I was going to say it would have been much better as thats what the rules say it has to be in by (!), but now looking at the manual it just says aim to have it in by September. Even the manual for agreements starting 1st Jan 2021 just hyperlinks to the current AB8 webpage, so it would surely be very hard to enforce those dates? Continual changing of the rules and aims makes it very difficult to follow!
Establishing AB15 legume mix
- Thread starter dragonfly
- Start date
1/1/2020 so it was 5 months early
The only dates that matter are the ones in your agreement document. They have changed the dates and as you say they now look very wooly. In our agreement we had to get the AB8 in by 15 October.
- Location
- Yorks
No time for a volunteer chit after late harvested spring barley is still my headache.
Maybe I just don't worry about it, then mow the volunteers in the combine stripes if necessary. Would take less time abd stress than worrying about a stale seedbed. Unless I mow the tops of the crown out of the legumes
O.s.r. establishment is comparatively no problem, as can use graminicides.
Maybe I just don't worry about it, then mow the volunteers in the combine stripes if necessary. Would take less time abd stress than worrying about a stale seedbed. Unless I mow the tops of the crown out of the legumes
O.s.r. establishment is comparatively no problem, as can use graminicides.
Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
No time for a volunteer chit after late harvested spring barley is still my headache.
Maybe I just don't worry about it, then mow the volunteers in the combine stripes if necessary. Would take less time abd stress than worrying about a stale seedbed. Unless I mow the tops of the crown out of the legumes
O.s.r. establishment is comparatively no problem, as can use graminicides.
The thing that is keeping my spirits up is that a number of times previously I have established AB8 and been quite dispirited with how it looked in the first year. But come the second year once the area had been mown regularly and it had had time to bulk out, I usually didn't worry any more.
- Location
- Yorks
Any problems or experience with competitiveness of volunteer barley?
Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
Sorry, should have said, that wasn't in a post-barley situation, although I have that to do this year. I hope we will cut our spring barley in about a week's time. Might then whip over with something to get them to chit and just see what time I have.
But you can top the barley in the autumn anyway?No time for a volunteer chit after late harvested spring barley is still my headache.
Maybe I just don't worry about it, then mow the volunteers in the combine stripes if necessary. Would take less time abd stress than worrying about a stale seedbed. Unless I mow the tops of the crown out of the legumes
O.s.r. establishment is comparatively no problem, as can use graminicides.
- Location
- Yorks
I don't think that's in the prescription as such, but I'd classify that as part of the establishment technique. Think an inspector would understand what we were trying to achieve.
Would need to skim over top of legumes.
Will top the barley in late summer if necessary, probably just behind combine rows. Quick job, no great problem if need to do it. Get out of jail option.
- Location
- Yorks
While we're on the AB15/1/8 topic, what machinery have people been using to top it? Might depend if it's just a skim over in spring ro help establishment, or a final mulch down at end of 2 years before next crop establishment.
We've got a flail mower and a trailed grass mower, both 3m.
6m batwing pasture toppers look time saving if they'll do the job. Prescription does say shred cuttings.
We've got a flail mower and a trailed grass mower, both 3m.
6m batwing pasture toppers look time saving if they'll do the job. Prescription does say shred cuttings.
4.6m Batwing here. We might have to do the AB15 twice over when it comes out as the tractor is only 100hp and it might be a bit much for it to swallow in one go.
Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
Bought a 6m Spearhead Multicut with extra mulching blades. Might get a contractor in to bale off the residue once it gets established depending on how thick the sward is. I want this option to increase the fertility of my soil by the end of the 5 years and not deplete it as is needed for longer term wildflower meadows, so will keep that in mind when deciding on whether to do this or not.
Some interesting research into AB15 drilling time & its effect on blackgrass control here...
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Has anyone started sowing their AB15?
If so, how is your system working?
If so, how is your system working?
- Location
- Yorks
Done some after winter barley. Various different methods, for different reasons. Timothy grass in my seed mix.
Generally speaking, lightly cultivated to get volunteer chit, drilled couple of weeks later.
Ploughed (eek, cost!) some lighter land, then either combi drilled or power harrowed and broadcast with slug pelleter, rolled in. Rain was forecast after the broadcasting. Idea of ploughing was to get some work out of the way and no need to worry about volunteers.
Heavier land was drilled, idea being to get seed placed onto the moisture. Maybe put seed 1.5-2cm deep, but slightlt cloddy soil with it being heavy land. Rolled in asap. Too deep for clovers really, but thought was cloddy seedbed would mean seedlings would soon find light. Correct decision I think, as top is now completely dry, wouldn't have germinated if had been broadcast. Seed has germinated.
Each method has beem successful. Broadcast seed is really good germination, but plenty of rain was forecast.
In average or dry conditions on heavy land, I'm inclined to favour drilling.
Rolled some of heavy land twice to retain moisture.
Bigger headache than establishing rape! Mainly due to volunteer worry. Fire brigade option for volunteers (if they are too competitive) will be to run down the swaths with the mower in a couple of weeks time. That said, it's amaizing how clover can sit in the bottom of a grass ley.
5 week window to get it in has been useful. Just keep doing a bit more as I get time.
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Thanks for the insight. I really think you are overthinking the volunteers, as said mow them out when the time comes.
- Location
- Yorks
Two more bits of heavy land to get in, and now heading into the latter part of August, the volunteer concern is getting overridden by desire to shut the field gate. Prolonged rain or drought would make establishment difficult on these pieces. Hopefully drill on Friday/Saturday before the rain, and hopefully good establishment.
I noted what you said earlier about not worrying too much about volunteers, so have got a bit more relaxed about it. Imagine it will all look fine by mid-summer '22.
Fat hen
Member
Some fields 100pc Flatlifted. Others just doing TL, HL and Combine wheelings. All straw was chopped so requiring 2 passes with 3" disks in most to bury straw. One field had horrendous brome so stubble is a nightmare to bury - may call for the emergenct button - the plough! If only I could put a match to it!!
Seed is too pricey to do anything other than drill IMHO. Twin wheels + front press wheels should consolidate soil when drilling. Then roll and pellet.
Seed is too pricey to do anything other than drill IMHO. Twin wheels + front press wheels should consolidate soil when drilling. Then roll and pellet.
- Location
- Yorks
The piece we broadcast with quad bike then rolled, has come the best. There were several rainy days forecast though. Also reasonably light land, so was unlikely to get germination and then lack of moisture (as you might expect on cloddy heavy land).
Defo drill if a dry spell forecast. I feel broadcasting is a little more risky.
On the heavy land we drilled quite deep, so seed was onto moisture, but quite cloddy seedbed - so germinated seed soon found some light from between the clods. Seemed to work.