Cover Crop Update

The catchy weather is proving challenging for the farm crops but the cover crops seem to be thriving. Below are a few photographs showing how they are progressing. Richard Barnes from Kings and Loddington keeper James Watchorn have overseen an interesting mixture of crops which have responded well to their management.

 

Maize alongside Chicory and Phacelia

Kale

Millet next to 2nd year Kale

Mustard, Kale and Fodder Raddish

The slug skirmish! Combining cultural and chemical approaches

 This season continues to be a challenging one and here is our approach in the battle against slugs. Rolling consolidates the ground and gives the slugs less room to move around, this slows down slug damage to our sown wheat seed. Rolling also helps seed/soil contact which assists germination and pushes large stones out of harms way.  Where possible we have drilled wheat seed slightly deeper than normal at 40mm. We have used metaldehyde for our first 'in field' application with ferric phosphate on the outside 6m. We are limited in the amount of metaldehyde we can use in the autumn and will switch to ferric phosphate as weather deteriorates.

before rolling......

after rolling!

Game cover and conservation crops coming on well

Despite the weather doing its very best to thwart the establishment of the game cover and conservation crops, the various plots around the farm are on the whole looking very good indeed. James Watchorn (our gamekeeper) has been working hard all through the summer (with technical support from Richard Barnes of Kings Game Cover and Conservation Crops) to ensure there is sufficient food and cover to support a host of game and farmland bird species through the coming winter.

Wild bird seed mixtures such as Moir Mix and Campaign Mix have replaced much of the maize area (some maize has been retained) providing a more diverse range of seed and cover as well as meeting our needs for the correct area of enhanced wild bird seed required by our HLS scheme. 

 

 

Areas of Kings kale blend have flourished with the recent warmer weather and the rainfall last week will keep the late sown catch crops growing through the autumn.

The plots were a useful backdrop for a GWCT Part Time Gamekeepers course held recently on the farm, which was attended by 14 enthusiastic game managers.

A selection of autumn sown nectar flower, wild bird seed and brood rearing crops are being planted this week to increase the range of habitats provided.

Its been emotional !!

Nearly finished harvest, 60 acres of spring beans to go. Oilseed rape just about up and away and wheat drilling started on Saturday. So far we have been fortunate with less than 50mm of rain rather than the 125 mm plus in some parts of the country
Just a few pictures to summarise harvest events.

Its been wet !!

Very wet !!

 

The sun did shine!

I was sure this crop would break a record... it did but not the one I wanted

Off to do battle with slugs on oilseed rape; shield, sword and quad bike required

Winter Oats (flat but yielding well)

The warm weather this weekend has allowed our oat harvest to progress steadily.
Although heavy rain on Wednesday (12mm in 20 minutes) flatened the oat crop, the yields are good and are a welcome highlight in a difficult season. (Photo Ben Jarvis)

OSR Harvest Finally Finnished

The Oilseed Rape harvest was finally completed on Monday 13th August.
As expected yields are well down on last year and early indications are the crop will yield 3.2 t/ha.
The Oats look more promising and to date approximately 20% of this has been harvested.

Poor weather hampers harvest

Virtually no harvesting was possible over the last 7 days. The combine is parked up ready for action and it looks like warmer sunnier weather later in the week.