There have been a number of drills out in the past week and conditions have been good. Whether it is too early to plant or not is always a conundrum. The potential downsides are a plague of crows or a very wet spell post planting. The upside is that it is a job done.

It is mainly winter wheat and spring beans that are being planted. These are relatively safe bets, especially where winter seed would have to sit for another nine months.

The risk from crows is always serious, but is an individual and local issue. They have been relatively quite so far but this could change. This is especially a concern for oats.

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Seedbed condition is still the most important factor. If land is wet from 4-8 inches deep, there is a big risk that it will tighten during traffic and hold water. This is always most visible on headlands but still affects crop growth.

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Tillage management: beans