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From the Wellies - August 06

Many of the things we do as farmers seem perfectly sensible to other farmers but can leave members of the public scratching their heads as to what’s going on in the fields.  Over the summer I’ve been asked to explain a couple of things that people have seen taking place. 

The first was from one of my neighbours who was apparently having yellow custard powder spread in a field next to his house!  This was, in fact, ground magnesium limestone.  Lime is applied to raise the PH in the soil, as most plants will not survive under acid conditions. 

Maintaining the correct PH in the soil also increases the availability of certain plant nutrients and adequate soil PH also encourages biological activity which enhances the organic matter cycle in the soil.  PH levels drop by constant leaching and the removal of crops.  Soil samples can be analysed in a laboratory to measure soil PH, with levels of other trace elements being measured at the same time.  The PH scale goes from 0. (very acidic) to 12. (very alkaline).  Optimum PH for most farm crops is 6.0 – 6.5. 

Ground limestone is spread in powered form; a rate of 2 tonnes/acre will usually raise the soil PH by 1 point on the scale.  Although some farms have their own small lime spreading machines, it is generally a job which is carried out by specialised lime spreading contractors.  Technology is advancing all the time and it is now possible to create a soil map for each field by taking samples all over a field using a quad bike with global positioning satellite tracing.  This PH ‘soil map’ is then used by the tractor towing the lime spreader to vary the rate of lime applied to different parts of the field over large areas.  This can mean savings, and also stops over or under-liming.

The other question was: “why are crops being covered with large white fleece blankets”.  Any keen gardener will be using ‘fleeces’ for exactly the same reason only on a smaller scale.  The main crop covered at the moment is turnips or swedes which are destined for the shopping trade. 

Swedes are usually sown in late April- early May and, like any young seedlings, can be damaged by late frosts so the blankets are used to protect them.  The second and most important role of the fleece blankets is to protect the plants from insect attack. 

Trade buyers prefer swedes for the shops not to have been sprayed for ‘flea beetle’ which can attack and eat young seedlings as they emerge, so anyone not using a blanket may have to spray every few days after plant emergence.  This is especially so in hot weather when insect larvae are most active.  Later on in the season blankets give protection from pigeons and rabbits, who seem to think that farmer’s crops are a free lunch planted for their benefit. 

Fleece blanket comes in large rolls and there are winding and unwinding rollers which can be attached to tractor so that fleeces can be reused, provided they are not damaged during use. 

Most farmers are only too willing to stop and explain what they’re doing in their fields, so next time that you have a question, just stop and ask.

* * *

The dust has settled after the Highland Perthshire NFU Branch Tractor Road Run.  A total of 28 tractors started out from Aberfeldy but only 27 returned. 

The missing driver who was born near Amulree decided to stop during the run to join the rest of his family to scatter his brother’s ashes.  One bright spark suggested that he could have fitted an old fertilizer spreader to the back of his vintage tractor and scattered the ashes en-route! 

All monies have been collected from the run and a total of £928 has been split between the Royal Highland Educational Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support. 

Thanks again to all the drivers and sponsors.  If you missed the vintage tractors there’s still a chance to catch them at the Blair Castle Horse Trials on the 24 to 27 August and Farming Yesteryear at Scone Palace on the 10 September.