It’s too dry!

[onthehoof]

April

 

[Pan mixer]

Will pollen and nectar seed germinate in this?

 

[Wombat]

April

We had nothing in April last year, this year been a bit wetter at 25mm

 

[Steevo]

I’m just glad I haven’t got any spring crops!

 

[Bokey]

Dry and cold winds in peak district I hope we don't get a late frost like last year

 

[glasshouse]

I was in Nebraska yesterday to pickup a pair of tracks. 18 degrees and dry. A few were drilling maize but most were waiting for some rain as it’s too dry to germinate, 8 hour drive north back home and I can only see water in every field. 60-80mm still to come this weekend. Should be drilling by now but with this rain and places still under snow we are at least 3 weeks away from doing anything. Getting a bit stressed

Aeroplane?

 

[Flatlander]

Aeroplane?

Lol. Might be better off growing rice this year.

 

[Bokey]

Lol. Might be better off growing rice this year.

Do they grow any maize near you?

 

[Flatlander]

Yes. Have grown it here a few times. Does very well in the deep black soil here but it’s pretty late to harvest and with drying along with other field work it’s too much to cope with on my own. With propane prices now drying it from 25% down to 15 gets pricey real quick. Best if a local dairy will take it and crimp it with a moisture allowance.

 

[matt@mepengineering]

I was in Nebraska yesterday to pickup a pair of tracks. 18 degrees and dry. A few were drilling maize but most were waiting for some rain as it’s too dry to germinate, 8 hour drive north back home and I can only see water in every field. 60-80mm still to come this weekend. Should be drilling by now but with this rain and places still under snow we are at least 3 weeks away from doing anything. Getting a bit stressed

Are they drilling wheat in the Dakota’s yet ?

 

[Farmer Roy]

 

[Kidds]

Aye, contractors will be doing the annual rain dance with their self propelled foragers before long!

Seen some rowing up being done locally yesterday

 

[Gedd]

Cold easterly here this morning and droughty

 

[Durry cows]

Yes. Have grown it here a few times. Does very well in the deep black soil here but it’s pretty late to harvest and with drying along with other field work it’s too much to cope with on my own. With propane prices now drying it from 25% down to 15 gets pricey real quick. Best if a local dairy will take it and crimp it with a moisture allowance.

Do many folk direct drill maize or is it mainly ploughed/tilled over there?

 

[Farmer Roy]

Do many folk direct drill maize or is it mainly ploughed/tilled over there?

any maize I’ve seen here ( & planted ) has all been zero tilled . . .

 

[teslacoils]

There, someone had to say it! Tin hat on, but we’ve only had 3” of rain in each of January February and march, should of had 5. And had less than an inch in April so far! This is Cornwall by the way.
I know we’ll get to may and like last year the heavens will open etc!
Is there any rain on the horizon?

Lol. Rained here mid march. None due until mid may. Was dry in January and February. 2" a month is average here. Will be well under that year-to-date. Ground cracking. Cold wind.

 

[Old Boar]

My fields are nearly dry enough to get a tractor on, but not quite!

 

[DrWazzock]

That time of year when the reservoir plans come back out of the drawer. Usually go back in again after 4” in June. Generally a bit late by then though, so some supply smoothing would help. Megabucks but would make the farm a better proposition for root veg. Last time I looked I’d need to stump up £250k to make much impression. Government might match it. It would feel good but probably wouldn’t wipe its face in my lifetime. Still, got to do something. This annual drought situation isn’t going to get any better.

 

[DrWazzock]

I sometimes wonder though if we hadn’t underdrained it, would we be better off? We do have problems sometimes where there is a blocked drain and a concentration of water to one patch but if those drains weren’t there at all would it just be wetter all over but not boggy wet . We’d have to drill later in spring maybe. Maybe winter crops would drown. But if we stayed off the land over winter would we be better off with no under draining at all and just run with a higher water table using the land itself as a reservoir. Winter harvested crops would be a non starter but we could live with that.
If we are going to get drier then maybe under draining isn’t helping us. It’s not really a system that can be switched on and off though. Block the outlets and you end up with too much water in parts of the field where the drains meet the header. Most of my best looking crops this siring are in wet patches!

 

[Wombat]

I sometimes wonder though if we hadn’t underdrained it, would we be better off? We do have problems sometimes where there is a blocked drain and a concentration of water to one patch but if those drains weren’t there at all would it just be wetter all over but not boggy wet . We’d have to drill later in spring maybe. Maybe winter crops would drown. But if we stayed off the land over winter would we be better off with no under draining at all and just run with a higher water table using the land itself as a reservoir. Winter harvested crops would be a non starter but we could live with that.
If we are going to get drier then maybe under draining isn’t helping us. It’s not really a system that can be switched on and off though. Block the outlets and you end up with too much water in parts of the field where the drains meet the header. Most of my best looking crops this siring are in wet patches!

depends on soil, I have some grass on heavy stuff that it’s still almost impossible to drive on as it’s trapped so much water it’s a swamp. For our soils we wouldn’t have massive areas of crops without the drains. Maybe on light land it’s something to think about