Theoretical crop rotation question

[interestedspectator]

Hello all, I am doing an online course in how to grow certain crops, I have always had an interest in agriculture and keen to expand my knowledge I thought this would be a good start. Because I did some research, I decided on the following rotation. WW WB WOSR WW WBean maize. (All crops grown locally to me so I easy to study spray timings, etc) my question is this... In order to reduce the workload, would it be feasible to grow say 50 acres of wheat, followed by 25 acres barley, the other 25 acres being winter beans, then 25 oilseed after barley and maize after beans. Would maize do well after beans or is that a bit pointless, having a double break crop. If it wouldn't, what alternatives are there to put in its place? Generally speaking, would the rotation work? If not, why and what could I change! As I go through the course I am sure more questions will arise and its always best to go to the experts!! Thanks in advance.

 

[franklin]

Double breaks are great. Remember though that once your rotation is done, ie after the maize, then you will be back to wheat. How well this works will depend on your land. And you need someone to sell the maize or be able to use it yourself. You also only have one spring crop - if the land in question can grow good maize, then there is a good chance you can use to to grow some nice spring barley / vining peas etc.

tldr; depends on the soil and who you can sell to.

 

[Jetemp]

Unless your looking at a dairy farm or AD, late harvest of maize would concern me and the possible detrimental effect on soil structure/health. Are you looking at margins for each crop or what are the objectives of your rotation? Soil type would play a huge part in the decision making process for rotation planning!

James

 

[DRC]

As said above, it depends on soil type. I wouldn't grow maize on heavier land, or wheat on light land for that matter.
Our place has two types, so it would be WB, stubble turnip cash crop, maize, 1st wheat, SB. Whereas the heavier land WW, WW, WB, beans, maybe grass.

 

[franklin]

In order to reduce the workload

This is not really a good reason to plan a rotation. Would be better off being a bit busier in the "prime" months than having crops which are very late to cut.

Heavy land with no BG typically WW/WW/OSR or WW/WB/OSR around here. If you dont like OSR, and have too much BG for winter barley, then there are few options without increasing risk. Some are now going wheat / spring barley / OSR / wheat / soring beans.

 

[Jetemp]

@static how sustainable long term do you think ww/ww/osr is, long term I reckon osr is to close 1 in 3 would like to see 1 in 6 really!

James

 

[interestedspectator]

Thanks for all replies so far!! The set up is loosely based on a chap who had some land just outside Swindon, he didn't have any livestock himself but his son started looking after a herd of Aberdeen Angus, hence the maize. This would also account for some bales of hay and straw, the balance being sold on. All of the crops in the rotation were winter, not to sure why but that's al he grew. Any advantage to spring? I am guessing the land is medium to heavy, if there is such a type!

 

[Spud]

Farm local to me grows a 2yr grass ley, then maize (sown after first cut), wheat, winter oats or fodder beet, winter barley after the oats followed by cash crop stubble turnips, spring barley after the beet. Works for him.

We run two rotations here, on the light land it's potatoes, min til wheat, (only viable first wheat in this rotation) plough, w barley, (poor second wheat on light land here) over wintered stubble, plough, sugar beet,(reliable, has been profitable..) plough straight behind beet harvester and overwinter, spring barley(cheap and successful) mintil/plough winter barley,(early start for covers, occasionally dd spring barley in this slot) dd cover crop (soil structure and om) back to spuds.
The heavier land is two wheats, (barley poor on heavy land here)w beans, (good wheat after, grassweed control) 2 wheats, spring oats (diversity, straw, more successful than osr here, grass weed control) mostly min til, some dd, occasional plough where appropriate.

Nothing fundamentally wrong with your choices, though that's a lot of crops for 150acres. As suggested, soil type is significant here. Assuming your on lighter land, with livestock, how about maize, wheat, w barley, stubble turnips, back to maize.

Good luck

Spud

 

[franklin]

@static how sustainable long term do you think ww/ww/osr is, long term I reckon osr is to close 1 in 3 would like to see 1 in 6 really!

James

I reckon both rotations are shyte tbh. I dont really want to see OSR ever, but there is not else that can be cut in late July.

Dont see many issues with osr one in two.

*tin hat*

Happier with OSR one in two than WW one in two.

 

[interestedspectator]

The proposed rotation in full would be WW, WB, WOSR, WW, WBE, Maize. Total cropped area will be around 1000 acres.

 

[Spud]

I reckon both rotations are shyte tbh. I dont really want to see OSR ever, but there is not else that can be cut in late July.

Dont see many issues with osr one in two.

*tin hat*

Happier with OSR one in two than WW one in two.

Why does harvest have to be all but over before August @static? I'd wager there'd be more problems with continuous osr (like slugs, clubroot etc) than continuous wheat. Crops are like human life, a little bit of anything does no harm, gorge on one and trouble will arise.

 

[franklin]

It doesnt.

But if your land is heavy and your staff minimal, then you want a good chunk done.

Our current rotations are contain winter wheat; spring beans; spring linseed; spring oats; spring wheat; winter and spring barley; WOSR; grass and now peas and canary seed. But still I want the bulk, on paper, to be cut before the end of the 1st week in September.

 

[Spud]

It doesnt.

But if your land is heavy and your staff minimal, then you want a good chunk done.

Our current rotations are contain winter wheat; spring beans; spring linseed; spring oats; spring wheat; winter and spring barley; WOSR; grass and now peas and canary seed. But still I want the bulk, on paper, to be cut before the end of the 1st week in September.

That makes perfect sense, I never realised you had all that diversity!!

 

[franklin]

Depends on the land.

The peas and canary seed are only trials on 30ac each. And the peas to hopefully give me more to cut in August.

Some has been wheat / rape for longer than I would have liked, but without too much yield loss. Some last year had wheat for the first time in 6 years - and it showed. We farm for 4 different owners and they have different ideas on what they want and where. As a result, and due to having a lot to do, some land may end up with no planned rotation until everything else is combined. Still got 50ac here which is undecided, and will be until April. Might end up with a spring cover crop on it to give me some land clear to work due to reduction in OSR.

I'd like to find a way of getting a grass break in, but in the same way there is 80ac that I would like to put in permenant pasture - if I could find a way to make it pay.

 

[DRC]

Depends on the land.

The peas and canary seed are only trials on 30ac each. And the peas to hopefully give me more to cut in August.

Some has been wheat / rape for longer than I would have liked, but without too much yield loss. Some last year had wheat for the first time in 6 years - and it showed. We farm for 4 different owners and they have different ideas on what they want and where. As a result, and due to having a lot to do, some land may end up with no planned rotation until everything else is combined. Still got 50ac here which is undecided, and will be until April. Might end up with a spring cover crop on it to give me some land clear to work due to reduction in OSR.

I'd like to find a way of getting a grass break in, but in the same way there is 80ac that I would like to put in permenant pasture - if I could find a way to make it pay.

HLS arable reversion, a possibility for the grass.
Cut of hay early July, then some Cull ewes from October to April.

 

[franklin]

That was my thought. Will see one HLS has got up and running.

 

[phil the cat]

Farm local to me grows a 2yr grass ley, then maize (sown after first cut), wheat, winter oats or fodder beet, winter barley after the oats followed by cash crop stubble turnips, spring barley after the beet. Works for him.

We run two rotations here, on the light land it's potatoes, min til wheat, (only viable first wheat in this rotation) plough, w barley, (poor second wheat on light land here) over wintered stubble, plough, sugar beet,(reliable, has been profitable..) plough straight behind beet harvester and overwinter, spring barley(cheap and successful) mintil/plough winter barley,(early start for covers, occasionally dd spring barley in this slot) dd cover crop (soil structure and om) back to spuds.
The heavier land is two wheats, (barley poor on heavy land here)w beans, (good wheat after, grassweed control) 2 wheats, spring oats (diversity, straw, more successful than osr here, grass weed control) mostly min til, some dd, occasional plough where appropriate.

Nothing fundamentally wrong with your choices, though that's a lot of crops for 150acres. As suggested, soil type is significant here. Assuming your on lighter land, with livestock, how about maize, wheat, w barley, stubble turnips, back to maize.

Good luck

Spud

Hi spud, sounds good, we're just starting a ww, wb, stubble turnips, spring wheat, maize rotation on mag limestone, sheep in for the turnips. Do u find problems with wheat volunteers in the w.barley? We've just had to use it as feed Barley

 

[phil the cat]

*thats what happens when your 2 yr old wants to watch diggers on your phone as your starting a post!

 

[Spud]

Hi spud, sounds good, we're just starting a ww, wb, stubble turnips, spring wheat, maize rotation on mag limestone, sheep in for the turnips. Do u find problems with wheat volunteers in the w.barley? We've just had to use it as feed Barley

Not a big problem with wheat volunteers in most fields, though it does happen. A stale seedbed makes a big difference for us in this position, also hits the brome and wild oats, glyphosate then plough well with press.

 

[phil the cat]

What would you use to create the seed bed, disk it?