HEAR Monitor Farm H'21 - Averys (Radnage) Ltd
With the kind permission of Rod Avery
April 2021
The winter HEAR is now in flower. In April the crop has had Metfin 90 (metconazole) for Light Leaf spot at 0.4l/ha and Azoxystar (azoxystrobin) @ 1.0l/ha for Sclerotinia. The last dose of fertiliser has been applied which includes a Molasses Blend, Avan Amino Acid and Singletop fertiliser at 150kg/ha.
The September drilled HEAR trial is behind and thinner in places having struggled with the weather to make up ground, but there are now signs of the odd flower.
April has turned dry with a total of 2.5mm recorded. Temperatures are slowly increasing but are still quite cold at 5.5 °C (see Sencrop weather data below).
February / March 2021
The HEAR has survived winter well and is stretching its legs. The cold winter has helped control the charlock in the field. The crop has had its spring fertiliser of 50kg/ha N as Urea.
The rain has kept falling into February and March, with a total of 72.4mm recorded. Temperatures are slowly increasing but are still quite cold at 4.7 °C (see Sencrop weather data below).
December 2020 / January 2021
HEAR crops are looking well, there hasn’t been a great deal of growth as expected over winter. The crop is established in good consistent rows. The Kerb and frost are having an effect the weeds which are turning a reassuring yellow colour. On the headlands there is some minor bird damage, but plants are plenty big enough to take some damage. The fields are waterlogged, as are most fields currently.
November 2020
HEAR crops are looking well, there is a big difference between Rocca drilled earlier and Erikson drilled three weeks later. This week crops are due Kerb and Phoma spray, weather permitting.
The rainfall has dropped in November with 26.9mm recorded. Temperatures are starting to drop and are averaging 8.2 °C (see Sencrop weather data below).
October 2020
OSR is settling down for the winter nicely. Kerb has been prescribed for application within the next week or so. There is some minor slug damage, and pellets have been applied.
It is amazing the difference in drilling time makes. Below shows the difference between two and a half week later drilled OSR.
The rain has continued into October with 79mm recorded. Temperatures are starting to drop and are averaging 9.9 °C (see Sencrop weather data below).
September 2020
Crops were drilled 15th August with a pre-emergence herbicide Kataraman Turno, in three fields; Washdale, Rectory, Northfield and Fardale, and the HEAR variety, 'Rocca', is up and looking well.
The soil is sandy silt loam and cultivated using a subsoiler followed by Suffolk coultered combination drill with seed passing down every third coulter. DAP has been applied to all fields of the crop to aid establishment.
Rocca has high autumn vigour which helps the crop get up and away from cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) damage and aids establishment in dry conditions.
On the 6th of September volunteer cereals were sprayed off with Fusilade Max, which will reduce further water loss to the crop from the volunteer cereals.
Belkar was applied on the 21st of September for broad-leaved weed to the Northfield field. The crop is looking well and establishing nicely in time for winter. The next planned application is Centurion max for blackgrass control.
Rain has arrived in time for drilling, the average rainfall for August to September 134.6mm and temperatures have kept soils warm since sowing have been averaging 15.3 °C (see Sencrop weather data below).
