North

6 final agronomy jobs to consider in crops in the North this June and July

Crop Progress

Plenty of rain in May has washed in the fertiliser, closed all the cracks in the soil, and generally allowed crops to fluff out their feathers and look like cracking crops of wheat and barley.

But we have gone from one extreme to the other with the rain and as we came to the end of May it was very wet.

James's agronomy tips for June

Finish off T2 flag leaf sprays in wheat
Maintain protection for as long as possible through to harvest
Protect good looking spring barley crops
Plan potato from blight
Time desiccation correctly in oilseed rape
Look out for the return of our Cawood Field Day

Click to find out more.

James Howat – North Yorkshire

Q. How long have you worked for Bayer?
A. Just over two years. I initially covered south Scotland as a CTM, and then also became an account manager for Bayer’s seed treatment and Dekalb OSR & maize seed ranges. I’ve now moved south to take over Sean’s patch, while retaining the account manager responsibilities.

Q. Did you always want to work in agriculture?
A. My father is an agronomist, so agriculture has always been a part of my life, but it wasn’t what I initially drawn to. I went down to London after university to try the big city life and worked in the banking recruitment industry for two years. But I was gradually drawn back to Yorkshire and started working as a farm trader for Frontier Agriculture where I worked for seven years before making the move to Bayer.

Q. What innovation are you most excited about for the future of farming?
A. I’m excited about gene editing technologies, such as CRISPR, which could help solve food production and safety problems not just here in the UK, but the rest of the world too.

Tom Sowerby – South Yorkshire

Q. How long have you worked for Bayer?
A. I started this February, joining after three years with Corteva as part of its technical services team.

Q. Are you from a farming background?
A. Yes, I grew up on a small arable farm in North Yorkshire, and have always wanted to work in agriculture. I studied agriculture at Newcastle, graduating in 2016.

Q. How do you think farming is going to change in the next 5-10 years?
A. We’re going to see massive changes in the next 10 years. The environment is going to be the number one consideration when making decisions on farm. It’s going to be important that every section of the industry works together to create a sustainable future.

Q. What innovation / technology are you most excited about for the future of farming?
A. All the precision farming tools and systems are definitely something exciting for the future. As we can’t create more land it is important that we use land efficiently as possible, whether it be for quality or quantity. With everything becoming more digital and technologically focused it is important that agriculture embraces it.

Q. Where we would find you when you are not working?
A. Most likely playing or watching sport, whether it is cricket, golf, rugby or football. I find it is a great way to destress.

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