Peaty soils

[ashmore]

I'm after your thoughts. I have one field totaling 30a that is black peat. We've always struggled to grow clean weed free crops. And this yr has been extra disastrous, because we decided to put osr on it.
In the past we've learnt not to subsoil this field, because the one time my father did, it brought up running sand, and we spent the rest of the season and a fair bit of the next getting stuck. Ploughing is a non starter with an ordinary plough, and it's size doesn't warrant a slated plough. So the best idea is to mintill. Wheat will grow, but the amount of herbicide used is very high. Beans have been surprisingly good, as it's good to control the massive wildoat population.
I was worried about putting rape on this field last autumn. And it seems I was correct. It's surrounded by trees and houses. And I struggled to keep the pigeons off. But coming in to the spring I was happy that there was a good plant population, and it was clean. Unfortunately the heavy rains late spring must have turbocharged the weeds. What plants that were there are now are stunted and mainly non existent. I was aware of the poor potential so it didn't get a sceritinia spray, and haven't walked/driven through it for a bit, so I was shocked with the wilderness that greeted me today as I sprayed it off.
So quick question before I sit down with the agronomist. Is this field a candidate for continuous wheat? The take all losses can't be as bad as the rape losses this yr? And it's not a massive area to pay for the extra chemistry. Should it be grassed down (unlikely due to access and ability to pay the rent). Or something else? Thanks in advance

 

[Flat 10]

Root crops

 

[Bogweevil]

I'm after your thoughts. I have one field totaling 30a that is black peat. We've always struggled to grow clean weed free crops. And this yr has been extra disastrous, because we decided to put osr on it.
In the past we've learnt not to subsoil this field, because the one time my father did, it brought up running sand, and we spent the rest of the season and a fair bit of the next getting stuck. Ploughing is a non starter with an ordinary plough, and it's size doesn't warrant a slated plough. So the best idea is to mintill. Wheat will grow, but the amount of herbicide used is very high. Beans have been surprisingly good, as it's good to control the massive wildoat population.
I was worried about putting rape on this field last autumn. And it seems I was correct. It's surrounded by trees and houses. And I struggled to keep the pigeons off. But coming in to the spring I was happy that there was a good plant population, and it was clean. Unfortunately the heavy rains late spring must have turbocharged the weeds. What plants that were there are now are stunted and mainly non existent. I was aware of the poor potential so it didn't get a sceritinia spray, and haven't walked/driven through it for a bit, so I was shocked with the wilderness that greeted me today as I sprayed it off.
So quick question before I sit down with the agronomist. Is this field a candidate for continuous wheat? The take all losses can't be as bad as the rape losses this yr? And it's not a massive area to pay for the extra chemistry. Should it be grassed down (unlikely due to access and ability to pay the rent). Or something else? Thanks in advance

Celery if it has irrigation.

 

[Flat 10]

Buy a cheap slatted plough/ get someone in to do it/borrow one. That said i have ploughed horrible black stuff pretty well with a shiney conventional mouldboard if it was well consolidated. Always roll until you are bored to tears. I still think letting for root crops is the best option if you don't wish to do it yourself. If you are sticking to combineables I would recommend linseed (though I fudged it up the time i did it but it was my fault) or you see quite a few peas grown on it.

 

[Hesstondriver]

roots sound the best idea

use wheat & peas as a break crop