Undersowing barley

[kneedeep]

I under sowed a barley crop this spring, 10kg/ha grass and 350 seeds 2m barley or 176kg/ha barley. Had 9t/ha malting barley and the grass is fantastic. I think I was lucky though.

We did similar , Forager man has a disc mower header, all went in clamp, grass used for 'greening' till oct then carried on growing that well we had to get some sheep

 

[Boohoo]

We mix barley and oats and sow at 140kg per hectare which I think is 9 stone per acre. Grass seed at the normal recommend rate for the mixture. We cut at the soft cheesy stage, wilt for a day then bale.

 

[spin cycle]

Toying with the idea of undersowing some barley and then probably wrapping it rather than combining it, to get some ground back to grass to get a second cut from later, and opinions/thoughts? what sort of seed rate would you use in this scenario? and what variety of grass, (will already have barley seed) cheers

sounds like a good idea....BUT....reading posts on here ...wrapping wholecrop is a no no because of rats?;

 

[kneedeep]

sounds like a good idea....BUT....reading posts on here ...wrapping wholecrop is a no no because of rats?;

Leave bales in field with a space round every one, theres enough 'wildlife' to keep rats under control.
Think there was a thread about how folk deal with the problem.
Or clamped stuff has been devastated this time, stuff shredding the sheet on the sides.

 

[scholland]

Just to add another option... Field at work was undersown, I don't know the barley seedrate but the grass came well. It was combined during a dull spell and it seemed the grassy straw was never going to dry enough to bale safely, so with rain forecast they got a contractor with a Fusion to bale/wrap it. I was dubious as I'd never seen 'straw' wrapped before but we opened one bale last week and it smelt lovely, probably not great feed value but there's plenty cows there to eat it.

Have had undersown straw analysed but can't remember the exact result but when doing the ration on computer college man used 'average hay' as it was the same spec as the wrapped straw. If I could get enough of it our dry cows would get nothing else.

 

[farmer phil]

Do you mow for baling as soon as head appears on the barley?

We do a small amount of baling for wholecrop for customers but not much. General opinion is if you leave it too long the mower will knock too much barley out of the heads and there is also the issue with rats. That's why when we did our own bit we combined it first and it worked a treat. I would say that the best results from wholecrop probably come from chopping with a wholecrop header on a forager, but this will not suit many farmers.

 

[ridger]

Does the

We do a small amount of baling for wholecrop for customers but not much. General opinion is if you leave it too long the mower will knock too much barley out of the heads and there is also the issue with rats. That's why when we did our own bit we combined it first and it worked a treat. I would say that the best results from wholecrop probably come from chopping with a wholecrop header on a forager, but this will not suit many farmers.

mower cut most of the combines wheelings?

 

[farmer phil]

Maybe not entirely but certainly good enough

 

[pine_guy]

Last year, sown for greening. propino barley undersown with a local grass mix (very similar to one sown by @Great In Grass). Was sown in late april.


Wait till the grain was cheesy and then wholecroped it into the pit. Was quite grassy. to say the least. But next to no effluent. on a normal year I would say we would be unluck to get enough growth to then go on for a second cut. I think it is better to graze the seeds with sheep to thicken them out and let them get well established. If you take it when heads are just emerging, I would say you are wasting money on the barley and should just plant straight grass. When in the pit you want a good top of grass silage on the top over the whole area to bury the grain and keep the vermin out. Mines in a soil bank pit and have no vermin and zero waist.

Oh and the photos were taken in a barley thin bit so you

 

[SilliamWhale]

Quick undersowing question - I've not done any for years but the old man used to do a fair bit. He reckons for a short term cheap and cheeful ley he would sow just 5kg/acre of Italian and that was fine. He used to sow it with a vicon about 3 weeks after drilling but he's told me to just stick in the grass seed box the same time as drilling barley and crack on.

Is that enough grass? Bare in mind I don't want to swamp the corn

 

[Great In Grass]

Quick undersowing question - I've not done any for years but the old man used to do a fair bit. He reckons for a short term cheap and cheeful ley he would sow just 5kg/acre of Italian and that was fine. He used to sow it with a vicon about 3 weeks after drilling but he's told me to just stick in the grass seed box the same time as drilling barley and crack on.

Is that enough grass? Bare in mind I don't want to swamp the corn

5 kilos of a good diploid Italian Ryegrass will give you 430 seeds per gram so should be enough to make a reasonable ley.

I don't think I'd drill the two together as you don't want to drill grass any deeper than 6mm. I would suggest broadcast the grass seed within 3 days of drilling, broadcast in this instance because with the low seed rate it will help give the seed better establishment and will increase the number of plants that establish tiller, density & longevity will also increase.

The grass seed could be added to some P & K to help broadcasting which in turn provide nutrients (45 units/acre - 56kg/ha?) to the grass seed.

 

[SilliamWhale]

5 kilos of a good diploid Italian Ryegrass will give you 430 seeds per gram so should be enough to make a reasonable ley.

I don't think I'd drill the two together as you don't want to drill grass any deeper than 6mm. I would suggest broadcast the grass seed within 3 days of drilling, broadcast in this instance because with the low seed rate it will help give the seed better establishment and will increase the number of plants that establish tiller, density & longevity will also increase.

The grass seed could be added to some P & K to help broadcasting which in turn provide nutrients (45 units/acre - 56kg/ha?) to the grass seed.

Ah forgot to say I'd take the seed tubes off the grass box so will sprinkle on the surface

 

[Great In Grass]

Ah forgot to say I'd take the seed tubes off the grass box so will sprinkle on the surface

Well, that's okay then.