It's all go at North Farm, Horton in Dorset, writes Peter Snell.
The Castille winter oilseed rape has had all its nitrogen now - just in time as the variety is coming in to flower and the crop height would impede the spread pattern if we had gone later. The total N applied this spring was 220kg/ha.
The second wheats, which had an early dose of 40kg/ha of N, have now received a further 100kg/ha.
T0 spraying on the wheat has been stop-start. The 1litre/ha of Cherokee (chlorothalonil + cyproconazole + propiconazole) is accompanied by 2litre/ha of chlormequat and 0.75litre/ha of manganese. The chlormequat would benefit from some more consistent warm weather, and if the wind abated we could continue spraying.
Planning future fertiliser requirements is giving me some cause for concern.
When should I enter the market for next season? What will be the availability for the season after that and should we order more now to provide cover?
Also with P + K prices continuing to rise we will definitely be chopping all our wheat straw again this year (apologies to straw buyers).
There is speculation that triple super phosphate (TSP) could reach £700/t. So presumably if other growers chop their straw will this push the value of straw up, or will the increase in cereal area counter this?
Also taking up our time is the new grain store. Steels are up, the concrete floor is shortly to be laid, and the panels and Challow floor have all been delivered this week.
I'm also busy designing a new website for the farm business and we've just ordered a new Amazone trailed sprayer and Amazone hydraulically driven mounted fertiliser spreader for delivery after harvest.
To comment you must first log in (top left hand corner of the screen).
More diary entries in our Barometers' Over the Hedge series