Did we have spring this year? The fact that I am only getting round to writing about it on June 2nd rather suggests that we didn’t. Last time I wrote we were still waiting on things to dry up so we could make a start to sowing spring barley. We finally made a start on the 18th of April, and then all hell broke loose.
Learning As You Go
You didn’t have to be a genius to see what was going to happen. We use a contractor for our sowing, and he hadn’t been able to turn a wheel for about 2 months. Last time (here) I mentioned the fact that I was considering hauling our old grain drill out from the back of the shed so we could do something in case he couldn’t get to us for a while. In the end I thought better of that, but sent him a wee message saying that if he was pushed I would be happy to take a shot of his 3 metre grain drill if that would help him out. Now, people that know me will realise that over the past few years I haven’t done a lot of tractor work – my efforts are concentrated in the office, with the exception of harvest time – and the last time I’d driven a seed drill in anger was autumn 2008 (see picture below).
So it was with some trepidation that I was informed that my offer was accepted, but it would be a 4m drill with front hopper and GPS. Initially it was only to be for a few days as Iain was short of drivers, but a few days turned into a week, which turned in to 2 weeks… you get the picture.
So how did I get on? It took me a while to get used to the whole yoke, as I was having to learn the tractor, the drill/hopper controls, and the GPS. However after the first 4 or 5 days I was getting used to it, and was a lot more confident. And as is usually the case when confidence grows, carelessness can creep in.
I only really had one disaster to be honest, and that was when I was distracted with something else. I had come to the end of the round, and was going through the routine (lift up fertiliser metering wheel, lift up front hopper, shut down revs, lift up drill, reverse). As I lifted up the fertiliser metering wheel I noticed that a shock absorber had come off. The distraction was enough to mean I forgot to lift up the drill before reversing… the result was one mangled pre emergence marker – though it could have been a lot worse from what I have been told.
Apart from that I got on fine. OK, some of the later drilled ground that was very dry isn’t looking too clever, and that may be down to my inexperience as to how deep I needed to set the power harrow, and the seed coulters. However, I have learned, and all in all it was an interesting and enjoyable experience. We are very grateful to Iain for giving us a shot of the drill to allow us to get crops in the ground.
First Use of GPS
One thing that was a completely new experience was using GPS to steer the tractor. Basically the tractor has a GPS receiver that is connected to the steering. The signal keeps the tractor driving in a straight line. So once you turn at the end, all you should need to do is push a button, and the tractor lines itself up to match with the previous round – and it works quite well. Sometimes it wasn’t good at getting lined up to start with but once I’d got the hang of it, it made the job a lot easier. Whether it is worth the £10,000 price tag is another matter. I can see for a contractor it will be a bonus, and certainly for jobs where extra precision matters, but in our case that sort of money can be better spent elsewhere.
Knock On Effects
Spring sowing effectively finished on the 11th of May. By this time Iain was catching up on the work, so he was back on the yoke I’d been using, and Steven Eccles was also in with another drill of similar size. It was a late finish by normal standards, and because of this there have been various knock on effects.
The Weather
A favourite subject of mine. Since finishing sowing most of the spring barley crops have got off to a fantastic start. They have effectively caught up on where they should be at this time. This has meant added pressure for us, as we have had to cram what is usually a 6 – 8 week spray programme into about 4 – 5 weeks.
The weather has helped us here a bit though, in that it has been dry. The last rain we had of significance (>0.2mm) fell on the 13th of May. A new weather station record of 19 days without any rain has now been set (and looks like being broken today).
The crops that were sown on heavier ground that was a bit more cobbly are not doing so well, and really need a good soaking. According to the forecast we aren’t going to get that for some time yet.
Office Work
May 15th is an important date in the farming calendar. Scottish farming relies on government subsidy to keep it sustainable in the long term, and the deadline for submitting your application form each year is the 15th of May. Normally this isn’t a problem, but because I’d spent 2 weeks or so on a tractor I had a bit of catching up to do. Thankfully everything was submitted on time.
For the first time in a few months I’m beginning to feel a bit more in control of what is going on. Yes, there is still a lot to do, but we are not being dictated to by events as much as we were a few weeks ago.
Things have changed over the years at the Cults since my father and my brother in law worked there in the 60s we grey fergies then, now look at the size of the tractors and implements, must have taken forever to plough fields with a two furrow plough. Had a great childhood at Cults.