Topic: how farmers do things

[sarah]

I was passing a large field today, which last season grew sweetcorn, and noticed that it was full of a new crop. It was definitely a brassica but I could not say what beyond that. What surprised me was how closely spaced the crop was. The plants were about six to eight inches high and covered the ground pretty tightly with no sace at all between them.  I know when I grow brassicas I have to be careful how close I space them for various reasons and I wondered why it doesn't work the same way on farmed land. 
I wondered if it was a green manure or whether farmers do grow things very close.
what do you think?

[Chrispy]

My OH is a farmers daughter so I have learnt a few of the basics of farming.

The first crop would probably been maze for cattle feed not sweetcorn.
Farmers do grow things as close as possible, the more they grow the more money they make.
They do this by adding fertilizers, pesticides ect in a very scientific way, normally have advisers.

If they are only 6-8 inches high, would have thought they had more growing to do so would exspect some gaps, and I can't think what it could be at the moment so maybe a green manure.

[mat]

stuble turnips at this time of year is an option, which is used to feed sheep.

Autumn rape can also be that high by now, and will look as though its covering the field

any option of getting a photo?

mat

[tonybloke]

definately OSR, (oil seed rape)  ;)
good for honey bees !!

[Digeroo]

good for honey bees

OSR can be terrible if you have asthma.  When my daughter was at junior school more then half the class became ill when it was in flower.  Some were very ill indeed.  Pollen gives me terrible problems with my eyes. 

[Chrispy]

Only thing I know about rape is it give my OH bad hayfeaver when in flower, so I had a little google to learn a little more.

Came accross a website that is a good example of what farmers do......

Production Cycle for Oilseed rape

Oilseed rape

Early August - Cultivations in preparation for drilling. May include subsoiling and correcting for any lime deficiency.

Late August - Drilling into a fine seedbed free of trash and then rolled. Pre-emergence herbicide follows as soon as possible.

September - Slug Pellets if required and autumn nitorgen if required.

October - Control of grass weeds, aphids and flea beetle.

November - Autumn fungicide application.

February - Compound fertiliser application according to requirement.

March - Spring Nitrogen with added sulphur as per crop requirement.

April - Pollen beetle control and stem extension fungicides. Additional nitrogen as required.

May - Flowering fungicdes and control of seed weevil and pod midge.

Early July - Dessication with glyphosate.

Late July - Harvest.

http://www.ukagriculture.com/production_cycles/oilseed_rape_production_cycle.cfm

[sarah]

thats all very interesting. they do grow lots of OSR in these parts. is it a brassica?

[Digeroo]

Certainly a brassica, plants almost identical with broccoli.  Same yellow flowers.  Plants grow quite large.  When they are grow across a footpath they are a real struggle to get past. 

[sarah]

in that case i pretty sure that is what it must be.  its right next to the woodland burial site where my mum is buried so that'll be fun for all the hayfever sufferers that visit. not. 
glad i (you) worked out what it was though as it was bugging me. thanks for your help.  :D

[Columbus]

Hi all, I thought it was just me  :o I think oilseed rape is horrible stuff and best avoided. In the summer theres so much pollen I can taste it in the back of my throat in the evenings and it stinks. In the city centre! miles from any fields. If I`m out in the country I can tell when I`m approaching fields of it. I don`t have any diagnosed hay fever or asthma or allergies but I can really sympathise with those who do. It also turns up in the road verges when it escapes from the fields. I think someone on this forum wrote that it was responsible for the rise in flea beetle.

I think it shows some problems with monocuture farming.

Rant over, thankyou for reading, Col  ;D

[shirlton]

When they kill the rape the symptoms are even worse. I rememeber a friend of ours some years ago telling us that he was watching a farmer putting the cows away and when asked why he said that it was because the rape seed was going to be sprayed to kill it. No mention of it to the hundreds of houses around the place

[sarah]

why do they spray it to kill it? don't they just cut it?
didn't realise how much i didn't know about rape!

[shirlton]

I didn't realise until I was told. Where we live the smell is dreadful on the day that they do spray.

[shirlton]

Spring-sown rape ripens unevenly and must generally be dessicated or swathed a week or two before harvesting to ensure ripeness of all the seedpods. Both methods kill the plants to allow ripening to continue without further growth or maturation – dessication is achieved by chemical means (generally Diquat spray), swathing is a mechanical alternative.. This quote is from"Tracing Paper Org" Had to look it up to make sure that I had it right
When I googled Diquat I found out that it is a contact herbicide

[tonybloke]

if you folk are really interested in large-scale agriculture, and all the problems it causes.
watch this film,
 http://milledrive.com/videos/29660/Food

And when you've sat and watched it, perhaps you'll appreciate what the soil association is trying to do, and why we don't 'do' processed food or Monsanto.

(rant over)
Happy eating!!
rgds, Tony ;)

[chriscross1966]

I thought they generally used glyphosate as a dessicant these days....it allows them to drill in something else immediately after they've harvested..... THough I guess if they're not going to drill something in straightt away diquat will supress stuff for a while afterwards too.... another reason that farmers used pelleted seeds is so that the pellet can stop some herbicides killing the seedlings I guess....

chrisc

[tonybloke]

wow, another 100 views, not 1 comment!! ???

[sarah]

 i haven't had a chance to have a look at the film yet (its an hour and half long) but I will do.  its a huge subject and off the top of my head i would say that modern farming practices are detrimental to lots of areas of life including our own health and that of the countryside and its wildlife. but i am not well educated on these matters and i know its a controversial area.  i will watch it though.
generally i steer clear of processed foods where possible but would be lying if i said i actively made a point of checking the source of every ingredient in the food i buy. like i said, huge subject.
my OP was really just wondering what that crop was.  ;)

[telboy]

Tonybloke,
Very good film but with us guys you're talking to the converted.
Modern kids think spagetti grows on trees & meat comes from 'Macsh*te'.
That's the problem. HFW tried, where has that now disappeared to? The recession - nah! The growth in sales of preprepared food in supermarkets shows that, generally, people don't give a d**n, as long as it's quick/little effort. There's more important things to do like watching Eastenders or playing computer games.
No wonder the populace is FAT!
We're OK though guys. At least we know what we're eating?

[tomatoada]

Where or what in does the rape seed harvest end up.