Swede questions

[polk_farmer]

Right, finally found someone to precision drill the swedes next week, and a couple of questions.

Firstly spacings, 6 or 8 inch?

Also how much fert? Our agronomist order it and it seemed like quite a lot, we will be putting on dung before hand.

And finally, if it all goes t*ts up I'll blame you lot for putting the idea in my head

 

[spin cycle]

6 inch as time getting on?...google rb209 for fert

 

[Mutch]

I'd go 8 inch room for those massive swedes you will grow! Mine are at cotyledon stage have had 50kgN/ha now then will go same again in 6/8 weeks depending on soil conditions. P and K indices 2 but might get a splash of Kalfos when a spreader arrives!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

6inch by 18inch rows, good 100'units of potash

 

[Derrick Hughes]

With boron

 

[Kevtherev]

Yes boronated fertiliser and don't drill too soon until after the fly (15th June)

 

[neilo]

Right, finally found someone to precision drill the swedes next week, and a couple of questions.

Firstly spacings, 6 or 8 inch?

Also how much fert? Our agronomist order it and it seemed like quite a lot, we will be putting on dung before hand.

And finally, if it all goes t*ts up I'll blame you lot for putting the idea in my head

Why precision drill (extra drilling & seed cost) unless you are planning on lifting?

Yes, it can need a lot of fert, especially K if your indices are low. Dung should provide a good dollop of that though. As posted, check RB209 against soil tests. Unless you do a comprehensive (more expensive) soil test to show otherwise, you would be wise to apply Boron, either by spraying or as Boronated fert.

 

[Kevtherev]

Can be broadcast or drilled with ordinary drills very successfully [emoji106]

 

[polk_farmer]

Precision drill only works out as £16 an acre for grade h seed @ 0.3kgs so pays for the drilling over buying more seed, will only work out as just over £20 an acre drilling cost. So £36- £40 seed and drilling per acre.

I did specify for boron in fert, but they had to see what was in stock as I didn't have enough for a custom load, can you put boron on pre em?

 

[septimus]

used to be really expensive to get boron added might be cheaper to spray it on. A big crop needs a lot of feeding so don't scrimp on the fert

 

[polk_farmer]

used to be really expensive to get boron added might be cheaper to spray it on. A big crop needs a lot of feeding so don't scrimp on the fert

Think our agronomist sent down 4 bags of something like 8-16-16 for 10 acres. Seems a s**t load, could save a bag for our turnips. But I am a tight arse sheep farmer who's use of fert is a flick in march and that's it

 

[neilo]

Precision drill only works out as £16 an acre for grade h seed @ 0.3kgs so pays for the drilling over buying more seed, will only work out as just over £20 an acre drilling cost. So £36- £40 seed and drilling per acre.

I did specify for boron in fert, but they had to see what was in stock as I didn't have enough for a custom load, can you put boron on pre em?

The boron spray I have for beet has a soil application rate on the label. Agronomist reckons it's much better applied to the crop through the leaves though. For beet, I go halfway, using Boronated fert and half his rec for foliar application. For swedes, I only use Boronated fert.

I was surprised last year, when a soil test on some old pp showed adequate levels of Bo already, as well as high K. All I needed was 2cwt/ac of 0:24:24 to balance things nicely (according to RB209). Best crop of swedes I've grown so far, and the cheapest. It was DD'ed and unsprayed, as per Glastir regs.

 

[neilo]

Think our agronomist sent down 4 bags of something like 8-16-16 for 10 acres. Seems a s**t load, could save a bag for our turnips. But I am a tight arse sheep farmer who's use of fert is a flick in march and that's it

That's not that bad for 10ac. I've got 6 bags of 0:16:36 to go on 16ac, plus urea for N. To have it Boronated to order cost about a tenner a ton IIRC. Remember most of those nutrients will be left for the following crop if grazed in situ, so further benefit/index lifting down the line.

 

[polk_farmer]

Just out of interest, if we end up with a half decent crop. What is the general consensus for how many ewes 10 acres will keep from mid Jan to mid March?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

We drilled so we could spray with rowcrops after, for boron deficiency, also gave it a boost of firtilizer, I think that's why swede disappoint in some cases, treat it like an arable crop and it should yield well but water Is the key

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Just out of interest, if we end up with a half decent crop. What is the general consensus for how many ewes 10 acres will keep from mid Jan to mid March?

Depends if you lift or not, the tops alone will faten a good lot of lambs, after tops had gone we started lifting, tops had grown back by the new year

 

[Jop]

Just out of interest, if we end up with a half decent crop. What is the general consensus for how many ewes 10 acres will keep from mid Jan to mid March?

I work on 10 acres keeping 200 ewes for 100 days. But I would say that is a fairly safe assumption and a good crop will keep more.

 

[polk_farmer]

A bit more educated guess on the fert side, 2 fields to do. One has potash 0, phosphate 1. The other potash 1, phosphate 3.

The fields have had a good dose of dung. Maybe 10t/ acre.

Are the any boffins who know how much 16:16:16 (or thereabouts) I should be spreading?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

A bit more educated guess on the fert side, 2 fields to do. One has potash 0, phosphate 1. The other potash 1, phosphate 3.

The fields have had a good dose of dung. Maybe 10t/ acre.

Are the any boffins who know how much 16:16:16 (or thereabouts) I should be spreading?

To high in Nitrogen but 5 to 6 bags an acre, it needs a lot of potash

 

[Kevtherev]

Plenty of FYM as well before ploughing