Wet conditions direct drilling option

[Martin Holden]

ive been completely zero till for 25 years, have always run 33cm spacing ( 3 to a metre, to fit in with our 1m row crop spacings ). Did go back to 25cm for a few years, but found that increased weight ( from extra row units ), loss of trash clearance ( no baled straw, we aim for maximum residue retention ) plus the increased cost of extra row units wasn't really worth it. Plenty here on 37cm spacings.
25cm would probably be the most common spacing across the whole country ?
I wouldn't be too worried about yield loss or competition, if you have a thick mulch or lots of straw in a zero till situation ( with MINIMAL disturbance ), it tends to restrict weed growth anyway

YES - I know im in a different environment, but id hazard a guess that most of the worlds cereals are grown on wider rows . . .

Wow! You learn something everyday. Never would have thought of such wide row spacing.

 

[bravheart]

I know of one big out fit in this area that put a lot of wheat in to bad wet seed beds back in 2012 , they had to resow over 1000 acres in the spring, first thing they did was to sell the drill that they used to sow it and if it is wet now it is cheaper to buy their men plane ticket and send them on holiday ,

More and more around here have moved on from ph/ Suffolk coulter drill combo’s to ever increasing high pressure disc or double disc combo’s, which are making a great level job in the main, burying seed in Syhte, working when they should be parked up. On our land after trying some different options I came to the conclusion that if the Suffolk coulter won’t bury the seed to a proper and level depth that the seed won’t grow anyway so what’s the point!
Everyone’s farms different of course and in a wet year some get away with it.,

 

[Drillman]

I’m thinking of having a go at some wheat on untouched bean land with the KV turbo/ sabre tine drill we use for winter beans . 200mm row spacing .View attachment 838679View attachment 838681

I will admit I know very little about DD but that does look a blissfully simple cheap drill.

 

[Robt]

good point ! It’s been a long day !

You need to keep off the Facebook groups! They are sapping your energy!

 

[Clive]

You need to keep off the Facebook groups! They are sapping your energy!

it’s like sport when there is nothing on tv Rob !

 

[Spencer]

Around the 11t mark when empty. However when in work that weight is spread across the coulter bar, it’s only on the wheels fully when turning on headlands.

But your still dragging 12t around the field, weight is weight..... It’s going to make the tractor cut in I’d expect on any hills..

 

[Wombat]

More and more around here have moved on from ph/ Suffolk coulter drill combo’s to ever increasing high pressure disc or double disc combo’s, which are making a great level job in the main, burying seed in Syhte, working when they should be parked up. On our land after trying some different options I came to the conclusion that if the Suffolk coulter won’t bury the seed to a proper and level depth that the seed won’t grow anyway so what’s the point!
Everyone’s farms different of course and in a wet year some get away with it.,

As you say everyone’s farm is different, Suffolk coulter won’t bury the seed here in a normal year so has no chance this year

 

[bravheart]

As you say everyone’s farm is different, Suffolk coulter won’t bury the seed here in a normal year so has no chance this year

my soils are medium to heavy clay in a relatively high rainfall area, using a disc to bury seed works fine but most of the grains just rot, a suffolk coulter keeps me out of the field till the conditions for germination are right.

 

[Matt L]

12 m avatar 10-12k /m dependant on spec and exchange rates as at last year, Brexit may have inflated that already though I suspect - narrow versions more (different hopper configuration) are more / m I believe


the CO6 was .................. significantly less!

Per metre yes the smaller ones are more. The

But your still dragging 12t around the field, weight is weight..... It’s going to make the tractor cut in I’d expect on any hills..

yes there is still a fair bit of weight, draught requirement on a 12m avatar is surprisingly low.
This is due to having the same number of coulters as an 8m machine.
Also, when drilling round curves there is also a lot less sideways force on the machine as the coulters are in one line so easier to corner.
When in work there is less weight on the tractor than on the road to help reduce the damage done in field

 

[JD6920s]

plan c is spring crop


no chance I will plough and destroy 10 yrs plus of soil structure

plan d would be fallow (summer cover crop) and a year off which although expensive would still cost me less than ploughing would !

How would your Dale drill have coped in these sort of conditions do you think?
I see they also do a front hopper/rear toolbar arrangement. I like the idea of the dale but never seen one working.

 

[Bossfarmer]

my soils are medium to heavy clay in a relatively high rainfall area, using a disc to bury seed works fine but most of the grains just rot, a suffolk coulter keeps me out of the field till the conditions for germination are right.

What do you class as a relitively high rainfall?

 

[bravheart]

What do you class as a relitively high rainfall?

Good one, just tried to get up to date averages but google has let me down, couldn’t even find the sac tables they issued by parish with the nvz forms.
So always reckoned we were around 50”, probably more than arable areas in Yorkshire but perhaps not as high as you.

 

[Clive]

How would your Dale drill have coped in these sort of conditions do you think?
I see they also do a front hopper/rear toolbar arrangement. I like the idea of the dale but never seen one working.

the toolbar would have bern good in the wet I think, the rear trailed hopper not so however

with a front tank a good option I would imagine in wet conditions

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

Have you started drilling winter wheat yet @Clive?

If so which drill have you used and how has it performed?

 

[Clive]

Have you started drilling winter wheat yet @Clive?

If so which drill have you used and how has it performed?

not started yet, still quite wet here, we had another 15mm Friday on one farm! - remaining patient much better weather forecast, Spayed a bit today with a view to trying some Monday

 

[JD6920s]

not started yet, still quite wet here, we had another 15mm Friday on one farm! - remaining patient much better weather forecast, Spayed a bit today with a view to trying some Monday

Have you managed to make a start yet?
We’re still waiting for it to dry a bit more but now Friday’s forecast looks like putting paid to that!

 

[Clive]

Have you managed to make a start yet?
We’re still waiting for it to dry a bit more but now Friday’s forecast looks like putting paid to that!

yes, this morning, but with the Avatar so far - better than expected but not ideal conditions

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1186574357121945601

 

[RAF]

That is some drill

 

[Speedstar]

yes, this morning, but with the Avatar so far - better than expected but not ideal conditions

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1186574357121945601

Run it 24 hours a day and get on until it rains again

 

[Clive]

Run it 24 hours a day and get on until it rains again

limited by dry enough ground to go at - we will get all I think we can drill up witha few 12m days before the next dump of rain forecast this weekend

I'm not desperate or concerned enough to start running machines and staff 27hrs yet - its October still not December