Getting a little dry

[Sonoftheheir]

Some beet on sand not far from here were a lovely looking crop a few weeks ago. Flat on the ground now, looking like they’ve been sprayed with staraine. I’m putting it down to lack of water. And possibly BCN too.

 

[AndrewB]

45 mm yesterday and more forecast for later today.!!

 

[Sonoftheheir]

45 mm yesterday and more forecast for later today.!!View attachment 819224

Not good to see!

There’ll be talk of a seed shortage due to adverse weather again before long

 

[jonnyjon]

Waterlogging, the result of tillage

 

[Brisel]

Waterlogging, the result of tillage

Try growing a profitable crop of potatoes without it.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Roughly 500mm deficit here.

 

[jonnyjon]

Try growing a profitable crop of potatoes without it.

Doesn't change my point

 

[SilliamWhale]

Doesn't change my point

Waterlogging isnt always the result of tillage. Sometimes its water table based

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Try growing a profitable crop of potatoes without it.

I manage, roughly £600/ha profit from my no-till spuds...

 

[jonnyjon]

Waterlogging isnt always the result of tillage. Sometimes its water table based

In the middle of a generally dry summer? Possible but very unlikely

 

[jonnyjon]

I manage, roughly £600/ha profit from my no-till spuds...

superb

 

[Will 1594]

Some beet on sand not far from here were a lovely looking crop a few weeks ago. Flat on the ground now, looking like they’ve been sprayed with staraine. I’m putting it down to lack of water. And possibly BCN too.

Dig some up and look at roots , you will see tiny white dots on root hairs ,
Does any one use LimeX is it any good
We have put an inch on lightest field , dig 14 inch and still like talcum powder

 

[Will 1594]

Doesn't change my point

And your point is what , it’s an un planted tramline by look of it . Water will run down wheeling and collect

 

[Kiwi Pete]

superb

I won't say what fraction of a hectare we grew but they did really really well in the dry.
We're roughly back 250mm for the year, 500mm over the past 3 or 4 years from "average".. WTF average is anymore, I don't know. Dry!!
Mid winter here, and can drive my little tractor around feeding hay to 500kg cattle at grass. It's surreal, but worrying.

 

[D14]

I won't say what fraction of a hectare we grew but they did really really well in the dry.
We're roughly back 250mm for the year, 500mm over the past 3 or 4 years from "average".. WTF average is anymore, I don't know. Dry!!
Mid winter here, and can drive my little tractor around feeding hay to 500kg cattle at grass. It's surreal, but worrying.

4 weeks ago the rivers broke their banks around here. Today theres hardly any water in them with it having to of dropped at least 4ft. Irrigators are back out on potatoes put it that way and that was after 165mm in 4 weeks.

 

[farmerm]

hmmm, which day shall I book in the contractor to combine the barley... though the longer term outlook suggests this unsettled spell will be followed by a period of high pressure, fingers crossed we are not in for a wet harvest

 

[Kiwi Pete]

4 weeks ago the rivers broke their banks around here. Today theres hardly any water in them with it having to of dropped at least 4ft. Irrigators are back out on potatoes put it that way and that was after 165mm in 4 weeks.

It's a worry.... but this is only the beginning, IMVHO.
We bought this place because I considered the area "summer-safe", the feck it is!!

Even the local 80-90 year old farmers are concerned.

Welcome to the climate change that doesn't exist, JR Burgess (late 80's) said to me today he'll be glad to be in a box and not farming in 50 years time as "the world is fùcked".

 

[farmerm]

4 weeks ago the rivers broke their banks around here. Today theres hardly any water in them with it having to of dropped at least 4ft. Irrigators are back out on potatoes put it that way and that was after 165mm in 4 weeks.

In full swing a crop of spuds can drink 7mm per day, that can mean field capacity moisture stress in 5 days and best part of 120mm of your 165mm ended up in those swollen rivers.

 

[teslacoils]

And your point is what

I think his point is something like this. Seems to be my overall impression.

 

[D14]

In full swing a crop of spuds can drink 7mm per day, that can mean field capacity moisture stress in 5 days and best part of 120mm of your 165mm ended up in those swollen rivers.

One field in particular is a mile from the river that burst its banks. The field is drained but to one point into a ditch which then ultimately feeds the same river. However after the 165mm we went to the ditch to check the outfall and it was hardly running. The field in question was so dry that its absorbed the whole 165mm of water down to about 20 inches. The issue is it was so dry before because we did not have a wet winter.