Straw raking

whindy

Member
BASE UK Member
I have a problem with volunteers !
Mainly wheat in the winter barley.
I am thinking of stubble raking to increase the germination .
But this goes against the idea of not moving any soil before direct drilling. We are in the 3rd year of dd and volunteers are becoming an issue.
Or is there a better way of encouraging germination of volunteers.
Which are the most effective rakes?
 

EddieB

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Staffs
The soil disturbance is very minimal with a rake, you really are only scratching the surface. A rake is pretty useful for chitting seeds, weeds as well as volunteers.
We use a Mzuri Rezult which is a decent rake, although I bought it with a stocks seeder on to establish cover crops. I’m now selling it as I have bought a bigger drill which I will also use for CCs.
 

EddieB

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Staffs
2E5FC551-68AE-40B6-A3C9-9DC495D82200.jpeg
CA4A5304-F1BA-4852-B907-4222022426DA.jpeg

This is a barley stubble that I ran through with the rake a few days ago. As you can see I haven’t moved a lot of soil.
 

farmerfred86

Member
BASIS
Location
Suffolk
I had a real problem with this last year and now worried about it again. I think the dry September weather is more of an issue than the ZT/DD system.
We did rake behind winter barley which worked well because it was early and got the weather. This will now be winter wheat.

I have had to change the rotation because nothing is germinating in this dry weather. One field we did cultivate is even dryer!
 

Rooney

Member
Arable Farmer
Same problem only wheat in w barley, as it follows in the rotation, only grow 1sr wheat after rape or beans. Limited time but moisture defenately helps
 

Rooney

Member
Arable Farmer
How vital is straw harrowing to slug control? Must be done or just because it makes you think you have done something?
We have claydon and slugs have been "overactive" in middle of 3 fields to the point no osr left!
 

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