Harper Drills Against the Weather

Posted 6 December 2005

Staff at Harper Adams University College in Shropshire have been bravely battling against the elements in early preparation for the next crops open day in July.

Taking advantage of brief respite from the rain, the crops team have begun to drill a HGCA winter wheat demonstration for the 2006 crops open day on the 13 July 2006.

The demonstration contains all of the currently recommended winter wheats, together with lines that will be considered for recommendation next year. The plots will be demonstrated by Jim McVitte and colleagues of HGCA at the open day.

“The plots are been drilled with a 3m Accord drill, modified for plot work, mounted on a Dowdswell power harrow,” explains Harper Adams trials manager Charles Murray. “This produces a wide plot that is more representative of the field situation than a conventional plot drill and because we can drill directly onto plough we have been able to make best use of a quite small break in the weather.”