Establishing Catch Crops

[willyorkshire]

The plan is just for green cover, before drilling wheat in October. If I could get hold of some sheep I would be happy for them to graze however. Although there is buckwheat and linseed in the catch crop mix, which is toxic to sheep?

Just let the osr grow. Why go to the expense of sowing a crop to then spray off before drilling?

 

[Peter Hitchcock]

How did you get in with this Peter, my thoughts would be that you w

What did you end up doing?

Not very well in the end. I waited about 2-3 weeks before drilling the catch crop after Rape and tried taking out volunteers with the stubble rake, but the stubble rake either didn't do enough or more volunteers came through later which then outcompeted the catch crop. Basically ended up drilling wheat into a thick mat of OSR volunteers with a tiny bit of buckwheat and a few sunflowers in.
I never got the chance to drill any catch crops after Winter Oats as the straw didn't get baled until the 1st week of September.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Not very well in the end. I waited about 2-3 weeks before drilling the catch crop after Rape and tried taking out volunteers with the stubble rake, but the stubble rake either didn't do enough or more volunteers came through later which then outcompeted the catch crop. Basically ended up drilling wheat into a thick mat of OSR volunteers with a tiny bit of buckwheat and a few sunflowers in.
I never got the chance to drill any catch crops after Winter Oats as the straw didn't get baled until the 1st week of September.

Sometimes that's what you get with rape stubble and a token gesture to get more species in is probably the most economic approach.

 

[Hindsight]

Not very well in the end. I waited about 2-3 weeks before drilling the catch crop after Rape and tried taking out volunteers with the stubble rake, but the stubble rake either didn't do enough or more volunteers came through later which then outcompeted the catch crop. Basically ended up drilling wheat into a thick mat of OSR volunteers with a tiny bit of buckwheat and a few sunflowers in.
I never got the chance to drill any catch crops after Winter Oats as the straw didn't get baled until the 1st week of September.

And how did your wheat establish? What drill was used? When did you apply glyphosate in relation to drilling date? Interesting thread.

 

[Peter Hitchcock]

And how did your wheat establish? What drill was used? When did you apply glyphosate in relation to drilling date? Interesting thread.

The Wheat actually established pretty well. Drilled with the Claydon on 17th October and glyphosate applied with the pre-em 10 days later.
Picture taken this morning

 

[Hindsight]

The Wheat actually established pretty well. Drilled with the Claydon on 17th October and glyphosate applied with the pre-em 10 days later.
Picture taken this morningView attachment 1007469

Many thanks. Looks good. Medium loam over chalk?

 

[Peter Hitchcock]

Many thanks. Looks good. Medium loam over chalk?

Hanslope series soil. About 50% silt, 30% clay and 20% sand.

 

[ajd132]

A few pictures of wheat drilled after osr which had a catch crop of linseed, sunflowers and buckwheat. The cover didn’t grow aswel as it did last year but was still worthwhile IMO

 

[Hindsight]

Hanslope series soil. About 50% silt, 30% clay and 20% sand.

Thank you for the soil type information. I find it helpful to get a feel for soil. Apologies given Hertfordshire thought might be a chalk soil over chalk. Saw the few bits of whitish stone in the picture.. Looks very well. Did you roll after drilling with Claydon. And any slug pellets? If so before sowing or after sowing?

 

[Jpffarms]

A few pictures of wheat drilled after osr which had a catch crop of linseed, sunflowers and buckwheat. The cover didn’t grow aswel as it did last year but was still worthwhile IMO
View attachment 1007498View attachment 1007499

Could I ask what this was drilled with please

 

[ajd132]

Could I ask what this was drilled with please

Avatar 25cm spacing

 

[Jpffarms]

Are you on Clay soils. As I’m looking at DD on heavy clay but I’m struggling with the Claydon

 

[ajd132]

Are you on Clay soils. As I’m looking at DD on heavy clay but I’m struggling with the Claydon

Reasonably. We aren’t far from the Claydon factory.

 

[Peter Hitchcock]

Thank you for the soil type information. I find it helpful to get a feel for soil. Apologies given Hertfordshire thought might be a chalk soil over chalk. Saw the few bits of whitish stone in the picture.. Looks very well. Did you roll after drilling with Claydon. And any slug pellets? If so before sowing or after sowing?

Yeah get rolled and had two doses of pellets, both after drilling. I was expecting a lot more slug pressure though and the second dose of pellets probably wasn’t necessary.

 

[Hindsight]

Yeah get rolled and had two doses of pellets, both after drilling. I was expecting a lot more slug pressure though and the second dose of pellets probably wasn’t necessary.

Thanks. Does look well. Up here in Lincolnshire similar story with slugs. Warm October and then the warm and dry November encouraged good cereal growth and seemed to reduce slugs On the various farms I visit we have used less pellets this Autumn, save for a couple of farms where with hindsight we were too cautious, or more to the point panicked / worried / talked ourselves into making applications. H.

 

[Try to succeed]

I joined the club this year. This is Gleam drilled in to cover on Oct 10th, (varied from over knee high to not a lot). It’s drilled with a CO with 1 inch Dutch openers. Most of the farm is high mag clay, although 95% drained. This field had osr drilled low disturbance in year 1, then this wheat year 2. The real scare is how barley or 2nd wheat will go in next season. Slug and egg numbers were scary here for a few weeks.

 

[ajd132]

I joined the club this year. This is Gleam drilled in to cover on Oct 10th, (varied from over knee high to not a lot). It’s drilled with a CO with 1 inch Dutch openers. Most of the farm is high mag clay, although 95% drained. This field had osr drilled low disturbance in year 1, then this wheat year 2. The real scare is how barley or 2nd wheat will go in next season. Slug and egg numbers were scary here for a few weeks.

5th cereal winter barley top and second wheat October drilled. We’re on clay but rather than loads of magnesium it has loads of calcium

 

[Try to succeed]

View attachment 1007811View attachment 1007812
5th cereal winter barley top and second wheat October drilled. We’re on clay but rather than loads of magnesium it has loads of calcium

What are your establishment figures like vs ‘conventional’? I’m yet to do counts here as busy with a house build but visually it’s a lot lower - as expected

 

[ajd132]

What are your establishment figures like vs ‘conventional’? I’m yet to do counts here as busy with a house build but visually it’s a lot lower - as expected

It’s probably abit lower I probably wrongly don’t bother doing counts but I use abit more seed to compensate. It really depends on conditions.

 

[Villagefarmer]

This what we use. Its cheap but need to roll afterwards