Ian Crawford
Ian Crawford
Ian Crawford grows packing
potatoes, milling wheat and
beans on 324ha (800 acres)
of rented land from Swiss
Cottage Farm, Carrington,
Cheshire and owns and
runs 2000ha (5000 acres)
of mainly arable land in
Western Australia
RAIN has arrived here in Western Australia and there is much activity in the "paddocks", daily showers producing ideal conditions, in contrast to last years dust.
Our spray contractor is applying 0.8 litres/ha of Roundup (glyphosate) plus 1.1 litres/ha of atrazine to canola ground, while in the lupin paddocks we are using 1kg/ha of simazine plus 0.8 litres/ha of Roundup. It is good to see weeds germinate before planting so we can get them out of the way to start with.
We have changed to a hybrid canola this year, costing A$4.75/kg (£1.76/kg) as opposed to $3.00/kg (£1.11/kg) last year. The new strains are capable of producing 49% oil, which seems unbelievable compared with the old varietys 41%, but I know my neighbour achieved that last year.
We are having to buy our first lot of Australian machinery for the coming seasons hay crop and are collecting quotes on a 13ft rotary mower conditioner at present. It is so important with hay to mow fast at the optimum time to maintain colour and quality. Prospective buyers buy by eye and if hay is bright green then that is half the battle. A days delay can make all the difference with hay making whereas seeding or combining can wait a week here without making much difference.
Back in the UK potato grading out of store and field continues. What a season it has been – the worst I can ever remember. But it has cured me of my addiction to selling potatoes below the cost of production. Living in hope of a good potato year is no longer a sound strategy. We will never store another potato – the cost and risk is just too great. A brilliant article a month a go in FW (Arable, Apr 19) slammed home the facts of potato production. In field over-wintering is a fantastic concept and we will do more having been pleased with the results. Unfortunately, only our peat soils are suitable for windrowing. *
We will never store another potato, says Cheshire based grower Ian Crawford – except in field windrows. The cost and the risk are just too great.