No till grass

[Feldspar]

Have an area of AB8 grass to drill for Mid Tier. It's quite a reasonable area so I want to get it right. Have just drilled spring barley into the ground destined for it. It's pretty heavy land. We will probably be harvesting it and trying to drill grass within quite a short time period. Will probably bale off the straw to give less trash to deal with and I was wondering how successful no-tilling this sort of mixture is? Have a 750a (or Claydon, but I don't think that will be suitable). Obviously seed is pretty expensive so don't want to cock it up, but at the same time don't want to spend lots of effort cultivating and then have to wait for too long for the lumps to break down.

 

[E_B]

Don't know if it helps but we drill IRG straight into stubble every year, straw baled. We just use a KV tine drill. Did you sell your huge tine drill? Roll it down well, wait for rain. Hasn't failed yet.

 

[d williams]

Have an area of AB8 grass to drill for Mid Tier. It's quite a reasonable area so I want to get it right. Have just drilled spring barley into the ground destined for it. It's pretty heavy land. We will probably be harvesting it and trying to drill grass within quite a short time period. Will probably bale off the straw to give less trash to deal with and I was wondering how successful no-tilling this sort of mixture is? Have a 750a (or Claydon, but I don't think that will be suitable). Obviously seed is pretty expensive so don't want to cock it up, but at the same time don't want to spend lots of effort cultivating and then have to wait for too long for the lumps to break down.

I think time ing will be key as to your location
I would use your 750 not sure what space ing discs are on may want two passes or if you have a small seeder on machine put some of the seed mix through that if can be bought separately
But moisture is going to be key to success

 

[Kevtherev]

Should be fine just don’t drill too deep
Nice warm firm seedbed is key.

 

[martian]

Why not under-sow the barley with your grass seed? Job done

 

[steveR]

Should be fine just don’t drill too deep
Nice warm firm seedbed is key.

Following the wise words of Kev and @ploughman1963, I DD grass seeds into stubbles last Autumn and am pretty damned happy with the results other than where I screwed up a bit by deep cultivating the old tramlines post drilling, and forgetting (too wet) to roll afterwards.

I am on 150mm spacings, so on the advice of the two above, I went two passes at 30 degrees, tines set at 1cm depth. I did not roll or harrow last Autumn, but have rolled this Spring. The 2nd pass, at speed, leaves a nice bit of tilth that is covered with the drag chains. Rolling at angle to 2nd pass would do the same/similiar job.

 

[Feldspar]

Why not under-sow the barley with your grass seed? Job done

That's a good point, I hadn't thought of that. When typically would you do that relative to spring barley sowing date (spring barley drilled in the last few days)? Only problem is I still haven't heard back from the RPA whether they've accepted my Mid Tier application...!

 

[Feldspar]

Following the wise words of Kev and @ploughman1963, I DD grass seeds into stubbles last Autumn and am pretty damned happy with the results other than where I screwed up a bit by deep cultivating the old tramlines post drilling, and forgetting (too wet) to roll afterwards.

I am on 150mm spacings, so on the advice of the two above, I went two passes at 30 degrees, tines set at 1cm depth. I did not roll or harrow last Autumn, but have rolled this Spring.

Nice. What drill did you use? How much soil did it move? Did you remove the straw?

 

[Feldspar]

Don't know if it helps but we drill IRG straight into stubble every year, straw baled. We just use a KV tine drill. Did you sell your huge tine drill? Roll it down well, wait for rain. Hasn't failed yet.

Would you say a tine drill would be better than our 750a?

 

[steveR]

Yes, I baled the wheat straw.

Aitchison tine drill and it does move some soil... if you get above 10kph. I am happy to do first pass at 8 and 10-12 kph for the second to generate tilth. All at 1cm...ish.

 

[Kevtherev]

Yes, I baled the wheat straw.

Aitchison tine drill and it does move some soil... if you get above 10kph. I am happy to do first pass at 8 and 10-12 kph for the second to generate tilth. All at 1cm...ish.

Lift drill slightly on 2nd pass helps a bit too

 

[Feldspar]

I was wondering if I should scratch the surface lightly with something like an NZ before drilling, especially as I don't have a tine drill like other people have used (Claydon too aggressive)? Or we have an Air 8 seeder which we could mount on the NZ as an alternative.

 

[Kevtherev]

I was wondering if I should scratch the surface lightly with something like an NZ before drilling, especially as I don't have a tine drill like other people have used (Claydon too aggressive)? Or we have an Air 8 seeder which we could mount on the NZ as an alternative.

Depends on soil type too

 

[Great In Grass]

I was wondering if I should scratch the surface lightly with something like an NZ before drilling, especially as I don't have a tine drill like other people have used (Claydon too aggressive)? Or we have an Air 8 seeder which we could mount on the NZ as an alternative.

@Devon James

 

[Feldspar]

Depends on soil type too

A lot of what we have to drill is boulder clay so nice tilth if we get the right weather, but can be tricky.

 

[Hindsight]

Why not under-sow the barley with your grass seed? Job done

That's a good point, I hadn't thought of that. When typically would you do that relative to spring barley sowing date (spring barley drilled in the last few days)? Only problem is I still haven't heard back from the RPA whether they've accepted my Mid Tier application...!

I thought AB8 was flower and grass, not pure grass. So if you undersow spring barley how would you manage any broadleaved weed control, if required, without potentially damaging any wildflowers that might emerge. And I am definitely no grass and wildflower expert but would wildflowers like to be sown under a barley crop if they germinate.

 

[teslacoils]

Round here most just combi drill their grass straight into baled stubbles. Then roll.

 

[Will Blackburn]

Drill with the 750a, 2nd to none depth control, which is imperative for grass and small seeds. I have done it this way for multiple years. I always cross drill but I don’t think it is essential.

 

[steveR]

Lift drill slightly on 2nd pass helps a bit too

I have found that as 1cm is so shallow when a bank of tines is running across the land, the 2nd pass barely makes any difference on stubbles.

 

[Feldspar]

I thought AB8 was flower and grass, not pure grass. So if you undersow spring barley how would you manage any broadleaved weed control, if required, without potentially damaging any wildflowers that might emerge. And I am definitely no grass and wildflower expert but would wildflowers like to be sown under a barley crop if they germinate.

You are quite right. I hadn't thought about the flowers.