DD Vetch for seed?

A french company builts these sort of pickup-headers as well and I thought that must be the real solution for any harvesting problems with peas. A local contractor had one and I got him in for combining my peas.
It was a wet harvest and my loamy ground is not nice for this header as it has no cutterbar, it has to pull up the plant and there`s always sticking a little wet loam which can`t be sieved off as the construction is meant for. Result was that it took him two afternoons to combine 10 ha with a big Lexion and his mechanic with him to help out because elevators blocked regularly, unloading auger blocked with broken chains, etc.
It was just a nightmare. But a great header if it`s dry and/or on sandy soil that can be sieved off.
 

Robigus

Member
...... currently has a fair bit of volunteer vetch again but not too worried at the moment.
We once had a load of wheat rejected for having rat droppings in it. I was surprised as we had a bit of a mouse problem but no issue with rats. When the second load was also rejected the merchant (Banks before Frontier days) had the load back into their yard. They confirmed my suspicion that it wasn't rats but volunteer vetch.
 

H.Jackson

Member
Location
West Sussex
A french company builts these sort of pickup-headers as well and I thought that must be the real solution for any harvesting problems with peas. A local contractor had one and I got him in for combining my peas.
It was a wet harvest and my loamy ground is not nice for this header as it has no cutterbar, it has to pull up the plant and there`s always sticking a little wet loam which can`t be sieved off as the construction is meant for. Result was that it took him two afternoons to combine 10 ha with a big Lexion and his mechanic with him to help out because elevators blocked regularly, unloading auger blocked with broken chains, etc.
It was just a nightmare. But a great header if it`s dry and/or on sandy soil that can be sieved off.
When looking at these headers before I always wondered if one would pull roots with soil and stones attached, sounds like I would.
 

Simon Chiles

DD Moderator
Hello All,
Sorry never reported back on how we did!
A salvage job would describe it best! But a good one! Managed to get most of the crop in the tank. Was expecting just over half a ton per acre and got just under half a ton. And a lot of worm casts!!
Took two half days with sun and travelling very very slowly. Used the reel to lift the vetch onto the header. @Simon Chiles it was very tempting to abandon hope but patience and perseverance paid off in the end.
We must be mad but we have doubled the acreage for this year. Theory being we cant have that rain in August two years on the trot!! Famous last words!! You'll have to blame me if we get another wet harvest!!
Love what the vetch has done for our soil though. We have some fantastic looking wheat behind. This currently has a fair bit of volunteer vetch again but not too worried at the moment.
@H.Jackson just had a look on You Tube at a Sund. Cracking piece of kit. Looks like just what we need. Looks pretty pricey mind. Anyone know of any cheap second hands about?!!!

I had a lot of worm casts in my crop one year, the trouble is that a vetch seed and a worm cast are about the same size and density so they can't be sorted over sieves or gravity separation. Ended up sending it to an x-ray sortexer. I'm glad you persevered , I've been growing vetch for about 8 years and don't think I've truly mastered the job yet but hopefully getting close.
 

penfold

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Essex
Hello @Robigus ,
Will be sprayed out later but hoping it's doing some good at the mo.
@Hartwig no knife at all? So basically a normal pick up header like a Shelbourne? Not sure I want to be ingesting any more dirt into my combine!!
Getting a quote for some of these lifters from Canada. Look pretty effective from the few videos on You Tube. Called Flexxifinger. Anyone tried them?
100 Arm.jpg
 

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
We grow vetch as a companion crop with rape, along with buckwheat (which the first frost takes out) and berseem clover. Come harvest, we'll cut them all together and separate out the different seeds...though tbh we don't manage to save the berseem seed, but vetch and rape are easily sorted. Probably harvest only 250kg/acre vetch seed, but as it costs £1/kg from most seedsmen, that is a lot of money we don't have to spend. The main point is that it's a doddle to cut, all supported as it is by the rape. Not a single wormcast in the tank...
 

JoeHodgey

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
We grow vetch as a companion crop with rape, along with buckwheat (which the first frost takes out) and berseem clover. Come harvest, we'll cut them all together and separate out the different seeds...though tbh we don't manage to save the berseem seed, but vetch and rape are easily sorted. Probably harvest only 250kg/acre vetch seed, but as it costs £1/kg from most seedsmen, that is a lot of money we don't have to spend. The main point is that it's a doddle to cut, all supported as it is by the rape. Not a single wormcast in the tank...
Sounds awesome! Do you have to avoid astrokerb I guess? What rape yield have you been getting with that mix? Have you found that the high N rates in rape stop the vetch (or clover) noddulating up? Or do you bring N rates down?

I guess you get a bit of a dirty sample with having to open the sieves enough to accommodate the vetch? But if your sorting it I guess that dresses a lot of rubbish out?

That was my idea really, grow some vetch to save some money and it would make me not worry about strong seed rates in cover crops if I was home growing it.

Thanks, Sorry for all the questions!
 

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
We did bring N rates down a bit and it didn't yield that brilliantly, sub a tonne an acre, won't know exactly till we move it. Some bits were a bit thin, but the vetch helps pay the bills. Thought we did use astrokerb, will have to check. Slightly messy sample, but easily cleaned
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 78 42.9%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.6%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.5%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 5 2.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,286
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top