December means winter ploughing can begin

Winter ploughing: December is with us once again and temperatures are down so the door is fully opened for winter ploughing. The obligation to establish green cover within six weeks of ploughing or spraying off ended on 1 December.

Ground is likely to be too wet in most areas but if you get the opportunity to get ploughing done in good conditions, go for it. A good frost tilth makes a great start for a spring crop.

Getting the benefit from winter ploughing requires keeping the benefit of a frost tilth on top during cultivation. So ploughing needs to be good and tight. A furrow press would do a great job in this regard but it may prove difficult to pull. But any of the sod scratchers or light furrow presses can still be a big help in this regard.

Ploughing also helps get rid of volunteer vegetation that is carrying diseases and pests through the winter. If there is a big bulk present it may need to be topped or sprayed off before ploughing but that will mean a delay. Ploughed-in vegetation needs plenty of time to die back and decay to prevent the transfer of disease to emerging spring crops.

Grassland can now be ploughed again also. The benefits of burning off grass where perennial weeds are present is limited at this time of year. Good ploughing should be able to bury annual grasses, except on the ins and outs.

Soil testing: This remains the most basic and important task in crop production. You must be aware of the base fertility of every field you are farming to make it work for you – owned or rented. High yields are easier achieved on high soil fertility so it will remain difficult to make poor land pay for itself. You cannot bring a low fertility field up to good fertility and high productivity in one year but soil tests can help you make better decisions.

Whatever about the fertility of rented land, lime or pH is the most critical factor. Where pH is low the efficiency of all other inputs will be reduced. It is essential to make the best possible use of all applied fertiliser in this business.

Planting: The fact that it is now December and that most land is now quite wet, means that it makes sense to park the drill until February at the earliest. There are big risks associated with planting now and you probably have enough problems without adding crows to the list.

If you do need to plant wheat then you need to be planting up to 190-220 kg/ha (12-14 st/ac) at 48 to 55g TGW.

November weather: Most tillage areas (except Johnstown Castle) had higher than average rainfall amounts in November, ranging from only 5mm above the 30-year average in Moorepark to 111mm above normal in Malin Head. Air temperatures are all 1.3-2°C above the 30-year average also and soil temperatures are also above normal, from 1.2°C in Malin Head to 2.9°C at Oak Park.