Arable Farmer Focus FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Combine is ready for its sixth harvestThe million-dollar question will be, “did it rain in time”? Hopefully, the answer will be, “just about”. We had 54mm of rain over the past month. It was very welcome… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Inspections just keep on comingWe all love additional regulation and oversight on our farms. Face it, we simply don’t have enough, and the good news just keeps coming. Our farm straddles two counties, and… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: $3/kg radish contract was a defining momentLast month I talked of waiting to see spring contracts for some of our specialist crops. Our hopes have been crushed and our future is unclear. The arable industry here… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: This year's mighty blackgrass battleI hope everyone has had some meaningful moisture recently. It has certainly made a difference here. This year, blackgrass in the oats was flowering by 10 April, most of it… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Fertiliser secured for next seasonAfter temperatures reached 32C at the end of May, causing damage to crops on the lighter land, rain at the start of June brought a welcome change. However, constant rain… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Nightmare weeds as herbicides struggleSulfonylurea herbicides have struggled this spring, with very poor control of mayweed, chickweed and groundsel which initially appeared to have died. They then seemed to find a new lease of… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Food security is becoming high riskSpring 2026 has been a dry one across the UK, more so for some than others. We have been fortunate, with rainfall at critical times, leaving crops looking respectable, but… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Soils may be getting a little 'linseed sick'Things are hanging on in Devon after a 15mm drop of rain in mid-May. The wheats arguably look as good as they ever have. There's not much to pick between… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Winter cereals have run out of steamThe end is nigh! Well, at least it is for my winter cereals due to the ongoing drought this spring. Our light-land fields have really run out of steam. It… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Cattle get air time as TV crew arrivesMay used to feel like a quieter month on the farm – spring drilling completed, cattle turned out, and only the spraying left to keep on top of. These days,… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Record BYDV symptoms have got me thinkingWe have more barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) symptoms than I have seen before. I haven’t sprayed any insecticides on wheat for more than 15 years, although we did have… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Recent rain showers have saved cropsWe have had more than 55mm of rain, which has been a saviour for crops, especially the cereals as they were losing tillers fast. It has been a roller-coaster year… More articles
