How about this for soil building

[Clive]

Turns out I'm really bad at managing a no till system and I need to make some money. I have muck and compost and rotational grass so all things considered the soil will be managed better than most. It's been a difficult decision but the right one for now.

where do you think your management fell short ?

what rotation / machinery etc ? I think there is more to learn from failure than success so please share your experience ?

 

[Dan Powell]

I'll start a new thread as this one is about Simon's success not my failure!

 

[Shropshire Farmer]

I'll start a new thread as this one is about Simon's success not my failure!

Dan,
You have one of the most wonderful farms in the area. Surely you can make it work. Where do you think you’re coming unstuck ?

 

[Timbo1080]

What chems?

I’m guessing that they might still be allowed stuff like Carbendazim.....that absolutely nailed the poor buggers....I’m sure there are many more....

 

[dontknowanything]

If you're going to be pedantic, make sure your maths is right and always read the question thoroughly. The claim was doubling every 2 years so 64 times was the correct answer...(2^6)

Someone didn't read the whole post...

"then 12 years there are 32 times as many" = 2^12

 

[Dan Powell]

Dan,
You have one of the most wonderful farms in the area.

Hardly. We have some good stuff and some very average stuff. Perhaps we make it look good!

 

[Bury the Trash]

ummm seen chems do more dammage to worms than a plow will ever do
i would question if it's just the tillage lowering the worm numbers or the total removal of food lowering the numbers

 

[Dan Powell]

Someone didn't read the whole post...

"then 12 years there are 32 times as many" = 2^12

Argh. Doubling every two years so 6 doublings! I have a first class maths degree even if I can't do no till!

 

[dontknowanything]

Argh. Doubling every two years so 6 doublings! I have a first class maths degree even if I can't do no till!

Ha, yes you're right, it was me who hadn't read it! I had seen it as doubling every year!

 

[martian]

My guess would be that you should have plenty of Endogeic worms but be short of Anecic ones. However @The Ruminant and @martian will have practical experience of what different grazing practices deliver.

One of the things that made me want to give mob-grazing a go, was walking across the Ruminants pastures and feeling the spongey wormcasts under every step. Like tr250, we'd kept our grasses short in the accepted manner and didn't have many worms. Since then, we've let the grass grow longer and stopped worming the cattle and the worms have flourished. Mob-grazing reduces compaction, as the long rest periods and extra root activity allow the soil to recover. Also, and I'm sorry to mention sex in a family friendly forum, worms mate on the surface and are very vulnerable to predators if there isn't enough cover to protect their modesty.

 

[yellow belly]

Need to check your maths...2^12 = 4,096, not 32. That might be a little optimistic!

Not sure what the period for a doubling of population of worms is so the figures are illustrative if it is 4 year still 16 times after 12 years so from year 4 to year 12 there’s are 6 times as many
I am sure different soil types and different field have different time periods

Not got any actual figures but I do know that the longer notill the more soil wildlife there is compared to cultivated fields
drainage is critical as worms cannot thrive in water logged soil moledraining heavy land that is drained is esential whatever cultivation or drill muck cannot make up for high intensity cultivation’s

 

[yellow belly]

Turns out I'm really bad at managing a no till system and I need to make some money. I have muck and compost and rotational grass so all things considered the soil will be managed better than most. It's been a difficult decision but the right one for now.

I do find that adding organic matter can make slugs harder to combat vigilance is needed but in some years whatever you do is not enough