Erth question

[Agrispeed]

I spent half my life on diggers .will you agree that some ground compacts a lot more that other and some land compacts very litle

Actually, sandy soils can compact very badly, but you can't see the damage you are doing. I once went out with an EA inspector (and soil guru) and had a look at maize stubble field that was so sandy it could've been a beach. Very little damage on the surface (despite being harvested in the winter 2015) but once you dug down there were serious compaction problems. which was leading to serious problems with soil moving downhill and was very noticeable later, in the following crop.

Clayey soils, at least, keep you off the field when you might cause damage, and are generally easier to rectify with a subsoiler.

 

[JWL]

I spent a lot of my earlier working life on farms in South Warwickshire with many of them being influenced by ADAS Drayton and their minimal cultivations mantra. In those days the subsoiler was worshipped and then there was Mr Dowdeswell quietly developing his ploughs. I did work on the ground round Warwick Castle for a number of years which was just sand and gravel and as a sprayman I prayed for at least the tramlines to be compacted. With the undulating ground around the farm spring lines would appear in different places every year and you hoped that you could travel over them when drilling, we would aim to travel the tramlines as soon as possible to start firming the ground. It could be fairly dramatic to walk the tramline on hard ground but not be able to take a step off them without losing a boot!
Combining could be interesting as well as on the more susceptable areas you still couldn't travel even in a drought!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Someone have a word

And after all that i bet you whip your soil to death with a power harrow .you cruel man

 

[Kevtherev]

And after all that i bet you whip your soil to death with a power harrow .you cruel man

Nope I use a chain harrow

 

[bobk]

And after all that i bet you whip your soil to death with a power harrow .you cruel man

Did mine twice , soil might not like it but the wheat does and some was done on a sunday.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I spent a lot of my earlier working life on farms in South Warwickshire with many of them being influenced by ADAS Drayton and their minimal cultivations mantra. In those days the subsoiler was worshipped and then there was Mr Dowdeswell quietly developing his ploughs. I did work on the ground round Warwick Castle for a number of years which was just sand and gravel and as a sprayman I prayed for at least the tramlines to be compacted. With the undulating ground around the farm spring lines would appear in different places every year and you hoped that you could travel over them when drilling, we would aim to travel the tramlines as soon as possible to start firming the ground. It could be fairly dramatic to walk the tramline on hard ground but not be able to take a step off them without losing a boot!
Combining could be interesting as well as on the more susceptable areas you still couldn't travel even in a drought!

Was that on Warwick Park? Maybe for Mssrs Mahon?

I have done a lot of work there over the years and it's some strange land. I agree, the sands can compact badly. It's a lovely farm though, I enjoy working there. In different hands now though.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Did mine twice , soil might not like it but the wheat does and some was done on a sunday.

There you go then . Build a problem then come on here blabbing at me on ways to solve a problem i have not built .

 

[JWL]

Was that on Warwick Park? Maybe for Mssrs Mahon?

I have done a lot of work there over the years and it's some strange land. I agree, the sands can compact badly. It's a lovely farm though, I enjoy working there. In different hands now though.

Yep, that's the ones, I spent 8 years with them, I moved on when I got married and the then owners of WCP took the cottages back to sell to try and get some of their investment back, simply needed a job with a house

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Is that the cottages at Barford Sheds?

 

[JWL]

Is that the cottages at Barford Sheds?

They got sold, where Pete used to live. No I lived down by the yard at Leafields, just off the Old Stratford Road into Warwick.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Compaction is mostly overstated and mostly self inflicted. Keep a soil structure and you will rarely need to de compact

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Compaction is mostly overstated and mostly self inflicted. Keep a soil structure and you will rarely need to de compact

The man has spoken .
And seens to agree with me !

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Compaction is mostly overstated and mostly self inflicted. Keep a soil structure and you will rarely need to de compact

I understand what you are saying, but when grass is growing and needs grazing, it's difficult to avoid millions of little hooves trotting across it. Maybe you can pick your days when travelling with kit, but you've got to put stock somewhere. They can't all go in sheds in wet springs or summers. Or winters for that matter.

 

[Chae1]

All land becomes compacted over time be it livestock wheels or even rabbits

Clive's doesn't.

 

[Old McDonald]

compaction was never noticed or ever became a concern although we did farm to avoid it .but am grateful that you have noted that we could have been more succefull if we had been aware of the compaction that we were not aware we had

I never mentioned anything about your success or otherwise. I merely commented on the fact that you had been big enough to state publicly at #35 that your statement at #18 was incorrect.

 

[M-J-G]

How can you have pan in old pasture

Dinosaurs!