Combine:
CLAAS Lexion 760 TT
Tractors:
Fendt 939 Vario 390hp
Fendt 718 Vario 180hp
Claas Axion 650 150hp
Deutz Agrotron 120 120hp
JCB 541/70 Agri-Super telehandler
Application equipment:
Knight 24/36m boom UAM trailed sprayer
KUHN Axis 40.2H fertiliser 24/36m vari-speader
X2 Yamaha Quad plus Stocks Vario Fanjet slug pelleter
Cultivation equipment:
Kverneland 7 furrow mounted plough
Vaderstad 5m Topdown with double packer
Quivogne APX 6m discs
Varderstadt NXG 10m spring-tine cultivator
Maschio Recotiller 6m powerharrow
Claydon harrow/straw rake
Cousins 12.8m 22” Cambridge rolls, hydraulic folding
Cousins 6m heavy flat rolls, hydraulic folding
Drills:
9m Kocherling Triathalon Allseeder
4m Claydon Hybrid
Grain Storage:
4000 Tonne (2 x 2000) on floor grain store with drying floor and grain-stirrers built in 2015.
Further adaptable on-floor storage for 3000 tonnes with potential to expand this
Our 5 year crop rotation is revolved totally around achieving the highest yielding and quality wheat crops, whilst maintaining a blackgrass control strategy.
Year 1 1st Winter Wheat
Year 2 Winter Barley harvested early to establish an early OSR crop
Year 3 OSR Claydon drilled, moisture retention, early 10th Aug
Year 4 Spring Barley/ Wheat time to move soil after OSR harvest for blackgrass control
Year 5 Winter Beans/ Maize WB leave a lovely seed bed for a 1st WW entry in mid Oct
Maize grown on a contract basis for anaerobic digestion.
This rotation may vary depending on year, farm, soil.
We also put a grass clover-ley/ stubble turnips into our rotation to finish lambs on, although on a purely arable spectrum, we always strive to achieve this.
We believe different cultivations and rotations for different areas of land achieve and combat our two focal areas of yield and blackgrass control, and detailed
Cultivations and Operations
- 2”-4” min till – blackgrass does not grow from below 2” if you don’t disturb more than 2”. Therefore, should we choose this operation, we have methods and machinery to achieve this and we aim to move the soil at least twice at this depth after harvesting in order to get at least two waves of blackgrass germination before drilling in October.
- Subsoiling – We aim not to disturb deeper than 2”-4” unless we have to. However, in heavier pockets of land we subsoil to avoid compaction issues surfacing.
- Ploughing – we plough more for rotational purposes ie. Preparing for a Maize crop. However, if we determine any ground to need a fresh start we are equipped to do so.
- Claydon Straw Rake – Achieves a very light surface cultivation, encouraging blackgrass seed movement/ chit. It can be used for following behind the drill (before the rolls).
- Drilling – Were have a variety of different drills. We either direct drill or drill using our min-till drill depending on what it is we are trying to achieve. Variable rate drilling optional.
- Rolling – Two sets of rolls. Our light set for wet ground/ late drilling. Our heavy set used more for spring work, aiming to retain moisture in the ground and ensuring there is seed to soil contact where it can find moisture to germinate.
- Spraying – 24-36m machine – 2 line sprayer boom, one for pesticides, one for fertiliser. Variable rate spraying optional.
- Spreader – 24-36m machine – Seed and fertiliser spreader. Variable fertiliser spreader optional.
- Hedge cutting – A lot of dedication and time is spent on our hedge management as it is not only aesthetically pleasing (and a good advertisement for our farming business), but also now hedges can only be cut once every two years it is essential it is done with care.
- Topping – As with hedges, grass verges/tracks that can legally be cut are kept mown. We have a variety of different sized toppers which allows us to do this effectively.
- Digger – Drainage is viewed very highly. We have a 6-tonne 360 rubber-tracked digger which is the perfect machine for keeping ditches clear.
Additional operations include discing, quad spraying, draining, slug pelleting and others.
