• AUG / SEP 2022
MANOR FARM 47
Burton ’ s Fabrications
We specialise in welding and fabrication in the agricultural sector and the erecting of steel framed buildings .
“ This year I converted to using liquid fertiliser , rather than granule . There was not a lot in it cost wise and of course fertiliser costs depend on when it is bought because such a difference to last year , but to me it was more of a saving in both time , because I didn ’ t need to be there when it was delivered ; on shed space and on recycling plastic waste because granule means a lot of bags . I also have self-propelled sprayers through my spraying contracting to apply it , giving more accurate placement of fertiliser right to field boundaries rather than just flinging it .
“ The liquid fertiliser has worked just as well and I ’ ve had nice uniform crops and I am also cutting back my nitrogen rate from 212-220 kilos to 160 kilos , around 30 per cent less , but still getting the same yields .
“ The wheat yield since I ’ ve farmed here and when the contractors farmed it will generally average 4 tonnes per acre . It ’ s fertile soil , silt loam to clay loam is how it is classed .
Matthew says he ’ s committed to his regenerative approach in future .
“ If I start to lose yield I won ’ t just jump to conventional cultivations . I will look at why it might be dropping , whether I believe it will get better in future and whether it needs some sort of remedial work in short term .
“ You have to be sensible and understand there might be a bit of a yield drop at certain times , but also understand why and what you might need to do to help .
“ You ’ ve also got to be willing to change your rotation and not look at the short term all the time . Mine varies but it is usually wheat-break crop-wheat-break crop , with some of those breaks being winter breaks and some spring .
“ I ’ m also back to this herbal ley every two years which takes a field or fields out of rotation for two years .
Matthew ’ s cropping this year has been winter wheat , oilseed rape , oats , linseed , beans and herbal leys with around half of his combinable acreage down to winter wheat .
“ I ’ m trying not to grow two wheats on the trot , unless I have really good fertility one year and then I might .
“ I ’ m trying to put in some temporary herbal leys and legume mixtures to help the direct drilling rotation and in the long term I ’ d like to try and graze the herbal leys throughout the year . At the moment I ’ ll try and cut them and sell them in bales .
“ This is the first year that I ’ ve put herbal leys in for two years . Last year I put some clovers in my linseed field in the spring just to keep the soil ticking over and it has made a huge difference . The way the wheat grew this year I could tell there was a lot of fertility there , so having 2 years of roots growing in the ground and letting that soil become stable and more natural is definitely helping . You ’ re relying on the plant roots to get down in the soil to do the work of what you would normally do with your cultivation equipment .
As well as working his arable farm in the right manner , working his spraying business and conducting his agronomy work Matthew has also introduced the livestock he always wanted , pigs .
“ I have pigs on a bed and breakfast contract with Ian Mosey Livestock and currently have 1400 weaners that come at 4 weeks or 7 kilos . We have them for 9 weeks giving us a stock turn of five batches a year . It adds to the farm in both income and manure for the crops which helps with our regenerative approach .
“ My goal for the future is to farm more land – rented , share farmed or whatever – but it is so hard to get hold of . I ’ m trying my best to raise my profile and get out in front of people .”
Tel : 07791 420870
We fabricate anything from steel framed buildings to grain and straw trailers . We also do repairs in the workshop and out on-site . We have a rotor Deici we use on jobs that is also available for hire with an operator , this is a 4t machine with 17m reach and 360 degree pivot .