What are these holes then?

[warksfarmer]

Almost perfectly round but of varying sizes. Generally they've got straw pulled into them.

We've got loads of these but only in no-tilled stubbles. There isn't any in min tilled or ploughed stubbles.

Field mouse?

 

[Iben]

Rats! Really really big ones, probably in the thousands now.

 

[Kevtherev]

Roland

 

[glasshouse]

Best yoke the plough and recite some burns!

 

[Fuzzy]

The weaving beetle

 

[Iben]

Stick a movement sensitive camera in front of the holes and see what pops out.

 

[The Ruminant]

Free drainage

 

[limestone cowboy]

Have you not read @Xerion post, he has returned to mining and has turned up in Warwickshire instead off Staffordshire?

 

[ridger]

Rats

 

[Clive]

worms ! told you they got bigger in zero-till !

 

[Xerion]

"Have you not read @Xerion post, he has returned to mining and has turned up in Warwickshire instead off Staffordshire?"

Not me I have been off this week end !!!
Lee they look like mice holes but hard to tell from the photo
What diameter are they ?
Just a little point .
In this part of Germany we have some of the best soils in europe (magdeburger Börde ) about 10 years ago the Min till no till direct till fad hit !!!!
Everybody scrapped thier ploughs as they where considered the work of the devil , never heard anything about better soils but what did happen was a huge increase in mice and the dreaded hamsters exploded slugs and so also exploded in number .
Now strangley enough most have bought new ploughs and are back to farming the good old way

Max

 

[warksfarmer]

"Have you not read @Xerion post, he has returned to mining and has turned up in Warwickshire instead off Staffordshire?"

Not me I have been off this week end !!!
Lee they look like mice holes but hard to tell from the photo
What diameter are they ?
Just a little point .
In this part of Germany we have some of the best soils in europe (magdeburger Börde ) about 10 years ago the Min till no till direct till fad hit !!!!
Everybody scrapped thier ploughs as they where considered the work of the devil , never heard anything about better soils but what did happen was a huge increase in mice and the dreaded hamsters exploded slugs and so also exploded in number .
Now strangley enough most have bought new ploughs and are back to farming the good old way

Max

They vary in size from '50p' size to 'golf ball' size. Loads and loads of them.

 

[warksfarmer]

worms ! told you they got bigger in zero-till !

Worst yield ever recorded off these fields though. Disaster is the right word I think even though it looked a decent crop really.

 

[phil the cat]

Bit more low tech than motion cameras but maybe cultivate a square round, mix petrol and water 50/50, pour down the holes & light.... See what pops out on fire!

 

[Joe Boy]

Worst yield ever recorded off these fields though. Disaster is the right word I think even though it looked a decent crop really.

Yes, the stubble looks really thin, what was the drill, drilling date and previous crop ?

What did it yield and what would you expect normally?

Got the highest yield ever recorded off our farm this year, (by quite some way), early September direct drilling with Claydon.

Your soil looks quite sandy, I would have though dd would work well their, any ideas what went wrong?

 

[spin cycle]

have a look around dusk...if it's rats you'll see them?.....failing that have you seen the film 'tremors'

 

[spikeislander]

God I hate rats but I did plough one out of a hole today in middle of field.

 

[Kevtherev]

Minions?

 

[AF Salers]

Is it following a cover crop including tillage radish?

 

[Clive]

Worst yield ever recorded off these fields though. Disaster is the right word I think even though it looked a decent crop really.

what do you reckon the reason is ?