How do you establish your combinable crops ?

[Clive]

Following a post by @SmallRobotCo it seems there is no real statistics around how many farms establish the majority of their combinable crops


For the purpose of this poll definitions as follows and not counting rakes or rolls as cultivators

Plough - full soil inversion tillage pre additional cultivation and drilling

Mintill - none inversion but heavy deep cultivation 3 inches or more pre additional cultivation and drilling

Scratch Till - surface cultivation ( no deeper than 3") pre drilling

Direct drill - single pass establishment with drill that moves soil, Claydon, Mzuri, Sumo etc

Zero-till - single pass establishment with low / minimal soil disturbance

 

[cousinjack]

Voted, then read the definitions so had to change my vote !! Haha!

This will be our first harvest with scratch till establishment.., Wheat is looking good, Osr is excellent and the barley could be better !!

 

[nonemouse]

I used a combination of 4 types last year cantvote for more than 1

 

[Clive]

I used a combination of 4 types last year cantvote for more than 1

no - the question is how do you establish the MAJORITY of your combinable crops ie. which technique do you use the most

 

[chipchap]

I expect in general those of us using the plough have less grass weed problems. However I fully admit that those using zero and non inversion tillage will not necessarily have worse problems, just that their management will need to be better than average to keep grass weeds under control.

 

[Clive]

I expect in general those of us using the plough have less grass weed problems. However I fully admit that those using zero and non inversion tillage will not necessarily have worse problems, just that their management will need to be better than average to keep grass weeds under control.

I think you might "fully accept" incorrectly ! If ploughing sorts grass-weeds then no one would have black-grass. I certainly had bigger grass weed issues when we ploughed, and even bigger issues when we used mintill

 

[tr250]

We use all of the above depending on what needs doing

 

[ajd132]

We use all of the above depending on what needs doing

Can you afford to have that amount of capital tied up in machinery for every eventuality?

 

[rob h]

We have no preferred method .we use either min til or plough can be all one or the other or a combination of both .

 

[tr250]

Can you afford to have that amount of capital tied up in machinery for every eventuality?

Yes we are not big farmers and all the machinery it paid for and not worth huge amount. The same drill does all the drilling from no till to plough based

 

[ajd132]

Yes we are not big farmers and all the machinery it paid for and not worth huge amount. The same drill does all the drilling from no till to plough based

Ah that’s fair enough. Regularly see big farmers with brand new of everything for every eventuality. Must kill the fixed costs.

 

[principal skinner]

Claydon 100% (year three now)

 

[Brisel]

100% Claydon apart from one small field with a demo Weaving GD. 3rd season of use. I put direct drill but do use a pass of a straw rake or light discs occasionally e.g. on clay in spring or to get a stale seedbed after spring oats before wheat.

 

[juke]

Majority with Claydon lump been done with 750a

 

[matthewizod]

Min till, just purchased a straw rake for front of carrier and a weaving sabre tine, moving towards scratch tillage with a look to moving some to direct drilling in the future.

 

[Boysground]

Haven’t voted as use a combination of min till and ploughing according to crop and field issues with opportunistic direct drilling when I can.

Bg

 

[Clive]

Haven’t voted as use a combination of min till and ploughing according to crop and field issues with opportunistic direct drilling when I can.

Bg

The question / poll is how do you establish the majority of acres on your farm

 

[DRC]

Seems there’s still plenty of us ploughing, although like others I sometimes just use discs or even straight in with a combi disc drill.

 

[Warstone1]

One pass with Simba heavy discs as soon as after straw is cleared/muck applied. Then let weather, spray off and drill. Only plough as a reset on bad black grass infested area. So I guess mintill, would be to deep with discs for scratch till.

 

[Clive]

Seems there’s still plenty of us ploughing, although like others I sometimes just use discs or even straight in with a combi disc drill.

I would expect plough to still be the majority answer

I’ve seen 8% quoted as “direct drilled” before I think