FARMERFOCUS
FARMERFOCUS
Stewart Hayllor
Stewart Hayllor farms 343ha
(850 acres) of owned and
rented land from Blackler
Barton, Landscove, Devon,
growing cereals and
combinable breaks. Organic
vegetables occupy 24ha
(60 acres) and a further
160ha (400 acres) is farmed
on contract
WITH the late start to harvest and many late winter and spring sown crops I expected combining to hit a bottleneck in the second half of August. In the event we cleared crops as they became fit, even taking a few of our own early to keep the combine working.
Savannah winter wheat yielded 6.2-8.6t/ha (2.5-3.5t/acre) while Claire ranged from a disappointing 5t/ha (2t/acre) to 10t/ha (4t/acre). In all cases yields reflected conditions at drilling and or drilling date. Straw yields are well down and having run short ourselves last winter we are selling less than usual.
While combining towards the bottom of one of our steeper fields our neighbour Graeme started round baling higher up the slope. I can only think he was getting bored and for fun decided to target my combine with a round bale. When I saw it out of the cab window he was on target for a full 10 point broadside hit. However, evasive action with the hydrostatic drive saw the bale blast into the straw chopper, exploding on impact. Amazingly there was only light panel damage but he had better look out when he starts his maize harvest.
The only field of our own spring barley cut so far was second year conversion, organically grown, Chariot. Yield was a pleasing 4.1t/ha (1.7t/acre) and it made £110/t straight off the field – a healthy premium over conventional but some £70/t short of full organic specification.
Crop plans for harvest 2002 see barley dropped in favour of more oats and beans. Oats have consistently out yielded barley, are cheaper to grow, drier at harvest and provide a break for wheat. Gerald and Millennium will be the varieties while wheats will be Claire, Savannah, Xi19 and Deben. Pronto and Gemini Canola both yielded well so will be planted again. Despite this years disaster, a small area of lupins will be sown mainly because I have some seed left over from last year. *
John Best
John Best farms 320ha
(791 acres) from Acton House
Farm, Pointspass, Co Down.
Wheat, conservation-grade
oats and potatoes are main
crops on his 220ha (544 acres)
of clay loam arable land
HARVEST is finally underway. After a very wet week the past eight days have been great allowing us to clear the oats, bar two late drilled headlands which were still green. Yields have been variable with Oct sowings giving up to 8.6t/ha (3.5t/acre) but the worst field from the Feb drilling down to 4.2t/ha (1.7t/acre).
We have made a start on wheat and taken a crop that I have been looking forward to seeing the back of for months. It was so thin it was an embarrassment. At 5.5t/ha (2.2t/acre) I suppose it could have been worse.
Demand for straw has been exceptional because, I suspect, so much has been ensiled as whole crop. I have had to resist the temptation to sell more than is surplus to my own requirements. I mustnt leave myself short of feed for the suckler cows.
Two new winter oat varieties which were grown on trial in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development – note, "Agriculture" still merits a mention in NI devolved government – produced some interesting results. Millennium gave a significantly higher yield and much stronger straw than Kingfisher and will be included in my drilling plans this autumn.
Some oat stubble has been cultivated and rolled to establish an "Eco-tilled" seed-bed ready for wheat at the end of the month. Wheat drilled earlier than that in the past has proved disappointing and difficult to manage in our mild wet winters.
Thanks to a quick response by Banbridge Fire Brigade, our grain dryer was saved from serious damage when its burner failed to cut off resulting in a dryer full of smouldering grain. New temperature sensors fitted the next day got it up and running again but some damaged panels will have to be replaced after harvest.
However, if the headline in the local paper last weekend is correct we may not need it. It predicted an Indian summer, bringing some brightness to an otherwise gloomy wet harvest day. Surely, the forecasters must get it right some time? *
Andrew Kerr
Andrew Kerr farms 344ha
(850 acres) in partnership
with his parents and brother
at Wyldingtree Farm, North
Weald, Essex. Cropping is
potatoes, including some
on rented ground, plus
cereals, herbage seed and
oilseed rape
USUALLY I like to think our wheat crops are like football teams. Some give Premiership performance, others slip into the first or perhaps second division. But this season it would be fair to say that in some cases our crops deserve relegation to the Vauxhall Conference.
It is rather galling to hear some farmers professing to be disappointed with "only 10t/ha of second wheat". I suggest such growers keep their thoughts to themselves and re-check that iffy combine weigher. The rest of us on poorer dirt need some sensible prices to make up for the distinct shortfall in tonnage – our Malacca and Xi19 averaged only 6.7t/ha (2.7t/acre). But things could be a lot worse. Imagine trying to farm in Zimbabwe under the Mugabe regime for example.
Despite a temporary staff shortage we have been progressing with spud harvest and cultivations. The potato market is notoriously volatile at this time of year so crops originally planned for off the field movement are now going into coldstore instead. It never pays to be a price-taker I believe.
My brother David and I have been unhappy to see high levels of blackleg in one of our crops grown from Scottish Estima seed, resulting in a moderate yield. In contrast, in the same field, a crop grown from home-grown seed multiplied from VTSC stock looks a picture of health. It is high time the seed trade stopped trying to lift our legs with high prices for inconsistent quality. They should remember the customer does have the last word and its with the chequebook.
On a brighter note the recent warm moist weather created cheap seed-beds for oilseed rape following wheat. In an attempt to ensure the seed "hit the ground running" we applied 200kg/ha of solid diammonium phosphate to the stubble pre cultivation. Shannon and Escort were drilled at the beginning of September and provided moisture levels remain adequate a pre-emergence Butisan (metazachlor) broadleaved weed control will go on soon. Dare I say it, only the slugs can spoil the fun. *
Peter Hogg
Peter Hogg farms in
partnership with his brother
at Causey Park Farm, near
Morpeth, Northumberland.
Half the 450ha (1100-acre)
heavyland farm is in crops,
mainly winter wheat, barley
and oilseed rape, plus a few
potatoes
I have had to buy a second box of welding rods! Keith stabbed a tree with one of the crop dividers on the combine, necessitating some urgent repair work. It wasnt his fault, you understand, it was the wrong sort of tree. Meanwhile, the potato-weighing machine mysteriously found itself behind the trailer that Sean was reversing out of the shed. I hope things dont always happen in threes.
Despite these hiccups, work is progressing reasonably well. Grass seeds are sown, the canola drilled last month is nicely rowed up and a field following barley has had a one-third dose of Falcon (propaquizafop) to take out volunteers.
The combine is into wheat now and, as expected, yield is extremely variable. On better land it is a reasonable 7.4t/ha (3t/acre) but that drops to nothing on drowned out bits. We are also lifting our early potatoes, a first for us, which are doing 17t/ha (7t/acre) and making £130/t bagged to local markets.
There seems no end to the misery caused by foot-and-mouth and their have been a number of critics of NFU policy. Some, noting the successful way the Dutch controlled the disease using vaccination, are calling for an end to the slaughter. But, it must be remembered that the Dutch also slaughtered all the animals that they vaccinated. Also, the Dutch knew the disease was on the loose and were prepared. In this country we could have found ourselves vaccinating animals that were already incubating the disease and would have been no further forward.
A glitch in last months article meant that my warning that plant breeders have DEFRAs support to chase non-payers of seed royalties didnt make it on to the page. Well they have, and continue to build their ivory towers while farmers go broke.
On a happier note Ive finally bought a new Alfa Romeo. To be honest, its not quite new – it cost the equivalent of a ton of spuds. Now where are those welding rods? *