Summer brassica break crop

Alias

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Lancashire
We have half a field, about 5 acres, which stock don’t eat well. We ploughed and reseeded the other side a few years back and they always eat this first, but drains are too near surface to plough this half. We’ve overseeded meadows and this has worked well, but not much success with pastures.
I’m thinking spray it off, chain harrow a few times, then broadcast brassica seed on, perhaps late April, and strip graze over summer with cows. Overseed with grass late summer. Does this sound like a good idea? What type of brassica, redstart? We haven’t much spare fertiliser, but plenty of slurry or even solid muck. Ph should be ok, it’s been limed twice in last few years. Will it need spraying again before the grass seed, or will a good harrowing do?
Any advice appreciated, we normally just grow grass.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
We have half a field, about 5 acres, which stock don’t eat well. We ploughed and reseeded the other side a few years back and they always eat this first, but drains are too near surface to plough this half. We’ve overseeded meadows and this has worked well, but not much success with pastures.
I’m thinking spray it off, chain harrow a few times, then broadcast brassica seed on, perhaps late April, and strip graze over summer with cows. Overseed with grass late summer. Does this sound like a good idea? What type of brassica, redstart? We haven’t much spare fertiliser, but plenty of slurry or even solid muck. Ph should be ok, it’s been limed twice in last few years. Will it need spraying again before the grass seed, or will a good harrowing do?
Any advice appreciated, we normally just grow grass.

I’ve done the same on a few fields here that you really wouldn’t want to cultivate ‘properly’, but using a Simtech DD. A light discing after spraying off would get a bit of tilth, but harrowing a few times would likely be enough for brassicas as long as it rained after. Roll after broadcasting to get better seed soil contact & conserve moisture.

Personally, I would spray again before grass, to remove as many weeds as possible while you can. It only needs a low dose (2 litres/ha glyphosate + water conditioner) as they’ll be young weeds.

Redstart or similar would work well, but seed is dearer and you’ll not get the benefit of the regrowth it can offer. A cheap fodder rape and/or stubble turnips would give you the same feed for less money. Hardly worth falling out over 5ac though.
 

Alias

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Lancashire
Sounds like we have a plan. We have some old discs so I’ll dig them out and have a go, it has been eaten off fairly bare so shouldn’t take a lot of doing. Thanks
 

Nearly

Member
Location
North of York
@Great In Grass sent me some fodder rape a few years ago.
in calf heifers fodder rape.jpg

Same again this year I think.
 
As above, soil test, spray off, sort lime/P/K and run discs over it to generate some tilth. Sow redstart/swift when soil warms up. Graze off as necessary, spray off if needed then reseed with grass. Excellent break crop for grass. Does want some nitrogen though, I have seen chicken muck used for this to great effect.
 

DanM

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Country
As above, soil test, spray off, sort lime/P/K and run discs over it to generate some tilth. Sow redstart/swift when soil warms up. Graze off as necessary, spray off if needed then reseed with grass. Excellent break crop for grass. Does want some nitrogen though, I have seen chicken muck used for this to great effect.
Would chicken muck have to be worked into soil pre-drilling or could it be top-dressed on post drilling?
 
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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

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