glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Thrash it two or three times with a haybob
In Field, Straw Chopping, Using a Silage harvesters.
- Thread starter DB83
- Start date
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Neighbour has sold all straw for 50 yrchopped straw for 25 yrs...never saw any benefit.......grass is only way to raise om matter IMO
sell the straw and use the money to get some grass in rotation.... sow stubble with turnips for sheep
chopping wheat straw is popular around here but really only so they can say they're putting summat back
Soil is fudged
One farmer I talked to said took 10 years chopping strawl back into ground to rase OM to a decent level.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
We used to drive across the trails with a wuffler before we tried the forage harvester. Made the belts squeal like a stuck pig every time you hit a trail. You forget how bad things were. 
- Location
- Lincolnshire
We haven’t really seen much effect on OM and we have been chipping and incorporating straw for 40 years. Grass is the only big OM builder.
- Location
- Ceredigion
They all brain washed , a ton or so of straw on a acre is nothing , they may as well fart in the field
- Location
- Shropshire
Just look for one of these
KIDD STRAW CHOPPER - G.M. Stephenson Ltd
KIDD STRAW CHOPPER, PTO DRIVE, THREE POINT LINKAGE, REAR ROLLER, www.gmstephenson.co.uk
www.gmstephenson.co.uk
we’ve had one for years, bought it long before we had a chopper on a combine, done loads of work with it, it’s ideal for what you want and will comfortably spread up to 15 foot very evenly, last time we used it was behind our Lexion 20 foot about 5 years ago as we swathed a field and the chap having the crop jibbed out so to save messing about we chopped it and raked at 90 deg to make sure it was evenly spread the full width, it does need to be bone dry to chop as you imagine.
We mainly now use it for topping a couple of grass margins, but it’s always there if we need it for straw again, much better than a forage harvester, as we tried doing that about 30 years ago with a trailed, even went to the trouble of taking the back off and making a hood with directional vanes, it was very hard driving and it took the edge of the blades very quickly, and wouldn’t spread properly in either discharge mode.
- Location
- Shropshire
Anything is better than nothing if you need to get some organic matter in the soil and you don’t have the option of any muck.
We have rotationally chopped straw for 30 years, initially doing heavy headlands and very light sandy ground, and our soils have improved immensely, the heavy ground is much more workable and the sand looks a lot more like soil and not a beach, it feeds the worms which in turn condition and aerate the soil, it also helps no end with moisture retention and drainage.
Bagged stuff can’t put OM in, so sometimes it’s good to return straw to the soil, the yanks and ozzies have been doing it for years and have turned soils that were like a desert into productive farmland, so that speaks volumes.
Not sure how farting in the field would work, unless you can incorporate it immediately,
but that’s totally the opposite to what the environmental people are looking for, it’s all about capturing carbon and reducing gases I think you’ll find. 
Just my view of course.
yea and get sombodies grass weeds back whats not to like?
Docks is a speciality ........... wanna swop?
Fish
Member
- Location
- North yorkshire
To get the best from chopping straw you have to no till through it.
When using cultivation’s to incorporate the straw your burning off OM at the same time as retaining the OM in the straw, so maybe only standing still as far as soil OM %.
When using cultivation’s to incorporate the straw your burning off OM at the same time as retaining the OM in the straw, so maybe only standing still as far as soil OM %.
- Location
- South Molton
Just look for one of these
KIDD STRAW CHOPPER - G.M. Stephenson Ltd
KIDD STRAW CHOPPER, PTO DRIVE, THREE POINT LINKAGE, REAR ROLLER, www.gmstephenson.co.uk
we’ve had one for years, bought it long before we had a chopper on a combine, done loads of work with it, it’s ideal for what you want and will comfortably spread up to 15 foot very evenly, last time we used it was behind our Lexion 20 foot about 5 years ago as we swathed a field and the chap having the crop jibbed out so to save messing about we chopped it and raked at 90 deg to make sure it was evenly spread the full width, it does need to be bone dry to chop as you imagine.
We mainly now use it for topping a couple of grass margins, but it’s always there if we need it for straw again, much better than a forage harvester, as we tried doing that about 30 years ago with a trailed, even went to the trouble of taking the back off and making a hood with directional vanes, it was very hard driving and it took the edge of the blades very quickly, and wouldn’t spread properly in either discharge mode.
Used one of those whilst on a harvest job topping rape stubbles and straw in rows.
Holds a lot of inertia and does a fantastic job or spreading
- Location
- Berkshire
The last time I had to plough in some swathed straw for a customer, we spread it out with a Tedder then used a batwing topper at an angle to chop and spread, so much effing about and traffic and fuel use, it was like when burning was banned and the FW was full of articles on new kit, square ploughs, straw additives, lots of worrying and it was all sorted by chopping on the combine 
it really will pay for the OP to get a S/H chopper fitted !!
it really will pay for the OP to get a S/H chopper fitted !!
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
Chopping straw with a forager is very hard work and if you have rain between combine and chopper, with lazy carters driving all over the straw, ten times worse. Get in plenty of shear bolts and make sure you have a good airline to blow out the rad.
If you remove the spout to get a better spread, you can be sure the wind will pick up and the tractor will be enveloped in a permanent cloud of chaff.
There is a very good reason why you so rarely see it done, we learned our lessons in the 80’s
If you remove the spout to get a better spread, you can be sure the wind will pick up and the tractor will be enveloped in a permanent cloud of chaff.
There is a very good reason why you so rarely see it done, we learned our lessons in the 80’s
What combine do you have? Bet finding a chopper for it would be easier than you might think, by far the easiest option and probably cheapest as well. We've a chopper for an old newholland lying up the back of the workshop incidentally
lloyd
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
It's not criminal as the straw beggars will be
out and about come harvest.
Votex flail topper will deal with it no problem
but best chopped with combine with spreaders
for even distribution.
Last edited:
fermerboy
Member
- Location
- Banffshire
I've tried the odd bout of straw that was left because it was wet or something and it takes some amount of power to chop with a silage blower.
It was either a Claas or maybe a Deutz a few years ago, but jeez it was a low box tractor puffing job, much harder than chopping grass.
Do it on a windy day and try and blow it so the wind spreads for you. Don't just take spout of and blow in air as it will end up everywhere including your tractor.
It was either a Claas or maybe a Deutz a few years ago, but jeez it was a low box tractor puffing job, much harder than chopping grass.
Do it on a windy day and try and blow it so the wind spreads for you. Don't just take spout of and blow in air as it will end up everywhere including your tractor.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Not sure what percentage straw puts back but it's very little against a cover crop that will increase OM by as much as 60% and put nitrogen back
I sell firtility leaching crops , it don't stop me selling them I just look for least cost alternatives to replace
Irish guys getting £100/ acre ? Not often you make that selling the straw. Baling...carting...loading....storing....insurance.....reloading....rodent control.......late collectors......late/ non payers....diesel.......machinery.......potash.
Hmmm.
The only downside I can see would be dealing with the government and form filling etc.
Hmmm.
The only downside I can see would be dealing with the government and form filling etc.
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
Derrick, I think to be honest, while both are good for the soil, I rather think that you are confusing dry and wet weights. Most cover crops may have a high tonnage but remove the water and there is little left. Further straw is lignified so it will not break down so quick which is good for structure.
I expect an expert will be along in a minute and totally destroy my theory