Let’s hope the weather plays ball – Agronomist & Arable Farmer
Young Agronomist of the Year Sally Cox reflects on the extreme heat of this summer, and planting options for the coming months ...
As I write, the temperatures are soaring, and (hopefully) the most rewarding time of the year is beginning for farmers – harvest.
Growing up on our arable family farm in Leicestershire, the summer holidays always symbolised the beginning of long days at the farm. Jumping straw trails in fields, making dens, riding bikes, and once big enough to reach the pedals, driving tractors! I had little clue when I was younger how significant harvest really is.
Having seen a little of the world now, and experienced various industries, I can honestly say that farming is incredibly unique – we put every ounce of effort, money, time, and ‘blood, sweat and tears’, into growing and nurturing crops all year long, in order to get to harvest when the tell-tale yields begin to roll in and we see if we are going to be able to do it all again next year. Are we mad?
Being an agronomist allows me to now experience the ups and downs of the seasons, across three counties, working with fantastic farmers. Being able to offer advice and provide expertise in ways to overcome and beat some of the challenges we face as an industry is incredibly rewarding.
And the phone calls I love the most come at harvest, when the combines are rolling, all is working like clockwork, and the yields are good!
As I write, winter barley is being cleared around two weeks early, and feedback so far is very positive. Yields are ranging from 8.7t/ha to 11.3t/ha on various soil types, but importantly, all are averaging higher than predicted, and bushels are good too. Great news for now, but I can’t help but worry what devastating effects the ‘record breaking’ heatwave will bring to our winter wheats, spring crops and roots. Fire ripping through kit, and crops, has already been reported around the country, and I fear more will come.
Yields on our later-maturing crops are bound to be affected, with grain fill taking a hit in the extremely dry period of weather we’ve had, not only through July, but to be honest, since the autumn/winter months. Managing expectations of yields to come this summer may be painful, especially on our lighter land where they just can’t hold on.
To grow or not to grow OSR?
As fields are cleared and attention begins to turn towards the autumn and starting this bonkers process all over again, to grow or not to grow OSR is one of the biggest decisions facing many growers.
With conditions currently as dry as they are, my advice would be PLEASE don’t bother! Unless we have significant moisture, and rainfall forecast, planting OSR is, to put it bluntly, a waste of time and effort. In the area that I cover, flea beetle still pose a high risk, and we need to remember, although the majority of OSR crops this year look fantastic, it may not be the same case next year. The beauty of OSR seed is it is possible to get it on farm for next day delivery, so if conditions change and the weather is suddenly favourable, it is possible to make a decision rapidly.
If you drill it, treat it from the word go like it’s going to succeed. Use a decent variety – for early drilling, the hybrid Aurelia is impressive.
For later drilling, the hybrid Aviron would be my choice. Use a standard seed-rate, as there is far more chance of getting a strong OSR crop with thick stems through the larvae stage in the spring.
Use companion crops – personally I like buckwheat and burseem clover. Apply phosphorus down the spout if possible, or in the seedbed. Apply muck or digestate. And most importantly, only do it if there’s moisture. Having a Plan B from the very beginning is also key, to give you peace of mind if the weather doesn’t play ball.
One final tip for this summer – assess your soil before cultivating. Grab a spade and dig a few holes to determine the health of your soil and its requirements – it could save you a lot of time and diesel.
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