[X80]

Some pics...first is my lease block, Rana faba beans sown at 240kg ha ...35 seeds per sqm...looks like I'm close on target after some counts tonite...

These were broad casted out of mf80 combine and disced in...with the fert...

It's a bit weedy but will get on top of that..

Ant..

 

[X80]

My block sown with Great Plains...in very challenging conditions...still plants coming through but won't hit target I think which is 30 sqm...I hope these tiller to help out...should have been sown 2 weeks earlier...and the seeder was pushed to do the rate...paddock is clean however..with the levelling work I've done I will be able to harvest on the deck so at least I will get everything I hope!...will work on foliar fert brew to encourage tillering and flowering...

Ant...

 

[bigswoosher]

How even is the germination with the spread and disc method ant? Would you do it again?

 

[X80]

There are pros and cons to both...

1. The evenness on the spread sowed beans is better..the air seeder tends to get stacking, alot of clumps of 3 seeds together...I'm very happy with how the spread ones are spaced.
2. The spread ones need around 4" of loose dirt to incorporate into, I tried doing 2" but it left to many on top, these get destroyed by birds and what does grow may not anchor well and rapid growth sperts or high wind will blow them over.
3. I don't suffer from not enough moisture here...but if I was at toolondo still, when going into the bean rotation I would be discing them in, you loos a bit of moisture when discing in but when you do get winter rain it soaks into that 4" alot better, spring rain is critical for beans...cereals can tolerate alot more...
4. The double disc seeder leaves the seedbed more compressed, I could still drive over my block in a two wheel drive ute, it's amazing, greatly helped by drainage, levelling and incorporating stubbles last two years. We sprayed pre em after seeding and I rolled that in with my roller filled with water...instead of being untouchable for 3 months I might have 4-6 weeks where I can't get on...straw incorporation has changed this place...so I guess in summary when I get a semeato or a bar with disc units on it, that will be my first choice...on new lease ground it will be spread and disc method.
5. Speard method, germination is uneven due to depth of seed from on top to 4" deep, I assume they will level out, this might be an advantage? Or disadvantage not sure..

I know alot of guys have bought discs up around st.arnaud due to chemical resistance and ground getting hard after continuous direct drilling...so doing a pass before beans would be the shot in my book..so once every 4-7 years depending on rotation and how soil is going..I know they say soil life will solve all of this but this dirt ain't the best, was never the best, and will never be the Nile delta...

Ant...

 

[Don Boles]

Some pics...first is my lease block, Rana faba beans sown at 240kg ha ...35 seeds per sqm

Either one of us has a math problem or you have humungous faba seed.
685 mg seed?!
Oh yeah, I guess that's possible.

 

[X80]

Don faba's usually talked about in grams per 100 seeds...these were 66 grams..= 230 kg ha...allow for birds taking to layer and simizine damage etc...plant at 240 and pray..

Ant...

 

[X80]

My first year trial the seed was over 80/100...they lived 50" of rain that year...

Ant...

 

[Don Boles]

Same thing, different expression

Don faba's usually talked about in grams per 100 seeds...these were 66 grams..= 230 kg ha...allow for birds taking to layer and simizine damage etc...plant at 240 and pray..

Ant...

Yes, that's the same thing, mg is used for just one seed.
Still, **** big seed!
You must measure smaller seed crops different?

For some dumb reason Canada tends to use grams per 1000 seeds which is exactly the same thing as mg seed weight and far harder to write.
Both ways are metric so at least I don't have to deal with that adnauseaum argument.

 

[X80]

Yep Don, every thing else is 1000 seeds...faba is done in 100 and also in uk it's the same...

Don't ask me why...lol!...

I even got 35 seeds and laid out on my kitchen table in 7" spacings just to see if it looked right...and it was ok..doesn't sound like many but they are a big plant.

Is 35 seeds per sqm correct...well I know one thing is for sure...with one field having 35 seeds and the other at 30...neither of them will be correct!....that I won't know until 2020 I'd say..

Ant...

 

[Don Boles]

Is 35 seeds per sqm correct...well I know one thing is for sure...with one field having 35 seeds and the other at 30...neither of them will be correct!....that I won't know until 2020 I'd say..

Ant...

Yes, your math is correct
230/0.35=657.14 so 660.

As to that being the correct seeding rate you'll have to ask someone with more experience then my zero with faba.

I assume you mean 2020 hindsight and not 2020 the year?

 

[X80]

No I mean the year 2020! Too many and you get necking (learnt this from pulse Australia the other day..not the word I would use for lodging!) I get rapid growth at the start of spring due to warm nights because the coast is 15km away...and beans "necking" is an issue...they get crowded and reach for the light..stem becomes weak because of poor cell structure..and over they go.

Not enough and and weeds can be an issue...and just plain not having enough pods...

They are doing some work with a range of canopy control methods...so far with not much luck..I will have some more beans going in sort of late winter...they will be sown at 40 plus seeds per sqm....

I think seeding rate and time will be a big factor...but early days..

Ant...

 

[blanchfarm]

Funny how it changers up here we do most of our planting in plant to tge square Meter but work in seeds to the Kg.
buster sorghum is about 33000seeds kg and we plant about 66000 seeds per ha so 2kgs/ha.

 

[X80]

Cockatoos are eating crop as quick as it goes, will try and track down some help tomorrow..nightmare...

Ant..

 

[joeltractor]

Cockatoos are eating crop as quick as it goes, will try and track down some help tomorrow..nightmare...

Ant..

Are they nipping of the growth bud or are you talking about come close to harvest time ?

 

[X80]

No they are nipping the stem off now so those plants are stuffed..

Ant..

 

[goodoo]

Do you have scare guns going?

If you shoot a few when you see them the scare guns work much better too.

 

[X80]

Got a contract shooter to go there when they can to scare them...I will go get my gun license paper work today..

Ant..

 

[primer]

Cockatoos are eating crop as quick as it goes, will try and track down some help tomorrow..nightmare...

Ant..

Having never seen a wild cockatoo, it's hard for me to imagine a large enough amount of them to damage a crop.

 

[Farmer Roy]

Having never seen a wild cockatoo, it's hard for me to imagine a large enough amount of them to damage a crop.

They can be i flocks big enough to wipe out an entire crop
Especially nasty on sunflowers before harvest
Eat aerials / wiring etc on tractors & machinery

Australian farmers are often called " cockies " which comes from the early farmers broadcasting their seed & the fields then being covered in cockatoos - as if the farmer was growing them, thus " cockatoo farmers " which in typical Aussie style was then shortened to "cocky"

Cheers

PS- hope you get on top of them, they are destructive buggers

 

[X80]

I have a shooter on the payroll now...see if we can't move them on a bit...

I normally have wheat population at 300 plants sqm so the odd bit going missing is bearable and it recovers...I only have 30 plants a sqm (wanted more but thats all the Great Plains would put out)..and these plants won't recover...I will take some pics tomorrow...

I am inspecting some more lease ground on Saturday, trying to work a deal where the owner helps with bird control and roos, it has Forrest on 3 sides, so unless it's cheap I won't do.

If beans planted to thick to compensate for birds they lodge...so really need to have bris control rather than adjustment to Stratergy or agronomy...

Went go the paper work for gun license today as well, however in this case it would be useless as damage was done before I got home...

Cropping and working away is a merry go round...I'd be surprised if Portland is final resting place as I'd say I will end up closer to melbourne so I can be home full time...a pity as I like farming here....and I'm figuring it out...

Ant...