Noddy Guides

[DrWazzock]

Whilst I am fully aware that modern agriculture is a complex business I do find myself at times swamped with information.

It would be nice if some of this information could be condensed down to give a simple run down of the main points to attend to in growing a particular crop or type of livestock.

Whilst I appreciate that costs can be saved by fine tuning spray programmes and rations to the nth degree, sometimes it's more cost effective to be able to get on with the job in a timely manner with a tank mix that maybe isn't the cheapest but at least works well without too much clatting around or hours of pre analysis and planning.

I have to say I find a lot of the information on offer by the levy takers to be good but at too high a level to be of much use to me without having to spend a considerable amount of time sifting it and adapting it to my situation. Alternative is to employ a consultant which kinds of defeats the object of having such information available to farmers.

I reckon I could condense wheat growing onto one side of A4 if I had to. Thats what I end up with by the time I have formulated my approach. It maybe isn't absolutely optimum but is sufficient for a busy mixed farmer who hasn't time to spend hours pondering every option.

The same applies to cattle growing and finishing. Most of the literature seems to be written around mixer waggon systems but in reality many of us have round bales of silage and ring feeders, we have barley straw, we have barley and oats and can buy In protein. Trying to get a straight answer out of anybody or any literature as how best to use these resources is like getting blood out of a stone while many people seem to make a success out of approaches that are way off the recommended route.

Likewise my sugar beet guide has 33 different tank mixes for BLW control. When I had an agronomist we used to mess about with a combination of these straights which were rarely simple or effective. I would be over the crop 5 times with herbicides, almost once a week and weeds still got away at times. Now I tend to use just two applications of one proprietary formulation which is slightly more expensive but ten times more effective and convenient. All those bewildering options condensed down to one simple approach.

Don't get me wrong. People are doing lots of excellent research and producing a lot of good material, I just find there is a lack of simple condensed info for the ordinary working farmer who doesn't have time to absorb hundreds of pages of information and attend a dozen or so seminars then sift that information to find a practical way forward.

I find the fertiliser guide to be similar. I can understand it, but it's another weighty tome that used to be covered by a few simple leaflets from the PDA and other trade bodies.

Is it possible to get back to some simple pertinent information sheets or has agriculture just become that much more complex?

 

[7610 super q]

The Noddy guide to regenerative agriculture, no till, and the demise of bagged fertiliser, coupled with the rise of bio stimulants, and prilled lime is best + techno grazing since the leccy fence was invented in 2019 is a good read.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

It sounds like an excellent idea to me!!!!
....but then I would say that, wouldn't I.

Specialists can be as complicated as they like but for most, keeping it simple has to be the best solution for most things.
Simple check / information sheets would be great as although I know the basics it's good to have a reminder when you only have to think about them a few times a year or years.

 

[Chae1]

Unfortunately most of the guides are created by people selling things.

The irish teagasc guides are very good. I often find myself using them.

 

[David.]

And most of the "articles" in the press are sponsored.
Tbh if you are on marginal wheat growing land, wheat growing has not moved on a lot since Riband.

 

[Bury the Trash]

That was the beauty of the old ADAS leaflets. Independent farmer friendly advice. and they also gave reports from the practical experimental farms of the day.


a simple forge growing guide is done by Limagrain .. 'the essential guide to forage crops.'

 

[Bury the Trash]

The Noddy guide to regenerative agriculture, no till, and the demise of bagged fertiliser, coupled with the rise of bio stimulants, and prilled lime is best + techno grazing since the leccy fence was invented in 2019 is a good read.

techno is a crap name for it? actually was thought of 30 plus years ago ? …all it is is an elaborate small paddock fenced systems with the basically allowing grass to recover quicker instead of letting stock nip off the growing point constantly..which knackers it for longer. simple stuff really.

 

[Gong Farmer]

You're asking for a 'blueprint', something avoided by any sensible adviser as it would put him/her out of a job.

 

[An Gof]

That was the beauty of the old ADAS leaflets. Independent farmer friendly advice. and they also gave reports from the practical experimental farms of the day.


a simple forge growing guide is done by Limagrain .. 'the essential guide to forage crops.'

Still have my extensive collection of ADAS/MAFF leaflets and booklets

 

[An Gof]

You want a modern day equivalent of this for cereals

 

[SilliamWhale]

I'll write you a Noddy Guide for cereals and beans if you want. I wouldn't want to write one for rape because god knows how to get the best out of that!

Get hold of some old NIAB guides - or better still join them as they do produce some really good guides each year and gives you confidence in your decision making. 4 documents a year and easy to read with a bit of colour graphs to make it easy to read!

 

[An Gof]

A

I'll write you a Noddy Guide for cereals and beans if you want. I wouldn't want to write one for rape because god knows how to get the best out of that!

Get hold of some old NIAB guides - or better still join them as they do produce some really good guides each year and gives you confidence in your decision making. 4 documents a year and easy to read with a bit of colour graphs to make it easy to read!

Another vote for NIAB Tag documents. Simple and comprehensive Agronomy guides.
In depth detail in the annual trials results booklet.

 

[Bury the Trash]

You want a modern day equivalent of this for cereals
View attachment 787936

Yes, the drilling bit might need a rewrite.

 

[An Gof]

Yes, the drilling bit might need a rewrite.

They had DD back in those days as well plenty of ways to Use Gramoxone then

 

[Bury the Trash]

They had DD back in those days as well plenty of ways to Use Gramoxone then

I know they did. Didnt last long tho. There wasn't an awful lot written on subject then either.
I can still smell that stuff now .

 

[DRC]

Trouble is, there’s so many different ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes. My way of growing wheat would be very different to a no till approach, and most of you wouldn’t understand cwt/ acre, or units/acre.

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

I thought this was going to be a book by the lead singer of a 1970s glam rock group from Wolverhampton . [emoji849]

 

[dunkie]

The manual.

 

[Flat 10]

Who would want to write such a document? There’s people on here who could write one but why would they. If you can work it out why would you share? Niab tag only do it for their sub. It’s not exactly hard to read something like bbro guide, you are clearly more than able to and work it out for yourself if you can’t find the time/be bothered to then perhaps you should be doing something else? Just being devils advocate.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Who would want to write such a document? There’s people on here who could write one but why would they. If you can work it out why would you share? Niab tag only do it for their sub. It’s not exactly hard to read something like bbro guide, you are clearly more than able to and work it out for yourself if you can’t find the time/be bothered to then perhaps you should be doing something else? Just being devils advocate.

Something like Adas should be restarted but with farmers , theorists and even environmentalists well trusted ones anyway...all involved. General and specialist for all different regions and areas.
Ahdb is not enough.

It's a big serious subject that need addressing now , for the future.