Farming Question

[yates]

A couple of fields  near to me have been sown with two differing crops in the same field. One field has what appears to be rape and a plant with smaller leaves and white flowers growing in the drill lines. The other field has rape and a plant with blue flowers. 
Both fields were shallow ploughed and the crops planed about six weeks ago. I haven’t noticed this in previous years. 
 

Is this accidental or companion planting. Both fields previously had wheat in them.

Edited October 26, 2021 by yates

[JDog]

It sounds like a 'catch or cover crop. The intention is to add nitrogen over the winter and allow black grass treatment in the spring before being re sown, possibly with barley.

[clumber]

https://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/crop-management/pests/late-drilling-and-companion-crops-works-for-dorset-osr-crop

 

 

[old'un]

33 minutes ago, clumber said:

https://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/crop-management/pests/late-drilling-and-companion-crops-works-for-dorset-osr-crop

 

 

This^^

 

A few farms around this area tried companion crops last year and this and so far as been a great success with very little beetle damage.

[Smokersmith]

You'll see a lot more of this around as PPP's disappear and fertiliser continues to rocket in price.

[yates]

58 minutes ago, JDog said:

It sounds like a 'catch or cover crop. The intention is to add nitrogen over the winter and allow black grass treatment in the spring before being re sown, possibly with barley.

Thank you. I was thinking something similar but I had not witnessed this before and found it difficult to believe that the farmer would have accidentally cross contaminated this seeds when drilling 

[peck]

it will probably be a cover crop for oilseed rape, it grows higher than the rape so that flying insects can not se the oil seed rape so they do not attack it, i think its somesort of flea beetle that invades rape.

 

[Bigbob]

Adam Henderson did a big bit on it on Countryfile a couple of weeks ago apparently the beetle is that much a problem most farmers have stopped growing osr as they cant spray for the beetle now 

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, Bigbob said:

Adam Henderson did a big bit on it on Countryfile a couple of weeks ago apparently the beetle is that much a problem most farmers have stopped growing osr as they cant spray for the beetle now 

There was something on Clarksons farm about it as well, they showed a big area of failed crop, Clarkson's reaction was great.

[derbyduck]

my friend a farmer told me they are planting Buck wheat, to deter flee beetle, I grew some amongst my turnips a brassicas  and it seemed to help , and it has white flowers .

[yates]

On 26/10/2021 at 20:11, derbyduck said:

my friend a farmer told me they are planting Buck wheat, to deter flee beetle, I grew some amongst my turnips a brassicas  and it seemed to help , and it has white flowers .

Just checked the second crop in one field is buck wheat 👍