Arable silage

farmer pickells said:
Right im thinking of sowing 8 acres of arable silage this spring,ive grown it the last few years,what way do Ye lads grow it?
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If your going to the bother of growing it best do it right, grow it as if it were a normal crop of barley, you have all the ways of making your own silage get a sp with proper wholecrop header to cut it, haul and do the pit yourself, doing wholecrop here for 12 years, roll it well and put a net on top for birds, put down poison early for the rats and you will be grand.
 
ithastopay said:
If your going to the bother of growing it best do it right, grow it as if it were a normal crop of barley, you have all the ways of making your own silage get a sp with proper wholecrop header to cut it, haul and do the pit yourself, doing wholecrop here for 12 years, roll it well and put a net on top for birds, put down poison early for the rats and you will be grand.
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Never knew that a whole crop header could cut grass aswell
I dont know of anyone with a whole crop header near me :undecided:
 
Have grown it here. Would have to disagree with DP. It's a great way of getting bulk back off of taking a field out for reseeding. It's not just bulk though, it's great bloody feed.
Use unrolled feed barley (doesn't really matter that much if it's been dried, most of it will still germinate, just sow it down a bit heavier). I one pass it in, then follow with a second light run of the one pass to sow the grass.
Best mower I've seen to mow this stuff is a JF CMT 245 with the conditioner off, but very low revs on a standard conditioner mower is ok. Mow when the grain is at the cheesy stage. Dont allow it to wilt, it'll be dry enough. Pick up the swarths the opposite way to the way it was mowed.
We've done ours with the wagon and mowed down a few other fields of grass at the same time and alternated loads from the two crops. Leave a few acres of grass somewhere to top off the pit at the end to seal it off.
I have seen it done with a double chop which was a good job too.
Also saw it mowed down and grouped for a self propelled, the farmer was not best pleased!

Posted from the Ham Bone using Crapatalk 2
 
IMHO I would think the Monsanto stuff has the edge over the generic stuff. As for the arable silage bit, burn off field, plough and level and fertilise as normal, usually think 4-5 stone per acre of barley seed per acre is fine, I have seen it done by spreading the barley with the fert spreader then set grass with the 1 pass as normal. Best way is cut with the claas disco header with the mill in the harvestor and into the pit around roughly the 1st week August. At least this way the grain is cracked and then you get full value of it. It helps bulk up the silage a bit and field reseeded then but do not sow too much barley or it will smother the grass and bare patches all over the field. It only tests out average tho as the high straw content pulls down the dmd. A good weed spray, 70-80 units n and 1 fungicide at awns out and job done.
 
Agri Power said:
Was it raked or was it picked up from the mower.? If it was raked it is most likely caused by the rake gathering in stones and earth contaminating the crop.we gave up using the rake on first crops taken off fresh ground due to this either on reseeded ground or for "Horrible Silage"
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No rake used, it was cut in single swards, contractor wouldn't use the grouper to stop grain loss
 
headcase said:
well make sure that the arable isn't double sown as it will smother the grass and kill it
make sure you look at it as a reseed with a arable bonus
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Great way of putting it alright. [MENTION=2357]farmer pickells [/MENTION] are you sowing the 2 fields I mulched?

Posted from the Ham Bone using Crapatalk 2
 
lough said:
Why would that be late, are you thinking of grazing it a few times afterwards?
I was thinking of sowing some this year after the first cut about mid June
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Sown in June you would be lucky to get anything before October if at all. Do you really want to be dragging silage trailers through a new reseed then :no:

Sow it early or spare yourself the cost of the seed and just do a straight reseed
 
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