DD on livestock farm

Joe

Member
Location
Carlow Ireland
Anyone on here direct drilling swedes into burnt off grass with an old Moore? Just looking for some advice, seed per hectare rate, spacing use each coulter or skip every second one?
Also have few bunches of nettles in the field that is burnt off, seems to be effect of drought last year. While roundup has killed them some of there are large enough, would it worth while hit with an old topper before drilling or maybe just drill and top after?
 
Anyone on here direct drilling swedes into burnt off grass with an old Moore? Just looking for some advice, seed per hectare rate, spacing use each coulter or skip every second one?
Also have few bunches of nettles in the field that is burnt off, seems to be effect of drought last year. While roundup has killed them some of there are large enough, would it worth while hit with an old topper before drilling or maybe just drill and top after?
Look at page 10.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Anyone on here direct drilling swedes into burnt off grass with an old Moore? Just looking for some advice, seed per hectare rate, spacing use each coulter or skip every second one?
Also have few bunches of nettles in the field that is burnt off, seems to be effect of drought last year. While roundup has killed them some of there are large enough, would it worth while hit with an old topper before drilling or maybe just drill and top after?

Not with a Moore, but I do so every year with my Simtech. I usually drill at 0.75kg/ac. Sometimes that’s too high, if the following weather means that every seed germinates. Sometimes it’s too low, when it stays dry after or creepy crawlies cause much damage. As seed isn’t treated any more, i’d Probably be inclined to edge it up towards a kilo/ac now, but certainly no higher or you could end up with a field of radishes.
I drill with every coulter, and you could always mix the seed with something inert (rice?) if you struggle to get the rate low enough.

As for the nettles, i’d Not worry too much about the topping. If it was straight glyphosate they’ll probably grow back anyway, so you’ll have patches with no swedes anyway.:(
 

Joe

Member
Location
Carlow Ireland
Thanks @neilo rate sounds good I was aiming for 2kg/Hec, would it be worth hitting nettles again with some mcpa or horse bolted now just drill and hope for the best? also what's best stage to spray boron on, another thing trying first time...
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Thanks @neilo rate sounds good I was aiming for 2kg/Hec, would it be worth hitting nettles again with some mcpa or horse bolted now just drill and hope for the best? also what's best stage to spray boron on, another thing trying first time...

If the nettles are keeling over, they won’t take any chemical up now. You could only really hit them again when the new growth comes back. Handheld weed wiper with Grazon or similar if you want to try to save any swedes underneath perhaps?

I sprayed mine with a foliar trace element containing boron last year, when they had pretty well covered the ground. I didn’t find any with heart rot in the winter, but hadn’t tested for soil levels beforehand. I was intending to do the same again this year, if they get drilled.
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
Not with a Moore, but I do so every year with my Simtech. I usually drill at 0.75kg/ac. Sometimes that’s too high, if the following weather means that every seed germinates. Sometimes it’s too low, when it stays dry after or creepy crawlies cause much damage. As seed isn’t treated any more, i’d Probably be inclined to edge it up towards a kilo/ac now, but certainly no higher or you could end up with a field of radishes.
I drill with every coulter, and you could always mix the seed with something inert (rice?) if you struggle to get the rate low enough.

As for the nettles, i’d Not worry too much about the topping. If it was straight glyphosate they’ll probably grow back anyway, so you’ll have patches with no swedes anyway.:(
Good idea........ the rice (y)....., so with the mrs to the supermarket and trolley each full of bags of rice :unsure:
....but hang on a minute ....it might not be inert..... and with a very wet season :cautious::D
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
It is now about 6 inches tall, we are farming organically and will mob graze it all off in the spring, going to try a 20 species crop in the spring. We are aiming to boost our tonnage of dry matter and give the soil a boost. All this has had is green waste compost in mid October
@edwhite any more pics and update on the diverse species pasture cropping?
 

Joe

Member
Location
Carlow Ireland
Never thought be saying to wet this year, but trying to get 12 acres stubble turnips into old lay to finish lambs. It’s been to wet last week to spray off, what’s the latest could dd stubble turnips and anyone ever dd into grass without spraying off?
 
Never thought be saying to wet this year, but trying to get 12 acres stubble turnips into old lay to finish lambs. It’s been to wet last week to spray off, what’s the latest could dd stubble turnips and anyone ever dd into grass without spraying off?

Put ours in 25 Aug last year and we’re in the hills. Came tremendous but was a perfect autumn for it. Sprayed my last field off yesterday so ours won’t be going in for a week or so. What went in last month are absolutely flying.
As for into grass without spraying they’ll germinate then get smothered out. Don’t bother I’d say. Get it sprayed as soon as you can and get them in as soon as it suits.
 

Devon James

Member
Location
Devon
Planted on the 1st August this crop of hybrid kale and turnips is up and away. Drilled into sprayed off pasture with a Claydon drill.
IMG_20190812_152622.jpg
 

Lewis

Member
Livestock Farmer
How do people incorporate kit manure when direct drilling? Got a silage field that could do with a reseed and a pile of muck it would benefit from .
 

hendrebc

Member
Livestock Farmer
If you can spread it evenly and finely then the drill should pull through it but claggy lumps and silage will gather.Also depends on the drill.

I’ve always spread muck after.
Even with small seeds? I'd be worried that they wouldn't be able to grow through any muck that lands on them? I drilled through spread muck last week it worked fine but it was well rotted.
 

Yale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Even with small seeds? I'd be worried that they wouldn't be able to grow through any muck that lands on them? I drilled through spread muck last week it worked fine but it was well rotted.
If you study a field after spreading muck it is surprising how little area is covered by lumps,even with a heavy dose.

All I’ve done is made sure the seed rate is correct or a tad over.
 
If you study a field after spreading muck it is surprising how little area is covered by lumps,even with a heavy dose.

All I’ve done is made sure the seed rate is correct or a tad over.
I’ve done exactly the same with an aitchinson and guttler. Different fields but drilled rape, turnips, grass and clover and spread muck on top. The thinking was if the drill missed any hollows with the aitchinson the seed might get away in the muck. As a trial I left one field with just fert and the mucked fields are far and away better than unmucked.
 

Lewis

Member
Livestock Farmer
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So I’ve got a 12 acre silage field 3-4 cuts a year under performed this year. Grazed 3rd instead off cut , so cow been on it for 6weeks . Had it so tested and it’s good for like but needed some p&k which it’s had .

It was over sown with an atchinson direct drill maybe 6 years ago.

What would people suggest ? Got access to most types of DD via contractors, and a pile of well rotted muck it can have .

Flail it hard and DD

round up and DD

Suggestions greatly received
 
View attachment 832681View attachment 832682
So I’ve got a 12 acre silage field 3-4 cuts a year under performed this year. Grazed 3rd instead off cut , so cow been on it for 6weeks . Had it so tested and it’s good for like but needed some p&k which it’s had .

It was over sown with an atchinson direct drill maybe 6 years ago.

What would people suggest ? Got access to most types of DD via contractors, and a pile of well rotted muck it can have .

Flail it hard and DD

round up and DD

Suggestions greatly received

What are you planning to plant?
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
Longish term cutting grasses
Has Noone come along to comment yet.. :rolleyes:

Spray it Lewis, then spread a bit of lime to counteract the anti germination acidity caused in the rotting old turf process.
Then drill .A simtech ?
Or spray right after drilling if no lime to spread and that will hold off the bad effects of the acid problem....
Also You might have to live with a wide row spacing ....depending
....
 
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