sowing a wheat crop

  • 13 Replies
  • 2532 Views
*

rowlandwells

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: northamptonshire
  • 3151
sowing a wheat crop
« on: November 14, 2020, 18:19 »
I've been thinking about growing a crop of wheat on part of our plot not for the seed content the birds can help themselves  to that i was thinking on the lines from a comment one of my farmer friends said after cutting the field the back of our house

he usually bales  the straw after combining the crop but he spread the straw back on the field this year  i asked him why he did this and he said there was more value in putting the straw back in the ground as a natural fertilizer so i thought that mite be worth trying next season maybe it mite put some humus back in the soil?

if it works then we can do a strip each season on a rotation basis as a soil improver by digging the straw back in the ground?

*

Aunt Sally

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Sunny Kent
  • 30460
  • Everyone's Aunty
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2020, 18:30 »
We do similar.  We cover our plot with straw from the local stables to a depth of about 3 inches each autumn.

The worms pull some of it in over winter.  It’s very good as a weed suppressant in spring.  Some we lift and put on the compost heap if we want to clear a space.

*

Nobbie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Wilmslow, Cheshire
  • 1123
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2020, 15:39 »
It might be better to use something like Hungarian grazing rye as you dig this in before it seeds and dries out. I think straw will be a real pain to try to dig in without a plough and could take quite a while to rot down.

*

rowlandwells

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: northamptonshire
  • 3151
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2020, 15:57 »
I think that's a good idea Aunty we did the same a couple of years ago when we had plenty of horse manure mixed with straw unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances we don't get much horse manure now and its raw horse poo of the field with no straw

so that was the  idea of growing a wheat crop from seed on the allotment much the same as growing green manure and although we will be growing some mustard again next season its going to be a learning curb by sowing the both  side by side on the plot to see if they improve the soil if that makes sense to nourish the ground with something  because  the supplier of our cattle manure has packed up farming  end of cattle manure supply :(

so basically sow the wheat seed on part of the plot keeping it clear of weeds that's  important i will be spraying my wheat crop with a selected spray something like one would use on there lawn so not to kill the   
 corn but supress the weeds then when the crop is ready cut it down and dig it in the ground i hope this makes it more clearer what i intend to do basically its a trial if it works job well done if not its back to the drawing board

*

rowlandwells

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: northamptonshire
  • 3151
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2020, 17:21 »
Hi Nobbie i forgot to say yes i will be ploughing the straw in and as its going to be in the ground overwinter it will be well rotted by the time we start planting  ;)

*

8doubles

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Hakin Pembrokeshire
  • 5266
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2020, 19:25 »
I think the main reason farmers plough in wheatstraw is low prices and not being allowed to burn it ! ;)
There are pest issues with uncut cereal crops plus the straw uses up nitrogen when decomposing.
There are probably  better green manures to be had.
« Last Edit: November 20, 2020, 10:46 by 8doubles »

*

rowlandwells

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: northamptonshire
  • 3151
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2020, 18:03 »
i have been told there is a shortfall of straw this season and straw is costing more to buy in and of cause there's the minimum cultivation on unploughed  land after the crop has been harvested as the straw is chopped up and the ground sowed directly onto the leftover straw not sure about farmers using green manure as its not something that's farmers grow round here but one would have thought growing green manure would be a better option to improve soil but not sure on that one ?

and although straw burning was banned i believe there's more value in ploughing the straw back in the ground than burning it but taking the environmental issues aside there ground was much cleaner after the straw was burned just a bit of potash

*

8doubles

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Hakin Pembrokeshire
  • 5266
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2020, 19:48 »
i have been told there is a shortfall of straw this season and straw is costing more to buy in and of cause there's the minimum cultivation on unploughed  land after the crop has been harvested as the straw is chopped up and the ground sowed directly onto the leftover straw not sure about farmers using green manure as its not something that's farmers grow round here but one would have thought growing green manure would be a better option to improve soil but not sure on that one ?

and although straw burning was banned i believe there's more value in ploughing the straw back in the ground than burning it but taking the environmental issues aside there ground was much cleaner after the straw was burned just a bit of potash
It used to be quite common to undersow a cereal crop with green manure such as clover , not heard so much about it in recent years.
 We used to shoot a lot of Woodpigeon over Clover in stubble back in the 70's.
Have you had a look at Comfrey for your patch ?
Bocking 42 springs to mind.

*

grinling

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Lincs
  • 3673
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2020, 20:11 »
short fall of straw because shortfall of wheat, because farmers could not plant winter wheat and spring wheat prices too expensive, so fields were not sown. Also, not much wheat this year due to the soil conditions as it rained last year for several months.
Burning the straw and getting the ash was good for the soil.
Good crop rotation works just as good.

*

rowlandwells

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: northamptonshire
  • 3151
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #9 on: November 21, 2020, 09:49 »
yes your rite Grinling  there is a shortfall of wheat because of the inclement weather that was the case round here and most of the country and we all know when things get in short supply prices tend to rise and of cause there's never the yields from spring grown crops than winter sown

but I'm not sure that crop rotation plays an integral part of improving crops and yields as its been a rule of thumb for both farmers and gardeners for past years but one of the biggest problems for cereal growers is black grass now rampant in cereal crops that is a major problem as for  crop rotation well quite a lot of farmers looked at growing rape for a break crop but unfortunately these crops are been destroyed by the flee beetle therefor uneconomical to even consider growing as an  alternative break crop  so what's the alternative break crop for crop rotation something I'm afraid i haven't  got the answer for 

*

jezza

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1602
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2020, 22:34 »
Hello I dont know which part of the country you are in as I have a supplier of  bagged well rotted horse manure  he gets the horse manure from racing stables and composts it then steam sterilizes it can give you his name if you are interested   jezza

*

rowlandwells

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: northamptonshire
  • 3151
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #11 on: November 26, 2020, 18:59 »
that's a nice thought Jezza but we live in the middle of the country probably not worth collecting it but as i said nice of you to offer we do get some horse manure that we stack down the allotments but suppose you gathered I'm very interested in putting something back in the ground to improve the quality of the soil 

thank again RW

*

grinling

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Lincs
  • 3673
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #12 on: November 26, 2020, 19:28 »
Our farmer, who planted carrots and barley for other farmers as spring wheat was too pricey, said he was down 70 tonnes for wheat and that he would not grow rape again. We have a straw burner up here for hot water as well as methane makers.
Putting fresh horse manure over a plot in winter would help it to go in.

*

jezza

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 1602
Re: sowing a wheat crop
« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2020, 20:36 »
Hello if you cut the wheat with either a brush cutter with a heavy line into 4 inch pieces  or a rotary cutter it will put goodness back into the soil ,local carrot man flail cuts all the straw that he covers his carrots with as he lifts the carrots,as the straw and carrots go up the harvester the straw and soil is mixed together   jezza



xx
Wheat experiment.....

Started by malky on Grow Your Own

4 Replies
1365 Views
Last post March 26, 2021, 16:28
by malky
xx
Wheat Straw

Started by Woodhousemoor on Grow Your Own

5 Replies
1495 Views
Last post May 22, 2011, 13:59
by Woodhousemoor
xx
growing wheat on an allotment

Started by p00rstudent on Grow Your Own

17 Replies
10713 Views
Last post July 28, 2008, 09:34
by p00rstudent
xx
Milling Wheat, Oats and Barley

Started by lincolnshirepoacher on Grow Your Own

8 Replies
2112 Views
Last post February 23, 2012, 20:37
by ilan
 

Page created in 0.411 seconds with 39 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |