IRG Management problem - Ideas??

[steveR]

I put an IRG and brassicae mix in last year to give some late bite, anticipating burning it off in the Autumn and drilling a herbal ley (HL).

Owing to unforseen circumstances, I still have the IRG standing and now growing away... And no HL gone in! I was going to drill the HL next month, but not now able to, so as to meet a change in Scheme rules, and the HL needs to go in NOW. Dreadful timing but.... needs must. Obviously, I do not want the IRG persisting in a no-input HL!!

So, spray out the IRG and DD the HL in? Or DD and then spray before emergence, which will be a week or two in this time of year.

DD the HL into what is in effect a cover crop, and graze hard in the coming weeks before the HL gets going, and stop any IRG seed setting?

DD into HL, and then mow a tall stubble in early May, then mob graze...

Basically, as a novice with IRG, how controllable is it, to stop seeding?

All ideas welcomed hugely

 

[JSmith]

Nice problem to have if you had a lot of sheep, I’ve got grass envy! Sounds like you’ll have to burn it off if it’s that strong a crop or surely it will just smother the seedlings out!! Shame though

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Can you not plough it under ,

 

[steveR]

Can you not plough it under ,

Sadly, not enough time. If plough, it'll be weeks before I can get back on the ground...

 

[ollie989898]

You might get away with it in Shropshire if its kind land and the weather plays ball. Graze the IRG down tight and direct drill the herbal ley?

 

[steveR]

Nice problem to have if you had a lot of sheep, I’ve got grass envy! Sounds like you’ll have to burn it off if it’s that strong a crop or surely it will just smother the seedlings out!! Shame though

Kind of where I am going in my mind....I should be able to travel later in the week.

Then burn off at leisure. It's only 3ha, so I might drop some in-lamb ewes on it for a week or so... Happily, NOT got a lot of sheep.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Depends how thick the stand is then
You have to decide then if you can live with the grass or burn it off . It will be heading end of May early June I would expect, you will have a job to hold it back unless you suppress it and if you have grass in the herb mix you will be overloading it

 

[steveR]

You might get away with it in Shropshire if its kind land and the weather plays ball. Graze the IRG down tight and direct drill the herbal ley?

It's a mix of soils, having had a errfing great sewer put under it 50 years ago, those bits are still a nightmare! The rest is good wheat land, but manageable.

Can drill tomorrow, but.....

 

[ollie989898]

It's a mix of soils, having had a errfing great sewer put under it 50 years ago, those bits are still a nightmare! The rest is good wheat land, but manageable.

Can drill tomorrow, but.....

It's a big risk. Is the soil dry enough to create some seed:soil contact and then close the slot properly? Might want to be rolled. It might work.

 

[steveR]

Depends how thick the stand is then
You have to decide then if you can live with the grass or burn it off . It will be heading end of May early June I would expect, you will have a job to hold it back unless you suppress it and if you have grass in the herb mix you will be overloading it

That is my concern Derrick. I've never used IRG before, so unsure quite how quickly it'll go to seed here! It's not thick ATM, buit as we all know, a warm snap and it's away!

How much Roundup 360 to kill it?? I have seen suggestions a whiff of 360 can slow up grasses when DD'ing. Might be a risk too far though just for a bit of sheep nibble. Hell, they could go on it anyway...!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I've done suppression with roundup then overseed . Will stop it dead for two months
Will double check but around 6fl oz acre

 

[steveR]

It's a big risk. Is the soil dry enough to create some seed:soil contact and then close the slot properly? Might want to be rolled. It might work.

Can get most of the area in and covered.

The Aitchison is pretty good as seen today! I like to run a light Cambridge roll at 45 degrees to the drilling behind the compact once it's dry, and looking at the forecast, it'll be ok after the w/e.

 

[steveR]

I've done suppression with roundup then overseed . Will stop it dead for two months
Will double check but around 6fl oz acre

Cheers Derrick... Might well be an option.

6fl oz acre

Not sure what that is in metric now.... I'd have my out my old British Sugar conversion booklet, circa 1974

 

[Derrick Hughes]

6 to 8 fl oz acre but be carefull you don't over lap to much

 

[ajcc]

“Tell em to stick their scheme” because they don’t pay when contracted too and keep farming to the best of your ability by silaging the grass a couple of times and put in a crop of choice in late Summer.

 

[steveR]

“Tell em to stick their scheme” because they don’t pay when contracted too and keep farming to the best of your ability by silaging the grass a couple of times and put in a crop of choice in late Summer.

Well if it was NE, I would agree....

The original intent WAS to drill the HL in July/August, but the bean counters have pulled the option, without telling the advisers until the last minute...

But, I want the land into the option, even if I have to overseed some of it in 18 months time.

 

[som farmer]

can you get a derogation to 'redrill' a failed HL, citing covid etc etc, not sure a lot of IRG self seeded is actually viable

 

[Kevtherev]

I put an IRG and brassicae mix in last year to give some late bite, anticipating burning it off in the Autumn and drilling a herbal ley (HL).

Owing to unforseen circumstances, I still have the IRG standing and now growing away... And no HL gone in! I was going to drill the HL next month, but not now able to, so as to meet a change in Scheme rules, and the HL needs to go in NOW. Dreadful timing but.... needs must. Obviously, I do not want the IRG persisting in a no-input HL!!

So, spray out the IRG and DD the HL in? Or DD and then spray before emergence, which will be a week or two in this time of year.

DD the HL into what is in effect a cover crop, and graze hard in the coming weeks before the HL gets going, and stop any IRG seed setting?

DD into HL, and then mow a tall stubble in early May, then mob graze...

Basically, as a novice with IRG, how controllable is it, to stop seeding?

All ideas welcomed hugely

Could you cut the Italian early on in spring then direct drill your herbal ley in to it.
Depending on timescales though

 

[steveR]

Could you cut the Italian early on in spring then direct drill your herbal ley in to it.
Depending on timescales though

That was my intention Kev.... But I've gotta drill this week!!!

 

[Kevtherev]

That was my intention Kev.... But I've gotta drill this week!!!

Ah right
Can you hammer it with sheep now before drilling?