Weather window: The past week provided a very welcome weather window for many growers with winter cereals to plant and crops to harvest like potatoes and other horticultural crops. Ground conditions were at least workable. Many growers were on the point of parking up planting equipment for the winter but now most of the intended area may be planted by next week. We must now hope for reasonable conditions for good establishment.

Marginal ground conditions mean you should always check what is actually happening behind your machines as you work. It is too late when you are finished to discover blocked coulters or uncovered coulter cuts.

The current forecast indicates that planting opportunities will continue through the weekend but air temperatures are set to drop considerably. However, soil temperatures in tillage areas are one to two degrees above normal for the time of year and that’s a big help. The sooner they are out of the ground the quicker some threats go away.

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Tillage management: planting and herbicides