Why 2017 will go down as the year of the slug

IN the Chinese calendar 2017 is the year of the rooster, but I think for us it will be the year of the slug. The warm, dull and damp weather, has lead to a population explosion of slugs. This is especially true after the oil seed rape. Every stalk of last year’s crop has a family of slugs living in it. I really don’t like using slug pellets, but unfortunately we have to.

The newer varieties don’t kill the earthworms, so I don’t feel as bad. We have tried many different types of pellets and this season we are trying some which are supposed to be more palatable for the slug called Axcela.

This year is a really good test for any slug product. I was about to put a slug trap in one field and I happened to pick up a large rock, to find eight of the little darlings living under it. There was no need for traps to see that there is a huge problem.

SPRING BEANS

We eventually got the spring beans cut after four attempts. The weather this year is really hampering all field work.

The crops was slightly higher in moisture at 22-24pc than we would like but it was better to get it in than risk waiting for the moisture to drop.

It did three tonnes per acre which was better than expected as the headlands were affected by compaction and it was shorter and thinner all year.

The beans themselves looked very clean but we were disappointed with the weed control.

The rotation in that field has been, oil seed rape, winter wheat and then spring beans. The reason for this, was to get on top of sterile brome which was starting to creep into the field from the headlands.

This year, after the combine left the field, it looked like a fine crop of oil seed rape, as the field was covered with volunteers. The only consolation is that the brome has definitely reduced.

Philip got a rush of blood to the head and has decided