Some welcome drying

The relatively low rainfall amounts of recent weeks are a welcome relief for all farmers. Some stock got back out on grass recently, which hopefully means that we will see ploughs moving soon. But snow and more rain may disrupt things again. Take care that conditions are good enough before you bring heavy equipment on land.

There has been a bit of intermittent growth in recent weeks. Air temperatures are tending low for the moment, but these will change again. Growers further south are considering nitrogen, especially on winter barley and rape. Be conscious that crops do not need much N for a few weeks yet but they might benefit from a little to keep them ticking over.

Five units per acre could do a lot this time of year. To apply more would leave your nitrogen at risk of loss, either through run-off or leaching. It makes no sense to be wondering in April if the 30 units you applied in early February are in the field or the nearest river.

Volunteer vegetation should be burnt off or ploughed down. Good ploughing should be adequate if you can bury all the green vegetation, but perhaps spray headlands and ins-and-outs.

Beans

Planting will take place as soon as soil conditions permit. Make sure that fertility is adequate to produce a good crop. Low pH is a no-no for beans, for a number of different reasons. Put P & K close to the seed where fertility is low – difficult with strip-till seeders, but liquid injection is possible.

If you can, avoid particularly dirty fields or ones that have been badly trampled and compacted in recent years.

Seed rate should target plant population and seedbed conditions. Aim to plant between 35 and 40 seeds/m2. This could be 180-250kg/ha (12-16st/ac), depending on the size of the seed being sown.

Seed size could vary from 500 to 650 grams per 1,000 seeds. Your seed supplier should be able to give you this information on seed weight to plan your seed rate. A 500g sample needs 170, 185 or 200kg/ha to result in 30, 33 or 36 plants/m2, respectively, based on 90% establishment.

Oilseed rape

Crops remain in relatively good condition, with little sign of severe pigeon grazing yet. But a cold snap could change that if alternative food gets scarce. Assess your canopy size to guide your first N application, to produce the desired 3.5 GAI (green area index) canopy.

Many crops seem to be between 1.0 and 2.0 GAI, but some are higher. A strong 2.5 GAI crop would need 80-90kg N/ha to generate the target 3.5 GAI. A 1.5 GAI crop would need over 150kg N/ha in the first application, but this might be applied in two treatments to help avoid excess losses. Up to 90kg N might then be targeted at early flower appearance, subject to crop maximum rates.

Rape crops will need 30-40kg/ha of sulphur also, as well as boron. Apply the S early, preferably with the first N application. Fields that have been in receipt of organic manures for five years or more may need less or no sulphur.