May-Aug 2014 Vol 23-1 #89

Welcome to issue 89, which includes Soil + Cover Cropping International

Front Cover

Top pic: getting the last of the beans planted in early April. This farmer drills all his crops direct into stubble and cover crops with a John Deere 750A which he's modified. The direct drill leaves the soil to be cultivated and improved by worms and biological action, and he is seeing great results. Scroll to the bottom of this page to see his oil seed rape (canola) pictured on April 11, growing in soil which has not had a cultivator or other soil moving implement on it in 3 years.

Lower pic: This Land Rover Discovery is now an agricultural vehicle, and so gets a tractor licence and runs on red diesel. It's a feasible project for many farmers, and we show what's been done. Its wide implement tyres are good on grass and soft going, and the gate needs opening not much wider than for the agri-buggy.

Issue summary

Workshop innovations include some useful safety ideas. Take a look at the engineered prop for a tipping ttrailer body, used in place of the normal fencing stake or length of 4 x 4. It locks in place so can't be knocked sideways by animals or over-excited children. Gives peace of mind, and perhaps avoids the million to one chance accident occuring.

There are 43 workshop projects from a boot scraper to a modified chaser bin, a cubicle designed so cows can never get stuck in them, a high security workshop door design... in all 43 original projects. Plus a Financial Focus of real importance to every farmer. Available: through a subscription from here £16.50 for the year.

Soil + Cover Cropping

Direct drilling into stubble and trash is fundamental to cover cropping, as you want to have the soil covered. So the direct drill is an essential machine. But which one? Some have a tine to scratch a strip of tilth, others have a wing on the tine to stir up more soil. Others cut a slit and drop the seed in the bottom.
This issue provides a progress report on a trial of seven Direct drills in head-to-head comparison. Big plots, identical conditions, differing results. Vaderstad, Sumo, Claydon, Dale, John Deere, Mzuri, McConnel. Pics and assessment taken on April 11.

What seeds should be used for a cover crop? What crop rotation? What fertiliser (you'll be amazed at one of the pics).

Cows and milking

My visit to a 240 cow herd near Settle was an eye-opener. The farm is making their own cubicle divisions, not because they are cheaper, but to stop cows getting stuck in them. Everyone's happy with the result, no cows have yet got into difficulties. The cows seem to like them betteer than the mushroom ones in the rest of the building. We show how he made them. You could make them in your workshop.

The same farmer showed how he fixed up insulation so the milking parlour was warm in the winter. He could move it away in the summer.

Grassland

Farmers with an Einbock will see the sense of this leveller that knocks ruts and foot prints out level, and is lifted off the ground when there's no need for it. It repairs the areas that need it.
If you're thinking of getting a new Bale Spike, you need to look at this design with flip-up tine mountings. It makes it safer (back to risk I'm afraid), is just as strong as the rigid mounted tines, and is more flexible.

Arable

Tillage-Cart. Marrying a chaser bin with a cultivator, so the hauage driver can break stubble while waiting for the next tank load. Sounds crazy maybe, but it works. He was so convinced of the system he cut up and modified a brand new cart.

Financial

Can you tick the boxes in this valuable feature which focusses not only on succession, but on management and farm development? It's worth taking a look. There's literally £££thousands at stake.