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Converting conventional oats field to pasture...what am I forgetting?

 
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Location: Norway
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Hello Lovelies,
I have a new farm I want to convert from conventional grain production to regenerative organic fields. Been through PDCs, web-based, and and almost done with Agronomy trade education. I still feel quite green, despite being sure of how to proceed, and like I am missing something critical. So here I am to get some feedback.

Field stats: 30cm compacted agricultural soil with compacted coarse sand underneath (regional issues with retaining large loads of seasonal livestock fertilizer spreading. 10cm oat hay stalks remain in Field. Soil test sent in, and I am awaiting results.

My approach year 1 (fall2021 to fall 2022): mow down stalks to mulch cover bare soil. Spray with EM-1+Molasses to inoculate the soil with microbes before snow fall. There is a fungal presence as some leftover hay shows grey/blackening decay. Allow the current sparse grass/reseeded oats to grow on the field (live roots to establish microbial symbiosis). In the spring, apply another EM-1  treatment, broad cast seed with a pasture grass mix (blend for growing silage and grazing grasses and legumes). Sow grain crops on small patches. Send in late spring soil sample for testing. Allow the field to go to seed so it can have a full year of uninterrupted growth and die down (except patches where I take some for hay).
Send in fall soil sample for testing. Establish fertilizer plan for mid fall(if possible apply ~1/3 organic fertilizer and EM-1 treatment). Harvest straw, mow down the rest to mulch and leave the undergrowth to maintain microbes.

Goals
-create healthy soil by renewing soil life
-reverse compaction
-harvest some feed grains
-harvest some hay
-add nutrition that doesn't leach.

What did I miss? Feedback, tips, experiences are welcome.

 
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What's done here is to sow grass seed and grain at the same time. the grain grows much faster so you can cut it for silage in the same year as planting which you cannot do with a pasture grass mix. after you've cut it the grass comes through and will be there for the next year.
You won't  be able to get any hay next year unless you have a very weedy field right now.
Check fertiliser prices before you set your heart on using them, they are absolutely insane here, also check laws on how much you can use. It's complicated as well since what was grown last year and the date the last covercrop was sown also changes how much fertiliser you may use the next year.

We have 30cm of sandy soil over solid chalk, just because the field has had a tractor on it doesn't mean it will be compacted, ours isn't it's basically fluff.

I would suggest also checking for nasty weeds, if you have creeping thistle you want to get that out asap it will just take over. and of course any weed you don't want in hay.

How are you planning on harvesting the grain? Scythes do not like weeds, and I really wouldn't recommend trying to get any decent amount by hand.
 
Tavonna Nira Strømsengbakken
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Skandi Rogers wrote:What's done here is to sow grass seed and grain at the same time.

Check fertiliser prices before you set your heart on using them, they are absolutely insane here, also check laws on how much you can use.

just because the field has had a tractor on it doesn't mean it will be compacted

I would suggest also checking for nasty weeds.

How are you planning on harvesting the grain? Scythes do not like weeds, and I really wouldn't recommend trying to get any decent amount by hand.



The grass seed technique sounds really interesting. I was just wondering if a blade grass mix would be  better under grain! Gonna look into that more. I'm waiting on the soil test to make decisions. The guy who used it before sowed an oat crop, around late May/early June. When he found out he couldn't use it, he harvested without fertilizing, naturally. If the soil analysis indicated it was depleted, I was going to use the field mix, simply for the diversity and the nitrogen fixers. I also have a bag of large variety dandelion I was going to grid plant as well.

With the field only being 10daa, I haven't been too concerned about the prices. Regardless, I have to get all of the micronutrients for another project/experiment I'm going to try. With no local farmers keeping animals because of their districting strategy, farmers were foolish to only grow crops, but have no way to return any nutrients. Essentially mining the soil, overfertilizing with mineral fertilizer, and losing a fair bit in rain as the entire area is sand/silt. I'm going to have chickens, quail, and rabbits for fertilizer among other things.
As far as how much I can use, I have to look into that. I'm quite sure I am going to use much lower than what is the norm. And I'll not be adding it in bulk. But my soil sample will dictate how much I may be needed add. However,  I am waiting on soil samples after the microbes/organisms have had a go. I'm hoping to add fertizers via compost 'plugs' that have been amended with micronutrients.

The soil is compacted, by my standards, in any case. It was difficult to get the soil sampler through it (no stones), and feels like a wood floor when you walk on it. Even after a rain you can't make a decent foot print in it. However, I haven't measured with a penetrometer.

The only weed of concern that I saw a few plants of are kveke (Elymus repens). I'm going to pull that and its rhizome roots out by hand. The rest are in the borders and will easy to manage with mowing and cover cropping. I have a blend of seeds and weeds I want to plant in those areas.

The grains are only going to be sowed in market bed with rows spread out in the field.  No more than about 1000m2 of a certain grain. I'm seeing out oats, barley and buckwheat to see how they do. I intend to tie them off and hand sickle the tops off, the buckwheat has to be 'picked'. Then I'll come back with the bush scythe for the hay and straw.
 
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