Patrick Godwin
Patrick Godwin
Patrick Godwin is farm
manager for the 930ha
(2300-acre) Lee Farm
Partnership, Angmering
Estate, West Sussex. Soils
are chalk-based with
combinable winter and
spring crops occupying
525ha (1300 acres)
AFTER 38 consecutive dry days, 33mm of rain during the past week has been most welcome.
But it was not so much the dry weather that has hampered growth but the very sharp frosts and cold nights that we experienced at the end of March, scorching cereals and grass alike.
Regrowth from grazed pastures was not happening and with silage stocks at a minimum it was touch and go whether we would run out of grazing for the dairy cows.
Cereals and grass have both now begun to grow away. Savannah wheat is at GS37 with the Consort and Claire just behind. We will be at full flag leaf emergence by the week commencing May 13.
Between now and then I will continue the search for wild oats. So far, they are conspicuous by their absence but the recent rain will have jogged them into action and I am sure that we will not get away without having to apply some graminicides.
Broad-leaved weeds that have been slow to develop in the spring barley so far are also accelerating. Control for these will be with Harmony M (metsulfuron-methyl + thifensulfuron-methyl).
All the arable crops have received their total nitrogen dressings. Winter wheats have had 200-220 kg/ha (160-176 units/acre) depending on position in the rotation, while spring barley has had 120 kg/ha (96 units/acre). We have experienced some scorch with the liquid fertiliser but it soon disappeared.
With the bulk of the crops now safely on their way it is time to turn to the most important – our 27ha (67 acres) of game cover. These areas, often grown in the most difficult of circumstances are, on a £/ha basis, the most valuable.
With farm profitability becoming more dependent upon alternative enterprises, a well-organised shoot can provide valuable income.
But growing such crops is something of a poisoned chalice. Successful crops full of birds are a credit to the gamekeeper. Poor crops and no sport and the farm managers name is mud. *
Wheats will be at flag leaf fully expanded next week on the Angermering Estate, says farm manager Patrick Godwin.