Establishing AB15 legume mix

dragonfly

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
I have 90 hectares of AB15 legume mix to establish immediately after harvest.
I have my seed delivered and waiting in the barn.
Considering the late(ish) harvest and the fact that I am following spring barley, what establishment method should I use?
 

dragonfly

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
I normally rely on contractors for my drilling and normally have a selection to choose from depending on the crop and the time of year.
I have a tine drill as back up.
Some drills are unavailable due to combining duties, although I have a strip-till guy who has been busy drilling stubble turnips available.
Would a Vaderstad Carier set shallow help? Maybe mount a seeder on the back, or in front of the rolls?
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
I'm most concerned with volunteer barley (maybe I'm worrying too much).

Volunteer barley can almost smother our grass, so presumably legumes will be even less competitive. Frost hopefully take out s. barley though.

To get some workload out of the way, we even ploughed some easy working land to get rid of the winter barley volunteers. Goes against the cheap establishment desire, but got a few acres out of the way, and plenty of rain was forecast after drilling.

Atm, think it would grow just spun on top? Wants to be level enough for topping though. I've one field where I could have done that, but combine driver decided to cut it cross over tramlines. Combine driver is up for court marshall and firing squad are loading their guns.

Then there's some s. barley that won't be fit until end of August. Hopefully won't be too late to establish the legumes.

Got grass in my mix, so can't spray out volunteers which is giving me headaches.
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
I’d wait for a good chit of volunteers then spray off. Like the idea of spinning on I must admit
That's what we're doing after winter barley on heavy land.

Late cut spring barley is going to be a headache, as by time we've got a chit I'm thinking will be getting too late to establish the legumes. Less of a problem if no grass in the seed mix, as might be able to use panarex/laser type graminicides to take out Spring Barley if necessary.
 

dragonfly

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
As previously stated, I am following mainly spring barley, so little time after combining.
We've had reasonably good success, spinning on rape in the past. But, I am concerned about how far a broadcaster will spread the mix.
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
That's what we're doing after winter barley on heavy land.

Late cut spring barley is going to be a headache, as by time we've got a chit I'm thinking will be getting too late to establish the legumes. Less of a problem if no grass in the seed mix, as might be able to use panarex/laser type graminicides to take out Spring Barley if necessary.
Topping will kill the barley surely?
 

Neddy flanders

Member
BASE UK Member
We're going with a stocks seeder on top of powerharrow. tickle the top . mix in pellets as slugs could be worse than in rape. clover seed is minute.

crop doesnt need to succeed very much.
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
we establish ours with a quick flick with a disc Harrow then just use a mounted tine seeder with the coulters raised right up and using the Harrow bar to scratch the seed in.
Do you spray off the volunteers between discing and drilling?

Anyone any latest safe sowing dates as a guide. We're in Vale of York.
 

BigBarl

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
South Notts
Do you spray off the volunteers between discing and drilling?

Anyone any latest safe sowing dates as a guide. We're in Vale of York.
If there is time and you’ve had a good chit then yes I’d definitely spray the volunteers before drilling. In our experience on cold, wet clays you don’t want to leave it late before drilling otherwise the legumes will struggle - the exception maybe the vetch.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 76 43.2%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.2%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.9%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,284
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top