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Agricultural Matters
Steve Barkley at OFC
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<blockquote data-quote="Simon Chiles" data-source="post: 9106999" data-attributes="member: 1233"><p>If you think ploughing and deep cultivation is doing it “properly” and you’re getting 5 tonnes to the acre of wheat then I think you should keep doing it. I’m still firmly of the opinion that yield is king whichever way you decide to establish your crop. </p><p>If you do decide to get off the “hamster” wheel of cultivation you have to play by the rules. To start with you’ve got to pick the right conditions before you jump. Starting in a year where the previous crop wasn’t good or a wet harvest where you’ve compacted the soil aren’t the years to start. </p><p>Setting the combine up is critical, you’ve got to spread the chopped straw and chaff to the full width of the header, baling the straw is easier to start. If you chop you’ve got to spread prilled lime at 500kg/ha if you plant the following crop within 8 weeks of harvest and especially if it going to turn wet. My rule of two weeks earlier in the autumn, two weeks later in the spring is more about going it the right conditions, too many operators are more concerned about getting the job done and completely loose sight of the fact that the system is all about respecting the soil structure. In the early years a slight sniff of N is probably required at planting to compensate not mineralising it by tillage. </p><p></p><p>Our clay soils stopped cracking when they dried, personally I think it’s a good sign. When you cultivate a soil, although you’ve loosened it up nicely you’ve destroyed its structure so when it rains it slumps and compacts. When it dries it will then crack. If you compare my direct drilled soil with local soils that have been ploughed they initially look wetter during and immediately after heavy rain events. Within 24-48 hrs they would be drier and walk nicely, the ploughed soil would stick to your boots. If you look at our soil surface you can see why, it’s 100% worm cast, sadly I can never get it to come out in a photo.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Simon Chiles, post: 9106999, member: 1233"] If you think ploughing and deep cultivation is doing it “properly” and you’re getting 5 tonnes to the acre of wheat then I think you should keep doing it. I’m still firmly of the opinion that yield is king whichever way you decide to establish your crop. If you do decide to get off the “hamster” wheel of cultivation you have to play by the rules. To start with you’ve got to pick the right conditions before you jump. Starting in a year where the previous crop wasn’t good or a wet harvest where you’ve compacted the soil aren’t the years to start. Setting the combine up is critical, you’ve got to spread the chopped straw and chaff to the full width of the header, baling the straw is easier to start. If you chop you’ve got to spread prilled lime at 500kg/ha if you plant the following crop within 8 weeks of harvest and especially if it going to turn wet. My rule of two weeks earlier in the autumn, two weeks later in the spring is more about going it the right conditions, too many operators are more concerned about getting the job done and completely loose sight of the fact that the system is all about respecting the soil structure. In the early years a slight sniff of N is probably required at planting to compensate not mineralising it by tillage. Our clay soils stopped cracking when they dried, personally I think it’s a good sign. When you cultivate a soil, although you’ve loosened it up nicely you’ve destroyed its structure so when it rains it slumps and compacts. When it dries it will then crack. If you compare my direct drilled soil with local soils that have been ploughed they initially look wetter during and immediately after heavy rain events. Within 24-48 hrs they would be drier and walk nicely, the ploughed soil would stick to your boots. If you look at our soil surface you can see why, it’s 100% worm cast, sadly I can never get it to come out in a photo. [/QUOTE]
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Steve Barkley at OFC
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