How maize craze threatens future of West Country land

[SilliamWhale]

wonder what the SA's and monbiot's position is on nuclear and fracking?

Monbiot is pro nuclear at the moment as its one of the least worst options.

 

[Goatherderess]

A farmer near me has a crop every year on a flood meadow, harvests in Oct and then leaves the field till the Spring. I'm no expert but have lived next to the river all my life and know that the topsoil will now be on the river bed silting it up - and the EA will not be able to desilt as they have no budget to do anything on this part of the river. And the floods will be back....

 

[spin cycle]

Surprised the extreme rents some of these ad plants etc pay for land has not been mentioned , personally this is where it's all wrong and anyone with a plant using maize near them will know this.

Maybe it should be the case yes you have planning for the plant but you use your own land and not to rent as these distorts the rent for everyone else nearby

so those of us not big enough to have an ad plant need 'disenfranchising'? with beet & cereals on the floor can't see what else to grow?
whilst i was gutted to loose my contract i can understand why they pulled back ( i'dve done the same).. but i've got 16-20 acres probably idle next year
what does everyone want to do on this ad land.....add to glut of milk/cereals ect?

 

[Exfarmer]

good point......of course outdoor pigs are even worse

Could not agree more. I think the move to outdoor pigs was probably the most retrograde step UK agriculture has taken in the last century.
I do not mean this as any attack on the industry, they were only responding to government and consumer pressure.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Anyway the soil association want to ban glyphosate which is one tool judiciously used that helps control soil erosion massively on this farm.

 

[SilliamWhale]

A farmer near me has a crop every year on a flood meadow, harvests in Oct and then leaves the field till the Spring. I'm no expert but have lived next to the river all my life and know that the topsoil will now be on the river bed silting it up - and the EA will not be able to desilt as they have no budget to do anything on this part of the river. And the floods will be back....

Agreed. I have seen plenty of soil wash and farmers need to take more responsibility than they do at the moment. I was never into the full bore blaming the EA, prevention is better than cure.

 

[Brisel]

Actually Monbiot has a point. Pulling maize off waterlogged fields in some years is going to cause run off. We see the same in Sugar beet and Potatoes in East Anglia, in a wet back end.
The growing of the crop itself is not a big issue it is harvesting in unsuitable conditions. Some years this cannot be helped even if it contradicts all soil management plans etc.
This part of the world most fields are flat or near enough, so rutting etc is not a huge problem to anyone but the farmer establishing the next crop.
However the steeper fields can be a nightmare for run off. I have seen a house completely flooded and a garden washed away thanks to Beet lifting by the neighbour in relatively flat Norfolk

Monbiot usually has a sound basis for his rants. It's what he proposes as an alternative that is unrealistic IMO.

Back on topic, much of the problem with maize is post harvest - too much bare soil over winter where there is no crop established afterwards. Harvesting in wet conditions doesn't help. The stock farmers growing maize after maize have the stubble with no cover crop over winter. Mixed/arable growers generally try & establish wheat afterwards.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Could not agree more. I think the move to outdoor pigs was probably the most retrograde step UK agriculture has taken in the last century.
I do not mean this as any attack on the industry, they were only responding to government and consumer pressure.

However, if outdoor pig sites are correctly laid out on the right land they are not as bad as irrigated root vegetables for run off in my experience.

I'm at the moment setting up on maize stubble on very light land and having been on that site before anticipate little problem.

However a site not too far away is being abandoned owing to severe run off and flooding (I'm sure @Exfarmer knows the place)

Outdoor pigs has given s brilliant entry to farming for people like me who started out without a pot to pee in.

 

[Will Wilson]

Am I being daft?


When drilling maize would a tool like the picture dragged between the rows not create divots in the soil to collect rain water - would these same divots not also slow the rainwater washing off a field?

 

[SilliamWhale]

Monbiot usually has a sound basis for his rants. It's what he proposes as an alternative that is unrealistic IMO.

Back on topic, much of the problem with maize is post harvest - too much bare soil over winter where there is no crop established afterwards. Harvesting in wet conditions doesn't help. The stock farmers growing maize after maize have the stubble with no cover crop over winter. Mixed/arable growers generally try & establish wheat afterwards.

I'd say much of the problem is the deep tillage that destroys the soil structure before the heavy kit goes on. I don't hear calls to ban silage. No till maize would help a lot

 

[Campani]

We run a chisel plough across the slope of our maize ground, not deep and only every ten metres or so. Just breaks up the cap allowing infiltration and stops flows building up. Not a perfect job but say 65% better.

 

[sjt01]

I'd say much of the problem is the deep tillage that destroys the soil structure before the heavy kit goes on. I don't hear calls to ban silage. No till maize would help a lot

We use strip tillage that only cultivates a 2" strip where the maize is going, behind a subsoiler leg. Previous crop is left between rows, stabilising soil structure and stopping erosion. Also costs a quater of plough and power harrow

Stephen

 

[llamedos]

Tweet just now from Env Agy

 

[llamedos]

This is the link in their Tweet


Autumn harvesting using heavy machinery can often lead to soil compaction, with little time for remedial action before the winter sets in.

Excessive runoff from field of maize stubble
Although the weather has been dry this autumn enabling good harvesting conditions, the Environment Agency urges farmers to cultivate maize stubble as soon as possible before any wet weather sets in.

Stubble left in after harvest can lead to excessive runoff, causing localised flooding and where large amounts of soil enter a watercourse this can cause a pollution incident.

Louise Weller, for the Environment Agency, said:

In the past, farmers may have been unaware that their land or practices could be causing harm, or that they could face enforcement action if they caused significant pollution from excessive mud in rivers.

We have been running a number of awareness campaigns highlighting the problems and find farmers are very willing to take the steps needed to deal with maize stubble.

New rules are also now in place where farmers can have farm payment monies withheld if they cause soil erosion.

In spite of the later than normal harvest, our advice is still the same - cultivate maize stubble immediately after harvest to remove compacted wheel ruts to allow water to soak into the soil, and if necessary leave a rough surface over the winter period.

If conditions become wet do not sow following crops after maize by forcing them into the ground where this would cause further compaction leaving land vulnerable to runoff over the winter.

 

[Brisel]

Am I being daft?


When drilling maize would a tool like the picture dragged between the rows not create divots in the soil to collect rain water - would these same divots not also slow the rainwater washing off a field?

View attachment 226428

Strange looking gadget. What are the jets for?

Simba tried doing something like this with the Aqueel roller many years ago.

 

[Jamer]

I'd say much of the problem is the deep tillage that destroys the soil structure before the heavy kit goes on. I don't hear calls to ban silage. No till maize would help a lot[/QUOTE

I think there is a differentiation between AD maize as part of an arable rotation where strip till can provide a relief from relentless tillage and livestock use where it can act as a break from grass and provide the opportunity to remove pans from cows and grass machinery.

From a livestock angle the ability of maize to benefit from slurry greatly means a traditional ploughing under of a heavily manured ley results in a noticeably better crop from no bagged fertilizer and any crop established straight after usually grows for fun with no slugs to boot.

I really believe heavy trailers in soft conditions are the biggest liability for us rather than establishment cultivations. That said, we live in a favourable maize growing area where it is unusual not to establish a following crop straight away and I fully understand the need to prevent erosion from over wintered stubbles

 

[joe soapy]

Is red diesel subsidised or not taxed?

red is not subsidized, just not taxed as heavily as road fuel