Turnips into PP

Wanting to spray off some PP and plant with turnips within next couple of weeks. To be re seeded in the spring or possibly spring barley on the one patch. What is the best way to plant? Plough and combi? Vaderstad direct into turf? The fields are also being stock fenced through the winter so direct drilled may leave ground firmer to travel on for fencing contractor?
 
Just done mine, following advice from a few on here, all went extremely well,
sprayed off and left for a month, done 2/3 passes with a spring tine which made a good job as most of the old grass has rotted off, left a nice tilth spun on some fert then a couple of days later spun the seed on, then rollered it all in well, then came the rain (more luck than judgment) within a week the whole field had chitted and is now lush green, maybe beginners luck,but I must say, Nice Job, reluctant to plough here as we only have a couple of inches of what you might call topsoil,Good Luck
 

Agrivator

Member
It's getting a bit late now, but it is worth adding 10 to 20% by weight of main-crop turnips to whatever stubble turnips you are sowing.

The commonest varieties now are Green Globe or Massif. They are as hardy as most swedes, they will provide extra dry matter and if need be last until March/early April. And they are much better than stubble turnips to accompany haggis or mince and tatties.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Wanting to spray off some PP and plant with turnips within next couple of weeks. To be re seeded in the spring or possibly spring barley on the one patch. What is the best way to plant? Plough and combi? Vaderstad direct into turf? The fields are also being stock fenced through the winter so direct drilled may leave ground firmer to travel on for fencing contractor?

DD every time, or a light scratch on the top, it will carry the stock a lot better, let alone your contractor's tractor. Will a Vaddy penetrate sprayed off grass OK? We used to have a neighbour use one in stubble, with great results.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
They don't seem to cause any issues with brassicas. Slugs and flea beetle on the other hand....:banghead: Both have been absolute barstewards here this year. Huge grey slug numbers through the soil profile too, so I will certainly be putting pellets on my turnips going in after Winter Barley too.

Looking at some expensive brassica game mix and I can see flea beetle are active on the non treated parts of the mix.

Whats the preferred solution?

Too dry for slugs yet I hope!
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Looking at some expensive brassica game mix and I can see flea beetle are active on the non treated parts of the mix.

Whats the preferred solution?

Too dry for slugs yet I hope!

There is only one solution, post neonic seed treatments, and that is blanket insecticide spraying, and likely several times.:banghead:

It’s been very dry, but there are grey slugs everywhere here. I was digging around to see what had happened to some redrilled Glastir ‘bird seed’ strips a few weeks back, which had been drilled with slug pellets (the only control method the rule book allows), and was shocked at the number of grey slugs I found in the cracks below ground.
I have redrilled (for a third time) with an even higher rate of slug pellets, and at a yet higher seed rate (250kg/ha), which has at least got some plants established to keep the box tickers happy. I suspect it will struggle to produce much seed for the birds before winter though.:(
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
There is only one solution, post neonic seed treatments, and that is blanket insecticide spraying, and likely several times.:banghead:

It’s been very dry, but there are grey slugs everywhere here. I was digging around to see what had happened to some redrilled Glastir ‘bird seed’ strips a few weeks back, which had been drilled with slug pellets (the only control method the rule book allows), and was shocked at the number of grey slugs I found in the cracks below ground.
I have redrilled (for a third time) with an even higher rate of slug pellets, and at a yet higher seed rate (250kg/ha), which has at least got some plants established to keep the box tickers happy. I suspect it will struggle to produce much seed for the birds before winter though.:(

Its been a real struggle establishing WB mixes here too. Might go and lob some pellets on for safety. I'll pop a few plastic bags down and see what is underneath after a night.
 
DD every time, or a light scratch on the top, it will carry the stock a lot better, let alone your contractor's tractor. Will a Vaddy penetrate sprayed off grass OK? We used to have a neighbour use one in stubble, with great results.

I would imagine it would penetrate ok but was wondering if anyone had any experience of it. We have always shakerated and vaderstad drilled into barley stubble for turnips but never tried turnips into PP
 

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Expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for farmers published

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Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer from July will give the sector a clear path forward and boost farm business resilience.

From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024

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Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...
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