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Spring linseed advice please.

Rust

Member
Location
Hertfordshire
I should do my homework first [emoji849][emoji6]

Nitrogen
Linseed does not redistribute Nitrogen from the stems and leaves to the grains. This means that early Nitrogen
to build the crop canopy has little effect on yield (excess Nitrogen at this time can in fact increase lodging risk).
The flip side of this coin is that the only determinant of yield occurs after the start of flowering. To short the crop
of nutrients and water at that time severely reduces yield.
We can use these facts to rationalise our fertiliser usage as follows:
1. Only apply sufficient Nitrogen early on in the crops life (mid March – early April) to ensure adequate crop
height and canopy development, whilst minimising lodging risk.
2. Apply the balance of Nitrogen towards green bud stage (early May – at least a month after the first
application) to ensure optimum yield. If the crop is under drought stress at this time total rates may be
reduced.
First Application
Farm Index 0 Nitrogen Rate
(apply once rows are visible)
Light/Chalks 90 kg/ha
Medium/Clay 68 kg/ha
Organic 25 kg/ha
Green bud applications will be described in later bulletins.
In recent years Sulphur deficiency has become an issue with arable crops in most areas of the country. If you
are in this situation add 50-75 kg/ha of fertiliser Sulphur to the first Nitrogen application.
 

Timbo1080

Member
Location
Somerset
Winter Linseed varieties grow prostrate and tiller. Spring Linseed varieties grow vertical and do not tiller. Take a look at the attached picture. Ran out of Winter LInseed last September, so finished off with some Spring out of the shed.

Not good with posting picture on TFF, so sorry it is horizontal - just hope it is not practicing how to lodge come June!

Spring Linseed sown on headland of WInter Linseed - picture March 4 2021.jpg

I only really worry about Linseed going to bed properly, after it's slept on the sofa 3 times over the course of the season. I'll be interested to know/see the difference between those two up to harvest, if you get the chance to keep us updated. As an aside, does the N recommendation for Winter Linseed follow that of Spring Linseed (Rate & timings)? We always put 120kgs N + S on before drilling Spring Linseed & have found it far too risky going through at Green Bud due to potential lack of rain events, and also when rows visible due to scorch potential on the cotyledons.
 

Hornet

Member
Location
Suffolk
Its an aweful crop nobody should grow it, its hard to establish, flax beetle will not leave it alone, then harvesting the crop is an absolute night mare, just do not do it!!

I’ve heard the same sort of arguments for not growing beans, rape, oats, peas etc etc. Break crops are a pain in the arse but a necessary evil. Grown with attention to detail, they can all perform ok and taking into account rotational benefits vs continuous cereals they are all important crops to grow in the rotation
 

Huntstreet

Member
I grew spring linseed last year (batsman). It grew well, yielded well and was easy to combine. It was a scorching summer!

I am looking to grow again this year. I have just had the germination results back from home saved seed, and it's 68% germination. Last year I drilled at 68 kg/hectare with a vadistat. This year I am going to direct drill most of it.

Seed from the merchant is £2.50 /kg, which I don't want to buy.

Would it be too risky to up the seed rate on my 68% germination home-saved seed to 100kg /ha? Does anyone have any experience with their germination on the home saved seed?
 
Refresh or change the knife to a brand new one before trying to cut. Failing that, beg, borrow or steal a stripper header, better yet, get someone else to cut it, then turn your phone off for a bit.

Whatever you do don't try and be clever thinking you will save money on weed control in linseed. Most people have probably tried to cut an not quite fit linseed crop in dull weather, it's 10 times worse in a weed infested one- it will always have the last laugh.

I think the pre-em callisto on a good seed bed with some moisture about would be useful as a pre-em. Pray your remaining problems are all just grass weeds which may be readily rogue-able in modest numbers as they are easy to spot in the rows.
 

Huntstreet

Member
Refresh or change the knife to a brand new one before trying to cut. Failing that, beg, borrow or steal a stripper header, better yet, get someone else to cut it, then turn your phone off for a bit.

Whatever you do don't try and be clever thinking you will save money on weed control in linseed. Most people have probably tried to cut an not quite fit linseed crop in dull weather, it's 10 times worse in a weed infested one- it will always have the last laugh.

I think the pre-em callisto on a good seed bed with some moisture about would be useful as a pre-em. Pray your remaining problems are all just grass weeds which may be readily rogue-able in modest numbers as they are easy to spot in the rows.
Would it be too risky to up the seed rate on my 68% germination home-saved seed to 100kg /ha? Does anyone have any experience with their germination on the home saved seed?
 
Would it be too risky to up the seed rate on my 68% germination home-saved seed to 100kg /ha? Does anyone have any experience with their germination on the home saved seed?

If you have had it tested then you just adjust the seed rate to match according to the number of seeds you need/m2 and the TGW. Someone will be along shortly to help you. This is way out of my realm of experience now I'm afraid.
 

richard hammond

Member
BASIS
I grew spring linseed last year (batsman). It grew well, yielded well and was easy to combine. It was a scorching summer!

I am looking to grow again this year. I have just had the germination results back from home saved seed, and it's 68% germination. Last year I drilled at 68 kg/hectare with a vadistat. This year I am going to direct drill most of it.

Seed from the merchant is £2.50 /kg, which I don't want to buy.

Would it be too risky to up the seed rate on my 68% germination home-saved seed to 100kg /ha? Does anyone have any experience with their germination on the home saved seed?
125kg will do the trick!!
 

David.

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
J11 M40
I'd go for it.
Lots of spring linseed got drilled twice around here last year anyway, due to flax beetle.
Didn't matter how gold plated the seed was.
 

Huntstreet

Member
Thanks for the replies. The proposed seed was strait out of the bin and had been desiccated with roundup. So I’m also concerned with vigour. I did save about 1.5 tons that wasn’t desiccated so I will use that. I’m going to do a contract with premier crops for the rest of it.
 

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Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

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On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

Farming and Countryside Programme Director, Janet Hughes will be joined by policy leads working on SFI, and colleagues from the Rural Payment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

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