Sowing stubble turnips/rape.

[DairyGrazing]

Whats the best way to establish turnips/rape in wheat stubble? I only have a T6.165, fert spinner and 3m power harrow currently.

Some of the stubbles will be clean, some will have box muck and some will have slurry.

I was thinking of a Moore drill or a stubble cultivator with a seeder?

 

[HarryB97]

Broadcast into the standing crop a few weeks before harvest unless no rain is forecast. They will spread 24 metres and you will get less poaching, ruts and lameness etc in the winter if you don’t cultivate. If they fail then you have time to try again.

 

[DRC]

use what you’ve got. A light power Harrow and spin them on with fert spreader.

 

[DairyGrazing]

use what you’ve got. A light power Harrow and spin them on with fert spreader.

Will that be okay if its dry?

 

[DairyGrazing]

Broadcast into the standing crop a few weeks before harvest unless no rain is forecast. They will spread 24 metres and you will get less poaching, ruts and lameness etc in the winter if you don’t cultivate. If they fail then you have time to try again.

Would you roll after the straw is baled?

 

[bobk]

Broadcast into the standing crop a few weeks before harvest unless no rain is forecast. They will spread 24 metres and you will get less poaching, ruts and lameness etc in the winter if you don’t cultivate. If they fail then you have time to try again.

Are you having a larf ?

 

[Chae1]

use what you’ve got. A light power Harrow and spin them on with fert spreader.

I used to establish them this way but didn't get a decent take for a few years due to compaction.

Bought a simba xpress with st ripper legs in front. Had great establishment this year. But this is just first year of using it.

Downside as mentioned above is cows are now plunging through stubble to depth legs were ripping. Making a mess at moment.

 

[Jerry]

Rape/turnips will germinate on concrete with a touch of moisture.

Remove straw, lightly scratch over with the power harrow, spin on with the fert spinner and then roll if you can but nit a big deal if not.

ideally do it just before rain.

Depending on fert spinner two half rate applications at an angle.

Key is get them on as soon as possible to give them a chance to put bulk on.

 

[E_B]

Are you having a larf ?

This is what we do. Except after winter barley, and they only spread to 18m. We fill the 6m gaps in with the drill after harvest.

Sometimes it doesn't work, maybe 25% of the time. We don't bother in a dry year.

 

[steveR]

Whats the best way to establish turnips/rape in wheat stubble? I only have a T6.165, fert spinner and 3m power harrow currently.

Some of the stubbles will be clean, some will have box muck and some will have slurry.

I was thinking of a Moore drill or a stubble cultivator with a seeder?

For sheep or cattle? If cattle, then minimum possible cultivations so the land will take them... Sheep, will cope with anything up to ploughing.

I have been very pleased with DD into stubble and also into lightly cultivated land. I did spin ST into short standing Spring Barley which did work as long as we got some rain. Traditionally, it was a pass with a light cultivator, spin on, then roll in.

Did spun into stubble and a light harrow with an Einbock on light land. Did use a Roterra one year set very light, and whiz over with spinner. Worked, but must have had an issue as I never did it again...

 

[DRC]

Will that be okay if its dry?

Ideally you want a bit of moisture, so wait if its very dry.

 

[DRC]

You can establish them in any way you want really . Depends on what machinery is available . If heavy rain is forecast , then even just spin them straight on the stubble.
These we’ve just put sheep on, had some pig slurry then lightly disced and spun on .

 

[DieselRob]

Using what you’ve got I’d mix the turnips with some fert of your choice to give around 30-40N spread at whatever width you can after harvest, scratch over with the power Harrow as lightly as possible then roll if you have rolls available , ideally in to moisture or just before rain forecast

 

[DRC]

Using what you’ve got I’d mix the turnips with some fert of your choice to give around 30-40N spread at whatever width you can after harvest, scratch over with the power Harrow as lightly as possible then roll if you have rolls available , ideally in to moisture or just before rain forecast

I’d think that power Harrowing after broadcasting, would put the seed too deep.
id rather see them on the top of the soil. Roll or not doesn’t make much difference unless it’s very dry .

 

[DieselRob]

I’d think that power Harrowing after broadcasting, would put the seed too deep.
id rather see them on the top of the soil. Roll or not doesn’t make much difference unless it’s very dry .

I would only use the power harrow to scratch the top inch, I drill mine with the combi working the power harrow to that depth. There is a farm local to me who spreads then power harrows and he consistently produces some of the best turnip crops in the area. I would agree about rolling

 

[Brisel]

It's worth working out how much N your muck or slurry will provide then topping it up with bagged N in the seedbed as brassicas respond well to N and it needs to put on biomass quickly to get the best out of it.

I agree with the above comments about rolling - preserving soil moisture then is key. I have broadcast turnips into standing wheat with a pneumatic spreader for a good head start and they did well as the weather was wet at the time though it needs to be dry when you spin the seed on to stop it sticking to the ears of the corn.

My grazier prefers a lower seed rate for bigger bulbs with a higher feed value per bulb but I prefer higher seed rates for maximum total biomass and solar power interception as early as possible. I was drilling 4 kg/ha with a Claydon into baled stubbles but 6+ when broadcasting.

As above, avoid deep cultivations as the grazing animals will poach badly if on when it is wet later in the autumn, especially if the soil is not free draining.

 

[HarryB97]

Would you roll after the straw is baled?

No just leave them be

 

[HarryB97]

Are you having a larf ?

Works every year for us, they spread 24 metres but not 30

 

[DairyGrazing]

Saw some of my neighbours out in with their combi drill. Looks to be a good thick crop.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

We spin them on, generally the recipe will be something like

200kg/ha serpentine superphosphate
250kg/ha DAP
Boron, maybe selenium
+ seed

Drive about the same width as with lime (13-14m) at half rate, then drive again between the marks. Cover lightly and/or roll

Seems to work well, we keep getting asked back, I've done almost 800ha of brassicas so far this year