It’s definitely been a case of better late than never in the past month. A good 5-8cm of rain in June has made all the difference to much of our winter wheat and with it our morale. At least we should now see some decent bushel weight compensation for all those lost tillers. The much-needed [...]
At last some decent sunshine. This should help the haymakers and will fill the pods and ears of combinable crops as well as bulking up potatoes which have bred well. However, the higher temperatures along with the thundery showers will no doubt increase the risk of late blight in potato crops. Winter barley crops are [...]
Desiccation of oilseed rape crops is well underway with only the later-maturing varieties and fields remaining. Most have been treated with glyphosate plus pod sealant. Harvest should be relatively straightforward, as most crops are shorter than normal, providing they desiccate evenly. The June rain has helped fill seeds and pods, although there are noticeable areas [...]
Although we seem to be galloping rapidly towards harvest, with two very hot weekends dramatically altering winter crops, there are still things to do and problems to be addressed. Most wheat crops are just about past the stage when aphids can do much harm. Aphid numbers did start to build up, but there were very [...]
