Whole-Crop Management this Spring
May 11, 2020
Michael Garvey, CAFRE Dairy Development Adviser, has been taking a number of queries from local dairy farmers who have taken the opportunity to sow whole-crop for silage. However the whole-crop needs to be managed carefully to be a success. Iain Johnston, CAFRE Crop Development Adviser (Armagh) recommends that winter wheat for whole-crop silage can receive up to 220Kg of nitrogen (N) per hectare if it is following a cereal crop or 160 Kg/ha of N if coming after a high nitrogen grass ley. The final split should be applied as the whole-crop reaches Growth Stage 32, towards the end of April/Early May. Remember to take into account any organic manures applied.
Iain also says that the whole-crop should be checked for weeds particularly if no autumn herbicide was applied and treated accordingly. Using an October sown winter wheat crop to demonstrate the current growth stage he outlines the various growth stages at which the spray programme is implemented in the video below.
Steps that Iain recommends are: –
- At growth stage 32/33 – start of stem extension/leaf 3 emerged – the crop is ready for its first fungicide spray
- At growth stage 39, when the flag leaf is out, the crop is ready for its second fungicide spray
- Once the head is out and beginning to flower the crop is ready for its third fungicide spray.
In all cases advice should be sought from a BASIS Qualified Agronomist.
For further information contact your local CAFRE Dairy Development Adviser.