Richard Mee
Case Studies on Weed Management
Richard Mee
Leicestershire
Farm characteristics
Farm size: 263 hectares (650 acres)
Farm type: mixed
Altitude: 50 m (164
Rainfall: 680 mm (27
Soil type/aspect: from clay knobs to boulder clay on top, better in the valleys with gravel underlying sand
Basic rotation: 3 yrs grass/white clover ley (Lammins mix inc. cocksfoot, meadow fescue, ryegrass, white clover, small amount of red clover, chicory and root grass), spring wheat/winter wheat, beans, spring wheat maybe undersown depending on the field. If bean yield has not been good may use barley or oats. Was thinking of a two-year ley, but has extended this to three years to ensure enough grassland for the animals. Runs alternate grazing, beef sheep, silage in grass fields. Has been thinking about the legume phase of the rotation, has found peas get too weedy, but performed better than blue lupins which were not at all competitive with the weeds. Has tried white lupins which were better than blue, but flatten at the end of the season and some weeds did grow through
Enterprises: has 142 ha (350 ac) combinable crops, wheat, barley, oats and beans. 40 ha (100 ac) permanent grass and 80 ha (200 ac) rotational. 50 suckler cows, 320 breeding ewes, selling all progeny, 12 sows and a few chickens
Prior land use: began conversion in 1998 of 40 ha (100 ac). Added 220 ha (550 ac) in 2001. The 40 ha (100 ac) area was previously mainly pasture land, the rest was conventional arable
Weeding equipment: has a topper and an inter-row hoe mounted on a tool carrier, borrows a harrow comb
Business: owned, three full time staff, himself, wife and one man and one man part time
Marketing: use all cereals on-farm just buy in soya. Pork goes to the farm next door and a little through own farm sales
Weed problems
Attitude to weeds
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