Over wintered ploughing/cultivation

[Hereward]

Is there any reason, thinking BPS, that you cannot leave ploughing over winter?

I would like to plough this week, leave to weather over winter and establish in April.

 

[Brisel]

No. It’s actually explicitly permitted in the cross compliance rules.

If you had asked about Countryside Stewardship or good practice for nitrate leaching, you’d have a different answer.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Moisture loss

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

When working the land with Horses around here, dad always said ploughing had to be done in autumn and Grandad had to have the Oats sown for the 17 th of march. Weathering over winter made the soil easier broke down. Now with modern machinery it is forced into submission, whether in order or not.

 

[deleted user 837354]

A lot of the beet and maize land around here would do well if ploughed nicely in the autumn and left over winter. Needs to be done carefully mind to avoid any run off down slopes or you will get monumental grief from the ministry.

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

Didn't think you were allowed any bare land over winter.

 

[Boohoo]

Didn't think you were allowed any bare land over winter.

We're not. It took a lot of negotiating to allow ploughing matches to continue.

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

We're not. It took a lot of negotiating to allow ploughing matches to continue.

Thought that, must be different rules on the mainland.

 

[Boohoo]

Thought that, must be different rules on the mainland.

Our rules

 

[Happy]

When working the land with Horses around here, dad always said ploughing had to be done in autumn and Grandad had to have the Oats sown for the 17 th of march. Weathering over winter made the soil easier broke down. Now with modern machinery it is forced into submission, whether in order or not.

Still standard practice in Scotland.
Most people aim to get all ploughing done by Xmas if they can so frost & weathering break in down for easily worked spring barley seedbed March/April.

Can see us having same rules as you guys fairly soon though.

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

Why do civil servants think they know more than farmers with generations of knowhow behind them? Same with slurry rules, weather doesn't abide by the calender.

 

[Brisel]

Civil servants see the statistics for nitrate and phosphate pollution, along with pictures of soil erosion. I can see a green cover over winter becoming compulsory as it is elsewhere. Not difficult with plants like mustard and a bit of thought.

 

[teslacoils]

It's all about asking the "right" expert.

 

[Brisel]

It's all about asking the "right" expert.

Not Ben Goldsmith or George Monbiot then.

 

[robs1]

Not Ben Goldsmith or George Monbiot then.

Sorry but I thought it was spelt expert not twa t

 

[Brisel]

An “ex” being a has been and a”spurt” is just a drip under pressure

 

[Handy Andy]

I'm hoping to get some done in the next couple of weeks with a view to planting spring wheat end of November / early December if the conditions are right. If it turns in wet like last year it could be the end of March before it gets drilled, so am I breaking the rules if I can't get the seed in the ground? Last winter there were thousands of acres of bare ground all over the country some of which was ploughed in September and never got planted until late March.

 

[Brisel]

I'm hoping to get some done in the next couple of weeks with a view to planting spring wheat end of November / early December if the conditions are right. If it turns in wet like last year it could be the end of March before it gets drilled, so am I breaking the rules if I can't get the seed in the ground? Last winter there were thousands of acres of bare ground all over the country some of which was ploughed in September and never got planted until late March.

Which rules? Are you in any schemes like CS?