- Location
- East yorks
I always think if we got rain on our land at key times we could farm with under 350mm. Rain in winter just goes out the drains here and we have so many cold damp days I think under 75mm in winter would be more than enough
Drought
- Thread starter shakerator
- Start date
Jeez. I would like to see your farm, you aren't half down about it! How are you off for rainfall currently?
- Location
- Breckland
Spring barley recently has done quite well. Between 2 & 2.5 t/acre.
Wheat had been doing 2.5t/ acre average, but have given it up and replaced with triticale.
A bad year is less than half the above figures.
Livestock disappeared from a lot of areas round here as there was no reliable summer grass. I have slightly stronger soils (in fact a lot stronger in places) than some of breckland boys, robbies and muddy boots so I can't even grow spuds or onions on a lot of mine. irrigation water is an issue too. I take it you have boreholes @Breckland Boy ?
- Location
- Breckland
Yes a borehole. The water isn't far down, but it is much lower than normal this year.
IMHO, Flat 10, my 2017 harvest will be unsatisfactory.
Come August, I'll post the figures somewhere here and you will be able to decide for yourself.
As to livestock, that's too capital-intensive at the moment.
This weekends forecasted rain looks to have all but vanished. Leaf 3 gone off light wheats in last couple of days, flag rolled like a pencil. Hot dry wind is killing us.
I meant in general rather than specifically this year. I expect mine to be crap this year too.
Bossfarmer
Member
- Location
- between Perth and Inverness
Interesting id always thought livestock disappeared on arable farms mainly because it was easier/more profitable just to continually crop it, im 35-40 inches of rain here poss a bit wet to grow veg?
Bossfarmer
Member
- Location
- between Perth and Inverness
Youll make money on spring barley then? Thats a surprising wheat yield is this due to blackgrass?
Your reasons for livestock disappearing are also true.
No I'm sure it will be lack of water.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Agree hot dry wind is killing us as well.
It's been one of those years and harvest will be below average. Glad I don't have any wheat this year, just OSR and winter barley, spring barley and beet and the grass and stock.
The beet has had a very slow start but it doesn't look too bad. It still has time to make a bit of yield.
Spring barley is way behind where it should be. Not expecting much there.
I intend to take spring barley out of the rotation leaving just beet as a spring break crop, with winter barley and OSR. Not sure whether I want to resume winter wheat unless it's on stronger fields. It's a waste of time here on the sand.
Spring cropping has always been a hit and miss affair here and with lambing interfering with drilling, the less of it there is to do, the better.
It's been one of those years and harvest will be below average. Glad I don't have any wheat this year, just OSR and winter barley, spring barley and beet and the grass and stock.
The beet has had a very slow start but it doesn't look too bad. It still has time to make a bit of yield.
Spring barley is way behind where it should be. Not expecting much there.
I intend to take spring barley out of the rotation leaving just beet as a spring break crop, with winter barley and OSR. Not sure whether I want to resume winter wheat unless it's on stronger fields. It's a waste of time here on the sand.
Spring cropping has always been a hit and miss affair here and with lambing interfering with drilling, the less of it there is to do, the better.
In general, I'm locked into several mortgages which expire when I'm 92, so I could still do with a few good harvests in order to take some of the pressure off my successors.
How often can you grow osr in your rotation
- Location
- Breckland
Yes Spring barley can return a profit at those yields. Haven't got any this year though. Land isn't good enough for black grass but do have some in a good field where we over wintered parsnips with imported straw many years ago.
. Good luck.