Will's No Till Diary

Daniel

Member
I don't need to tell you Will about open slots, but this is a problem I get all the time. I often spend more time closing them afterwards than actually drilling. You say this is always a problem field, is it a bit heavier than the rest of your farm?

I had a similar cock up this Spring drilling triticale into standing stripped linseed stubble, had to use a disc drill because the tine one blocked after a few yards, and no way I could run harrows because of all the long stubble, and no amount of rolling had any effect on the slots.

So I was left with half a crop-
View attachment 534838 View attachment 534840 View attachment 534842


This is where my patented flail/drill hybrid would have come in handy!


NB, the patent allows for you to use the drill of your choice. Or flail. Or tractor come to that.
 

Simon C

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Essex Coast
This is where my patented flail/drill hybrid would have come in handy!


NB, the patent allows for you to use the drill of your choice. Or flail. Or tractor come to that.
Yes, that's a nice idea, unfortunately I did try my flail on the linseed and traveled all of fifteen feet before it completely rapped up. If I had soil like that, the Moore would have run like a dream and not left any slots showing.
 
Zero till spring wheat after Kale last year
20170709_190833.jpg


Looking pretty good really hardly any septoria. Flowering now, small heads.

This has also been an interesting lesson because this was a very bromey field but a healthy slug of liberator pre-em has done a brilliant job on it thus far. And I know its done a good job because one small miss with the sprayer had a bit of brome in it.

That said because its quite bromey I think I will have to turn it to second wheat rather than a winter barley. Any comments on the approach to take as second wheat isn't amazing down here. Thinking of either farm saved skyfall sown late october or maybe keep this stuff (kilburn) and do another spring wheat? Will plaster with muck sometime to make me feel like its going to make a difference!
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
Zero till spring wheat after Kale last yearView attachment 547794

Looking pretty good really hardly any septoria. Flowering now, small heads.

This has also been an interesting lesson because this was a very bromey field but a healthy slug of liberator pre-em has done a brilliant job on it thus far. And I know its done a good job because one small miss with the sprayer had a bit of brome in it.

That said because its quite bromey I think I will have to turn it to second wheat rather than a winter barley. Any comments on the approach to take as second wheat isn't amazing down here. Thinking of either farm saved skyfall sown late october or maybe keep this stuff (kilburn) and do another spring wheat? Will plaster with muck sometime to make me feel like its going to make a difference!
Looks great but as you say ears seem small. Have you ever tried belepi? Neighbour has some and think I might do a bit.
 
Looks great but as you say ears seem small. Have you ever tried belepi? Neighbour has some and think I might do a bit.

The reason I wasnt so fussed on Belepi was because people seemed to think it tillered poorly and the heads were small!! This seems no different.

We've certainly had a reasonable amount of sun and the rain when we needed it so if it does 3t/acre I'll be happy enough I think - but if it doesn't do that this year I'd wonder when it would. Its ony had a triazole and CTL to eat twice so inputs are a bit less.
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
The reason I wasnt so fussed on Belepi was because people seemed to think it tillered poorly and the heads were small!! This seems no different.

We've certainly had a reasonable amount of sun and the rain when we needed it so if it does 3t/acre I'll be happy enough I think - but if it doesn't do that this year I'd wonder when it would. Its ony had a triazole and CTL to eat twice so inputs are a bit less.
Ears massive on neighbours which is why I asked. you should get your 3t/ac I guess.
 
Ears massive on neighbours which is why I asked. you should get your 3t/ac I guess.

Ah interesting to hear. This didn't go in until April 10th though so I wonder how much of a bearing that has on things. What about my second wheat question - is a early spring sown second wheat maybe better than a autumn sown second wheat given that this land is lighter and septoria and take all is about? Could quite happily sow the spring wheat early march if needs be
 

Simon Chiles

DD Moderator
Ah interesting to hear. This didn't go in until April 10th though so I wonder how much of a bearing that has on things. What about my second wheat question - is a early spring sown second wheat maybe better than a autumn sown second wheat given that this land is lighter and septoria and take all is about? Could quite happily sow the spring wheat early march if needs be

If you can tell what a crop is going to yield just by looking at it you're better than I am. Had a crop of Soissons that the day before I combined it didn't look much with very small ears, it yielded 4.5 tonnes/acre.
 

rob1

Member
Location
wiltshire
Zero till spring wheat after Kale last yearView attachment 547794

Looking pretty good really hardly any septoria. Flowering now, small heads.

This has also been an interesting lesson because this was a very bromey field but a healthy slug of liberator pre-em has done a brilliant job on it thus far. And I know its done a good job because one small miss with the sprayer had a bit of brome in it.

That said because its quite bromey I think I will have to turn it to second wheat rather than a winter barley. Any comments on the approach to take as second wheat isn't amazing down here. Thinking of either farm saved skyfall sown late october or maybe keep this stuff (kilburn) and do another spring wheat? Will plaster with muck sometime to make me feel like its going to make a difference!
I have some second wheat after SW looks ok at the moment, someone said here the other day that spring cereals arent in the ground long enough for take to get a hold, how true that is I dont know, at least the volunteers arent a problem unlike following SB
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
Ah interesting to hear. This didn't go in until April 10th though so I wonder how much of a bearing that has on things. What about my second wheat question - is a early spring sown second wheat maybe better than a autumn sown second wheat given that this land is lighter and septoria and take all is about? Could quite happily sow the spring wheat early march if needs be
Not sure, especially in a no till scenario. My instinct would be autumn sow it but that's only a hunch. We have grown continuous spring barley here for several years (no longer) and I think its quite sustainable, especially with some autumn cover.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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