Leaving spring wheat volunteers

[average farmer]

I have about 50 acres with a good stand of Kilburn spring wheat volunteers growing. Plan was to drill with ww but that’s not going to happen now.

what’s people’s thoughts on leaving it as a crop ? Would probably graze with sheep in the spring or roll the sh!t out of it

 

[yellow belly]

grass weeds could be the biggest decider

 

[Badshot]

I've only known one lot of volunteer wheat left.
Looked okish, yielded next to nothing.
Unless you want to call it fallow I'd not leave it myself.

 

[Flat 10]

You have until March to decide?!

 

[robbie]

The invention of "cover crops" was a god sent to avoid embarrassment with the nieghbours.

As said already you've got till spring to decide, if grass weeds arnt a problem leave it but give it a good graze so it's not too forward and to get it to tiller.
If it's got grass weeds and you dont think it's good enough to leave then it was only ever a winter cover crop.

The one advantage could be a very well established root system which which would help in a spring drought

 

[average farmer]

Fields are pretty clean being spring oats before the spring wheat but do have black grass .

carried a volunteer crop of spring oats through to harvest this year which did about a tonne an acre with only sheep and ru as inputs.

as said grass weeds will be the deciding factor

 

[yellow belly]

if there is black grass then replant in the spring
once you get black grass down to a low enough level earlier drilling of winter wheat becomes a very profitable option
in rotation with black grass reducing crops

once black grass gets away over a couple of years it becomes very hard to reduce especially if the seeds are mixed into the soil profile

 

[Andrew K]

I would leave it if grassweeds are not a problem.We could have the mother of all wet[or dry] springs causing difficulties.
If you like, ask the Agronomist?

 

[robbie]

I would leave it if grassweeds are not a problem.We could have the mother of all wet[or dry] springs causing difficulties.
If you like, ask the Agronomist?

With the spring we had last year I'd have taken a well rooted autumn germinated spring volunteer crop for sure.

 

[yellow belly]

if there are 100 black grass plants per acre the increase in black grass will cost more than the gain from a autumn planted spring wheat

 

[Andrew K]

Is the blackgrass resistant to Agchems such as Atlantis etc?

 

[sticky]

Speaking as a livestock farmer could you not graze with sheep, as you said, and then spin a bit more on harrow it in and then roll?

 

[shakerator]

I have about 50 acres with a good stand of Kilburn spring wheat volunteers growing. Plan was to drill with ww but that’s not going to happen now.

what’s people’s thoughts on leaving it as a crop ? Would probably graze with sheep in the spring or roll the sh!t out of it

my concern would be growth stage synchronicity - it will want to stem extend very very early being effectively a spring wheat planted say effectively mid September ?

 

[Lincsman]

Come back in march and ask.

 

[average farmer]

Might be sprayed off this next week or so if forecast is correct.

 

[Brisel]

Like Shakerator, I'd be concerned about bolting to ear prematurely. You may need to graze it tight but TBF you've thought of that already. If you can manage the weeds, it's worth a try IMO. Please keep us posted as to its progress

 

[jh.]

carried a volunteer crop of spring oats through to harvest this year which did about a tonne an acre with only sheep and ru as inputs.

as said grass weeds will be the deciding factor

Wonder how it would have done with normal rates of NPK and some chemicals thrown on