Tillage management: window may open to get field work done

Ground conditions

Reports on ground condition are variable but things are looking up for the next week or so. It will take a few days for land to soak adequately but then there is likely to be a flurry of activity. Temperatures seems set to rise but then fall again making nitrogen important.

There is some growth and so nitrogen and other nutrients are important. Soil and air temperatures were running slightly below normal but this could change quickly making fertilisation more urgent. Some crops are already starting to go off colour.

Winter rape

There is some pigeon damage in places now. Most crops are not too advanced so early nitrogen is needed. Higher plant populations and more-forward crops need less early N – 60 to 90kg N/ha. More backward and thin crops could push as high as 140kg N/ha early.

The more canopy you have currently the less spring applied N you need to generate the optimum GAI 3.5. And less spring nitrogen is a saving. The general rule is 50kg N/ha in the plant to generate a GAI of 1. But with uptake efficiency of about 60%, you need to apply 80-85kg N/ha to get the 50kg into the plant. So a crop with GAI 2.5 will need 80-85kg N/ha now while a GAI of 1.5 will need up to 150-160kg N/ha. Reduce applied N to cater for estimated soil N supply.

Application is more urgent further south. Sulphur is important for rape also -- at least 25-30kg S/ha. Boron is also important, as is adequate P and K. But high pH is critical.

Winter barley

Crops vary in appearance. More advanced ones are showing more pressure now but even later ones are going yellow as they try to grow. Colour loss is likely to equate to reducing yield potential as the plant needs to kill some of its previously formed vegetation to fuel its new growth.

So get some fertiliser onto winter barley as soon as you can travel. Target 50-70kg N/ha with appropriate P and K levels. Winter barley needs sulphur also, especially on worn ground. Amount is similar for all cereals –15-20kg S/ha.

Planting

There may or may not be opportunities to plant in the week ahead but if you are on light land you need to be ready. Beans, spring wheat, oats and malting barley are the priority providing conditions are good enough. Some growers still plan to plant winter wheat which should be okay as long as you have a big enough block to make the inconvenience of separate management worthwhile.

Organic manures

Growers sin some parts of the country are being offered liquid manures. Any manure is good but you do need to have a reasonable handle on its nutrient content and also you need a uniform product to help secure reasonable spread. This is especially useful for spring cereals if you have enough time and where conditions are good enough to get it spread for incorporation.