Do we need a drill

[Clive]

The reason that Jethro Tull invented the seed drill was to put the plants in rows to enable hoeing for weed control.

and ironically it may just be the reason the drill survives as we loose access to herbicides

 

[redsloe]

. Also used old school fungicide program on it as not totally sold on the new stuff that they like to push with the fear sales pitch if you don't use this it won't yield tactics .

Interesting. I've thought the same. Pay £70/ha for a T1 and then again at T2 and still get ravaged with septoria the same as 15 or 20 years ago.
I put the idea to my agromonist and he wasn't particularly impresssed!

Still advised folpet at T0 though

 

[PSQ]

“Party like it’s 1999”

Sowing like it’s 1799.

 

[Barleymow]

Broadcast all mine last year bar 1 pass on the outer headland with drill , upped seed rate a bit all done and springtined in in a day . No seed left on top , less than when drill picks up on ends .pre em did no harm

 

[chipchap]

Regarding seed dressing.

You will most likely be fine using seed grown from a fungicide dressed mother seed.

You might be fine going another generation, but the risk increases the further you go.

Eventually you will get caught out, smut, bunt, ergot, etc are all a big risk.

Any agronomist will tell you.

The exception is oats, so I’m told.

 

[Matthew Britton]

I haven’t used seed dressing for years unless I’ve changed varieties now and then. I have not seen a difference nor have I seen any of the diseases the doomsayers threaten. I guess I’ve just been lucky.

 

[farmerhill]

In wet conditions when the drill wont work behind packer roller we spun seed directly on plough even on boulder clay and got good plants and a lack of surface ponding.
My contractor now as soon as conditions deteriorate has successfully spun seed on or even had a drill modified to drop seed(splash plates) in front of the rotors on a 6m power harrow.that worked well

 

[Bury the Trash]

headland would be better done with a pneumatic spreader but that adds cost /faff, and bit of undressed grain chucked onto a buffer strip or up into a hedge wont hurt i suppose ,it will just be bird feed .

can do without tramlines and in fact thats better becasue all soil is covered ..

 

[Andy26]

I often broadcast WW, have done 100% for the last two years, done as a first option rather than fire brigade, always looks as good if not better than drilling.

Mentioned many times, but in trials comparing drilling methods where broadcast and harrow in is included, its often the highest yielding and highest gross margin.

HGCA back in the day, did a trial with conventional drill, precision drill and broadcast, over several years and seed rates, broadcast was the highest yielding.

As was the case in @Clive TFF DD trial.

I've used various implements for harrowing in, power harrow, chain harrows, spring tine but by far the best is short discs, Horsch Joker in my case, burys the seed very well, there's never usually anything left on the surface and is buried to a reasonably consistent depth. Never had an issue with Pre-em damage.

This was autumn 2021:

Broadcast and Harrowed in October 26th, established pictures taken 19th November.

 

[Andy26]

headland would be better done with a pneumatic spreader but that adds cost /faff, and bit of undressed grain chucked onto a buffer strip or up into a hedge wont hurt i suppose ,it will just be bird feed .

can do without tramlines and in fact thats better becasue all soil is covered ..

I have drilled the headland where I had dressed seed, label didn't prohibit broadcasting, (Kinto iirc) as didn't want treated seed straying outside the field boundary.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I wonder how broadcasting on stubble and lightly harrowing in would work? Of course you will then get a flush of weeds at same time

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Heres me constantly exploring new methods ,how can i slow down grass growth ,it wouid help if products licenced in other countries were licenced here
But there you go
As for broadcasting grain , best thing i ever did was buy a drill

 

[Bucks Boy]

Any agronomist will tell you.

Yes because they need repeat sales. Brother used to work on a farm where all own seed was broadcast for years. They never had a problem. May not of been highest of yields, but very low costs. Biggest problem pre GPS, no tramlines. Old seed varieties probably more suited to broadcasting too.

 

[Clive]

Regarding seed dressing.

You will most likely be fine using seed grown from a fungicide dressed mother seed.

You might be fine going another generation, but the risk increases the further you go.

Eventually you will get caught out, smut, bunt, ergot, etc are all a big risk.

Any agronomist will tell you.

The exception is oats, so I’m told.

just test !

i’ve grown same seed for multiple years and it passes just fine

a lot of agenda in advice sometimes

 

[Clive]

I wonder how broadcasting on stubble and lightly harrowing in would work? Of course you will then get a flush of weeds at same time

my conclusion from the drill trial we did is it’s absolutely fine as long as enough moisture after drilling

not sure it would work so well for spring crops for that reason ?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

The most important point when seediing any seed is put the seed in at an even depth to suit that seed
With grass seed twice its witdth , thats why its so important to roll before seeding
I have to look at some grass seed thats failed this week, i know before i go that its because its been drilled far to deep , im not looking forward to telling him
If you are broadcasting grain you have no controll over seeding depth whatsoever , germination will be all over the place

 

[Hill Ground]

It was after stubble turnips just broadcast on then one cultivate and roll . The wolly locusts were still on most of it in early March .

Probably so successful due the amount of readily available N left my said locusts.....

Just a humble shepherd's opinion!! 🫢🫣

 

[Andy26]

If you are broadcasting grain you have no controll over seeding depth whatsoever , germination will be all over the place

Look at my picture above, think its 24 days from broadcasting, germination is not all over the place, perhaps a few days difference.

Many seed drills have very erratic seed depth, Claydon drill for example, or bouncing suffolk coulters etc, only really disc drills with a press wheel connected to coulter that has very good depth control e.g. Vaderstad Rapid.

 

[le bon paysan]

When was the last time you saw mother nature out with a drill.
And don't say squirrels burying their nuts.

 

[TelesnaAg]

Im assuming your allowed to dress seed with managanese and spread??

With a heavier rate should be no problem, ones that grow ontop never seem to do that well once it gets growing.

Ant...