WW, WW, SW as a rotation?

[warksfarmer]

Leading on from this thread :

http://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/cont-spring-wheat-with-cover-crop.4914/page-2

I am still wondering about this soil. Beans are not an option because unless I plough them in or make a proper min till seed bed there will be slots wide open. I don't want to touch the soil to much due to a grass weed problem so what about going 1st and 2nd wheat using a full herb program and properly going for 4t/ac which this soil can do (so throw the kitchen sink at it) then after the 2nd wheat harvest fallow it until the following April before planting spring wheat aiming for as close to 3t/ac as possible.

The idea being I hit 3.8t/ac average on the winter crops and then 2.8t/ac for spring so I am doing 3.5t/ac average which we could not achieve growing continuous winter wheat on it previously (see above thread). This would allow me wheat on it continuously but with a 7-8 month gap every 3rd year??....

 

[DRC]

Leading on from this thread :

http://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/cont-spring-wheat-with-cover-crop.4914/page-2

I am still wondering about this soil. Beans are not an option because unless I plough them in or make a proper min till seed bed there will be slots wide open. I don't want to touch the soil to much due to a grass weed problem so what about going 1st and 2nd wheat using a full herb program and properly going for 4t/ac which this soil can do (so throw the kitchen sink at it) then after the 2nd wheat harvest fallow it until the following April before planting spring wheat aiming for as close to 3t/ac as possible.

The idea being I hit 3.8t/ac average on the winter crops and then 2.8t/ac for spring so I am doing 3.5t/ac average which we could not achieve growing continuous winter wheat on it previously (see above thread). This would allow me wheat on it continuously but with a 7-8 month gap every 3rd year??....

What yields do you think you would get in years 4 and 5?

 

[Andrew K]

I would think the spring break will do wonders for grass weed control myself, alot depends on your cultivation and drilling system really.
I also wonder if 4t/ac will be easily achievable for the winter crops by year 4 and 5?

 

[warksfarmer]

What yields do you think you would get in years 4 and 5?

Hoping back to 3.8t because in year 3 it was not a full crop.

Or do I think about ww, ww, sw, sw?

Remember when growing continuous winter wheat we got down to 2.5t/ac in year 8/9 which is just not good at all. We need to be achieving over 3t/ac continuously and even then it's not ideal really.

 

[Clive]

Hoping back to 3.8t because in year 3 it was not a full crop.

Or do I think about ww, ww, sw, sw?

Remember when growing continuous winter wheat we got down to 2.5t/ac in year 8/9 which is just not good at all. We need to be achieving over 3t/ac continuously and even then it's not ideal really.

Isn't year 3 and 4 supposed to be the worst years in continuous wheat when take all builds ? After that its all suposed to get better again ?

Doesn't this rotation just create a lot a year 3 take all problems ?

It's too much like monoculture for my liking, farming without break crops is surely asking for trouble and not good for your soil / long term yields ?

 

[DRC]

does it have to be continuous wheat or why not use oats,winter or spring as a takeall break.They were very profitable for me last year, doing just under 3 ton/acre without many inputs.

 

[Clive]

I think spring beans would do well on your land lee, it's a bit strong for oats IMO you would struggle to keep them up

Linseed is the ultimate cleaning crop and has a decent margin

 

[Fraserb]

Isn't year 3 and 4 supposed to be the worst years in continuous wheat when take all builds ? After that its all suposed to get better again ?

Doesn't this rotation just create a lot a year 3 take all problems ?

It's too much like monoculture for my liking, farming without break crops is surely asking for trouble and not good for your soil / long term yields ?

We certainly found year 3-4 the worst when we were putting land into continuous wheat, dropping from 10.5 t/ha down to 8.5 t/ha, now the fields are in there 10th year and excluding last year are back over 10 t/ha. We do have the huge advantage of mucking and slurrying every field every year.

 

[Clive]

We certainly found year 3-4 the worst when we were putting land into continuous wheat, dropping from 10.5 t/ha down to 8.5 t/ha, now the fields are in there 10th year and excluding last year are back over 10 t/ha. We do have the huge advantage of mucking and slurrying every field every year.

I've never grown continuous wheat but as you describe is how I thought it worked (on land that can take it)

Wonder why lee got a declining yield beyond the take all years ?

 

[Fraserb]

I've never grown continuous wheat but as you describe is how I thought it worked (on land that can take it)

Wonder why lee got a declining yield beyond the take all years ?

I think the muck and slurry do play a part, there was a couple of years when some fields were only part spread, come the spring the areas that weren't mucked got extra N from the bag but come harvest the combine still showed a difference.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Whats the Spring wheat for? Why not continous WW?