Docks growth stage in silage

[Chev54]

Any thoughts on how far into growth stage a docks seeds become viable and able to reseed when baled as silage ? When seeds are green or red or does the plant have to have properly gone to seed ?

 

[Skintagain]

Any thoughts on how far into growth stage a docks seeds become viable and able to reseed when baled as silage ? When seeds are green or red or does the plant have to have properly gone to seed ?

As soon as seed head pops up seeds are viable the percentage that are viable goes up with maturity.

 

[jondear]

As soon as seed head pops up seeds are viable the percentage that are viable goes up with maturity.

Surely it's has to flower first !

 

[Great In Grass]

I believe seeds become viable from the milk stage onwards and immature seeds will continue to develop on stems cut down just a few days after flowering. Docks can produce around 60,000 seeds per year!

 

[Skintagain]

Surely it's has to flower first !

I read up on it. Few year ago. As soon as the seed head starts unraveling with the milky seeds it’s too late but the percentage is low at that stage and it grows from there

 

[organicguy]

We clamped some beans for silage which were too docky to take to harvest. Beans were starting to develop. Never saw evidence of any dock seed coming through the cows viable or growing from the dung.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Never had docks here until we started importing cow slurry so living proof it must go through them , fields that not had slurry no docks

 

[Cowmansam]

I think a lot of it is all around most lagoons is a mess off weeds that then fall into the slurry

 

[Cowmansam]

I believe the rumen kills most seeds

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I believe the rumen kills most seeds

We've had this discussion before , that is not correct sorry
Clip from the organic reseurch institute

 

[Werzle]

Nothing spreads docks like dirty water and slurry spreading and docks cannot grow on slurry towers!

 

[Sid]

We've had this discussion before , that is not correct sorry
Clip from the organic reseurch institute

They also bring up minerals and trace elements from deep down for you direct drillers