Farmer Focus: It’s as if someone threw a tin of green paint
Mark Stubbs © Phil Weedon What a difference over 100mm of rain has made. We are no longer breaking shear bolts or wearing metal away on our cultivation equipment as quickly.
We have been able to plant all of our oilseed rape and legume fallows just as the rain began to fall, which then deposited 100mm on top of it, so it got the best start it could get.
As I walked across it over the bank holiday weekend it was up and thriving, so hopefully the flee beetle will stay away so it can get the best start possible. The only downside is that the previous crop’s volunteers are also thriving, so we will have to spray them off soon.
See also: GB Potatoes at four: What are the challenges and priorities?
About the author
The volunteers and weeds are thriving on the cultivated land that is heading into wheat. Hopefully, once we are ready to drill at the end of September there will be a good flush to spray off.
The brown grass has now turned green. It’s as if a tin of green paint was thrown over it all. I can’t believe how quickly it has turned and looks lush again.
We are busy cultivating land and getting it ready for wheat drilling. It feels strange that we are only just in September, yet we are so far ahead of the game this year – so much so that we are not working weekends, which is keeping the family happy as we can spend time together.
We are also getting on with essential maintenance jobs two months earlier than usual.
I know everyone is saying that once it starts to rain it won’t stop, but don’t we all say this every year?
We still get the windows of opportunity to get the drilling and autumn spraying completed.
To me it just seems like we have normal weather for the time of year, but with reports we are in a “super El Nino”, we do need to be cautious that next year could be another drought and this winter could be wet and mild.
I guess we will have to wait and see, and deal with what Mother Nature throws us.
