Four tractors 110hp, 95hp, two 85hp all approximately 5 years old. Doweswell 4 furrow plough, Furrow press and 4m Nordsten drill and Ransom subsoiler.

The plough and press have traditionally been the main tools used in seedbed preparation. Drilling is directly into pressed land, which aids water conservation and minimises wind erosion. The number of machinery workdays is high in autumn and spring, with soils draining quickly enabling most operations to take place when soil is within a few days of field capacity following heavy rainfall. Land going into root crops is left in stubble and old tramlines are used to spray weeds off with glyphosate. Low-pressure tyres are used for spring spraying. Subsoiling is carried out on headlands and down tramlines before a root crop. Stubble is cut at approximately 10cm and all straw is baled for the farms’ own use or sold for over wintering carrots. Slurries and manures from the livestock are spread onto cereal stubbles post-harvest or applied to land following sugar beet in January and February and ploughed in. Irrigation is necessary for potatoes, carrots both receiving 200 to 300mm (8 to 12'') per annum and sugar beet about 100mm (4'') per annum. Sugar beet drilling and harvesting is contracted out.

Machinery fitter employed on the farm to maintain/repair equipment. Pressing after drilling reduces ‘wind-blow’ which can be a severe problem in this area and fields are left in stubble prior to cultivations for root crops. Rotations are being ‘stretched’ so that potatoes are now grown on a 5-7 year rotation to reduce PCN pressure. Aldicarb is applied where control problems persist. Rotation experiments are ongoing to assist control of potato volunteers, for example, potatoes, sugar beet, winter wheat, winter wheat.