Is this a stupid idea for establishing wheat after potatoes??

[melted welly]

Things are still quite dry, both on top and at depth. We’ll be lifting potatoes in a few weeks, if there’s no excessive rainfall it’s gonna be relatively dry, soils going to be in nice condition for the following crop.

I follow the potatoes with wheat, generally extase as it is amazing at hanging in thru winter.

Normally post harvest I’ll karat the ground then sow with one pass. Only have the one drill.

this year I’m wondering if the ground stays in good nick whether to follow the karat with the rollers, hang the front hopper of the drill on the tractor, blow the wheat to the back, thru mushroom and out spreader plates mounted on rollers, blowing wheat in front of rolls. Rolls incorporate and consolidate.

Is this a stupid idea?

Rolls are 12m, sprayer 36m so the wheelings would work in. Be no consistency in depth but karat leaves a nice finish with a DD packer, I’m thinking wheat would mostly fall into the troughs then after rolling would be about 1/2”deep, apart from the wheelings, but hey ho.

I’m struggling to see a negative. Obviously if it turns wet it’s a no go, but if its dry I get the wheat in quicker (12m drill ) without the compaction of the power harrow pass as this is often an issue if there’s a lot of rain post drilling, seed bed is tight and tends to waterlog.

Thoughts and criticism welcome!

 

[AJ123]

There is only one way to find out. I’d give it a go.

 

[Kevtherev]

Used to broadcast cereals regularly years ago and either power Harrow or disc in.
Works ok only problem being crows getting the shallow seed.

 

[PSQ]

Only real problems will be around using treated seed and it not being buried to the required depth, seed being too shallow for pre-em herbicides, frost heave and rook damage.

If using undressed seed, no pre-em, not expecting frost or rooks then you’re good to go!

 

[melted welly]

There is only one way to find out. I’d give it a go.

I tend to get carried away and if it looks about right I’ll want to carry on and do it all.!

 

[melted welly]

Only real problems will be around using treated seed and it not being buried to the required depth, seed being too shallow for pre-em herbicides, frost heave and rook damage.

If using undressed seed, no pre-em, not expecting frost or rooks then you’re good to go!

Won’t be using treated seed after potatoes, agree depth be issue I’m thinking fair bit will end up in the troughs created by the packer though, acting as ad hoc coulters, so to speak.

ideally have paddles on rollers to cover. But don’t.

 

[PSQ]

Won’t be using treated seed after potatoes, agree depth be issue I’m thinking fair bit will end up in the troughs created by the packer though, acting as ad hoc coulters, so to speak.

ideally have paddles on rollers to cover. But don’t.

Are you planning on upping the seed rate?

 

[melted welly]

Are you planning on upping the seed rate?

Yeah, I thought 10-15% to allow for pests and shallow depth. No science behind that figure though.

 

[Will 1594]

go one better and put an old accord tool bar on back of carrot coulter running in dd grove and a following harrow then roll
if comes wet can still do same and not roll

 

[PSQ]

I

go one better and put an old accord tool bar on back of carrot coulter running in dd grove and a following harrow then roll
if comes wet can still do same and not roll

I was wondering if @melted welly had a big old set of pressure harrows / Parmiter zig zags to mount the hopper in front of. There used to be a set on every farm, you occasionally see some wide ones for scrap value.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Things are still quite dry, both on top and at depth. We’ll be lifting potatoes in a few weeks, if there’s no excessive rainfall it’s gonna be relatively dry, soils going to be in nice condition for the following crop.

I follow the potatoes with wheat, generally extase as it is amazing at hanging in thru winter.

Normally post harvest I’ll karat the ground then sow with one pass. Only have the one drill.

this year I’m wondering if the ground stays in good nick whether to follow the karat with the rollers, hang the front hopper of the drill on the tractor, blow the wheat to the back, thru mushroom and out spreader plates mounted on rollers, blowing wheat in front of rolls. Rolls incorporate and consolidate.

Is this a stupid idea?

Rolls are 12m, sprayer 36m so the wheelings would work in. Be no consistency in depth but karat leaves a nice finish with a DD packer, I’m thinking wheat would mostly fall into the troughs then after rolling would be about 1/2”deep, apart from the wheelings, but hey ho.

I’m struggling to see a negative. Obviously if it turns wet it’s a no go, but if its dry I get the wheat in quicker (12m drill ) without the compaction of the power harrow pass as this is often an issue if there’s a lot of rain post drilling, seed bed is tight and tends to waterlog.

Thoughts and criticism welcome!

We do the same as you, cultivate then power harrow. I can’t see them lifting here anytime soon as they won’t be able to keep any soil in the web, and by the time they can lift it’s normally gone wet.

 

[melted welly]

go one better and put an old accord tool bar on back of carrot coulter running in dd grove and a following harrow then roll
if comes wet can still do same and not roll

Like this?…

use it for osr, but the Spalding box has been a fecking distaster this year to be honest ended up drilling with one pass as the fecking thing wouldn’t put seed out consistently.
Blow fert from front but coulters on the bar are 12” spacing, thinking that’s bit wide and have run out of useable old ones to bolt on in between!

 

[melted welly]

I

I was wondering if @melted welly had a big old set of pressure harrows / Parmiter zig zags to mount the hopper in front of. There used to be a set on every farm, you occasionally see some wide ones for scrap value.

We’re a farm that tends to buy other peoples scrap, and then use it for another lifetime, so anything in the nettles is generally completely f**ked and there only for sentimental reasons and/or scavenging potential. 🫣

 

[melted welly]

We do the same as you, cultivate then power harrow. I can’t see them lifting here anytime soon as they won’t be able to keep any soil in the web, and by the time they can lift it’s normally gone wet.

It works fine I find so long as wheat gets up and away before serious rain. If get heavy downpour immediately post drilling, makes everything that bit too tight and on back foot from the start.
Thinking broadcast behind cultivator then rolled will leave it less consolidated, more open to drainage.

 

[Farmer Fin]

It works fine I find so long as wheat gets up and away before serious rain. If get heavy downpour immediately post drilling, makes everything that bit too tight and on back foot from the start.
Thinking broadcast behind cultivator then rolled will leave it less consolidated, more open to drainage.

I think you have to be prepared to walk away. I’m currently cutting the end rigs of spring barley around a field of insitor that we puddled in on the 10th Nov. The wheat came through eventually and looks ok.

 

[Flat 10]

Surely you biggest problem is you aren't heaving it up rough enough in front of the combi? The superflow is your friend. Then drill as normal.

 

[Andy12345]

After spuds its likely to be your highest margin cereal crop ...... why bugga it up by saving a few quid on establishment!!!

 

[Will 1594]

We’re a farm that tends to buy other peoples scrap, and then use it for another lifetime, so anything in the nettles is generally completely f**ked and there only for sentimental reasons and/or scavenging potential. 🫣

sound like us
bit of ingenuity in making stuff and save a bit lot

 

[Drillman]

Lift spuds, Karat, spin seed on with fert spreader, rolls with paddles, done

 

[snipe]

Things are still quite dry, both on top and at depth. We’ll be lifting potatoes in a few weeks, if there’s no excessive rainfall it’s gonna be relatively dry, soils going to be in nice condition for the following crop.

I follow the potatoes with wheat, generally extase as it is amazing at hanging in thru winter.

Normally post harvest I’ll karat the ground then sow with one pass. Only have the one drill.

this year I’m wondering if the ground stays in good nick whether to follow the karat with the rollers, hang the front hopper of the drill on the tractor, blow the wheat to the back, thru mushroom and out spreader plates mounted on rollers, blowing wheat in front of rolls. Rolls incorporate and consolidate.

Is this a stupid idea?

Rolls are 12m, sprayer 36m so the wheelings would work in. Be no consistency in depth but karat leaves a nice finish with a DD packer, I’m thinking wheat would mostly fall into the troughs then after rolling would be about 1/2”deep, apart from the wheelings, but hey ho.

I’m struggling to see a negative. Obviously if it turns wet it’s a no go, but if its dry I get the wheat in quicker (12m drill ) without the compaction of the power harrow pass as this is often an issue if there’s a lot of rain post drilling, seed bed is tight and tends to waterlog.

Thoughts and criticism welcome!

Could you blow the seed on in front of the karat packer, then roll. Would get a bit more depth and cover.