Headland management, tyres and compaction

Join us for the first Brigg Monitor Farm meeting of winter 2019 where we'll discuss soils, compaction and headland management. The speaker this month is Philip Wright from Wright Resolutions Ltd who will lead a farm walk focusing on soil, cultivations and headland management. Brigg Monitor Farmer Colin Chappell will update on this years' harvest at Gander Farm and drilling this autumn. He will also lead a discussion on headland management, including Colin's current methods and machinery and possible alternatives. The meeting will close will a summary of the main points discussed followed by lunch.

Speakers

• Philip Wright, Wright Resolutions Ltd

Programme

• Registration/refreshments
• Welcome and introduction: Judith Stafford – AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager
• Brigg Monitor Farm update: Colin Chappell – AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Monitor Farmer
  • Harvest review
  • Autumn drilling
• Soils, tyres and compaction at Brigg Monitor Farm: Colin Chappell
  • Headland management – current practice and proposed alternatives
  • Machinery currently used
  • Cover crops for headland management?
• Soils, cultivations and headland management: Philip Wright, Wright Resolutions Ltd.
  • Farm walk to assess soils (dig soil pits)
  • Machinery/cultivations
  • Effectiveness of cultivation
  • Tines versus discs, legs, number of each
  • Critical depth
  • Correct soil conditions for cultivation
  • Effect of machinery on soil – reducing the risk of compaction
  • Tractor size
  • Tyres – pressures and types
  • Number of passes
  • Dealing with wheeling damage
  • Controlled traffic farming
• Summary of main points and take home messages: opportunity for any further questions
• Meeting close & lunch

About Brigg Monitor Farm

Colin Chappell farms with his family at Gander Farm near Brigg, Lincolnshire. The lowland mixed arable and beef unit has 615 ha combinable crops and 32 ha permanent pasture. Colin’s arable rotation is normally peas or oilseed rape, followed by two wheats. He recently replaced his second wheats either with spring wheat due to black-grass pressure, or maize on lighter land for a local AD plant. During the three years of the programme Colin hopes to look at succession, joint venture farming and how his farm can survive in a post-EU Britain.

Find out more by visiting the Brigg Monitor Farm page.

About Monitor Farms

AHDB Monitor Farms bring together groups of like-minded farmers who wish to improve their businesses by sharing performance information and best practice around a nationwide network of host farms. AHDB organises and facilitates Monitor Farm meetings for farmers, who own and operate the scheme – by farmers, for farmers. Monitor Farms are part of the AHDB Farm Excellence Programme. Each Monitor Farm project runs for three years.