Jim Macfarlane
Jim Macfarlane
Jim Macfarlane is farm
manager at Edrington
Mains, Foulden,
Berwickshire. Two thirds of
the 275ha (680-acre) unit
is arable, with winter wheat
the main breadwinner,
complemented by malting
barley, winter rape and peas
THIS has been the worst slug year I can remember. Many fields have thinned patches, but at last we seem to have the pest under control.
While winter wheat should compensate well, we have thinned winter barley, too, and I suspect we have lost more yield in this crop. The late germinating areas were vulnerable to slug damage and they remain poor. I just cant see us having big winter barley yields in 98.
But the oilseed rape still looks well and we have not had too much pigeon trouble as yet. The crop could well be our best earner again and I wish we had been able to sow all our planned area.
Our last 8ha (20 acres) was after spring barley which left little time to get rape sown. I needed to bale the barley straw and the weather broke as the combine left the field. By the time the field was cleared it was August 30, which was too late to risk; a cold autumn can leave September-sown rape really struggling here.
Chariot spring barley and Elan pea seed are undergoing germination tests. If the results are good it will be cleaned and dressed by a mobile unit ready for sowing.
The water supply to one of our farms has just been put on a meter and immediately we realised we had leaks. Much time has been spent tracing the system and finding and repairing both the leaks, as the new water authority here is ruthless in charging for lost water.
I must now find time to check our four meters regularly for excessive consumption. With about 30 troughs scattered around the farm we have great potential for leaks.
I have about 10 fields to soil sample. But with everything waterlogged I am going to wait. My feet feel heavy enough without several kilos of mud sticking to my wellies.
Oilseed rape continues to look well at Edrington Mains. But Jim Macfarlane has been battling with slugs. Barley is the main victim.