Some planting done

Some tillage areas had close to normal January rainfall but many other areas were drier than normal for the month. And the same applies for February so far. While individual showers affected some areas, some growers have been out planting in recent weeks.

Some growers got out two weeks ago while others only got going last week. While ground conditions were generally acceptable in recently ploughed land, damp patches have limited progress. Land which was ploughed and pressed last backend remains too wet to touch and this is a real worry now as there is a level of grass weeds appearing.

Desperate times can call for desperate measures and one must think this land may never be dry enough to enable winter wheat planting using one-pass or cultivation drills. While it is not regular practice, it may be possible at some point to broadcast seed on top of this ground and to incorporate using shallow cultivation. There will be some damage and loss in wheel tracks but it may be the only way this land will get sown to winter wheat this spring. It has the other benefit of being high-throughput.

Full crops look well

While this spring provides a stark contrast with this time last year, crops that are full generally look well and they continue to show some growth. However, a lot of crops now show a level of patchiness and some of this is severe enough to merit replanting. However, decisions to replant should not be made yet, except in extreme situations, and it is unlikely that these will carry machinery for some time yet.

Stitching in or re-planting should only be considered in reasonably sized blocks which enable separate management. Fields may look better but it may be more important to get all other spring planting completed first. April stitching in can often be hammered by BYDV. Plant counts in poor areas provide some guidance but any decision is bigger than a single measurement.

Crows

For those who have planted recently, crows seem to be a particularly big concern, with huge numbers descending on some fields. While seeds may not be their primary target, they will be taken if action is not taken. This is an unfortunate consequence of having only small areas sown in cold conditions so action may be necessary. This will mean kites, bangers and lead to keep them on the move.

Planting: Rainfall amounts continue to be variable and seedbed conditions dictate any ability to plant regardless of the system being used. Winter wheat tends to be good to compensate even if establishment is less than ideal. Getting perfect conditions for early spring planting may be a pipe dream this year. Low establishment is likely so seed rates must reflect this. A lot of seed is big and with 55g TGW seed, say 95% germination and possibly 80% establishment, this would need 215kg seed/ha to establish 300 plants/m2 or 165kg to establish 250 plants.