Cover crops - Controlled Traffic Farming
Transcript of Cover crops - Controlled Traffic Farming
Cover crops Commercial growing of cover crop species
Paul Brown -- Kings
Kings
• A division of Frontier.
• Non combinable crops .
• Cover crops, Forage, Conservation.
• Close Links with Frontier Agronomy.
Cover Crops
• A very wide range of crops grown between cash
crops.
• They are primarily used to :--
• Reduce nutrient loss –Nitrogen the key.
Hence often called Green manures or Catch crops
• Reduce erosion.
• Improve soil organic matter /soil nutrients.
• Conserve moisture.
• Improve drainage.
• Reduce soil pests , soil disease and weeds.
Problems on Arable Farms
-- Cover crops can help .
• Straw being removed
frequently.OM lower.
• Soil structure.
• Intensive rotations –soil
pests and disease.
• Less chemical Fumigant.
• Water quality and erosion.
• Higher Nitrogen costs and
limits on Nitrogen use.
• Volume of Biomass.
• Large Root structures
• Nematode resistance.
• Biofumigation.
• Reduce leaching & erosion.
• N fix or N catch.
A new opportunity?
• Crop changes in last 2 years.
• Breeding developments.
• Much more than just Mustard.
• Nitrogen@ £ 300 plus.
• Catchment Sensitive Farming /NVZ’s.
• Soil Organic matter lowering.
• Nematode reduction.
• Stewardship payments -- £ 65 /ha.
Choosing a cover crop
• It will pay to select crop species and variety carefully .
• These factors need to be considered :--
– What do you want the crop to do?
– What else could be crop do for you ?
– What soil type ? Sowing time and length of growth?
– What pest and disease problems exist ? -- Nematodes.
– What is the rotation and the next crop ?
– How will the cover crop affect the cash crops ?
– Plus Stewardship, Feed value and place in a rotation.
3 Basic groups of Cover crops.
-- and 1 sub group.
• Segmented by Nitrogen influence :--
-- Soil Structure -- Erosion control and OM .
-- Nitrogen fixing -- legumes. High Nitrogen prices .
Need time , soil temperature.
-- Catch crops -- capture soil N , retain it and recycle it.
Fast growing annuals that scavenge for N, even at low
temperatures. Improve efficiency of N use.
Recent developments with catch crops offer the opportunity
to reduce soil pests and diseases.
-- Nematode reducing Catch crops
Improve soil Fertility
-- Catching Nitrogen
• Needs to be the driver for most cover crops.
– ADAS 2011 trials – a range of cover crops took up 48 – 70kg N/ha ,
most of which was available to a following potato crop
• RB209 Nitrogen use efficiency by crops:--
– Light sand 70% (70 kgN used for every 100 applied)
– Medium and Clay 60%
– Shallow soils over Chalk 55%
Types of cover crop
1 Soil Structure improvement. – Rye
– Phacelia
– Westerwolds ryegrass.
– Mustard
2 Nitrogen fixers
• Vetch
• Clovers
• Vetch the key crop
• Good autumn growth
• Need time.
• Plant early
• Mix with a cereal.
• Vetch /Rye mix
• 9 weeks 22nd Oct .
August sown Vetch.
Autumn Vetch – Fix N October 22nd 9 weeks.
20th Oct – 9 weeks –Nodules
Vetch Nodules at 9 weeks
Nectar flower mixtures.
3 Catch crops
• Oil Radish
• Mustard
• Forage Rye
• Phacelia
• Westerwolds ryegrass
• Oats
2012 Doncaster trial — Mustard class 1 –Radish class 2
Oil Radish 20th Oct--9 weeks
Oil Radish -2012 Oct
• Oil Radish
• Leafy.
• Frost tolerant -6º C
• Quick growing
• Late flower.
• Grazing –regrowth
• BCN Nematode control
• Good nutrient catch
• Deep tap root
• Low Club root risk
Nematode reducing catch crops
• There are 3 types :--
– Trap Crops with specific nematode resistance.
– Trap Crops with multi-resistance .
– Bio-fumigant crops.
– Effective use requires detailed knowledge of soil pests.
– Do understand the relationship with other crops in a rotation .
– Requires a quick growing high density crop - agronomy.
– Plus all the usual cover crop benefits.
Doncaster trial—
Mustard class 1– Bristle Oat .
Sugar Beet crop.
Goal Detail Cover crop solution
Crop hygiene Beet cyst nematode
Rhizoctonia.
Lesion Nematodes.
Weed pressure decrease
Oil Radish , Mustard
Oil Radish – multi res.
Oil Radish, Bristle Oat
Oil Radish ,Mustard Phacelia
Soil structure Drainage Organic matter
Soil structure
Oil Radish / Rye / Phacelia
Bristle oat .
Reduce
erosion
Cover the soil
Aeration
Root mass
Bristle Oat
Oil radish
Phacelia –Rye
Catch Nitrogen Prevent leaching Oil radish , Rye , Mustard
Fix /catch
Nitrogen
Prevent leaching /Fix N
Soil Structure / OM
Vetch .
Rye Vetch mix
Potato crop.
Goal Detail Cover crop solution
Crop
hygiene
TRV
Rhizoctonia
Common Scab, Lesion Nem.
PCN
Oil Radish
Oil radish
Brazil Oat , Radish.
Solanum Sys.-s.nightshade.
Bio-fumigant mix .
Soil
improvement
Humus
Drainage
Soil structure
Oil Radish , Rye
Reduce
erosion
Cover the soil
Aeration
Root mass
Brazil Oat
Oil radish
Phacelia , Rye
Catch
Nitrogen
Prevent leaching Bristle Oat , Oil Radish
Rye, Phacelia , Mustard
Fix Nitrogen Fix N , catch N ,
soil structure
Vetch
Rye / vetch mix
What drives success--
• Choosing the best Cover crop and variety.
• Planting early –after W.Barley?
• Correct seed rate – high.
• Good conditions for fast growth—hold moisture
and consider fertiliser -- N.
• Leave as long as possible before destroying.
• But not too long –a few weeks before planting .
Thank you.