The winter wheats are starting to go backwards fast with the lack of rain. We have had 14% of our usual spring rain fall. That is 253mm less than usual, which is quite shocking.

There are a few showers in the forecast as I write this, so hopefully something will arrive to de-stress the crops.

The rye is starting to flower. I hope we can start chopping this in three weeks’ time. It is looking better after a very shoddy start to its life.

See also: Crop Watch: Crops in need of rain as wheat flag leaf emerges

About the author

Robin Aird

Arable Farmer Focus writer Robin Aird manages 1,500ha on the north Wiltshire and Gloucestershire border, with a further 160ha on a contract farming agreement. Soils vary from gravel to clay with the majority silty clay loams. The diverse estate has Residential, commercial and events enterprises. He is Basis qualified and advises on other farming businesses.

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Email: robin.aird@charltonpark.estate

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The spring wheat is looking very well to the point where I will put some extra digestate onto the crop to make sure we get milling wheat premium.

It has now had just under 180kg N/ha. We have some good priced premiums fixed, so it would be an advantage to hit the specs. Let’s hope ergot does not spoil the party.

The maize is all up in row and at the five- to six-leaf stage. This has just had the last dose of digestate on it and is receiving its post-emergence herbicide as I write.

This is the one crop that had enjoyed the warm weather. Thankfully, we drilled it deep into moisture and it has not looked back since.

We are hosting the Shindig musical festival for the first time this year. It is a smaller event to what we historically hosted on the farm.

But coming earlier in the year has given us a few challenges, one being our grass forage, which has had to come forward, and this has yielded substantially less than normal.

The main crop will still be cut in a few weeks’ time to allow the flowers to set.

Now, all there is for us to do is keep our fingers crossed that we get a decent amount of rain. That way, me might be on for a below-average harvest rather than a diabolical one.