Minimum tillage methods have significantly reduced fuel costs associated with establishing winter crops on the AHDB’s monitor farm near Limavady this autumn.

Speaking during last week’s winter meeting, monitor farmer Alastair Craig gave an update on harvest and winter planting.

“We have been shallow ploughing to around five inches in recent years to reduce fuel costs, but the minimum tillage methods has made an even bigger difference,” Alastair told the crowd in attendance.

“This autumn, we used minimum tillage to sow out 100 acres with 40 acres of lucerne, 14 acres of winter barley, 20 acres of rye and 26 acres of winter wheat.

“We were typically using 6.5 litres per acre of diesel to plough and drill, covering 40 acres on a good day.

“With the minimum tillage, we use a disc to get some tilth, then drilled the seed. Combined, we were using 3.5 litres of diesel per acre and covering 100 acres per day.

“That’s a big saving on diesel and time. The discs were hired at a cost of £120/day, so at that rate, it would not pay to buy a set.

“On some of the ground, we used a six leg sub-soiler set nine inches deep as we were drilling. This increase diesel use by another 1.5 litres/acre, but is still cheaper than ploughing.

“So far, I have been impressed with how crops established after min-tilling, especially on the fields that were sub-soiled.

“They look far better than the crops established after ploughing and drilling, which I am hoping means they will require fewer fungicide treatments.

“Another big advantage has been the absence of slug damage to crops drilled into stubbles, something we were initially worried about with the mild conditions.”

Changing focus

Alastair works in partnership with his father Robert and uncle Thomas at Carsehall Farm, near Limavady.

Carsehall extends to 230ha (568 acres) of which 80ha (198 acres) is used to grow grain and straw for the farm’s 240 pedigree Holstein cows.

Lucerne is also grown as a break crop in the rotation and provides high protein forage for the dairy herd with three cuts made annually.

All arable crops grown are winter varieties, mainly barley and wheat but there is some thought being given to changing the rotation slightly.

“This autumn, our winter wheat was late going in the ground as it was following potatoes. It was drilled in the second week of November, much later than I would have liked.

“This is our last year for potatoes to be grown, so hopefully, we will be finished planting earlier next year.

“The other thing that may need tweaking is having 100% winter cereals, as everything is coming ripe around the same time.

“In the mid-summer, we got 100mm of rain on one day and it hit our winter barley hard with a lot of head losses.

“If there was greater variety, or a bigger spread on harvesting dates, this might not be as much of a problem,” Alastair outlined.

Positive harvest

Despite this, the 2022 harvest finished with yields averaging 3.25t/acre for winter barley.

“Some fields yielded really well in terms of grain and others that were affected by weather, were poorer. But, overall, grain yields were good although straw yields were disappointing.

“We had fields of Amistar barley that only yielded four bales per acre (8x4x3), whereas fields of Valerie barley yielded six bales per acre.”

We don’t like using chemicals on our crops and avoid them as far as possible

The Craig family put huge emphasis on soil health and have been trying to reduce compaction on cropping areas and grassland. “This year, a bale accumulator was purchased and collects five big square bales in each pass. Bales are then discharged on the field headlands, confining the amount of machinery travelling on soils to a smaller area.

“Less machinery travelling over the fields has to be a good thing for soil health and reducing compaction. It should also benefit the use of minimum tillage to drill the following crop in future.”

Trial and companion crops

Other changes made to the arable set-up this year sees a trail with 10 different varieties of barley drilled in the same field and greater use of companion crops over winter.

“We don’t like using chemicals on our crops and avoid them as far as possible. After talking to cereal growers in England, the decision was made to try multiple varieties of barley together.

“The idea is that each variety will have a different tolerance to disease and pests, preventing them spreading through the crop as we reduce the use of chemicals.

“Companion crops have also been grown to store up nitrogen and control weeds. We are combining a mix of rape, sunflower, spring beans, vetch and buckweed.

“The best crops are those with beans included. The plan is to try and control everything, except the oilseed rape in the spring. Seed cost £35/acre, so 1t/acre of rape will cover seed, culivation and harvesting.

“It won’t be the heaviest of crops, but we are already seeing soil biology improving with a doubling in worm counts. The plans will be to drill winter wheat after harvesting the rape,” concluded Alastair.

Trials found ‘yields were higher where there was organic manure used’

Other speakers during the AHDB event included AFBI researcher Lisa Black and Teagasc organic crops adviser Martin Bourke, with both covering similar themes on crop nutrient requirements.

Where cereals are established on fertile soils with the correct level of nutrients applied, research trials consistently show no significant yield difference for crops established by min-til or ploughing.

“In trials replicated on farm going back to 2015, yields were similar regardless of how they were drilled.

“Some crops visually appeared greener over winter, which may indicate healthier plants that are less prone to mildew, but come harvest grain yields were similar,” said Bourke.

However, Lisa Black did allude to potential yield differences when grown commercially on farm, as fields will naturally vary in soil pH, phosphorus, potash and sulphur levels.

“Nutrient availability is far more important than the drilling method. Soils that are deficient in nutrients will naturally produce lower yields if the crop does not get the required P and K level.

This is not down to drilling method. Also, don’t just focus on the level of N being applied to the crop. If P is under-supplied, yields will be lower.

“Our trials also found yields were higher where there was organic manure used, as this conditioned soil and increased organic matter,” stated Black.

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