Barley Almost Ready to Harvest

 This photo shows the barley planted at 60kg seed per ha on the left with the crop on the right being planted at 30kg seed per ha. The 60kg seed rate was planted on paired rows with about 45cms between the pair and the next pair on 75cm center to center of the pair.(hope that makes sense)
The 30kg seed rate has only about a 100mm paired row (using the depth coultor and the planting tyne offset to the max setting, with the same 75cm center to center of the pairs)
These spacings are not optimun although we have only one planter and in time will close the rows up to most likley 37.5cm even rows on a single disc planter.
We plan to harvest this barley in the next 10 days then plant the other 400ha field to Barley that is now a full profile of moisture straight away (as soon as we can clean and treat the seed)
Growing Barley in Athi River over Nov/Dec/Jan is not the best time of year as it is slightly warmer and so I expect the barley will like the April/May/June period more, wait and see.
This current 25 hectares of seed increase has done well all the same. 

Three Boys

James, John and Wiz looking worried , I was just about to take a photo of them in the crop and a lion roared in the distance (not sure how far) that is why they all look a bit concerned, all fine though no one eaten, all boys accounted for, we did not actually see it although we did hear it again about 30 minutes later. 

If you click on the photos you will get a bigger version (not that easy to see as is)