Weather

Rain has arrived and is welcome to slow down crop progression. Some crops have suffered significantly from the drought, but the rain will help all.

There is also a risk that nitrogen will now be mineralised and released from the soil, hitting protein contents of malting barley.

This could hit malting barley specifications, and could also add protein to feed crops, so it is something to keep in mind at harvest.

Lodging

There are a nice few crops of winter barley hit by lodging. This is not always bad. It is a sign of a good crop, but take a look at where lodging occurred.

Is there something that could have been done differently? Was nitrogen overlapping? Could another growth regulator have been applied? Were potassium levels sufficient?

Final sprays

This week should wrap up most spraying, even on later sown crops. Weeds in beet continue to be a problem for many.

If you are considering applying a second fungicide spray to April-sown beans, have a think about it, as this may lead to a later harvest date. Weigh up the spend and the benefit.

Crop records

As the main spraying season wraps up, get out your crop records and make sure everything is up to date. It is a lot easier to do this now when everything is fresh in your head, rather than looking back through notes at Christmas.

Wild oats and grass

There are plenty of wild oats, bromes, canary grass and blackgrass visible in crops at present. These weeds need to be pulled to prevent further spread. You should also note where they are in fields and ensure they do not spread further.

Remember one blackgrass plant has 6,000 seeds, so it is easier to pull one or two plants this year, than a field next year.

In spring crops, if patches of grass weeds are big and have not yet gone to seed you might consider mowing or topping them and spraying with glyphosate in a few weeks’ time. Take a look at this week’s tillage pages for a guide on grass weed identification.

Harvest preparation

Winter barley will be in in early July on some farms, particularly down south. Harvest doesn’t be long coming around. Get trailers clean and ready.

I see combines travelling the roads, no doubt getting a service before the next busy time. Ensure tractors are serviced and sheds will need to be cleaned as well.

Crows

At this time of the year crows descend on crops. If you have empty patches in field where crops failed they provide an ideal landing spot. Put up something to frighten them and keep them away. Lodged crops will also be a target.

Fodder

It is time to start thinking about cover crops, and if a livestock farmer nearby needs fodder there could be an opportunity to work together to provide it. It will be very busy at harvest time, so now is the time to chat through possible options.