New Brexit Farm Payments

[Born Hunter 17,628]

Quote

The UK nations all have their own farm support plans, but ministers expect the scheme in England - the Sustainable Farming Incentive - will entice 70% of farmers to smother 70% of land in wintertime with "cover crops" such as grasses, beans, brassicas and herbs

New plan to pay farmers who protect winter soil

WWW.BBC.CO.UK

---

The empty brown fields of winter countryside could be transformed under new land subsidy rules for England.

 

Thoughts? 

[Gypsydog94 4,328]

3 minutes ago, Born Hunter said:

New plan to pay farmers who protect winter soil

WWW.BBC.CO.UK

---

The empty brown fields of winter countryside could be transformed under new land subsidy rules for England.

 

Thoughts? 

Protecting the soil from rain and wind erosion must be good? 

[poxon 5,555]

It’s all about building good soil with good micro organisms rather than adding chemicals I’m surprised more farms haven’t gone chemical free and gone back to old practices of natural fertilisers for land. I’m guessing it’s a practicality thing but definitely think all farms could play there part in stepping towards going chemical free. Tbh I think it’d be nice to see them using cover crops an animals more in crop rotation 

[Born Hunter 17,628]

I genuinely don't know enough about it to comment. Sure it seems like a good thing but I know there's often another side.

I thought it was interesting from a sporting and conservation point. Covering the countryside in cover crops is going to have a huge impact.

I'd love to see this aid grey partridge recovery, the decline largely caused by intensified farming practices.

Edited December 2, 2021 by Born Hunter

[chartpolski 20,399]

Isn't this a bit like leaving the land fallow, but speeds up the process ?

On a micro scale, I leave one raised bed in each of my Allotments fallow for a season and then rotorvate the growth in.

It provides a bit of a small scale habitat for wildlife also.

I never use chemical fertiliser, I make my own compost and use horse manure, leaf mould etc.

Can certainly see and taste the difference to shop bought veg.

I understand it's a different ball game with large scale farming.

Cheers.

[low plains drifter 9,461]

This is Crimson clover growing in a farmers field I drifted by the other day, never seen them growing green manures in this area before

[Chid 6,376]

Doubt the big dairy herds would manage going chemical free , the amount of nitrogen them boys put down is unbelievable , you need the grass growing to get the milk flowing  

[Born Hunter 17,628]

How commonly is arable left fallow over winter? I've spent a fair bit of time on arable land in Linc's and it was always growing wheat/OSR in the winter. If that failed for whatever reason they'd have a second go in spring. Is it very different elsewhere?

I understand the old payments used to pay farmers to do f**k all with so many fields for the year. Is this going to be the same but now they are sticking a cover crop in them too?

[low plains drifter 9,461]

7 minutes ago, Chid said:

Doubt the big dairy herds would manage going chemical free , the amount of nitrogen them boys put down is unbelievable , you need the grass growing to get the milk flowing  

More for the arable, an alternative to leaving the land in stubble or plough if they haven't sown a crop

1 hour ago, Born Hunter said:

I genuinely don't know enough about it to comment. Sure it seems like a good thing but I know there's often another side.

I thought it was interesting from a sporting and conservation point. Covering the countryside in cover crops is going to have a huge impact.

I'd love to see this aid grey partridge recovery, the decline largely caused by intensified farming practices.

Aye, it would be good to see the grey partridge returned to its former glory, and the hares, take some time mind

Edited December 2, 2021 by low plains drifter
Green manure fever

[chartpolski 20,399]

3 minutes ago, Born Hunter said:

How commonly is arable left fallow over winter? I've spent a fair bit of time on arable land in Linc's and it was always growing wheat/OSR in the winter. If that failed for whatever reason they'd have a second go in spring. Is it very different elsewhere?

I understand the old payments used to pay farmers to do f**k all with so many fields for the year. Is this going to be the same but now they are sticking a cover crop in them too?

I may be wrong, but I understood leaving land fallow meant missing at least one crop growing season, a year at least, not just over winter.

Around here fields are seeded with winter wheat or spring wheat. When it's spring wheat, the land will be bare over winter, but not exactly fallow.

As I say, I may be wrong, I'm just a retired engineer with a couple of Allotments, not a farmer ! !

Ive seen a few fields north of me that had clover cover crop, and the good news is the hares love it !

Cheers.

[Born Hunter 17,628]

5 minutes ago, chartpolski said:

I may be wrong, but I understood leaving land fallow meant missing at least one crop growing season, a year at least, not just over winter.

Around here fields are seeded with winter wheat or spring wheat. When it's spring wheat, the land will be bare over winter, but not exactly fallow.

As I say, I may be wrong, I'm just a retired engineer with a couple of Allotments, not a farmer ! !

Ive seen a few fields north of me that had clover cover crop, and the good news is the hares love it !

Cheers.

I can't say I've paid much attention beyond how it affects my sport tbh. Certainly not enough to know how it all works. When the farmer boys get talking about f***ing tractors and what not I'm looking for a broken pint pot to slit my wrists with. 

I'm just wondering if that 70% figure quoted is anything close to reality. I certainly haven't seen 70% of arable left out of production over winter.

[low plains drifter 9,461]

26 minutes ago, Born Hunter said:

How commonly is arable left fallow over winter? I've spent a fair bit of time on arable land in Linc's and it was always growing wheat/OSR in the winter. If that failed for whatever reason they'd have a second go in spring. Is it very different elsewhere?

I understand the old payments used to pay farmers to do f**k all with so many fields for the year. Is this going to be the same but now they are sticking a cover crop in them too?

I've noticed changes over the last decade or so, as to how the crops are sown, doesn't seem to be as much planted in autumn, and the oil seed rape can grow too quickly with the warm autumn/winter weather then come into flower before Christmas instead of the following summer 

You need to research this, and let us all know what's going on, you're the cat with the office, and the filofax

 

 

[WILF 44,262]

2 hours ago, Chid said:

Doubt the big dairy herds would manage going chemical free , the amount of nitrogen them boys put down is unbelievable , you need the grass growing to get the milk flowing  

They will sus on that all that nitrogen they buy is floating around in the air absolutely free of charge, heavy clover lays will harvest and fix it.

[Gypsydog94 4,328]

2 hours ago, Chid said:

Doubt the big dairy herds would manage going chemical free , the amount of nitrogen them boys put down is unbelievable , you need the grass growing to get the milk flowing  

The problem being is that most dairy herds have to many cows and not enough land. Local farm got 1000 milking cows taking 4-5 cuts a year and only puts liquid nitrogen on for first cut. Rest of it is all slurry and muck for grass. 

[low plains drifter 9,461]

54 minutes ago, WILF said:

They will sus on that all that nitrogen they buy is floating around in the air absolutely free of charge, heavy clover lays will harvest and fix it.

Get your lupins in lively Sport