Muck and Blackgrass

[Clive]

I wouldn't take the risk if your land is bg free. However would there be the option to set it up so you supply them with straw and take it back as muck? That way you know what you're getting. Obviously there's logistical issues with straw and traffic over land is not ideal but given the choice between dealing with a bit of compaction or potentially introducing bg I know what I would prefer.

i already do some muck / straw swaps but this is additional and in this case not an option

 

[Clive]

Is it only winter barley straw that is spreading blackgrass seed? By the time I'm combining wheat there is no blackgrass seed left on the stalks!

this is a good point - it is wheat straw as well

 

[billboy 1]

My two worst fields (still rougable this year ! ) have never seen any fym the bigger risk is contract balers and combines spreading it

 

[4course]

we used to supply a local with straw and then take the muck away his son then came to the fore and decided to get straw off his pal further away nothing wrong with that but then couldnt understand why we wouldnt take the muck, had to explain that it wasnt the loss of staw sales,that happens but if you had seen the straw full of rubbish .cant see the point of importing a risk to what ive spent years trying to reduce a weed burden

 

[Badshot]

There is still seed on blackgrass when wheat is cut, most has shed but nor all.

 

[shakerator]

Clive your farm is never going to become a blackgrass jungle , I suppose the q is can you tolerate messy patches with hopefully less yield impact than the muck brings? You certainly have the tools to deal with it culturally can't see you heading to continuous cereals!

My only probs with BG on light land is where I don't feel the whole field justifies big herbicide spend. Whenever I have matched heavy land spend control has exceeded heavy land control (if that makes sense)

 

[billboy 1]

There is still seed on blackgrass when wheat is cut, most has shed but nor all.

I was about to say if it's in the straw there's the answer to reducing seed numbers bale it and cart away

 

[Tom H]

As bg survives ad, I doubt turning the muck heap will kill it.
Problem is one seed will produce thousands. That's why it's such a problem

Does it? There has only been one proper study done and that proved it didn't....

 

[franklin]

Does it? There has only been one proper study done and that proved it didn't....

Do you mean this one?

http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/The effects of AD on common crop pests diseases.pdf

 

[The_Swede]

I think much of the the trouble with BG and AD is consistency of the process - must be potential for significant variation in a system dependent on living things, in-vessel time fluctuations so on and so forth.

Only anecdotal but i've seen a terrific (and completely unexpected) flush of BG in some spring barley that coincidentally followed a liquid digestate application - not sure if this plant pasteurised or not though.

 

[D14]

Black grass sheds seed from now until end of June in winter sown crops so how that can get into winter wheat and barley straw harvested in late july and august is quite amazing. Even the guys growing rye for AD are getting caught out because the timing isn't quite right to harvest the rye before the black grass sheds.

Just don't buy spring cereal straw, although I doubt it would get into that either.

 

[jms37]

What's the opinion on well broken down/heated and turned mushroom compost?

 

[N.Yorks.]

What's the opinion on well broken down/heated and turned mushroom compost?

How hot do you get it and for how long?

 

[Badshot]

Black grass sheds seed from now until end of June in winter sown crops so how that can get into winter wheat and barley straw harvested in late july and august is quite amazing. Even the guys growing rye for AD are getting caught out because the timing isn't quite right to harvest the rye before the black grass sheds.

Just don't buy spring cereal straw, although I doubt it would get into that either.

Blackgrass is only just flowering now. It won't be shedding seed for several weeks yet. There is no doubt there is still seed there at combining time.

 

[D14]

Blackgrass is only just flowering now. It won't be shedding seed for several weeks yet. There is no doubt there is still seed there at combining time.

We have plants here that will be dropping seed in June.

 

[Tom H]

Do you mean this one?

http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/The effects of AD on common crop pests diseases.pdf

That's the one.

MAD is a normal AD plant. 5 days. It's in there for 30-70 days normally..........


.

 

[franklin]

WRAP partners - Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association.

"Each sample bag contained 15 tomato seeds and 15 black grass seeds. "

I remain sceptical and unconvinced.

 

[Tom H]

WRAP partners - Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association.

"Each sample bag contained 15 tomato seeds and 15 black grass seeds. "

I remain sceptical and unconvinced.

Maybe, but i'm waiting for some one to show me a test done to show the contrary. Easy to say it doesn't because you want that to be the answer. Can only work with the information that is available.

 

[franklin]

Easy to say it doesn't because you want that to be the answer.

No, I would like it to be the answer. And yes, there is a lack of info. So I will wait for more info.

 

[Badshot]

Maybe, but i'm waiting for some one to show me a test done to show the contrary. Easy to say it doesn't because you want that to be the answer. Can only work with the information that is available.

With blackgrass I'd advise caution rather than optimism. Once it's there it's too late. Can't put that genie back in the bottle, I wouldn't take digestate even If I was paid.