The New Year started with concerns that the mild wet weather was affecting the residual herbicide activity in the rape but over the last couple of weeks, the blackgrass is looking less healthy, as if the sprays are doing their job. Charlock is slowly dying following treatment, and only the most stubborn areas require a possible follow up treatment.

Pigeon damage so far has been limited, and keeping up patrols through February will ensure there is some top growth there to help keep the growing point away from CSFB larvae damage.

Levels of larvae in the leaf petioles and stems is variable within fields and locations and generally not as bad as previously seen. As the plant grows, it will be important to monitor the movement of the larvae to see how many end up in the stem, and what potential impact this may have on yield.

In general, crops look well; poor drainage and rooting is affecting some rape crops, giving the plants a purple-blue appearance, and winter barley headlands too have only just started to show signs of excess water.

Wheat appears to be thriving, looking better than it should for the time of year. Blackgrass control in cereals is not as good as last year, but better than winter 2015/16 – simply more grass germinating in the drilling period.

Late planted winter crops and spring crops are less tolerant of weather extremes. Doing everything you can to ensure a good root base – be that early nutrition or in cultivations – will add to a crop’s robustness, and with reduce yield variability.

On the farm, the last of the spring seed is being dressed, and variable seed rate maps prepared. The passing of January into February offers a window to sit down with the team to appraise last year’s harvest. Analysing the yield maps is a good start, and cultivations, seedrates, drilling date, agronomy and harvesting can all be discussed to see where potential improvements can be made.

This is also a good time to discuss any on farm trials or testing you may wish to do, to encourage engagement with the team, which may in turn benefit the wider farming system.

Organising nitrogen plans are a priority to make use of any windows next month brings.

For more information, contact Strutt & Parker’s Farming Department.