Maize Drilling

[Serup]

Dont won't to take the risk of crop failure, when we have over options. Would happily grow it on a area based contract rather than a yield based one next year!

The worst bird attacks i have seen, has been about 10% in worst hit fields, but less that 2% on our whole acreage.

I am on a yield based contract, as i don't get paid until i convert it to milk

Mesurol add about 15% to the seed price, which is already high. It cost about 1,6% of an average crops value here, so you would have to loose at least that, just to break even. For me it's not worth it. I drill for a few other farmers, and they all use mesurol. They don't really know why, other than "we use to"

 

[devon6400]

Drilling done

Rain Wednesday so all good

 

[devon6400]

So I thought I might as well do an experiment!!! Just gone up and back with the Cambridge rollers and left a row in the middle!! Will either wish I done the lot or none at all

 

[jonnyjon]

Er, pass!

Probably more red clover, oats and second cereals. Change forced on us by the seed dressing ban, hope it won't be bad as expected. But in an isolated site with a healthy corvid population we will take a year out and see what the job pans out like.

Of all the change which is coming, none is progress.

Banning seed dressings is good progress imo

 

[Brisel]

So I thought I might as well do an experiment!!! Just gone up and back with the Cambridge rollers and left a row in the middle!! Will either wish I done the lot or none at all View attachment 790904

That doesn't really need rolling but it will be interesting to see if that has made any difference. Your rolls might need some shims fitting though...

 

[ollie989898]

Rolling wont hurt it, anything that gives a better soil to seed contact is good IMO. You want a fast and even emergence and the crop off to a flying start. Once it is up and away it will be more resistant to pest or bird attack.

Slugs can and do hit maize in the early stages, they creep out at night when it is cool and rasp at the plant so it is worth walking about a bit when it is up and looking. Pre-em herbicides on after rolling.

 

[Kam]

That doesn't really need rolling but it will be interesting to see if that has made any difference. Your rolls might need some shims fitting though...

Shims....? I would have thought 2 more rings added would be better

 

[Whynot]

Lots of dust flying!
Same as us, we’ve stopped for a few days. Hopefully the rain that’s forecast will arrive tomorrow.
Has anyone on here ever considered using a strip till machine to cultivate strips to drill into?!
I’m not thinking about it just to save money, more interested to try and save moisture and leave better conditions when harvesting.
We’re currently running KV plough, 6m power Harrow and Vaderstad Tempo, but thinking about increasing efficiency/timeliness.

 

[Mr Charisma]

Our maize was planted last Fri , it's gone in very well into a nice seedbed , hopefully some rain in the next few days will get it moving although there was enough moisture in the ground to get it out of the ground

 

[Brisel]

Lots of dust flying!
Same as us, we’ve stopped for a few days. Hopefully the rain that’s forecast will arrive tomorrow.
Has anyone on here ever considered using a strip till machine to cultivate strips to drill into?!
I’m not thinking about it just to save money, more interested to try and save moisture and leave better conditions when harvesting.
We’re currently running KV plough, 6m power Harrow and Vaderstad Tempo, but thinking about increasing efficiency/timeliness.

You'd want RTK steering if you separated the jobs. There are toolbars like the old Rapidlifts, now made by Grange Machinery






Would it be worth talking to Mzuri about some contracting with one of these?

 

[ollie989898]

Maize should take to direct drilling fine- the seed is huge.

 

[matttargett4]

Just finished drilling my 7acs of strip till for the third yr, tried 3 yrs of no till before that, I'm currently using a 3m motivator set 2ins deep to create 4 bands about 8in wide, they have a small subsoiler in each band running about ploughing depth.
The soil improvement and stability at harvest is the best bit, really implements need to match width, I use 4 rows with an 8 row drill and even with rtk it's not ideal, with 8 on 8 you wouldn't need auto steer.
No till works but you want kind soil, maize is woosy at breaking the surface, slot closure is really tricky, too open it dries out, too closed it won't break through and unfolds the leaves underground.

I never had a good no till crop, I've had 2 good strip till crops, see no reason this one won't be. You want the 2 passes separate, the draft forces from the strip till kit upset the drill, speed want to be different etc.

 

[DRC]

Started working down a field this afternoon. Just finished it( only 12 acre field), when the heavens opened, which will do a lot of good on the crops and some ground that’s gone very hard after ploughing . Water was running down the lane.

 

[Oscar]

Got a customer with a new Muzuri doing around 120 acs and 40 acs conventional .
Another, AD plant , also just bought Muzuri . They grow 1400acs and are doing some (not sure yet how much) with it . They also drill 1400acs of fodder beet which means their Vaderstad Tempo is tied up at moment on beet . Will be intresting.
I ve done maize with both vaderstad rapid and DTS successfully in the past.

 

[CrevisbigX]

What seed are drilling at both dd and conventional found out tonight the guy on the drill only been planting at a inch and a half.

 

[CrevisbigX]

What seed are drilling at both dd and conventional found out tonight the guy on the drill only been planting at a inch and a half.

Meant seed depth

 

[DRC]

Hoping for a dry night and maybe get some drilled tomorrow , before the storm on Saturday

 

[DRC]

My contractor has rung three times today, as obviously got men and machines standing. Said they did 240 acres yesterday with 5 power harrows and two drills.

 

[Whynot]

Hoping for a dry night and maybe get some drilled tomorrow , before the storm on Saturday

Fingers crossed for plenty of rain Saturday!!

 

[DRC]

Fingers crossed for plenty of rain Saturday!!

Yes, I think it is needed, although we’ve had 20 mm since yesterday. Some have hah next to nothing. Early enough for maize drilling.