- Location
- North Norfolk
Biden's speech to Congress mentioned cover crops to counteract global warming, and paying for them.
US President cites cover crops in speech
- Thread starter sjt01
- Start date
I wonder who has got at him....
I will wait for Carrie to nag BoJo then??
I will wait for Carrie to nag BoJo then??
Come to think it , of I suppose one could say that the ultimate cover crop could be the rainforest.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
I think that the rain forest should be re instated .
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Evidently not listening to one of my local farmers!
- Location
- Suffolk
Christ I hope we get this right over here. If the payments are sensible its win win.
It won't do anything for climate change but if they want to pay me I'm definitely keen
Picture the central plains of the USA as bare ground, which it can look like if you fly over it, and then imagine it again green, with growing cover crops. You can't tell me that that will have no effect on the weather. Then carry on abusing the soils year on year, losing SOM, chucking more CO2 into the atmosphere, unable to keep cover growing, you'll change the weather patterns, cause climate change. North Africa was the bread basket of the Roman Empire, now desert. It doesn't rain partly because there aren't growing plants transpiring water into the atmosphere and seeding the clouds, it's a vicious cycle. Vast chunks of the world are heading in the same direction.
Good farming is the only way to sort out climate change, you need to add a super-hero cape to your mankini and just accept it.
Been following his trials on cover crops and DD for a long time and lots of mistakes made (could easily find the solutions on here). Seems more of a way to justify current system. Seen it loads of times people doing an absolutely pathetically managed effort on dd/cover crops then say it’s sh!t to tell themselves they don’t need to do it!
And of course, vice versa.
But from my one view of the video, he did seem to poo-pooh the whole concept of CC and DD somewhat... Maybe I am being unfair, but your comments suggests otherwise...
I follow the videos and history of the field. The cover was planted in September same day it was harvested and there was loads of videos he put up of terrible shedding in august storms.And of course, vice versa.
But from my one view of the video, he did seem to poo-pooh the whole concept of CC and DD somewhat... Maybe I am being unfair, but your comments suggests otherwise...
It’s just not a very good representation of the whole thing really.
- Location
- Lorette Manitoba
Can’t remember where I saw it but it was a satellite image or something along those line that showed the oxygen coming from the US mid west’s maize crop and it equaled the rainforests. All the tree hugging farmer bashing politicians forget that the world still has to eat. Throw the money towards sustainable agriculture that feeds people rather that paying farmers to be puppets for the masses. I’m all for cover crops and making the soil the best it can be but isn’t it about time the powers to be stop controlling what happens in agriculture. After all every farm has a manager worker accountant and every other profession all rolled into one on hand 24/7. Not many business can say that.
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Ajd, hi, could you expand on the mistakes made? I think we need to learn - and would welcome your observations. Thank you.
Seen loads of times things happening like using cover based on cereals, or allowing really think volunteer cereals to grow within a cover then not killing it early enough before a spring cereal. Mustard also being the ‘go to’ trial cover crop because it’s cheap is another mistake often made, mustard on its own does very little for the soil and increases slugs.
cover crops drilled too late often and incredibly expensive mixtures used which I find hard to justify. I.e black oats over spring oats. Can really do it all very cheaply if you try.
I’ve made all these mistakes and many more so hopefully I speak from experience!
So best low cost CC mix for you now before a spring cereal crop is?
We are pumping out heaps of stored up carbon from other sources
I am favouring stuff that dies in the winter. Linseed, buckwheat etc, had some peas in ours, would like to get clover understory going too.
I think my summer catch crop of sunflowers, linseed and buckwheat cost about £11/ha and my over winter mix of linseed, buckwheat, peas and phacelia was about £20/ha.
still learning on what’s best though, all I know is cereals and mustard are rubbish cover crops on heavier land.
That is hugely competitive in cost! Presumably buying straights in decent quantities?
A high proportion of species prone to winter kill works well, although obviously a -10 in November would be a bit of a pain. I was left with just clover and vetch after rolling some of ours in the frost. I might look at a similar mix this year without the vetch, and leave the living clover to drill into.
DRC
Member
It’s true though . You don’t NEED to do it.
