Which biomass crops

SRC Willow (a 6-way mixture) (0.3ha); Contractor will plant, but all land prep needs to be done as well, all weed management and first year cut back in Jan/Feb 2024.

Poplar both SRC and SRF.

Miscanthus giganteus (0.45ha), Contractor will plant, but all land prep needs to be done as well, as harvests in March 2024 and 2025.

Miscanthus Athena (0.45ha). Contractor will plant, but all land prep needs to be done as well as weed management, harvests in march 2024 and 2025.

Sida (0.05ha). Land prep and weed management completed.

Black Locust (Pseudo Acacia). Obtaining plants.

Energy Crops (Will McAlpine to specify).

Planting goals/aim

Currently preparing land for the planting of energy grasses; miscanthus, poplar, willow and the replanting of the Sida?

Agronomic dates (planting, harvesting schedule)

Planting target date late-March – mid-April 2023. Important so the crop can establish before the risk of drought. 

Management methodology (spray off, nutrient additions, ploughing, site prep, others)

Spot treat any perennial weed issues from late spring 2022.

Soil sampling, adjusting pH, P and K indices if needed. 

Subsoil site.

Glyphosate applied at 3-5l/ha 2 – 3 weeks prior cultivation to grass in late August / early September. Plough and till and drill winter wheat. Or establish hemp/arable rotation in the hemp area. 

Glyphosate applied at 3-5l/ha in spring 2023 2 – 3 weeks prior planting to kill off the autumn sown cereal and any other weeds that have emerged during this period.

Planting target date late-March – mid-April. Important so the crop can establish before the risk of drought. 

Depth of ploughing ~23 cm and dates when this work should be carried out.  

Willow area within 1 week post planting, pre-emergent residual herbicides to be applied. These are important to keep the crop clean during the establishment phase. A mixture of pendimethalin (e.g. Stomp at 3.3 l/ha) and Isoxaben (e.g. Flexidor at 0.5l/ha) is effective. Avoid tank mixing as the chemicals may not be compatible. 

There is vertebrate grazing pressure at the site, an electric fence will be erected until the treatments during establishment are complete, then a hard stand rabbit fence will be built around the trials.

Miscanthus spray 1.5 l/ha Stomp at pre-em stage

The electric fence line will be sprayed with glyphosate to ensure weed vegetation does not short it out. The fence will be inspected for efficacy during the regular monitoring (weekly from planting – July) of the trial during the establishment phase. 

The trials should be monitored during the first year and any weed flushes should be controlled either mechanically or with herbicide treatments. Grass problems can be dealt with by a graminicide options include: Fluazifop-p-butyl (e.g. Fusilade at 1.5l/ha), cycloxidim (e.g. Laser at 2.5l/ha with oil) or propaquizafop (e.g. Falcon 1.4l/ha) in tree species. These should be avoided in Miscanthus / grass species. 

Two applications of Dow Shield work well at controlling youngish thistles. First application at 0.25 litre/ha. Then a second application 3 weeks later at 0.5 litre/ha. Shield applications should be avoided on hot days (+~25oC) in willow.

The project agronomist will provide help and advice, but interrow spraying and moving / strimming may need to be done 3 times in the planting season. 

The 5 sections of the hemp arable rotation area will need to be planted and cultivated as per the arable rotation. 

Machinery to be used

Ride on Lawn mower – cutting grass.

Quad Bike for applying spot weeding glysophate.

Sub-Contractor with Tractor for ploughing, applying glysophate, subsoil, power harrow and planting seed.

Note: Currently requesting Hyundai Heavy Duty Self Propelled Petrol Wheeled Grass Trimmer £1k, Masser digital callipers, Masser Racal II BT (£2k for measurements), Secateurs, loppers etc.