Direct drilling maize with Claydon

[Hanbyfarms]

Hoping to drill maize with our Claydon this year when it dries up again! We have historically grown very good crops conventionally, ground is wheat stubble sprayed off and well mucked ready to go!

Any thoughts, experiences good and bad I would love to hear. Ground is quite forgiving loam/marl.

Thanks in advance

 

[Hanbyfarms]

FYI we have been using the Claydon in our rotation successfully for the past 3 years and seems a shame to get the old plough and break the system, so i'm hoping do a comparison 60/40 spilt in favour of Claydon. We are only talking 25 acres of maize in total!

 

[Brisel]

@Devon James has sown maize with his Claydon I think. I've seen lots of game cover maize put in with strip till drills. If you're a member of the Maize Growers Association there may be some useful info on sowing maize without a precision drill on their website.

 

[Boysground]

Although not direct drilled I have planted a fair bit of maize with my vaderstad. It’s not always ploughed and I have drilled in conditions a precision drill wouldn’t like.The maize grows fine and I don’t see a problem. I have seen data that suggests a greater dm yield from using a precision drill I don’t think in my experience it makes a huge difference. I did go to a trial site last year and saw maize grown at different widths. Don’t go too wide or too narrow, I drill at 50cm which seems ok.

I don’t know how a Claydon works but with my drill as you increase speed the spacing deteriorates so 8 kph is the absolute max. If you are blocking pipes don’t be tempted to reduce the fan speed too much the big seed won’t flow down the longest pipes very well. I use a maize specific distribution head.

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[dannewhouse]

how do you "block" some coulters?

I am interested in doing some game maize but only have a accord disc drill and I'm debating gaffa tape in the head on the tubes I don't want? any suggestions?

 

[Brisel]

I use wine bottle corks as bungs. They usually need a bit of insulating tape wrapped around them to make them fit snugly. Or buy a proper distribution head or the proper bungs ££££. Beware of reducing the air flow too much or you'll get too much back pressure on the venturi and the seed will blow out of the metering unit.

 

[Boysground]

With a vaderstad you can buy specific bungs which fit in the tubes of the distribution head they are not that expensive, or go to the local home brew shop and buy demi john bungs for peanuts they just need a little trimming with a stanley knife.

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[dannewhouse]

I know you can reduce the draft on the fan but I don't know how to do it?
I'm sure it will be simple but has anyone done it? as don't you have to do this for grass seeds?

still learning only drilled the winter and spring crops with it so far, last drill was a box drill so quite simple compared

 

[Boysground]

If its a hydraulic fan just slow the oil flow, or the pto if its not on a power harrow. i have not used an accord for 25 years so cant remember if there was another adjustment. With my vaddy I dont slow the air for grass or OSR.

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[Devon James]

@Devon James has sown maize with his Claydon I think. I've seen lots of game cover maize put in with strip till drills. If you're a member of the Maize Growers Association there may be some useful info on sowing maize without a precision drill on their website.

Yes we have Brisel. Best attempt last year was with a grain and fert drill and I am sure placing fert is a necissaty to a good crop.

 

[Brisel]

I know you can reduce the draft on the fan but I don't know how to do it?
I'm sure it will be simple but has anyone done it? as don't you have to do this for grass seeds?

still learning only drilled the winter and spring crops with it so far, last drill was a box drill so quite simple compared

Some PTO driven pneumatics have a blanking plate you slide over the fan intake. Instead of back pressure you just reduce air flow by creating a vacuum in the fan housing. I'm sure a strip or two of duct tape would suffice.

 

[dannewhouse]

my accord is pto I'm sure I had read about a baffle/blanking plate, I actually thought it was a flap you could adjust the draft after the fan somewhere? need to look / read book to confirm

 

[Brisel]

My Claydon has an Accord metering system & there is some kind of flap on the fan output but it is hydraulically driven, so easy enough to adjust in the cab by altering spool valve flow rates.

 

[Devon James]

Planting maize today. A crop of wheat that was sown on 3rd November that didn't make it though the wet will be sprayed off. Mixed the seed with some fert which was a pita as it separated. Should be interesting

 

[mo!]

I've done ours in the past with the DTS. I've only done a little bit into stubble and it looked awful initially but yielded just fine. Don't bother with blanking plates or bungs, it grows fine and you will get better distribution. Keep speed low as well. Ours will be done at 150mm spacing with the combi tomorrow.

 

[Hanbyfarms]

Planting maize today. A crop of wheat that was sown on 3rd November that didn't make it though the wet will be sprayed off. Mixed the seed with some fert which was a pita as it separated. Should be interesting View attachment 669492

 

[Hanbyfarms]

Planted mine today looked very similar into last year wheat stubble, however I spun my fert on first then drilled through it, then double rolled as a bit nibbley and a light dressing of slug pellets for insurance! I write this at the foot of my bed whilst I prey to the big man for successful germination!

 

[Brisel]

For those using pneumatic cereal drills, how do you stop the seeds bunching? Slow down? Plenty of wind?

 

[Badshot]

I use wine bottle corks as bungs. They usually need a bit of insulating tape wrapped around them to make them fit snugly. Or buy a proper distribution head or the proper bungs ££££. Beware of reducing the air flow too much or you'll get too much back pressure on the venturi and the seed will blow out of the metering unit.

With a vaderstad you can buy specific bungs which fit in the tubes of the distribution head they are not that expensive, or go to the local home brew shop and buy demi john bungs for peanuts they just need a little trimming with a stanley knife.

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I used plastic corks from wilko and some stixall to stick em in the holes as it was a permanent reduction of outlets. seem to remember a stanley knife was used to make them fit

 

[mo!]

For those using pneumatic cereal drills, how do you stop the seeds bunching? Slow down? Plenty of wind?

Slow and use all available spouts. The harvester doesn't need wide rows, the sprayer uses tramlines, so why hobble the drill?