All farmers know that you never get two years the same. Other than 2020 and 2021 when we had very dry and cold spring weather. April ‘21 was remarkable with about 25 frosts during the month that simply stopped plant growth in its tracks and restricted crop yield.

This year has fortunately been different and what a delight it has been. The nights have being warm and the autumn sown crops have raced away as they make use of the fertilizer that was applied in March. The crops look in barn busting condition.

Spring down cereals are also looking strong but the recent run of dry days are taking their toll on the emerging Linseed crop, which is being heavily preyed upon by Flax Flea Beetle, slugs and pigeons. Prospects for this crop look slim at the moment and I fully expect to have to redrill in the coming weeks. The remarkable thing about the flax beetle is that it is able to eat the seedling of the linseed as it emerges and well before it reaches the soil surface. A warm rain would definitely help this crop to establish and grow away from this particular pest.

The dry weather therefore is mostly not affecting a heavy land farm at the moment. However, this will change in the coming weeks as crops will begin to run out of fertilizer. The final dressing is due across the farm and the rainfall is required to activate the nutrients and make them available to the plant. There is still much to play for before the harvest prospect is clear.

I do have a large field of wheat that has had no bagged fertilizer whatsoever. It had a good dressing of chicken muck in late March, and this has been adequate so far. But again, rain is needed.

The picture is that wheat crop and as you can see the crop has a healthy green colour. Unlike the sprayer, which seems to be suffering from a faulty “stop solenoid” that has resulted in a delay to proceedings and a certain amount of blue language. The fitter is currently seeing red as the fuel lines are primed yet the engine refuses to run.

Elsewhere on the farm I am feeling quite lucky in that I have my harvest labour sourced as I am hearing nightmare stories of large local farms simply not being able to find staff for the summer.

This is also the time of year when plans start for harvest 2023. The number of unknowns is massive. Fertilizer prices were already on the rise but Mr Putin’s misadventure into his neighbouring country is having a further effect upon price and availability. It is so hard to plan with such uncertainty. Food supply and security will increasingly become an issue across the globe. I fear that millions of people will find food very expensive and inaccessible. As ever this will affect the poorest first. 

Stay safe and well

John