Dan Seaborne
Case Studies on Weed Management
Dan Seaborne
Herefordshire
Farm characteristics
Farm size: 224 hectares (554 acres)
Farm type: mixed (cereal) one step conversion starting in 2001, fully organic by July 2003. Part of Project Carrot the farm aims to put ideas on sustainability into practice
Altitude: 70 m (230')
Rainfall: 668 mm (26")
Soil type/aspect: varies from alluvial soils in Wye flood plain through gravel terraces to red clay-loam soils at 300ft. Generally light brashy gravel of Bromyard-Eardison complex
Basic rotation: planned rotation is 2 years white/red clover ley, potatoes, wheat, beans and wheat
Enterprises: 55 ha woodland, 50 ha permanent pasture, 107 ha arable land, 3 ha cider orchard, 44 Hereford single suckler cattle, 400 sheep, mainly welsh mules gradually converted to Llyns
Prior land use: was previously conventional arable, with wheat, barley, OSR, sugar beet rotation
Weeding equipment: a 9m Einbok comb harrow, an Ecodan inter-row hoe, a McConnel Rhino 9ft rear-mounted rotary topper. Also a Sandburger st 200 compost turner
Business: 2 full time farm staff. Small amount of contactor help e.g. hedge cutting
Marketing: member of Graig Farm Meat-Marketing Group and the Arable Marketing Group also looking for direct marketing opportunities
Weed problems
Attitude to weeds
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