Disc Drills for cover crops

[DiggDog]

Anyone got any recommendations for a disc drill for planting cover crops. I'm looking for a second hand drill which will cope with the potential very heavy trash that cover cropping will produce. Have been looking at some Vaderstaad Rapids which look good but does anyone have first hand experience of a good drill for this purpose. I don't want to fall at the first hurdle and get completely blocked at the first attempt. Any feedback appreciated.
While I am on the subject has anyone used mustard seed in a WW WW OSR rotation have received two completely conflicting pieces of advice from merchants. One said it was a very good cover crop, the other thought it would be a disaster for my OSR. Seems this subject is so new here that no one knows what's right and wrong.

 

[Clive]

If I was selecting a drill to just establish cover crops it would probably have tines - bit of n mineralisation to get things started

The disc drill would be the weapon of choice to drill the cash crop into the cover


Of disc drills you will go a long way to beat a 750a if you can find one, Kuhn also pretty good, Great Plains worth consideration again if you can find one

Used directs drills seem to be getting a rare appreciating asset right now ! Not much for sale out there I'm afraid

 

[DiggDog]

Thanks for the reply I have a John Dale for the cover crops and all other establishment but this proved to be not very good this year with damp trash hence the need for a disc drill and ideally not spend too much. Vaderstaad not on your list I notice will keep an eye out for others.

 

[Clive]

Thanks for the reply I have a John Dale for the cover crops and all other establishment but this proved to be not very good this year with damp trash hence the need for a disc drill and ideally not spend too much. Vaderstaad not on your list I notice will keep an eye out for others.

have run Rapids for 10 years pre DD - great drill but not a direct drill IMO

I would have thought your Dale should be ideal. not really fair to judge anything on this extreme year maybe ??

 

[Feldspar]

Anyone got any recommendations for a disc drill for planting cover crops. I'm looking for a second hand drill which will cope with the potential very heavy trash that cover cropping will produce. Have been looking at some Vaderstaad Rapids which look good but does anyone have first hand experience of a good drill for this purpose. I don't want to fall at the first hurdle and get completely blocked at the first attempt. Any feedback appreciated.
While I am on the subject has anyone used mustard seed in a WW WW OSR rotation have received two completely conflicting pieces of advice from merchants. One said it was a very good cover crop, the other thought it would be a disaster for my OSR. Seems this subject is so new here that no one knows what's right and wrong.

I think mustard does not support a very diverse range of soil biology. For example, like rape, I believe that they do not support mycorrhizal fungi which are important for the following wheat crop. Evidence at the moment seems to suggest pretty strongly that you want a good number (say 5-7) of different species in your cover crop mix. The overall benefit seems to be greater than the sum of the parts due to the mutually beneficial symbiosis between the various species. Well worth looking into this.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Don't blame the drill this season -its one of those years.

Personally it sounds like you should build up a couple more years experience with the dale before buying another drill to add and maintain.

That rotation could well bite back on you in DD and I wouldn't use mustard - use a pedders mix as its cheap and select some shorter crops for a couple of years that a tine can deal with.

 

[DiggDog]

Thanks for the advice you're right maybe I am running before I can walk, what with getting direct drill for the first time last year and now looking at cover crops, I know what you are saying about not judging the drill on last year alone but I think I need a plan B should the same happen again. I will have a look at Pedders mixes and see what he has but my biggest worry is getting the next cash crop in. At present I don't have a front mounted set of rolls or a topper that will do the job adequately so cannot see a way of establishing the crop into a cover crop without spending a bundle of cash. As I am very much at the experimental stage I don't want to spend a fortune. Problem is I have a fairly large area that won't have any crop in it this time and if I just leave it fallow it will sink and go wrong. Other alternative of course is to bin the DD ideas temporarily and fetch out the trusty subsoiler.

 

[Feldspar]

I was talking to someone about the subsoiler issue the other day. I think one must not be too dogmatic in the DD approach. If you have clear and severe problems with compaction which will significantly affect the performance of future crops then I think there is a place for the subsoiler. Sort the problem out quickly, get some roots down to stabilise the soil and plan to avoid it in future. If you can't even establish a cover crop because of compaction then it obviously can't do its job. If the cash crop can break the compaction then the cover crop will struggle too. My view is that the problems of this year need to be quickly eliminated by hook or by crook and then, hoping next year will be better, it will be possible to start from a more favourable baseline.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Thanks for the advice you're right maybe I am running before I can walk, what with getting direct drill for the first time last year and now looking at cover crops, I know what you are saying about not judging the drill on last year alone but I think I need a plan B should the same happen again. I will have a look at Pedders mixes and see what he has but my biggest worry is getting the next cash crop in. At present I don't have a front mounted set of rolls or a topper that will do the job adequately so cannot see a way of establishing the crop into a cover crop without spending a bundle of cash. As I am very much at the experimental stage I don't want to spend a fortune. Problem is I have a fairly large area that won't have any crop in it this time and if I just leave it fallow it will sink and go wrong. Other alternative of course is to bin the DD ideas temporarily and fetch out the trusty subsoiler.

If you find your cover crop is massive and you can't get animals in why not just hire in a flail or yes even roll it a month before drilling.

Necessity is the mother of invention!

 

[DiggDog]

I have got a flail but am worried about the wheelings not being cut and blocking up. Also if you were to roll a month or so ahead wouldn't you have to be very careful to roll exactly the same way as the drill so as to avoid going "into the grain".

 

[Richard III]

An old Moore Unidrill will sow into any amount of cover, no problem. A Moore might not be as good a drill as a 750a, but it is much cheaper and more available.

The main problem with them is like any direct drill, they need to be well maintained and well set to work well. I ended up spending quite a lot of time and money fixing my old drill up to get it to work right.