Arable Enterprise - Conventional Arable System
Rotations
On the inner blocks (NW,SW) a four-year grazing ley is followed by two crops of winter wheat and two of winter barley. On the outer blocks a two-year silage ley is followed by two wheats, one barley, one oilseed rape, one wheat and a winter barley to allow re-entry of the grass.
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
Conservation |
G |
G |
G |
G |
WW |
WW |
WB |
WB |
Grazing |
G |
G |
WW |
WW |
WB |
OSR |
WW |
WB |
Husbandry
In the past all crops have been autumn sown using a single pass of a combination unit following either pressing or ploughing. Minimal tillage has been introduced for the establishment of second wheats,oilseed rape and first wheats after oilseed rape. First wheats are drilled with Class 3 feed varieties and second wheat are of a Class 2 milling type. Approximately 50% of the P& K fertiliser is broadcast after drilling as a P and K blend in autumn with the rest applied in the spring. Spring nitrogen applications are 180 kg N/ha on winter barley, 120 kg N/ha on first wheat and 220 kg N/ha on second wheat.
The oilseed rape break crop is normally established in late August by drilling at 5 kg seed per ha with 0.24.24 fertiliser applied post emergence. Cereal volunteers are controlled by spraying with Fusilade Max plus Katamaran at the first true leaf stage in early autumn. Spring fertiliser nitrogen top dressing totals 190 kg N per ha. The crop is harvested by direct combining approximately seven days after desiccation with Glyphosate.
Marketing
All cereals and oilseeds to be sold are dried and stored at Tynegrain.