Photo of the Week: Spraying OSR on the Norfolk coast

This week’s photo comes from Charlotte Watlow of Walcott Farms, and shows an Adapt oilseed rape crop being sprayed against the backdrop of Happisburgh Lighthouse in Norfolk.

The family-run farm grows wheat, spring barley, maize, sugar beet and potatoes and has returned to OSR after a 10-year break.

The crop was drilled on the 15 August and is being grown under contract with United Oilseeds through Adams and Howling.

See also: Photos: Winner crowned in 2025 harvest competition

© Charlotte Watlow

The photo shows a pass with Clayton Satchmo EC (21160) to control volunteer barley. 

To manage the cabbage stem flea beetle threat, the team is relying on early drilling into good seed-beds, close monitoring, and foliar nutrition to give the crop the best possible start.

Charlotte says: “Pest pressure is always a risk, but conditions this year have been favourable.”

Farming in the area comes with the constant challenge of coastal erosion, says Charlotte, which continues to reshape the land.

“This field has become 5ha smaller in the past 22 years.” 

Charlotte was inspired to take the photo as she wants to capture what they do on the farm and share it with the public. 

It shows one of the first spray passes across the crop, with operator Darren Pease in the driving seat of the Sands Horizon 5500 sprayer.

The family also runs Barns by the Beach holiday lets (barnsbythebeach.co.uk).

They also recently launched a photography campaign to capture the farm and coastline across the seasons — both to record the changing landscape and to help promote the holiday lets and wider farm businesses.

You can follow the farm on Instagram @walcottfarms.

You can also upload your farming photos to our Farmlife Framed gallery.