Pressing reset - shall I plough a field ?

[Clive]

I have a problem field, it has been notill for 4 year

in 2012 it was wheat - a good crop

in 2013 it was potatoes (we still let land then) apparently a good crop

in 2014 it grew a barley - farm record crop at over 10t/ha, won a county crop competition, really could not expect more from that soil

in 2015 it was OSR - poor crop well below farm average that year

in 2016 it was wheat - very poor crop again well below farm average

it now has a cover crop on it which unlike the many other excellent acres of same cover we established this august looks poor ! in places I can see good vs poor cover growth to a line,

in 2017 it will be a spring crop after the cover - I really don't want another poor crop off this field, I know historically it can grow decent crops.


Ph test fine and last limed in 2014 with a top up this august, its well drained and the land around it that has same soil type and cropping history is performing just fine, soil structure looks good , no evidence of compaction etc


I'm at a loss to understand what the problem is as is my agronomist, regular soil test are throwing nothing up, i'm suspecting something residual might be the problem but cant think what and don't know how to confirm that if it is the case

Its just 20ac - is the simple solution to hit reset and plough it ? start again on this particular bit ? extreme solution but my approach to farming is flexible and all about max margin not a religion

ideas and thoughts appreciated ? how would you deal with this ?

 

[D14]

Is ploughing a reset though? If the soil structure is good like the other fields then ploughing it will just add to the issues won't it as you will ruin the structure built up. What about planting some grass in the spring and grazing it for a couple of years.

 

[marcot]

Have you just had a liquid lunch?
Can't believe you mentioned the P word
Actually I can't believe you even own one
inchmeimdreaming:

 

[Clive]

Is ploughing a reset though? If the soil structure is good like the other fields then ploughing it will just add to the issues won't it as you will ruin the structure built up. What about planting some grass in the spring and grazing it for a couple of years.

if it is a residual chemical issue then ploughing would help / sort it is why I think its maybe an option, certainly not thinking of ploughing for soil structure as there is nothing more destructive than a plough in that respect

 

[Clive]

Have you just had a liquid lunch?
Can't believe you mentioned the P word
Actually I can't believe you even own one
inchmeimdreaming:

i dont own one - it would need a contractor. Just considering the options really, might be pointless and perhaps a deep disking (I do have discs) would achieve the same in getting rid of any potential chemical residual issues ?

 

[Banana Bar]

Why not, it's not a religion. If it needs doing then get on with it.

 

[Fuzzy]

Sounds like a great opportunity for a TFF Ploughing trial !!

 

[Fuzzy]

These are the boys

 

[SilliamWhale]

Why not, it's not a religion. If it needs doing then get on with it.

Ploughing is a religion!

 

[Steevo]

Plough half, leave the other half. See what the difference is.

 

[Jim Bullock]

It looks like you are a new member of the long-term no-till club. e We have got fields where it just won't work without a bit of help from a few cultivations. Bio solids and chicken manure help a lot if you want to avoid tillage.

 

[Henry B]

It maybe worth doing a tissue test on the cover crop to see if it is deficient in anything.

 

[Clive]

It looks like you are a new member of the long-term no-till club. We have got fields where it just won't work without a bit of help from a few cultivations. Bio solids and chicken manure help a lot if you want to avoid tillage.

What doesn't stack up Jim is that surrounding fields are fine and doing better than ever, same soil, same history etc

It's all had compost in the last few years and all will possibly get a big dump of pig muck before spring crop as well

My suspicion is something residua from either the barley or osr crop l and no till means it's hanging around a long time ?

 

[John 1594]

Ploughing is a religion!

Really...

lets just imagine for a second, that the field in question is under your management

your paying rent on it, doing what "you" consider to be best for it cropping and rotation wise, but year on year the gross margin is falling like a stone and its getting to the point where the field is going to be a loss maker on the books

your telling me that you wouldnt plough it just as the last roll of the dice in the hope of rejuvenating it and bringing it back as a profitable bit of land

or more likely you wouldnt plough it because you would lose face and it would make a complete mockery of what you have been shouting from the rooftops for the last few years

hats off to @Clive for thinking outside the box for a change and accepting that no till doesnt always work as its supposed to

 

[normandyfarmer]

If the other field came back well in no-till then this one should come back fast as well (if ploughing solve the issue)

 

[Tractor Boy]

I have a problem field, it has been notill for 4 year

in 2011 it was wheat - a good crop

in 2013 it was potatoes (we still let land then) apparently a good crop

in 2014 it grew a barley - farm record crop at over 10t/ha, won a county crop competition, really could not expect more from that soil

in 2015 it was OSR - poor crop well below farm average that year

in 2016 it was wheat - very poor crop again well below farm average

it now has a cover crop on it which unlike the many other excellent acres of same cover we established this august looks poor ! in places I can see good vs poor cover growth to a line,

in 2017 it will be a spring crop after the cover - I really don't want another poor crop off this field, I know historically it can grow decent crops.


Ph test fine and last limed in 2014 with a top up this august, its well drained and the land around it that has same soil type and cropping history is performing just fine, soil structure looks good , no evidence of compaction etc


I'm at a loss to understand what the problem is as is my agronomist, regular soil test are throwing nothing up, i'm suspecting something residual might be the problem but cant think what and don't know how to confirm that if it is the case

Its just 20ac - is the simple solution to hit reset and plough it ? start again on this particular bit ? extreme solution but my approach to farming is flexible and all about max margin not a religion

ideas and thoughts appreciated ? how would you deal with this ?

I can't think of anything that could've been residual in the barley that would damage wheat 2 crops later. Plenty of products in the barley could damage the following rape, and I suppose some rape herbicides could've hung around to damage the following wheat.

 

[IH 684]

It's like any enterprise. NETT profit is what matters. If your NETT is poor the holes need fixing

 

[Flat 10]

I can't think of anything that could've been residual in the barley that would damage wheat 2 crops later. Plenty of products in the barley could damage the following rape, and I suppose some rape herbicides could've hung around to damage the following wheat.

I'm struggling to think of what it may be chemical or otherwise. Is there no way it could be lack of lime.........

 

[Hampton]

Are you sure the years of compost and straw chopping are not locking up the nutrients?

 

[Wheatonrotty]

+1 for ploughing half and leaving half, if you plough it all you'll never know if it was the ploughing that sorted it or not.