Arable Farming

Oats were the worst hit, with up to 50% of the grain on the floor; a shame when they were looking such a good alternative wheat break. Still, we must never make decisions on a single season.

Harvest is all but finished here in North Yorkshire, the last few stragglers of spring barley are to be mopped up while spring beans are just about ready to cut.  In all, yields are what we expected. Need I say any more?

Sprayer operators without the skills to access online training could struggle to fulfil their National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO) CPD requirements, with face-to-face training opportunities cancelled due to Covid-19

Its always a nice feeling to be finished harvest regardless of how it has gone and, with our 2020 efforts concluding yesterday (September), we have shaved a week off our usual date - helped along last week by some glorious windy days allowing very early starts.

Cereal growers are being advised to be particularly cautious when handling over-yeared seed bags following reports of bags ripping or spilling during movement.

Recent wet weather in many parts of the UK, particularly in the North, has led to an increased risk of large slug populations.

Supporting farm income is the main reason for offering agricultural contracting services, according to a survey conducted by NFU Mutual.

Faced with Covid-19 related contraction of demand for spring barley and oats, many growers will want to take advantage of the scrapping of the three crop rule and maximise wheat area this autumn.

Earlier drilled oilseed rape crops have managed to get up and away from early cabbage steam flea beetle (CSFB) grazing this season, but later drilled crops in some parts of the country are starting to suffer.

With the window to get winter crops drilled likely to be tight this year, following a later harvest in some areas, crop nutrition may be neglected.