Cover crop oats

[Bob lincs]

We have a field that was due to be drilled with beans this spring so in the backend we drilled a strip 21m wide diagonally across it with 30kg/ha of oats as a cheap cover experiment. Over the winter we had a bit of a shuffle around with our cropping so this field is now drilled with spring wheat . When we drilled it with our sabre tine the strip with the oats was definitely wetter but drillled ok the difference now in the spring wheat is like chalk and cheese . The plant numbers are roughly the same but where the oats were the wheat is really struggling, I know oats aren’t ideal in front of cereal crops but didn’t expect this much of a bad effect . Anyone know why .

 

[ConanPB]

Could it be that the oats have scavenged any nitrogen in the soil? maybe allopathic effect of the growing oats added to the poorer sowing conditions ?Combination of both perhaps

 

[Bob lincs]

Pleased I didn’t do the whole field it’s 100ac.

 

[ajd132]

Cereal after a cereal cover crop is a big no to the point where if there is a lot of volunteers in a broadleaf cover I would take them out.

 

[tr250]

Could it be that the oats have scavenged any nitrogen in the soil? maybe allopathic effect of the growing oats added to the poorer sowing conditions ?Combination of both perhaps

☝Pretty much this. Also decicated at the wrong time I’d guess the oats want to look like they do now at drilling

 

[4course]

we have been experimenting with cover crops -catch crops this last few years however now the need to have them to comply with bps are history cant see us bothering any more unless a very early harvest or having a major grass weed problem that currently we dont have. we did see a benefit in following crop yield but by the time costs and pressure on workoad was taken int account not worth the chew unless grazed by the golden hoof

 

[ajd132]

we have been experimenting with cover crops -catch crops this last few years however now the need to have them to comply with bps are history cant see us bothering any more unless a very early harvest or having a major grass weed problem that currently we dont have. we did see a benefit in following crop yield but by the time costs and pressure on workoad was taken int account not worth the chew unless grazed by the golden hoof

Catch crops are great, mine cost about £12/ha on seed and a pass with the drill. Harvesting free energy when usually the soil is brown. Over winter cover crops not so convinced about can be more of a hindrance for spring drilling on heavy land if you don’t manage them properly. Any of these crops don’t need to cost much though, some of the prices from seed houses for mixtures are a complete non starter, you could plough 3 times for the same cost as the seed.

 

[4course]

Catch crops are great, mine cost about £12/ha on seed and a pass with the drill. Harvesting free energy when usually the soil is brown. Over winter cover crops not so convinced about can be more of a hindrance for spring drilling on heavy land if you don’t manage them properly. Any of these crops don’t need to cost much though, some of the prices from seed houses for mixtures are a complete non starter, you could plough 3 times for the same cost as the seed.

agree with you that catch crops are more rewarding than cover crops but bear in mind ive a shorter weather/time window than suffolk up here ,2 weeks later harvest and the need to be sown up at least a week if not a fortnight before which is why unless conditions/timing is right as much as i like them cant see a place for them without being pressured to do so

 

[teslacoils]

It's oaty magic.

 

[DairyGrazing]

Catch crops are great, mine cost about £12/ha on seed and a pass with the drill. Harvesting free energy when usually the soil is brown. Over winter cover crops not so convinced about can be more of a hindrance for spring drilling on heavy land if you don’t manage them properly. Any of these crops don’t need to cost much though, some of the prices from seed houses for mixtures are a complete non starter, you could plough 3 times for the same cost as the seed.

What catch crops are you doing?

 

[ajd132]

What catch crops are you doing?

I’ve been doing linseed, buckwheat and sunflowers

 

[FarmerBruce]

I’ve been doing linseed, buckwheat and sunflowers

After what crop and before what crop?

 

[ajd132]

After what crop and before what crop?

I’ve done it after osr and wheat then drilled wheat in. I’m going to do similar after some winter barley this year and plant early wheat into it

 

[ajd132]

I’ve done it after osr and wheat then drilled wheat in. I’m going to do similar after some winter barley this year and plant early wheat into it

Basically trying to grow more cereals as they are just so much more reliable than osr, beans, Linseed etc but use the catch and cover crops to get the diversity. Will probably start spending abit more money on them now we have learnt more on how to deal with them

 

[BigBarl]

We have a field that was due to be drilled with beans this spring so in the backend we drilled a strip 21m wide diagonally across it with 30kg/ha of oats as a cheap cover experiment. Over the winter we had a bit of a shuffle around with our cropping so this field is now drilled with spring wheat . When we drilled it with our sabre tine the strip with the oats was definitely wetter but drillled ok the difference now in the spring wheat is like chalk and cheese . The plant numbers are roughly the same but where the oats were the wheat is really struggling, I know oats aren’t ideal in front of cereal crops but didn’t expect this much of a bad effect . Anyone know why . View attachment 958316View attachment 958317View attachment 958318

we did similar and got similar results. Fallow 2020 and put a black oat & phacelia cover on over summer, destroyed good and early and sown with winter wheat. This field is by far the worst piece of wheat on the farm and has been all winter and spring. Soil type is reclaimed clay, sown with KV tineseeder. Going to keep cereals out of the cover in the future and keep trying just with legumes, brassicas and phacelia.

 

[Shutesy]

We have a field that was due to be drilled with beans this spring so in the backend we drilled a strip 21m wide diagonally across it with 30kg/ha of oats as a cheap cover experiment. Over the winter we had a bit of a shuffle around with our cropping so this field is now drilled with spring wheat . When we drilled it with our sabre tine the strip with the oats was definitely wetter but drillled ok the difference now in the spring wheat is like chalk and cheese . The plant numbers are roughly the same but where the oats were the wheat is really struggling, I know oats aren’t ideal in front of cereal crops but didn’t expect this much of a bad effect . Anyone know why . View attachment 958316View attachment 958317View attachment 958318

Read this thread if you get the chance:

The Two Simon's Theory

This Winter, because of too much rain and time on our hands, @Simon C and I came up with a theory that we think explains all sorts of things. When we talked about it we found that he had one half of the jigsaw and I the other. Since then I have discussed it with other members of this forum and...

thefarmingforum.co.uk

Basically decaying cereal residues can have an allopathic effect on newly sown cereal crops, oats having about the strongest effect. If you had sown beans you would probably have been ok.

 

[teslacoils]

I use oats .

But then I also use a good dollop of slurry. And Mr plough.

 

[T Hectares]

This SB is following a Oat + Phacelia CC
The line in the middle is the join between an Avatar DD on the left and a Kockerling allrounder pass and drilled with a sprinter on the right
The difference with yours @Bob lincs here is that the cover was grazed off pre drilling

 

[jh.]

I had 3 field of volunteer storm sown spring oats . I thought winter would kill them off but they survived . It was then looking like they might go to a local AD plant but the weather was catchy and they turned yellow mid March possibly from lack of N , so got sprayed off . All into spring barley . Some mintill and power harrow combi drilled. Avatar demo , claydon twin tine with LD set up and then with ripper tines . All drills fert down spout . At the moment the avatar is the best emergence as I think the others have suffered with lack of moisture , while the avatar hasn't lost as much . It's almost like the oats have over dried the soil and highlighted this .

 

[Chae1]

@agricontract was drilling spring barley after winter barley and getting great crops of wheat after. Allopathic affects?

Sowing dates critical with cover crops up here. Amazing the difference a week makes.