AllyR's blog

          What a difference a week can make. Last weekend was full of the euforia of real herst weather and my winter barley coming in with great expectations, then Friday, the devastating news that Foot and Mouth disease had once again struck British stock. I, somehow, felt relieved on Saturday night to learn that the virus could be from the local research centre. There does, now, seem to be more hope of it's containment.

           The Pearl winter barley broke records for me. the weights are now in and the yield is 8.66 t/ha, (I may have a weight reduction of about 2% as the average moisture was about17.5%), but it made malting spec with N levels at 1.85 and a price of £130/t. I presume that will be beer malt as it is too high in Nitrogen for whisky malt.  This gives an amazing output of £1125/ha.  What a difference from the £420/ha - £500/ha of the past years. But did it come at a heavy cost?

            The inputs were: seed at £44/ha; fertiliser at £117/ha; sprays at £89/ha and contract at £8/ha, giving a variable cost total of £258/ha and a Gross Margin of £867/ha. What a difference from my usual figure of nearer £200/ha. My drying costs were minimal being confined to reducing two loads from 20% moisture to under 19%. 

              The oilseed rape will come to the combine next. On Friday it was lying in the swath at over 20% moisture, but is now at about 12.7% moisture. The forecast is giving us a strong probability of rain with some heavy showers possible tonight, so I'd better go and get the drier ready. 

           What a contrast in the weather. Today we have had the drouthiest day since sometime in May. This allowed us to get the winter barley harvested. We started cutting yesterday at 1.00 o'clock, stopped for rain at 1.30, started at 2.00, stopped for rain at 2.30, started again at 7.00pm. We finally finished at 4.00pm today in glorious harvest weather.. The variety, Pearl, appears to have yielded well at about three tons per acre but I await the lorry weigh tickets for a yield figure. The moisture content started at 18% yesterday and finished at 16% today. The crop is well in as the heads were hanging ripe and the wind tonight would certainly have shed a few. I have had a very lucky break in the weather.

             It always gives me great satisfaction to go in to breakfast at 7.00 am having achieved a successful mission-accomplished. Not that I do that very often but more through neccessity to catch up with another job in desperate need. So, at last, I have managed to get the pr-harvest glyphosate on to my winter barley.

             By 5.30 the sun was in the sky. The crop was dry enough and not a breeze. A hint of a Northern airflow provided the final incentive to get on with the job as there was a crop of seed potatoes to the North next to the barley. The job was getting desperate as the barley is ripening fast and with four to five tatties (potatoes) per square metre in many strips this was a much needed control. I will be lucky if this one spray does the job without another one to prepare the field for tatties again in six years time. I thought I had made an early start but the farmer who has my tattie ground had just finished spraying the tatties (for blight) !

               The oilseed rape is now being swathed in this area and I expect to get mine done on Sunday or Monday. The spring barley is looking well despite the cold wet weather. My worry at the moment is of high Nirogen content due to the very dry April leading to late uptake of Nitogen fertiliser. 6 t/ha is just a "hope for" at this stage, anything could happen. Likewise the wheat is looking good with a 9 t/ha yield just a "hope for" at this stage.

 

Good luck to everyone with the new forum. It is fine to have some of the extra functions. I hope all goes well and that everyone can get the hang of it quickly. Just testing - Ally.