cover crops

[Funkeyfarmer]

I have phacelia vetch mix here sown the same time and there is feck all on it apart from barley volunteers. Phacelia is almost non existent. Had seed rep out to look at it and of course he says it's ok but germination seems awful. Either way that's very impressive.

Was talking with my buddy who was going to set my cover crop there was some set 10days before us very patchy they were blaming the dry spell, between that and the fact it was September we changed to oats to at least get a good chance of a green mass. Might look at going in house next year to get better timing

 

[Soissons]

Fodder rape and leafy turnip up after4 days. Sown into chopped spring barley straw with discs and air seeder. I’ve given up on vetch and phacelia as it’s never established well.

 

[Bog Man]

A cover crop into chopped oat straw. When I was cutting it I thought my losses were higher.

Sprayed it off today.

 

[TAFKAT]

Sprayed it off today.

Why are you overlapping so much?

 

[Bog Man]

Why are you overlapping so much?

Huge headland and I ran out and drove back to the tank with out switching off the gps thingy . I also drove up the field to spray around a woods a monument a tree and I doubled back to spray an environmentally sensitive area.

 

[Blackwater boy]

Sprayed it off today.

Would you think you got value for money with that cover crop? It looks rather sparse.

 

[Bog Man]

Would you think you got value for money with that cover crop? It looks rather sparse.

I only sowed it around 9Kg /Ha and I think it helps the straw break down . I had a dig and the soil is in great nick . The cover crop is bonsai in the rows of chopped straw .

 

[nashmach]

What's going in next Bog Man?

 

[Bog Man]

Winter wheat going in next . The cover crop goes a lot deeper than the volunteer Oats. Incidentally the oats are a lot greener where there is no cover crop due to a fuseholder on the cable to the seeder burning out .

 

[Masseyrk662]

Rape, turnip, raddish sown around the last week of July I think it was

 

[Bog Man]

This field is destined for Spring Barley and I hope to get slurry on it .

 

[no name]

This was a heavy enough crop of isobel with the straw chopped, when we incorporated the straw there was a few bags of old glas seed which to get rid of we threw into the seeder to use up. It really took off and along with the volunteers has kept the sheep going for the last month. Plan to spray off at the end of the week and sow next week.

 

[Masseyrk662]

Dissapointed with the raddish it’s very stemy compared to the stuff sown last august

 

[towbar]

Dissapointed with the raddish it’s very stemy compared to the stuff sown last august

Still doing plenty of cultivation under the surface for you

 

[marco]

Dissapointed with the raddish it’s very stemy compared to the stuff sown last august

Every year is different. Some years I have covers up to my chest, others it might not get near my knee. Same field.

 

[Blackwater boy]

Every year is different. Some years I have covers up to my chest, others it might not get near my knee. Same field.

Would you notice any difference in the following crop? Do big covers use up more nutrients than small ones if you get me?

 

[Paw]

Would you notice any difference in the following crop? Do big covers use up more nutrients than small ones if you get me?

If you incorporate them they aren't removing anything.

 

[Blackwater boy]

If you incorporate them they aren't removing anything.

The cover crop breaking down in the spring can somtimes tie up nutrients to help break itself down, that’s why I asked as I have not much experience on this.

 

[Paw]

The cover crop breaking down in the spring can somtimes tie up nutrients to help break itself down, that’s why I asked as I have not much experience on this.

Same as incorporating chopped straw although fresh green material would be easier broken down. First year would be the worst after that it finds equilibrium.

 

[marco]

Would you notice any difference in the following crop? Do big covers use up more nutrients than small ones if you get me?

We graze our covers so it's recycled back into the ground quicker

 

[Masseyrk662]

When I was in college I remember looking at carbon to nitrogen ratios and I remember green material was very low so very easily broken down??? I could be getting confused now the hamster had a long day.. but bean and OSR straw also easy enough break down but then wheat straw is crazy hard to break drown. I think that’s how it went anyway

 

[KTM 450]

Anyone experimented with ploughing down the cover crop green or spraying off and leaving it die down well before ploughing. Which is best?

 

[headcase]

Anyone experimented with ploughing down the cover crop green or spraying off and leaving it die down well before ploughing. Which is best?

Personally if your ploughing just plough it

 

[Barrowsider]

We graze our covers so it's recycled back into the ground quicker

Does most the cover crop nutrition not walk out the gate in the form of live weight gain when the sheep are finished grazing?

 

[Bog Man]

I grew Beans after a cover crop and after grazed Rape and the beans were a foot taller after the grazing. I would value the biology of the grazing despite the poaching. Biology gives you free nutrition.