How's it gone/going?

[martian]

We're evidently in a hosepipe ban zone here, as we've managed to get most of our drilling done after the rain started. We haven't had as much wet as a lot of you, but the ground has taken what we have had well and leaving the weedy stubble has supported the drill nicely. We've been impressed with the Weaving, it has placed seed beautifully when we've have been parked up with the 750a.

I've had a couple of farmers say to me 'I suppose you've finished drilling, your land must travel because you haven't cultivated?' I haven't worked out a sensible reply yet. Does anyone else get this?

 

[rob1]

Not had that comment yet but sprayed off some stubbles today with barely a mark that when we ploughed would have left ruts a foot deep

 

[ih1455xl]

The weaving can defiantly drill on when others have stopped still get calls now folks wanting me to go drilling for them wish I had a bigger drill tho it's a bit much for my 3m where there is cover/ volunteers growing everything just floats across it and can't see where you've been get to bear stubble and press wheels start sliding and making s bit of a mess

 

[ajd132]

We haven’t done everything but have got a decent amount done reasonably well most importantly without making a hideous mess. Some looks abit ropey admittedly. What this season has done is taught me a huge amount and actually the fact it’s happend has been very valuable In terms of understanding zero tillage in the U.K. better.
havnt managed to do any cultivated land, slop.

 

[SilliamWhale]

All my wheat and barley is in and looks ok. Some looks pretty grim but the plants are just about there and so really it just needs some dry weather etc but if it can cling on until February then hopefull will be ok. I may stitch a bit more seed in on the odd headland in Janaury.

However I've got big problems with establishing oilseed rape - I've even cultivated and it didn't germinate. I've got a build up of some herbicide somewhere which I cannot figure out. V perplexing

 

[Clive]

What I have left to drill is on a estate that’s in year 2 zerotill - ie not yet seeing the real advantages

longer term notill land is 95% drilled and coming through in rows now

 

[Brisel]

Very glad I haven't cultivated most of my ground before drilling. The bit I disc for a chit of spring oats was because it is clay and I wanted some tilth around the seed was awful and took longer to dry out. My neighbour who is mostly on land lighter than mine is ploughing ahead of the drill today. I finished all bar 2 fields of wet snot at the end of October.

Has the Weaving smeared the trench walls at all @martian ?

 

[Tractor Boy]

We're evidently in a hosepipe ban zone here, as we've managed to get most of our drilling done after the rain started. We haven't had as much wet as a lot of you, but the ground has taken what we have had well and leaving the weedy stubble has supported the drill nicely. We've been impressed with the Weaving, it has placed seed beautifully when we've have been parked up with the 750a.

I've had a couple of farmers say to me 'I suppose you've finished drilling, your land must travel because you haven't cultivated?' I haven't worked out a sensible reply yet. Does anyone else get this?

I’m on heavy land in mid Suffolk and am only about 40% drilled up. Have done nothing since mid October as like you the 750a has been parked up. A near neighbour of mine has a weaving GD and has got a lot more in.

 

[Andrew K]

In Essex most of the Cross slots have done bugger all, some of you farm light easy going land !

 

[martian]

Very glad I haven't cultivated most of my ground before drilling. The bit I disc for a chit of spring oats was because it is clay and I wanted some tilth around the seed was awful and took longer to dry out. My neighbour who is mostly on land lighter than mine is ploughing ahead of the drill today. I finished all bar 2 fields of wet snot at the end of October.

Has the Weaving smeared the trench walls at all @martian ?

The top few inches are really nice and soft now and don't smear, but in places with too many wheelings, there is some compaction and seeds have just rotted in plastercine

 

[Warnesworth]

What I have left to drill is on a estate that’s in year 2 zerotill - ie not yet seeing the real advantages

longer term notill land is 95% drilled and coming through in rows now

@Clive what percentage of the wheat area have you drilled with the Horsch?

 

[Michael S]

I have drilled all I intended to drill with the Simtech, albeit with half the rings removed from the roller for the last 50ha. The last 25ha of second wheat and is slow emerging but I think it will make it. As an early years (2-3 years) no-tiller who is also involved with a business that does mixed conventional tillage I think that the biggest advantage this year has been I have drilled on days when in the conventional situation a cultivation pass was required but held off because of the forecast rain. Having said that I drilled on two successive days when I had tipped 7mm out of the rain gauge. Overall wheat and OSR are all good. The only disappointment has been grass drilled after wheat with chopped straw. In future I think the straw either needs bailing or incorporating with our Carrier.

Having spent the day mauling in the last of the wheat with the power harrow drill I feel pleased with my no-till efforts. I would say the ploughed and no-till land has drilled the best; it is the Trioed and then Carriered land that has been the wettest.

My other no-till disappointment this year has been my cover crops although I think mostly because it was too dry at the time of drilling.

 

[clbarclay]

Reading some of these replies, I wonder if I should have tried some already with my GD, but on the few occasions the clay has dried a fraction and I thought about try it, another band of rain comes in.

It is still only November though.

I predicted a nice dry spell in mid December, ideal for drilling. Just when I get up to my neck in turkeys

 

[Ladybird]

We use a JD 750
Started off with the OSR most looked liked it was going to pull through with heavy dews and catching a few odd mls to get it up and away. Lost one field pretty much straight away with a quite severe flea beetle attack. Was all up in rows which you could see on the Friday. All completely gone by the Monday. Then lost field by field thereafter ! Only a fifth left of original planted.
Anyway ordered the winter barley to go into some of the fields of failed osr.
Managed to plant some winter barley on our first drilling window on the 25th October. Managed one field and then rain again. So on stop for another 10 days till I decide that it’s prob best being early November to get started into wheat and maybe shelve the winter barley.
Seed rates up to 420 Sqm can’t manage to drill deep enough with out blocking the drill. so no pre ems ?‍ we try to get seed in deep enough so that all moving parts can still turn with out any blockages.
Another couple of weeks on stop then managed another window and luckily a very nice contractor has managed to plant our winter beans with a Co6 (what a drill that is ) while we carry on planting wheat with our John Deere. We’re nearly done. Feel lucky to have in what we have...
Wish everyone all the luck with there planting. It really has been a testing autumn. !!!!

 

[Adeptandy]

2 failed attempts with the Moore Unidrill, had a friend come with a plough today, and finally managed to plant some W Barley

 

[principal skinner]

Claydon Hybrid, no OSR as lost 75% last year so decided not to drill any this season, no winter barley, replaced second/third cereal with Skyfall this year, started drilling on the 8/10 and finished on the 21/11, very stop start but I think if I wasn't going straight into stubble I wouldn't have got done. Only 25% of the drilled area has been rolled and had a pre em, another 25% has had a reduced rate pre em, the remaining area no pre em. No Avadex applied.

Year three with the Claydon and the ground is certainly working better/easier. Some of the last drilled is very heavy and the drill didn't make a great job but pulling the straw rake over it after the drill covered most of the seed.

45ha winter beans left to do, seed not dressed yet and wont be until I see a drilling window!

 

[farmerm]

2 failed attempts with the Moore Unidrill, had a friend come with a plough today, and finally managed to plant some W Barley

Planting winter barley in last week of November

 

[Mr Charisma]

Although as was pointed out to me that I had no right to be on these pages I thought I would poke my nose in.
Was with a friend who has planted some wheat on what would be 5 or 6 year no till with his gd drill and reckons he has 100% failure. Another friend had 80 acres drilled with a gd drill on some nice dirt albeit not in a no till situation and thought he might have 20 acres survive but some of that is very iffy.

 

[clbarclay]

If I wanted to maul some in, I'm sure I could, but the forecast after any brief drier spell has just look horrible every time.

 

[Adeptandy]

Planting winter barley in last week of November

The scales tipped in its favour, either plant it late at a known cost or wait til spring and be potentially shafted for spring seed by a merchant.

What would your concerns be ? If it dries up now its been saved a serious soaking