Enhanced over wintered stubble

[Mr Tree]

Afternoon,

has anyone used this option in css for an alternative to OSR or winter barley?

The payment is reasonable and takes away the volatility of the 2 crops mentioned.

Any thoughts pros and cons?

thanks

 

[Wheatland]

AB6 has to be the worst arable rotational option in the current stewardship offer. It doesn’t do much for wildlife unless you count the opportunity for weeds to reproduce. The following crop is worse for it too.

It would be much improved for being able to establish a green cover and then re-establish in the spring where weed pressure is great.

 

[teslacoils]

I very much don't enjoy my ab6 and it will not be on the next stewardship renewal.

It needs 250kg of wheat spun on to give a cheap cover. And to be able to work it up two weeks earlier.

 

[David.]

It's not a break crop then?

 

[spin cycle]

It needs 250kg of wheat spun on to give a cheap cover. And to be able to work it up two weeks earlier.

crank air up on combine and drive faster

unless you've BG i can't see how it could be that bad

 

[Flat 10]

crank air up on combine and drive faster

unless you've BG i can't see how it could be that bad

You can spray BG in may…

 

[teslacoils]

crank air up on combine and drive faster

unless you've BG i can't see how it could be that bad

Ok, it's not "that bad" but it has the potential to become structureless mess. Adding in a cover would be easy.

 

[neilo]

I very much don't enjoy my ab6 and it will not be on the next stewardship renewal.

It needs 250kg of wheat spun on to give a cheap cover. And to be able to work it up two weeks earlier.

Why 250kg? I’m not familiar with the English scheme requirements these days, but does it stipulate a minimum plant population anywhere?

Certainly Welsh schemes only specify that you must ‘establish’ the crop by a certain date. I would suggest ‘establish’ is quite arbitrary in terms of plant population numbers, particularly where use of nematocides and insecticides is severely restricted.

 

[Scotter]

We have used it to replace rape. On heavy land rape is always a battle to get established so seemed a good option. It's usually sprayed for black grass so reasonably clean. The plan is to have it worked before we start harvesting wheat and then come back to it in October and drill with wheat.
If we ever have to have a part field of stubble the following crop is always better compared to the part of the field that hasn't had a break.

 

[teslacoils]

Why 250kg? I’m not familiar with the English scheme requirements these days, but does it stipulate a minimum plant population anywhere?

Certainly Welsh schemes only specify that you must ‘establish’ the crop by a certain date. I would suggest ‘establish’ is quite arbitrary in terms of plant population numbers, particularly where use of nematocides and insecticides is severely restricted.

The stubble require ment here is not to plant stuff on it. I'm saying it wants a healthy layer of living greenery on it. This year mine was after spring oats. Thick greenery until spring frosts which killed the lot.

 

[Flat 10]

The stubble require ment here is not to plant stuff on it. I'm saying it wants a healthy layer of living greenery on it. This year mine was after spring oats. Thick greenery until spring frosts which killed the lot.

If you have enough BG it will be thick cover until it’s sprayed off

 

[teslacoils]

If you have enough BG it will be thick cover until it’s sprayed off

Sours the land, a carpet of BG.

 

[Flat 10]

Sours the land, a carpet of BG.

Do you think? Always seems to come up quite nice. Better than no cover on the stubble imo.

 

[teslacoils]

Yeah, it doesn't root well enough, and seems to suppress other bg growth. As you can spray off the BG in an ab6 after midmay, it's a shame you can't broadcast a cover crop then and build some structure.

 

[Flat 10]

Yeah, it doesn't root well enough, and seems to suppress other bg growth. As you can spray off the BG in an ab6 after midmay, it's a shame you can't broadcast a cover crop then and build some structure.

That would be much better

 

[D14]

@Feldspar put a big chunk into it I think.

 

[Hindsight]

Large farm has a block of hundred acres or so this year at back of village. I walked dog around it yesterday. We have had quite a bit of rain over weekend and in past month. Noticed the land drains running yesterday as field ditches had flowing water. Looked sad. This is Denchworth/Evesham/Ragdale clay. Might come across the farm manager in next couple of weeks and will ask what is planned to grow - presume wheat or oilseed rape.

 

[Mr Tree]

So if it’s left as stubble and then sprayed in mid May for bg do you all think that would work as an entry for wheat as a simple system?

I thinking ows -wheat
Easy to budget and guaranteed rather than OSR and barley
Hopefully takes pressure off ageing machinery and fluctuations in inputs

 

[Flat 10]

Its not ideal as not a true break but would work for 5 years IMO and the lifetime of the agreement to then see what the situation is. Should stop BG getting out of hand. I think it's fair to say that some land would cope with that better than others. As said @Feldspar is the man to ask

 

[teslacoils]

Yes, it's ideal to get into wheat. Assuming nice weather, mine will be fertilised, moled, diced, subsoiled and pressed by 3rd August! Then slippers on for two months before drilling.