OSR trash management

[Devon James]

What do you do post osr harvest? We have had to cut lower than normal this year and got a good thick layer of trash on the soil surface.
We have had good results in the past by lightly cultivating with a Supermaxx to mix the trash with a covering of soil. Also leveling out heaps of trash so to reduce slug burdens . By time drilling the next crop comes around most of the trash has turned into lovely friable tilth.
Just interested in what others do.

 

[Bury the Trash]

I bury it.



Taxi ?.......

 

[Devon James]

Oh...it's you [emoji23]

 

[Bury the Trash]

Just thought i would bump it for you.

 

[Brisel]

Stubble rake about a week later to spread the trash and tickle the top half inch. I will do it again in early September before the volunteers get too big or later that month after spraying it off which might be a better CSFB strategy to keep the beetles away from my newly sown osr crops.

 

[Farma Parma]

Plough the lot in job done

 

[Brisel]

 

[Badshot]

Done nothing last year.
Doing nothing this year , planted cover crop into it, seems to be coming up ok, will possibly have sheep grazing it pre drilling wheat.

 

[Clive]

What do you do post osr harvest?

nothing ............... followed by a drill late September

got a good thick layer of trash on the soil surface.

great news - that's ideal

 

[SilliamWhale]

Same as Clive

 

[Bury the Trash]

Seems like you can take a break , James

 

[PSQ]

Combine (leave for a fortnight to chit)
light disc (leave for a fortnight)
Terano (leave for a fortnight)
drill.

If it was left for 6 weeks between combining and drilling the ground would be heaving with slugs.

 

[Two Tone]

I’m ploughing mine now. Something I can do while the Combine is stopped.
It’s ploughing like a garden and thanks to a fantastic chit of seed, I’m burying a really good green manure.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I’m ploughing mine now. Something I can do while the Combine is stopped.
It’s ploughing like a garden and thanks to a fantastic chit of seed, I’m burying a really good green manure.

What good is a green manure gonna do 6" under?

 

[Two Tone]

What good is a green manure gonna do 6" under?

A hell of a lot more than if it was left on top, that’s for sure.
And it didn’t need spraying off.

Combined with the chopped straw, it’ll do the land one heck of a lot of good, stored in the soil rather than rotting on the surface, releasing methane and C02 to the atmosphere. It will feed the next crop instead.

 

[Brisel]

That’s what earthworms are for...

 

[SilliamWhale]

A hell of a lot more than if it was left on top, that’s for sure.
And it didn’t need spraying off.

Combined with the chopped straw, it’ll do the land one heck of a lot of good, stored in the soil rather than rotting on the surface, releasing methane and C02 to the atmosphere. It will feed the next crop instead.

Er, yes dear....

 

[Two Tone]

Stubble rake about a week later to spread the trash and tickle the top half inch. I will do it again in early September before the volunteers get too big or later that month after spraying it off which might be a better CSFB strategy to keep the beetles away from my newly sown osr crops.

Not absolutely sure that leaving the CSFB’s on volunteer rape to keep them away from newly planted rape actually works.
I’m pretty sure they don’t like being ploughed!

 

[Devon James]

Same as Clive

So how do i change my mindset? I would worry it would be a wet slug prone mess to drill into if the trash was not distributed evenly across the field. Bearing in mind we normally put a good covering of fym compost onto rape stubbles.

 

[Brisel]

So how do i change my mindset? I would worry it would be a wet slug prone mess to drill into if the trash was not distributed evenly across the field. Bearing in mind we normally put a good covering of fym compost onto rape stubbles.

I'm with you here. I think their suggestion would be to reconsider the drill choice. If the soil is in great nick, a light tine would help spread the residues about and you wouldn't have to use the Claydon later. Their tines happen to have seed boots on the back & their combine drivers might well be better trained at not leaving heaps. Or their crops are so crap there's no rubbish to get in the way

I like my straw rake. Whilst it was expensive and isn't that relevant for anything else, it does even the trash out and make a great start on getting a chit and kills quite a few slug eggs. Have you got a wide set of chain harrows or old zig zag harrows that could move the top inch or so and pull the stuff about?