It is in conditions like these that paddock grazing comes into its own. Recent heavy rain has seen the first poaching we have had for a long time.

We are moving the cattle on every day – they clean out a paddock, there is some superficial damage and then they move on.

Recovery

Recovery should be quick and complete at this time of year. We are now on the last round of grazing in most fields, before housing. The quality and quantity of the grass left varies with the quality of the land.

I am disappointed with the covers on a particular area we reclaimed and reseeded a few years ago.

We have taken soil samples and the results were fine, but the amount of clover is too little for land that has been well treated with slurry and has had no nitrogen fertiliser applied.

I suspect that the soil over this reclaimed area is much more variable, and that our soil sampling was not intense enough. We should probably repeat the exercise.

Crops

On the crop side, last week I mentioned that the direct drilled oilseed rape looked a mess, but the herbicide has been doing its work and the oilseed rape plants are not just unscathed but growing strongly in the mild weather, with enough moisture to keep growth going.

We now want to get the winter barley sown as soon as possible. The seed is in the yard and we are ready to go.

We will follow immediately with wheat, weather permitting, and then finally the oats.

I have been advised to sow the oats after 15 October but looking at this autumn’s weather, the forecast and the amount to be done, the concern will most likely be to get the oats sown in reasonable conditions at anytime within the next month.

So far, we have geared up with an 18m sprayer and fertiliser spreader, but I note a general move towards 24m tramlines. I’m still not sure whether we will be forced to change to meet these new developments.