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THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT RECENT SOIL ANALYSIS REPORTS SHOW OUR FARM IS IN GOOD HEALTH SOIL FERTILITY WISE. PHOSPHATE LEVELS ARE 2+ AND 3S, POTASH IS 2 AND, MOST PLEASING OF ALL, ORGANIC MATTERS
ARE BETWEEN 4.9% AND 6%. PH ONLY NEEDS MINOR CORRECTION HERE AND THERE. Sadly, Barney Drake, who spent a large part of his working life on our family farm, passed away last week, at the
grand-old-age of 91. He was a unique source of wonderful sayings and knowledge and was completing the Irish News crossword until two days before his death. He will be greatly missed by
everyone he influenced. All our barley crops look excellent, especially the autumn-drilled volume and half the wheats are full of promise. But now the ugly bit… 20ha of late-November-drilled
Alchemy is just about OK, but 15ha of mid-December-drilled seed has very low establishment numbers. Terrible weather and crow attacks are to blame. I threw my hat across the field, and on
inspecting where it landed, there was one established shoot. So I will persevere with this crop even at an anticipated low yield of 6t/ha. No profit there. Rhynchosporium has just appeared
in the barley, which will be sprayed this week with Bontima (isopyrazam). The rep guarantees full control and a cost-effective yield benefit. Calcium ammonium sitrate and sulphur have been
applied to all crops and we are preparing to drill 33ha of forage maize as soil temperatures are 10C+ and the forecast is settled. Meanwhile, my brother-in-law owns a golf club and he
offered me a used buggy at a discount. I should have bought it as, rumour has it, my arable farming neighbour has decided this is the best way to “walk” his crops and bought a brand new one.
Left behind again! • FOR MORE COLUMNS FROM ALLAN CHAMBERS • FOR MORE COLUMNS FROM OTHER ARABLE FARMER FOCUS WRITERS