Tillage fields

brianmax88

I notice a lot of fields that have always been sowed with barley or wheat have a mixture of grass and kale. Just wondering whats the story with that are they getting out of tillage or is it winter fodder that will be ploughed in the spring?

Say my name

In response to the drought in Ireland this year, the government introduced a fodder/cover crop scheme to incentivise tillage farmers to grow crops to ease the impending fodder crises that looked to be appearing at the time.

Some is being used for fodder but the beauty of the scheme is that the crops are revitalizing soil health, storing nutrients from leaching, putting carbon in the ground through root exudates and the physical plant and helping potentially degraded tillage land and boosting the following crops performance.

Dakota Dan

Say my name wrote: »

In response to the drought in Ireland this year, the government introduced a fodder/cover crop scheme to incentivise tillage farmers to grow crops to ease the impending fodder crises that looked to be appearing at the time.

Some is being used for fodder but the beauty of the scheme is that the crops are revitalizing soil health, storing nutrients from leaching, putting carbon in the ground through root exudates and the physical plant and helping potentially degraded tillage land and boosting the following crops performance.

A few around here did that, the forage rape is only 4” high though, it will start growing again in feb but will delay spring planting.

wrangler

brianmax88 wrote: »

I notice a lot of fields that have always been sowed with barley or wheat have a mixture of grass and kale. Just wondering whats the story with that are they getting out of tillage or is it winter fodder that will be ploughed in the spring?

Kale was probably sowed in the field and the small grains from the previous crop got harrowed in with the kale seed and those plants are what you see as grass as it germinated in the good weather.
There was more small grains than this year than usual because of the drought, they've really taken over this year even competing with the kale

cute geoge

I have seen massive crops of volunteer barley ,could the grant not have being claimed on this ground

wrangler

cute geoge wrote: »

I have seen massive crops of volunteer barley ,could the grant not have being claimed on this ground

I'd love to put my ewes out on some of it for december and then feck off for christmas again. Baa Humbug

Reggie.

wrangler wrote: »

I'd love to put my ewes out on some of it for december and then feck off for christmas again. Baa Humbug

Why didn't ya sow some?

Dakota Dan

wrangler wrote: »

Kale was probably sowed in the field and the small grains from the previous crop got harrowed in with the kale seed and those plants are what you see as grass as it germinated in the good weather.
There was more small grains than this year than usual because of the drought, they've really taken over this year even competing with the kale

More than likely rape as it would be too late for kale, may June is the time for sowing kale.

kevthegaff

Reggie. wrote: »

Why didn't ya sow some?

Getting too much in rent ☺

kevthegaff

Is it good for the land to outwinter on fooder rape or kale

Reggie.

kevthegaff wrote: »

Getting too much in rent ☺

Ah he kept a little bit for himself

wrangler

Reggie. wrote: »

Ah he kept a little bit for himself

And still stocked at eight ewes/acre so need all land in full production in the spring.

Waffletraktor

Dakota Dan wrote: »

A few around here did that, the forage rape is only 4” high though, it will start growing again in feb but will delay spring planting.

Depends if you like making money to buy nice things or recreational tillage.

Waffletraktor

kevthegaff wrote: »

Is it good for the land to outwinter on fooder rape or kale

Not if stock is let damage the soil.

Waffletraktor

Say my name wrote: »

In response to the drought in Ireland this year, the government introduced a fodder/cover crop scheme to incentivise tillage farmers to grow crops to ease the impending fodder crises that looked to be appearing at the time.

l

Up there with selling straw i can't see why guys bother. It was only 40€ sher it'd cost more to do the bloody job.

Mooooo

Waffletraktor wrote: »

Not if stock is let damage the soil.

Yearlings are the best group, incalf heifers can be too heavy if winter comes normal or wet I found anyway.

Say my name

Waffletraktor wrote: »

Up there with selling straw i can't see why guys bother. It was only 40€ sher it'd cost more to do the bloody job.

Crop rotation.
Ah it's the first step in the process in showing the way to conservation agriculture.

The other two steps being, no- till and residue retention.

They'll be using the three principles here soon enough.

Reggie.

wrangler wrote: »

And still stocked at eight ewes/acre so need all land in full production in the spring.

Rent some extra

wrangler

Reggie. wrote: »

Rent some extra

Feck it, lands a rip off around here

Reggie.

wrangler wrote: »

Feck it, lands a rip off around here

So I heard

Waffletraktor

Say my name wrote: »

Crop rotation.
Ah it's the first step in the process in showing the way to conservation agriculture.

The other two steps being, no- till and residue retention.

They'll be using the three principles here soon enough.

On no-til though with your wet fragile dirt you'd need controlled traffic until the robots arrive due to weight of kit imo.

Waffletraktor

Mooooo wrote: »

Yearlings are the best group, incalf heifers can be too heavy if winter comes normal or wet I found anyway.

If it was anything's ok if it's dry, when it's wet and ground turning to pudding with brown rivers after rain is the problem.
And in my view unless your using your own ground for your own stock someones always losing out and i've little sympathie for hoof farmers :pac:.

Say my name

Waffletraktor wrote: »

If it was anything's ok if it's dry, when it's wet and ground turning to pudding with brown rivers after rain is the problem.
And in my view unless your using your own ground for your own stock someones always losing out and i've little sympathie for hoof farmers :pac:.

Back fences needed for it, the same as a grass crop.

You may get a few four legged creatures.
You don't know what you're missing...

Mooooo

Waffletraktor wrote: »

If it was anything's ok if it's dry, when it's wet and ground turning to pudding with brown rivers after rain is the problem.
And in my view unless your using your own ground for your own stock someones always losing out and i've little sympathie for hoof farmers :pac:.

It was on our own place, incalf heifer in a normal winter was a bollix, yearlings were fine in same conditions. Normal winter here has plenty rain. It was TB forced my hand anyway, if I can avoid it I won't outwinter here again, need all thw ground in the spring anyway

blue5000

Waffletraktor wrote: »

Not if stock is let damage the soil.

I have to agree 100%. On the combine this year in a second crop of barley after redstart you could see a line where a temporary fence had been up, and nothing had walked on it. If anybody is grazing cover crops for the first time use a back fence as well if possible.

It doesn't matter how dry the land is, if it's raining on bare soil with stock on it, it will get compacted.