Cover Crops and detecting?

[TerraBritannia]

Last year on one permission, the farmer mentioned that one of his fields was going have a cover crop on it, while most of the other fields would be seeded. It's only just recently occurred to me, that I should look up cover crops and see what they actually are.

As far as I can tell, cover crops are planted to benefit the soil and not there as a crop to harvest? Is that likely to mean that farmers are more likely to let us wander over cover crops with out machines?

[Bors]

Cover Crops are plants such likes as what we call up here Sheep Turnip and other types of brassica plants such as Rape seed and Kale.

[Oxgirl]

I thought they were cover for the pheasants

At least now I know as well

[shaggybfc]

Most cover crops around here are for soil enrichment, to put nitrogen back into the soil after a few years of wheat crops. It gets ploughed back in or the sheep will munch through it. I'd find it hard to detect a field with a crop on it, far too tall to easily detect through.

[DaveP]

I thought they were cover for the pheasants

At least now I know as well

That's just a different form of "cover" and known as cover crop - ask Dave, he appreciates the tall cover

[jcmaloney]

There are cover crops for shooting - normally a maze , millet, kale sort of mix for gamebirds.
Normally in blocks or field margins and attract a stewardship payment as they feed nature as well. Normally cut down/ploughed in late spring/early summer and can leave some detectable blocks.

There are cover crops for drilling into - normally brassicas, mustard, sorghum and others. Used for moisture and nitrogen retention and drilled straight into, although they might get sprayed off first.

If your farmer is direct drilling then there won`t be much/any soil "rotation" in the detecting layer. Depending on the soil structure you might have wait 5 or 6 years for it to be ploughed or moled/flat lifted.

Here endeth the agronomy lesson.

[TerraBritannia]

If your farmer is direct drilling then there won`t be much/any soil "rotation" in the detecting layer. Depending on the soil structure you might have wait 5 or 6 years for it to be ploughed or moled/flat lifted.

Here endeth the agronomy lesson.

That's interesting, I know that the farmer (actually it's his son these days) does direct drill. So there's still a possibility that the fields may eventually get ploughed?

[DaveP]

That's interesting, I know that the farmer (actually it's his son these days) does direct drill. So there's still a possibility that the fields may eventually get ploughed?

One farm where we pigeon shoot has direct drilled for 20 odd years. The ploughs went years ago. I think you'll just have to ask how they will manage the land.
On another farm they use subsoilers and power harrows every year. If you get on the land a few days after sub-soiling there are huge voids about 8" below the surface and I've always thought/wondered many finds will just drop further down.

[jcmaloney]

That's interesting, I know that the farmer (actually it's his son these days) does direct drill. So there's still a possibility that the fields may eventually get ploughed?

Depends on the soil.
On the clay around these parts something has to be done about every 5 or 6 years , currently that is ploughing but I`m expecting it to go to sub-soiling next cycle, and the one after that most of it will be under houses.