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Acres Catch crop Woes

wicklow_hunter · 2024-03-17 20:54:14

So I signed up to Acres catch crops and planted 50 acres after harvest 2023 thinking it was a great idea. Never done catch crops before I choose to sow fodder rape and leafey turnip what a disaster! Thought I was going to be sorted with a ready supply of feed for early spring. How wrong was I. Managed to graze 5 acres of…

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17-03-2024 9:54pm

#1

wicklow_hunter

Registered Users Posts: 156 ✭✭

Join Date: March 2009

Posts: 105

So I signed up to Acres catch crops and planted 50 acres after harvest 2023 thinking it was a great idea. Never done catch crops before
I choose to sow fodder rape and leafey turnip what a disaster! Thought I was going to be sorted with a ready supply of feed for early spring. How wrong was I.
Managed to graze 5 acres of ground out of 50. Cattle destroyed the field and probably set me back 2 weeks come planting if this weather ever takes up that is...
In my ignorance I didn't spray it all off in January. Since then it's shot out and stands 5ft in places and in full flower (fodder rape)
Let them out recently the cattle are not bothered with it some say its detrimental to cattle if grazed after flowering. So I don't leave them on it too long
given the cost of roundup and the height of it and risk to cattle i hooked up the Mower and knocked it down last week. Broke down fairly well.
Can't fathem any benifits so far with cost of catch crop seed, planting the crop and then roundup your bearly at breakeven with it.
With that said planning on sowing spring crops barley / wheat how much manure should I cut back on if any ?
Similarly with chopping straw how much manure can I cut back on for spring crops in 2024?
One last question was contemplating sowing beet b after fodder rape / leafy turnip. Read on-line that beet should not be sowed after oilseed rape for 2 years. Anyones experience wheater or not it's a go or no go to sow beet after fodder rape , leafey turnip would be appreciated.
TIA

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