Considering how optimistic we were early in the spring, when crops went into promising seed-beds, it seems that mother nature has again given us another testing year.

The trial I ran looking at companion crop tolerance has been a learning curve, but one I’m glad I took, as it gives me better focus on future crop management.

See also: Farmer aims to cut wheat inputs with home-brewed inoculant

About the author

Anthony Becvar

Anthony Becvar is a third-generation farmer of an 80ha mixed farm in East Sussex on heavy Weald Clay. Crops include spring beans, winter wheat and spring barley, alongside diversification projects which include two breweries and an agricultural mechanic.

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I’m looking forward to the new cropping year and getting our winter oats sowing under way, as I’ve grown great crops of oats in the past. Local and county ploughing match trophy winners, I’ll have you know.

Each year I read and listen to advice surrounding autumn sowing and try to match it with my farming context, but it can be a minefield; catch crops, till for a chit, stale seed-beds, plough trash, don’t plough, subsoil, don’t subsoil, pre-, peri- or post-emergence herbicides.

This year I’m trying a truly logical approach, based on my context but willing to try new things.

This is my usual approach to trying new cheeses and wines, and I’ve had some pretty good results with that, so why not try it with my cropping?

Winter crops have recently failed due to excess winter rain, so logic directs my thoughts to drilling early as well as attention to detail in drainage and compaction issues.

Logic also says drilling early means I will have forward, disease-prone crops in the spring, if they survive.

However, logic also says this could be controlled with growth regulators, comb-harrowing, grazing, fungicides or a cocktail of all. By not waiting to drill until mid-late October, logic says I won’t likely see much of a grassweed flush, so control will be hampered.

Within my farm context I have a low grassweed burden, having spring-cropped and cover-cropped for the past three years.

Also, having witnessed the power of crop competition, I’m putting faith in the vigorous growth of oats as well as their buckwheat and linseed companions.

I’m also going to trial cross-drilling in fields that might have a greater weed burden. Drilling at half rate one way and again at 90 deg should, logically, help create enough soil coverage to suppress weed growth.

I hope this approach will be as enjoyable as the most recent Central Otago pinot noir and ripe camembert I found.