The weekend rain was heavy and persistent, but the blessing was that there was no wind, so no crops, not even the winter barley nor the oats, suffered any lodging.

The winter barley has got to the stage where the crows look longingly from the hedges and gates near the crop, but so far the damage has been minimal.

The rest of the crops should gain from the rain, I reckon. I have never seen the spring-sown beans look as well – with the benefit of hindsight, we probably sowed them at too high a seed rate, at just over 15 stone to the acre.

Unlike last year, all of them seem to have germinated and are growing strongly, with the lower pods beginning to form.

Elsewhere on the crop side, we are doing a limited amount of hand rogueing on the seed wheat and the gluten-free oats had their first inspection

The density of the crop will need high fertility to allow maximum yield, but the fields with the beans got slurry as well as P and K, in line with soil sample results, so despite the high plant population and vigorous vegetative growth, I still hope for a decent yield. Elsewhere on the crop side, we are doing a limited amount of hand rogueing on the seed wheat and the gluten-free oats had their first inspection, with everything fine so far.

I have also lined up a neighbour who has a self-propelled high rise sprayer. Last year was the first time he desiccated my oilseed rape – the amount of damage was insignificant, especially when compared with a conventional tractor ruining the crop in each tramline.

Meanwhile, the dry weather has let us make our small amount of hay in perfect conditions, but it has also put enough stress on the second-cut silage ground to cause slightly premature seed head formation, even though the first cut was taken less than six weeks ago.

As I have mentioned before, there have been some really useful biological slurry additives developed

Once the crop is gone to seed, I don’t see the point in delaying cutting, so we will probably take it next week. If there is one technical development I would like to see, it would be a slurry additive that would prevent dock seeds from germinating.

As I have mentioned before, there have been some really useful biological slurry additives developed that have definitely reduced the smell, but also claim to convert the ammonical nitrogen in slurry to more worm and environmentally-friendly nitrate. I must admit, I would like to see this backed up by a rigorous scientific assessment.

The organisation put an enormous amount of work into the two days and it showed

Mention of science reminds me of an excellent visit to the crop open day held at Teagasc Oakpark.

The organisation put an enormous amount of work into the two days and it showed, with a full range of terrific looking crops and first class information to go with it. I have, from personal experience, a view that good tillage farming is not adequately covered in the “Distance Learning” Green Certificate. A day or two in Oak Park would be a useful addition for the students.