Tom Sewell's Nufield report

[Dockers]

Nothing good about a rape wheat bean wheat rotation. Plus the use of a shakerator !

Totally agree with Simon C and Clive. LESS = MORE.

Watch out with the carrier, Clive. It can make the surface have to finer particles. After wet or dry it can make penetration difficult !

 

[Clive]

Nothing good about a rape wheat bean wheat rotation. Plus the use of a shakerator !

Totally agree with Simon C and Clive. LESS = MORE.

Watch out with the carrier, Clive. It can make the surface have to finer particles. After wet or dry it can make penetration difficult !

It's use is quite limited, never at more than 2" deep and mostly with bio drill establishing cover crops which it's ideal (quick, cheap , effective and student proof !)

Only other places I used it this year was on spring oat stubble pre winter barley as a scratch to get a chit of oats which worked very well plus a couple of headlands where we had compost tips etc just to level things up

 

[SilliamWhale]

Nothing good about a rape wheat bean wheat rotation. Plus the use of a shakerator !

Totally agree with Simon C and Clive. LESS = MORE.

Watch out with the carrier, Clive. It can make the surface have to finer particles. After wet or dry it can make penetration difficult !

What do you mean Dockers? I think its realistic one for lots of farmers.

 

[dontknowanything]

It's use is quite limited, never at more than 2" deep and mostly with bio drill establishing cover crops which it's ideal (quick, cheap , effective and student proof !)

Only other places I used it this year was on spring oat stubble pre winter barley as a scratch to get a chit of oats which worked very well plus a couple of headlands where we had compost tips etc just to level things up

I remember the first time I met Dwayne Beck. He asked me what we did on the farm, and I said "min-till, but real min-till, only 2" deep".

He replied "That's the WORST thing you can do, you might as well plough". His point was that it introduces compaction right at seeding depth which is just where you don't want it.

We still do it now.

 

[Clive]

I remember the first time I met Dwayne Beck. He asked me what we did on the farm, and I said "min-till, but real min-till, only 2" deep".

He replied "That's the WORST thing you can do, you might as well plough". His point was that it introduces compaction right at seeding depth which is just where you don't want it.

We still do it now.

I'm yet to see it cause a problem yet I have seen it fix a few already

I've seen disc pans from the solo we ran when we 'min tilled" but the smaller lighter carrier disc seems to be less prone to this

I guess this kind of thing that is soil type dependant but as a cover crop establishment method im a fan of the carrier

 

[Fred]

I remember the first time I met Dwayne Beck. He asked me what we did on the farm, and I said "min-till, but real min-till, only 2" deep".

He replied "That's the WORST thing you can do, you might as well plough". His point was that it introduces compaction right at seeding depth which is just where you don't want it.

We still do it now.

why ?

what else did Dwayne tell you?

 

[dontknowanything]

why ?

what else did Dwayne tell you?

Why what? I already said his reasoning...?

 

[Tom Sewell]

I don't think I have met a UK zero-tiller who NEVER moves soil ?? do you know of any ? that said @Tom Sewell report does suggest he has sold ALL his cultivation kit ? is that right Tom do you literally only have a drill on the farm now ???

As you know I have a carrier, its use is reducing dramatically every year but there are situations where its use is without doubt beneficial agronomically, so I use it.

however it does nothing for soil structure at all, its use here is 2" max and normally because there is a need to accelerate a vol or grass weed chit or level something.

limited use of tillage makes you realise how much N is mineralized by doing so - That's the biggest difference it makes and I could show clear examples all over my farm right now, is this a good thing ? well its certainly aids establishment and early growth BUT as always you dont get anything for nothing so N burned now won't be there latter to add to yield

structure created by plants is totally different to that created by a subsoiler, there are VERY few situation IMO where anything ever needs to be done beyond 2" IMO but situations do exist and like any zero-tiler I have met (Jim included) if they have a sound agronomic reason to justify them I would do so

When your drilled up Lee you should come and see what's happened to my soil in 3 just years since you last worked on them, I think your would be amazed frankly at the difference that not dragging deep metal about has made

Afternoon all, just a few notes on Clive's questions.
We sold... A '96 JD 6900, 3m trailed Sumo Trio, 6m Rolls and 4m Horsch CO4. E are trying to http://nuffieldinternational.org/rep_pdf/1411117208TomSewelleditedreport.pdfsell a 7.5m Claydon Rake but not takers as yet.

We bought/built 5m Cross-Slot Drill, 12m Twose Rolls, 8520 JD Tractor.

We still have in the shed...
An old 5m he-va disc roller, very old will rich cultivator and 3m power harrow drill.

These three are kept because a) they're not worth much b) useful for small contracting jobs like re seeding horse paddocks or putting in pheasant cover. The ph drill is from the mid 80's and prob does 20ac/yr. The willrich and disc roller were useful this year in levelling an old orchard that was grubbed plus the disc roller was used once with the discs up to press behind the CS drill drilling osr. Other than that ALL cover crops, osr and wheat have been planted with just cross slot and rolls. I visited many farmers on my Nuffield in very different soils who only drilled and no rolls.

#rootsnotiron just about sums it up.

Personally can't see the benefit of cultivation now and it's my intention to use cover crops' roots to cultivate and aerate whilst maintain the best structure in my soil. Then find the best rotation that maximises organic matter building plus N fixing.

Can't see me using tines or discs unless levelling or clearing land. Ploughing will always put you back you square 1 on the board. I saw guys in USA where they hadn't cultivated for 40 yrs. Can't get those benefits unless you stick at it and sell all the tillage tackle!

 

[dontknowanything]

Are you trying some areas unrolled Tom?

I remain very skeptical as to the use of rolls in a no till situation.

I have left a few unrolled areas this year, maybe on the BASE farm walk I will see whether people can tell where they are.

 

[Tom Sewell]

He told me my "wheat,osr,wheat,sp bn" rotation was "not a rotation"!

According to Dwayne you need..,
Warm season grass, warm season broadleaf, cool season grass and cool season broadleaf.

As of today I'm really struggling to find more than 2 reasons to carry on growing osr!! Maybe should go wheat then spring break with cover crop in between? Imagine no osr (slugs flea-beetle pigeons rabbits) plus no mychorrizial activity and the slug carry over problems!

Thoughts?

 

[dontknowanything]

My thoughts are:

This is a typical Dr Beck statement which unfortunately doesn't take into account the fact that not everyone lives within 100 miles of Pierre SD.

 

[Tom Sewell]

Are you trying some areas unrolled Tom?

I remain very skeptical as to the use of rolls in a no till situation.

I have left a few unrolled areas this year, maybe on the BASE farm walk I will see whether people can tell where they are.

No have rolled everything as we also apply slug pellets with rolls and pick up rocks. Can see a time when we won't need to roll though, particularly into cover crops.

 

[dontknowanything]

No have rolled everything as we also apply slug pellets with rolls and pick up rocks. Can see a time when we won't need to roll though, particularly into cover crops.

You rolled all your cover crops too?

I did that last year but couldn't see any difference in the unrolled bits, so didn't bother this year.

 

[Clive]

Are you trying some areas unrolled Tom?

I remain very skeptical as to the use of rolls in a no till situation.

I have left a few unrolled areas this year, maybe on the BASE farm walk I will see whether people can tell where they are.

I've rolled nothing behind the 750a this year

I did roll carrier cover crops in though

 

[dontknowanything]

By the way, that photo of you is a bit creepy Tom, you look like a Bond villain or something! (Actually maybe Austin Powers)

 

[Clive]

He told me my "wheat,osr,wheat,sp bn" rotation was "not a rotation"!

According to Dwayne you need..,
Warm season grass, warm season broadleaf, cool season grass and cool season broadleaf.

As of today I'm really struggling to find more than 2 reasons to carry on growing osr!! Maybe should go wheat then spring break with cover crop in between? Imagine no osr (slugs flea-beetle pigeons rabbits) plus no mychorrizial activity and the slug carry over problems!

Thoughts?

Only reason I still grow a small area (5-10%). Is a bit of harvest workload spread plus in a wide rotation it can yield well

Can't think of any other good reasons !

 

[Tom Sewell]

You rolled all your cover crops too?

I did that last year but couldn't see any difference in the unrolled bits, so didn't bother this year.

Didn't to start with after osr but slugs had some so rolled them too as dry and again put on slug pellets. This was over wintered cover. No rolling for cover after osr.

 

[Tom Sewell]

By the way, that photo of you is a bit creepy Tom, you look like a Bond villain or something! (Actually maybe Austin Powers)

Which photo?

 

[dontknowanything]

Which photo?

The one next to your name here, with the Union Jack on your face

 

[dontknowanything]

Didn't to start with after osr but slugs had some so rolled them too as dry and again put on slug pellets. This was over wintered cover. No rolling for cover after osr.

I had to slug pellet probably 10% of our covers this year