Light Land cropping advice

[BSH]

So, have got my first full harvest in and although it is not loaded on lorries yet to know exactly how much it has yielded, it doesn't look like a bumper harvest at this stage with wheat barely making 3 tonnes to the acre. We are on light land and the dry spell in june spelt the end of our yield hopes! Going forward I can only really continue to do what I am doing ie, direct drill crops to minimise soil moisture loss and build organic matter to mitigate the issues of light land, but I am interested to get the forums view on cropping. Should I even be growing wheat or should I look at other crops? If I grow wheat should I be growing different varieties? I grew Claire this year as advice was that the tillering and early drilling opportunity of this strain made it suitable for DD, but am wondering if Istabraq might be better? My proposed rotation is WW/W Barley/(stubble turnips/forage rape)Spring Oats/(Stubble turnips/forage rape) Millet. I also grew spring barley this year, and interestingly the ploughed area yielded the same as the DD area. neither block going to set the world on fire yield wise, but the margin was similar to the wheat.

 

[Andy Howard]

I think on your land going organic would be the best way to go!

 

[Muddyboots]

We are on light land and have found even though its more risk that hear rape has given us the highest GM for the last 5 years followed by ww. We used to be all winter/spring malting barley and s beet but the GM for these has sadly gone to third and fourth place for us

 

[BSH]

I am keen to avoid rape if I can as although the margins seem the best, they don't account for the odd bad year. Last year my neighbour ripped up 30% + of his rape which must have been expensive. I am not always going to be available to manage the crop in the autumn and I would rather use brassicas to feed cattle over the winter. The figures do look attractive though standing alone. My neighbour grows continuous maize on his lightest land for grain which he reckons is the best return on that land although last year was a disaster and it will be interesting to hear how he gets on this year.

 

[Old John]

We tried Hystar hybrid Wheat this year with success on light soils. Yields very good for light soils but no better than ordinary wheats on heavy soil. Putting in quite a bit this year.

 

[BSH]

That's interesting. What varieties have you grown in the past and had success with on light land?

 

[JNG]

Ill echo that with the hybrid barley, making a big difference on our light ground over the conventional.

 

[Dockers]

Hi BSH, we are not that far from you and Claire and Scout both had a pretty good year, 9t/ha +, DD 'd. Best break crop is cover for your livestock then summer fallow. Don't mess with W. Barley, spring far better. 7t/ha plus. Happy to talk , think you have my number. Have a life and do not grow OSR !!

 

[Muddyboots]

We tried Hystar hybrid Wheat this year with success on light soils. Yields very good for light soils but no better than ordinary wheats on heavy soil. Putting in quite a bit this year.

We grew some hystar along side Cordiale this year on v light land and although it out yielded Cordiale it was only just enough to pay for the extra seed costs. How did you get on with it compared to conventional?

 

[BSH]

Hi BSH, we are not that far from you and Claire and Scout both had a pretty good year, 9t/ha +, DD 'd. Best break crop is cover for your livestock then summer fallow. Don't mess with W. Barley, spring far better. 7t/ha plus. Happy to talk , think you have my number. Have a life and do not grow OSR !!

Thank you I would love to give you a call and get some advice.