Having complained about lack of rain in virtually every posting for the last several weeks I should, at least, express some satisfaction that we have had about 15mm this week. Its not enough and we need a fair bit more to keep autumn drillings growing and allow sugar beet to be lifted comfortably. But there's been enough mainly gentle rainfall to break clods and germinate seeds and the corn drill has been rolling again.
The earlier drillings are still looking patchy with some parts of fields showing a healthy green while others are still brown. I hope the reluctant germinating areas will now emerge and catch up the rest during the winter. That said, I have heard of a number of cases up and down the east of England where farmers have already re-drilled both wheat and rape that they judged had died.
This mixed growth pattern is not good for potential yield. I well remember a meticulous German farmer I visited on his farm many years ago who had designed his own grain drill. Every seed was placed in the soil at exactly the same depth, he claimed, because "It is my ambition zat every seedling should emerge on ze same afternoon".
We certainly won't achieve that level of perfection this year but the rain will at least allow us to get a bit closer to it with the drillings now taking place. The moist soil will also let the sugar beet harvesters into the ground and reduce wear on lifting shares. Sods law being what it is, the next concern will probably be too much rain, given that the weather usually averages out over a period. But we're not at that stage yet and are feeling much happier than we were a week ago.