Over the Hedge - Arable Barometer farmers' diary

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• Cold and wet hampers progress in Lincs

  Wet soils mean Clive Patrick (left) and Tony Reynolds' recent spring sowing has required drill modification. "In common with everybody we have the coldest and wettest spring we can remember," writes Tony Reynolds from Thurlby Grange, Thurlby... Posted Apr 18 2008, 11:58 AM by flutefriend with | with no comments Filed under: Drilling, Beans, Barometer, Midlands, Tony Reynolds

• Perfect drilling conditions prompt late surge in winter wheat plantings

  Perfect ground conditions are prompting south-west barometer Troy Stuart’s contractor clients to continue to drill more wheat. “We’ve finished the home farm drilling but we’re still contract drilling.” More and more wheat was going in the ground, with... Posted Oct 24 2007, 03:29 PM by Mike Abram - Arable Deputy Editor with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Drilling, Wheat, slugs, grain maize, set-aside, maize

• German machinery show beckons

  James Wray's potato lifting at Dungiven, Co Londonderry, 97ha (220 acres) of Navan, Cabaret and first-time Maris Piper, should all be over by Wednesday thanks to a good spell of weather with only patchy showers. "After a wet summer and a stop... Posted Oct 22 2007, 09:56 AM by flutefriend with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Drilling, Potatoes, Agritechnica

• New 'stubble-to-stubble' contract taken in stride

  Rain forecast for tomorrow looks like interrupting John Barrett's autumn drilling in Suffolk. But given that he has recently taken on an extra 263ha (650 acres) under a new annual stubble-to-stubble contract run from Hill House Farm, Bungay, progress... Posted Oct 15 2007, 09:51 AM by flutefriend with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Drilling, contract, herbicide treatments, Stubble-to-stubble

• Home-saved bean seed tests encouraging in Berks

  Despite heavy rain on Tuesday, Nigel Horne hopes to have finished drilling wheat in Berks in the next three days. "We've about a third left, or about 60ha," he said. "That'll just leave 67ha of beans to do later this month."... Posted Oct 10 2007, 04:45 PM by flutefriend with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Drilling, Beans, Shakaerator, ascochyta, stem nematode, Accord

• Bean harvest delayed in Scotland

  Two-thirds of the way through combining the 34ha (84 acres) of Fuego spring beans at Leckerstone Farm, Dunfermline, John Hutcheson is anticipating some late nights tending his batch drier. "We're three weeks later harvesting them this year,"... Posted Oct 05 2007, 05:25 PM by flutefriend with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Drilling, Harvest, Wheat, ploughing, min-till, Beans, combining, drying

• Northern sowing programme nearly done

  Andrew Gloag's expanded autumn drilling programme, run from Busby House Farm, Stokesley in North Yorks, is almost complete thanks to his two-man teams working 12-hour 7am-7pm shifts. "We've had a very good run and the 1.8in of rain we had... Posted Oct 04 2007, 11:24 AM by flutefriend with | with no comments Filed under: Drilling, Wheat, OSR, Challenger, Sumo, Simba

• Potatoes not too bad after tricky season

  Although Richard Solari's potato yields in Shropshire are about 15% down on normal expectations after the sodden summer he isn't complaining. "It's not been an easy season, but many people have been hit much harder, and some lost whole... Posted Oct 03 2007, 10:21 AM by flutefriend with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Drilling, Wheat, Potatoes, farm manager

• Wet in France too

  John Barrett was recovering from a week-end break in Paris this morning after a wet spell slowed his wheat drilling in Suffolk last week. "I've got a bit of a thick head but it was worth it. What struck me though was how wet it was also in France... Posted Oct 01 2007, 11:28 AM by flutefriend with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Drilling, Wheat, Sugar beet, Rain

• Rain welcome in south-west

  After a long dry spell, half an inch of rain last Sunday was especially welcome, reports Troy Stuart from near Exeter in Devon. "We started drilling wheat on the 19 th and until we had the rain seed-beds were very difficult because they'd dried... Posted Sep 28 2007, 12:10 PM by flutefriend with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Drilling, Wheat, OSR

• Fly-by-night's torch job hampers fieldwork

  While Nigel Horne’s autumn drilling programme is well under way at Catmore Farm, West Ilsley, Berks, his harvest has only just finished – thanks to an unwelcome night-time visitor several weeks ago. “It was very frustrating,” he said having for several... Posted Sep 27 2007, 11:05 PM by flutefriend with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Drilling, Harvest