February 2010 Diary
Since my last diary entry, this part of Shropshire - like most of the UK - has seen a huge amount of snow. Fortunately for me, I wasn't around to witness the wintry conditions as I have just completed a trip to America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and China as part of my Nuffield scholarship looking into the benefits of farmer collaboration. I have seen some excellent ways of improving production efficiencies and can't wait to put a few of the lessons into practice.
One thing that Fieldfare Farmers has in common with many of the arable enterprises I visited is our successful strategy of block-cropping. And that system has worked well to protect our rape crops from excessive pigeon damage now that the snow has melted. The heavy snowfall flattened the plants, which made it easier for pigeons to land in the middle of the fields. But with such a large area of rape for them to attack, the damage has been relatively even across the entire crop instead of resulting in completely bare patches near the headlands.
All three varieties are therefore looking really well for this time of the year, particularly the crops of Flash and Excalibur which can clearly be seen growing in rows. To be fair though, these were sown a few days earlier than the Cabernet, so it is probably only right that they are slightly more advanced.
This year's crop of Excalibur is clearly visible in distinct rows.
We will be monitoring how quickly the crops put on growth over the next few weeks, and if possible will try to delay the spring nitrogen application for as long as possible. There is still plenty of nitrogen available in the soil and all three varieties have put down decent tap roots to scavenge nutrients later in the year. We will probably put half of the normal spring application of nitrogen on when it looks like it's needed, and apply the second half as late as possible - ideally just before the pre-flowering stage.
Cabernet (above) and Flash (below) have put down excellent root taps,
with no distinguishable difference between min-tilled or ploughed crops.
We will also be keeping a close look-out for signs of disease. At the moment all three crops are extremely clean and we'd like them to stay that way. My only real worry is that because the crops were flattened by the recent snow, the canopy is much more open than usual and that could allow an opportunity for weeds to grow through. Hopefully though, the rape will grow away from any potential problems.
All three crops are also candidates for a PGR treatment over the next few weeks as there has been so much growth recently and even the covering of snow didn't seem to slow growth rates down. In fact, I'd even go as far to say that the pigeons have been welcome this year as they have helped to check growth and stop the plants putting on too much lush green leaf material.
So in summary, all three varieties are looking exceptionally well. In hindsight we probably overdid it a little with regards to seeding rates and were a bit cautious with our drilling dates. But after the last few disastrous autumns I'd still do the same again. Hopefully this year's advanced crops will still yield well. Generally speaking though, crops that are so advanced at this time of year tend to produce below average yields. But with no bare or waterlogged patches of ground to worry about, we should get a consistent yield across the entire area which will bump up the final yield.