Thick spring oat volunteers

Wigeon

Member
Arable Farmer
I would be most grateful for the collective wisdom on the following;

I have a 25ha field of thick spring oat volunteers courtesy of august storms. I sprayed it pre drilling wheat, but it didn't work well and the oats kept coming. It only got half drilled and that drowned. Anyway, it looks like this and has been a pleasant home for aphids:


20210225_170327.jpg


The soil has however definitely benefitted from the cover, and looks like this:

20210225_170331.jpg


It has been during nicely, and I want to drill spring wheat.

The question is is it madness to spray tomorrow and drill in a fortnight without moving be soil, or am I best (which I think I am) to spray it tomorrow then run through with the pigtail to get some air in and speed up the breakdown.

I know following with spring wheat might not be the best option, but needs must.

Thanks
 

tr250

Member
Location
Northants
what drill?
Presuming you have a drill that will go straight in the options are
spray now wait until it’s very brown and withered probably a month before drilling.

Spray now drill a crop that’s not a cereal ie beans asap this would be my choice

run tines through it warm the soil mineralise some N but bring up bg seeds and dry it out ive got a feeling we will need all the moisture we can get this spring/summer
 

Wigeon

Member
Arable Farmer
what drill?
Presuming you have a drill that will go straight in the options are
spray now wait until it’s very brown and withered probably a month before drilling.

Spray now drill a crop that’s not a cereal ie beans asap this would be my choice

run tines through it warm the soil mineralise some N but bring up bg seeds and dry it out ive got a feeling we will need all the moisture we can get this spring/summer
Beans would be ideal but they dont do well on there- stem nematodes and fusarium foot rot 4yrs ago on that field. Erring towards spray and tines as I dont have a plough, and i don't fancy chancing a wait until april. That said it'll probably pour again and we wont be drilling before april anyway!
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
What drills do you have access to? What is the structure like underneath? I'd DD that if I could. My clay is wet underneath and a drag would smear. You have good surface structure & if you can get a disc or tine through that, I'd try it. Let us know what you do, please.
 

Cowmansam

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Shropshire
Probably a stupid question as I know nothing on arable matters but if you have a crop like that looking good and established for free why change it ? Is it a disease risk or something else ?
 

Y Fan Wen

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
N W Snowdonia
Probably a stupid question as I know nothing on arable matters but if you have a crop like that looking good and established for free why change it ? Is it a disease risk or something else ?
As a mountain farmer who hardly ever turns a sod, that is just the question I was going to ask. As Dad used to say, reinforce success.
 

Spencer

Member
Location
North West
I would be most grateful for the collective wisdom on the following;

I have a 25ha field of thick spring oat volunteers courtesy of august storms. I sprayed it pre drilling wheat, but it didn't work well and the oats kept coming. It only got half drilled and that drowned. Anyway, it looks like this and has been a pleasant home for aphids:


20210225_170327.jpg


The soil has however definitely benefitted from the cover, and looks like this:

20210225_170331.jpg


It has been during nicely, and I want to drill spring wheat.

The question is is it madness to spray tomorrow and drill in a fortnight without moving be soil, or am I best (which I think I am) to spray it tomorrow then run through with the pigtail to get some air in and speed up the breakdown.

I know following with spring wheat might not be the best option, but needs must.

Thanks
Same situation here on one field. Two wet to spray off still and got SW ready to go in. Plan is to spray off as soon as I can travel then straight in with Mzuri with plenty of Fertiliser under the seed..
 

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