The incessant rain over an extended period has taken its toll on the soils and crops of arable Britain. Some areas have experienced double the average rainfall, almost 56 inches. Given that one inch of rain weighs 133t per acre, it is little wonder soils have taken a pounding.

Even where field drains are in good condition, it takes extended periods of dry weather for land to dry out. However, the sad fact is that many of our field drains need replacement. I would urge governments in Edinburgh and London to bring back capital grants for new field drainage schemes.

When surface water cannot drain away through the soil quickly enough, it either stands in pools or fills the main soil pores and prevents plant roots from being adequately aerated. The effects of water-logged soils on crop yields are variable, from total crop loss to restricted tillering and decreased numbers of ears.

In one set of trials, winter barley yields were reduced by 30% and wheat by 24% due to winter waterlogging.

Winter rye for AD plants has already been harvested, and yields are disappointing due to a lack of tillering and thin crop stands. I would not be surprised if yields are down 25%. A good crop should yield 45t/ha.

With some notable exceptions, winter wheat has taken a real hammering. Total crop failure has not been uncommon, and many farmers in England moved such land into the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), where they can be paid in advance around £898/ha. This has been a get-out-of-jail card for many, as well as putting many contract farming agreements under pressure, as £363/acre to an absentee landlord might appear a more attractive option. This is a three-year scheme, and farmers also receive £2,000 upfront to cover admin or pay for a consultant to navigate the best options.

The biggest yield robber in wheat is Septoria, a leaf disease spread by rain splash. According to Dr Aoife O’Driscoll of NIAB: “Growers need to accept that recent environmental pressures meant no amount of chemistry could have gotten them out of bother this year.”

If we look at the 34 wheat varieties farmers can choose from the AHDB 2024/25 Recommended List, we find that only eight have robust resistance to Septoria, rated at 6.7 or higher. When inspecting our NIAB plots last week by Berwick-upon-Tweed, LG Skyscraper, with a rating of 4.9, had untreated no green leaf whatsoever, and no fungicide programme has been effective in keeping the flag leaf green.

What was a surprise was to see how KWS Dawsum, a relatively new variety, had totally succumbed to Septoria. My pick of the crop was Bamford, LG Typhoon, and Champion. One has to question why AHDB lists so many wheat varieties in the 24/25 list that are so susceptible to Septoria. Would it not be a good idea to set the bar higher and only list varieties with robust resistance, as it is now clear farmers can no longer rely on sprays to control Septoria?

My travels have taken me from the superb crops of wheat in Normandy to total crop failure in Northumberland. However, my last stop was by far the most enlightening. David Aglen, the farm manager for Balbirnie Home Farms, an AHDB Strategic Farm, had very kindly allowed me access to his 18ha wheat field at Treaton.

The crop is a six-way wheat blend that had only been sprayed once with Comet at 0.5 litres/ha. The nitrogen rates were either 140 or 240 kgs/ha. The tramlines with the higher N rate looked superb and just as good as the several fields of KWS Extase I had inspected in Normandy a few days earlier. We cannot grow Extase in Scotland due to some very low night temperatures that can make ears sterile.

NIAB is very fortunate to have Dr O’Driscoll as a senior crops specialist. Aoife has brought wheat blends back into the mainstream as a measure to control disease and create biodiversity within a wheat field. And why did 240 kg of N show such a marked improvement to crop health?

In a season such as we have just had, one of the only tools farmers had left was to increase N rates to compensate for leaching and compromised root systems.

Take-home message:

Check each field for pH and apply lime if required up to pH 6.3 (SAC) or 6.5 (ADAS).

Check soils for compaction and rectify that first.

Sow early.

Rely on genetics, not sprays, to control diseases.

Consider growing blends.

Never let crops suffer from a lack of nitrogen. Farmers can check pH with a simple testing kit such as a BDH kit or, at the very least, a garden centre kit.