Dry 2022

[bigw]

Sounds like you are all needing to move north so you can get all the rain you need! If only we could trade you rain for sunshine, we have had tremendous growth this year but little sun or heat.

 

[vantage]

Sounds like you are all needing to move north so you can get all the rain you need! If only we could trade you rain for sunshine, we have had tremendous growth this year but little sun or heat.

Someone in the middle must be having a blinder of a year!

 

[In the pit]

Someone in the middle must be having a blinder of a year!

 

[crashbox]

This is what we're grazing now. This is 40 days growth and it had 40ml of rain and 3000g/ac dirty water on it soon after the last grazing. I'm down to 3kg DM from grazing now, the rest is silage and cake. I'm in a good position with 1000t of silage carried over from the last two good years but it will all be gone by the end of August.

We haven't caught a drop recently and I don't think anything under 50ml would make the slightest difference now.

Looks like a bloody salad bar compared to what I'm grazing...
Still no rain in forecast for foreseeable, so last resort tomorrow, open a grass silage pit to help balance the maize.
Will hit into Winter stocks (we seldom have enough grass silage) so will be hoping for some sensible growth in Sept/Oct now.

 

[Manney]

We've had a reasonable amount of misty drizzle over the past weekend. Today feels noticeably Autumnal, could almost be mistaken for a still September day. Forecast looks quite unsettled going forward so I think that summer is very possibly over.

 

[jerseycowsman]

We've had a reasonable amount of misty drizzle over the past weekend. Today feels noticeably Autumnal, could almost be mistaken for a still September day. Forecast looks quite unsettled going forward so I think that summer is very possibly over.

What forecast are you looking at? Mine just has dry for the next fortnight!

 

[crashbox]

What forecast are you looking at? Mine just has dry for the next fortnight!

And me, Summer romping ahead, will be 3+ months with no rain

 

[Spudley]

Dry forecast here too!

 

[Bald Rick]

These extended dry months seem to be becoming something of the norm so as an experiment, going to plant 10 acres or so of lucerne.

 

[jerseycowsman]

These extended dry months seem to be becoming something of the norm so as an experiment, going to plant 10 acres or so of lucerne.

I can remember plenty of dry summers in the ‘80’s, ‘90’s and 2000’s. This is the driest we’ve had it for the last 15 years. I would say summers are getting wetter, and springs are getting drier. The problem this year is it’s been drier since last autumn

 

[nails]

Driest start to the year since 76 and i realize a lot of people don't remember 76

UK weather: Driest start to year in England and Wales since 1976

People are urged to use water wisely following a meeting of drought experts.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Bald Rick]

I can remember plenty of dry summers in the ‘80’s, ‘90’s and 2000’s. This is the driest we’ve had it for the last 15 years. I would say summers are getting wetter, and springs are getting drier. The problem this year is it’s been drier since last autumn

I think it’s worth exploring potential alternatives to ryegrass silage as there is a distinct trend towards longer dry periods. Too often PRG is going to head within 2-3 weeks of cutting due to stress and trying to cut too soon leads to butyric silage

 

[jerseycowsman]

I think it’s worth exploring potential alternatives to ryegrass silage as there is a distinct trend towards longer dry periods. Too often PRG is going to head within 2-3 weeks of cutting due to stress and trying to cut too soon leads to butyric silage

We grew Lucerne a while ago. We grew it with white clover and ryegrass too. Good job, because although the Lucerne was good for a couple of a years, it soon died out after a wet winter

 

[HarryB97]

These extended dry months seem to be becoming something of the norm so as an experiment, going to plant 10 acres or so of lucerne.

Do it in the spring and don’t expect anything impressive the first year and average at best the second then by the third it flies!

 

[Jdunn55]

I think it’s worth exploring potential alternatives to ryegrass silage as there is a distinct trend towards longer dry periods. Too often PRG is going to head within 2-3 weeks of cutting due to stress and trying to cut too soon leads to butyric silage

I've used lucerne in my grazing leys and didn't expect it to survive, but its coped for the past 4 years. I think you would be pleased with it for silage, just keeps going in a drought, it's very impressive

 

[Bald Rick]

Do it in the spring and don’t expect anything impressive the first year and average at best the second then by the third it flies!

Agronomist says drill it now as the weeds aren't as competitive

Getting pH over 6.5 is the starting point

 

[Jdunn55]

Agronomist says drill it now as the weeds aren't as competitive

Getting pH over 6.5 is the starting point

They say if sowing in the spring oversowing it with barley helps it and also goes some way to making up for the lower yield in year 1

Also been told less competitive grasses like cocksfoot/timothy/meadow fescue are good to sow alongside it as they'll fill in any bare patches that will otherwise fill with weeds and spray options are limited

 

[deleted user 837354]

These extended dry months seem to be becoming something of the norm so as an experiment, going to plant 10 acres or so of lucerne.

If your pictures are anything to go by lucerne will grow nicely for you.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Agronomist says drill it now as the weeds aren't as competitive

Getting pH over 6.5 is the starting point

There are ways of spraying weeds out.

 

[bobk]

Rained here 6 days out of the last 7 , won't do much use .