H.Jackson
Member
- Location
- West Sussex
As above really was going ro allocate the cover crop as a fertiliser for the following spring oats just wondering what others were going to do thanks in advance.
Cover crop accounting
- Thread starter H.Jackson
- Start date
warksfarmer
Member
Always wondered this as well. I looked at some cover crops last autumn and the prices was around £20/ha + establishment which if drilled would be £25/ha so £45/ha total. This mix supposedly would of helped with both grass weed germination and soil structure as it had tillage radish in it.
So in theory I get the saving of a 'pan bust' pass but this is hard to quantify as the pan bust tines are in a disc machine so it would still pass over the soil but without the tines working. Possible saving for me of £10-12/ha. If the grass weeds don't germinate it would also save 2 x glyphosate passes so about £25/ha.
So roughly £35/ha potentially saved but a cost of £45/ha meaning the £10/ha extra cost needs to be covered by the cover crop leaving nutrition for the spring crop to be planted.
I think as you do this over many years the benefits would get more and more though. However does it stop grass weeds germinating and would it in fact save on cultivation? Probably yes on lighter more friable soils and I think less likely on clays which at the moment benefit more from applications of compost and gypsum.
My cover crops just go down as an extra seed cost - so the mustard I used will go down as a seed cost towards this years OSR. The cost of establishing will just be lost in the ether. Why? Because my valuation looks at "beneficial sprays" etc. The cost of the seed hopefully benefits the crop following it. Its a bit like an extra cost which has (hopefully) an impact in the yield of the crop immediately after it. Otherwise, there is very little point in increasing my valuation any more than strictly necessary. I cant put a cost on any other benefit - same as I don't put a value to the residual nitrogen left after beans in my financial accounts.