Undersown spring barley

[Northeastfarmer]

first time we’ve ever grown spring barley...undersown it with 4 year ley grass
Sown 12 April at 55kg an acre grass sown at 14kg an acre
Considering I thought the drought would write it off quite happy with how it’s come

Nice covering of grass underneath

 

[cotswoldcs]

Well done! We've undersown spring barley with grass when it was part of our HLS scheme. Some years it was very good and other times it wasn't. Your's looks amazing and both barley and grass look good. The only problem we had is with the straw which always has lots of green grass in it. Cutting high helps but straw very often was mouldy in places with the grass. What are your plans for the straw? Or maybe a wholecrop cut instead?

 

[GeorgeK]

Excellent work! I'm sure we'll all have to move away from mono cropping in the future, looks lovely

 

[tinsheet]

In my 3rd year of doing it, cut it at between 8 - 10 weeks for arable silage, leaves a nice clean sward! .

 

[7610 super q]

Grain is for combines, grass for foragers.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Well done! We've undersown spring barley with grass when it was part of our HLS scheme. Some years it was very good and other times it wasn't. Your's looks amazing and both barley and grass look good. The only problem we had is with the straw which always has lots of green grass in it. Cutting high helps but straw very often was mouldy in places with the grass. What are your plans for the straw? Or maybe a wholecrop cut instead?

Thanks....no I don’t want to whole crop it....I’m hoping to combine it then dependant on the weather bale the grassy straw into bales...if the weather isn’t good enough I’ll wrap them...never done it before so I’m just taking it as it comes

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Grain is for combines, grass for foragers.

Well this will be going through the combine

 

[7610 super q]

Well this will be going through the combine

Reasonable weather at harvest, it's fine. If it runs into end of September, loads of greenery going through the combine pushes up moisture, and you end up with crap straw. Doesn't matter too much if you're using the grain / straw yourself.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Reasonable weather at harvest, it's fine. If it runs into end of September, loads of greenery going through the combine pushes up moisture, and you end up with crap straw. Doesn't matter too much if you're using the grain / straw yourself.

Yes I’ll be using the straw myself

 

[Ormond]

I done a field a few years ago...grass came great, barley was thin enough so cut above the grass to get the barley then straight in with the mower....did a about 10/11 bales to the acre...then wrapped them.

 

[Fraserb]

Thanks....no I don’t want to whole crop it....I’m hoping to combine it then dependant on the weather bale the grassy straw into bales...if the weather isn’t good enough I’ll wrap them...never done it before so I’m just taking it as it comes

We've baled and wrapped our undersown fields the last few years and its worked well.

 

[Kevtherev]

Well this will be going through the combine

Shouldn’t be a problem I’ve done lots of undersown barley just cut higher and then re cut the field with mower and bale and wrap.
(If you wanted to)

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Shouldn’t be a problem I’ve done lots of undersown barley just cut higher and then re cut the field with mower and bale and wrap.
(If you wanted to)

Yes I had an idea to cut it with the grass cutter after it was combined...will see what the combine man thinks at the time

 

[Dave6170]

Any weeds in it? Did u spray it?
We ve done a field, never weed sprayed it.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Does it compromise the sward. Grass dont like competion

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Any weeds in it? Did u spray it?
We ve done a field, never weed sprayed it.

Had a bit of fat hen....whole thing was sprayed about 3 weeks ago...that’s all it’s had

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Does it compromise the sward. Grass dont like competion

Doesn’t appear to of

 

[bigw]

Do you plan to use the straw for feeding or bedding? Its well worth baling and wrapping the headlands for feed as they never dry out very great.

 

[neilo]

Does it compromise the sward. Grass dont like competion

Unless you get very lucky, yes. It will always compromise the grass and the cereal to an extent, but each to their own.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Do you plan to use the straw for feeding or bedding? Its well worth baling and wrapping the headlands for feed as they never dry out very great.

Ideally it’ll be hot enough to fry the grass in the swath and just bale it but quite prepared to wrap it....will wrap the headrigs regardless