ctsboy Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 As i am sure you are all aware the weather over the last week has been dire to say the least > So i thought i would take time to show you the pressure it has put us under over the last week. We grow 900acres of potatoes for Walkers and McCains, that have to be blight sprayed at regular intervals to keep the crop clean and healthy, the interval changes due to blight pressure, blight thrives in damp humid conditions. Before the rain came we were running on a 7 day cycle and the Bateman RB35 was coping well spreading the work load over a week. But then the rain came and kept coming, it started here last wednesday and stopped on the saturday by which time we had had 4.5inches of rain, roads and fields were flooded But we knew we had to keep on top of the spraying cause this was now ideal conditions for blight! So on sunday the Bateman started again a picked of some dryer fields, then this happened. While working up to the flood and backing out he slipped of the stones and sank, so an 8520 was called in to extract it! More to follow, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctsboy Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 Part2 By Tuesday i started to assist with the 6930 and 840i as we knew we needed to get back on top of the job, We swapped the sprayer wheels from 420's to 480's to help spread the wieght. After a few hours of slipping and sliding and sinking the ground got the better of me and i sank so out came the 85 again to the rescue! I kept going but by 7pm trouble struck again but this time i as well stuck in some right slop! Again i called for the 85 but as we started to tow it broke the crust and that to sank with no traction, so we sent for the other 85, while we waited we dug round the wheels, but alas we could find no hard ground to tow on and nearly got the 2nd 85 stuck but at 10:30pm we gave up and went home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JC Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Looks like you've been having a fun week James! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctsboy Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 Part3 So the next day we sent for the cavalry! And that arrived in the shape of a Fordson Super Major county conversion complete with winch! And he just plucked us out! At 1 point he got stuck and he had to wich himself onto hard ground using the 85 as an anchor point! But i sprayed the whole field! The last tramline i sprayed while connected to the winch! One field we had to have a 360 digger ti dig a ditch to let the water off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belarusfan Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Very very interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihatepoundland Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Looks like a hovercraft would have been better Good to see an old county earning it's keep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPN Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Forgive me for falling off my chair laughing at the thought of a 1962 County being called in to rescue the modern tackle. Foremost in 4 wheel drive - as they used to say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 Thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Ferguson Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 What a shashing post this is... well done and many thanks for sharing... As Stan said... it's great to see modern kit being rescued by an old timer I hope you spud boys won't be asking the silly money your were for last seasons stuff because of all this hassle :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdc Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 You must've had a helluva rain down there - it's nothing like that up here (yet) but it's a complete pain when you have all that kind of stuff to put up with....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctsboy Posted June 24, 2007 Author Share Posted June 24, 2007 Thanks for your comments Just had a total up out of my records and we have had 135mm of rain(5.4inches) since the rain started on the 13th. I should think that there will be a shortage of good spuds if it dosn't dry up soon as they will start to rot in the ground and if some people arn't managing to get the blight sprays on they will loose the crop. We are now on a 3day cycle! Which means as soon as we are round the lot we start again : I just hope it drys up soon and we have a good summer and it lasts into potato lifting or there will be some very harrassed harvester drivers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewHolland2 Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Very interesting topic........You know me when it comes to root crops........Always wanting to know what is going on elsewhere........ Great to see the old County rescuing modern kit as has already been said........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractorman810 Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 thats a lot of mud mate, and some depth to sink a bateman into as well, they have a good height normally dont they, not seen anything stuck down this way yet, despite the rain, and they are out spraying to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 Ooooooooooooooooooooooh dear mate!!! Wouldn't want to harvest that field when it dries, all those ruts!!! Have to catch up over the summer. Things are quietening down at work now so may give you a shout sometime. I shouldn't laugh but I did a bit!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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