Making the Most of Every Millimetre
In Episode Two of Down to Earth, we are back on the Claydon farm, the home of Claydon Drills, looking at how our spring oats and second wheat have performed during an exceptionally dry growing season.
Rainfall has been in very short supply across the eastern counties this year, yet both crops have continued to surprise us. Despite the lack of moisture and temperatures rising above 30 degrees Celsius, they have maintained their potential and, when rainfall finally arrived, responded remarkably quickly.
Our Claydon spring oats were drilled in the middle of March. We also mole drained through the field after drilling, so the crop had to contend with that operation as well as a very dry start to the season.
From drilling until the 1st of June, the field received just 10mm of rain.
By the beginning of June, the oats were only about as tall as a pair of wellington boots. At that point, it would have been easy to assume that the dry conditions had taken too much out of the crop and that its yield potential would be limited.
Fortunately, approximately 50mm of rain arrived after 1st June and the transformation was quite remarkable. The crop went from wellington boot height to a tall, thick and healthy stand in only a few weeks. It demonstrates just how well a crop can compensate when it has established a healthy root structure and is able to make use of moisture as soon as it becomes available. The high levels of sunlight and warmth also helped the oats spring back into life, even with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. We are very pleased with how they look and hope that this resilience will be reflected when the combine arrives.
Second Wheat Exceeds Expectations
We also visited a field of Bamford wheat which had been drilled at the end of September. The crop established well in the autumn but, by the time of filming, had received only around 60mm of rain in total. Considering that lack of rainfall, we have been extremely pleased with its appearance.
Second wheats can be more difficult to manage than first wheats, but this crop has retained a strong plant population, good colour and an encouraging canopy. While the final result will always be decided at harvest, it has so far performed much better than might have been expected from the amount of rainfall received.
Why Have the Crops Coped so Well?
There is never one simple answer, but we believe the condition of the soil has been fundamental. The Claydon farm has been direct drilled with the Opti-Till® system for more than 20 years. By avoiding unnecessary cultivations and leaving the soil structure intact, we aim to retain moisture and provide unrestricted rooting beneath each plant.
Cultivated soil can lose moisture very quickly, particularly when it is exposed to warm temperatures and drying winds. With the Claydon system, only the rooting and seeding zones are cultivated. The soil between the seeded bands remains supported and undisturbed, providing a reservoir of moisture for developing roots.
Crop residues left on the surface also help to protect the ground from direct sunlight and reduce evaporation. Previous Claydon farm reports have highlighted that, although the surface may appear dry, well-structured soil below can remain moist and crops may show little sign of stress.
Drainage is equally important. Mole draining encourages excess water to move away during wet periods, while good soil structure enables roots to travel deeper when conditions become dry. It is not simply about removing water, it is about creating a soil profile that functions effectively in both wet and dry seasons.
This year’s oats and second wheats are good examples of the resilience we are trying to build into the farming system. They cannot grow without rain, but healthy soils and strong rooting give crops a better chance of holding on during dry periods and responding when rainfall eventually comes. We will not know the full story until harvest, but after such a difficult spring, both crops have already exceeded our expectations.