Farmer Focus: Things are looking up as grain prices firm
Richard Harris © Emily Fleur We waited patiently, like most, for spring to arrive. It took until mid-April before we could get our spring linseed in the ground.
We disced over the grazed multispecies cover crops to elevate the surface compaction from the sheep and winter rainfall, while creating an inch of tilth before going in with our Moore Unidrill.
This was not as direct as we like, but our establishment has been compromised in the past without moving the surface before drilling.
See also: How an Essex oat grower hit variable cost of £48.50/t
About the author
Our only exception has been spring oats. They seem to buck the trend. We were then blessed to have a few inches of rain after drilling which has ensured a successful establishment.
As the old boys say, well sown is half grown, and its certainly racing away now.
We have also managed to get out of our old season winter wheat crop.
Tail slightly between our legs, but a lot better than it was looking in March. With prices for both grain and straw firming for the new crop, things are looking up.
Our winter wheat and barley have flown through growth stages over the past few weeks and look very well on the surface with clean green leaves, and are visually looking healthy and full of potential.
Below ground, I fear they might not be as robust, but these showers throughout May have not tested the rooting zone.
They may well make it through to harvest without being tested anymore, but certainly not like the last few dry May and June months we’ve had.
As we get to the end of May, we have the last crop to drill – pumpkins.
Now we are a few years in, I’m trialling two different fertiliser strategies this spring, with the main aim being to not feed the weeds in between the 1m row widths.
One stategy is to use bagged fertiliser down the spout and broadcast it into the seed-bed, with the other based around spout di-ammonium phosphate and polysulphate with foliar and biologicals applied once the crop is up and growing.
Anything to reduce hand weeding in the July heat will be a bonus.
