Getting rid of potato beds

[Pottersfarm]

Due to a communication error and then me being away at planting last year a field of mine I rent to a potato guy was planted the opposite way to my normal tramline direction. The potato guy sumo’ed it for me at his cost to rectify it but now 8 months since planting it’s causing me issues as my sprayer can’t travel properly and causing some boom damage.
As said it was sumo’ed at about 30 degrees to the potato beds. I then tine drilled it at 90 degrees to the potato beds dragging more soil and then I rolled it. At the time it looked perfect but today it’s horrendous as the soils settled.
My first liquid fert application didn’t go on properly due to the booms not being able to keep up with the sprayer chassis moving. I’ve since had to put the rest of the fert on at 5km/hr and mixed with water to double the volume to reduce the forward speed. However I need a solution for this next year. See attached diagram but I’m unsure what to do. I can have the potato guys sumo free if I pull it but not sure it’s the right tool? Should I plough it across the ridges and then combi drill it slow but have the power Harrow dragging lots of soil?

 

[grainboy]

I should have a look at your sprayer I should think,

 

[bert]

Plough the same way as you want the tramlines will sort it no bother

 

[Barleymow]

Why don't you spray it the smooth way

 

[Pottersfarm]

I should have a look at your sprayer I should think,

Nothing wrong with it.

 

[Pottersfarm]

Why don't you spray it the smooth way

As said it was fine in the autumn. Pre-em went in fine no issues. The land has now settled though. If I swapped now I’d have two sets of tramlines and extra crop loss.

 

[Luke Cropwalker]

There has been a breakdown in communications somewhere but you have benefitted from the potato rent. Pay the potato grower to spray the field for the rest of the season and then sort out the field with a plough. Going forward either don't rent out fields or communicate better, if the direction of working is important to you then send your instructions by email then you have a record.

 

[BRB John]

Wait doesn't the potato harvester leave the field relatively flat? Minus the tracks of the tractors and trailers...
Or is there actual plonkers out there that don't plough after potatoes?

 

[Fish]

I bet you’ll still be able to feel those beds in two or three years time.

 

[ridger]

You have to plant potatoes straight up the hill, even if it seems wrong for the field shape. Just plough it the way you want next year and say no more , by your opening post you didn't plough it, just sumo and tube drill, so I'd actually say your at fault for not ploughing

 

[JockCroft]

I have found it not that easy. If destoned the lines of stone take years of ploughing and deep cultivating to mix evenly. Have two fields had one year cerials following potatoes, then direct reseeded to grass. It s easy to feel the bed lines crossing on a quad and the stone on surface no matter how much heavy rolling is annoying.

 

[ridger]

Plough at about (looking at a clock face) 1 o'clock to the shape the beds were usually works the best

 

[KB6930]

Always plough at 90 degrees to the beds for 2 yrs after first year to level the beds second year to scatter the stones this is then sown with a combi drill.
Ploughing or cultivating at an angle doesn't do enough to level it up

 

[melted welly]

We run a karat at 45 degrees then sow the same way as the beds following potatoes. works fine for us. Remember in the past thinking a flat lift would sort it out so worked and drilled at 90 degrees. Never again, just about destroyed the sprayer.

 

[Trying]

Wait doesn't the potato harvester leave the field relatively flat? Minus the tracks of the tractors and trailers...
Or is there actual plonkers out there that don't plough after potatoes?

Well I must be a plonker. Haven’t ploughed for the last 3 years after potatoes. Couple of discs and maybe a pigtail tine and drill.
the reason for this is to try and keep the potatoes that are left on the land on top or towards the top and not plough them down. Trying to help with PCN. Rodney.

 

[RmfJ]

I have found it not that easy. If destoned the lines of stone take years of ploughing and deep cultivating to mix evenly. Have two fields had one year cerials following potatoes, then direct reseeded to grass. It s easy to feel the bed lines crossing on a quad and the stone on surface no matter how much heavy rolling is annoying.

Once land is destoned lines of stone will never mix evenly.

 

[Pottersfarm]

There has been a breakdown in communications somewhere but you have benefitted from the potato rent. Pay the potato grower to spray the field for the rest of the season and then sort out the field with a plough. Going forward either don't rent out fields or communicate better, if the direction of working is important to you then send your instructions by email then you have a record.

This is why I don’t use this forum much because of snide comments like this. If you’ve nothing genuine to comment stay quiet.

 

[Pottersfarm]

Wait doesn't the potato harvester leave the field relatively flat? Minus the tracks of the tractors and trailers...
Or is there actual plonkers out there that don't plough after potatoes?

We’ve never ploughed after potatoes in 40 years. No point of ploughing down all that nice tilth. And it leaves the smaller pots on the surface to get frosted.

 

[JLLM]

Once land is destoned lines of stone will never mix evenly.

Never, is a very long time.

 

[warksfarmer]

Once land is destoned lines of stone will never mix evenly.

Only seen that since we’ve direct drilled so obviously not moving soil at depth. Historically using a min till system the stones get redistributed but clearly there’s stones and …… stones so not saying that works everywhere.