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Location |
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Lincolnshire-Leicestershire border |
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Size, average field size and spread |
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400ha, 10ha |
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Soils and landscape |
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Largely on dense, slowly permeable seasonally waterlogged
clay soils
(Denchworth association) developed on Lias Clay. Locally, more permeable
sandy clay loam soils are seasonally affected by groundwater
(Wigton Moor association). |
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Cropping |
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180ha winter wheat and 180ha winter oilseed rape
with 40ha part
permanent/part rotational set aside. |
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Workforce |
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Managed by family labour (father and son) with a
student at harvest. |
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Equipment and cultivation machinery |
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Galucho 5m discs; Simba 12m Cambridge rolls; 2-legged
mole
plough; Subsoiler; Kuhn SD4000 4m Direct-Drill; 285hp CAT
Challenger (8 years old); 185hp John Deere 8100 (5 years old); 130hp
Renault 110-54 (8 years old); Berthoud S/P Sprayer, 3000 l/28m boom. |
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Cultivation Policy |
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After set aside land is
moled, disced, roll/pressed then winter wheat direct-drilled. Sub-soiling
only when necessary, usually on headlands where traffic has turned after
wet
harvest. |
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Wheat 
OSR |
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Inter-crop is sprayed and oilseed rape direct-drilled |
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OSR
wheat |
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Disc 
Roll; |
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Discussion |
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Decision to change |
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Cost saving and to conserve soil moisture and allow
early September drilling of winter
wheat (100 seeds/m
2
– 50kg/ha) to give greatest yield potential (10t/ha). |
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How |
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The Case rotary combine chops and evenly spreads
both straw and chaff. Stubbles are
left long (30-40cm) to improve combine output and reduce amount of straw
to be
chopped and re-distributed. Grass weeds are controlled in oilseed rape and
broad-leaved
weeds in cereals. Glyphosate is used pre-drilling. Compaction is avoided
by
travelling only when dry; all vehicles including combine and chaser bin
are fitted with
LGP tyres or tracks. Liquid fertiliser and sprays are applied down 28m tramlines
to
reduce wheelings. |
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Benefits |
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Cost-saving: on heavy land, achieving a satisfactory
seedbed with a plough-based system
was a problem (4 passes with power harrow) and cost equalled £134/ha
(£94/ha-light
land) compared with £58/ha for direct drilling system. |
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Problems |
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Slugs: due to oilseed rape grown close in rotation,
the wetter weather and build up of
surface trash. Slug pellets are not a solution to the problem. |
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Solutions Found |
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Increasing the gap between rape crops by growing
second wheat (now grass weeds
controlled); establishing wheat after set-aside is a rotational change that
will be made.
Light discing or other suitable surface cultivation to incorporate crop
residue and create a
less slug-friendly environment. The use of gypsum is also an effective way
to reduce slug
numbers. |
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