Hi All

As a non Farmer I have very little knowledge about farming but I'd like to learn a little with your help.

In the fields around by me the fields have been ploughed and something is growing which resembles grass, could this be Wheat that has been sown now ready for next Summer?  The crop is only about 2 inches tall at the moment.  Also what sort of crops are planted in the Autumn time? I didn't think anything would be planted for the Winter months, am I wrong?

Many thanks.

Hello Conna,

Welcome to the forum. I am sure there are people here who would be happy to answer any questions you have. You might have seen that one of the other threads running at the moment is "connecting with the consumer" so you can see that it is something that farmers do worry about!

The crop probably is winter wheat or barley - which will be harvested next summer. It isn't unusual for crops to be drilled in this way - crops that are winter sown give better yields than crops sown in the spring because by the time spring comes around and the days start getting longer the crop is that much further ahead. It means it has more time to reach its potential.

Another crop that is commonly drilled in late summer/autumn is oilseed rape. That's one that has broad leaves and smells cabbagey if you were to walk through it in the early stages. Next year it will come into bright yellow flower (which some hay fever sufferers find difficult to cope with).

Hope that is of some interest.

 

 

 

Hi Isabel

 Thanks for the reply. I assume that these sort of plants then don't get affected by hard frosts and snow etc then.  Is it true that fields that have had Wheat,Barley etc growing in them have to be rested and Grass planted on them for a while to let the soil re-generate it's nutrients or is this just a load of rubbish?  If it is true how often can crops be planted before the field is rested.

 Many thanks.

Crops are rotated in order to keep the land in good condition - if you grow the same crop in a field continually you tend to get problems with resistance to disease and yields will drop away. However, there's no requirement to grow grass. What happens is people switch to a crop of another type - known as a break crop- often oilseed rape, or maybe peas and beans. These help break the cycle and play a role in fixing nitrogen in the soil. A cereal crop might then be grown the next year which will hopefully yield well.

I am sure people here can give you examples of how often they rotate crops. 

          Hello Conna,

          I work a six year rotation:- 1.Winter barley,  2.Oilseed rape,  3.Winter Wheat,  4.Spring barley/(potatoes), 5.Spring barley/(potatoes). 6.Spring barley/(potatoes).

          Only one of the three areas of Spring barley will be down to potatoes in one year. This rotation is for reasons which Isabel has already given. The Winter barley is grown because of its early harvest which allows me to sow oilseed in August. This rotation also spreads my harvest timing, making it easier.

          I am sure Google images will show you pictures of the various crops growing.

 

Thanks Ally and Isabel for the replies.  Although probably not much to you it is very interesting to me.  Will all these crops grow roughly the same in the different soil conditions?  On my travels I have seen quite sandy coloured soil to Black and clay coloured soils.  I am aware you probably need fertilizers etc but I was just wondering if the different types of soil make much difference.

as an organic farmer, i am required to grow grass/clover for 3 yrs, before i crop for 3.

grass/clover restores the soil structure and fixes atmospheric nitrogen.

I grow a grass and clover mixture for 3 years,followed by 3 years of crops.,but am not organic.

That's very interesting about the Clover, and here's me thinking it's nothing more than a weed.  There certainly is a lot of interesting stuff to be learned.  many thanks all, I'm sure I will have many more questions

Hi all

I'd like to ask a question please.  When a field is ploughed, is it then rolled or do you plant the seeds straight after it is ploughed?

Thanks.

It all depends on the type of land the field is made from. Some farmers dont plough at all.

In times gone by, apparently, most crops were planted in the spring as they wouldnt take a frost. Generally in autumn-time, oilseed rape and cereals (wheat, barley, rye, oats, "the ones like grasses") are planted. In spring we drill crops that do not tollerate the frost (peas, most beans, linseeds, sugar beets, etc).

Crops dont need to be rotated nowerdays. Or rather some dont. The "Broadbalk" experiement has been growing just wheat for a very long time - since 1843. Grass also can be grass for ever ;)

I'm sure if you asked the farmer, s/he would be happy to talk to you about it, and of course, there is Open Farm Sunday.

Thanks for the reply Teslacoils.  I suppose the way Genetically modified crops are going there will be a day in the not too distant future where you will be able to plant anything anytime any place anywhere (martini crops).

I have never heard of "open farm Sunday" before, is this a national thing?

 Regards.

 

http://www.farmsunday.org/ should have all the info you need. It might be a while until all open farms have registered on the site, as it is usually in spring/summer time. Well worth a visit, although the ones I have been to tend to lack a bit when it comes to information. If you live near Lincolnshire and want to pop by my farm for a cup of tea, you can have a little trip around (bring wellies).

GM is a very long way off in the UK. And even then the benefits are likely to be in terms of plant resistance to insects/sprays rather than radically changing the plantability of the crop. What is lilely to be a larger effect is the reduction in effective weed control sprays we can crop with (non-organic farmers here). As the UK and EU prohibit us from using certain sprays, our ability to grow minority crops is very much reduced. By minority crop, I mean crops which only have small acreages planted. Its similar to keeping the greenfly off your roses / weeds off your patio / mildew off your shower without being able to pop to B&Q. We find it increasingly difficult to grow a good crop rotation now, as most of the investment in sprays are targetted at wheat and oilseed rape as they are the crops with the large areas.

 

Thanks for that TeslaCoils and the invite, I might just take you up on that next year as I have an inclin I'll be paying Linconshire a few visits as good friends of mine are buying a property that way.

 Hi,

 I've been working on a farm for years now and am doing Agriculture/Crop Science at University. Its great for local people to connect with the food they are eating and understand how the rural economy works. The vast majority of people working the land are incredibly approachable and happy to explain what they are doing- you only have to ask. I don't think many people understand the process of food production enough, and for you to be asking questions is brilliant. Integrating agriculture within the community is essential- and Open Farm Sunday is one way in which this is being achieved. Good relations with your neighbors, farmers or not, is incredibly important- you just don't know when you might need help.

Keep the questions coming- I hope others in the same boat are reading too.

Nev

 

P.S. 15+ hours per day on a tractor can get a little tedious- most people I know would be happy to have you as a passenger for a while, especially when cultivating.