Getting the most from wholecrop (yield wise!)

[Jdunn55]

I'm a mere livestock farmer playing with far less acres than most of you on this side of the forum so go easy on me
I've grown wholecrop the past couple of years but only as a side crop to get them into grass and have only done it cheaply and not really needed it (been a case of shove it in the ground, close the gate and hope for the best!)

This year I've taken on another farm and need the wholecrop to feed the dairy cows when they're dry. The quality is not important as long as its decent enough that they'll eat it! Its yield I need.
I'll finish preparing the ground today/tomorrow and am looking to get the corn in tomorrow all being well. I've got 2 choices for corn either barley or oats which I can go and get tomorrow. The wholecrop will be undersown with grass for autumn grazing in 2 fields but the other field will be cereals only.

How would everyone reccomend growing it to get the best crop I can? It's my first time growing it properly but when i played with it last year i managed 5t/ac acre with hardly any fertiliser, a bit of dung and no sprays. I've already plastered the fields with dung and they're being power narrowed now.
Thankyou

 

[Spencer]

Oats for yield. Plenty of dung under it will grow them with little bag stuff. Make sure you take them early enough before they go flat to the deck though

 

[Jdunn55]

Oats for yield. Plenty of dung under it will grow them with little bag stuff. Make sure you take them early enough before they go flat to the deck though

How much nitrogen would be enough for oats? I was going to feed it 150kg/acre with 20kg in the seed bed and another 120kg once emerged?

 

[Flat 10]

How much nitrogen would be enough for oats? I was going to feed it 150kg/acre with 20kg in the seed bed and another 120kg once emerged?

That sounds like too much given the amount of muck but I’ve never grown whole crop. Using your memperial units 100kg/ac half seedbed half later. Cheap BLW help keep place tidy?

 

[Jdunn55]

That sounds like too much given the amount of muck but I’ve never grown whole crop. Using your memperial units 100kg/ac half seedbed half later. Cheap BLW help keep place tidy?

Sorry you're right, I've half converted it to metric ( I usually use imperial!) It would be 76kg of nitrogen per acre or 190 per hectare that would be 27 units in the seeded the rest later, about right? What does blw stand for? Completely new to growing anything other than grass..

 

[Barleycorn]

We sow a mixture of oats and barley. Tried including peas or vetches but I don't think it's growing long enough for them to have much benifit.

 

[Flat 10]

Sorry you're right, I've half converted it to metric ( I usually use imperial!) It would be 76kg of nitrogen per acre or 190 per hectare that would be 27 units in the seeded the rest later, about right? What does blw stand for? Completely new to growing anything other than grass..

Broad leaf weeds... help keep land tidy for the grass ?

 

[teslacoils]

How about a mix of barley and oats?

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Oats for yield. Plenty of dung under it will grow them with little bag stuff. Make sure you take them early enough before they go flat to the deck though

I would say barley will out yield oats

 

[Spencer]

I would say barley will out yield oats

I would disagree. Op is based is Cornwall so should get plenty of moisture to grow plenty of biomass and grain.

 

[robbie]

Oats or oat and barley mix would be my choice.
I've baled a fair bit of whole crop for cattle silage and according to the customer the oats were rocket fuel and the cattle went mad for it.
As mentioned already I'd go to about 80 units an acre if you've been generous with the much and a cheap BLW spray.

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Oats or oat and barley mix would be my choice.
I've baled a fair bit of whole crop for cattle silage and according to the customer the oats were rocket fuel and the cattle went mad for it.
As mentioned already I'd go to about 80 units an acre if you've been generous with the much and a cheap BLW spray.

Would a mix of oat and barley ripen at different times?

 

[Breakthru]

Would a mix of oat and barley ripen at different times?

Late Barley and early Oats. Undersown left you a ley that looked second year because silage was removed before it really competed with the grass. Tried the peas etc but just made it more difficult and wetter to harvest.