T-Sum values advance solidly
This week has been unsettled with a succession of weather fronts crossing the British Isles.
These have brought showers, sunny spells, overnight frosts and mild temperatures for the time of year, says Stuart Bennett of ADAS.
T-Sum values have progressed solidly this week with typical values for eastern, central and southern England now in the low 200s and central Wales between 170-180.
The least advanced areas are inland northern England and the Borders, with values between T-136 and T-191 and central Scotland with a low of T-116.
Advancement in coastal areas has been consistent, with the eastern coast now past T-200 and the far south west and Hebrides into the T-300s.
This week we can expect weather to be overcast, dry and wintry at times with eastern and upland areas under the influence of a predominantly north-easterly airflow, says Mr Bennett.
“Central England and Wales are expected to be close to T-200 by the end of the week.”
With T-Sum advancement continuing to be slow in northern England, the Borders and central Scotland, Kemira GrowHow Scottish region adviser Mark Garret says producers should think about what turning cows out one month earlier can do to reduce fertiliser bills.
“Although early turnout involves good management of fields and fertiliser application, this can halve the year’s fertiliser bill and is something for producers to consider for next year’s grazing season.”
He also advises moving away from the mindset that cows should only be turned out once weather has settled for fear of bringing them in again, as better preparation could prevent this, he adds.
For more information on the T-Sum click here.
