Fears of autumn wash out repeat played down

5 October 2001




Fears of autumn wash out repeat played down

By Andrew Blake

DESPITE heavy weekend rain and a forecast of more, fears of a repeat of last autumn, when October fieldwork ground to a halt over much of the country, are premature, say most.

But some growers in the east and north are already well behind with cereal drilling and some have yet to finish the cereals harvest.

East Anglia had 60% more rain than normal in September, says the Met Office. But while the Isle of Wight received 25mm (1in) in 24 hours on Sunday, the rainfall pattern across most of the UK has been very different from autumn 2000, says a spokesman.

"Then we had low pressure anchored for weeks on end. This year the systems are more mobile and keep moving along. Its much more like a normal autumn."

ADAS estimates about 40% of UK winter cereals were sown by last weekend, with parts of the south half done. "Thats much as last year when we started hitting the buffers in October," says national cereals specialist John Garstang.

But with a bigger area and plenty of land ready to drill after growers pushed on with cultivations the overall picture is probably better than in 2000, he says.

Main concern is for the 15% of spring barley still unharvested at the start of the week, much of it in Scotland, says Mr Garstang.

Recent rain has been broadly welcome in the south-west, easing seed-bed preparation without hampering drilling too much, according to ADASs Matt Craig.

For Dorset-based barometer grower George Hosford 26mm (1in) at the weekend on top of earlier showers was especially useful to encourage volunteer chitting. "We have drilled about 300 acres and would have liked to have done a bit more. But its far too early to say here we go again."

Progress in the midlands, with sugar beet just under way is generally much better than last year, according to ADASs Andy Wells. "Id be concerned if we get no more cereal drilling done by the end of the week. But we are probably 50-60% done." Wet weather may even have usefully checked growers planning to sow second wheats too early, he suggests.

In parts of Norfolk fieldwork is well behind schedule. "We have had quite enough rain thank-you," says Ben Freer of Morley Research Centre. "Its alarming how rapidly we are reaching field capacity."

"Its the first time I have ever been stuck lifting my first field of sugar beet," adds north Norfolk grower Teddy Maufe. "And I have only 20% of my barley in. I would have liked to have had 40% by now." &#42

AUTUMNRAINSREPEAT?

&#8226 Rainfall pattern unlike 2000.

&#8226 More cereals sown already.

&#8226 Root lifting generally OK so far.

&#8226 Norfolk hardest hit by wet.

Wet weekend weather made the last of the harvest a tricky affair for Henry Alston of Billockby Farms, Billockby, Acle, Norfolk, where three combines tackled Optic spring barley and Jan-drilled Consort wheat. "Were expecting yield and quality penalties," admits Mr Alston. Neighbours have suffered little better. "Weve had a horrific September in east Norfolk. We need a dry October/November to catch up on field work."


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