Pumpkin grower David Bowman was getting the land in shape ready for drilling when this image of a Case Quadtrac working land at Low Fulney was captured.
David, who hopes to be drilling within a couple of weeks or so, says: “We are not late yet. The sun is shining nicely this morning but it needs to keep shining.”
Contractors were subsoiling a field that had been “extremely wet” following “a horrendous 12 months”.
David will be drilling about 450 acres over ten days using a big French Air Drill.
He said: “It’s the only way to drill pumpkin seed and it is very quick, 6km an hour.”
The quality seed is imported from America – David explains that because it is a hybrid seed it can’t be saved from one year to the next.
Once planted, the growing plant needs to be kept clean of weeds and sprayed with various fertilisers.
David is hoping for a better crop than last year, when both the count and the pumpkin weight was low.
“It was a bit disappointing, but at least we got a crop,” said David. “They do like it reasonably dry and warm, that’s their main criteria. They don’t like to be wet and cold all summer. It’s a worrying time with the weather as it is. The sun is shining but within two days it talks of it being wet and cold.”
Neighbouring farmer Caroline Noble photographed Agriserve’s Case Quadtrac when it was subsoiling in Low Fulney recently.