Disastrous winter crops - cultivate out how?

[DaveGrohl]

Several fields of hybrid rye where the crop has only really survived on top of drains. Maybe 20% of field areas actually growing, so no point patching. No spring fert or autumn herbicide at all. What to do?

Ground/soil is sadder than I’ve ever known it, and we’ve had some sad springs. Possible actions to take, with view of sowing spring barley ASAP please?

Plough? Drain top areas wouldn’t plough in well at all, quite high in spots. Roundup? Flail top? Then what? Expense on top of expense, the very definition of throwing good money after bad. Disc? Disc twice? Flail top and tine cultivate?

All will be followed by combi drill and camb rolls. Not even negotiable that bit. Timing will be everything and we’re running out of that but at least things are just about starting to dry……

 

[teslacoils]

Blench drag. Once, let knock, again at angle.

 

[teslacoils]

The sad bits here are like structureless pudding. If I were going to get a crop in, I'd open them up with a cruel drag as above.

 

[Brisel]

Blench drag. Once, let knock, again at angle.

What is a Blench drag? Heavy duty spring tine? If so, I agree heartily. We used Carrier discs to open up a snotty block of land a couple of days ago and it is being drilled with oats today. No heavy drag available here.

The main risk with either discs or tines is smearing. If that happens, you need to wait for that layer to dry before doing anything else.

What are you planning on sowing @DaveGrohl ?

 

[teslacoils]

Its a heavy duty pigtail drag with no packer. The first pass is really to open it up and let the exposed soil get more of a crust. Second makes the big crumb. Power harrow levels and mixes it all.

I modified our 6m drag so the tynes are staggered on 30cm spacings. With 40mm points in, it moves some soil.

Horsch Terrano also a good tool.

 

[Lowland1]

Looking around here ( Lincolnshire) it seems dragging it up and leaving it to dry for a bit seems the plan. It's worked here.

 

[teslacoils]

Looking around here ( Lincolnshire) it seems dragging it up and leaving it to dry for a bit seems the plan. It's worked here.

Sadly, next week which was set fair after Monday now looks like 7 days of rain or showers.

 

[Lowland1]

Sadly, next week which was set fair after Monday now looks like 7 days of rain or showers.

Got back here on Friday to rain. However land where a tractor got stuck ploughing a fortnight ago and needed three others to pull it out hand dried out well after being dragged up where it couldn't be ploughed. I've never seen so much undrilled and flying over the wolds there were far more killed out patches than I would have thought.

 

[DaveGrohl]

A pigtail drag sounds like a decent shout but we don’t have access to one. We used to have a Triple K which might’ve been useful but it went. Have access to a set of short discs or Lemken Karat but both have depth packers on back.

Growing rye would still be an issue to deal with. Spring barley going in eventually.

Stressing I’m gonna panic, flail top and plough and I’d like to avoid if poss. Not sure flailed rye will be that much fun to plough either. There are no good solutions from where I’m standing, only proposals in my head.

 

[Lowland1]

A pigtail drag sounds like a decent shout but we don’t have access to one. We used to have a Triple K which might’ve been useful but it went. Have access to a set of short discs or Lemken Karat but both have depth packers on back.

Growing rye would still be an issue to deal with. Spring barley going in eventually.

Stressing I’m gonna panic, flail top and plough and I’d like to avoid if poss. Not sure flailed rye will be that much fun to plough either. There are no good solutions from where I’m standing, only proposals in my head.

A couple of hundred quid usually gets you a reasonable drag.

 

[Adeptandy]

The sad bits here are like structureless pudding. If I were going to get a crop in, I'd open them up with a cruel drag as above.

I’ve tried both this year, wet lake beds have been busted with the sunny or left and cut in with the GD. Decided if this is the future I needed to know the best option going forward.

 

[alomy75]

A couple of hundred quid usually gets you a reasonable drag.

Ring Les Carter near Spalding. He will have a yard full

 

[Lowland1]

Ring Les Carter near Spalding. He will have a yard full

If he can remember what he paid for them. Then he might deign to sell you one.

 

[Brisel]

Ring Les Carter near Spalding. He will have a yard full

Is Les still around? @Will 1594 might know

 

[Will 1594]

Is Les still around? @Will 1594 might know

he was other day , when talking to stewart , could hear him in back ground . who is it what they want .

 

[Will 1594]

Ring Les Carter near Spalding. He will have a yard full

less . said they had a good run on stuff like that to open land up

 

[holmes65]

I’ve tried both this year, wet lake beds have been busted with the sunny or left and cut in with the GD. Decided if this is the future I needed to know the best option going forward.

If this is the future I'll be having a change of profession........ or country.

 

[farmbrew]

Leave it alone till its dried properly, hit over summer months with a view to establishing a good wheat crop in September. Too many folk chasing and throwing money and horse power at it....just my opinion???

 

[Adeptandy]

Leave it alone till its dried properly, hit over summer months with a view to establishing a good wheat crop in September. Too many folk chasing and throwing money and horse power at it....just my opinion???

I’d agree if I owned my patch of dirt, mortgage free, but the rent encourages the urge to try and keep the £ turning over

 

[Bob lincs]

I’ve have a 4m cousins pigtail with an end tow kit and a 6m folding massey pigtail for sale if anyone is looking for one , both ready for work but need painting.