Most rapid growing fodder crop in a drought

[Headless chicken]

As above I’ve got a bit of land on the rented farm that sits next to the river, very sheltered. It’s not been touched for a while other than us topping it every year.

thinking attempting to direct drill something has to be better than just letting it go to waste and being short of forage. We were intending to plough it this autumn to reseed anyway.

so what can we bung in and hope? Preferably something that could be ensiled in some form.
Root crop?

 

[Beef farmer]

Ummmmmmmmmm, maize?

 

[Beef farmer]

Sounds perfect maize ground. Get it in this week.

 

[Great In Grass]

If you can get cattle to the ground Leafy Turnip graze in 6-8 weeks, plough, re-seed?

 

[Headless chicken]

Sounds perfect maize ground. Get it in this week.

Expensive mistake if it goes wrong though?

If you can get cattle to the ground Leafy Turnip graze in 6-8 weeks, plough, re-seed?

Could graze it with something. Would fill a gap atleast. How deep does it need to be drilled? Could I just go in with a standard corn drill and a decent seed rate?

 

[deleted user 837354]

Kale, sorghum could be cut and ensiled but if there is no moisture about there is no moisture about.

Put winter wheat in it in the autumn, if there is a dry summer next year you can wholecrop it.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

Sorghum sudangrass ?

@Dead Rabbits

 

[Beef farmer]

Expensive mistake if it goes wrong though?

Could graze it with something. Would fill a gap atleast. How deep does it need to be drilled? Could I just go in with a standard corn drill and a decent seed rate?

You think maize is expensive? Fodderbeet..hold my beer.

That's an eye watering crop to grow per acre. Per ton if you chuck it into it and get results it's cheap. Same as maize tho.

 

[Scholsey]

Docks

 

[deleted user 837354]

You think maize is expensive? Fodderbeet..hold my beer.

That's an eye watering crop to grow per acre. Per ton if you chuck it into it and get results it's cheap. Same as maize tho.

I would say maize will stick drought better than beet!

 

[Bury the Trash]

Expensive mistake if it goes wrong though?

Could graze it with something. Would fill a gap atleast. How deep does it need to be drilled? Could I just go in with a standard corn drill and a decent seed rate?

Theres some Maize gone in around here this last week, big gamble yes, but no fert just slurry/ dirty water used on the grass after it was cut then ploughed then more put after ploughing before powerharrowing saving a bit of cost, no glypho used either.
Will not germinate before rain I reckon.
Depends if it rains in early to mid June as to the success or no......

 

[Farmer_1994]

No till some maize or sorghum Sudan would be your best bet I reckon.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

Sorghum sudangrass ?

@Dead Rabbits

I’d really be looking into it for anyone on lighter soil likely to burn up most summers. Seed at £30/acre is relatively cheap. It can have some massive yields in a short window.

15 acres for 2-300 milkers goes a hell of a long way. Get a few kg of green stuff in them every day.

Also an excellent cleaning/break crop in a grassland system.

 

[kill]

Theres some Maize gone in around here this last week, big gamble yes, but no fert just slurry/ dirty water used on the grass after it was cut then ploughed then more put after ploughing before powerharrowing saving a bit of cost, no glypho used either.
Will not germinate before rain I reckon.
Depends if it rains in early to mid June as to the success or no......

Ex neighbour said he planted maize in 2018 in April and most grew really well but due to such a dry period that some really bone dry areas where ploughing has baked out totally and lost all moisture some seed never germinated until around mid July/August until moisture reached the seed and when the maize was harvested these areas had drawf maize about 18 inches high.

 

[Beef farmer]

After looking at my forage rape, that has had 50mm of rain and still wont make a crop without more, I would cut your losses and chuck some dry fattys in there. Be cheaper to buy a few extra bales than have a crop failure

 

[Farmer Keith]

For me there’s not enough rain in the forecast or moisture left in the soil to be drilling anything, I think the phrase is throwing good money after bad, I’d wait until proper rain is forcast then decide what to drill, not stick something in and then spend the next month praying for rain.

 

[dinderleat]

Why have you waited until now surely if your renting ground you need it growing or producing some sort of income?

 

[Headless chicken]

Why have you waited until now surely if your renting ground you need it growing or producing some sort of income?

We’ve got a decent deal on it that it wasn’t worth doing as other things took priority.

 

[Gulli]

I'd look at sorghum. If it's by a river there should be moisture in the ground at a bit of depth? Direct drill it in and it'll fly away, great stuff

 

[Bury the Trash]

Ex neighbour said he planted maize in 2018 in April and most grew really well but due to such a dry period that some really bone dry areas where ploughing has baked out totally and lost all moisture some seed never germinated until around mid July/August until moisture reached the seed and when the maize was harvested these areas had drawf maize about 18 inches high.

But it's gone into a perfect seedbed in good soil, no souring or mucking in gone on. Drizzle will be no help, few days steady rain will be needed at least within the next 2 or 3 weeks ....

Course if we had accurate long range weather forecasting considered disciscions could be made without so much gambling.