Farmer Focus Arable: Edward Tupper fears RPA map mistakes

With autumn really upon us, judging by the lovely colour of the trees, we have been blessed with some unseasonal warm weather.

Having had the chimney swept ready for the first fire of the winter, the temperature outside has not warranted striking that first match. Grass has found a new lease of life and started to grow again, enabling the dry cows and the Sussex suckler cows to stay out hopefully a bit longer.

The first wave of autumn spraying has been completed, with early-sown wheats receiving 0.5 litres of Liberator (diflufenican + flufenacet) and 50 ml of Sipcam Solo (diflufenican).

Hopefully this will give a good control of blackgrass and bromes Patch spraying of certain rape crops is needed to help bad volunteer areas, especially where barley went flat due to deer damage, a more regular occurrence these days.

Depite being told we were to have our RPA maps before harvest, we are still waiting. Speaking to people who have had theirs, I am dreading their arrival as there seems to be an abundance of mistakes.

The money seemingly wasted by government agencies not working together appears scandalous. The Land Registry is axing jobs, and you would have thought that those people would have the skills to take on some of the RPA work to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

The national park here on the South Downs is getting closer. Recent meetings have highlighted the vast task ahead of the interim chief executive to hand over a working national park authority in April 2011. It’s vital that the new board has strong farmer representation to ensure landowners are heard and not just pushed aside. Don’t forget that it was our forefathers that made the South Downs what it is today.

Read more from our farmer focus arable writers.