Rolling Winter Wheat

[Steevo]

What speed do people roll cereals at?

I was always told max 5mph for rolling seedbeds after the drill for consolidation. Does speed matter so much when rolling crop?

 

[YELROM]

I'm usually a big fan of spring rolling but this year I have only rolled a few of the worst Flint areas about 3 weeks ago when the soil was soft enough to push stones in and before the near 10 days of consecutive frosts.
The bits I did roll look a bit stressed and the soils on the rest are rock hard, I have enough tillers and plants/m2 so I did not so anymore, I tried a patch of one field while out rolling SB and the rolls just bounced over the top.
A year to give it a miss here, the risk of root lodging is minimal so I'll be happy to give the WW some 3c, Mn and ctl next week and be content that I can choose the best of cultural or chemical methods as I see fit and not be driven by one approach.

We don't normally spring roll as its normally to wet
So are you rolling to consolidate the soil or bruise the plant to make it tiller
We have rolled our spring barley pre emergence but would it be worth rolling again and if so at what stage

 

[T Hectares]

We don't normally spring roll as its normally to wet
So are you rolling to consolidate the soil or bruise the plant to make it tiller
We have rolled our spring barley pre emergence but would it be worth rolling again and if so at what stage

There's maybe 4 reasons for spring rolling wheat - pushing in stones, firming soil to prevent root lodging, promote tillering and to firm soil to help Manganese issues.

Rolling SB can be very beneficial from 3 leaf to early tillering, but if the soil stays as concrete hard as it is at the moment then i doubt it will be of much use

 

[Clive]

rolling isn’t about ground conditions imo - it’s about “pruning” the leaf

too dry doesn’t matter

for some it seems to be just about pushing stones back in more than any other reason

 

[teslacoils]

What speed do people roll cereals at?

I was always told max 5mph for rolling seedbeds after the drill for consolidation. Does speed matter so much when rolling crop?

I roll at 4km/hr after the drill.

In spring probably a bit faster, but then I might even do them twice.

 

[YELROM]

rolling isn’t about ground conditions imo - it’s about “pruning” the leaf

too dry doesn’t matter

for some it seems to be just about pushing stones back in more than any other reason

This is what i was hoping as the soil is like concrete in the Feb DDed wheat i have roll last week
How long would you leave it after rolling before applying Pacifica plus

 

[T Hectares]

rolling isn’t about ground conditions imo - it’s about “pruning” the leaf

too dry doesn’t matter

for some it seems to be just about pushing stones back in more than any other reason

Stones tend to focus the mind if your entire acreage is full of flints and Sarsens like mine!!
If the ground is hard the rings don't last long bouncing over these...

 

[Fubar]

It would have to be terrible for me to rip it up.

What plant number / m2 would it have to be below for it to justify ripping up. Bearing in mind the first law of farming that the first loss is usually the least.

 

[Brisel]

What plant number / m2 would it have to be below for it to justify ripping up. Bearing in mind the first law of farming that the first loss is usually the least.

200 plants/m2 is plenty enough to make a good crop. Half that would be a point at which I’d think about what else I could do or leave it for a low input low output crop.

Wheat does have an ability to produce bigger ears with more grain sites in thinner crops. If we have good tillering weather and plenty of N on a healthy crop then there's no reason why it shouldn't perform well. Barley yield is all about tillers as ear size is fixed much earlier on.

 

[PSQ]

What plant number / m2 would it have to be below for it to justify ripping up. Bearing in mind the first law of farming that the first loss is usually the least.

Did N2 on my worst field yesterday (sown Oct 24th) and was pleasantly surprised at the tillering on the sub 50 plants/m2 areas, about 15% of the field. I had intended turning off the liquid fert on the thin patches as there wasn't much there at N1 (40kg/N), and thought N2 (60kg/n+S) would be a waste of time. Ended up doing 99% of the field, and will do T0 with herb and Mn next week, but will skip N3/N4 on the thin bits.
I'm hoping that they grow like tumbleweeds, i.e. 20 tillers, and that there will be enough light and air to keep them growing to harvest with reduced/ omitted T1 / T2.

Edit to add photo (31st March):

 

[Clive]

Stones tend to focus the mind if your entire acreage is full of flints and Sarsens like mine!!
If the ground is hard the rings don't last long bouncing over these...View attachment 868903

a consequence of cultivation i guess

 

[Clive]

This is what i was hoping as the soil is like concrete in the Feb DDed wheat i have roll last week
How long would you leave it after rolling before applying Pacifica plus

i try to do nothing for at least a week after rolling - it’s very easy scortched by just about anything after rolling

 

[Tompkins]

If you have an agronomist who recommends rolling, you've got a keeper.

Always had the feeling that ours didn't like it but he knew I did so he was diplomatic about it!

 

[T Hectares]

a consequence of cultivation i guess

Not particularly, Sarsen stones in particular have a habit of finding the surface in very wet years.

My SB behind the cover crops was just as bad as normal, the Sprinter will hook up plenty in DD or cultivated ground, I'm only scratching with a Kockerling not full inversion or ploughing.

It's just very stony here..

 

[Oh bullocks]

I roll at 4km/hr after the drill.



That is slow. Never seen anyone roll so slow. I hate power harrowing at that speed

 

[ollie989898]

You need to leave it 7 days after rolling before you go spraying it.

Do not roll unless the soil underneath the surface is dry- you will see the wheel marks from the tractor all season otherwise.

 

[DrWazzock]

I like rolling. It’s an easy job, not bothered by wind or a shower, doesn’t need emptying or filling up. Lovely job.

 

[Brisel]

a consequence of cultivation i guess

Yes and no. These fields have never been cultivated yet the stones are on the surface at Fyfield Down in Wilts;

Claydon tine drills are very good at hooking up stones yet the surface isn't soft enough to smack them back down with rolls. It's why I don't grow peas here - I'd combine more flints than flat peas!

 

[teslacoils]

It's ok with wide rolls.

 

[T Hectares]

Yes and no. These fields have never been cultivated yet the stones are on the surface at Fyfield Down in Wilts;
View attachment 868926

Claydon tine drills are very good at hooking up stones yet the surface isn't soft enough to smack them back down with rolls. It's why I don't grow peas here - I'd combine more flints than flat peas!

It's a difficult one with DD drill choice on these stoney soil types, tines cope better but disturb stones, disc drills take a severe hammering but disturb less stones.
I used to farm 100ha very near to Fyfield down, I used to damage more parts and wear more metal there on the Rapid than on the other 1100ha !!