Posted: Sun May 31, 15 6:46 pm Post subject: black grass =herbicide or 10000 +yrs of good sense
i just watched countryfile's item on black grass in arable crops
it seems the idea of crop rotation has escaped the chems and repeat farmers .
losing cash by abandoning the crop with a chem cleared field time after time and having another wasted season rather than adapting to a rotation using legumes,roots ,grains ,graze or whatever is appropriate seems daft.
maybe one farm only has equipment for one crop but a village could easily adopt a rotation system.
Nick
Joined: 02 Nov 2004 Posts: 34535 Location: Hereford
it would have made sense to graze it rather than go for the" agent orange" option which has created the problem but to repeat the mistake and hope for better herbicide results next time does seem a bit futile.
It looks sensible to us as I belive even ploughing will reduce the problem, but when you look at it from the farmers point of view he has to make major changes. I assume they don't plough because the soil will blow away if it is left without something in it; always a problem with vast fields, but I would think a fallow year would help a lot if it was cut or grazed. Of course pigs would be the ultimate removal method, but they would have to be rotated round fields or farms, and you would need an awful lot of them and electric fencing for fields that big. I think it should have been mentioned on the programme though, although that would have made the farmer look rather silly, which they didn't want to do.
Out here they feed the animals on turnips and the humans eat the tops in soups and stews, they are called grelos. They are a bit bitter but I like them.
Lorrainelovesplants
Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 6521 Location: Dordogne
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 15 9:54 am Post subject:
Is it just me or has Countryfile dumbed right down?
Countryside and farming for townies who aint got a clue?
I dont think there is anything that real farmers actually get from this (apart from the weather).
Lorrainelovesplants
Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 6521 Location: Dordogne
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 15 9:54 am Post subject:
Is it just me or has Countryfile dumbed right down?
Countryside and farming for townies who aint got a clue?
I dont think there is anything that real farmers actually get from this (apart from the weather).