No Till Where to start?

[Jimmy3645]

I’m really interested in the strip till drills but I often find people end up saying its just a half way house and if your going to do it you might as well go for it properly and dd.... maybe it depends on the soil type too....

 

[farmerm]

Thanks for all your help and advice..... really useful stuff
The potatoes aren’t ours so they don’t have to stay in the rotation.... but its good money for doing nothing..... and a good wheat afterwards....
I’m not in a position to do anything at the moment, but I’m keen to learn as much as possible and build up a case to one day persuade the powers that be..... I can see how this year has been great advert for anything except ploughing

Our ground has ploughed very well this year...

 

[Jimmy3645]

Sorry yeh you’re right i meant it seems a shame to plough nice dry ground..... often its muddy and sticky here and when it ploughs up dryish you feel good, especially when the neighbors have got all their cultivators in the shed..... but this year they’ve almost finished....

 

[E_B]

I’m really interested in the strip till drills but I often find people end up saying its just a half way house and if your going to do it you might as well go for it properly and dd.... maybe it depends on the soil type too....

I shouldn't listen too much to other people (the irony) if you have a strong gut feeling. We have a strip till drill and I can't imagine replacing it for a no till drill anytime due to soil types, forage maize, etc. Occasionally I think one would be complementary but not often enough.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Thanks for all your help and advice..... really useful stuff
The potatoes aren’t ours so they don’t have to stay in the rotation.... but its good money for doing nothing..... and a good wheat afterwards....
I’m not in a position to do anything at the moment, but I’m keen to learn as much as possible and build up a case to one day persuade the powers that be..... I can see how this year has been great advert for anything except ploughing

I suppose the next question is how much do you charge for spuds?

 

[Brisel]

I’m really interested in the strip till drills but I often find people end up saying its just a half way house and if your going to do it you might as well go for it properly and dd.... maybe it depends on the soil type too....

I didn't go full no till because I didn't want to see a yield drop like so many have around here. Sure, the yields will go back up again as the soil biology gets going but a bit of yield pays for a lot of cultivations in the short term.

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Consider strip till drills as a starting point. After maize and spuds you may well need the soil loosening tine. It would be hard to go no till with maize & spuds as if you have to plough you're effectively pushing the reset button.

Mzuri are based at Pershore. I have a Claydon as a stepping stone into no till. Perhaps chat up @wellingtonfarmer as he's in your part of the world & runs a Mzuri.

In terms of knowledge, TFF is excellent. Look at joining BASE UK and get yourself to the Groundswell event next June. Lots of links to resources in a sub section of the Direct Drilling part of TFF.

Yep I'm in my second season of the Mzuri, so far so good, we did have spuds in the rotation last year but not this year, you can definitely see where the spuds have been! Give Mzuri a ring you won't find a better firm to deal with!
Where about west mids you based?

 

[Jimmy3645]

Only about 30 mins from Wellington if thats where you are..... I’d certainly be keen to come and have a look at a Mzuri one day.... I’m guessing having a machine on demo to drill on some stubble which has been ploughed for years on end might not show the best results...?
Another question.... are people using the same drills to put their cover crops in?
Thanks again

 

[parker]

WW W oats WW potatoes (let out)
WB maize Potatoes WB on sand
Ish

Hi Jimmy
if your serious about looking after your soil I would drop potatoes out of the rotation, my experience in a wet year you are no better off as it takes a few years for your soil to recover(also yields) so no benefit financially or a losslong term.
You are welcome to come here, I am just north of Wolverhampton, I stripped tilled for 5 years and have been in conservation ag (no til) for 4 seasons, no yield loss at all only gains.

 

[Badshot]

I started DD in a wet autumn.
Absolutely no chance of cultivating.
Too wet
Decided to go straight into stubbles with my KV tineseeder.
Been doing that ever since.
Followed it with paddle rolls, made an acceptable job of it.
Now gone zero till, with a weaving gd.
Osr looks OK so far .
First wheat is just showing in the row, looks very promising.
Beans going in soon.
Linseed this year was amazing for such a dry year.

 

[Bury the Trash]

somebodies got to grow spuds else there b no chips

 

[pine_guy]

somebodies got to grow spuds else there b no chips

well if spuds are so bad for the soil/planet, then we should tell the vegans they can't have them any more. Out of interest are there any other ways to grow spuds, like hydroponics. sorry, a bit off topic

 

[SilliamWhale]

somebodies got to grow spuds else there b no chips

Of course. The market will dictate, but its not worth it for a no tiller for just £100 more than normal.

 

[pine_guy]

so a bit of googling shows some small scale (garden) size growing of potatoes under straw. wonder if that could be scaled up. Of course, the cost of straw will mean these eco soil friendly potatoes will need to demand a high premium. interesting all the same. What do they do with all the straw the cover carrots/parsnips with. Is it lifted? could it be left in situ for planting potatoes in?

 

[pine_guy]

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/no-till-potatoes.58166/

 

[GeorgeK]

Why not ease the transition by getting a shallow stubble cultivator as well. Lots of people work the top inch or two to create a stale seed bed then use a direct drill to minimise disturbance and weed germination. This will also level the fields if they are ridged from ploughing which will make the job better all round. Direct drills also work just fine in conventional seed beds if they are rolled, so you can reduce ploughing gradually as you gain experience

 

[Jimmy3645]

Thanks, some really good info, but how would a strip till drill like a mzuri manage in a wet Autumn?
Also what machines are you guys using to sow your cover crops?

 

[Shropshire Farmer]

I’ve been in a similar situation to you. Had spuds in the rotation on and off for the last 30 odd years. You will need to cultivate the spud ground for a couple of years to get it level. I use a KV CLC which is flexible to get a chit or work deeper. Then a Horsch sprinter which will work either as a dd drill or min-till. Plenty of options for low disturbance openers available for them.