ICMINACTION: 4
ICMINACTION: 4
MANAGING SOILS AFTER ROOT CROPS
IN an ideal world, growers should be patient and wait until the ground dries before attempting any soil preparations for their next crop, advises LEAF demonstration farmer and Cambridgeshire potato grower Andrew Nottage.
"That is possible where you have set-aside after root crops," he points out.
Where crops have been established they will have gone into soils which are compacted at depth, he warns. Avoiding more compaction is essential.
"After such a wet winter and spring, soils may take a couple of years to recover. So dont make things worse – eliminate numerous cultivations, choose correct machinery size and improve timeliness."
Other advice is to consider the rotation and change it if necessary to grow the right crops. Manage each field individually, according to what has happened previously.
Looking to this autumn choice of machinery will be critical. "Use the most appropriate machinery – combination cultivation and/or drilling could be helpful – and dont work any deeper than you need. Not only will this save money in fuel and time, it will help get the soil back in the right condition."
Mr Nottage concludes by reminding growers that the message is very simple. "Patience is the key. If you can, then wait for some drying weather before attempting any fieldwork, and then dig some holes to see what needs doing."