Archive Article: 2000/12/22
Simon Thompson
Simon Thompson is farm
manager on John Nicholsons
Rectory Farm, Lower Benefield,
Northants. Soils are heavy
clays, growing 190ha
(460 acres) of wheat, beans
and oilseed rape, including
industrial crops on set-aside
JUST an occasional spraying day has been snatched in the wettest autumn since records began. Oilseed rape received 1.4-1.7kg/ha of Kerb (propyzamide) depending on the resistance level of the blackgrass plus 0.25 litres/ha of Plover (difenoconazole) to control phoma.
The difference between establishment techniques is now becoming apparent. Conventionally established oilseed rape, which got off to a poor start, is now beginning to catch the autocast and direct drilled crops up.
I feel this shows just how restrictive stubble is to the developing plant and emphasises the need for an autumn nitrogen application to autocast crops on this heavy land. On a strip that did not have wheat on it last year and has been direct drilled with the Horsch this autumn the oilseed rape is noticeably better.
I was very impressed by the assistance given by MAFF the other day in deciding how to deal with my cultivated ground that has not been drilled yet. No sooner had I written to them than I received a phone call to clarify a few points.
Shortly after this a letter landed on my desk explaining that a dispensation had been granted this year allowing green cover to be established as soon as possible in the spring instead of by Jan 15. Clearly, that is going to be impossible in these parts.
Grain that is part of a BDR Scats pool is being moved at present. Pool marketing has definitely taken a lot of the stress out of grain selling and interim payments create cash flow without the need to spot sell.
Changing jobs and relocating to Dorset means I will have enough on my plate in the coming year, without putting pen to paper once a month for farmers weekly. Besides, my friends are resorting to the same old jokes with every article, so perhaps it is time to hand over the reins to a new contributor.
Im sure they will find that the writing helps focus the mind on what one is doing. Happy Christmas. *
Goodbye from Rectory Farm… Simon Thompson is signing off from Farmer Focus to take up a new post in Dorset.