With all 20ha of sugar beet at Grange Farm, Rippingale, Lincs lifted and wheat drilling and re-drilling done, Ben Atkinson has been turning his attention to base fertiliser dressing and spraying.
Because of the extra crop area previously in set-aside he has had to go back into the market for more triple superphosphate and muriate of potash.
"It wasn't a pleasant experience with TSP at £263/t and MOP at £205/t," he said. "And that deal took some finding. However I am sure we are making good use of it with the SOYL GPS application system.
"We are about to start applying Kerb and Proline to the oilseed rape. This will be a second fungicide for the forward crops but a first for others. Proline is expensive compared to some of the alternatives. But with a relatively thin stand due to the difficult establishment season and with prices as they are, I think it's a crop worth looking after."
Atlantis (iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium + mesosulfuron-methyl) to tackle some of the more forward wheat crops with visible blackgrass is also due to be applied soon.
"However on most crops the pre-em sprays have worked well, there's little blackgrass, and I can see little reason to apply anything more than a BYDV spray and will leave the Atlantis treatment until the spring.
"I know research shows that autumn application is best, but if the blackgrass isn't there I can't see the point."
Some land prone to manganese deficiency will also get a liquid Mn dressing.
Wheat has started to leave the farm, noted Mr Atkinson.
"The earlier sub £100/t contracts are not much fun to load. But thankfully there aren't too many of those. We console ourselves by constantly remembering that we wouldn't have been saying the price was too bad a year ago - and it was the right decision at the time."
Two Simba SL cultivators fitted with oilseed rape sowing kits have been bought for next year.
"These new machines represent the conclusion to work we have been involved in with Simba for the past two years. They are basically the Cultipresses and Horsch subsoilers we have used for establishing oilseed rape combined into single machines.
"This has allowed us to shed a lot of machinery and will form the backbone to both rape and wheat cultivation/establishment."
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