Conditions have disimproved following heavy rain in tillage areas last weekend. Hopefully there will still be a few weeks of planting opportunity. Rolling must now be questioned in terms of soil suitability. However, it should still be done, if possible, post planting. Rolling can help establishment, slow or prevent slug damage and tighten the soil to help prevent root-roll lodging.

Establishment has been generally good, but there are some serious slug problems. Lower recent temperatures provide more advantage to slugs than the crop if they are active. It is now safer to target drilling wheat into fields with high take-all risk or to plant winter oats in fields that have wild oats.

Pest activity

Birds could become a bigger problem from now on as temperatures drop. Bird activity is generally triggered by some form of bug or pest activity in the soil – they do not always mean to cause harm, but they can do. Watch undressed seed in particular.

Poorer ground conditions mean seed rates need to be increased. Plant winter wheat around 320-350 seeds/m2 – 160kg to 175kg/ha (10st to 11st/ac) for 50g seed – more for larger seed size. Any remaining winter barley will need to go in at around 12st/ac (190kg/ha), or higher, to provide 320 plants/m2, as both germination and establishment are likely to drop now. Complete oat planting at 350 to 380 seeds/m2 or 140kg to 155kg/ha (9st to 10st/ac) for 40g seed.

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Tillage management: Soil testing and spraying