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05 Oct 2009, 10:27 AM Richard Lockett Joined on 27 Nov 2008 Posts 13 Fodder radish and mustard - WBC A few months ago I posted a thread asking about using fodder raddish in a WBC mix. As a result we sowed 2 plots of fodder radish, mustard and quinoa mix. We used a seed rate of 5.5kg/ha f raddish, 8 kg/ha mustard and 1kg/ha quinoa. The fodder radish and mustard have done really well and have produced lots of seed. The crop is very thick and the quinoa had no chance to get established. We'll drop the rate of f radish and mustard in future but the mix works well.    Report

08 Oct 2009, 9:20 AM Ian Gould Joined on 20 Dec 2005 Huntingdon Posts 68 Re: Fodder radish and mustard - WBC Attachment: Wild-Bird-Seem-Mix-inc-Milo.jpg Richard, I would recommend that you halve the seed rate of the Mustard and cut backthe Fodder Radish to about 3kg, keeping the Quinoa up or even increasing it. My worry about this mix is that there is very little to provide structure in the later months (Jan/Feb/March) so the seed will either be eaten early or lost on the floor, just at the most important time of food shortage for the birds. This is why Oakbank use crops such as Dwarf Grain Sorghum in our ELS mixtures, as they often seed but even when they dont there is still a structural element that holds up other species and provides useful perching points. We have clearly demonstrated this point to many stakeholders in Natural England, RSPB, etc and they have always gone away very positive about the benefits. Unfortunately Sorghum seems to be very unpopular with some influencial folk and it gets criticised as a "Game Cover Crop" only. We need to get past this issue and concentrate on why so many WB seed crops are simply not delivering the goods at the most important times. The attached picture shows an excellent crop from last year that was feeding birds well into March. It contained a small amount of Dwarf Grain Sorghum, along with Millet, Cereals and Quinoa. Ian Gould Oakbank Game & Conservation Ltd www.oakbankgc.co.uk    Report

08 Oct 2009, 9:01 PM Matthew Joined on 07 Oct 2006 Worcester Posts 34 Re: Fodder radish and mustard - WBC I agree with Ian in that some sorghum in a mix with a range of other seed bearing crops can add an important structural element. Problems arise where farmers want sorghum as a dominant component of the mix, mainly for a good 'drive', which is not the key objective when using agri-environment funds.  On a farm in Warwickshire, we used a mix including sorghum, but with linseed, quinoa, kale, fodder radish and millet which produced seed well into March (I observed 60+ Reed Bunting still using the cover on March 21st this year). This was a 1 year mix - the sorghum helped the linseed and fodder radish stay upright, and the kale provided cover and prey for insectivorous species (something we sometimes underestimate), as well as Song Thrush and Grey Partridge. Interestingly, I was on the same farm last week (different plot) where the farmer has sown a line of maize alongside our HLS plot, primarily to act as a protection from wind and sprays. The plot stretches out into a field, away from the hedge, and 30+ Reed Bunting and 6 Tree Sparrow seemed to be diving out of the mix into the maize, almost using the latter as protection, like a hedge. Something to think about !     Matt    Report

13 Oct 2009, 2:29 PM Ian Gould Joined on 20 Dec 2005 Huntingdon Posts 68 Re: Fodder radish and mustard - WBC Matt I have often seen "Game Covers" next to Wild Bird Seed Mixtures acting in mutually beneficial ways.  There really is very little conflict, but I agree that the emphasis of funded areas should be targetted at truly wild farmland birds rather than released pheasant or partridge.  However I strongly believe that often the most effective agent for success in a Farmland Bird project is a good Gamekeeper, but I suspect that asking or funding for one of these might be stretching it a bit. On the other hand, certain organisations get funding towards the cost of "Wildlife Managers" or "Reserve Wardens", some of whom undertake pest and predator control, habitat management, suplementary feeding, etc?? What's in a name? Can of worms opened I think!! Ian    Report

13 Oct 2009, 7:51 PM Matthew Joined on 07 Oct 2006 Worcester Posts 34 Re: Fodder radish and mustard - WBC Thanks Ian, A controversial topic, and as you say, very difficult to fund a 'gamekeeper' with any agri-environment funding, with so many sensitive issues / views surrounding this. We do have some great agreements on shooting estates, but equally there are some really delivering for farmland birds (and other biodiversity) on farms where there is no shooting interest. The real key in my view is the committment and enthusiaism of the farmer to deliver the habitats we want, and manage them to produce the most benefit - whether this be treating the bird mix as a crop for example or cutting the floristically enhanced margins three or four times in the first year to get them going as well as the on-going management thereafter. Matt Matt    Report

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