6 FARM NEWS JUN/JUL 2020 • farmers-mart.co.uk
Crimping solves challenge of
unevenly ripened spring cereals
SECONDARY tillering and the
uneven ripening of cereal
crops this summer is presenting
challenges to growers as
harvest approaches. However,
these issues can be overcome
by switching from dry harvest
to crimping, according to arable
farmers who have experience
of preserving their grain by this
process.
Arable and livestock producer,
Paul Metcalfe, says he
will make far more out of his
spring barley crop by harvesting
early and crimping than if he
cut it dry.
Farming 1,100 acres at
Gillingwood Hall near Scotch
Corner in North Yorkshire, he
says: “We normally only grow
winter cereals but this season’s
wet autumn and winter meant
we couldn’t get on to the land in
time and had to drill around 170
acres in spring.”
As a long-term user of the
crimping process he says he
will harvest all of his spring
barley at 25-30% moisture and
preserve it by crimping. This
means it will be passed through
a roller and have the preservative,
CrimpSafe 300 applied
at the same time. The treated
barley will then be compacted,
sheeted and stored in a clamp,
in a similar manner to silage.
He says: “Each year we have
crimped more and more of our
P aul Metcalfe will be crimping his entire spring
barley crop to maximise its yield and overcome
secondary tillering and uneven ripening.
Paul Metcalfe is pictured
with his son, Sam.
winter cereals as we like the
product so much.
“However, this year it’s the
perfect solution for the unevenly
ripened spring cereals where
it will make far more out of the
crop than if ever we cut it dry.”
He says the spring sown
barley suffered in the exceptionally
dry spring and started to
head very early.
“With the recent rain this was
followed by a wave of secondary
growth, which means there’s
a massive variation in maturity
and moisture within the crop,”
he says.
“Some of the awns are fully
out while some of the grain is
just appearing in the head,” he
says. “If we put this type of crop
in the grain drier we would have
to cremate it to get it all dry!
“Crimping will also bring
harvest forward by two to three
weeks to around the middle
of August,” he says. “This will
extend our window for autumn
cultivations and help bring our
rotations back on track.”
Michael Carpenter, northern
area manager for feed preservation
specialists, Kelvin Cave
Ltd, says crimping is suitable for
winter cereals as well as springsown
crops.
He says: “The growth of winter
cereals was also checked during
the dry spring and many crops
headed early. These should be
watched from an earlier date if
they are going to be crimped,
so they can be harvested in
optimum condition.”
When used as a livestock feed
he says crimping has further
nutritional benefits. “Paul will
use his crimped barley to feed
his Angus and Wagyu cattle
which – like all dairy, beef and
sheep – perform well on high
moisture, crimped cereals. Crimp
is excellent from a nutritional
perspective as it is safer for the
Late secondary tillers
emerging in Paul Metcalfe’s
spring barley crop.
rumen, can be fed at higher rates
of inclusion and is more digestible
than dry rolled grain.
“However, for growers without
any livestock, it’s a surprisingly
easy product to trade on a farmto-farm
basis,” he says.
Recent trials by ADAS have also
demonstrated that crimping has
benefits in black-grass control.
“The trials demonstrated that
preserving cereals by crimping
with CrimpSafe 300 kills
100% of the black-grass seeds
ensiled with the crop,” says
Mr Carpenter. “Furthermore,
the earlier harvest associated
with crimping removes more
black-grass seed from the field –
something that’s probably more
useful in winter cereals where
the problem can be worse, than
those sown in spring.”
Mr Metcalfe concurs and says:
“Crimping definitely helps get
more out of the crop – it just
makes the most of what we are
growing. We’ve been using the
process for so many years it’s
now an important and integral
part of our system.”
For more information about the
crimping process, please contact
Kelvin Cave Ltd on 01458 252281
or Michael Carpenter on
07817 977701.
What is crimping
Crimping involves
the rolling of cereals,
maize grain or pulses
and the application of
a proven preservative
such as Crimpsafe 300 or
Crimpsafe Hi-Dry. This
ensures a controlled fermentation
and maximum
nutrient retention once
stored in an airtight
clamp (or plastic tube).
CrimpSafe preservatives
allow cereals and maize
grain to be crimped
and ensiled at moisture
contents from 16%-45%,
although the best nutritional
benefits come from
grain harvested above
25% moisture. Crimp must
remain sealed for at least
three weeks and can then
be fed to livestock or used
in anaerobic digestion
throughout the year.
Why crimp grain?
• Maximises nutrient
value, digestibility and
dry matter/ha
• Enables earlier
harvest at peak nutritional
value
• The process is simple
– crimp, ensile, feed
• No drying or specialist
storage is required
• Reduces grain loss in
the field
• Harvest is less
weather-dependent
• Turns home-grown
moist grains into
quality, digestible and
palatable concentrate
feed
• Improves animal
performance over
dry-rolled cereals
• Improves black-grass
control over cereals
harvested dry
• Can produce high
biogas yields in anaerobic
digestion
• Can be traded from
farm to farm
• Backed by over 40
years successful use
in Finland and northern
Europe
For further information please
contact the Kelvin Cave Ltd
head office on 01458 252281 or
visit kelvincave.com.