Crop Farming & Harvest

The benefits of using an early maturing variety were showcased at a maize open day in Bangor-On-Dee, where farmers had the opportunity to view some of the 6,000 trial plots at the site.

Maize is one of the most valuable forms of home-grown forage when grown, managed, harvested and fed correctly. It is only at this time of year, just before harvest, that we can accurately assess how successful the crop has been and identify whether issues exist which can be corrected to get even better results in future. Also at this time of year, we get the first indication of the likely feed quality. Consequently, many will be looking at what makes a profitable maize crop and whether 2017 has been a successful season.

As maize harvest gets underway, now is the perfect time to consider what to do with the land when the crop comes off. With additional research now available, many growers are paying greater attention to the negative effects of leaving maize stubble bare over the winter period and what benefits there are to growing a following crop.

Understanding the fertility of your soil is an essential part of grassland management. There needs to be an awareness of the nutritional picture of each field, to ensure there is the right balance of nutrients to allow the ley to fulfil its potential. A blanket approach to fertiliser purchasing is often not the most cost-effective approach, as each field needs to be assessed individually.

Clubroot is an increasing problem in oilseed rape crops – something that has been exacerbated by close rotations. We are hearing increasing reports of clubroot on farms, particularly in the western region leading to yield losses.

Gamecover season is upon us, therefore we have created a short guide to achieving the best crop for your shoot.

After spending the winter months writing fertiliser plans, budgeting and attending technical meetings, my phone is now starting to ring with questions around nitrogen application.

Modern grass varieties and high quality mixtures have the potential to deliver superior yields and excellent feed values, but often grassland management and basic nutrition is overlooked, and new leys fail to deliver their full value.

Reseeding an existing ley can lead to a significant return on investment. Within several years ‘weed grasses’ will ingress into a sward – particularly if the field has experienced poaching or after a hard winter. These ‘weed grasses’ have poor quality characteristics compared to ryegrass varieties from the Recommended List. These include poor digestibility and a poorer response to fertiliser, as well as not converting to meat and milk as efficiently as ryegrass.