FARM UPDATE 79 DIRECT DRILL TRIAL RESULTS, START BUILDING THE HOUSE & DEMO WITH BEDNAR CULTIVATOR

#SugarBeet #Farming #Manitou #JohnDeere8RX #QuadTrac #JCB #Fastrac #BaileyTrailers #Simba #SimbaMachinery #SimbaCultipress #SimbaUnipress #SimbaXpress #SimbaFreeflowDrill #SimbaFlatliner #HousehamSprayer #DalboRolls #Wheat #Barley #OilSeedRape #OSR #Oats #SpringBeans #SugarBeet #BritishSugar #SilverSpoon #Farm #Farming #Food #ForageAid #Cat

[@themayorofdipshittery3646]

You weren’t kidding when you said the concrete was nice and wet 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👌

[@bumpkinrocks]

I've done alot of footings but never anything as like as wet as that! Certainly never pass then slump test🤣

[@PeterHughes]

Great stuff and I love the attention to detail. I'd really look forward to seeing a combine comparison too.

[@GlennFaulkner]

Fantastic data set, it's been great to see the impacts of the different systems and I'm not even a farmer

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Thank you. That’s very interesting that you’ve found it interesting. 👌😃

[@gunton21]

Once again very interesting video, house coming along nicely, interesting drilling results. 👌👏👍

[@nickhill3362]

Enjoyed the drilling demo and all the updates well done on summing-up all the results Andrew 👍

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Cheers Nick, appreciate the comments

[@paulsimpson.417]

Excellent presentation of the direct drilling data. Thank you for the time and effort that you've put in.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Cheers Paul

[@petergardner2334]

that would be great to have all makes combine working demo Andrew 😊😊

[@hedleyjackson5131]

Interesting results great effort.

[@laytonphillips6667]

Great update Andrew, cracking on with the house rapidly, nice disc demo. Keep the cultivator and the free flow they obviously do a great job.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Spot on Layton. 😃👍

[@roberthiggins6401]

Very interesting results.

[@keithhill3027]

Andrew I have been following your trial plots all summer and as a non farmer and in my mid 70’s I found it very interesting and it’s nice to see the technology your farmers use nowadays to produce the best yields,thanks for all your hard work.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Thanks Keith, pleased you enjoyed the updates and trial. Tech in farming is amazing and only going 1 way.

[@andymercer8092]

Good update. Very interesting result’s. Someone needs to start building Freeflows again by the look at the figures. 👍

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

🤣👍

[@philhicks5818]

Great video , a lot of work went into that , well done 👍

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Cheers Phil, yes it did!

[@michelle778]

Interesting trials and results. Thank you for putting in all the work. Probably not popular in your area, but a Deere 750A, Köckerling Ultima, Novag T-Force or Väderstad Rapid would have really rounded out the field ;) If you want to do more trials I would try reducing N inputs on the 22 acre field to see if the biology can compensate, with the rising N costs, this could make it more economical. Another interesting trial would be seed treatments, hearing over and over again that biological treatments like AEA's BioCoatGold, Johnson Su or worm-extracts are more bang for the buck compared to traditional seed treatment and supposedly can even help reduce input costs more. Especially seeing your roots beeing that naked. Thank you again for your dedication putting out interesting insights from your farm!

[@voxxag8054]

Would be good to See the direct drilling demo over 3 or 5 consecutive years in the same field to see some consistency and consecutive readings due to weather changes each spring and summer.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

That would take some commitment from the manufacturers and why we’ve got the 22 acre field in the system to compare. We’ve had numerous different drills over the 8 year trial but none compare well to the end result of the field next door in our standard system.

[@chrispayne1029]

Great Video 👏👌👍

[@richardmatthews3304]

You done a grand job there Andrew, maybe different in different conditions, but that's how it is on your land, think you have a good point about the plants getting hold of the fertilizer we have a moore unidrill and would like to come up with a way of putting fert down the spouts think it would be a game changer on root crops and overseeing grass

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Cheers Richard. Your best bet would be to go to S & K sprayers in Lincs and get stainless front tank and pipe it to your drill and put on liquid. They specialise in them, they’ve fine no end. We have one on our rape drill, works really well.

[@voxxag8054]

Good to See some speed, so many people run these types of machines to slow for them to be properly effective. 10-12k was optimal with Vogel-noot terradisc when we supplied them.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Agreed, speed with small disc machines is vital.

[@ianatkinson9227]

Very interesting a lot off these direct drills have minimum disturbance off the soil to try and stop blackgrass but you haven't got the release off nitrogen around the seed it's all pros and cons 👍🚜

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Exactly but we’ve managed to get rid of blackgrass even with cultivations.

[@bobwest2807]

Hi Andrew. I seem to remember that the combine yield meter indicated that the headlands at the end where the low disturbance drills ran was nowhere near as good as the car park end. This may have influenced the lower yields from that end of the field.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

That’s because that end and the western side headland was run on by all the drills when they were setting up. The plots where the drills were running were only run on at drilling.

[@PeterHughes]

You can't beat ploughing the fields. I know time is everything now but still plough and power harrow sorts it.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We used to plough but since we stopped in 2003 and used the solo instead, our yields went up and costs dropped. Our high clay content soils don’t plough well. The plough won’t turn the soil over, leaves it very rough, needing multiply passes after to beat the soil into submission.

[@PeterHughes]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard Thanks for explaining Andrew. I've been working mainly on livestock farms but there was a good progressive farmer I onced worked for who gave me some arable experience. I find it much more interesting as I get older!

[@nickdent8783]

Bednar cultivator looks good but look at a proforge inverta.will do the same job at a lot less cost and agri linc are brilliant and helpful

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I know Ben Whiles there so will give him a shout. 😃👍

[@richardgilkes409]

DD trials very interesting,If the reason why the Freeflow yielded better because it released the nitrogen through cultivating the soil more than the low disturbance disc drills,It would be interesting to compare with putting the fertilise down with the seed (as we all used to do) it might mean using less fertiliser as it’s placed next to the seed so the plant can take it up not the weeds between the rows, But I understand you can’t do everything

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

That might get the same result. 😃👍

[@NorthFenFarm]

I'm not sure whether there's an Ernest Doe near you but a neighbour of ours recently had a Lemken disc on demo from then and was very impressed. They bought a Lemken karat legged cultivator the other year which they're very happy with and we've bought a 2nd hand one this year of similar design, did a lovely job getting a shallow chit but yet to use at depth but we've always considered them a good manufacturer and they must stand by their customer as our neighbour is having their machine fully refurbished by them because it wasn't quite right

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Agrii have a strong connection with Lemken. I had a cultivation open day 3 years ago, run identically to the drill day and I had the Karat running and their small disc machine. Both did a good job.

[@Iuhxz]

Looks like the direct drilled cayena would have matched your free flow near enough without tramlines in every pass

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I liked the drill.

[@harrywaudby1781]

Ring TWB about a "Jester". strong, well built and well priced compared to other brands

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I know Terry and was going to contact him.

[@stephennewman4693]

Looking at Narla I thought she's going to be into the footings soon. She has some lovely markings on her fur.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

🤣🤣 She is turning out to be a lovely dog, she’s not 7 months old yet. Her markings are great but will keep changing. My last Shepherd started off black but ended up golden, fawn and black.

[@stephennewman4693]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard the house looks interesting going to have a great Outlook. The trial rests look interesting. What are your thoughts on grain prices over the comming year.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I wish they were back at £350/ t! along way to go yet, ive still got 70% to sell.

[@stephennewman4693]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard i can see as a livestock farmer our prices to the retailers need to rise for us to remain viable. Here in NZ were heading towards election year (2023) the govt is now hammering supermarkets over their huge profits. Sadly we don't see it only feel see the increase in weekly shopping bills. As the accountant said 4 months and it's Christmas and summer.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

It’s the same here as well but sometimes our supermarkets have a price war with each other and say it’s important the public has cheap food. That’s so wrong when input costs to produce the food are rocketing.

[@alistairnelson3216]

You’ll find you’ll struggle with a harvesting demo day. Most manufacturers will never run there combines next to the competition in the same field at the same time be interested to see how you get on.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

It’s only a thought so not spoken to any manufacturers yet!

[@alistairnelson3216]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard don’t worry you crack on you’ll get a huge turnout of visitors if you can pull it off. As all the brochure / pub talk of output and losses stops it put up or shut up and most of the big players don’t have the courage! You crack on and we’ll all come!

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

🤣🤣🤣 Thanks, watch this space!!

[@philipsankey988]

Have you thought about an Autumn direct drill day with wheat ,soil may be warmer and see what difference that makes to establishedment and yields?seems to me a seeds like a little of loose soli around it to get going,When you drill with the free flow ,it was done in better conditions although the soil on the car park ,looked very cobbling .ie soil particles ,I did wonder how a seed would germinate.Does the 10.90 CR still hold the record the most grain harvested in 8 hours?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I have thought about it but would be too late for this autumn, the last one took 6 months to plan. Not sure about the 10.90 but think you’re right.

[@philipsankey988]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard Think the record still stands,couple of ton short of 800 t in 8 hrs,Wragby Lincs 2014,They always say a combine is the best drill,seems to grow after combining what has gone over the back

[@robertrutherford9039]

Super video Andrew, many thanks for the effort involved. I'm guessing you adjusted the amazone ceyana establishment as it had tramlines in each pass? Vested interest but you probably guessed.😁

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Thanks Robert. I didn’t make any adjustments in the end because the seed in the tramline rows is distributed out among the other rows so in effect the none TL rows get more seed. If the seed had been saved such as in a drill with a feed roller like our Simba, I would if adjusted it.

[@robertrutherford9039]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard no it isn't andrew, when tramlining the seed rate is lowered by a % depending on width of drill and whether 4 rows are shut off or 6 rows. The % reduction when tramlining is inputted by the operator once then every tramline pass has a reduced kg/ha to account for 4 or 6 rows being shut off.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Thanks for that, I’d been told wring then. I’ll see if I can make an adjustment and discuss with Agrii. I did like the drill. What’s your vested interest?

[@robertrutherford9039]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard I have one Andrew, I like it, so simple, easy to work on simple to set up. Bad points - not the greatest on uneven fields and price of tyres. At the moment I think they only do 6 metre model

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Our Freeflow is good on even fields, it levels them out!

[@thelandshark4436]

Once again a fantastic video Andrew. Apologies if this has already been answered. Have you considered any potential cost savings (fixed or otherwise) in running a direct drilling/shallow tillage system on a farm scale when examining the margins from either your long term cover crop/DD field or trials such as this, whilst also considering yield? For example, reduction in diesel usage, labour savings, less machinery hours per year/unit area, use of smaller tractors. Is there any potential to offset a small reduction in yield with lower cost structure, either in the short or medium term, whilst also considering a lower diesel usage and potential to reduce fertiliser usage? Cheers

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

The thing is we aren’t getting a small reduction on yield, year after year it’s around 2 ton/ hectare. We also are not getting any establishment savings because we have to drill the cover crop and there’s the seed and usually a dose of slug pellets. This year the £500+ a hectare difference cannot be recovered any where near through no till. I know all our machinery costs to the penny and fuel consumption of every operation or combination of various tractors and implements.

[@thelandshark4436]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard thanks for the reply, it makes a lot of sense

[@jcbjim5960]

Can’t beat the old simba

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

👌😃

[@peterre4422]

Andrew, I’m a long time (30yrs) out of farming so can you clarify who Agri/Agrii are? It seems from the results of your plots that the yield is dependent on your overall system and soil type rather than one specific element such as the drill alone.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

www.agrii.co.uk/

[@benpattinson1]

Very interesting. Which one do you fancy getting?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

None now! Looking at a cultivator instead!

[@kevinpoole5844]

How do people rate the weaving gd drill

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

It wasn’t in the trial but we have tried it at another time, it does t like it drilled wet and dry out after, the seed slot opens up. But I think it would be fine in the autumn.

[@Tommy-vh7xj]

I think you will have to leave out the Waffle word now Andrew great stuff cheers

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

🤣🤣🤣👍

[@charlesyeo8252]

Very interesting results from the direct drilling thanks for all the work you and your team have put into it. As the simba drill has done so well it must be showing that you need a drill that does some cultivation for your soil type. Are your going to put in under floor water heat pump in the new house?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

If you mean under floor heating, then yes.

[@benneave4921]

Any potato work going anywhere? North Lincolnshire area.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Not sure, I’m not in spuds. Look on 4 extra hands. www.4xtrahands.com/

[@ericstebenne6368]

Im looking for Avatar or Sky i dont what is better

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Not much to choose but in our trial, the Sky gave a slightly better % emergence. We’ve tried it a few times over the last 7 years and it’s always performed well.

[@stephensmith4449]

Is it to be a grand design or conventual farm houes ??

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Modern design, open plan with lots of big glass windows.

[@gingernutpreacher]

I'm going to be a pain I can not vid you're vid on useing human manure and the government saying you must have a winter crop can you tell me which one it is please

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I’m not sure, I talk about the stuff in many videos!

[@TomTierneyFarmer]

Andrew What are your cost/acre pre cultivation for the simba freeflow ??

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

One pass with the Solo at £65/ ha but that was with the Quadtrac, not sure with the new tractor.

[@TomTierneyFarmer]

Ok that’s impressive low cost 👍👍👍 be interesting to see a similar winter wheat trial. Will you do one ?? SB worst crop to Direct drill IMV

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

You mean a winter wheat direct drill trial with different drills?

[@TomTierneyFarmer]

Yes 👍

[@paulstorer6937]

Will you be moving into the New House Andrew ?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Yes, with Rhonda. 😃👍

[@andrzejleszczynski4487]

Have you tested TWB cultivators?🤔

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I know Terry Birch and do intend to try something.

[@andrzejleszczynski4487]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard i would love to see test of his machinery on your farn. I've worked in lincolnshire with TWB SUBSOILER, magic mole, eliminator few years back.

[@janepearce6658]

It's not rocket science TILTH, TILTH ,TILTH. All crops need friable tilth to establish properly, even more important in the spring. Get that right and you are well on your way to a decent yield.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Try telling the no till taliban that!

[@janepearce6658]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard Do you remember DD bettinson drills and gramoxone?. It eventually died a death. If glyphosate gets the chop the plough will be the way forward. I am pissed off with picking up every farming journal and being told the re-gen is the way forward and that soil health can only be maintained by this approach. We plough and press everything and this year had 4th wheat Skyscraper yielding 4.8 tons/acre. If the soil was not in good condition no way would that be achievable.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Ditto!!

[@geoffreymoore2204]

Is slug control ur biggest problem with cover crop in field our to much trash,needs ploughed in..with that much water in concrete it losses its strength an pushing around found without stoppers it losses its mixture, water an aggregate runs ahead, watch for cracks..Good job on plots,we be going back to mf30 drills where fert put in with seed

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We do apply slug pellets after drilling cc. Biggest problem is getting them to grow and loss of income! Will watch the concrete, thanks.

[@nigelcraddock2360]

Too much water, cement will wash to lower end

[@bigrichard5778]

Fancy a job as agriculture minister?!

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

🤣🤣🤣 I’d soon sort the buggers out!!!

[@ianthechef8818]

I wouldn’t want to build of that concrete, far too wet.. so you will have issues with the super structure. Stick to farming…

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

A builder with 45 years experience is building the house. He always does the foundation’s like that and never a problem.

[@Rickwardful]

Any Direct drilling user will tell you that doing any trials of them being used in the Spring isn’t very useful.Autumn seeding is where they will work well. The hole idea is absolute minimum soil disturbance and that is why they score so much better with Autumn seeding than Spring seeding, because soil conditioning are so much better. As a rule of thumb, always drill 2 weeks earlier in the Autumn and 2 weeks later in the Spring, which explains why, because soil conditions will always be better then. Sorry Andrew. This means your trails aren’t particularly useful. Which is rather typical of those who don’t have any experience of the system. I therefore hope that those who also have little expertise don’t take your results seriously.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I beg to differ. The trials might not help you but to many they are extremely useful, I’ve had hundreds of positive comments from farmers who visited the field and the machinery manufacturers who took part. You are totally ignoring blackgrass. I’ve got rid of it which has required 70% of the farm in spring cropping for 10 years. Early dd in the autumn does not work in getting rid of blackgrass. In our early years of the cc trial field we had winter cropping but bg was getting worse.

[@Rickwardful]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard I beg to differ too! The reason why I went for DD’ing is precisely because of very severe Blackgrass problems. My farm does not grow good Spring crops reliably. Blackgrass will not grow if it isn’t disturbed. Therefore by absolute minimal soil disturbance in the Autumn when establishing a winter cereal, you can continue to avoid the need for being forced into Spring cropping to cope with Blackgrass. It is very easy for those inexperienced with any technique to wrongly malign it. Until you have tried it, following sound advice from those who are experienced with the system, it might be best to remain open minded. The problem being when somebody well know and respected in the (farming) media doesn’t really know much about the subject on which he is referring too, mistakenly TOTALLY puts others off. I strongly suspect that within 10 years (root crops establishment aside) DD will become the default/norm and that many will wonder why on earth it took so long for us all to get there and how much money we all waisted in delaying the inevitable! I was just the same until I tried it and learned how to use it properly. I have since had to eat an awful lot of humble pie.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

In our conventional system we reliable get 8-10 t/ha of sp wheat or a barley depending on season. Dd over 10 years of winter wheat or spring crop much less. I’ll have £10 bet with you you’re wrong re drilling system of choice!! What % sand silt and clay are your soils?

[@Rickwardful]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard I farm on the edge of the North Cotswolds on the Glos, Oxon Warks Border. We have no brash, but just about every other soil type from heavy Warks clay (they make cement out of) to Banbury ironstone to a bit of sandy light stuff. DD works on it all, but you have to get the timing right, including when you start to DD on which parts of the farm and starting it over a 3 year period rather than all in one go. It’s a totally different way of farming that takes a huge mindset change. I used to think that there was no way it would work on parts of the farm, only to discover that ‘oh yes it will!’ Of course every farm is different and nobody knows our farms better than we individually do. IIRC, even though we share the same surname but are not related, we do have a mutual contact who used to live in my area and I’ll try to make contact through that person. Just imagine that I or a group of fellow DD users could show you a system that would work on your farm and save you an enormously cost each year, including reducing the fortune you spend on hand rouging BG each year, but still give you the yields you are used to. Would you be interested to find out more? I’m not saying it is full proof or that mistakes wont be made - we all do that. There is a lot to learn, but I’m certain you would see the logic, understanding and sense in it. I’m pretty sure you would be impressed. I was and still am dumbfounded by it! Anyway, take care. Hopefully we’ll speak soon.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Have you just messaged Rhonda?

[@upthereds4939]

Bloody hell that concrete is wet 🫣😳😂 Great update and by the way it couldn’t be any further from waffling 👍🏻

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Less shovelling to do!!!! Thanks also for your comment! 😃👍