How’s your OSR looking now
- Thread starter Clive
- Start date
i agree and notill is not a silver bullet that will fix this, I don’t recall saying it was ? This is a far bigger issue than any individual change is going to fix
i’m finding myself leaning more towards organic - morally it’s sh!t (people will starve) and I don’t believe the food is in anyway “better” but all we seem to do with synthetic inputs is create very unsustainable issues in eco system and environment than come back nd bit eus all in the ball’s sooner or later
we either have to start using different kinds of technology (gene edit etc) or return to nature more
The “bags and bottles” era has failed us badly, environmentally and financially - why are we so unable to admit this ?
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Spot on it has failed us and we don’t learn. Continuous wheat-loads of money for a while then failed. Wheat/osr loads of money for a while then failed.
we need low overhead systems with proper rotations including cover crops and less reliance on bags and bottles. Spring crops are only not profitable because most farms still have the overheads in place for high output systems which have failed. As you know it’s not hard to calculate how much lower overheads can be. If you look at benchmarking costs most farms could theoretically lose £200-£250/ha off overheads if adopting a better system.
Because it has been so successful globally over the last 60 odd years. I reckon there’s probably 6 billion extra people due to it. Definitely a success. But at a price equally definitely. We might wish it hadn’t happened but it has and we need to deal with it.
im not sure we can use the word “successful “. But I agree with the rest, we have to deal with it, currently we are in a denial phase however with most desperately trying to contuinue as they have
ollie989898
Member
Can you show us a close up of your soil? I would be interested to see what 20 years and more no-till on Somerset dirt looks like.
ollie989898
Member
Humans have been bending nature's will since we discovered fire and I don't think we will be stopping it any time soon. Ultimately, there is a demand for food and energy and fibre and the land is an obvious way to obtain it. How long that will remain the case is hard to say but in the meantime it is no secret that much carnage has been wrought on our environment into the bargain.
As I have said before, the Earth's population will expand some more yet until the poorest economies are large enough to grow. Fundamental to this is cheap food, cheap energy and reliable water, sanitation and medicine.
I do admire those who tread the no-till path; not because I am a soil health evangelist but because I think the cost: benefit and simply doing less worth factors are hard to ignore and ultimately it does replicate what occurs in nature.
As I have said before, the Earth's population will expand some more yet until the poorest economies are large enough to grow. Fundamental to this is cheap food, cheap energy and reliable water, sanitation and medicine.
I do admire those who tread the no-till path; not because I am a soil health evangelist but because I think the cost: benefit and simply doing less worth factors are hard to ignore and ultimately it does replicate what occurs in nature.
- Location
- Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos
The bags and bottle era did not fail us. At that time it was the best thing to do and most of us did very well out of it.
However, some of it hasn't prevailed and lasted and we are learning new methods as time moves forward.
There is nothing wrong with that, it is called progress.
But there is no point in beating ourselves up about it or making those that did it look foolish.
Everybody is looking at ways to cut overheads. Benchmarking is fine as long as you can compare like with like. But no 2 farms are exactly alike.
Yes, there are often big changes we can make. Looking at the labour requirement is a big one. Going No-till could be another if it will work for you on your land. However, a sudden change in direction involving huge capital expense where the farm is already set up for a conventional system that is all bought and paid for and works well for that farm, might not necessarily by the right way forward.
Any new system needs trying first by use of a proper demonstration, then being properly costed in terms of capital outlay, yield effect and savings achieved before anybody runs headlong into it.
Far too many times have overheads increased because some new system has become the fashion, which have eventually caused other problems along the way.
However, some of it hasn't prevailed and lasted and we are learning new methods as time moves forward.
There is nothing wrong with that, it is called progress.
But there is no point in beating ourselves up about it or making those that did it look foolish.
Everybody is looking at ways to cut overheads. Benchmarking is fine as long as you can compare like with like. But no 2 farms are exactly alike.
Yes, there are often big changes we can make. Looking at the labour requirement is a big one. Going No-till could be another if it will work for you on your land. However, a sudden change in direction involving huge capital expense where the farm is already set up for a conventional system that is all bought and paid for and works well for that farm, might not necessarily by the right way forward.
Any new system needs trying first by use of a proper demonstration, then being properly costed in terms of capital outlay, yield effect and savings achieved before anybody runs headlong into it.
Far too many times have overheads increased because some new system has become the fashion, which have eventually caused other problems along the way.
GM/GE is also not the answer. It’s just another extension of the treating symptoms and not causes model of farming. American farmers often now have worse pest problems than 20 years ago. They now have to put 4 genes into cotton in order to try and control pests and they are still having to use insecticides. It’s just a treadmill.
- Location
- Foothills of the Quantocks
OSR has been established for the last two years with a Mzuri Rehab subsoiler drill. All other crops are drilled either with an Amazone Primera or Kuhn SD.
The intention is to subsoil in the OSR once around the whole farm over the course of the rotation, then next time around hopefully we can go back to lower disturbance methods. The soil had become quite tight, however since introducing cover crops last year, the more open structure should be kept.
One subsoiling every 20 years isn't too bad though I think!
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ollie989898
Member
Another Primera fan- I'm liking you already.
You are on that more kindly red dirt I see. Envious.
- Location
- Foothills of the Quantocks
We did once own a block of heavier stuff near Podimore, it was mostly successful under DD, grew some fantastic wheat! OSR varied from 5t to 1t/ha.
The Primera is certainly a handy tool, leaves hardly any disturbance in stubbles and will work in all conditions. It's a ballache to grease though..
The Primera is certainly a handy tool, leaves hardly any disturbance in stubbles and will work in all conditions. It's a ballache to grease though..
ollie989898
Member
Cripes I have had experience of some of that around there. Can be very hard work.
- Location
- Darlington
Anyone noticed an improvement in the last few days, as it dries up and the pigeons have left the OSR for the spring crops and clover. Not expecting any records and it's hugely uneven but it seems to be recovering.
- Location
- Darlington
I'm going to have a look with the scalpel but I am starting to think it may be more to do with wet feet.
You can easily see how much better it is in the drier parts of the fields. Fingers crossed
You might be on to something with the wet feet. Interesting tweet this morning from a French grower.Follow the conversation on Twitter, you can use the translate function.
solo
Member
- Location
- worcestershire
Early August drilled campus looking more promising now.
Late August direct Drilled flamingo struggling to grow on due to flea beetle larvae. This is one of the better fields.
Late August direct Drilled flamingo struggling to grow on due to flea beetle larvae. This is one of the better fields.
