- Location
- Ashford, Kent
End of February beginning of March in France. Not Australia like yourself!
My Nuffield Scholarship Blog
- Thread starter Andy Howard
- Start date
- Location
- Ashford, Kent
Correct, he wrote the book in the seventies. I am getting confused. In terms of the combi-crop and I going to look at separation after harvest too as it was a stumbling block for us with the Peola. I don't think selling mixtures after harvest is a goer around here they will have to be separated.
SilliamWhale
Member
- Location
- Ashford, Kent
New post: https://andyhowardnuffield15.wordpress.com/
15th January 2015- Dr Dwayne Beck, BASE UK meeting
January 16, 2015Andy HowardLeave a comment
Today I spent the day listening to Dr Dwayne Beck of the Dakota Lakes Research Farm, South Dakota at a BASE UK (www.base-uk.co.uk ) meeting in Baldock, Hertfordshire.
Dr Beck’s main interest is in no till, cover crops and especially rotations. During the day he highlighted the importance of very diverse rotations including stacked rotations. He highlighted the importance of having a rotation containing warm season broadleaves and grasses and cool season broadleaves and grasses. He also emphasised the importance of having a two year gap between crop types not just one, which is commonplace here. For example: winter wheat, maize, spring peas, Winter OSR, Winter Barley, Spring Oats, spring linseed, Winter Beans. The above rotation is very complex and may not be practical but it has 2 broadleaf crops followed by 2 cereals but also two winter crops followed by two spring crops. The idea is that it allows you 2 years to get on top grass weeds in the broadleaf part of the rotation and 2 years to get on top of BLW in the cereal part of the rotation. The mixing between drilling dates and harvest dates stops predictability, so weeds are always guessing along with insects and disease. This type of approach has been shown to dramatically reduce weed pressure and also input costs.
Also Dr Beck talked about seed balls. The this is where you coat seeds in a clay substance and then broadcast the seed so need for a drill. The idea is the coating makes the seed weatherproof and more likely to germinate, which is always a problem with broadcasting. I like the idea of no drill. It would be the end of the “which drill is best debate”, hallelujah!!
Dr. Beck is also experimenting with intercropping. He is growing forage corn and forage soyabean together. Also Corn with a living mulch of Alfalfa. My ears really pricked up at this point as this is what I am studying on my Nuffield. Dr. Beck has kindly offered to show me around Dakota Lakes farm so off to South Dakota I am going!
Www.dakotalakes.com is the research farm’s website and there is a lot of information on this site in the publications section. Well worth a read. Overall a productive day spent with 100 other like minded people.
15th January 2015- Dr Dwayne Beck, BASE UK meeting
January 16, 2015Andy HowardLeave a comment
Today I spent the day listening to Dr Dwayne Beck of the Dakota Lakes Research Farm, South Dakota at a BASE UK (www.base-uk.co.uk ) meeting in Baldock, Hertfordshire.
Dr Beck’s main interest is in no till, cover crops and especially rotations. During the day he highlighted the importance of very diverse rotations including stacked rotations. He highlighted the importance of having a rotation containing warm season broadleaves and grasses and cool season broadleaves and grasses. He also emphasised the importance of having a two year gap between crop types not just one, which is commonplace here. For example: winter wheat, maize, spring peas, Winter OSR, Winter Barley, Spring Oats, spring linseed, Winter Beans. The above rotation is very complex and may not be practical but it has 2 broadleaf crops followed by 2 cereals but also two winter crops followed by two spring crops. The idea is that it allows you 2 years to get on top grass weeds in the broadleaf part of the rotation and 2 years to get on top of BLW in the cereal part of the rotation. The mixing between drilling dates and harvest dates stops predictability, so weeds are always guessing along with insects and disease. This type of approach has been shown to dramatically reduce weed pressure and also input costs.
Also Dr Beck talked about seed balls. The this is where you coat seeds in a clay substance and then broadcast the seed so need for a drill. The idea is the coating makes the seed weatherproof and more likely to germinate, which is always a problem with broadcasting. I like the idea of no drill. It would be the end of the “which drill is best debate”, hallelujah!!
Dr. Beck is also experimenting with intercropping. He is growing forage corn and forage soyabean together. Also Corn with a living mulch of Alfalfa. My ears really pricked up at this point as this is what I am studying on my Nuffield. Dr. Beck has kindly offered to show me around Dakota Lakes farm so off to South Dakota I am going!
Www.dakotalakes.com is the research farm’s website and there is a lot of information on this site in the publications section. Well worth a read. Overall a productive day spent with 100 other like minded people.
dontknowanything
Member
- Location
- Cambridge
What about the "which spreader is best" debate?
- Location
- Ashford, Kent
Why not "which balls are better?" No point have the best equipment if your balls don't work!
dontknowanything
Member
- Location
- Cambridge
Do you have doubts?
- Location
- Ashford, Kent
Nothing wrongs here. You still in denial or has the baby turned up and pulled you into reality?
dontknowanything
Member
- Location
- Cambridge
Not yet, but possibly in a few hours...!
SilliamWhale
Member
Apparently Japanese traditionally used rice with barley in rotation with a bur or ladino clover.
andy is dave brandt on your radar?
andy is dave brandt on your radar?
- Location
- Ashford, Kent
Latest blog post:
Andy Howard's Nuffield Scholarship Journey
learning about companion cropping and intercropping worldwide, sponsored by the HGCA (The Postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent Nuffield positions, strategies or opinions)
24th February- 7th March 2015, Nuffield Pre- CSC and CSC
March 11, 2015March 11, 2015Andy Howard
So what is the Nuffield CSC? I am sure that is the first thing most are asking. Contemporary Scholars Conference which is where all the 2015 scholars from around the world meet up, learn, challenge and socialise. The last couple of CSC’s have been in Australia and Canada, so when I found out our was a short train journey away in Rheims, I admit to being a little disappointed. Then I found out Rheims is the centre of the Champagne region and I cheered up!
So what is the Pre-CSC? This is where the UK scholars spend a few days together learning, challenging and socialising, you get the idea. Our Pre CSC started at the NFU conference in Birmingham, then three days in London. One morning visiting the Houses of Parliament and Baroness Byford. Below is our Chairman (the soon to be Lord) Wallace Hendrie entertaining the 2015 scholars.
After London, where we had excellent talks and workshops with people such as Sir Peter Kendall and Allan Wilkinson of HSBC, we moved to Brussels where we were hosted by the NFU. In Brussels we learnt about the “simple” structure of the EU machinations and had a chance to look around the parliament buildings. This room is only used about six times a year, a good fact for all the Euroskeptics out there!
After Brussels we headed down to Rheims with a stop at the Battle of Waterloo monuments. We had some leadership exercises in the freezing cold and a tour of the battlefield, in the freezing cold!!
When we got to Rheims we were welcomed by our French hosts with a Champagne reception, yes I know life is tough! That was the start of the CSC official. A week of early mornings, lectures, visits and late nights. One such visit was to an Ethanol and Sugar Beet refinery below. This is owned by a farmers Co-op (9300 members) and also has a state of the art research centre too. Amazing what farmers can do when they get together!
For another visit the group was split into two. One half went to the huge Moet and Chandon headquarters with 1200ha of vineyards (£500,000/ha), robots working in the bottling plant and the other half (myself) went to an 11ha family run vineyard Vazart Copquart. An excellent afternoon learning about the bureaucracy of Champagne and also trying some of the local tipple.
We had a lot of excellent talks by speakers such as Frederic Thomas (below) who tried to convince some Aussie farmers the benefits of cover crops(not easy).
Other talks were on communication and leadership skills.
There were also talks on global agriculture, French Agriculture and the CAP.
I know it might sound like a bit of a jolly but it was also hard work. Lectures starting at 8am and finishing at 6pm with little time for lunch. Getting to know 75 fascinating people from 12 different countries from around the world, all have interesting and varied backgrounds and points of view was a fascinating opportunity. So after some very early mornings, long days and late nights (below), our heads were buzzing with new ideas, new friends and new opportunities.
All these long days and short nights had their casualties
The mental and physical exhaustion was well worthwhile and the CSC experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity and only the beginning of the Nuffield journey. If you are thinking of applying for a scholarship all I can say is “go for it!”
.
Andy Howard's Nuffield Scholarship Journey
learning about companion cropping and intercropping worldwide, sponsored by the HGCA (The Postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent Nuffield positions, strategies or opinions)
24th February- 7th March 2015, Nuffield Pre- CSC and CSC
March 11, 2015March 11, 2015Andy Howard
So what is the Nuffield CSC? I am sure that is the first thing most are asking. Contemporary Scholars Conference which is where all the 2015 scholars from around the world meet up, learn, challenge and socialise. The last couple of CSC’s have been in Australia and Canada, so when I found out our was a short train journey away in Rheims, I admit to being a little disappointed. Then I found out Rheims is the centre of the Champagne region and I cheered up!
So what is the Pre-CSC? This is where the UK scholars spend a few days together learning, challenging and socialising, you get the idea. Our Pre CSC started at the NFU conference in Birmingham, then three days in London. One morning visiting the Houses of Parliament and Baroness Byford. Below is our Chairman (the soon to be Lord) Wallace Hendrie entertaining the 2015 scholars.
After London, where we had excellent talks and workshops with people such as Sir Peter Kendall and Allan Wilkinson of HSBC, we moved to Brussels where we were hosted by the NFU. In Brussels we learnt about the “simple” structure of the EU machinations and had a chance to look around the parliament buildings. This room is only used about six times a year, a good fact for all the Euroskeptics out there!
After Brussels we headed down to Rheims with a stop at the Battle of Waterloo monuments. We had some leadership exercises in the freezing cold and a tour of the battlefield, in the freezing cold!!
When we got to Rheims we were welcomed by our French hosts with a Champagne reception, yes I know life is tough! That was the start of the CSC official. A week of early mornings, lectures, visits and late nights. One such visit was to an Ethanol and Sugar Beet refinery below. This is owned by a farmers Co-op (9300 members) and also has a state of the art research centre too. Amazing what farmers can do when they get together!
For another visit the group was split into two. One half went to the huge Moet and Chandon headquarters with 1200ha of vineyards (£500,000/ha), robots working in the bottling plant and the other half (myself) went to an 11ha family run vineyard Vazart Copquart. An excellent afternoon learning about the bureaucracy of Champagne and also trying some of the local tipple.
We had a lot of excellent talks by speakers such as Frederic Thomas (below) who tried to convince some Aussie farmers the benefits of cover crops(not easy).
Other talks were on communication and leadership skills.
There were also talks on global agriculture, French Agriculture and the CAP.
I know it might sound like a bit of a jolly but it was also hard work. Lectures starting at 8am and finishing at 6pm with little time for lunch. Getting to know 75 fascinating people from 12 different countries from around the world, all have interesting and varied backgrounds and points of view was a fascinating opportunity. So after some very early mornings, long days and late nights (below), our heads were buzzing with new ideas, new friends and new opportunities.
All these long days and short nights had their casualties
The mental and physical exhaustion was well worthwhile and the CSC experience was a once in a lifetime opportunity and only the beginning of the Nuffield journey. If you are thinking of applying for a scholarship all I can say is “go for it!”
.
Baling Hay
Member
That ethanol plant will certainly help clear out the farmer's bank accounts for the foreseeable future!
- Location
- Ashford, Kent
New post below:
Andy Howard's Nuffield Scholarship Journey
learning about companion cropping and intercropping worldwide, sponsored by the HGCA (The Postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent Nuffield positions, strategies or opinions)
Hubert Charpentier, Brive, France – Lucerne as a Living Mulch – 4th May 2015
May 7, 2015May 7, 2015Andy Howard
So after a much needed nights sleep in the very “Budget” Ibis hotel in Issodun I met up with my translator Maxime Barbier who had spent the night in his van.
I did offer to pay for a hotel room for Maxime but he declined. Maybe he knew something about Ibis Budget that I did not!
We headed off together to visit Hubert Charpentier. Hubert is a farmer just south of Issoudun. He has been on the farm for 20 years but has spent a large amount of that time away as a researcher for CIRAD in Africa researching No-till and living mulches in Cote D’Ivore and Madagascar. Hubert came to my attention when Maxime sent me this link:
http://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&rct=j...F4Nr4_7bWiUsArQ&bvm=bv.85761416,d.d24&cad=rja
I thought that I had to meet this guy and see the amazing things he is doing. Once we had arrived at his beautiful farm we spent about 2 hours inside talking and discussing what he has been doing and he really got into some seriously good detail.
So Hubert has a rotation of Winter Peas, Winter OSR, Winter Wheat, Durum Wheat. He also had a few spring peas. He also has been No Till for 15 years. He first plant the Lucerne with the Winter OSR as a companion crop. He says you have to start there in the rotation as a cereal would be too competitive for the Lucerne.
(Maxime and Hubert in front of an excellent crop of OSR and Lucerne)
Then after the OSR is harvested the light gets down to the Lucerne and it grows all summer. Though at the time I was there you really struggled to see the Lucerne in the bottom of the OSR.
Lucerne somewhere in the above picture
Then Hubert will drill Winter Wheat direct into the Lucerne in October. He uses no grass weed herbicides in any of his wheat but does use BLW herbicides sometime for weeds and to supress the Lucerne.
Below is what the Lucerne looks like in the wheat this week:
The main reason Lucerne is a good living mulch is that it is a very deep rooting plant and so does not compete with the wheat for water. Unlike white clover which is shallower rooting. I asked Hubert to show me the roots of the Lucerne. So he dug a hole and the wheat came out of the ground but the Lucerne would not budge, the roots went on and on:
As I said Hubert does not use grass weed herbicides in wheat and he puts this down to no till, double breaks and the mulch. It is also to do with the fact that he is not worried if there are the odd weed dotted around the field as he knows he has 2 Broad leaf crops to control them. Below is a picture of wheat no till and no grass weed herbicide on the left and cultivated and full grass weed program on the right:
Hubert has found that the best amount of nitrogen fertiliser to use in this system is 100kg/ha and this has a yield of 8t/ha. A normal yield for the area but nearly half the N fertiliser.
Hubert is also trialling starting the Lucerne mulch in the winter peas:
It looks like it is working fine to me.
Hubert also uses white clover on his more acid soils as Lucerne does not like acidity. Below is a picture of clover in the bottom of wheat:
Overall Hubert’s crops were very impressive. What really stood out to me is how little he likes to spend money! He grows these crops so cheaply that if he only gets 5t/ha of wheat he is still making money without subsidy. He uses half the N, half or no fungicide and very few herbicides. a very knowledgable man. He is also very hospitable too. We turned up there a 9am expecting to leave at 12pm but left at 3pm head spinning and stomachs very full (4 courses of good French food and wine!)
Andy Howard's Nuffield Scholarship Journey
learning about companion cropping and intercropping worldwide, sponsored by the HGCA (The Postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent Nuffield positions, strategies or opinions)
Hubert Charpentier, Brive, France – Lucerne as a Living Mulch – 4th May 2015
May 7, 2015May 7, 2015Andy Howard
So after a much needed nights sleep in the very “Budget” Ibis hotel in Issodun I met up with my translator Maxime Barbier who had spent the night in his van.
I did offer to pay for a hotel room for Maxime but he declined. Maybe he knew something about Ibis Budget that I did not!
We headed off together to visit Hubert Charpentier. Hubert is a farmer just south of Issoudun. He has been on the farm for 20 years but has spent a large amount of that time away as a researcher for CIRAD in Africa researching No-till and living mulches in Cote D’Ivore and Madagascar. Hubert came to my attention when Maxime sent me this link:
http://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&rct=j...F4Nr4_7bWiUsArQ&bvm=bv.85761416,d.d24&cad=rja
I thought that I had to meet this guy and see the amazing things he is doing. Once we had arrived at his beautiful farm we spent about 2 hours inside talking and discussing what he has been doing and he really got into some seriously good detail.
So Hubert has a rotation of Winter Peas, Winter OSR, Winter Wheat, Durum Wheat. He also had a few spring peas. He also has been No Till for 15 years. He first plant the Lucerne with the Winter OSR as a companion crop. He says you have to start there in the rotation as a cereal would be too competitive for the Lucerne.
(Maxime and Hubert in front of an excellent crop of OSR and Lucerne)
Then after the OSR is harvested the light gets down to the Lucerne and it grows all summer. Though at the time I was there you really struggled to see the Lucerne in the bottom of the OSR.
Lucerne somewhere in the above picture
Then Hubert will drill Winter Wheat direct into the Lucerne in October. He uses no grass weed herbicides in any of his wheat but does use BLW herbicides sometime for weeds and to supress the Lucerne.
Below is what the Lucerne looks like in the wheat this week:
The main reason Lucerne is a good living mulch is that it is a very deep rooting plant and so does not compete with the wheat for water. Unlike white clover which is shallower rooting. I asked Hubert to show me the roots of the Lucerne. So he dug a hole and the wheat came out of the ground but the Lucerne would not budge, the roots went on and on:
As I said Hubert does not use grass weed herbicides in wheat and he puts this down to no till, double breaks and the mulch. It is also to do with the fact that he is not worried if there are the odd weed dotted around the field as he knows he has 2 Broad leaf crops to control them. Below is a picture of wheat no till and no grass weed herbicide on the left and cultivated and full grass weed program on the right:
Hubert has found that the best amount of nitrogen fertiliser to use in this system is 100kg/ha and this has a yield of 8t/ha. A normal yield for the area but nearly half the N fertiliser.
Hubert is also trialling starting the Lucerne mulch in the winter peas:
It looks like it is working fine to me.
Hubert also uses white clover on his more acid soils as Lucerne does not like acidity. Below is a picture of clover in the bottom of wheat:
Overall Hubert’s crops were very impressive. What really stood out to me is how little he likes to spend money! He grows these crops so cheaply that if he only gets 5t/ha of wheat he is still making money without subsidy. He uses half the N, half or no fungicide and very few herbicides. a very knowledgable man. He is also very hospitable too. We turned up there a 9am expecting to leave at 12pm but left at 3pm head spinning and stomachs very full (4 courses of good French food and wine!)
- Location
- S E Glos
Βαλλ 'εσ' κορακας
(Only foreign language I can manage. It's Ancient Greek for, er, um 'go away', er, sort of
)
(Only foreign language I can manage. It's Ancient Greek for, er, um 'go away', er, sort of
)
- Location
- Essex Coast
Andy
As you know I have been thinking of growing a crop of wheat in an ex lucerne field without actually killing the lucerne so that it can act as a companion crop. Problem I see at the moment is that my lucerne crops are now nearly two feet high and getting ready for their first cut, whereas wheat isn't much more than half that height. You mentioned that Hubert uses some BLW herbicides to suppress the lucerne, did he say what he uses and at what time of year? I guess there needs to be a bit of juggling based on experience with this.
Also, how many lucerne plants do you think he had per square metre, doesn't look many in the photos but maybe they are just well suppressed and keeping down close to the ground. I had an idea this week to put some winter rye in, instead of wheat because it would be more competitive and would get much higher for harvest. Somehow the lucerne needs to be managed so that it has flowered and died back by the time the combine goes in, don't want green stuff going through the combine or having to rely on pre harvest desiccation.
As you know I have been thinking of growing a crop of wheat in an ex lucerne field without actually killing the lucerne so that it can act as a companion crop. Problem I see at the moment is that my lucerne crops are now nearly two feet high and getting ready for their first cut, whereas wheat isn't much more than half that height. You mentioned that Hubert uses some BLW herbicides to suppress the lucerne, did he say what he uses and at what time of year? I guess there needs to be a bit of juggling based on experience with this.
Also, how many lucerne plants do you think he had per square metre, doesn't look many in the photos but maybe they are just well suppressed and keeping down close to the ground. I had an idea this week to put some winter rye in, instead of wheat because it would be more competitive and would get much higher for harvest. Somehow the lucerne needs to be managed so that it has flowered and died back by the time the combine goes in, don't want green stuff going through the combine or having to rely on pre harvest desiccation.
dontknowanything
Member
- Location
- Cambridge
What a great idea, might have to give it a go this year.
- Location
- Ashford, Kent
Another blog post here: https://andyhowardnuffield15.wordpr...es-charlot-mers-indre-france-4th-of-may-2015/
Too many pictures to scrap directly onto here
Too many pictures to scrap directly onto here
- Location
- Ashford, Kent
Simon,
Give me a ring and we can chat. There is a lot of detail. He does you starane to calm the lucerne and other things. He also reglones but said a stripper header would be a way around that.
Give me a ring and we can chat. There is a lot of detail. He does you starane to calm the lucerne and other things. He also reglones but said a stripper header would be a way around that.
Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
Very interesting post, Andy. I have been thinking quite a bit recently about whether it would be good idea to aim for radically lower cost farming system.
First thought was how to transition to this sort of system. Could you just plant some lucerne in your OSR and then immediately start using no fungicides or insecticides and 50% N rates.* If not, which bits need to be adopted first and which aspects need to follow later?
Second thought was if you have managed to reduce your variable costs and well as your fixed costs, what novel things does that allow you to do? I think one benefit is being able to be very flexible about what you're growing. At the moment we cannot afford to not grow a lot of wheat with quite a lot of inputs because we need a high output crop to overcome the significant fixed costs. With very low fixed costs you aren't pressured into growing things like wheat in the same way.
Taking this thought to one extreme I wonder if it would ever work that you only grow a cash crop if you can sign a contract before drilling to guarantee a price that gives an expectation that you will make money if the yield is average / as expected? Would there be a system where it could be rational not to harvest a crop in some years on some fields? Maybe land is too valuable, but then most UK farmers are losing money by planting crops...
*TAG did some trials with 50% N and I think they got pretty much 8 t/ha in a normal cropping situation. Maybe that yield was helped along with fungicides and herbicides though.
- Location
- Ashford, Kent
Lower cost farming is the only way to go forward to me. Keep trying to grow 11-12t in this country and only UK average of 8t. There is only one winner there. Living mulches are no magic bullet and it will be different in UK conditions. He uses less herbicides and fungicides but not none. The only way we are going to find the answers is do it ourselves.