Spring barley 2020

[teslacoils]

Drought is, overall, better for UK farms.

 

[Brisel]

Drought is, overall, better for UK farms.

You wouldn't say that if you had lighter drought prone land!

 

[teslacoils]

You wouldn't say that if you had lighter drought prone land!

Perhaps. Round here most of the lighter drought prone land has irrigation and grows root crops. There is very little I know of , apart from some sand towards scunthorpe, that can't do this.

Overall, and while I'm not going to travel through the data, I'd speculate that drier and hotter than average benefits UK ag as a whole more than colder and wetter. Or warmer and wetter.

 

[Brisel]

I think that clay is the most common soil texture in England, so you're probably right. No irrigators around here & we'd never justify them either. Very few high value crops this way other than growing houses.

 

[cousinjack]

It is rather scary when you hold a can and think to yourself that it's nearly 500 quid worth.?

Even worse when you accidentally drive over it !

Not that I ever have ! But I've heard stories......

 

[bankrupt]

To average 3.7t/acre of April sown SB in 2018 seems a bit of a stretch

Even 2.66t/acre of Spring Oats was another world away from us in 2018.

We averaged 0.9t.

And to make matters even worse, the contract £192/t was heavily deducted for being 12kg/hl under spec.

 

[Chae1]

Agree. Did the soil and the bank balance the world of good with me.
To average 3.7t/acre of April sown SB in 2018 seems a bit of a stretch though.

We wouldn't have had half of that 2018. I'm planning starting drilling next week though if Dennis doesn't give us much rain.

 

[bankrupt]

growing houses.

Good point.

The whole UK economy is now predicated upon the convention that the balance of payments ( UK plc's profit & loss account ) always runs negative and is exactly balanced by the capital account.

This means that, to get straight every year, we sell off more and more of the family silver, whether it's the mansions in London, the airport, the care homes, the traincos or, ultimately, the football clubs.

One result of this is that our cherished and most famous blizzard-defeating West Country utility, Western Power Distribution, has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Pennsylvania Power and Light.

PPL Corporation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It seems now to be acceptable to pull down an overdraft being bigged up on one's machinery leasing payments by flogging off the odd barn or three, or a dozen or so houses in the home paddock.

This is a rake's progress which will lead to disaster.

 

[bankrupt]

if Dennis doesn't give us much rain.

Dennis hasn't started yet, but another 26mm this morning to keep us on our toes.

 

[Chae1]

Dennis hasn't started yet, but another 26mm this morning.

Great day here again. Still ploughing.

Our little bit of NE Scotland seems to be missing all the bad weather out of west. Fizzles out before reaching us.

When it starts coming out of East in March is when it gets us!

 

[Surgery]

Great day here again. Still ploughing.

Our little bit of NE Scotland seems to be missing all the bad weather out of west. Fizzles out before reaching us.

When it starts coming out of East in March is when it gets us!

Don’t want you feeling left out !

 

[Sandy]

Great day here again. Still ploughing.

Our little bit of NE Scotland seems to be missing all the bad weather out of west. Fizzles out before reaching us.

When it starts coming out of East in March is when it gets us!

We had 26mm tuesday night stopped most folk although the die hards are stil ploughing

 

[CJS]

Agree. Did the soil and the bank balance the world of good with me.
To average 3.7t/acre of April sown SB in 2018 seems a bit of a stretch though.

Didn’t say he got 3.7tons in2018 Average of. 3.7 tons over 3years so more in 17 less in 18 more in 19 Loverly land regular muck but never before barley 250 -300 kg/ha seed combined as soon as it’s 16 even if it means leaving wheat Used to drill asap in the spring and give it the full works but thought he only got more straw and any extra barley he lost combining He thinks yields are similar from February to early April drillings

 

[neilo]

Didn’t say he got 3.7tons in2018 Average of. 3.7 tons over 3years so more in 17 less in 18 more in 19 Loverly land regular muck but never before barley 250 -300 kg/ha seed combined as soon as it’s 16 even if it means leaving wheat Used to drill asap in the spring and give it the full works but thought he only got more straw and any extra barley he lost combining He thinks yields are similar from February to early April drillings

I’d agree on drilling date, as long as you don’t get a drought from early May. Never drill before April here, and often late April, as grazing preceding crops until then normally.

That’s a hell of a seed rate, and I have thought about upping mine substantially (but not that far). Is anyone else drilling at those sort of rates? Other than cost of seed, are there any downsides to drilling at 250kg+ (assuming PRG applies)? We normally roll at least once post emergence, to encourage tillering and make more ears, but a higher plant population would give a head start maybe?

 

[teslacoils]

200kg here. Will roll at least once post emergence.

 

[CJS]

I’d agree on drilling date, as long as you don’t get a drought from early May. Never drill before April here, and often late April, as grazing preceding crops until then normally.

That’s a hell of a seed rate, and I have thought about upping mine substantially (but not that far). Is anyone else drilling at those sort of rates? Other than cost of seed, are there any downsides to drilling at 250kg+ (assuming PRG applies)? We normally roll at least once post emergence, to encourage tillering and make more ears, but a higher plant population would give a head start maybe?

Plenty drill 250 around here The theory is it covers the ground before any blackgrass grows so the blackgrass chemicals don’t get used and are more effective on future wheat crops To be fair there’s not much blackgrass in late sown thick barley so it seems to work

 

[ajd132]

Plenty drill 250 around here The theory is it covers the ground before any blackgrass grows so the blackgrass chemicals don’t get used and are more effective on future wheat crops To be fair there’s not much blackgrass in late sown thick barley so it seems to work

Agree with that. Problem with residuals on spring barley is lower doses, it it rains heavily after it seriously knocks the barley, if it goes dry it doesn’t do anything!

 

[CJS]

200kg here. Will roll at least once post emergence.

Most around here drill with Vardys so most don’t roll pre or post emergence Whether this will change as more people get direct drills remains to be seen

 

[Brisel]

Trials work in spring barley has repeatedly shown 350 seeds/m2 to be the optimum for southern England sowing in March. Of course this needs tweaking for TGW, establishment rate, germination and increasing with later sowing, blackgrass pressure etc.

 

[CJS]

Trials work in spring barley has repeatedly shown 350 seeds/m2 to be the optimum for southern England sowing in March. Of course this needs tweaking for TGW, establishment rate, germination and increasing with later sowing, blackgrass pressure etc.

Spring barley is rapidly turning into a blackgrass cleanup crop in my area Late and thick seems to be the best method