Drilling depth.

[Dolomite]

As seeds to m2 are discussed and seed rates. What depths do people drill cereals and what degrees of success has being achieved by changing if any?

Curious as a neighbor drilled shallower than some others trialing it out. The wheat drillled shallower is romping away and the roots are motoring too.

Myself and him usually aim for 2cm to 2.5cm depth of seed. Some I’ve spoke to drill at 3cm.

 

[farenheit]

In my opinion anyone who professes to be altering their drill setup to change depth from 2 to 3 cm is just being lucky with the seed they find when they dig round. Anything around that depth is fine but you’re never going to get perfect consistency whatever your drill.

 

[Longneck]

Good thread.

What about maximum depth, I’ve drilled some at nearly 50mm which has helped get pre em + glyphosate on in time this last week but it’s perhaps taking a bit too long to come through..?

 

[Flat 10]

I tend to err on the deep side, don’t want birds pulling it up and earlier on was helping it get on moisture.

 

[Matt77]

Everything at least 40mm here as pre em chemistry requires it, only started wheat yesterday which I’ve put at around 50mm as that’s where the moisture is, did the same with the winter barley and that was out of the ground in 10 days.

 

[Fish]

In my opinion anyone who professes to be altering their drill setup to change depth from 2 to 3 cm is just being lucky with the seed they find when they dig round. Anything around that depth is fine but you’re never going to get perfect consistency whatever your drill.

True, nothing is perfect, but some drills are far better at seed place ment than others.
The drill I use, can drill from 1/2inch to 3,1/2inch, going down in 1/4inch increments and I will find the seed more or less where I expect to find it.
I usually try to place barley at 1inch, wheat at 1-1,3/4 inch, rape 3/4-1inch and beans 3+.

 

[yellow belly]

drilling depth is far more critical than drill width and spacing down the row
a good drill will drill accurately with a skilled observant driver

 

[DrWazzock]

It isn't as easy as it looks in my experience. Spring loaded coulters with no positive depth stop (such as a roller) require constant observation on soils of varying degrees of hardness.

The MF30 used to be a bit of a nightmare in that respect. Without on the move adjustment it would plunge into the sand or rumble over the cloddy clay. The Undrill is slightly better towed by the tractor arms so at least I can repeat known good settings with the arms position control.

I envy the folk with a drill that sows at consistent depth across all soil types and all they have to do is drive straight and follow the boutmarker.

By the way, which drill allows you to do that. A vaderstadt? JD750?

 

[Badshot]

It isn't as easy as it looks in my experience. Spring loaded coulters with no positive depth stop (such as a roller) require constant observation on soils of varying degrees of hardness.

The MF30 used to be a bit of a nightmare in that respect. Without on the move adjustment it would plunge into the sand or rumble over the cloddy clay. The Undrill is slightly better towed by the tractor arms so at least I can repeat known good settings with the arms position control.

I envy the folk with a drill that sows at consistent depth across all soil types and all they have to do is drive straight and follow the boutmarker.

By the way, which drill allows you to do that. A vaderstadt? JD750?

Gd is pretty good at it.

 

[Hereward]

drilling depth is far more critical than drill width and spacing down the row
a good drill will drill accurately with a skilled observant driver

Drilling depth is only so important as in the example of wheat it needs to be between 10mm and 75mm, or if a Pre-em is to be applied 32mm+

Tine drills in particular have very poor depth control, but its really not a problem.

 

[Hereward]

I envy the folk with a drill that sows at consistent depth across all soil types and all they have to do is drive straight and follow the boutmarker.

By the way, which drill allows you to do that. A vaderstadt? JD750?

Most disc drills with independent coulters and press wheels are good at depth control assuming there is sufficient down force.

 

[Hereward]

Good thread.
What about maximum depth

I drilled some wheat (before the 35mm of rain) at 75mm as that's where there was good moisture, at 35mm there was little.

Winter wheat will be fine down to 4" or a 100mm.

In a 'normal' year I aim for 50mm, that's to say most will end up between 25 and 75mm.

Some Claydon drilled crops I've seen established were even upto 5" deep and the subsequent crop looked good.

 

[Longneck]

I drilled some wheat (before the 35mm of rain) at 75mm as that's where there was good moisture, at 35mm there was little.

Winter wheat will be fine down to 4" or a 100mm.

In a 'normal' year I aim for 50mm, that's to say most will end up between 25 and 75mm.

Some Claydon drilled crops I've seen established were even upto 5" deep and the subsequent crop looked good.

But surely it’s run out of steam by the time it’s grown through 100mm of soil?

 

[Bury the Trash]

But surely it’s run out of steam by the time it’s grown through 100mm of soil?

will be looking a bit yellow i bet.

 

[shakerator]

Shallow gives a better structured plant imv, slower to tiller and extra node /crown roots slow plant down if too deep

 

[PSQ]

But surely it’s run out of steam by the time it’s grown through 100mm of soil?

I would imagine it depends on the soil texture. It should be fine if the shoots are emerging through tilth, but 'difficult' to 'buggered' if impeded by stone or knots.

 

[Hereward]

But surely it’s run out of steam by the time it’s grown through 100mm of soil?

Yes, but your missing the point.

FSS a high seed rate, it does look a bit yellow, just return to the field in 14 days it will look much better.

Let's be clear we are doing this to give us a genuine last kill of blackgrass with glyphosate.The perfect scenario is glyphosate just hours before emergence and with a high seed rate if 5% early risers so to speak are taken out it doesn't matter, all the better in fact.

 

[Hereward]

Shallow gives a better structured plant imv, slower to tiller and extra node /crown roots slow plant down if too deep

Yes ideal is much shallower, but in an ideal world there would be no blackgrass.

 

[ratchet spanner]

Drilling depth is only so important as in the example of wheat it needs to be between 10mm and 75mm, or if a Pre-em is to be applied 32mm+

Tine drills in particular have very poor depth control, but its really not a problem.

If I drilled wheat at 75mm in a cold wet season I would never have a crop.

 

[Hereward]

If I drilled wheat at 75mm in a cold wet season I would never have a crop.

If you haven't a blackgrass problem then there's no need to drill 75mm deep. And the deep drilling is advocated so you can drill earlier than you might otherwise, the extra time it takes for emergence is in effect delayed drilling.

The benefit is the crop is in the ground so in effect is established after the glyphosate with no soil disturbance at all.