To tough to Mole 5 yr dd field

Will7

Member
Well its just that over in the land of "we can't grow spring crops" its always been the argument that you need to get crops in early on heavy land because of a potential dry summer, that is admittedly in a tillage situation. But what i'm wondering is how far down the calendar year you think you can push it on heavy land for spring cereals. In the west you can still plant decent crops in May but there seems little appetite to do that over your way - I also wonder how that would help against blackgrass and against the cover crops spoiling the establishment, and the negative roundup allelopathy.
I will be able to answer some of your questions in 3 weeks time! I have late March drilled propino with a robust bg pre-em and late April drilled propino with no pre-em all on bg land.

I normally drill late March, whilst a local friend is normally late April. The extra yield I get more than covers the extra herbicide spend I have to apply. I don't think that will be the case this year.

We get 600mm/yr and we are finding the spring/early summer is either a drought or a wash out with not much between.

All my covers are killed pre xmas as the idea of covers drying the soil in time for Spring drilling is a seed salesman wet dream, but unfortunately not reality.
 

D14

Member
You need one of these, Joe!

Even though in humour this could be right. Certainly we have found it pays to hire in short term or a contractor with proper hp if you want I to work soil deep 'properly'. Our 9t 240hp tractor is not the right machine for this kind of work in situations as described by the op.
 

Joe Boy

Member
Location
Essex
Even though in humour this could be right. Certainly we have found it pays to hire in short term or a contractor with proper hp if you want I to work soil deep 'properly'. Our 9t 240hp tractor is not the right machine for this kind of work in situations as described by the op.

I guess you are both right. I did have a contractor do some one once but £30/acre!

I since brought my mole plough and weight block for £2.5k for both and have done about 400 acres like this. Tractor on tic over, it costs me very little, I have saved thousands.

I really wanted to do another 200 acres or more this summer and I'm pee'd off I can't get on with it.

I really find drainage and compost spreading to be the two things that make the most difference to my crops. Good and hard for spreading at least I suppose. May be I'll be able to do some in sept.

Has anyone done mole draining in the spring in a wheat crop.

If so does it recover ok?
 

Godber

Member
Location
NW Essex
Keen to do some mole draining here but found the subsoil surprisingly dry at 26" and very tough to pull so given up.
Would also be interested if anyone moles through winter wheat in a dryish early spring ?
I would guess moleing would be 30% easier after xmas with soils near capacity. Would tracks or tyres make less mess?
 

David_A

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Fife
Keen to do some mole draining here but found the subsoil surprisingly dry at 26" and very tough to pull so given up.
Would also be interested if anyone moles through winter wheat in a dryish early spring ?
I would guess moleing would be 30% easier after xmas with soils near capacity. Would tracks or tyres make less mess?
Did Jeff Claydon not try it. Don't think it was a disaster. Makes sense if you think about it.
 
should moling not be done when the subsoil is more of a plastercine consistency ie late autumn so that the moles hold their shape and not shatter although your photo of mole looks good
 

Matt L

Member
Trade
Location
Suffolk
Do not go for a 3 point linkage mounted mole. The tractor should only be pulling the mole, no lifting or any other action from the tractor to be transfered to the mole.

We contract mole using g D8s and we will spring mole if the customer wants it.
Lot easier pull and a lot less wear.
 

ajd132

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
We have don't it in Spring crop recovers but abit of a yield knock. It's the best time to do it I think.
Just done some contracting for someone whose just had the fields drained, they were very moist. It's too dry over here to do anymore though
 

whiddy

Member
Location
Oxford
Looks to dry to mole, think you should be able to roll a worm of subsoil in your hands, without it sticking to your hands!
Far to dry in my area.
 

Matt L

Member
Trade
Location
Suffolk
Is moling really necessary? It's not something I could ever get excited about

Yes in short. If you have a good well designed drainage scheme then moling will improve the scheme for very little money.

We have schemes where the laterals are 80 meters apart but because it is moled on a regular basis it works like a scheme with 20 meter spacings
 
You have a scrubbing mole plough is it correctly set or is it set to too much down pull as is often the case. If this is so it increases the draft required hugely. Except in the heaviest land If it takes more than about 150 horse a leg then the conditions or the plough are usually wrong.
Most mole manufacturers have no idea of what they are trying to acheive just building the basic design with different paint.
 

Joe Boy

Member
Location
Essex
You have a scrubbing mole plough is it correctly set or is it set to too much down pull as is often the case. If this is so it increases the draft required hugely. Except in the heaviest land If it takes more than about 150 horse a leg then the conditions or the plough are usually wrong.
Most mole manufacturers have no idea of what they are trying to acheive just building the basic design with different paint.

What angle should the leg be to the beam and what is the easiest way to measure this?
 

tr250

Member
Location
Northants
Do not go for a 3 point linkage mounted mole. The tractor should only be pulling the mole, no lifting or any other action from the tractor to be transfered to the mole.

We contract mole using g D8s and we will spring mole if the customer wants it.
Lot easier pull and a lot less wear.
Why should the moler not pull down on tractor it's not as if the tractor is lifting it its just the forward pull on the arms that pulls the tractor wheels onto the ground. Maidwell moler mounted takes some beating can back into ditches and lift up and let it ride out at the ends
 
What angle should the leg be to the beam and what is the easiest way to measure this?
I can't give you a definitive answer but suggest you back off the attack angle until it ceases to dig and then increase until it just keeps level. If the underneath of the scrubbers are getting hot that is the energy you are wasting, sometimes I have seen then almost cutting a furrow!
You can't always tell from the shape of the mole if you are running an expander.
 

Badshot

Member
Location
Kent
I can't give you a definitive answer but suggest you back off the attack angle until it ceases to dig and then increase until it just keeps level. If the underneath of the scrubbers are getting hot that is the energy you are wasting, sometimes I have seen then almost cutting a furrow!
You can't always tell from the shape of the mole if you are running an expander.
Sounds like mine might be s bit off too. The beam got so hot in one field I burned my hand on it. I spat on a finger and touched it and it sizzled.
 

Matt L

Member
Trade
Location
Suffolk
What angle should the leg be to the beam and what is the easiest way to measure this?

When measured from the bottom of the beam the underside of a new point should be about quarter of an inch further away than the underside of where the bullet attaches to the chain with the expander on it. Hope that helps
 

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