SilliamWhale
Member
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.
wonder what the SA's and monbiot's position is on nuclear and fracking?
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
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.good point......of course outdoor pigs are even worse
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....
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
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.
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
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
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
red is not subsidized, just not taxed as heavily as road fuelIs red diesel subsidised or not taxed?