barley & Kale Flashcards
Lifecycle of Kale
Biennial
method of Planting Kale
-Sown into a cultivated (plough and power harrow) seedbed
- Direct drill or seed drill seeds into a fine firm seedbed.
- maximum depth of 10mm to ensure uniform germination
- Seeding rate of 4-5kg/Ha
- Roll well after sowing to ensure good soil-seed contact
Should be relatively flat land that has not been sown with a brassica crop for at least 4 years to prevent club rot.
Harvest : December to February
Advantages of Kale
-High digestibility
- Long utilisation period
- Can be used to extend grazing season
- High protein content
- Fast growing crop
Soil Conditions required for Kale
- Free draining, loam or sandy soil
- pH 6-7 (6.5) ideal
- Fertile soil
pest associated with Kale , damage caused & treated
Flea beetle
-Eats holes in leaves of the plant
- Spray with contact insecticide
How is kale utilised
Usually strip grazed
- Electric fence moved forwards in the crop each day
- 3m width at fence allocated to cow
or
-Can be zero grazed and fed indoors or ensiled but is difficult to wilt in winter
How is kale utilised
Usually strip grazed
- Electric fence moved forwards in the crop each day
- 3m width at fence allocated to cow
or
-Can be zero grazed and fed indoors or ensiled but is difficult to wilt in winter
how does kale contribute to sustainability
- protection of soil structure against soil erosion from heavy rain
- increased SOM
- prevents mineral leaching as it uses up nutrients
- Act as a break crop for weeds, pests & diseases (so less chemicals required)
- increased earthworm activity
- high protein - less concentrates needed
Average dry matter yield of kale
8-10 tonnes per Ha
Non-chemical method of controlling weeds in kale
- Crop rotation : sowing a different crop from a different family in the field each year helps to control weeds. Usually 1 year in 4
- Growth encouragement : promotes the growth of healthy crops and prevents the growth of weed. Includes good seedbed prep, rolling seeds to ensure seed to soil contact and water must be available to seeds.
Four benefits of sowing a catch crop on a tillage farm
Ground cover
- captures soil nutrients
- improves SOM levels
- Weed suppression
- reduces nitrate leaching
- maintains soil structure
Catch crop
A fast-growing Crop grown between two main crops when land would otherwise lie idle.
Catch crop
Crop grown between two main crops
Conservation Tillage
A non-plough based crop establishment technique that combined with other measures can improve soil quality and aims to reduce soil erosion (and reduce tillage costs)
Sustainable
Focuses on meeting the needs of the present while also ensuring the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Graminicides
A herbicide that controls grass weeds
Advantage of chemicals in tillage production
-less or no pests
- less or no weeds
- less or no disease
Disadvantage of chemicals in tillage production
Decreases bio diversity by killing insects , plants and animals that aren’t pests
- causes air/water/soil pollution
- harm human health
- build up of toxins in the food chain
Animal welfare contributes to food safety
less animal stress leading to better quality products , good animal housing = less injury , less antibiotics means less antibiotics in food chain
Pre-emergence weed control
Weed killer used before you see weeds to prevent them from growing , prevents germinating weed seedlings becoming established
protective barrier
Crop rotation
Growing crops in a definite sequence
Winter varieties
Sown before winter, September to November , have already grown before winter pauses growth
2 advantages of sowing winter varieties
Sowing in better ground conditions
- longer growing season
- higher yield
- frost resistant
- earlier harvest
effect of soil quality on barley
Drainage & aeration : higher % of water results in less air in the soil so it will decrease the productivity of the crop. (reduced yield)
Texture ; Very high % of sand & little clay in the soil means it won’t be as fertile resulting in low yield , lack of water = plant suffers from drought stress.
temperature : warm soils have high germination and growth rate
