From Tony Reynolds, Midlands Barometer:
April's Over the Hedge ended with the comment that "everything is bursting to grow - we just need the warmth".
Early May we got the warmth and the crop response has been wonderful. Uptake of Nitrogen has given a deep colour to the cereals and the growth rate is such that the delayed T.1. was applied and followed very quickly by the T.2. a very narrow time lapse between. My own feeling is that the protection offered by T.1. should have lasted longer and we applied T.2. almost as a ritual spray because we always do, this opinion is not reflected by our Agronomist.
The Wheats have had:-
Zephyr @ 0.8 per hectare
Sage @ 0.5 per hectare
Bittersalz @ 5kg per hectare
Fury @ 100 mls per hectare
Manganese @ 2Ltrs per hectare
Basagran @ 1.5kg per hectare
Fury @ 100mls per hectare
Basagran @ 1kg per hectare
Flagon 400 @ 0.75ltrs per hectare
We applied 34.5% nitrogen @ 185 kgs per hectare
The violent storms over the bank holiday have turned the rape fields from yellow to green faster than we would have thought possible, they appear well podded. Now a request, if I may, we practice here a no till system, which is referred to by many misleading descriptions as is "min till" et al.
Could we please invent a common description of tillage systems so we know which system we are talking about? May I suggest the following descriptions:-
All plough based systems: Classic Till
Tillage deeper than 10mm (4in): Deep Till
Tillage less than 10mm (4in): Min Till
Forget the word "direct" as everyone has their own interpretation, all of which are different.