Farmer Focus: High disease pressure adds to the costs

The less said about the weather the better. After only 12mm in the past six weeks the crops are struggling, with spring-sown naked oats suffering the most.

In contrast, spring feed oats have over double the biomass, which is impressive when you consider they were drilled a day apart on the same soil type following the same cover crop. And even they are shedding tillers.

T2 fungicides are imminent and just in time by the look of it as our Champion feed wheat has fresh yellow rust infections and needs fairly urgent attention.

See also: UK oilseed rape crop: Why there’s growing optimism in 2026-27

About the author

Keith Challen

Arable Farmer Focus writer

Keith Challen manages 1,200ha of heavy clay soils in the Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire, for Belvoir Farming Company. Cropping includes wheat, oilseed rape and elderflowers. The farm is also home to the Belvoir Fruit Farms drinks business.

Read more articles by Keith Challen

Just when we could do with a cheap year, disease pressure is high.

It feels like another one of those years that just keeps on giving and, ironically, our Skyfall milling wheat with a lower yellow rust score is immaculate. It’s a fact no two years in farming are the same.

Machinery maintenance is ongoing and Allfarm installations have just completed our annual dryer service. Luckily, only a few belts and bearings are required this year, keeping costs to a minimum.

I’m convinced their diligent annual maintenance has paid dividends each year, particularly as our Tornum dryer is approaching 20 years old and still looks new.

Recent ground frosts have taken their toll on our elderflowers, with florets just starting to form.

The cold nights have turned them brown and they will struggle to mature. Luckily, we are only at about 5% visible so fingers crossed for milder weather.

Picking will start soon, so if you fancy earning a few extra pounds visit our website for details.

By nature I’m a glass-half-full kind of bloke and always try and look for the positive in any situation.

However, recent revisits to my budgeting spreadsheets to update fuel and fertiliser costs leave me feeling quite depressed.

I’m only too aware that it’s hard to see a way forward when all around the situation looks dire, so it’s important to talk to others and share the burden. Remember, we are all in it together.