Wheat after grass

[Woodstock]

Hi all. New to this. I would be very interested in people’s opinion on growing wheat after grass. I currently do a land swap with a local farmer who grows ready grass and horsage. The first 3 year let has just ended on the first block of land. It’s heavy clay which was rank with blackgrass, which is why I’ve done this.
My plan is to then spray off then direct drill with my 750a. However, I’m having a few doubts creep into my mind.
Does anyone have any experience of this or any opinions on how this may pan out?
Regards Chris

 

[Wooly]

Growing wheat after grass is fine............. but direct drilling into it sometimes doesn't look pretty if the sward has rooted well.

Have tried with a Sumo drill in the past, but gave up as it left the seed exposed as the burnt off sward just rolled the wrong way.

Have also tried with a Mzuri drill, but left a shocking seed bed.


Reverted back to discing the top and conventional drilling.

(This is a dry area, so what didn't work for me might work for you.)

 

[Woodstock]

Thanks. My fear is if I work it in any way, 1 it will take some doing as it’s very heavy and 2 the blackgrass will be back with a vengeance. Certainly not dry around us!!

 

[Nitrams]

What about leatherjacket and wire worm risk? Not much in the armouryleft to combat this in cereals

 

[Woodstock]

What about leatherjacket and wire worm risk? Not much in the armouryleft to combat this in cereals

Ye well these the main issues that are concerning me. Not sure wire worm should be too bad as only been in 3 year. But the leather jackets I would agree with. How much damage you think they can do?

 

[Kevtherev]

Wire worm and leatherjackets should be less of an issue in shorter term grass but have a look with a spade to see for any signs.

 

[Woodstock]

Wire worm and leatherjackets should be less of an issue in shorter term grass but have a look with a spade to see for any signs.

Regrettably I have found the odd leather jacket.

 

[CPF]

Hi all. New to this. I would be very interested in people’s opinion on growing wheat after grass. I currently do a land swap with a local farmer who grows ready grass and horsage. The first 3 year let has just ended on the first block of land. It’s heavy clay which was rank with blackgrass, which is why I’ve done this.
My plan is to then spray off then direct drill with my 750a. However, I’m having a few doubts creep into my mind.
Does anyone have any experience of this or any opinions on how this may pan out?
Rega

I did it a few years ago when we took over a block of land that was grass , dig down with a spade and there was hardly any compassion , It had been sprayed off more I looked at the fields the less I want to be plough as I was told there was blackgrass .A few of my staff and my agronomist was a little bit worried about leather jacket and wireworm but I said it had two choices. So we went ahead and direct drilled it . use the Horsch co4 Best decision I did.

 

[Woodstock]

I did it a few years ago when we took over a block of land that was grass , dig down with a spade and there was hardly any compassion , It had been sprayed off more I looked at the fields the less I want to be plough as I was told there was blackgrass .A few of my staff and my agronomist was a little bit worried about leather jacket and wireworm but I said it had two choices. So we went ahead and direct drilled it . use the Horsch co4 Best decision I did.

Interesting, thank you, I also have a CO4 type drill as well as my 750a but thought that may still bring up too much blackgrass. May possibly trial half and half.
No problems with the leather jackets then?

 

[CPF]

Interesting, thank you, I also have a CO4 type drill as well as my 750a but thought that may still bring up too much blackgrass. May possibly trial half and half.
No problems with the leather jackets then?

We have no problems with leather jackets or wireworm And the drill work brilliantly , only thing the drill did take a little bit of pulling, drilling some Of the fields was on banks. so took off 230 horses and put on 310 and it was on top of its game then . But the thing , What really convinced me to do it was the tilth. Just under the grass ley was so fine, I did not want to lose it and it was full of worms and the other thing it was on clay ground.

 

[DanniAgro]

Is the dual purpose seed dressing still available,or has it gone the way of all the old chemicals? If it's still on the market, it was always recommended for seed on land coming out of grass, for the control of insects in the sward.

 

[eagleye]

roundup well in advance to give sward time to die and decompose a bit, might want to use some granular lime to help any alleopathic effects on germination. Up seed rate a bit maybe. Might need to use grass weed herbicide like Broadway star.
We have done wheat after grass using claydon drill, the grass was haylage and had shed seed so we used BStar to take out ryegrass in spring. we had no problems with ljacket or wireworm

 

[tr250]

We have done it for 4 years now and they have all been good crops apart from this year which yielded 2 tons/acre but it stood water most of the winter and only got planted because it would travel most of our wheat failed this year. I would spray early enough to make a clear gap. And drill first week Oct keep seed rate up and fert down the spout would be ideal but I don’t have that option. It will look backward all winter but get some early n on and it will fly

 

[simmy_bull]

Wheat always follows temp grass at work mixed dairy and arable farm.

The seed latitude dressed, and it’s always sown late after a late fourth cut.
Normally ploughs and works very well after grass. And certainly ploughs up drier than the cereal stubbles.

 

[spider mike]

I can understand your reluctance to plough it bringing up fresh black grass seed. But we regularly rotate grass and arable fields and find heavy land can work down a treat after grass as long as there's a bit of moisture.
Which shouldn't be an issue for us this year !!

 

[Hindsight]

Frit Fly

 

[casper74]

I've sown wheat after a 1 year ley of grass as part of rotation for about 10 years now, the last 2 years have been poor wheat crops mainly due to Leatherjackets, I'm giving it 1 more year then maybe going to try something else. Mine is always ploughed and combi drilled. Used to get really good wheat yields after grass.

 

[R G Abbott & Son]

Is the dual purpose seed dressing still available,or has it gone the way of all the old chemicals? If it's still on the market, it was always recommended for seed on land coming out of grass, for the control of insects in the sward.

Yes it is, I’ve ordered some barley with it on for after grass. It’s called signal now I think

 

[icanshootwell]

Hi all. New to this. I would be very interested in people’s opinion on growing wheat after grass. I currently do a land swap with a local farmer who grows ready grass and horsage. The first 3 year let has just ended on the first block of land. It’s heavy clay which was rank with blackgrass, which is why I’ve done this.
My plan is to then spray off then direct drill with my 750a. However, I’m having a few doubts creep into my mind.
Does anyone have any experience of this or any opinions on how this may pan out?
Regards Chris

We spray off with round up then use heavy disks to create a seed bed, more likely to have a black grass problem if you plough the dormant seeds up.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

We spray off with round up then use heavy disks to create a seed bed, more likely to have a black grass problem if you plough the dormant seeds up.

Whats the issue with direct drilling as even a disc would bring weed seed up