With the dry conditions that continued through the spring, I eventually decided to stick with the original plan for most of the final wheat nitrogen application rates.

While it was tempting to drop them across the board and save some expensive fertiliser, the potential loss of some of the earlier application, and the fact that much of our land could still make up some yield with future rainfall, I only reduced applications on a couple of modest areas of particularly drought prone land.

I have made some useful savings on wheat fungicides to date, with relatively cheap applications of Cherokee (chlorothalonil + cyproconozole + propiconazole) being the mainstay. Choices for flag leaf application will be based on risk factors at the time, and some varieties may well get some new SDHI chemistry if the need is expected.

Jayne and I were very pleased to help organise, and attend, the May Ball held recently on a local farm at Thorney to celebrate one hundred years of Ramsey and Whittlesey NFU. Almost 300 people attended, with superb food, and some lively music from the “Mighty Persuaders” we all had an excellent night. I must thank and congratulate the generous sponsors, the host, and everyone who was involved.

As a chairman for Landskills East, I am pleased to help promote an important cross sector initiative for the month of June, along with many other organisations across the Eastern region. “Farm Safety month” is a campaign for all of us in land-based industries to think about and learn more about health and safety.

Despite many other campaigns, agriculture is still a dangerous industry with, on average, one farmer killed a week in recent years. This is a tragic and unacceptable waste of life.

Philip Bradshaw grows cereals, sugar beet and potatoes on about 300ha of fenland and other soil types at Flegcroft Farm, Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire.