Spray and Pray

[polk_farmer]

Has anybody tried this? Thinking of doing a field of swedes like this next year, seems a cheap way to go. Provided it has good establishment and yield

 

[spin cycle]

explain the technique a bit more

 

[polk_farmer]

Roundup field, go straight on with a seeder/ broadcast seed. One of the kiwi guys in the FW a few weeks ago does it and apparently gets quite good yields

 

[neilo]

Roundup field, go straight on with a seeder/ broadcast seed. One of the kiwi guys in the FW a few weeks ago does it and apparently gets quite good yields

Have you seen the price of swede seed over here? Perhaps it's a lot cheaper in NZ, but too dear here to take a gamble on IMO. Much better to direct drill straight after the sprayer, and at least guarantee some soil contact.

Cheap stubble turnips or rape would be the only thing I'd consider doing a 'spray & pray' with.

 

[GTB]

Roundup field, go straight on with a seeder/ broadcast seed. One of the kiwi guys in the FW a few weeks ago does it and apparently gets quite good yields

With an einbock or similar?

 

[polk_farmer]

With an einbock or similar?

Einbock is what I was thinking as we could get hold of one of those

 

[neilo]

Swede seed is £35-38/kg for natural seed. You might DD at 1kg/ac, so I would suggest you'd need to go higher to get the same strike rate through broadcasting/harrowing.

An expensive risk?

 

[Bury the Trash]

Has anybody tried this? Thinking of doing a field of swedes like this next year, seems a cheap way to go. Provided it has good establishment and yield

whats yer soil type?

Einbock is what I was thinking as we could get hold of one of those

will be a waste of seed

 

[polk_farmer]

whats yer soil type?

will be a waste of seed

Very wet at the moment! Never done swedes before but hoping to next year. I can't think of anyone off hand that can DD near us, but never looked into it. Just like the idea of establishing into a ley. Saves the cost and time, and hopefully a bit firmer when stock start going over it. I guess it would be a bit weedier than traditional methods

 

[neilo]

Very wet at the moment! Never done swedes before but hoping to next year. I can't think of anyone off hand that can DD near us, but never looked into it. Just like the idea of establishing into a ley. Saves the cost and time, and hopefully a bit firmer when stock start going over it. I guess it would be a bit weedier than traditional methods

It needn't be if you cover the expensive seed by using a DD and then spray pre-emergence Butisan.

 

[romneymarsh]

Know your soil when considering DD . We have some high clay content that dries like concrete in the summer. An attempt at drilling a winter mix at the end of July this year has been a disaster as the ground was just too hard to create any tilth as the Atchison passed through. We should have waited for the moisture to come rather than prempting its arrival .

 

[GTB]

I think Innovis spray glypho at half rate then DD. They seem to have good crops with a nice clean grassy base now.

 

[JD-Kid]

Know your soil when considering DD . We have some high clay content that dries like concrete in the summer. An attempt at drilling a winter mix at the end of July this year has been a disaster as the ground was just too hard to create any tilth as the Atchison passed through. We should have waited for the moisture to come rather than prempting its arrival .

and when wet will be like drilling in to semi soft butter which can lead to glazeing also eazer to drill too deep in the wet better drilling in the semi dry and good harrows

 

[JD-Kid]

spray and pray is the right wording need to harrow or roll seed in even tramping in with sheep trick would be seed and chace stock over in during the rain to tread seed in

 

[polk_farmer]

It needn't be if you cover the expensive seed by using a DD and then spray pre-emergence Butisan.

What's the pre em like on docks, field we are planning on doing has more docks than grass?

 

[romneymarsh]

and when wet will be like drilling in to semi soft butter which can lead to glazeing also eazer to drill too deep in the wet better drilling in the semi dry and good harrows

Yes and in my case this year was down to me as well. I was away and it was drilled by contractor in my absence. With hindsight I would have harrowed it both ways after drilling . You live and learn as ever. The contractor returned to the gate cross the field . This created a better tilth and much better take. If I am ever brave enough to use that machine again in ,drier weather, X ways double drilling at half rate would be the way to go. Gets more expensive but not as expensive as a part failed crop!

 

[wr.]

We had excellent results this year with kale. We did a bit of an experiment. Sprayed two fields next to each other. Disked one and broadcast. DD the other. The disked one stood a good foot higher with a thicker stalk. Lot more grazing from it too.
You'll need to be on your knees, praying hard with the price of swede seeds.

 

[neilo]

What's the pre em like on docks, field we are planning on doing has more docks than grass?

Sorry, don't know the answer as not tried that one.

I did DD a field after spraying off for Glastir this year, which meant no sprays after. The field had a few nettle patches in (hit withPastor before the glyphosate) but other than that, clean of weeds and just old grasses. I had a lot of docks come up in the swedes over the summer, but they didn't go to seed for some reason (thankfully). All died back with the first bit of cold and the sheep are treading in any residue now.
It will be left to green up after grazing, then sprayed off with glyphosate again, before DD grass in the Spring. Having seen the number of docks from dormant seed, I fully expect to have to use Triad/Spruce on the new ley.

 

[Global ovine]

Spray and pray is a common method used in developing NZ hill country, usually too steep to work a tractor over. Therefore it is an aerial job using either fixed wing aircraft or helicopter. More sensitive to weather/soil moisture status than direct drilling. But a very effective way of breaking in rough scrubby hill sides into clean grazing.

If you can direct drill (easier topography or soil not water logged) you will reduce the risk of crop failure.

 

[neilo]

Spray and pray is a common method used in developing NZ hill country, usually too steep to work a tractor over. Therefore it is an aerial job using either fixed wing aircraft or helicopter. More sensitive to weather/soil moisture status than direct drilling. But a very effective way of breaking in rough scrubby hill sides into clean grazing.

If you can direct drill (easier topography or soil not water logged) you will reduce the risk of crop failure.

Out of interest, what does swede seed cost in NZ (natural seed, not graded for precision drilling)? Are swedes used for 'spray & pray' over there, or rapes & turnips?