THE weather began with a repeat of conditions experienced since the last week of March. It was predominantly cloudy with chilly breezes and periods of warm sunshine, but the line being drawn on our barograph was showing some distinct rise and fall in air pressure.

Towards the end of the week the motorway became audible once again, indicating wind direction being more southerly, bringing with it some welcome rain. Here only 8mm fell, but almost at once the grass began to grow and look much greener.

Ian has applied the final dressing of nitrogen fertiliser to our fields of winter wheat and has also put some on all the grass following the rain. Careful consideration goes into selecting which fertilisers should be added to a crop and it is only once this has been done that fertiliser is applied.

There are five major processes that happen to fertiliser after it has been spread. It can be taken up by the crop; react with soil minerals and organic matter to become part of soil reserve; leach from the root zone with water; be lost to the atmosphere as gas or move from a field through soil erosion and water run-off.

I recently found out that there are between 100 million and one billion bacteria in every teaspoon of soil.

When nitrogen fertiliser is added in optimum conditions some of the added nitrogen will be immobilised by these micro-organisms and become part of soil organic matter.

When the ground is very wet or very dry we do not add fertilisers, as any of the adverse outcomes could occur. We therefore have to be careful in choosing the optimum conditions for spreading fertilisers so that we do not harm the environment or waste money, as fertilisers are expensive.

Ian has been doing some 'spot spraying'. This was done to kill weeds such as docks, thistles and nettles, which are not eaten by our cattle and can become invasive if not controlled. By spot spraying the unwanted plants can be targeted, so using less chemicals.

Ian does all herbicide, pesticide and fungicide applications, as he is the only person on Manor Farm who has been properly trained to do the job. He is a member of the National Register of Spray Operators (NRoSO ) and has a certificate of competence for the safe application of chemicals. Ian has to undergo continued personal development (CPD) by attending arable events in order to collect points to go towards his allocated total. Membership has to be renewed every three years. There were 'Grandfather Rights' for sprayer operators, but these were stopped on November 26, 2015.

During the week we have had a Red Tractor Farm Assurance combinable crops inspection. This is to check that we have all relevant recording systems in place including full traceability up and down production processes; to ensure staff are effectively trained and competent to carry out duties required; be aware of any practices with adverse environmental impact; also record all movements of crops, with a preference that samples from each load leaving the farm are kept for three months. In addition equipment hygiene is checked, as is vermin control; our system to maintain soil structure and prevent erosion; that appropriate risk assessments have been done and that all storage facilities are adequate.

Following the rain James was given the job of cultivating a field that was due to be planted with maize. This was a field in which we had not been able to produce an adequate seed bed for planting, as the soil was very dry and lumpy, but we may still be in time to sow the seeds.

Harry, who grows a few fields of oilseed rape on Manor Farm, has also been cultivating one field that failed to grow and has re-planted it with spring oilseed rape. Maybe he will have better luck this time.