Bill Cormack
Case Studies on Weed Management
Bill Cormack
Lincolnshire
Farm characteristics
Farm size: 21 hectares (52 acres) of organic land
Farm type: arable (stockless)
Altitude: 2 m (6.5
Rainfall: 580 mm (23
Soil type/aspect: silty clay loam (at the heavier end of the range), land very flat
Basic rotation: the site is a research farm. The organic area is part commercial farm and part experimental area, 10 ha (25 ac) of the 21 ha (52 ac) are part of a Defra funded project to investigate stockless arable farming. The rotation on the experimental land is 18 months white clover, calabrese/spring wheat, winter wheat, spring beans, spring wheat undersowed with clover. On the commercial farm, 18 months white clover, spring wheat, winter wheat, spring beans, spring wheat, so a combinable crops rotation
Enterprises: feed wheat, spring beans and 0.5 ha (1.2 ac) of calabrese
Prior land use: conventional arable no grass land for 50 years. Phased conversion beginning in 1989 last parcel became organic in 2002
Weeding equipment: have a 6m and 12 m harrow comb, a flail in-line topper, steerage hoe, inter-row cultivator and ridger for potatoes
Business: have conventional farm also, 1 manager and 2 full time run 500 ha (1235 ac) in total
Marketing: all wholesale. Calabrese to Marshall
Weed problems
Attitude to weeds
live with annual weeds although thinks the population has increased since they started conversion, perennial weeds are the main problem
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