Briefly hopes were raised in late Jan/early Feb when there was a dry spell and field work resumed – things were looking up again. But thanks to Ciara and Dennis, a stormy Feb effectively put pay to the last chances of getting further autumn cereals in the ground, making 2020 a 41-year low for winter wheat area.
For those who did manage to get drilled before the storms, which in the West brought double the average monthly rainfall in the space of a week, their newly planted crops haven’t had the kindest of starts. You also have to wonder where the nitrogen has ended up that went on some fields before the weather broke again. Here in Herefordshire, we’ve already had the equivalent of our annual rainfall since Sept and it’s far from being a unique position. It’s been a grim old winter.
According to the climate change experts this may be the shape of things to come, with warmer and wetter winters the new normal. If that’s the case, then rotations will certainly have to change over time but as a one-off, the washout this winter may just have done us a favour – there’s always a silver lining to a bad situation, you just have to find it.
So where is the positive in seeing the planned acreage of your highest earning cereal crop go down the proverbial swanny? First and foremost it’s provides a chance to re-evaluate and reset the rotation. Taking the leap to predominantly spring cropping would have been a tough one on paper. But with Nature forcing her hand, it may just prove to be an unlikely godsend for some, providing an unexpected opportunity to get on top of blackgrass.
The forced change of plan may also provide a chance to repair soil which has been under water or become compacted and slumped over the winter. Putting in a cover or catch crop instead of a spring crop would also help put things back on track for autumn 2020, where there’s a risk of late entry for autumn crops without making an adjustment this spring.
Undoubtedly every farm business is in a different position when it comes to cash flow requirements and this will influence planting plans. But assessing the state of the soil and rotation on future profitability is something to factor in – the effects of planting in poor conditions will be felt for seasons to come, so there’s perhaps a fine line to walk when taking the longer-term view with some fields this spring. It’s going to be one of those times where a spade is your best friend and will help to assess the best course of action for the next few weeks ahead.
The standing water in some fields means the soil will need a bit of TLC to repair.
Ciara and Dennis may have wreaked havoc, but they’ve also highlighted some areas where management changes could be made for the better. The resulting run-off from the deluges has certainly spurred some lively debate about farming practices amongst the Twitter community.
Agriculture is blessed to have many innovators and progressive thinkers who are passionate about doing the right thing for the soil, our most precious resource. Some growers progressing fast up the ‘slope of enlightenment’ sometimes seem frustrated at those they believe lag behind, yet rarely are things so black and white. There can’t be a grower in the land who’s happy to see the topsoil flowing off the field and down the road.
Once at field capacity water has a bit of a habit of running downhill or through an easy route, so while the ability of the soil to act as a sponge is a result of land management – the rainfall these storms deposited were an unfair test. Some ‘uncontrollables’, like depth of topsoil, aspect and underlying strata all come into play. The events we’ve all just endured have been exceptional and even the most absorbent saturated sponge leaks water.
The strength of our industry lies in its diversity, yet it has great cohesion as a community. It’s a fertile thinking-ground where farmer-to-farmer learning has a massive role to play. No other industry works like this. So in imparting views and opinions on other growers’ farming practices, a degree of empathy and a recognition that little steps are often the safest way to walk into uncertain territory, would go a long way towards effecting change for the better.
Based in Ludlow, Shrops, CPM technical editor Lucy de la Pasture has worked as an agronomist. @Lucy_delaP
