No Tilling 2014

[SilliamWhale]

Rather than clog up the picture thread with a load here are some pictures from this years drilling so far. All done proper no till.

Mostly after beans apart from the last two which is Winter Barley after Spring Wheat just coming through now. Every year I think I'm going to stop growing Winter yet I still seem to do a little bit! - mainly because its a good entry for turnips.

More to follow - including a disaster!

 

[SilliamWhale]

The first ones here are WW into the pasture that was spring beans before. 100 years no till! Plenty of crows in it but not harming the corn, and there is the odd wireworm. Will suck it and see before insecticide - it had deter dressed.

Next few are a pedders cover drilled with a little bit of urea - its mainly oats and volunteer barley with some brassicas and old ryegrass I had in the shed. Basically a lieback for sheep on turnips before going to spring beans. One patch i ran out of seed - i felt i had more volunteer barley than normal this year.

Next few are wheat into OSR. Drilled a bit later than the rest and a bit lower seed rate. I should have upped the rate a little. But it will be fine. Had some pellets but even though there are plenty of slugs I think pellets are too dear for my liking and it would have been cheaper to have a higher seed rate (I reckon this was about 65kg/acre)

Last one is WOSR. Look at the first picture - its ok but scruffy as is normal with my metering system on the drill (need to change it badly) but the second picture is herbicide residue. I had a lot of rosebay willowherb in some spring barley which I wasn't well killed by roundup in the spring - I had to go back with a spray to stop it taking over the barley but we had a very dry year and chemical has hung around. I'm mulling over whether to keep this or go to spring beans - its about 15% of the field in big stripes where I spot sprayed. Fed up with looking at it. Will have to be even more careful in future.

 

[Feldspar]

The first ones here are WW into the pasture that was spring beans before. 100 years no till! Plenty of crows in it but not harming the corn, and there is the odd wireworm. Will suck it and see before insecticide - it had deter dressed.

Next few are a pedders cover drilled with a little bit of urea - its mainly oats and volunteer barley with some brassicas and old ryegrass I had in the shed. Basically a lieback for sheep on turnips before going to spring beans. One patch i ran out of seed - i felt i had more volunteer barley than normal this year.

Next few are wheat into OSR. Drilled a bit later than the rest and a bit lower seed rate. I should have upped the rate a little. But it will be fine. Had some pellets but even though there are plenty of slugs I think pellets are too dear for my liking and it would have been cheaper to have a higher seed rate (I reckon this was about 65kg/acre)

Last one is WOSR. Look at the first picture - its ok but scruffy as is normal with my metering system on the drill (need to change it badly) but the second picture is herbicide residue. I had a lot of rosebay willowherb in some spring barley which I wasn't well killed by roundup in the spring - I had to go back with a spray to stop it taking over the barley but we had a very dry year and chemical has hung around. I'm mulling over whether to keep this or go to spring beans - its about 15% of the field in big stripes where I spot sprayed. Fed up with looking at it. Will have to be even more careful in future.

Do you mean 165 kg/ha. Also what is the file name of the OSR?

 

[SilliamWhale]

OSR last two on the second post. My drill can't meter out the low seed rate on rape and then tends to grind them sometimes. I've tried various things to differing effect - slug pellets mixed, sulphur prills, blocking off each row etc. and they all involve a compromise and you end up with what is spatially a bit of a pigs ear. This isn't a 750 problem its the old style box drill 750 problem btw. Maybe I'll test the theory that rape only looks good once?!

I don't want to get rid of the micro seed box but I need to change something about, but not sure I'll be growing rape much more.

The last pic of the herbicide residue is a separate issue but you can see it clearly here.

No I normally drilling wheat at between 60-75kg/acre. I was a bit low in the rape field and on reflection I should have increased it in rape and decreased it in beans. But to be honest its all a bit academic as it will all be fine. Farm saved and undressed but cleaned Horatio.

Plan is to maybe stick some FYM on all these fields if the chance comes along. Winter beans next week.

Mulling over a decent cover crop between wheat and spring barley for next year.

p.s. lots of these fields look a bit scruffy on top and will do until early April. But the establishment is good and even even if the pictures don't always show it with the residue on top.

 

[Andrew K]

Well done Will, looks fine generally.
Do you get any ponding on your wet days?

 

[Badshot]

I know where there is an old accord drill that was on a power harrow, be ripe for a conversion job.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Well done Will, looks fine generally.
Do you get any ponding on your wet days?

Never get ponding - we are quite sloping but I never get standing water, we do get soil wash though (or used to)

The only area where I can get problems is headlands which have lots of traffic in the wet (balers the worse) but not had a wet harvest for two years so all headlands are ok at the moment. I sometimes just up the seed rate in rubbish spots to try and get the plants to improve it.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I know where there is an old accord drill that was on a power harrow, be ripe for a conversion job.

The problem is I don't have the skills to do it. And by the time I've butchered the drill and fitted the accord (also need hydraulic metering not pto as its trailed and turns are sharper) I reckon it could be quite expensive in spares/ cock ups etc. If I new someone around here who had the skills I'd probably be keen to give it a go (I know you may say its simple, I wouldn't know where to start!)

I have thought about using something like from Bullock tillage, but the Stocks wizard sounds a good one too.

 

[SilliamWhale]

A few more from a different block of land. Later sown.

First three is another wheat into pasture that was spring beans as a pioneer crop.
Fourth picture is an example of the grass I'll be drilling beans into next spring and then bringing into rotation.

Next two is another boring wheat into rape one - bit more trash on the surface here.

Last one is DD italian ryegrass into spring barley stubble. This field is full of brome and I want to see if I can bring it under control by grazing and cutting three times for a couple of years.

 

[martian]

Looking good Will. The wheat looks like it'll be in perfect shape going into winter.
What's the dormancy like on brome seeds? I'd have thought three years of ley would do a pretty good cleaning job

 

[SilliamWhale]

Looking good Will. The wheat looks like it'll be in perfect shape going into winter.
What's the dormancy like on brome seeds? I'd have thought three years of ley would do a pretty good cleaning job

Im led to believe about 24mths Max. This field needed a bit of perennial as its always been a bit tired. Plenty of grass and chicken poo should help

 

[Richard III]

Im led to believe about 24mths Max. This field needed a bit of perennial as its always been a bit tired. Plenty of grass and chicken poo should help

I would go along with 2 year break to clear up brome, but in my experience there is quite a difference between a 2 and 3 year ley in terms of soil improvement. All depends on your starting point and how much of an improvement you are looking for I suppose.

 

[Clive]

Crops looking good Will

IME a spring break soon clears up broome, even where I have had if bad in the past pre zerotill

 

[SilliamWhale]

I would go along with 2 year break to clear up brome, but in my experience there is quite a difference between a 2 and 3 year ley in terms of soil improvement. All depends on your starting point and how much of an improvement you are looking for I suppose.

I'd agree with you.

Basically it will depend on how the grass is performing and how much money its making! I'm not desperately chasing soil improvement nowadays on most fields I'm sort of happy with their function.

 

[Richard III]

I'd agree with you.

Basically it will depend on how the grass is performing and how much money its making! I'm not desperately chasing soil improvement nowadays on most fields I'm sort of happy with their function.

Just been thinking about this some more. When I went into No Till I had a field split in two, one half arable, one half 3 year ley, 5 harvests on I can still clearly tell the difference between the two halves from the combine seat! I think this is amazing, I don't think this would be the case after 5 years of tillage. However if you were to do the same, the half in arable would still be slowly improving in No Till, just not as fast as the grass. Whereas the arable side of my field was getting hammered with a wheat/maize rotation, all ploughed.