Inter row perennial cover crops

willy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Rutland
After a really thought provoking meeting with Yes you have guessed it Niel Fuller, what do people think about growing crimson clover in rows as a perennial cover and then inter plant with spring wheat or barley. This not only supposedly fixes enough nitrogen but also acts as a weed smother inter row .Sounds bloody good if it works, has any one tried something similar? And did it work?
 

Fred

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Mid Northants
The yellow trefoil failed the first year, and the red clover failed the second year, we did pick two of the driest springs, to do it, it's not the easiest crop to establish and does limit herbicide choice .

I think if we had done it last year , it would have worked , but we have moved on from it , and we had more things to worry about,

I like the idea of peas and spring rape, or peas and oats, or better cover crops, even between osr and wheat, and I like the idea of using spring beans as a companion crop to wheat , and letting them die off in the spring ,
 

willy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Rutland
Fred, as this is what I shall be calling you from now on. I have looked up base uk and it comes up with British Association of Sexual Educators, I presume this is not what you are referring to? Or maybe it is as you do seem very keen.

No on a serious note, although you had some issues it seemed to work for you so why did you give up? Surely your gross margin is the important aspect and from what I understand it seemed pretty good?
 

Fred

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Mid Northants
It was only 20acres, the clover failed, it was very time consuming , if you had a serious amount you would be spraying nutrients on non stop,

But saying that the GM was excellent, but to push it out to a larger acreage maybe

Now I do the following ,dress seed with zinc and phosphite, if possible add phosphate to seed bed, with drill, use urea sulphur product for top dressing, add potash at stem extension, use magnesium at all fungicide timings and manganese at t1

Results from last year , oh dear
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,291
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top