I seem to start all my articles with a review of the weather since my last one. Once again, it’s an extreme, with little rain falling here. However three miles up the road there has been substantial rain.

The seasonal rain routes are always predictable, with us missing out during the growing season. I can guarantee one thing, it always rains on us at harvest.

See also: What’s in Your Fertiliser Shed? Grower favours solid nitrogen for milling wheats

About the author

Robin Aird

Arable Farmer Focus writer Robin Aird manages 1500ha on the north Wiltshire and Gloucestershire border, with a further 160ha on a contract farming agreement. Soils vary from gravel to clay with the majority silty clay loams. The diverse estate has Residential, commercial and events enterprises. He is Basis qualified and advises on other farming businesses.

Read more articles by Robin Aird

The winter wheat is looking drought stressed and it is so disheartening to watch a crop full of potential start to wilt and lose green leaf area. The maize, however, is loving the heat and will definitely be knee high by 4 July, if not waist high.

We have just finished the hybrid rye harvest and it was very pleasing, with above-average yields and good dry matters. The grass foraging also went well and will be slightly above budget.

The spring wheat is not so rosy. I did write previously that I do not like planting in February and once again I proved my point.

We ended up whole cropping 60ha due to bad blackgrass. This is not a great financial move, but will, hopefully, pay dividends in the long run.

Low-input cereals in mid-tier are fine when they work well, but the financial cost when you have to remove your claim due to cutting a month early is not a pleasant experience when you have ticked all the other boxes.

We now have the lull before the cereal harvest kicks off, with grain stores to clean and equipment to service.

We are also installing a new track, which has been grant-funded through catchment-sensitive farming. This is the first time we have been able to utilise this new source of funding.

Crop trials and agricultural shows are in full swing, and I will be heading out to various events over the next two weeks. I find these events useful and the knowledge transfer from farmer to farmer is priceless. The other bonus is that it usually involves some very good food.