels of fertility, by producing 20% more yield than long-term leys
• Grows down to 3°C soil temperature extending the growing season for store lambs or wintering hoggs

In the bag
7.00Kg Abys - Italian ryegrass (DIP)
4.00Kg Barmultra II - Italian ryegrass (TET)
3.00Kg Gemini - Italian ryegrass

Facts
Sowing rate 14 - kg per acre

PROVEN PERFORMANCE

• Designed for use in England and Wales
• Uses all Herbage Varieties Guide recommended varieties

 

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STUBBLE TURNIPS: With the great possibility of some varieties of stubble turnips being in short supply for 2015 we are urging people to order early. Listed below are two varieties Barkant (D) and Barabas (T) which are in stock, Vollenda, we are waiting on this years crop and hopefully (barring any crop failure) will be available early August.

Please PM for a price.

Barkant (diploid)

A proven and reliable, Barenbrug-bred variety that is high yielding, versatile, highly nutritious, traditional stubble turnip with early maturity (60 to 90 days). Characterised by a much higher proportion of leaf compared to other turnips and its tankard shaped bulb, two thirds of which grows above ground, enhances utilisation. Suitable for summer forage and can provide autumn/early winter feed. It’s winter hardy, highly digestible with high dry matter yield.

Barabas (T)

Full-leaved late tetraploid bulbing with very good early vigour. Proven very palatable to grazing animals with good disease resistance. This stubble turnip variety has been very successful wherever it has been used throughout the UK and with some farmers proclaiming as the best stubble turnip variety they have encountered! Barabas is an excellent, reliable, Barenbrug-bred variety.

Stubble Turnips are very flexible. It can be sown either in a standing crop of cereals, straight after the cereal harvest or perhaps after early potatoes.

Why grow Stubble Turnips?

• Perfect alternative to silage
• Fast growing catch crop
• Autumn or winter feed
• Economical to grow
• Flexible sowing options
• Helps reduce winter feed costs

Sowing rate
Broadcast - 8kg/ha (3.2kg/acre)
Drilled - 5kg/ha (2kg/acre)

Pack size Available in 5kg packs

Essential information:
Sow April to June for summer use or July to early September for autumn use, a well grown catch crop can provide you with up to 40 tonnes per acre of palatable feed from October through to December.

Around 20kgs of stubble turnips will be roughly equal in energy value to either 2kg of barley of 4.5kg of high quality hay.

An average autumn crop will provide one days grazing for 1,000 ewes or 500 cows per acre.

 

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About Barenbrug;

From its founding days in 1904 the Royal Barenbrug Group has grown into a global seed company with breeding and research stations on five continents. Still privately owned, our knowledge and experience of grass seed is second to none. The Royal Barenbrug Group is a globally operating seed company, headquartered in the Netherlands.To this day, the Barenbrug Group remains an independent family business.

After more than 100 years of experience, our international reputation is still based on our core values of Innovation, Quality, Marketing and Partnership. We specialise in plant breeding, seed production and the international marketing of forage crops and turf grasses. Our annual turnover of 150 million euros makes us one of the largest global companies in our field. With over 550 employees and 24 branches in 15 countries on 6 continents, Barenbrug has been the leading grass seed business in the world for over 100 years.

Grass experts:
Our profession is plant breeding; selecting and developing quality cultivars with the essential, unique characteristics to meet the ever- increasing demands placed upon Groundsman for quality surfaces whatever the circumstances and farmers for top quality forage grass.

Barenbrug has been developing research stations in different climatic zones for more than 50 years.

Barenbrug has a decentralised research operation in many different countries on five continents, guaranteeing better testing and selection, offering innovation and well-adapted cultivars and species in each climatic area. It takes around 15 years to develop a new cultivar, meaning that breeding started today will only be available in 2028. This is why we spend a lot of time listening to our customers to make sure we will meet their future requirements.

Growing the grass seed here in the UK is our fundamental aim and we are one of the largest seed producers in the UK, producing around 1,700 hectares.

All Barenbrug products are designed to meet and exceed the needs of the producer. They combine the best yield, highest nutritional quality and optimum
field performance.

This performance is the result of our grass seed breeding experience combined with trial andtesting at our three UK sites at Cropvale near Evesham, Blackburn near Aberdeen and Loughgall in Northern Ireland together with on-farm trials across the country. With UK research and production at the heart of everything we do, this expertise, experience and focus on proven- performance results in our best available range of forage mixtures. The aim of all the testing is to develop new varieties and mixtures that bring increased yields,better characteristics and improved nutrition that will increase animal performance.

Tried, tested and proven;
Over 800 plots have been sown at Cropvale, these include a complete screening trial for new prospective varieties. In addition there are demonstration plots that will replicate yield information about the performance of different species compared to known varieties like Tyrella and Dunluce.

Also included in these trials are mixture trials that will give both total yield and seasonal growth information as well as sward densities and disease resistance figures for all the current and prospective BARForage leys.

Loughgall trials include 19,000 individual space plants and over 3,200 grass plots. The space plants are part of the selection process for new varieties, they are grown from the seed that is the result of crossing two parent lines, and each plant is measured and assessed over two years to see if it is suitable to be part of a new variety.

Barenbrug has around 4,700 plots harvested several times per year across the three sites.

There are a number of trials, including Barenbrug varieties of perennial ryegrass, hybrid and Italian ryegrasses, Timothy, red and white clovers, as well as all BarForage mixtures.

 

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DLF Trifolium has opened a new, state-of-the-art, mixing and distribution centre just outside Edinburgh.

At £3million, this is the largest investment in grass mixing ever seen in the UK. the new 4,000m2 site will produce all the forage grass mixtures the company sells, and has the capacity to handle up to half of the 11,000 tonnes of forage grass and clover seeds sown annually across the UK.

Bespoke automated equipment has been designed to select individual varieties from 48 raw material holding bins, then mix, pack, treat, label and palletise at the rate of one mixture batch every twelve minutes. As well as 500 standard, pre-planned mixtures, up to 3,000 ‘special mixes’ will be formulated to meet specific customer requirements. A total of 13,500 consignments will be dispatched each year.

With the capacity to handle 5,500 tonnes of mixtures and straights repacking per annum, the plant will run 24/7 during periods of peak demand in spring and late summer/autumn. Situated close to major road links orders will continue to be delivered via the company’s existing and highly regarded priority carrier network onto farms throughout the UK.

the UK and Ireland is one of the biggest mixture markets in Europe and this investment demonstrates a level of commitment to the market that is unmatched by any other competitor.

Tim Kerridge, Managing Director for DLF-Trifolium in the UK agrees there is a strong outlook for grass. “We believe forage crops will play an increasing role within UK farming, as livestock farmers strive to produce more milk and meat from home-grown feed. They know that reseeding pastures with new, higher yielding, better quality varieties of grass and clover will boost grassland productivity and animal output, whilst reducing their input costs – so we see demand for grass seed rising. Our new mixing plant will allow us to cater to the very specific demands of all our customers – and do so more quickly and efficiently than has ever been possible by anyone before.”

 

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This year's winner Michael Eavis, winner of this year’s RABDF Gold Cup uses Secure Covers;

 

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Secure Covers ready reckoner;

 

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Barenbrug Wildflower Mixes offer many benefits at Mortonhall.

Attractive, sustainable and easy to manage

David Fraser is Head Greenkeeper at Mortonhall, a beautiful tree-lined course offering immaculate greens and a large expanse of natural landscape. Founded in 1892, Mortonhall is the oldest course in the City of Edinburgh and regarded as one of Scotland’s premier clubs.

David recently implemented a wildflower programme to improve the appearance of the course’s ‘out of play’ areas. He said: “These areas had become very untidy due to old gorse, elder and damaged sycamore and the tendency for autumn leaves to collect there, encouraging weeds and nettles. We’d heard wildflower meadows are a popular low maintenance solution, so we turned to Dave Greenshields, Barenbrug Research and Development Manager, to help with seed selection and sowing methods.”

British Wildflowers

After a programme of preparation 12 months earlier, sowing began in May using a range of Barenbrug’s native British wildflower mixes. David continued: “Both BARFLORA Meadow and BARCOLOUR offer a perfect balance of biennial and perennial seed mixes, developed from many years of field trial experience. Following Dave Greenshields establishment programme, within six weeks, the quality of mixes was evident. We saw fantastic results with a 100% germination rate.

We selected three south facing sites of 700m.sq, 500m.sq and 200m.sq and took a slightly different approach at each. In some cases, steep slopes and decades of accumulating plant debris meant removing six inches of plant material first, much of it by hand!”

But by June, David’s hard work had paid off and flowers were in full bloom. Flowering continued right through to October, with different species and colours coming through at different times, offering an ever-changing rainbow of colour - highly praised by the clubs membership.

Biodiversity

As well as to improve the look of the course, David’s objective was to promote its ecology and create areas of natural biodiversity and habitat creation. He said: “The insect life encouraged by the flowering was evident from the start, but by August it was unbelievable! All sites were literally alive with bees and other insects.”

Advice for others?

David said: “Wildflower meadows can look perfectly natural on a golf course, but consideration should be given to the mix of species and ratio between grass and flowers. Think about whether you want a very natural look or whether you want lots of colour, and how each will sit alongside other areas of your course. If in doubt, speak to Dave Greenshields. He took the time to visit the club and advise on the best way forward.”

The wildflower programme at Mortonhall has been a huge success, and the sceptics have now seen the benefits of wild-flower meadows first hand. Barenbrug’s wildflower mixes not only create a highly attractive and sustainable landscape, they use only British wildflowers, providing the best habitat for local flora and fauna. They also help clubs to fulfil their environmental policies while offering an easy to maintain solution for Greenkeepers.





Products used

 

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With a comprehensive range of gamecover seeds suitable for all areas of the UK Farm Equip with Grainseed Ltd can provide all of the solutions for your shoots gamecover needs.

All Season gamecover maize blend - the original gamecover maize blend in the UK

 

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Focusing on producing 15% more energy from forage and increasing dairy margins is a realistic target for most UK dairy farmers.

 

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Farmers advised to drive red diesel savings into grass care

Strong message from Barenbrug to farmers attending Grassland UK 2015

Grassland UK 2015, Bath & West Showground, 7 May 2015
Visit Barenbrug at Stand 66

Barenbrug UK, a leading provider of agricultural grass and forage seed mixtures, is heading to Grassland UK 2015 in May with a strong message for livestock farmers. With the price of red diesel hovering around 50p/litre, compared to 67p/litre in April 2014, Barenbrug is encouraging farmers to plough any fuel savings into grassland renovation to improve productivity per acre.

Across the UK, farmers using Barenbrug grass seed have been reporting that 2014 was a good year for hay and silage production. With plentiful supplies of forage to hand plus red diesel available at a continuing low cost, Barenbrug believes there is no better time for farmers to tackle unproductive fields and consider a full reseed.

James Ingles, Head of Agriculture said: “When fuel costs drop, grass work becomes cheaper than ever. Livestock farmers across the UK would be wise to take advantage of this. Using any money saved on red diesel to make some simple investments in grassland this spring could pay real dividends later in the year. In 2014 we made lots of extra hay and silage, which is great. But now is not the time for complacency. An early or hard winter could still leave us scrapping around for fodder later in the year. Our message is clear. While red diesel prices remain low, farmers should plough on, identifying poorly performing fields, soil sample and reseed to ensure a plentiful supply of grass throughout this year and beyond.”

According to Barenbrug, the best time to reseed is when the ground is moist and warm. The soil temperature needs to be over 8°C, which is typically between April and September. Along with good fertility and some moisture this gives seeds the best possible conditions to germinate. Rolling the ground after sowing helps seed-soil contact to promote germination too. Reseeding like this allows the plant to develop a good root structure that is ready to spread and grow the following spring, so quickly increasing grass cover.

Visit Barenbrug at Grassland UK at Stand 66. - - - - Current 2015 Grass Catalogue attached below

 

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Pasture research for N mitigation
As nitrogen (N) management comes increasingly to the fore in New Zealand land use regulations, agricultural researchers have been investigating pasture and forage options that may help farmers mitigate N leaching.

As nitrogen (N) management comes increasingly to the fore in New Zealand land use regulations, agricultural researchers have been investigating pasture and forage options that may help farmers mitigate N leaching.
If these options do prove useful, says Agriseeds Pasture Systems Manager Graham Kerr, the plan is to build them into ‘Overseer’ software which models nutrient status on individual farms.
“The pastoral industry needs to measure and mitigate nitrogen leaching; this is what the NZ public is demanding, and we must have forage options for this. We don’t want to be forced into using barns or structures that may greatly reduce NZ’s competitive advantage of having animals graze pasture.”

Among options being studied are:

• Winter active pastures – “There is evidence that more winter active pastures take up more N through winter, which is the period of most N leaching on many farms. For example Italian ryegrass would be better than perennial ryegrass, which in turn is better than chicory or lucerne,” Graham says.
• Lower N crops – There is also evidence that winter crops with a lower protein content will be environmentally better. For example fodder beet could be better than kale.
• Deeper rooting pastures – “The view here is that plants with increased rooting depth will better take up soil N and lessen leaching. Different pasture species, or breeding for deeper rooting may be outcomes.”
• Different species – For example, some evidence has shown including chicory and plantain into a perennial ryegrass/white clover based pasture is decreasing N concentration in urine. Work on this is continuing, Graham says. Some plants
• produce condensed tannins (e.g. sulla and birdsfoot trefoil) which can potentially reduce N leaching. But there are limitations in adaptability of these plant species in farm systems.

Another area of research is ryegrasses with higher water soluble carbohydrate, which include all tetraploid ryegrasses, and a number of perennial ryegrasses including those marketed under ‘high sugar’ brand.
“To date there is little evidence they will have much effect in NZ pastoral systems. More data will be published this coming year.”
The next few years will bring significant change in N leaching and mitigation, Graham says. Regulation, through regional council management plans, is either in place or will exist shortly. Farmers will need to estimate losses on their farms. Caps on N leaching will become standard.
“Part of future farming systems will be how to operate profitably within these N caps, and tools that help mitigate N leaching will be an important part of NZ’s sustainable farming future.
“Significant research is going into pasture and plants, to look at how best to integrate them in farm systems to mitigate N leaching – watch this space. In the long term we are looking to breed new plants that better fit environmental objectives.”

 

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Feyenoord’s secret for the best pitch

04-02-2015 - Erwin Beltman may well be the most famous groundsman of the Netherlands. He attracted a lot of attention during the Royal Dutch Football Association’s cup final in 2014. When the beautiful pitch was ruined by fireworks thrown onto it by supporters, Beltman and his team succeeded in repairing it so well that the match could be finished.



Best premier league pitch

At the end of the 2013/2014 football season the pitch of the Feyenoord football club was proclaimed the very best premier league pitch. A feather in the cap for Beltman and his team. Nevertheless, in July it was decided to create a new sward. The many matches played on it had damaged it to such an extent that it no longer met Feyenoord’s high quality requirements.

The new pitch

The new sward was created using Barenbrug’s grass seed, more specifically Barenbrug’s RPR. RPR ensures a very dense sward. The horizontal stolons create a close-knit network of grass plants that’s virtually impossible to destroy. Thanks to the wonderful weather, Beltman was able to overseed the sward with RPR into November.




From November onwards SOS had to prove its worth. SOS is extremely suitable for use at low temperatures. That’s because SOS will germinate even at very low temperatures. Frequent overseeding with this rapidly germinating grass seed will ensure a permanently smooth sward. The aim should be to prevent bare patches, because, according to Beltman, repair efforts will be too late once bare patches have formed. Weeds such as annual meadow grass germinate very quickly and may soon ruin a sward. Beltman intends to use SOS for overseeding throughout the entire winter if possible. The team hopes to once again receive the award for the best pitch at the end of the season.

The secret
According to Beltman, the secret of a good sward is total management. For a start, the germination of grass seed can be predicted on the basis of Growing Degree Days. All you have to do is closely monitor the temperatures. Click here if you’d like to know more about this. Total management also includes overseeding. SOS is the ideal mixture for overseeding in winter. If it is done regularly, there will always be germinating seed in the soil.

Smooth sward
Thanks to the successful efforts of Beltman and his team, Feyenoord may once again very well have the best premier league pitch. That would at least be the conclusion that can be drawn from the half-time score of the pitch competition of the Dutch professional footballers’ association. RPR quickly created a sward as strong as iron, and SOS ensures that it retains its strength and smoothness.

 

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Barenbrug helps judge Fermanagh Grassland Club silage competition.

Barenbrug – a specialist in grass seed breeding and production for the agricultural industry – is working with the Fermanagh Grassland Club to judge its annual silage competition. Every year, farmers from across Fermanagh take part in the contest, comparing the quantity and quality of the silage they’ve produced during the previous twelve months.

David Linton, Barenbrug’s Regional Manager in Northern Ireland, is helping to choose the winners of the 2014/15 competition. As part of his role, David recently visited six finalists to find out about their work. Previous winner Ivan Henderson accompanied him.

David Linton said: “It was great to get around the finalists’ farms to see how well their crops of grass are managed and how their silage is utilised. The standard is high and the farmers in Fermanagh must be commended for making excellent silage in what was, at times, a difficult year. The weather in 2014 played havoc with cutting dates and opportunities to wilt grass. Yet Fermanagh farmers seemed to make the most of the good weather available with some great results.”

“Variations in the quality of the silage seem to reflect whether grass was cut before or after Balmoral Show week. The weather worsened shortly after the event and stayed unsettled for quite a few days. Grass continued to grow but at the same time it matured leaving farmers with a massive bulk of grass but with a poorer than usual quality.”

Eighteen members of the Fermanagh Grassland Club entered this year’s competition. Prize winners will be revealed at the group’s annual dinner in mid February.

 

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Leatherjacket numbers crash but farmers still advised to check key crops
The most recent survey by Scotland's Rural College indicates that, after two years of record numbers, Leatherjacket densities have plummeted. However, while this reduces the need for any chemical controls, SRUC experts urge farmers with spring crops planted after grass to monitor growth carefully and to check their soils for signs of the grubs.



Leatherjacket is the name given to the grubs of the crane fly or "daddy-long-legs" that live just below the soil and from August through to the following June, eat the roots of grasses and other plants.

Professor Davy McCracken is the SRUC Ecologist who led the survey:

"The fact that it is such a low risk year makes it even more important to conduct an assessment of any fields where the growth of crops sown after grass may be of concern. This will confirm if there is a problem and what the culprit is. Chemical controls, which are costly and have an environmental impact, should only be used where necessary."

The only permitted insecticide effective against Leatherjackets on agricultural land is chlorpyrifos. It is a chemical constantly under scrutiny by EU experts as they consider whether to permit its continued use beyond January 2018. This is something Professor McCracken believes farmers must take careful account of.

"If control measures are recommended for a particular field then whoever is applying them should remember the need to abide by "Stewardship" measures for chlorpyrifos applications. When applying chlorpyrifos for leatherjacket control only fit LERAP rated 3 star nozzles to the sprayer and establish a no-spray buffer zone within 20 metres of watercourses or within 1 metre of dry ditches. This advice is a key part of the Stewardship 'Say NO to drift' initiative which aims to support the future availability and use of insecticides containing chlorpyrifos."

SRUC has been conducted since the mid 1970's and offer a long term analysis of Leatherjacket populations. While they can put crops at risk Leatherjackets are an important food source for some farmland birds and these latest results suggest there will be less food for them this breeding season.

Assessment of leatherjacket infestations in individual fields can be undertaken as a chargeable service; details of costs are available from SAC Consulting's local offices.

SRUC receives financial support from the Scottish Government towards the cost of the Leatherjacket survey and a proportion of the remaining costs were offset by the farmers involved having their fields sampled at a substantially discounted rate.

www.sruc.ac.uk/news

 

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Increased mycotoxin risk from silage field aftermath

UK dairy farmers are being advised to remove aftermath from silage fields or run the risk of a higher mycotoxin challenge in the conserved forage they make this year.

“The weather was very mild at the back end of last year and grass was still growing on many farms right through Christmas and beyond. Consequently, there’s a lot of aftermath about, which also means plenty of dead material that’s likely to contain high levels of yeasts and fungi,” says Dr Dave Davies of Silage Solutions.

Dr Davies advises farmers to remove the aftermath if at all possible. “Many dairy farmers don’t like taking sheep on tack, but these grazers really are the best animals for cleaning up the sward in the winter. Essentially, you’ve got two options: either leave the aftermath – which means you run the risk of producing poor quality silage – or remove it, either by mowing it off and wasting it, or bring the sheep in.”

If neither option is practical, Dr Davies says many farmers will have to focus on excellent clamp management this year.

Mycotoxin management specialist Alltech agrees, pointing out that compaction of grass in the clamp is absolutely crucial. “When clamping silage to reduce the risk of mycotoxin contamination, the aim is to remove as much air from the grass as quickly as possible,” says Lauren Dimmack from Alltech UK.

“Fill the clamp in layers no more than 15cm deep at a time and compact as you go. Your target should be 750 kg of fresh material per m3 (c. 250kg DM). Unfortunately, most farms are only reaching 650 kg per m3 or less, which means too much oxygen is left with the grass, increasing the chance of aerobic spoilage and moulds, and then multiple mycotoxin contamination,” she says.

Dr Davies adds that farmers with a lot of aftermath who are concerned about the risk of aerobic spoilage must use an appropriate silage additive.

“Ideally use a homo-fermentative inoculant plus a chemical additive, or a chemical (salt) alone. The inoculant will improve the fermentation and the additional salt reduces aerobic spoilage. This will help stabilise the clamp,” he says.

Other tips to mitigate potential mycotoxin risks when silage making: • Mow grass when it is dry • Aim for a stubble height of 7-10cm • Spread the crop immediately after mowing • Spread the sward to encourage wilting • Don’t leave a thick, dense sward – this is the perfect environment for mould

 

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Deadly plant warning for sheep producers

Recently, bog asphodel has become more prevalent in the uplands, partly due to the management regimes put in place for agri-environment schemes.
Bog asphodel, is found on acidic damp habitats – wet heaths, wet and boggy moorlands up to about 1000 m in elevation. It produces spikes of bright yellow flowers in summer

Bog Asphodel is poisonous to both sheep and cattle, causing serious kidney problems and a photosensitive disorder (variously called 'alveld' in Norway;'saut' in Cumbria; and 'plochteach' 'yellowses' and 'head greet' in Scotland). The photosensitization causes various chemical reactions in the skin on exposure to the sun, resulting in tissue damage. It can be fatal. If caught early the animals can be saved.

If you have Bog Asphodel in your pastures you need to carefully consider your grazing regime to minimise the risk. If you are entering agri-environment or in an agri-environment scheme for pasture with bog asphodel present, you will need to discuss grazing arrangements with your NRW project officer.

NFU Cymru has asked NRW to warn agri-environment applicants about the risks of Bog Asphodel to animal health

 

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More satisfied Secure Covers customers:

 

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DSV TerraLife cover crop growing instructions;

Seedbed preparation:


Since all mixes contain small and large-seeded species, a maximum sowing depth of 2 – 3 cm is recommended. When preparing the seedbed it is important to take into account the requirements of the fine seed (friable, well reconsolidated seedbed). To conserve water and suppress competition from volunteer cereals and rape, sow the seed immediately after harvesting using shallow tools. A combination of tillage and drilling (e.g. with a mulch seed drill) is ideal. If adverse weather conditions or availability of labour prevent rapid drilling, suitable soil cultivation measures must be undertaken to prevent volunteer cereals gaining the upper hand. Particular care must be taken with the swath zone following successful straw harvest. Rollers used in combination with spreading and drilling equipment can be very effective. It is important to make sure that the straw is well distributed. It is advisable to apply a dose of nitrogen if there are large quantities of straw. Sowing rates are calculated on the basis of a well-prepared seedbed and optimal sowing times and should be closely followed to allow for differences in the competitive behaviour of individual components in the mix. Sowing rates should be increased only in the event of adverse external conditions such as poor seedbed, delayed sowing time, poor nutrient supply or unfavourable weather.


Fertiliser:


With TerraLife mixes contain a high proportion of leguminous plants, basic nutrients can be supplied largely through farm yard manure (FYM) prior to sowing. Nitrogen is then provided by the relatively high proportion of legumes. In the absence of FYM, the addition of 30 – 40 kg/ha N and for straw manuring 40 – 50 kg/ha N may be of benefit, depending on the previous-crop. The maximum permissible rate of FYM can be applied to the BioMax DT to ensure an adequate nutrient supply. In the absence of FYM, 50 – 70 kg/ha N without and 60 – 80 kg/ha N with straw manuring is recommended for max. growth (no N after leguminous pre-crop).


General cultivation tips:

• If sown too early and under stress conditions (especially drought stress), premature seed formation may occur with some plant species (buckwheat, mustard, oil radish, phacelia). In such cases it is advisable to check growth in good time by chemical or mechanical means to prevent seeds from ripening.
• The growth should definitely not be incorporated when green.
• If the mix shows a lot of leafy growth in the Autumn, plants should be chopped back and mulched. If growth is still green come spring, plants should be treated with herbicide. Under no circumstances should green material be incorporated in the soil.

While DSV seek to ensure that all information given is correct at the time of printing, no warranty is given in respect thereof, and DSV accept no liability for loss, damage or injury howsoever caused as a result of information and opinions contained.

 

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BLACK OAT - BRISTLE OAT - AVENA STRIGOSA: call them what you will but I have a small amount available either as a straight or mixed to your formulation.

Please start a conversation with your enquiry.

 

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Want to feed yeast, but can't mix?

The DRY COW BUCKET now includes beta carotene which is recognised as the major precursor of vitamin A. Dairy cows are often deficient in Vitamin A before and after calving. This occurs because cows supply a high level of Vitamin A to their calf in colostrum.