Slow start to the year

[Phil P]

Anyone else feel like crops are only moving slow this year? Done get me wrong stuff is growing but the soil temperature just doesn’t seem to be getting up and every day is overcast!
Been comparing temperatures to last year and it’s definitely been a cooler start to the year.

And the growing day’s back this up.

And looking back at this point we had more growing days in 2019 than 2020. Is this the start of a pattern? I would think this will add up to a shorter growing season for winter crops! Reduce yield?

 

[Flat 10]

Not as forward as some years, barley taking time to come up but I don’t think there’s anything exceptional about it at all. Stuff has moved a lot here in the last week. And to say something is a pattern based on one year is a bit previous.... in short it will be fine.

 

[Phil P]

Not as forward as some years, barley taking time to come up but I don’t think there’s anything exceptional about it at all. Stuff has moved a lot here in the last week. And to say something is a pattern based on one year is a bit previous.... in short it will be fine.

I’m probably just been inpatient

 

[Steevo]

Out spraying yesterday, things have moved a lot since I spread the fertiliser a couple of weeks ago. Wet areas are suffering though and still look thin and wispy.

 

[Steevo]

Rows in backward crops have filled in a lot too.

 

[teslacoils]

Certainly slow here. This "late drilling" lark also means stuff can look crap until well into may.

 

[ffukedfarmer]

It does feel that way, but I do wonder if its a perception caused by the weather being quite reasonable for March.

 

[DrWazzock]

My winter wheat is hardly moving stuck at 2 leaf. Very envious of these lush earlier drilled crops.
My best spring seedbeds are coming from early spring ploughing. Over wintered ploughing has slumped badly. Untouched stubbles weeks away from being dry enough. Stubbles cultivated shallow in the spring are dry on top but really too wet underneath. No surprises really.
Trying to formulate a robust plan. Looking like shallow stubble cultivation for autumn drilling. And maybe early spring ploughing for spring drilling. I will probably have changed my mind by lunchtime though.

 

[Gong Farmer]

It's March for heaven's sake. The rule of thumb is 'It always snows at Easter, then spring arrives.'

 

[DRC]

Every year is different . 8 yrs ago today, we had this.

 

[robbie]

Crops here are moving but very slowly, we've got a cold wind and very little sun.
Spring barley drilled 9th march isn't up yet.

I have noticed that my crops that had urea haven't got hold of the N like neighbours who used AN, all down to soil temp. Nothings gone yellow so it's getting hold of it.

 

[teslacoils]

Yes. Green crops are locals who use nitram / singletop. Note to self - buy these next year. The aesthetic of a nice green crop worth the £££ in mental health.

 

[robbie]

In hind sight I should have put a cwt of AN on mid fed instead of the urea and then gone back a fortnight or so later and top it up with urea.

 

[teslacoils]

In hind sight I should have put a cwt of AN on mid fed instead of the urea and then gone back a fortnight or so later and top it up with urea.

Yes. Although they always caught up, whenever we grew second cereals, I'd always opt for an simply as I'd have green crops when the owners agent came to see how stuff was going on. In reality, this cold clay would be happier with me just using an.

 

[David.]

Funny, was thinking only yesterday that I dont much fancy dropping my crackers and bottoming the soil yet.

 

[Boohoo]

Every year is different . 8 yrs ago today, we had this.

Looks like a lovely dusting of snow.
This is what we were dealing with 8 years ago today

 

[neilo]

In hind sight I should have put a cwt of AN on mid fed instead of the urea and then gone back a fortnight or so later and top it up with urea.

That's exactly what I did, so can I now consider myself a clued up arable farmer........rather than someone who's February deliver of urea didn't turn up until last week?

 

[DairyGrazing]

My winter wheat is hardly moving stuck at 2 leaf. Very envious of these lush earlier drilled crops.
My best spring seedbeds are coming from early spring ploughing. Over wintered ploughing has slumped badly. Untouched stubbles weeks away from being dry enough. Stubbles cultivated shallow in the spring are dry on top but really too wet underneath. No surprises really.
Trying to formulate a robust plan. Looking like shallow stubble cultivation for autumn drilling. And maybe early spring ploughing for spring drilling. I will probably have changed my mind by lunchtime though.

Has there been any talk of banning over wintered ploughing because of the potential soil erosion?

Our old boy at the other farm used to plough all our stubbles over the winter but we stopped when we need more land to spread muck on in the spring.

 

[DrWazzock]

Has there been any talk of banning over wintered ploughing because of the potential soil erosion?

Our old boy at the other farm used to plough all our stubbles over the winter but we stopped when we need more land to spread muck on in the spring.

We have less water erosion on over wintered ploughing than on land left as undisturbed stubbles, though on either it’s pretty negligible, only being noticeable if you leave a rut or tramline running down to a gatehole. We don’t have major slopes just rolling hills.
From what I have seen, winter erosion only becomes a problem on finely cultivated over winter seedbeds on serious slopes. It’s another overhyped issue in my view.

 

[DairyGrazing]

Sorry should have said half that farm is fairly sloped. It mostly drains down the ditch on the drive and every time it rains it resembles the colour of the tweed in full spey. Going to undersow the maize and cover crop the wheat this year so will be interesting to see what happens.