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Connecting agri-science with farming
Connecting agri-science with farming
Types of Crops
1. Purpose is to benefit subsequent crops
2. Cover crops
1. Planted between normal crops
3. Catch crops
1. Short term version of cover crops
4. Companion crops
1. A frost sensitive species grown within a winter crop
Connecting agri-science with farming
Catch and Cover Crops – EFA• Catch Crops and Cover Crops - whilst this is classified as one type of EFA the crops
varies.
• Catch crops need to be established by 31st August and retained until at least 1st October in the BPS year.
• Cover crops need to be established by 1st October (in the BPS year) and retained until at least 15th January.
• Both however must consist of a sown mix of at least 2 different cover types (one cereal & one non-cereal).
Cereal: Non-Cereal :Rye Vetch Barley PhaceliaOats Mustard
Lucerne Oilseed Radish (new for 2016)
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Timing
AUGUST SEPT WK 1 WK 2 WK 3 WK 4 OCT WK 1 WK 2
white mustard
radish
rye
black oats
vetch
phacelia
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Spring Timing
MARCH APRIL MAY
Westerwolds
Spring rye
Radish
Vetch
Phaceila
Mustard
Buckwheat
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Benefits
Below Above Other
Increase organic matter Reduce soil erosion Grants
Improve soil structure Weed control Visual improvement
Nutrient capture Grazing Farming image
N fixation Better wildlife habitat Higher yields
Soil biota Use in AD plants Cultivation costs
Increase residue cycling Allelopathy
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Increase organic matter
Connecting agri-science with farming
Suppresser 2:Black Oats 80%Phacelia 10%
Oil Radish 10% Mustard
Improve soil structure
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Connecting agri-science with farming
Winter Pea
Daikon Radish
Rye
Purple TopTurnip
Mustard
Vetch
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Nutrient capture
1. Anything in this sector is subject to huge variation
2. 40-70 kg / ha – growth, seed rate, weather etc
3. Establish by mid Sept, destroy by end Feb
4. N release varies – moisture, temperature, method and
timing of destruction
5. Efficiency varies by C:N ratio
ADAS Summary
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Nutrient capture
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Rhizobium bacteria in the root nodules convert atmospheric N into nitrogen
N fixation
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N fixation
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
kg N/ha/year
Red clover (silage)
Lucerne (silage)
Field bean (grain crop)
Forage peas
White clover/grass (grazed)
Lupin (grain crop)
Vetch (cut & mulched)
Soya (grain crop)
White clover/grass (silage)
Figure 1. Provisional ranges for quantities of N fixed and remaining
after harvest
N fixed
N after harvest
(including roots)
Connecting agri-science with farming
Soil biota
1. Air
2. Water
3. Sand/silt/clay
4. Amf – competition time
5. Micro-organisms
6. Plants
7. Insects
8. Nematodes
9. Earthworms
10.Molluscs
11.Vertebrates
Connecting agri-science with farming
Connecting agri-science with farming
Increase residue cycling
Brassica cover crops such as rape, turnips, radishes, and mustards
accelerate the breakdown of residue such as wheat stubble. This can
help reduce C:N ratios of residue in the soil and allow for a warmer and
drier seedbed for earlier planting of crops the following spring.
Connecting agri-science with farming
Benefits
Below Above Other
Increase organic matter Reduce soil erosion Grants
Improve soil structure Weed control Visual improvement
N fixing Grazing Farming image
Provide nitrogen Better wildlife habitat Higher yields
Soil biota Use in AD plants Cultivation costs
Increase residue cycling Allelopathy
Connecting agri-science with farming
Connecting agri-science with farming
Benefits
Below Above Other
Increase organic matter Reduce soil erosion Grants
Improve soil structure Weed control Visual improvement
N fixing Grazing Farming image
Provide nitrogen Better wildlife habitat Higher yields
Soil biota Use in AD plants Cultivation costs
Increase residue cycling Allelopathy
Connecting agri-science with farming
Reduced soil erosion
Slopes
Winter stubbles
Exposed sites
Later harvests
Connecting agri-science with farming
Connecting agri-science with farming
Weed control
1. What is your weed profile
2. Are you trying to encourage weeds and destroy them?
3. Or supress the germination
4. Blackgrass
1. Plough
2. Drill cover crop
3. Direct drill with minimal soil disturbance
Connecting agri-science with farming
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Stubble
Pre
ss
ure
lb
s/s
q in
ch
Cover Crop Trial Stow Longa
3"
6"
9"
12"
15"
18"
Connecting agri-science with farming
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Stubble
Pre
ss
ure
lb
s/s
q in
ch
Cover Crop Trial Stow Longa
3"
6"
9"
12"
15"
18"
Blackgrass
80 / sqm
Connecting agri-science with farming
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Oil Radish Phacelia/mustard Black Oats + Vetch
Pre
ss
ure
lb
s/s
q in
ch
Cover Crop Trial Stow Longa
3"
6"
9"
12"
15"
18"
Connecting agri-science with farming
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Oil Radish Phacelia/mustard Black Oats + Vetch
Pre
ss
ure
lb
s/s
q in
ch
Cover Crop Trial Stow Longa
3"
6"
9"
12"
15"
18"
Blackgrass
75 / sqm
Blackgrass
53 / sqmBlackgrass
35 / sqm
Connecting agri-science with farming
Grazing
Connecting agri-science with farming
HDC Project FV 299
Crib Sheet
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Better wildlife habitat
Nettles attract lots of wildlife
Connecting agri-science with farming
Use for AD
Connecting agri-science with farming
Other considerations1. Costs
2. Yields
3. Biomass
4. Allelopathy
5. Blackgrass
6. Lemken
7. Stubble
8. Adios oil radish
9. Black oats
10.Phacelia
11.White mustard
Connecting agri-science with farming
Green manure trials results
crop profit loss
control £0
White mustard drilled £7
White mustard broadcast -£36
Westerwolds -£57
Vetch -£60
Brown mustard -£203
Rye -£217
Cotswold Farm Park 2014
grain costed at £170BACK
Connecting agri-science with farming
No consistent measurable benefit can be attributable to green manures
in the second cropping year after incorporation with a conventional
rotation
Benefits
increases soil organic matter
Assistance in meeting regs
Lower N usage
But
no sustained yield benefits
no sustained nutrient differences
no sustained soil physical difference
ADHA 2006-8 summary
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Fodder radish, N rate and Spring barley
Connecting agri-science with farming
Fodder radish, N rate and Spring barley
Applied soon after drilling 21.3.13 Applied on 26.3.13
Untreated Untreated
radish 90 kg / ha Untreated
radish 90 kg / ha 30 kg / ha
radish 90 kg / ha 60 kg / ha
radish 90 kg / ha 90 kg / ha
Connecting agri-science with farming
Fodder radish, N rate and Spring barley
BACK
Connecting agri-science with farming
Biomass production
BACK
Connecting agri-science with farming
Allelopathy
Buckwheat
• Is a frost sensitive
• Fast growing
• Either grown as a grain crop or a
cover crop
• It’s exudates reduce development
of other plants
• For those of you who use Callisto
on maize it comes from
bottlebrush plant
Connecting agri-science with farming
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
100.0
120.0
140.0
160.0
180.0
No
buckwheat
Sown with
rhizomes
One week
after
rhizomes
Two weeks
after
rhizomes
Three
weeks after
rhizomes
Mean
fre
sh
wg
t (g
) co
uch
Allelopathy
43% 35% 33% 15%
Connecting agri-science with farming
Higher densities of buckwheat significantly reduced
couch fresh weight (g)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
No buckwheat Buckwheat @
80 kg/ha
Buckwheat @
160 kg/ha
Mean
fre
sh
wg
ht
(g)
co
uch
26% 37%
Meaned across all treatments£200/h £400/h
Connecting agri-science with farming
Higher densities of buckwheat significantly reduced
couch fresh weight (g)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
No buckwheat Buckwheat @
80 kg/ha
Buckwheat @
160 kg/ha
Mean
fre
sh
wg
ht
(g)
co
uch
26% 37%
Meaned across all treatments£200/h £400/h
But also reduced wheat plants
BACK
Connecting agri-science with farming
1. Reduction of black-grass – even from the later drilling date with cover
crops
2. Yield improvements in year one – debateable
3. Don’t disturb the soil when drilling the next crop
4. the Lemken Solitaire using discs only to create a low disturbance profile
outyielded the Claydon system by around one tonne/ha across the
various treatments
Blackgrass
BACK
Connecting agri-science with farming
Lemken Disc ‘DD’ type roll v ribbed roll
• Soil structure ok in top few inches,
however a pan is quickly reached at a shallow depth.
Connecting agri-science with farming
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
3" 6" 9" 12" 15" 18"
Pre
ss
ure
lb
s/s
q in
ch
Depth
Lemken 'DD' type roll
Lemken ribbed roll
BACK
Connecting agri-science with farming
Stubble - Straw Rake
• Compaction obvious and
very easily smeared
Connecting agri-science with farming
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
3" 6" 9" 12" 15" 18"
Pre
ss
ure
lb
s/s
q in
ch
Depth
Stubble
BACK
Connecting agri-science with farming
Adios Oil Radish @ 18kg/ha
Connecting agri-science with farming
Oil Radish
• Good tap root which shows
some attempt to break
through the compacted layer.
• Lateral roots which enhance
the crumb structure.
Connecting agri-science with farming
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
3" 6" 9" 12" 15" 18"
Pre
ss
ure
lb
s/s
q in
ch
Depth
Oil Radish
BACK
Connecting agri-science with farming
Black Oat (Panache) @ 15kg/ha +
Purple Vetch 10kg + Savane Hairy Vetch 5kg
Connecting agri-science with farming
Black Oat and Vetch
• Very good crumb structure
established, combination of both
lateral and deep roots from the three
different species present.
• Breaks through compaction well.
Connecting agri-science with farming
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
3" 6" 9" 12" 15" 18"
Pre
ss
ure
lb
s/s
q in
ch
Depth
Black Oats + Vetch
BACK
Connecting agri-science with farming
Phacelia @ 10kg/ha
Connecting agri-science with farming
Phacelia• Very good system of lateral
roots produced creating a
good crumb structure,
within top 10cm
• Lacks the ability to break
through any compaction
below 10cm.
Connecting agri-science with farming
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
3" 6" 9" 12" 15" 18"
Pre
ss
ure
lb
s/s
q in
ch
Depth
Phacelia
BACK
Connecting agri-science with farming
Braco White Mustard @ 10kg/ha
• Not as deep rooting as Oil Radish,
tendency to bend and twist as a
result of compaction, therefore
doesn’t break through the pan.
• Acts as a water pump, drying the
top layer of soil.
Connecting agri-science with farming
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
3" 6" 9" 12" 15" 18"
Pre
ss
ure
lb
s/s
q in
ch
Depth
White Mustard
BACK
