soil temp

[robs1]

have dd in the autumn for a couple of years but this will be first attempt in the spring, Wheat and Barley, what soil temp should I be looking at before I think about getting it done? everyone seems to think it must be warmer than for "normal" drilling

 

[BSH]

I think a soil temp of 8c has been said before for DD spring crops. I am going to wait for this for my barley I think unless there is a concensus on a different idea here?

 

[SilliamWhale]

not starting until end of march. Probably april for barley and 16th april for spring rape

 

[robs1]

not starting until end of march. Probably april for barley and 16th april for spring rape

I can see my agronomist having a melt down still even he admits dd has kept the weeds down and made the fields traffic so much better last year and no deep tramlines to sort out

 

[SilliamWhale]

I find sometimes agronomists struggle to see the picture beyond the existing crop.

Not that I necessarily blame for that either.

 

[Jim Bullock]

not starting until end of march. Probably april for barley and 16th april for spring rape

In total agreement with Will here...I would probably wait until soil temps are nearer 12C...Our best crop of spring wheat (in the last five years) was drilled on April 16th and our best spring rape on May 3rd....Both crops had seedbed fertiliser so when they emerged they just kept growing...IMO that is the secret with spring cropping.