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Most growers got some or a lot of harvesting done over the past four to seven days, except where ground trafficability prevented access. Growers across the south and east got a lot of cutting done, many are now finished, or almost finished, cereals. That said, a few areas of the country are much less advanced through some combination of weather or late ripening.
Crop condition has held up well, despite concerns about sprouting. Quality was going off a little, but cutting happened just in time.
Yields continue to be good, but some report that later sown late-maturing spring barley crops are yielding less by 0.3-0.5t/ac.
Head loss
Head loss is common in spring barley crops.
This is most annoying and is a consequence of some combination of the very heavy rain or straight brackling. While it is direct yield loss, it is often not as significant as it looks, however it is grain not in the trailer.
A good crop with the targeted 1,000 ears/m2 and with five heads on the ground in an average square metre would be a 0.5% yield loss.
Alternatively, five heads per square metre would be about 100 seeds, less than one-third of your seed rate, or a loss of about 4st/ac or 65kg/ha.
Oilseed rape
Getting winter crops planted is now a priority as we move into September.
Later planting is more likely to show benefit from the use of some sort of fertiliser, organic or inorganic, because autumn growth is important to help generate essential crop canopy to help prevent pigeon damage. Early variety vigour is also useful.
Where straw is chopped, it is better to do some form of incorporation prior to ploughing or min-tilling to help the efficacy of residual herbicides.
Apply some nitrogen and phosphate in the seedbed, eg two bags of 10:10:20, or a bag of 18:6:12, or a bag of DAP/ac.
This needs to be applied before 15 September. Alternatively, 2-3t/ac of poultry litter incorporated before planting.
Soil testing: Soil fertility remains a critical element of crop productivity.
Tests must be done every four years to provide continuous guidance for fertiliser application. Having lime and soil pH correct is a critical starting point.
When taking soil tests, be conscious of the yield variability that is occurring within large fields. Target individual samples to areas of fields known to vary considerably. Soil fertility variability may actually be yield limiting in parts of a field. Also consider taking specific samples from around field edges, where lime and fertiliser application may have been limited over time.
Tillage Forum
The National Crops Forum is to take place next Thursday 7 September in the Keadeen Hotel in Newbridge, from 2pm to 5.30pm. It is open to growers, merchants and all involved in the sector. This event provides a very useful variety update for winter planting, as well as updates on many other useful topics.
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