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ARABLE April 2016
ÂŁ2.95
FARMING
Talking Policy Mike Hambly on key role of earthworms Page 67 www.arablefarming.com
OILSEED RAPE Setting new yield standards Potatoes
Cereal disease Keeping up with yellow rust
New thinking on sprout control
Nematicides Top tips for safe use
Europe
What does Brexit mean for agriculture? Innovation in action for progressive arable farmers
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AF Apr p1 Leader TR EP_Layout 1 18/03/2016 10:42 Page 1
a word from the
EDITOR
he ‘go’ button has been pressed. My early morning crop walks with the dog are once more accompanied by the hydrostatic drive whine of the self-propelled sprayer working in neighbouring fields, while out in the car it is back to squeezing past tractors-plus-assorted-kit on narrow lanes. Let’s hope for a kind spring, it’s definitely going to be a busy one. Disease is certainly making its presence felt. In a trip to Herefordshire in early March I was alerted to high levels of active septoria in a range of winter wheat varieties; its control will require careful timing of fungicides and thoughtful budgeting. News too in March that BASF is entering new triazole chemistry for approval is interesting given the agronomic and regulatory challenges we face. I was fortunate recently to attend a British Crop Production Council-organised meeting which set out to debate whether UK growers could afford to continue growing oilseed rape. There was an excellent line up of speakers and, with farmers, agronomists, scientists, agchem manufacturers and NGOs among the delegates, the level of questions and debate was pretty good too. However, one presentation which really stood out for me during the event and which has kept me thinking several weeks later, was that of AHDB lead cereals and oilseeds analyst Jack Watts. With the analyst’s skill of stepping back from the detail and looking at the big picture, he
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Contacts
challenged growers to think differently about the risks and rewards of their rotations and how they might consider new ways of balancing these out. One particular challenge he issued was how do we use periods of low prices to give rotations an ‘agronomic recharge’, putting us in a position to capitalise when prices start to improve? It was, I thought, an interesting concept and one I would be interested to hear your views on. If things are starting to get busy out in the field, the pace in the political arena can only be described as manic. The press at least is consumed by Brexit fever, even if large swathes of the population appear to fall somewhere in the range ‘confused’ to ‘don’t give a damn’. Farming’s relationship with Europe is a complex one and either way the outcome of the referendum will have profound effects on our industry. We aim to try and tackle some of the key questions in this and forthcoming issues, cutting through the bickering, name-calling and hyperbole which is currently masquerading as debate.
Editor Teresa Rush 01787 282 822 teresa.rush@arablefarming.com
Group Head of Content Emma Penny 01772 799 401 emma.penny@arablefarming.com
Machinery Editor James Rickard 01772 799 496 james.rickard@arablefarming.com
Account Manager Mark Jackson 01322 449 624 mark.jackson@arablefarming.com
Arable Specialist Abby Kellett 01772 799 476 abby.kellett@arablefarming.com
Production Editor Katie Haydock 01772 799 405 katie.haydock@arablefarming.com
Picture Editor Theresa Eveson 01772 799 445 theresa.eveson@arablefarming.com
LEADER
Account Manager Jane Newton 01948 780 783 jane.newton@arablefarming.com
Account Manager Stuart Boydell 01772 799 454 stuart.boydell@arablefarming.com Head of Commercial Solutions Mike Hartley 01772 799 532 mike.hartley@arablefarming.com
Advertising Production Justine Sumner 01772 799 437 justine.sumner@arablefarming.com
Circulation: For circulation queries, to request a copy or subscribe, please contact Emma Williamson 01772 799 452 emma.williamson@arablefarming.com Subscriptions Contact: 01635 879 320 subs@arable-farming.com
www.croptecshow.com November 29-30, 2016
© Briefing Media Ltd 2016 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The contents of Arable Farming are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems. ISSN 0269-6797
Arable Farming, Briefing Media Ltd, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Caxton Road, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9NZ Origination by Farmers Guardian, Briefing Media Ltd, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Caxton Road, Preston, Lancashire PR2 9NZ. Printed by Headley Brothers, Invicta Press, Queen’s Road, Ashford, Kent TN24 8HH. No responsibility can be accepted by Arable Farming for the opinions expressed by contributors.
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
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AF Apr p2 3 Contents TR BB_Layout 1 18/03/2016 11:35 Page 1
THIS MONTH
CONTENTS april Volume 37 Issue 4
PCN control
Potatoes
Top tips for nematicide applications this season
32-34 Comment
4-6 8-13 22-28
Latest news Talking Arable Talking Agronomy
Regulars 14-16 67 68
Market analysis Talking Policy BASIS news
Disease control
Cereals
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38-43
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Cutting fungicide costs this season?
AF Apr p2 3 Contents TR BB_Layout 1 18/03/2016 11:35 Page 2
THIS MONTH
Management
Oilseed rape
44-51
Time for an ‘agronomic recharge’?
60-61
New technologies Plant breeding Spotlight on gene editing
Fieragricola show Drones
Latest developments showcased in Italy
64-66
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AF Apr p4 5 6 News TR BB_Layout 1 18/03/2016 10:30 Page 1
NEWS
Stay vigilant for illegal pesticides
JFarmers taking to fields for spraying have been warned to stay vigilant for illegal and counterfeit pesticides. ‘Watch out for illegal pesticides’ is the message of an industry campaign launched to raise awareness of the risks assocaited with using illegal pesticides. It highlights that trade in the pesticides, involving organised criminal gangs, has increased around the world and it is estimated between seven and 10% of pesticides on the EU market are illegal. Last year, Europol seized 190 tonnes of counterfeit pesticides on the continent. These illegal pesticides are untested and uncontrolled and may contain inferior or even dangerous and banned substances. Their use could endanger the health of the operator, deprive farmers of their Basic Payment and farm assured status and could result in crop failure, says the campaign. ■ For advice, or to report suspicious products and suppliers to Defra, call 08459 335 577.
Growers attempt to remain positive as prices drop further
rable producers are facing further cashflow pressures as the downward pressure on prices continues to strain farm returns. Amid continuing high supplies, both in the UK and globally, those speaking to Arable Farming suggest proactive marketing is key to stemming losses during a hard time for the industry. After a difficult 2015, grain prices have faced continual pressure since the turn of the year. May 16 LIFFE wheat futures have lost about £15/ tonne since the start of January and have remained slightly above £100/t more recently. Robert Law, who farms about 1,600 hectares of arable on the Hertfordshire, Cam-
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bridgeshire and Essex border, says he has still not received his Basic Payment, suggesting this was adding further pressure to cashflow. “I have still not been paid anything yet. I was told the delay to my payment was because of common grazing rights,” he says. “Last year, the yields helped us out. Wheat yields and barley yields were very good, but we are still producing below the cost of production and are still reliant on the farm payment when it turns up.” He adds when marketing his crop he often sells through futures to mitigate risk in crop prices. Leadenham arable farmer Andrew Ward says the current situation is not easy. “On black-grass land the cost of production is approaching
£140/t. Chemical companies are saying farmers must still maintain inputs. In my view, they do not understand costs of production,” he says. Forward sold Mr Ward claims he has sold a proportion of next year’s crop forward. He adds farmer application of fertiliser and other crop protection may decline in the coming year due to affordability issues. New Defra figures published in recent weeks increased production estimates for wheat, barley and oat production, compared with figures released in November. AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds says a ‘strong export pace’ in the second half of the season will be needed to address the current surplus in wheat and barley.
Farmers could face EU tariffs in event of Brexit – Truss
JUK farmers could face ‘crippling’ import tariffs if the public votes to leave the EU in June, Defra Secretary Liz Truss warns. The Government published a report recently, on the process of leaving the EU if the referendum goes that way. Commenting on the trade implications set out in the paper, Mrs Truss says it is clear full access to the single market ‘has major benefits for our food and farming industry’. She says: “European countries are increasingly demanding our high quality produce
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and the single market makes reaching those 500 million consumers simpler and generates £11 billion for farmers and food producers. Market access “About 60% of our food and drink exports go to the EU with no market access barriers. “For some of our farming sectors who rely on trade with Europe, facing the same import tariffs as other countries outside the EU would be crippling.” She says this would happen
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
Liz Truss says full access to the single market has major benefits.
if no deal is reached after two years of the exit process being commenced, meaning trade would revert to the World Trade Organisation default rules. “We would also have to negotiate new trade agreements with 53 individual nations
which are currently agreed through the EU. This would not be easy or fast.” Farming Minister George Eustice, campaigning to leave the EU, insists it will be ‘straightforward’ to roll forward current single market arrangements if the UK left.
AF Apr p4 5 6 News TR BB_Layout 1 18/03/2016 10:31 Page 2
NEWS
Give soil more consideration
new inquiry into the health of the UK’s soil had its first hearing in Parliament. At the first hearing in Parliament on March 2, the James Hutton Institute, National Trust and National Farmers Union (NFU) gave evidence to MPs. The National Trust and the NFU told the Environmental Audit Committee’s (EAC) new inquiry soil must be considered not just in Defra’s
upcoming 25-year plan, but also in its food and farming plan. As well as warning against conflicting priorities if the two plans could not co-ordinate, the NFU said there were gaps between academic research on soil and agricultural practice, both in how findings are communicated to practitioners and how research priorities are formed. Environmental Audit Committee chairman Mary Creagh said: “Healthy soil
JThe results of a two-year survey carried out by Hutchinsons and Cobb Agri, has shown sulphur levels are low in many soils, and appear to be decreasing year on year. The survey, which began in 2014 across farms in Shropshire and Herefordshire, showed only 13% of all crops sampled had a result in the normal range, all others were low or slightly low. The 2015 samples collected showed 55% of crops had low sulphur levels, triggering a high nitrogen:sulphur ratio
content of 16:1 or above. Andrew Goodinson, Hutchinsons, says: “A reading of 18:1 would mean a low sulphur status and the need for sulphur treatment for the next crop.”
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Soil sulphur levels continuing to fall
Depletion Sulphur depletion is largely down to reduced atmospheric deposition. However, last season, high yielding crops are likely to have depleted soil resources even further. Sulphur is a fundamental nutrient needed for protein
allows plants to grow and is essential to life on Earth. “It also stores water and carbon, helping to prevent flooding and mitigate climate change. Globally soil is being dangerously depleted. “Soil health has long been a Cinderella subject but it is the invisible back office of our ecosystem. “There are fears we have been taking soil for granted and our committee heard soil losses cost the UK economy up to £1 billion a year.
“Our inquiry will be looking at whether the UK Government is doing enough to ensure that we protect the health of our soil.”
Consequences The EAC is investigating the consequences of failing to protect the UK’s soil health and the strategies which should be put in place in Defra’s upcoming 25-year-plan. There are three further hearings scheduled and a report is expected later in the year.
A survey has shown sulphur levels are low in many soils and are decreasing.
synthesis and its presence increases the efficiency of nitrogen, therefore it plays an important role in plant growth. “Given the close relationship between nitrogen and
sulphur in plant nutrition, it is crucial to address these low levels and to prevent underutilisation of any further nitrogen applications,” says Mr Goodinson.
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AF Apr p4 5 6 News TR BB_Layout 1 18/03/2016 10:31 Page 3
NEWS
Delay of glyphosate reapproval could bring added uncertainty
he postponement of a vote to reapprove glyphosate will create further uncertainty for farmers about availability of the herbicide, industry chiefs are warning. The European Commission had planned to rubber stamp a new 15-year approval for use of the herbicide on March 8, but the re-approval was opposed by Italy, France, Sweden and the Netherlands. It comes after a study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) found the chemical was ‘probably carcinogenic’. The EU approval of the world’s most-used herbicide runs out at the end of June. Nick von Westenholz, chief executive of the Crop Protection Association, urged member states to ‘listen to the science’ around glyphosate. Mr von Westenholz says: “Numerous health assessments conducted by public authorities over the last 40 years have all concluded, when used correctly,
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The EC’s plan to sign off a new glyphosate approval was opposed by Italy, France, Sweden and the Netherlands.
glyphosate poses no meaningful risk to human health. “As an industry, we take pride in the fact our products are demonstrably safe. Heavily regulated “Pesticides are among the most heavily regulated products in Europe and it currently takes about 10 years, costing more than £150 million, to bring an active ingredient to market. “It is this process, backed by effective and independent regulatory scrutiny, which en-
Products containing the insecticide active ingredient chlorpyrifos cannot be used as wheat bulb fly egg hatch sprays after April 1.
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
sures the public can have absolute confidence in our products.” The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is to investigate the wider human health effects of glyphosate following the WHO’s warnings. This process will be finalised towards the end of 2017. If ECHA finds glyphosate can cause cancer, interfere with reproduction or damage the hormone system, it can no longer be sold, according to EU law. Postponement of the vote
has been welcomed by environmental campaigners Greenpeace. Greenpeace EU food policy director Franziska Achterberg says: “Rushing to grant a new licence now, without waiting for an evaluation by Europe’s chemical agency, would be like skydiving without checking your equipment first. “As long as there is conflicting scientific advice, glyphosate should not be approved for use in the EU and countries would be better advised to do without it.”
JThere are changes in the permitted use of chlorpyrifos or products containing chlorpyrifos, growers are being advised. From April 1, 2016, the insecticide can only be used on protected brassica seedlings and applied as a modular drench through an automated gantry sprayer, says the Chemicals Regulation Directorate. Storage, disposal and relabelling of any existing stocks of products containing chlorpyrifos-ethyl must be completed by October 1, 2016.
As a result, Dursban WG and Equity, with the current uses on their label, cannot be sold after March 31, 2016, nor can growers apply theses products. These products have previously been available for use as egg hatch sprays for control of wheat bulb fly and also against leatherjackets in both cereals and grassland. Growers are advised to use-up all Equity and Dursban WG on-farm before April 1, 2016, and avoid being left with opened packs after April 1, 2016.
Update on chlorpyrifos use
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AF Apr p8 9 TA Bullock EP TR_Layout 1 18/03/2016 09:19 Page 1
TALKING ARABLE
JIM Bullock
Jim Bullock farms in a family partnership at Guarlford, near Malvern, Worcestershire. He is a keen proponent of conservation tillage techniques and is a founder member of the conservation agriculture group BASE-UK.
The season is going to very much dictate what we plant and I am totally flexible
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ne has to be careful what one writes at this time of year (mid-March) as we can go from the depths of winter to very nearly summer in
a few hours. Writing about the waterlogged soils and frosts could all be a distant memory by the time the April edition of Arable Farming is published; by then we might be praying for rain. However, after 40mm last night I suspect it will be very nearly Easter before we can get onto the land again. With only half of the farm planted last autumn (winter wheat), it is a bit daunting looking at acres of spring crops to be planted, combined with the usual top dressing and spraying. When the green light comes on, it is difficult to know what to do first. Not being big operators we do not have spray men or tractor drivers; what gets done is done by me and my brother. The Canadians have a very short growing season and I understand many do not make their final cropping decisions until a few days before drilling. This is based on potential crop profitability. I find myself falling into this camp this spring. The season is going to very much dictate what we plant and I am totally flexible. It will be a matter of deciding on a field to field basis along with yield potential. I have done my sums quite carefully this year and will not be exceeding any of my budgets for each crop. For example, I will not be spending large amounts of money on weed control in spring beans. It will be a pre-em, then if that fails a dose of glyphosate
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
in June and the beans will turn into a cover/fertility building crop. I do like the advertising flyers which have been falling out of many farming magazines over the last six months. If you believed the gross margin figures suggested we would be planting wall to wall linseed, or perhaps millet, or even soya. Historical yield data I have done my own calculations using historical yield data and possible crop prices for 2016 and we need to be able to produce: 1.5t/ha of linseed, 2.25t/ha of beans, 3t/ha of wheat and 3.1t/ha of oats to break even. These figures are based on a very low stubble to stubble cost of £150/ha due to most of our machinery being written off and a low land cost of £175/ha. If we do nothing we can bank about £30/ha through the BFP but that is a misleading figure as, with no other income, the cashflow is not so good. Although fallow is an option, to make it worthwhile, it needs to be used as a fertility-building exercise and that costs money. I think we will be planting all four of our spring options with beans on just the areas where we know we have little or no black-grass. I am concerned on how the future of combinable crops will go in the short- to medium-term. With the exception of oats and linseed there will be quite a large carry-over of crop into the next marketing year, and I just wonder if we are not going to end up in a situation when there is just nowhere for our produce to go. It is probably going to happen
AF Apr p8 9 TA Bullock EP TR_Layout 1 18/03/2016 11:39 Page 2
TALKING ARABLE Farm facts rMember of a family farming partnership r292 hectares part owned, part share farmed, part tenanted rCropping over the last five years includes: Wheat (winter and spring), oilseed rape (winter and spring), oats and beans, along with an area of temporary grass and permanent pasture rSoils predominantly: Siltyclay-loams (up 45% clay) rAll crops established either by direct drilling or min-till rAverage field size: 6ha rRainfall five-year average 700mm (865mm – 2014, 950mm – 2012)
On farm this month: With soil temperatures rising, it is nearing the time for herbicides to go on the wheat (above) but conditions are still a little wet for spring drilling (right).
in the dairy industry. We simply have to match supply with demand. Looking at the industry globally, we all ought to be cutting production by 10-15% but on an individual basis we need to maximise yields to sustain our own
businesses; maximum yield generally equates to maximum profit, but for how long? Eastern counties Flying back across the UK last week over the eastern counties to Birmingham it
was noticeable how the further west we got, the poorer the crops looked and west of the M1 there was water lying in the tramlines. This year might not be a bumper harvest as is usually predicted by the experts.
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AF Apr p10 11 TA Robinson EP TR_Layout 1 17/03/2016 10:30 Page 1
TALKING ARABLE
ANDREW Robinson
Andrew Robinson is farms manager at Heathcote Farms, Bedfordshire. He is a former winner of the nabim/HGCA Milling Wheat Challenge.
Yield and price along with controlled costs are still what makes or breaks the profit margin
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urope has been very much on the press’ agenda, with David Cameron giving Boris Johnson a particularly hard time, but where would our exit from the EU leave agriculture? I would like to get some clearer views on the positives and negatives for agriculture as a whole. Sam has been busy with the Bateman, firstly applying liquid fertiliser to the rape with 350 litres/ha of N25:14SO3 then 200 litres/ha of N35S on the barley and 240 litres/ha on all the wheats. He then swiftly moved on to spraying the oilseed rape with a fungicide consisting of tebuconazole and prothiconazole for disease control and growth regulation plus a trace element mix containing boron, manganese, magnesium, sulphur, and molybdenum. The rape is at varying growth stages from 3.1 (flower bud enclosed by leaves) to 3.5 (flower buds raised above leaves) but really needs some warmer weather to push it on. Next to be sprayed will be some Atlantis (iodosulfuron+mesosulfuron) on certain fields or patches in fields. The pre-emergence and post-emergence sprays have worked really well but where we did not manage to get back with the post-emergence spray, we have some areas of black-grass. This year there was a dilemma; in the past no amount of black-grass was tolerated, meaning if any was seen in the crop in the early spring then Atlantis or glyphosate was applied. We have some fields with really low levels of black-grass but, with wheat at £100 per tonne, what is the correct course of
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action? To spray or not to spray? I have, rightly or wrongly, decided to stick with our no tolerance policy and these areas will be sprayed. We have over the last few years seen a genuine decrease in our levels of black-grass for various reasons, so I am not prepared to let that slip just because wheat is at such a low value. The autumn-ploughed spring bean ground has been glyphosated and had the sprayer wheelings removed with the subsoiler, so we just waiting for a period of dry weather to enable us to work this down and then variable-rate drill. Recruitment A job which has taken a significant amount of time is the recruitment of a new full-time member of staff after Paul decided it was time to retire from farming. The response was really encouraging with an excellent standard of prospective candidates and I have now appointed a young guy called Matt whom we are really pleased to have as part of the team. Searching for students has been a more onerous task and has been the worst year yet, even though I have two returning students; trying to find the other two posts was not easy task but thankfully all positions are now filled. Game covers have all been topped in readiness for either ploughing or discing dependent on their size and soil type. The maize left behind on these areas has provided a good food stop for the pigeons, giving the
AF Apr p10 11 TA Robinson EP TR_Layout 1 18/03/2016 11:14 Page 2
TALKING ARABLE Farm facts rHeathcote Farms, Toddington, Bedfordshire rTwo farms, eight miles apart r930ha on heavy Hanslope Clays r218ha on Greensand r200ha on contract combining rCropping: Winter wheat, winter barley, oilseed rape and spring beans rFarms manager Andrew Robinson plus two full-time employees
On farm: The Bateman has been busy applying liquid fertiliser, plus fungicide on the OSR (left) and the farm's zero tolerance approach to black-grass will be maintained despite falling grain prices (right).
oilseed rape a respite from their invasion due to the onset of colder weather. AHDB benchmarking, organised by Andrew Buck from Openfield, took place in early March with Tim Isaac and Holly Howsam and I have to say it was a really good exercise. To sit around the
room with your peers and look at your individual business in comparison to the rest of the group in total confidence was very interesting and gave me a lot of food for thought. The ‘no surprise’ element being that yield and price along with controlled costs are still what makes
or breaks the profit margin. Our next meeting in late June will enable us to discuss costs, both fixed and variable, in greater detail and with greater accuracy as most of the crops will be sold with known weights which should give us true figures with which to work from.
NEW
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AF Apr p12 13 TA Green EP TR_Layout 1 18/03/2016 10:11 Page 1
TALKING ARABLE
IAIN Green
Iain Green farms in partnership with his parents Jimmy and Nan Green at Garmouth, Morayshire. He is currently president of the council of the British Simmental Cattle Society and is a past president of the Royal Northern Agricultural Society.
The winter wheat is desperate for its first application of fertiliser
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ast spring we started drilling spring cereals on March 10 and in spring 2014 on March 11, but, as I write this article in mid-March, still no spring cereals have been drilled. Every time the ground just starts to dry the rain comes on again and prevents us from making a start. We still have 190 hectares to plough and of that acreage, 125ha has to have muck spread on it. Hopefully with a better forecast and longer daylight, the ground will dry enough to hold up the spreader and allow us to get going. It has been dry enough in some of the grass and winter barley fields to allow the sprayer to travel with liquid nitrogen. The winter wheat is desperate for its first application of fertiliser but the heavier ground will not allow us to travel yet. If it does not dry enough in the next few days then we will demount the sprayer from the skid unit and replace it with the fertiliser spreader. Fitted with wide floatation wheels, it will achieve low ground pressure and leave as few tracks as possible. Despite most of the nitrogen being applied in liquid form, we do use granular for applying potash and compounds onto our grazing and silage land. I have decided to upgrade my fertiliser spreader to the latest model with automatic section shut-off control. Hopefully we will see less fertiliser wasted on the headlands and on the non-parallel areas. I do wonder where technology will stop, as you no longer even have to set up this new machine between different grades of fertiliser. All you do is go to the IsoBus terminal in the tractor cab, punch in the rate and grade of
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
fertiliser you want to apply and the spreader sets itself up. It will be linked through our incab Trimble screen to our RTK network. We still have not received our Basic Payment and neither have a huge number of fellow farmers in Scotland. The Scottish Government has made a complete mess of the whole payment scheme this year. I reported last month the IT system had cost more than £170 million so far, but I believe this figure is nearer £200m now. I only wish we could farm without subsidies or red tape and be rewarded from the marketplace with the true value of the food we produce. Bull trade The Simmental breed enjoyed a very good trade at the recent Stirling bull sales. We received a few prize tickets, including a first and second, and went on to sell our entry of 13 bulls for a top price of £10,500 and average of £6,033. We also took two bulls to the Royal Northern Spring Show and received champion and reserve and sold these for £6,300 and £4,725. It is good to see the commercial calf producers realising the benefits of the Simmental breed both as terminal and suckler cow replacement sires. Store cattle prices are holding up well and I have decided to hold off selling any until our Aberdeenshire buyers have grass, hoping this might encourage them to give us the little extra return required to keep suckler cows. Although it’s terrible the finished cattle price has fallen so far, it looks as though it may be down at recent levels for the short-term. It greatly frustrates me to see our local
15/3/16
AF Apr p12 13 TA Green EP TR_Layout 1 18/03/2016 14:40 Page 2
TALKING ARABLE
Boost your barley yields with the power of SiltraXpro Spreading muck on 125 hectares waiting to be ploughed ahead of spring crops is high on the to-do list.
Iain’s entry of 13 bulls at the recent Stirling bull sales saw a top price of £10,500 and an average of £6,033.
multi-national supermarkets supporting imported produce. Only recently I thought it was great to see a huge banner in the fresh meat
display promoting British pork, but was shocked to find more than two-thirds of the fresh pork was Danish and German packed in the same colours as the British meat.
Farm facts rW.J. and J. Green is a family partnership based at Corskie, Morayshire, in the north east of Scotland r1,234 hectares of owned and contract farmed arable land and grass for livestock enterprises, which include a pedigree Simmental herd and indoor pigs rSoils: Light sandy loam through to clay loam
rCropping includes 107ha winter wheat distilling/feed), 72ha winter barley (own use for pig feed), 411ha spring barley (malting) and 10ha spring oats (own use for feed) rOne farm has been in continuous barley since the 1960s rW.J. and J. Green also runs a UK-wide haulage business
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
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SiltraXpro contains the special power of bixafen - so you can rely on it to deliver all the superior disease control and quality yields you’re looking for. • A powerful combination of the two best ‘actives’ to combat the main barley diseases. • Proven to be the best against all barley diseases in AHDB trials*. • All the additional application benefits of the Leafshield formulation system. www.bayercropscience.co.uk
*Source: Results of AHDB fungicide performance 2015. SiltraXpro contains prothioconazole and bixafen and is a registered Trade Mark of Bayer. Use plant protection products safely. Always read the label and product information before use. Pay attention to the risk indications and follow the safety precautions on the label. For further information visit www.bayercropscience.co.uk or call Bayer Assist on 0845 6092266 (Calls cost 5p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge) or 01223 226644. @Bayer4CropsUK © Bayer CropScience Limited 2016.
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AF Apr p14 16 Bus Market Analysis EP TR_Layout 1 17/03/2016 10:32 Page 1
BUSINESS MARKET ANALYSIS Keep an eye on export figures and hedge fund positions, advises market analyst ODA.
UK wheat is showing a competitive edge K feed wheat shows a competitive edge to many European competitors but, significantly, French wheat is still the most competitive, listing at a $10 per tonne (£6.94/t) discount to other sources for delivered Egypt equivalent. In Europe, French feed wheat is also much cheaper than maize, by €11/t (£8.54/t), as well as being €3/t (£2.33/t) below English feed wheat. This high level of competitiveness is likely to allow European exports to remain strong, even though Egypt, as an outlet for French grain, is limited. The reason for this is domestic prices in the Black Sea are still firm due to strong exports early in the campaign and the increase in the value Wheat
U
Consultant details rOffre et Demande Agricole (ODA) is a private, independent consulting firm which helps buyers and sellers of agricultural commodities manage market volatility and price risks. The key UK personnel within the company’s Pan European Group include Gary Phillips (country manager), Manon Leygue (consultant) and Sebastien Mallet (consultant). For more information call 01223 894 791, or visit www.odaconnect.co.uk
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UK feed wheat is showing a competitive edge to many European competitors but French wheat is cheaper, according to ODA.
of the rouble (which is linked to the increase in crude oil prices) together with the hryvnia, Ukraine’s currency, which is increasing its $/t FOB prices. The UK is currently forecasting high carryover stocks (three million tonnes-plus) and we await the January export figures to assess progress with wheat exports. Incidentally, hedge fund positions have hit a new record short level, with almost 150,000 short lots, a situation which entails the risk of sudden buy-back of the type that led to the recent increases on the US market. Key factors to watch out for are the level of UK wheat exfarm, UK export activity and improved basis, together with weather conditions in the northern hemisphere Barley We still note modest export
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
through localised ports in the UK and delivered prices Southampton for March compare favourably with feed wheat. Further afield, Morocco and Saudi Arabia are still the main destinations for current French shipments. With regard to the new campaign, even though the AHDB reports a decline in the overall winter planting area, that for winter barley appears to have remained remarkably stable (-2%) when taking into account expected spring barley drillings. Therefore, we may well see a fourth consecutive large barley area. At these prices, it is crucial to sell any remaining physical feed barley and keep a close eye on the level of UK exports and ships arriving to port. Oilseed rape The European report is balanced in the short-term The EU’s import programme is
providing a balanced report despite the falls in the supply of palm oil. In the longer term, the acreage figures must be monitored. Since the beginning of the campaign the EU has imported 2.8mt of rapeseed/canola, which is 1mt more than last year. This import programme seemed sluggish while crude oil was on a downward trend and with palm oil being used in European biodiesel. However, things have changed somewhat. Palm oil’s discount has fallen sharply to the benefit of rapeseed oil and at the same time the price of Brent crude has jumped by 30% in one month, halving the margins of the biodiesel sector. Blenders are therefore likely, once again, to move from a monthly blending rate below the mandate to one that meets the mandate, but without making up for the delays registered early in 2016. They are also likely to reduce the proportion of palm oil to the benefit of rapeseed oil. The import programme, therefore, is no longer sluggish but simply enough to meet the extra requirements from the crushing industry. European bases are therefore likely to return gradually to normal. At the same time, at international level, canola prices have fallen by 5% in Australia and 10% in Canada. We feel the acreage in both of these crucial countries, which are the
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AF Apr p14 16 Bus Market Analysis EP TR_Layout 1 17/03/2016 10:33 Page 2
BUSINESS MARKET ANALYSIS What to watch
Loss of competitiveness of European maize is likely to bring some pressure to the market in the short-term.
world’s largest and secondlargest exporters, is likely to be negatively affected, mainly to the benefit of legumes. It is therefore important to watch trade figures, sowing intentions and a range of economic factors, namely principal markets (soya, palm, canola, crude oil), price spreads between exporters and currencies. Maize French maize has lost some of its competitiveness, firstly be-
cause of feed wheat and secondly due to maize imports, with Argentine maize due to arrive shortly. The EU’s maize imports are still rather high. We are, however, keeping a close eye on the possible implementation of import duties which are likely to be applied if American maize falls by 4% and/or the euro rises by 4%. In the southern hemisphere, there are no particular concerns to report for maize, but watch out for the possible
Overview rWheat: The competitiveness of UK and French wheat is likely to increase port premiums slowly, which in turn should support Euronext rBarley: All export opportunities need to be monitored, both for availability and improved basis rOilseed rape: Euronext rapeseed has found a balanced position among the principal markets, which it must maintain so as not to generate any new imports or stimulate
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
any re-sales of import contracts. It is therefore being buffeted, at the mercy of the information coming in from all over the world. Your physical prices are likely to recover, however, with a probable rise in basis rMaize: In our opinion, European maize’s loss of competitiveness is likely to bring some pressure to bear on the market in the short-term rSoybeans: Soya prices have rallied in a cyclical manner, but the rally is likely to be short-lived
implementation of EU import duties and the competitiveness of EU maize You should also be aware that, as is the case for wheat, hedge fund positions have hit a new record short level which represents over 15% of the open position. This entails the risk of sudden buy-back. Soybeans The soya market has rallied with an increase in risks for the weather in South America, but we feel the actual impact will be marginal. In Brazil, the rain is thought to have affected yields in Paraná and Mato Grosso, while drought is thought to have reduced harvest potential in Bahia and the northern states. Nonetheless, these vagaries are likely to have only minor effects and on March 9 the state of Rio Grande do Sul increased its estimate for the soya harvest by 1mt. So, once again, Brazil’s harvest is likely to reach 100.5-101.5mt and that recent information will change nothing. In Argentina, the market is becoming agitated because the torrential rain is causing flooding, but floods are synonymous with record soya
rWheat: The level of UK wheat ex-farm, UK export activity and improved basis, together with weather conditions in the northern hemisphere rBarley: Keep a close eye on the level of UK exports and ships arriving to port rOilseed rape: Trade figures, sowing intentions and a range of economic factors, namely principal markets (soya, palm, canola, crude oil), price spreads between exporters and currencies rMaize: Be aware that, as for wheat, hedge fund positions have hit a new record short level which represents over 15% of the open position. This entails the risk of sudden buy-back rSoybeans: Weather factors, namely raininduced constraints in the ports, trade figures, together with economic factors, namely crude oil and the dollar yields. The country’s harvest is therefore likely to reach 59-61mt, which is considerably higher than market estimates. In the short-term, however, this rain is hindering the loading of ships with soya and meal. We can therefore see an increase in tension on the logistics front, which, if it persists, may lead to a rally in demand for US beans. So this is the current bullish weather factor, and as you know, such factors are short-lived. Watch out for weather factors, including rain-induced constraints in the ports, trade figures, together with economic factors, namely crude oil and the dollar.
AF Apr p17 18 19 Bus Feature TR EP_Layout 1 15/03/2016 08:33 Page 1
FEATURE BUSINESS
To quote Mark Twain: “Buy land, they are not making it anymore.” But how much farmland is there and how much do we need to feed a growing population? Cedric Porter investigates.
Do we have enough land?
he amount of food the world has been able to produce from its farmland has been remarkable. My calculations, based on figures from the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation’s statistical agency FAOSTAT, suggest the area growing the world’s main crops – cereals, oilcrops, sugar, potatoes, pulses, fruit and vegetables – increased by 28% between 1980 and 2010 to 1.37 billion hectares. But in that time, production of those crops increased by 103% to nearly 8bn tonnes, meaning average yields rose by nearly 60%. Even more impressive is the land needed to produce the world’s main cereal crops - corn/maize, rice, wheat, barley, rye, oats - actually fell by 2.4% to 687 million hectares, with production up 60% to 2.47bn tonnes and yields up 64% to an average of 3.6t/ha. In Europe, a 68% increase in yield meant the area needed to produce the 732m tonnes of cereals by 2010 was actually 44% down on the area which produced 692m tonnes in 1980. But as the world population continues to grow, the pressure on land to produce more crops increases. The UN’s latest medium population predictions suggest the world population will increase by a third by 2050. That will mean, without yield increases, the amount of land to produce food will also need to increase by a third. If consumption increases at the same rate as it did in the last 35 years, then crop production will need to increase by 53% by 2050. But if yields also increase at the same rate, then no more new land would need to come into production even at the greater rate of production.
T
UK delivers more from less The UK is already an expert at getting more from less. Defra figures show the total agricultural area in the UK in 2015 was 17.147m hectares or 70.2% of the total UK area. That represented a 5.9% drop in the agricultural area since 1985. The total croppable area was at 6.06m
As the world population continues to grow, the pressure on land to produce more crops increases.
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
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AF Apr p17 18 19 Bus Feature TR EP_Layout 1 17/03/2016 10:22 Page 2
BUSINESS FEATURE UK grain yields (tonnes/hectare)
Source: Defra
UK agricultural and crop area (million hectares)
Source: Defra
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
hectares in 2015, down 14.3% on the area 30 years before. The area actually growing crops was 4.68m hectares in 2015, down 10.4% on the 1985 figure. In the 30 years, wheat yields increased by 42%, barley yields were up 35% and oilseed rape yields up 28%. That means the increase in yields of major combinable crops has outstripped the decline in area. Bringing arable land back into production or using all the land available for production would mean the UK could produce significantly higher volumes of crops. For example, if all the land that could be cropped in 1985 was cropped then the yield gains seen between 1985 and 2015 would result in production being more than 60% higher than it was in 1985. To put that in context, the population of the UK has increased by 15% in that time.
Arable land security The UK is one of the least arable secure nations in the world when looked at from an area of arable land per head of population point of view. Of the 25 most important world countries, either by population or agricultural capacity (or both), the UK is set to be the 11th most insecure by 2050, with the amount of arable land per head of population (given no change in arable area) down 14.1% to just 0.082ha per person. These figures were derived from World Bank arable land per person data and medium UN population predictions. Crucially, some of the world’s largest countries such as China, India and Nigeria will also have less than 0.1ha of arable land per person by 2050 as their populations increase. China is already under the benchmark and with a levelling out and then decline
AF Apr p17 18 19 Bus Feature TR EP_Layout 1 17/03/2016 10:22 Page 3
FEATURE BUSINESS Hectares of arable land per person in 25 key countries 2015 to 2050
Egypt DR of Congo Philippines Bangladesh Japan Vietnam Pakistan Indonesia China Ethiopia UK Nigeria India Italy Mexico Germany Iran Turkey France Brazil Poland USA Russian Fed Canada Australia
Predicted ha/head in 2050 0.019 0.036 0.037 0.038 0.04 0.057 0.068 0.073 0.079 0.081 0.082 0.088 0.092 0.126 0.141 0.159 0.192 0.215 0.257 0.305 0.33 0.399 0.931 1.04 1.407
% change 2015:2050
-39.4 -60.4 -32.1 -20.4 17.8 -17.1 -39 -20.1 2.1 -47.3 -14.1 -54.3 -22.9 5.8 -22.4 8.3 -14.2 -17.9 -9.5 -12.8 16.5 -17.3 11.6 -18.6 -28.4
and builds yield even if it doesn’t.
Source: UN, UN FAO and World Bank. Countries where less than 0.1ha of land/person in red. Assumes no arable land brought into production.
in population it should actually see a 2.1% increase in arable land per person by 2050. Other countries where arable land per head should increase include farmland-rich Russia (up nearly 12%), Germany (up 8%) and Poland (up 16%).
How much arable land is available? The question ‘how much arable land is available for production around the world?’ is an important one. In the past the UN FAO has estimated 11% of the world’s land surface or 1.5bn hectares of land is used for crop production on an annual or permanent crop basis, but as much as 4.2bn hectares is suitable for some sort of crop production. Another FAO study estimated a quarter of farmland is already degraded and it believes 83% of the increase in wheat production in develop-
ing countries will need to come from higher yields, with just 17% from an increase in cropped area. It is a similar proportion for rice. For maize, half the increase in production will need to be from yields and half from area. The availability and productive capacity of agricultural land will be a critical factor in continuing to feed the world, but two separate challenges are emerging. The most important one is the ability to feed the fastgrowing populations of Africa and Asia and the other is to manage production in regions of the world, including Europe, where population growth is slowing and even declining. The lesson of the last three seasons is that the world has a capacity to over-produce just as much as under-produce which sends prices spiralling downwards.
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
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AF Apr 20 21 Business TR_Layout 1 18/03/2016 11:41 Page 1
ANALYSIS EU REFERENDUM With the referendum date set, what are the implications for the farming industry of staying in the EU or leaving it? In the first of a series of articles on Brexit, Arable Farming political editor Alistair Driver went in search of answers to key questions on agricultural labour.
Brexit: What does it mean for farm labour? uy Poskitt’s family business in Yorkshire grows and packs more than 150,000 tonnes of carrots per year and employs 250 people. Of these, about 170 – two-thirds – are European. NFU horticulture chairman Mr Poskitt says: “Most are permanent. We rely on immigrant labour all-year round. “It is as important an ingredient to horticulture as sprays and fertiliser. Without it we simply could not, as an industry, produce the volume of horticulture crops we do. “We cannot find the labour locally. It is just not there.” For many in the industry, including Mr Poskitt, the EU referendum on June 23 poses a risk to this industry-sustaining arrangement. But are those fears justified?
G
Political context UK farms enjoy largely unfettered access to this labour because the free movement of people is enshrined as one of the four fundamental freedoms of the EU. Driven largely by concerns over migration, one of the key drivers underlying the campaign to leave the union is the desire to end this freedom. Prime Minister David Cameron took some steps to appease these concerns in his renegotiation of the UK’s relationship with the EU.
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With more than 34,500 migrant workers in farming in 2014, some are worried Brexit could hit staffing.
The flagship policy was a four-year emergency brake on in-work benefits for workers coming to the UK for the first time, with a limit on child benefit sent back to other countries. Leave campaigners said this did not go far enough. Only outside the EU can we have a ‘fairer, more humane migration policy’, according to ‘Vote Leave’. It says: “We stop the current immoral, expensive and out of control immigration system which means an open door to the EU while blocking people who could contribute to the UK coming from nonEU countries.” But what could this mean for an industry utterly dependent on migrant labour? rIn the first quarter of 2015, 1.9 million people from other EU countries were employed in the UK labour market, with
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
a net inflow to the UK of 268,000 workers – an increasing trend. rOffice for National Statistics figures showed there were 34,513 non UK-born workers employed in farming in 2014. Of these, nearly two-thirds were born in the EU. But this figure did not cover the many seasonal workers employed by UK farmers. rThe final Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) in 2012 saw 21,000 Bulgarian and Romanian workers employed by fruit and vegetable growers for up to six months at a time. While it is not as simple as adding the two figures together, they ‘indicate the vital importance of non UK-born labour to the agriculture sector’, the NFU says. Those campaigning to leave the EU insist they understand the importance to farmers and
growers of migrant labour and would take steps to ensure the supply continues. Farming Minister George Eustice says: “If we voted to leave and took control we could develop an immigration policy which delivered for the UK with special, tailored provisions for industries which have a unique seasonal nature, such as agriculture.” Provisions This, he adds, could take the form of ‘generous work permit provisions to allow people from other countries, including those in the EU, to come here to work’. He says the UK could explore options such as temporary student visas specific to agriculture from some other countries. A new scheme along these lines could borrow some of the features behind the SAWS
AF Apr 20 21 Business TR_Layout 1 18/03/2016 11:42 Page 2
EU REFERENDUM ANALYSIS scheme, which allowed growers to employ students from Bulgaria and Romania for up to six months at a time. “This could help with staff retention,” Mr Eustice says. “One concern some horticultural businesses have is they invest time and money recruiting seasonal staff from EU countries only to find, once they get here, they drift away to other industries.” The UK Independence Party’s (UKIP) post-Brexit immigration policy includes a five-year moratorium on immigration for unskilled workers and the introduction of an ‘Australian-style points system to manage the number and skills of people coming into the country’. UKIP MEP and agriculture spokesman Stuart Agnew says: “No worker who has arrived legally in the UK will be asked to leave.
“A work permit system for prospective seasonal workers could be put in place with responsibility for recruitment, accommodation, conduct, health insurance and return placed on the employer. “Or, for permanent staff, an Australian-style points set-up.” Risk But former Liberal Democrat MEP George Lyon, a leading farming voice for the ‘in’ campaign insists there can be no guarantees such arrangements would be put in place. He says: “It is an unnecessary risk. If we chose to leave the EU we would need to renegotiate some sort of access to markets, which would include the terms for allowing labour into the UK. “Right now we have no idea what this would be. The leave campaigners can say everything will be exactly the
same until they are blue in the face, but it will not be them who make the decision. “It will be the other 27 member states who decide and negotiate what kind of deal the UK would then enjoy with the rest of the EU. “Currently we have the best deal we could possibly hope for. Why would you put this at risk by leaving and then trying to renegotiate it again?” Concerns UK farm industry representatives also remain unconvinced about assurances over labour, insisting there must be measures in place to secure access. CLA president Ross Murray says: “Workers from the EU play a vital role in the rural economy. If the UK votes to leave, there must be a plan in place which gives agriculture access to the labour it needs.” NFU president Meurig
Raymond warns the sector – under pressure from price wars, fierce import competition and the National Living Wage – would be ‘decimated’ if it lost access to this labour. “We would make a strong case for a return to a seasonal labour scheme which worked so well for the industry.” Mr Poskitt says: “The out campaign argues it would be easy to get the labour. I would argue it may be the same, it may be harder, but it certainly will not be easier. “If we came out we would have to lobby very, very hard to reintroduce SAWS because without labour, in or out, we have no industry.”
Latest on Brexit
rTo keep up to date with the latest EU referendum news and comment go to www.fginsight.com
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AF Apr p22 TAg Brooks EP TR_Layout 1 17/03/2016 10:34 Page 1
TALKING AGRONOMY
VICKI Brooks
Late cold sets us up better for the spring This season we will be doing much more tissue testing ahead of our main sprays to fine-tune both wheat and OSR nutrition
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t may have been very late in coming, but our first real taste of winter as February gave way to March calmed everything down – aphids and disease as well as crop growth. Soil temperatures which had been 10-12degC over Christmas are down to less than half this as we go into mid-March. And, with a good inch of saturating rain in the first week of the month, they will take a while to pick up. This drenching brought fieldwork to an abrupt halt. But not before we got our first spring fertiliser onto most of the winter cereals; no more than 50kg N with balancing sulphur to keep them going until their main split at the end of the month. Two weeks of decent frosts have seen wheats lose their lower leaves, putting a welcome hold on disease development. There’s plenty of septoria tritici on lower leaves, and yellow rust remains evident along with brown rust on susceptible varieties. So infections could take off like lightening with the warm weather, making a robust T0 start to our treatment programme a continued priority. Like the wheat, our winter barley is now well-tillered and was into stem elongation by the beginning of March. It also began showing its normal ‘winter’ yellowing as conditions became colder. The small amount of early N will help it along, as will the manganese we applied with an early insecticide to combat active aphids. Rhynchosporium and mildew have also profited from the mild winter and will be our priorities here. The cold snap certainly stopped rape in its tracks at the end of February, bringing our crops back to where they should be at this time of the year. As they had made a determined start to stem extension by this stage, most received their
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
first fungicide spray before the end of the month. Although clearly evident across the Cambridge area, we still haven’t found any light leaf spot in our coastal heartlands. But phoma continued to be active on less resistant varieties through the winter. So we had to step up the curative action in their spray, alongside good light leaf spot protection plus a specialist PGR for the bigger, faster-developing crops. Alongside disease management, micro-nutrition is an increasingly important spring focus for us these days. The highly cost-effective responses my research colleagues have obtained from specially-formulated trace elements applied in the right balance from T0 to T2, even where soil analyses show little or no deficiency, is something we are keen to match. Their three years of replicated trials with bespoke manganese, zinc, magnesium, copper, and boron mixtures have delivered consistent wheat yield increases of up to 0.75t/ha from better green leaf retention, more ears/sq.m and more grains/ear. And they have found foliar zinc to be valuable in boosting high-yielding milling wheat proteins too. This season we will be doing much more tissue testing ahead of our main sprays to fine-tune both wheat and OSR nutrition. Among other things, we are looking to offset the negative effect of today’s lower organic matter levels on micro-nutrient availability as well as better balancing the demands of high yielding crops and improving their health and ability to tolerate disease. While most of our ground tends to be low in sulphur as well as manganese, we are as well used to dealing with these nutrients as we are with N, P and K. Beyond this, however, I have no doubt we have a lot of potential to improve allround nutrition for the most economic output.
Agronomist facts
rVicki Brooks is an Agrii agronomist based in Essex. She provides agronomy advice to clients growing cereals, oilseed rape, sugar beet, potatoes, maize and field vegetables in Essex and Suffolk
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AF Apr p24 TAg Martin EP TR_Layout 1 17/03/2016 10:36 Page 1
TALKING AGRONOMY
CHRIS Martin
Fine tuning nitrogen planning It is no surprise soil nitrogen supply is lower than average in many fields
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ll but the most forward crops will have received some nitrogen by now, but I guess the big question is how much crops will justify in the current economical climate? On the back of last season’s high yields in combination with the mild and exceptionally wet December, it is no surprise soil nitrogen supply is lower than average in many fields, encouraging growers to consider increasing nitrogen applications to crops with good potential. The best guide to how accurately you have fertilised your farm historically is to look at your grain nitrogen concentration, which can be calculated by dividing protein content (reported on a 100% dry matter basis) by 5.7. The grain N concentration target is 1.9% for feed wheat and 2.1% for milling wheat. If your grain nitrogen concentration is less than these figures, it suggests the crop would have responded to more nitrogen and, as a rough guide, you would look to apply an extra 30kg/ha for every 0.1% below target. If your grain nitrogen concentration is at or above these levels, it suggests nitrogen was not your limiting factor to yield. Taking this into account, first wheats are likely to require between 180260kg/ha, with the higher end required on nitrogen-hungry soils for crops with good potential and the lower amount required on poorer droughtprone soils. Second wheats and first wheats following oats are likely to require between 220-260kg/ha. Quality wheats could justify an extra 40-60kg/ha for grain protein. Winter barley is likely to require between 150-180kg/ha depending on soil type and yield potential. For crops with high yield potential, an extra 25kg/ha should be considered for each tonne expected above a standard 8t/ha crop, but beware lodging. Nitrogen applications and, in partic-
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ular, timings for oilseed rape are more crucial. The aim is to build a canopy at the end of flowering with a green area index (GAI) around 3.5. Such a canopy would have the best chance of photosynthesising as efficiently as possible during this key period when seed number is determined. This canopy would contain about 175kg/ha of N. The skill then is to ensure sufficient nitrogen is available for the remainder of the season for the crop to prolong green area duration (GAD) and maximise seed fill and oil content. To achieve this, backward and forward crops will require different nitrogen regimes. Backward crops should take priority to ensure enough N can be taken up to build optimum canopy by mid-flowering. As a guide, oilseed rape takes up nitrogen at around 3kg/ha day. Some forward crops already had a GAI in excess of 2 in early March, so already contained more than 100kg/ha nitrogen. To build the optimum canopy at flowering they would require less than 75kg/ha N. Taking into account fertiliser inefficiencies, these forward fields would only require up to 125kg/ha of applied nitrogen in order to build the optimum canopy (beware of pigeon damage as when pigeons take the leaves, they also take the nitrogen with them). Having built the optimum canopy, to prolong GAD, additional N (about 30kg/ha for every half tonne expected above 3.5t/ha) should be applied as late as you can get an even spread over the crop (take care in delaying too long if forecast to turn dry) and/or 40kg/ha N should be applied as a foliar application alongside the main sclerotinia spray.
Agronomist facts
rChris Martin is a technical manager for Agrovista, based in the north east of England. His role is to provide technical advice to growers over an area extending from Lincolnshire to Scotland. Prior to this, he was an agronomist with the company for 15 years and continues to provide agronomy advice to a number of growers producing combinable crops in the Scotch Corner area
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AF Apr p26 TAg Symes EP TR_Layout 1 17/03/2016 10:37 Page 1
TALKING AGRONOMY
SARAH Symes
Gearing up for a busy spell
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We are seeing a high level of gout fly-infested main stems in early-sown wheat and barley
26
t the beginning of March we had some of the frosty weather we had been waiting for since November. Spring is now in the air and the long-awaited sunshine and increasing day length have been welcomed by growers and agronomists alike. Most of the crops are returning to a more normal green colour after taking up their first application of nitrogen or nitrogen + sulphur. Axial (pinoxaden) or Topik (clodinafop) recommendations have been made for wild oat control in barley and wheat crops, and if tank mixes allow, will be added to T0s. Some of the more forward barley crops have had chlormequat recommended and Axial has been added at this point, as most of our barley crops will not receive a T0 application. Barley crops have surprisingly come through the wet winter cleaner than we would have expected. A few forward crops had brown rust so a low dose of propiconazole was applied to hold the disease. Atlantis (iodosulfuron+mesosulfuron) recommendations were made to wheat prior to T0s. We prefer to keep Atlantis separate from T0 as tank mixes can often be too hot and can compromise black-grass control especially when mixed with growth regulators. Fields which are prone to manganese deficiency are starting to suffer with yellow patches and stripes showing up in field, so where this is the case manganese will be added at the T0 timing. We have a number of farms which are very prone to this deficiency. We are seeing a high level of gout fly-infested main stems in early-sown wheat and barley crops, especially when in close proximity to spring wheat fields last year. However these crops have tillered well and early nitrogen applications have been applied to encourage the tiller survival. Our bigger concern is, now that chlorpyriphos has been withdrawn, we are left with no option for control of
A
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
the second generation of this pest which attacks spring wheat crops. Forward winter wheat crops will have T0s applied at the end of March, but most crops won’t have leaf 4 fully emerged until the start of April. As always, chlorothalanil is the prime focus for septoria protection. The few weeks of frosty weather has slowed down mildew and rusts, but where variety susceptibility or rust is present then appropriate chemistry will be added to Bravo (chlorothalonil). T1 applications T1 applications will be planned in for three to four weeks after the T0 application and when leaf 3 is fully emerged. SDHI-resistant isolates have been found in our region so we are on the front line. We will be trying to avoid having to make eradicant applications as we know triazole activity in this area is now limited so this is where selection pressure will be greatest. Our message is keep the protection up and time applications well, if possible. Tracker (boscalid+epoxiconazole) is still the go-to-product for eyespot control and will be included where this disease is a threat. All OSR crops had a stem extension fungicide against light leaf spot and will have another fungicide applied at early-mid flowering spray to target sclerotinia, as well as topping up light leaf spot and alternaria protection. This will likely be a Proline (prothioconazole) application and if there is high disease threat another active might be added. Spring bean drilling got off to a late start. Crops will be watched from emergence for weevil damage. Ground is being sprayed off ready for maize drilling, which may start drilling the end of April if soils are warm enough.
Agronomist facts rSarah Symes is an independent agronomist working with the Hampshire Arable Systems partnership. Based in Hampshire, she advises clients growing cereals, oilseed rape and pulses
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TALKING AGRONOMY ROOTS
DARRYL Shailes
Planning to get crops off to a good start
“
It is important to remember not to let anything contaminated with CIPC be used for seed storage
28
ith wet weather affecting potato growing regions in mid-March, planting looks as if it will be delayed for a little longer until soil conditions come right. Seed management and storage could start to become a problem on some farms. It is important seed is checked over as soon as it comes on to the farm – any issues identified need addressing as soon as possible with the merchant. Opening the bags and checking for rots and looking for obvious signs of chitting in the bags are the first things to look for, as this may show if they got too warm in storage or transport. Washing about 100 tubers and looking for tuber diseases – ideally with a USB microscope – can be done very quickly and effectively. Also cut through them and look for any internal issues. With modern smart phones it is easy to keep pictorial records of seed lots, with photographs of any issue for the farm records. This also allows for general good practice of checking back which seed batches performed best. All of these activities should be done before the seed is boxed. Chitted seed can become a bit ‘frothy’ if left in the warm and the light longer than intended. The chits get too long and break easily at planting, so it is important to monitor chitting houses and move seed around if required. Depending on variety, there is a huge range of speed of development of chits under the same conditions – so treat each batch differently. It is not uncommon to see the hopper on the planter full of chits at the end of each day and that is before the tubers have even got to the business end of the planter. Belt
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
planters can handle these longer chits a bit more gently, but cups can knock most of them off. Planting seed with long chits which then get ‘knocked off’ can lead to several issues. There has been a lot of research done over the years looking at the effect on yield and tuber size distribution where chits have been lost – and it is not a great start for the crop. Seed tubers Seed tubers use a lot of energy to grow chits, and knocking these off is considerably worse for the potato plant than never having chitted them at all – and it is a waste of time and money. It can also lead to poor emergence, especially where seed is planted into cool, wet soils, and result in severe blackleg infections later on. Seed dressings and soil applied fungicides can all exacerbate these issues in ‘de-chitted potatoes’, so careful monitoring is essential to ensure seed tubers have chits which are small and green and strong when they go in the planter. Even where seed is not being chitted it is important to monitor it before planting. Keeping air moving around the boxes so the seed doesn’t start to sweat and break down is key. It is no different to storing a ware crop in reality, and when we are getting pushed for time and space it can be tempting just to leave the seed in the big bags it is delivered in – but this is not good practise. Where space and boxes are getting tight it is important to remember not to let anything contaminated with CIPC be used for seed storage. CIPC leaches out of the boxes and walls and floors of the store and this too can affect speed and quality of emergence. When planting does finally start to get close, then reach for the spade. It will be essential to check soil conditions and ensure the machines are not working in that ‘plasticine’ layer.
Agronomist facts rDarryl Shailes is root crop technical manager for Hutchinsons, with a nationwide remit. He has been working in potato agronomy for more than 20 years
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AF Apr p30 31 iOSR_Layout 1 18/03/2016 15:29 Page 1
SPONSORED EDITORIAL In the third article in this series focusing on getting the best out of your oilseed rape crop, we track the progress of OSR crops throughout the UK.
Maximising green leaf area boosts oil yields
In association with
M
ost crops of winter OSR have experienced a bizarre phenomenon this season. A series of hard night frosts reversed strong autumn growth, while increased attacks from pigeons have reduced some previously good looking crops to stems and leaf crowns. With hopes of spring triggering green shoots of recovery, growers and agronomists will have to take extra care to preserve new leaf growth for as long as possible through the growing season, James Southgate, Syngenta field technical manager, advises. He says: “In the short-term, growers should focus on keeping pigeons away and providing crops with the early nutrition they need to get them growing, then as they move quickly towards flowering, it will be important to maximise green leaf retention.
“Amistar [azoxystrobin] should be applied at the yellow bud to early flowering stage, as plants switch from their vegetative to reproductive stage. This timing will also give early protection from sclerotinia infection. “The rapid development of OSR crops this season means we are likely to see plants go through their growth stages and flowering period relatively quickly, which will limit their individual exposure to sclerotinia infection.
Variability “Where growth within fields is variable, the overall flowering period could be protracted. “A two-spray Amistar programme, at three week interval, will ensure most plants are treated at the optimum time and will provide leaves with extra protection against late disease infection.” Preventing early leaf loss from post-flowering diseases,
Rapid OSR development should limit exposure to sclerotinia infection.
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Pollen beetle can damage green flower buds of OSR when they burrow.
including Alternaria, will be more important than ever this season to boost yield, predicts Mr Southgate. He says green leaf is far more efficient at capturing sunlight and converting energy into oil than either the stems or pods. The effectiveness of this action could be enhanced by careful spoon-feeding of nutrition to encourage leaf development, since most crops where leaves have been stripped by frost and pests currently have limited carbohydrate reserves. Trials show a late foliar N feed, at or around flowering, applied just as the first leaves start to show signs of senescence stress, can prolong green leaf and boost yield. Sclerotinia can cause serious yield losses in OSR crops, as much as 50% in those seriously affected. However, the good news is it is a relatively
weak pathogen which typically requires decaying plant material or damage to stems to get into the plant, followed by a ‘perfect storm’ of conditions during flowering to cause widespread infection. Although sclerotinia has only been a significant problem in two of the past 10 years, growers are nevertheless advised to take action to insure against losses, bearing in mind to deliver a guaranteed return on investment the treatment must offer more than sclerotinia protection alone. In addition to controlling sclerotinia, Amistar offers green leaf and plant health benefits. Mr Southgate says it has been shown to consistently provide an economic increase in yield and oil content over untreated crops. Verticillium wilt has become increasingly common where oilseed rape crops have been
For more on the iOSR Germany trip visit: www.fginsight.com/iOSR APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
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SPONSORED EDITORIAL
What the i-OSR growers have to say on the season so far j“OSR continues to look well, despite going backwards in the last month due to seasonal conditions and bombardment by pigeons. Crops in Berkshire are still variable after poor, delayed establishment last autumn. All forward crops received a PGR fungicide last autumn, which will be repeated at stem extension as active growth resumes.” Chris Baylis, head of farming for Sir Richard Sutton Estates, from Lincolnshire to Hampshire and Dorset, manages about 850 hectares of oilseed rape. j“We have experienced small losses from verticillium wilt and, although I have not noticed it getting significantly worse, like many other problems on-farm I feel a severe problem is likely to ‘creep up’ on us. It would be interesting to know soil levels and this would be a useful tool to help us decide on a future approach.” Oliver Smith manages 600ha for Stourton Estates, Lincolnshire Wolds, and 200ha of contract farming. This year he has 115ha
of oilseed rape, about 25% less than he has grown in the past, to extend the rotational break for OSR. He grows three OSR varieties a year, chosen for consistency, and uses strip-till establishment. j“Our comprehensive spray programme means we have never experienced serious losses from sclerotinia. We have a system for routine spraying and stick to it because it is not worth taking the risk. You have to take a long-term view and think of future crops too.” Chris Eglington farms 400ha at Shipdham, Norfolk. He precisiondrills OSR at 560mm row width, with seven subsoiler tines across a four-metre working width. He sows just 21 seeds/sq.m – the low rate required to get sufficient inter-row plant spacing, with volunteers typically filling in additional plants. While yields have historically been good, Chris believes his four-year rotation has been too tight and has introduced peas to extend the interval between OSR crops.
Compare growers’ experiences to your own and read more from this series at www.fginsight.com/iosr or you can ask questions, make comments or follow the growers by using #iOSR on Twitter
grown repeatedly in the rotation. It is believed inoculum is introduced through infected seed and, once in the soil, will remain there to infect future OSR, with weed species perpetuating its impact. The disease results in whole plants dying back and shedding seed before harvest, or weakening stems and making them susceptible to lodging and breaking. Healthy OSR plants are said to be better able to fight off the pathogen or at least resist its effects until later in the season, allowing the seed to be harvested. As well as fungicidal activity, Mr Southgate says Amistar enhances plants’ green leaf and photosynthetic activity and stimulates stress-reducing free radicals
within cells, which can boost performance. Growers report the impact of verticillium wilt is reduced in treated crops, even where there has been a historical incidence of the disease. This season, the Syngenta iOSR initiative will encompass soil sampling and testing to help identify the extent of potential verticillium wilt infection and validate the results of this process with observations of what actually happens in the field prior to harvest.
Pollen beetle Pollen beetle seriously damage green flower buds of oilseed rape plants when they burrow into petal sheaths in search of pollen before flowers open. The key point is a damaged flower is a lost seed pod.
Thresholds for treatment have been revised in recent seasons, with ADAS now saying crops with a high plant count are more susceptible to damage. This is because they typically have less opportunity to produce supplementary flower buds from branches to compensate for damage, compared to those with lower plant populations. This season, a significantly greater proportion of crops have high plant counts, because growers used higher seed rates to compensate for potential autumn and winter pest losses. Establishment was good and winter survival has been excellent. Furthermore, some crops which advanced well in winter are moving to the green bud stage early, although cold
weather and relatively short days mean they are unlikely to come into flower soon. Crops could therefore remain in the highly susceptible green bud stage for an extended period. Reliable insecticide performance is critical to protect the crop through to flowering. Where damage is seen and thresholds are reached while the crop is at green bud stage, Syngenta says growers should spray as soon as possible with Plenum, which it says provides the highest level of pollen beetle control and persistency but has no resistance issues. Where pyrethroid resistance is common, resistance action advice is not to spray any pyrethroid product. Once crops are in flower, beetles move onto open petals to reach pollen without damage.
Follow the discussion: #iOSR APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
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FEATURE POTATOES
Nematicide applicators must be no wider than the width of the rotavator on which they are mounted, says Chafer Horstine’s Joe Allen.
An initiative to help growers retain access to vital products was introduced in 2015. Jane Carley looks at how the Nematicide Stewardship Programme is progressing, and how growers can get involved.
Joined-up thinking on critical nematicides
ematicides have come under considerable scrutiny recently, not only from European regulators but from environmentalists, health professionals and the general public. However, nematicide manufacturers say the use of these products will remain critical to many growers in producing a quality product and maintaining current rotations. The Nematicide Stewardship Programme (NSP) group was formed in 2015 to work alongside farmers and operators to ensure adherence to ‘best practice’ for all nematicide applications. The NSP group is a joint initiative which brings agrochemical companies Certis, DuPont and Syngenta together for the first time and includes cross-industry support from AIC, AHDB, the Fresh Potatoes
N
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Suppliers Association, NFU, the Potato Processors Association (PPA) and Richard Austin Agriculture, all geared towards ensuring the products remain available for future use on potatoes and other key root crops.
Guidance PPA director general and chair of the NSP Sharon Hall says: “Our stewardship guidance on sustainable nematode control aims to achieve a single, industry application standard for granular nematicides.” At the heart of the initiative is a series of workshops to ensure all operators are fully up-todate with the latest legislation and supplied with the correct information to ensure the products are applied accurately and safely. Growers must demonstrate advice has been sought from a BASIS-qualified agronomist prior to the purchase and use of
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
a nematicide. Recommendation sheets must be available for each treated field. Operators must also be qualified to apply nematicides (NPTC PA4 or PA4G certification). Dr Hall explains: “The operator training workshops have emphasised safe handling, applicator calibration and eliminating non-target exposure, to ensure these vital products remain available for future use. “It is vital to note stewardship training does not replace the NPTC PA4 or PA4G certification. However, if you are applying nematicides and already have these qualifications you should still take the stewardship course, as it covers best practice and is now the basis of the Nematicide Application Protocol in the Red Tractor crop specific protocols for potatoes, onions, parsnips and carrots.” This follows an industry
Register interest rhttps://www.artistrainin g.com/node/228?title=Ne maticide_Stewardship request that Red Tractor Assurance incorporates a requirement into its standards specifying all staff applying nematicides must have completed the course by March 2017. Andy Alexander, grower, BASIS-qualified agronomist and NFU potato committee member, says the scheme has been well received by growers in its first year. “Nematodes affect 70% of potato land, and pose a significant risk to this high value crop. Best practice is the only way to safeguard nematicides for the future, and while most growers were already acting in a very professional manner, supported by the chemical manufacturers,
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POTATOES FEATURE the industry coming together on this is a big step forward.” He adds: “Crop protection products are expensive, so using good professional advice is important – growers should always consult a BASIS-qualified agronomist. Good record-keeping and management is key.” The NSP announced a new training partnership with Artis at the end of 2015. Artis is an industry-led accredited training initiative, launched in 2014 and developed by G’s Growers, NIAB, Lantra and East Malling Research, with funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. The initiative provides training to growers, farmers and managers in the food supply chain to boost productivity through applying the latest agri-tech knowledge and research. Workshops So far more than 800 growers and operators have attended workshops. The next courses will run from autumn this year and operators can already register their interest by visiting the Artis website (see panel, p32). Workshop trainer Steve Higginbotham says the course offers growers and operators a different approach to a subject which they may already know well. “It can be as simple as studying the product label more closely, focusing on the use of PPE or how to protect wildlife. We aim to relate the training closely to our, and their, practical experience.” James Hopwood, of grower and packer Ibbotson in Yorkshire, which X
TheRapplicator should be checked prior to each work-day to ensure all pipework is correctly fitted.
Power Performance Flexibility
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6h
1h
Performance
ROUNDUP LIQUID FORMULATION
CULTIVATION INTERVAL FLEXIBILITY (e.g. 6 HOURS FOR ANNUAL WEEDS)
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EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE IN CHALLENGING CONDITIONS
Reliable and effective autumn weed control
Application practice To address concerns about pesticide granules remaining on the soil surface and to reduce the potential of this happening, a number of guidelines have been drawn up: rEnsure granules are not left exposed on the surface at the end of rows rUse a one-pass application and incorporation system rEnsure cultivation is effective in removing granules from the surface rCheck filling areas and ends of rows before leaving the field rAfter planting, ensure headlands are rotavated to confirm no granules remain on the soil surface
• Multiple autumn applications • Cultivation interval flexibility • Use after planting, before crop emergence • Rainfast from 1 hour • Excellent performance in challenging conditions
Monsanto UK Ltd. PO Box 663, Cambourne, Cambridge CB1 0LD. For further information on Roundup® contact the Monsanto Technical Helpline on 01954 717575. Email: technical.helpline.uk@monsanto.com Web: www.monsanto-ag.co.uk Roundup is a registered trademark of Monsanto LLC. Roundup contains Glyphosate. USE HERBICIDES SAFELY. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND PRODUCT INFORMATION BEFORE USE. © Monsanto (UK) Ltd 2016.
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
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FEATURE POTATOES components must be chosen for the specific nematicide product rThe application width should be no wider than the rotavator/planter the applicator is being used with rFrom March 2017 it must be possible to shut the applicator off 3m before the end of the row
regulations and the products. It’s important for operators to stay up-to-date and make sure we understand the requirements of the NSP.” He adds that his employer’s system is based on a one-pass, one operator set up, with the applicator on a front-mounted rotavator ahead of the planter. Information on the correct PPE and handling of nematicides was especially helpful, he says.
hosted two workshops this winter, says: “To retain active ingredients we have to maintain stewardship: every user must show diligence and take part in the training. I thought the workshops were spot-on – there’s all the theory needed but it is presented in a very practical way.” Ibbotson grows 243ha of potatoes, and was already applying nematicides on the rotavator ahead of the planter, but Mr Hopwood says: “We can see the importance of best practice, paying attention to correct calibration and keeping servicing up-to-date to ensure application rates remain accurate. The course served as an excellent reminder, even though we believe we were already on top of the game.” Operator Steve Johnson works for a large grower in Nottinghamshire and says he found the course informative. “I learned a lot about the
Servicing advice “Servicing advice will also come in handy – replacing seals and o-rings as necessary to ensure the applicator gives the correct application rates.” One of the key issues for growers and operators is to ensure they are using appropriate machinery, which is correctly maintained and calibrated to apply nematicides safely. Specialist applicator manufacturer Chafer Horstine is working closely with the NSP; marketing manager Joe Allen explains the requirements. “Growers need to consider the suitability of the applicator being used. The NSP gives guidance on selecting the right applicator for the process being carried out, and much of the guidance surrounds ensuring that no granules are left on the surface after application. “Applicators must be no wider than the width of the rotavator on which they are
Applicator checklist rSuitable metering
Filling and personal protective equipment rUse a single site for filling
hoppers in each field, which can easily be checked for spillages rSmall spillages should be buried immediately ensuring no granules are left on the surface rIn the case of a larger spillage use the original container to hold the product rOperators are required to
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use the correct PPE in line with product labels and COSHH rA stable filling platform should be available for safe lifting and emptying of the nematicide containers rOperators and field supervisors must be aware of the procedures in case of accidental poisoning of a member of staff
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
Guidelines advise the use of a one-pass application and incorporation system.
mounted as this would leave granules on the surface either side of the rotavator itself.” Nematicides must be applied and incorporated within a single pass. “Boomed applicators are not suitable, as these require a separate pass after nematicide application. If circumstances prevented this, the actives would be left on the surface. “We can offer advice on selecting the right applicator as part of the specification process when purchasing equipment.” After selecting the right applicator for the job, regular calibration and maintenance is vital to ensure the equipment can apply nematicides safely and accurately. Records When applying nematicides, growers must keep records to demonstrate that: ■ The applicator is checked prior to each work-day, ensuring all pipework is correctly fitted, the hopper bungs are in place and the hopper lids are secure. ■ The applicator is calibrated each week. ■ The area treated matches the volume of product used for each field. “Growers should be able to demonstrate the applicator has been calibrated and has been tested and certified annually by NSTS,” adds Mr Allen. On a more frequent basis the
NSP recommends growers keep records to prove regular calibrations are made and the output of the machine matches the target rate for a given area. The Horstine technical department can offer advice on correct metering components as well as NSTS testing of the applicators themselves to ensure compliance. One of the most important requirements concerns product shut-off at the headland. “By March 2017, all applicators must be fitted with a device in-cab which allows the operator to shut off nematicide granule flow at least three metres from the end of each row. “This is designed to prevent chemicals being dropped while lifting out at the end of rows, and can be achieved in a couple of ways. The simplest and lowest cost option is to fit an electric clutch in the land wheel drive line. This completely separates the drive using an in-cab switch, ensuring the metering cannot be turned by the land wheel. “A more popular option among our customers is to upgrade the applicator with an electric Wizard drive, removing the need for a land wheel drive. As well as providing a positive shut-off, calibration is simplified, rate changes can be made from the tractor seat and increased accountability is possible using area and product counters.”
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Infinito is a re giste re d Trade Mark of Baye r. Infinito contains fluopicolide and propamocarb hydrochloride. Use plant prote c tion produc ts s afely. A lways read the label and produc t information before use. Pay at tention to the risk indications and follow the safet y pre cautions on the label. For fur ther information, please visit w w w.bayercropscience.co.uk or call Bayer Assist on 0845 60 92266 ( calls cost 5p per minute plus your telephone company’s net work access charge ) or 01223 226644. Š Bayer CropScience Limited 2016.
AF Apr p36 37 Potatoes EP TR_Layout 1 17/03/2016 10:40 Page 1
CONFERENCE POTATOES
The future of sprout suppression and new ways of preventing in-store rots were just two aspects of potato store management in the spotlight at the AHDB Storage Forum. Heather Briggs reports.
Potato storage challenges driving innovation
ombining low amounts of chlorpropham (CIPC) with ethylene has produced good sprout suppressant results in a number of popular varieties, according to Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research (SBCSR) scientist Glyn Harper. CIPC appears to be on track for renewal when it comes up for review in 2017, but the industry needed to make doubly sure there were no maximum residue limit (MRL) exceedances which might impact on CRD’s decisions on the chemical, he said. In 2016 the maximum application rate for CIPC for processing potatoes
C
On some varieties ethylene offers good control Dr Glyn Harper
“
will go down to 36g/tonne. Dr Harper said: “As these limits must be strictly adhered to, using low concentrations of CIPC in combination with other sprout suppressants would help to prevent exceedance while maintaining efficacy.” Trials on ethylene combined
Results of ethylene alone on popular processing varieties Maris Piper rFry colour: No effect rSprout control: Insufficient
Russet Burbank rFry colour: Initial small effect on fry colour rSprout control: Good
Markies rFry colour: No effect rSprout control: Good
Ramos rFry colour: Small effect rSprout control: Acceptable
36
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
With approval for use of CIPC to be reviewed, alternative approaches to sprout suppression are being explored, says SBCSR’s Dr Glyn Harper.
Alternative methods of sprout control
rEthylene, alone or with other treatments rSmartBlock (3-decen-2one) r1-4 Sight (1,4-
with CIPC on the popular variety Maris Piper showed the combination to be more effective than either applied on their own and, importantly, with no significant effects on fry colour. In Russet Burbank the two together again provided better sprout control; in the first two to four months of storage, fry colour was slightly darker but was still well within acceptable levels. Variety was important in relation to the efficacy of products to control sprouting and effects on fry colour; for example, when ethylene was used on Lady Claire and Royal there was little effective sprout control, said Dr Harper. “Each variety has particular characteristics and responds slightly differently.” The fry colour of Markies became darker when ethylene was used although, in trials, this was reduced when the ethylene blocker SmartFresh (1-
dimethylnaphthalene) rSpearmint oil rMarker assisted breeding for longer tuber dormancy
methylcyclopropene) was used alongside ethylene, he added. But no similar effect was seen with Russet Burbank, he said. SmartFresh is used on apples as an ethylene blocker but is not currently cleared for use on potatoes. This work followed warnings issued last year about reducing reliance on just one chemical for sprout suppression. Store temperature during the trials was 9degC. Efficacy of ethylene Other work looking at the efficacy of ethylene when used as the sole sprout suppressant showed very different results between the different varieties. Dr Harper said: “On some varieties ethylene offers good control and provides an acceptable product for up to six months. In a number of varieties there is a darkening of fry colour but that is a relatively small effect.”
AF Apr p36 37 Potatoes EP TR_Layout 1 18/03/2016 12:03 Page 2
POTATOES CONFERENCE
Clearing bacterial infections with microbials
JBacteriophage, or naturallyoccurring viruses, can clear bacterial infections such as soft rots in a matter of hours. They could soon earn a place in potato fields and stores and be used as seed treatment, according to Alison Blackwell, chief executive of APS Biocontrol. These natural antimicrobials, which are isolated from substances such as pack-house wash-water, specifically target soft rot bacteria and destroy them. In addition, they are able to cope with the rapid reproduction of bacteria as they replicate within the host bacteria, using the host’s own reproduction resources. Dr Blackwell said: “We already supply bacteriophage for controlling soft rots in potato pack-houses and the decrease in bacterial counts helps prevent shelf-life fail-
ures and customer complaints. “Control of soft rots at other points in the growing cycle are currently being tested by the company.” Trial data Pilot trial data on Desiree seed potatoes have demonstrated bacteriophage have the potential to reduce
blackleg disease in the field, and further research is underway, she said. “However, variability of plant pathogens makes matters complicated, so for effective control it would be necessary to provide a mixture of bacteriophage.” Resistance should not be a problem because of ease with which bacteriophage mutate
and keep up with the bacteria as they change, she added. Bacteriophage are hardy too, and can survive in all but extreme temperatures, making it suitable for cold stores with temperatures as low as 4degC. Dr Blackwell said: “Where the bacteria causing rots is active, the bacteriophage will also be active.”
Lighting the way forward with UV
JUV sterilisation could help store managers manage bacterial levels on tubers, said Tom Neat, of Techneat Engineering. A new system uses UV light which is provided by a pulse system to destroy bacteria on the surface of the tuber. Mr Neat said: “The UV light can be stronger and more concentrated when it is in pulses rather than continuous. Com-
pany trials have shown this can reduce incidence and severity of development by up to 50%.”
Crop safety Using this treatment, crop safety has been good, with trials showing no damage to seed potatoes treated eyes open. Results from Scottish seed field trials showed UV light did not affect emergence or health
of the plants, with no difference in the rates of ground cover. However, unusually the blackleg did not come out in either the control or treated trials during the growing season, said Mr Neat. The firm is currently working with SASA to look at the potential of UV light to hit fungal colonies which cause skin blemishes on tubers.
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
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AF Apr p38 39 40 Cereal Disease 2 EP TR_Layout 1 18/03/2016 13:54 Page 1
FEATURE CEREAL DISEASE CONTROL
The annual presentation of results from the UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey, which aims to help identify shifts in disease behaviour and varietal resistance, focused heavily on changes in yellow rust behaviour. Martin Rickatson reports.
Yellow rust picture is becoming more complex he recently-identified Kranich yellow rust race pinpointed as responsible for unusual 2014 disease cases may not have been the cause of further unexpected cases in 2015, suggesting the already diverse UK yellow rust pathogen population is becoming more complex. This was the primary conclusion from the key wheat yellow rust presentation in
T
the annual results and analysis from the UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS), which monitors changes in the ability of rust and mildew pathogen populations to cause disease. Kranich arrival The arrival in the UK during 2014 of the Kranich race, named after the Scandinavian variety in which it was first detected, was recently confirmed following the collec-
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
tion of a disease isolate from a 2014 crop which was subsequently tested in the field in 2015, with some Recommended List and candidate varieties showing a slight sensitivity to the new race. But results from the survey saw no further Kranich race isolates identified from yellow rust-infected wheat samples analysed from 2015 crops. Kranich has been seen most years in Denmark and Sweden since 2011, when it was first identified in both countries. NIAB TAG’s Sarah Holdgate, UKCPVS project manager says: “That suggests it’s highly unlikely it was Kranich which caused last season’s unusual rust observations – although it could yet be found again here. “But it also means the actual risk posed by the new race is unknown, so we are urging wheat growers to monitor all winter wheat varieties, including those with high resistance ratings, and report abnormal amounts of yellow rust to the UKCPVS.” The Kranich race is the first new race detected in the UK since 2011, when the Warrior race was found to have established itself here. Dr Holdgate said:“During 2014-15, we received reports of higher than expected yellow rust levels from sites in Essex, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Scotland, on varieties with high Recommended List (RL) disease ratings. Initially,
It is too early to tell if this new pathotype caused the high yellow rust levels Sarah Holdgate
“
it was a sample from a site in Scotland that showed a causal isolate carrying a combination of virulence factors never seen before by the UKCPVS. The same pathotype was subsequently identified in samples from Essex and North Yorks – although not from the Lincolnshire site. New pathotype “It is too early to tell if this new pathotype caused the high yellow rust levels, but our adult plant tests this summer will help provide an answer and indicate whether it will have a significant impact on UK varieties.” Almost three-quarters of the yellow rust samples received by the UKCPVS in 2015 were of Warrior isolates, and the Warrior yellow rust race appears to be continuing to evolve. To account for this, a revised classification system
AF Apr p38 39 40 Cereal Disease 2 EP TR_Layout 1 17/03/2016 12:14 Page 2
CEREAL DISEASE CONTROL
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The UK yellow rust population is becoming increasingly complex.
based on three pathotype groups within the race – Warrior 1, Warrior 3 and Warrior 4 – was described at the meeting. Based on seedling tests in 2015 which have enabled more definitive clarification of race behaviours, the new categorisation merges the old Warrior 3 and 4 groups into a single new Warrior 4 category, while a new category 3 contains isolates which behave in a similar way to what was formerly labelled the Solstice race. “When the Warrior race was detected in 2011, Warrior 1 was dominant. Since 2012, though, the Warrior 4 group has increased in frequency. Meanwhile, another group of isolates, sampled in 2015, appeared to be similar to the Solstice race, based on their reaction to a selection of varieties in UKCPVS tests,” said Dr Holdgate. However, the severity of
symptoms observed at some of the sites from which these isolates were sourced suggests a more complex picture, she added.
Unusual findings “This group of isolates may also be behind some of the unusual yellow rust findings in 2015. Again, we’ll be investigating this in 2016 to provide a clearer picture, and we may yet find these isolates fit better within the new Warrior 3 grouping, rather than the old UK Solstice race group.” When looking at the variation in yellow rust groups over time, Warrior now dominates the UK rust population, she said. “Warrior 1 was present in high levels in 2011, but has since decreased significantly, while the new Warrior 4 group has significantly increased in frequency since 2012. And even within each of the Warrior
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*Source: Results of AHDB fungicide performance 2015. SiltraXpro contains prothioconazole and bixafen and is a registered Trade Mark of Bayer. Use plant protection products safely. Always read the label and product information before use. Pay attention to the risk indications and follow the safety precautions on the label. For further information visit www.bayercropscience.co.uk or call Bayer Assist on 0845 6092266 (Calls cost 5p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge) or 01223 226644. @Bayer4CropsUK © Bayer CropScience Limited 2016.
AF Apr p38 39 40 Cereal Disease 2 EP TR_Layout 1 17/03/2016 12:14 Page 3
FEATURE CEREAL DISEASE CONTROL groups there is a lot of variation – the pathogen population is highly diverse, meaning Warrior-type isolates affect varieties in different and often unpredictable ways.” Another group of isolates from 2015 samples, including those from unexpectedly highly-infected crops in North Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, appeared to be very similar to the old UK Solstice race according to lab tests. “However, visual field symptoms suggested these isolates were not the original Solstice race. That is not unexpected, considering the new evidence of similarities that have led to the regrouping of
isolates formerly in the Solstice group as part of the new Warrior 3 group. “They will be investigated further this season, along with the new pathotype identified in isolates from Scotland, Essex and North Yorkshire,” said Dr Holdgate. Brown rust complexity grows too At the last UKCPVS meeting, it was reported tests on brown rust isolates indicated the complexity of the disease was increasing, and this trend appeared to be continuing, said NIABTAG’s Laura Pritchard. While in 2006 most isolates tested carried two virulence
The high levels of disease on this variety in 2015 resulted in a reduction in the RL brown rust disease rating Laura Pritchard
“
genes, now the population is dominated by the Glasgow pathotype, which has six virulence genes.
She said: “Although lower levels of brown rust were reported in 2015, UKCPVS still received reports of relatively high levels of disease on Crusoe. The high levels of disease on this variety in 2015 resulted in a reduction in the RL brown rust disease rating – from 4 in 2015/16 to 3 in 2016/17. “The current dominance of the Glasgow pathotype in the UK brown rust population could explain the high levels of disease and resulting drop in RL disease ratings. “However, further adult plant tests are required to confirm the variety’s susceptibility to this specific pathotype.”
Growers urged to maintain rust vigilance JWith both yellow rust and brown rust having been active in crops over autumn and winter, there is significant disease development this spring and wheat growers are being urged not to let either crop monitoring or fungicide programmes slip. Jenna Watts, AHDB research manager, said: “Although the pathogen population is very diverse, it is encouraging that 19 out of 36 current Recommended List wheats display good yellow rust resistance to all isolates
Brown rust was present at only relatively low levels in 2015.
tested by UKCPVS. Recommended List disease ratings
Yellow rust update rPresence of new ‘Kranich’ race confirmed in UK rUnexpectedly severe outbreaks of yellow rust in Essex, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Scotland last season rYellow rust isolate carrying a combination of virulence factors never before seen by UKCPVS
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
identified in samples from Essex, North Yorkshire and Scotland rWarrior race dominates UK yellow rust population and continues to evolve; Warrior race classification system has been revised r19 out of 36 current Recommended List wheats display good yellow rust resistance to all isolates
provide growers with a relatively simple way to assess potential disease susceptibility risks for individual varieties. Rapidly “As a result, growers need not worry about the details of pathogen population complexity, but the ability of populations to change rapidly does mean the season can throw up surprises, and so it is important to monitor all crops and alert UKCPVS to any unexpected observations. “Once aware of potential
changes in populations, the team will assess the implications on disease ratings and communicate any change to the industry as soon as possible,” says Dr Watts. Managed by NIAB and funded by the AHDB and Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency, the UKCPVS receives infected cereal leaf samples from farmers, agronomists, trials officers and researchers. Recommended List untreated trials, which are inspected regularly throughout the season, are an important source of rust samples. Dr Watts said: “This year, we will conduct additional disease monitoring at a subset of RL untreated trial sites and results will be made available on the AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds website.” ■ Farmers who would like to get involved in the survey by contributing samples can find instructions at www.cereals.ahdb.org.uk/ukcpvs where there are also new seedling and adult plant resistance tables.
AF Apr p41 42 43 Cereal Disease 1 TR EP_Layout 1 15/03/2016 08:37 Page 1
CEREAL DISEASE CONTROL FEATURE
Low grain prices could make cereal fungicide spend cuts tempting, but will the mild winter, weak variety disease scores and new rust race threats mean robust rates at the right timings will produce a better return once margins are measured? Martin Rickatson reports.
Is there scope for savings on fungicides this season?
arly last year, predictions of the worst-ever season for yellow rust and high levels of septoria headlined articles urging wheat growers to ensure their spray programmes were effectively timed and sufficiently robust to handle the high pressure. Fast-forward 12 months, and another mild winter, similar levels of susceptible varieties in the ground and further yellow rust race developments mean this season’s message is much the same.
E
Robust programme But with grain prices remaining low, cereal growers are likely to be looking for cutbacks across their 2015-16 variable costs. So is there scope for saving on fungicide inputs? Yes, suggest independent researchers – but not in terms of cutting rates or application numbers, or through the use of cheaper products. Instead, they argue, maintaining a robust programme will produce better yield returns which will still more than pay back the investment at current grain prices. If well-timed it should also save on any need for additional ‘fire-fighting’ treatments between the key timings, in spite of the season’s high-pressure circumstances.
And while these are the benefits for a single season, such an approach will also add value generally in protecting the efficacy of different chemistry groups in the longer term. Fiona Burnett, head of crop and soil
systems and professor of applied plant pathology at SRUC, says: “In a high pressure season like the one we are facing, there is no room for rate-cutting. “But unless an application is mistimed, in most cases there is no need for more
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7UG RNCPV RTQVGEVKQP RTQFWEVU UCHGN[ #NYC[U TGCF VJG NCDGN CPF RTQFWEV KPHQTOCVKQP DGHQTG WUG (QT HWTVJGT RTQFWEV KPHQTOCVKQP KPENWFKPI YCTPKPI RJTCUGU TGHGT VQ YYY PWHCTO EQO WM QT ECNN VJG JGNRNKPG /C[C EQPVCKPU DTQOQZ[PKN &WRNQUCP -8 EQPVCKPU OGEQRTQR 2 /C[C CPF &WRNQUCP CTG 0WHCTO VTCFGOCTMU
Even in a high pressure year, interim sprays should not be necessary unless an application is mistimed, says Fiona Burnett.
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
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AF Apr p41 42 43 Cereal Disease 1 TR EP_Layout 1 15/03/2016 08:37 Page 2
FEATURE CEREAL DISEASE CONTROL
Sensible disease control strategies now should limit the risk of costly disease fire-fighting later in the season, according to experts.
passes than a conventional T0/1/2/3 if using a comprehensive and robust programme covering SDHIs, triazoles and multisites, which is essential in delaying resistance development. Sensible strategies now should avoid the cost of firefighting later, and that should be considered a saving in itself. “Spot-on timing and good results are not a substitute for cutting rates later to achieve savings, though – from the point of view either of return
on investment, or of resistance management. Successful disease control in such a situation has much more to do with the right products at robust rates and at the right timings. “And with an underlying trend for fewer hard winters, limited rotations and susceptible varieties, farmers need to recognise the need to stick with this strategy for individual benefit and to keep it in focus because of the collective responsibility to protect the
power of SDHI and triazole chemistries,” she says.
Yellow rust Beyond the core focus of septoria, yellow rust developments, including a multiplication of the number of strains of the Warrior yellow rust race and the recent discovery of the Kranich race, mean the disease is causing greater concern. Even varieties rated highly for resistance to the disease require careful monitoring this
season, particularly as that resistance can take some time to kick in, says Bill Clark, NIABTAG commercial technical director. Add to this, high-risk eyespot conditions courtesy of mild temperatures and wet winter soils, and the reasons why this is not a season for cutbacks are clear, he suggests. “The margin loss from spending too little on fungicide input in a high disease year is three times that from
Wider scope in options for barley JCurrent popular barley varieties mirror many wheats in that they are far stronger on yield than on disease resistance, says Prof Burnett, but growers do have a wider set of control options available to them. “For maximum yield, barley agronomy should focus on maximising both grain number and potential grain size,” she suggests. “Some fungicide groups can increase grain number through physiological effects, although only Proline (prothiconazole) and Comet (pyraclostobin) have trials evidence of this behind them. “Maximising grain sites and size is directly related to tiller retention and canopy protection respectively. As with
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
wheat, the success of a disease control programme to help achieve this is all about timing. With barley, though, growth stage is the guide, rather than leaf layers. Early T1 sprays build the crop’s potential by retaining healthy tillers, and hence help produce plants with more ears. “Meanwhile, a T2 application at GS49, tailored to the pressure of the season and potential of the crop, should give sufficient protection of canopy post-anthesis to ensure grains fill to their storage capacity.” There is also a little more choice in terms of actives and product groups for barley, she points out. “There is a wide range to select from according to the key target diseases. For example,
Siltra Xpro (prothioconazole + bixafen) offers good broadspectrum activity, strobilurins are still effective on rhynchosporium and net blotch, and Adexar (epoxiconazole + fluxapyroxad), Imtrex (fluxapyroxad), Vertisan (penthiopyrad + carboxamide) and Proline (prothioconazole) all provide sound activity on rhynchosporium and net blotch. And for a further spread of chemistry and the opportunity to eradicate active disease if already present, morpholines should be still offer good results. “So there is really no need for over-reliance on an SDHI plus triazole strategy – other mixtures are available. And as with wheat, chlorothalonil makes a good multi-site building block. “But sound husbandry is
again essential to protect these products for the longterm and ensure they remain useful. SDHI-resistant net blotch mutants have been identified, while strobilurin-resistant mutants have been found in net blotch, ramularia and rhynchosporium, and rhynchosporium sensitivity to triazoles is variable, especially among some older chemistry.” Programme inputs should be tailored according to risk, says Prof Burnett. This benefits farm costs as well as actives’ long-term efficacy. “A T0 should be considered on high-risk winter barley crops and on mildew-susceptible spring crops, where it may be worth an extra 0.25t/ha,” she advises.
AF Apr p41 42 43 Cereal Disease 1 TR EP_Layout 1 15/03/2016 08:38 Page 3
CEREAL DISEASE CONTROL FEATURE spending too much in a low disease year,� he says. “With the wet autumn and winter having prevented many growers from autumn or early spring spraying, yellow rust in particular has had a head start. Growers noting the disease, even on a highly-resistant variety, should have samples assessed to determine its race, and spray as soon as it is possible to travel. Even with resistant types, crops can be at flag leaf before the resistance kicks in.� According to Ben Freer, business development manager at BASF, when margins are under pressure, growers will gain more by minimising cost/tonne through maximising yield than they will from minimising input costs. “And perhaps more importantly, any cutting of expenditure through cutting of rates could drive development of resistant disease strains,� he adds. Front-load programmes To provide some insurance against problems with hitting timings right later in the season, wheat growers should ‘front-load’ programmes and not be complacent about rusts at T0, he suggests. “Epoxiconazole and Comet (pyraclostrobin) will provide protection and some curative properties here. For T1, though, the direction to take will depend on disease pressure. In ‘standard’ septoria and rust situations, and where crops are at risk from eyespot, 1.0-1.25 litres/ha Tracker (boscalid + epoxiconazole) and 1.0 litre/ha Bravo (chlorothalonil) should suffice. “But where septoria and disease pressure generally is higher, 1.0 litres/ha Adexar (epoxiconazole + fluxapyroxad) and one-litre/ha Bravo would be the stronger option.� For the T2 flag leaf spray, more farmers now have an alternative partner to Adexar for Bravo, with the wider availability of Librax (metconazole + fluxapyroxad). The azole swap gives the latter a rapid, more strongly curative efficacy, suggests Mr Freer, while Adexar’s epoxiconazole content means it remains the more persistent product. “Librax represents a possible alternative for high value milling wheats, and although it costs more than Adexar, the price difference has come down this year,� says Mr Freer.
Yellow rust resistance on some wheats may only kick in later in the season, advises Bill Clark.
Farmers will gain more by minimising cost per tonne through maximising yield, says Ben Freer.
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AF April p44 46 OSR yield AK EP TR_Layout 1 10/03/2016 14:08 Page 1
FEATURE OILSEED RAPE
Adopting a more targeted approach to oilseed rape management saw Yorkshire farmer Steven Tuer achieve an unofficial world record last harvest, following a steady increase in crop yields over the past five years. Abby Kellett reports.
In pursuit of optimum OSR yield
S
teven Tuer’s topperforming oilseed rape crop yielded an impressive 7.2 tonnes per hectare with hybrid variety Incentive. But perhaps more notably, his oilseed rape crops averaged nearly 6t/ha overall last harvest. In 2010, Mr Tuer took steps to change the way he grew oilseed rape at Hutton Grange Farm, having been dissatisfied with previous crop yields. Since then, with help from his agronomist, Chris Martin of Agrovista, he has reduced seed rates, delayed sowing, improved establishment rates and applied a more crop-specific approach to canopy management and is now reaping the rewards. One of Mr Tuer’s biggest challenges is his soil. With 80% of his farm comprising heavy clay, he is limited to winter cropping and has to work continuously to improve soil structure to aid drainage. He says: “On a dry year oilseed rape can do very well, but on a wet year it can really struggle. We are very reliant on soil structure to help us on a wet year.” To improve soil structure, he keeps his cultivations to a minimum and only ploughs before
44
barley to reduce weed carryover. “We have a three-metre mounted cultivator, which is based on subsoiler legs followed by shallow discs, followed by a packer. The cultivation is based around a one-pass system. “By minimising the amount of cultivations we are doing, we are minimising the amount of organic matter loss and that makes a big difference,” he says. Alongside preserving soil organic matter, he is constantly trying to add it where possible. “We apply lots of pig manures back on the ground, pig slurry is applied in spring, farmyard manure in autumn and we incorporate a lot of straw.” Optimising canopy size Among the major changes Mr Tuer has made to his approach to growing oilseed rape are reducing seed rates and delaying drilling, with the aim of reducing canopy size ahead of spring. By limiting plant numbers and plant size, Mr Tuer and Mr Martin believe they can achieve an optimum canopy size. Mr Martin says: “Essentially, we are trying to create a canopy
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
Farmer Steven Tuer (left) with Agrovista agronomist Chris Martin.
Farm facts
r364ha combinable cropping (all winter) rRotation: Wheat, wheat, barley, OSR r80% heavy clay soil r1,200 sows which is going to maximise seed number and seed size. A lot of work has been done which shows we need a much smaller canopy at flowering than we have all targeted. “We are trying to get as much leaf as possible. If the canopy is too thick we get lots of flower, lots of stems and pods, but not enough leaf. “It is like trying to grow solar panels and the best solar panel for photosynthesis is your leaf. If you have too many flowers, light just gets reflected.” Mr Tuer delays drilling until early September, while most farmers in the North traditionally drill between mid- and lateAugust and so good seed vigour is crucial, he says. This is a characteristic which can be found in Incentive and also Anastasia, which achieved similar yields on the farm, he adds. When drilling, he aims simply for soil coverage as opposed
to drilling at depth, which also aids establishment, he maintains “We don’t do much pre-em [herbicide] application and so we do not need depth. “Because we generally follow rape after barley, we can go in with a stale seedbed technique, so when it comes to drilling, we have no cultivations to do prior to getting seeds in the ground.” So although drilling is delayed, this approach to seedbed preparation means all oilseed rape crops can be drilled within a two-day window. But it also means Mr Tuer has to be extra-vigilant with regards to pest attack during the early stages of crop development. However, because the seed rate is reduced each individual plant is bigger and so is more able to recover from pest damage, he says. Seed rate for the farm’s oilseed rape crops is 25 seeds/ sq.m, which is roughly half the industry standard rate, according to Mr Martin. “We sow at 25, with the aim of achieving 20 plants/sq.m in spring. “We expect to lose between 20-30% in a good year and up to 40% in a bad year. Generally by going in at a lower seed rate we get better establishment,” says Mr Martin. X
A4 AF_Layout 1 15/03/2016 15:20 Page 1
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Proline275 contains prothioconazole. Proline is a registered Trade Mark of Bayer. Use plant protection products safely. Always read the label and product information before use. Pay attention to the risk indications and follow the safety precautions on the label. For further information visit www.bayercropscience.co.uk or call Bayer Assist on 0845 6092266 (Calls cost 5p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge) or 01223 226644. © Bayer CropScience Limited 2016.
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@Bayer4CropsUK
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FEATURE OILSEED RAPE Mr Tuer manually varies his seed rate during drilling and is prepared to increase seed rate on headlands and other areas where he expects to have lower establishment. He says: “I vary seed rates across all crops and I do it manually in the cab as opposed to using a GPS system. No GPS system can replicate what a clued-up operator can achieve. “It’s about knowing your soils, knowing where we have had compaction in previous years and where we might have a slug or drainage problem and adjusting the seed rate accordingly.” Despite the fact the 2015/16 season saw low disease pressure, Mr Tuer and Mr Martin still opted for a robust fungicide programme in order to ensure the crop was capable of achieving its yield potential. Mr Martin says: “This fungicide programme did a good job at keeping the crop clean, although it was quite a low disease risk season and the fungicide programme was very robust anyway. “It is considered the ‘Rolls Royce’ programme but we knew the crop had potential and we wanted to maximise that.” Cabbage stem flea beetle, although providing serious problems for some growers, was a ‘no bigger problem than usual’ on-farm. One application
of cypermethrin was enough to protect the crop from potential damage, says Mr Martin. However, black-grass is an increasing problem at Hutton Grange, although the two men believe late drilling and a stale seedbed go some way towards controlling the weed. As well as applying Kerb (propyzamide) at post-emergence, this year they have planted a black oat and vetch cover crop mix, in an attempt to reduce the black-grass burden on some of the farm’s heaviest soils. “We have some very wet heavy soils which traditionally flood on a wet winter and which is horrendous for black-grass, so we have put a black-oat and vetch cover crop in. “They both grow slowly in autumn which encourages black-grass to grow alongside them so we can spray it all off with glyphosate,” says Mr Tuer. Crop nutrition A lot of pig slurry is spread on barley stubble before cultivation, so the soil gets an early dose of nutrients and of nitrogen in particular. While Mr Tuer would like to apply an additional dressing of pig slurry in spring, often the weather does not allow for this. He says: “Once stem extension begins, there is no way we could pull an umbilical system
Crop protection programme Herbicide
Insecticide Fungicide
Product
Falcon (propaquizafop) Kerb (propyzamide)
Galera (clopyralid + picloram)
Afrisect (cypermethrin) Frelizon (picoxystrobin + penthiopyrad) Monkey (prochloraz + tebuconazole)
Recital (fluopyram + prothioconazole) Proline (prothioconazole)
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Black-grass is becoming an increasing problem for Steven Tuer.
through the field, so it just depends on whether it is dry enough to apply slurry earlier.” Additionally, he applies two to three split applications of bagged N fertiliser to meet crop demand. The timing of these applications depends on the size of the crop and the crop’s potential. Mr Martin says: “For maximising seed number, the key is having the perfect canopy at flowering and that means having a green area index of about 3.5 which generally means it contains 175kg of nitrogen at that stage. “We then try to build enough nitrogen to match how much it needs in that period so it has enough nitrogen to keep the crop greener for longer. “Steve uses a late foliar
Timing
Post-emergence
Post-emergence Autumn Autumn
Early spring
Early spring Three weeks postRecital application
Source: Chris Martin
Target species
Cereal volunteers Black-grass, AMG, chickweed Mayweed, sow thistle, cleavers Flea beetle Light leaf spot and phoma Light leaf spot and phoma Sclerotinia Sclerotinia
nitrogen spray as well to help with this.” Mr Tuer adds: “We are always looking forward and making sure we are not pushing the crop too soon by applying early nitrogen, but where the crop is thinner we will go in with a more traditional early application. “Where we have a thick crop we hold off as long as possible.” Mr Tuer estimates an overall agchem input cost of about £200/ha and a £175/ha spend on fertiliser. While costly, he and Mr Martin believe their spend on inputs can be justified. “In the spring time we are always thinking, are we are on target for a big yield? If so, do we go for the slightly better chemical combination or do we go for a cheaper option? Do we give it an extra few kilograms of nitrogen now or do we save it for later? “If the crop’s potential is 6t/ha, then it is worth the extra chemistry,” he says. All the strategic changes which have been made to oilseed rape management at Hutton Grange have resulted in a shift in expectations. While 6t/ha was previously considered unachievable, it is now the annual yield target, says Mr Tuer.
AF Apr p47 48 49 OSR TR BB_Layout 1 18/03/2016 10:28 Page 1
OILSEED RAPE FEATURE
The oilseed rape area has doubled in the last decade. But its status as the main break crop in UK rotations is under threat. Is it time to rethink our approach to OSR? Teresa Rush reports.
Reassessing oilseed rape
o called ‘black gold’ is losing its lustre. Hitherto the firstchoice break crop on many farms, oilseed rape’s place in the rotation looks increasingly precarious as agronomy and economic challenges continue to mount. A recent British Crop Production Council meeting in Cambridge brought together farmers, agronomists, scientists, agribusiness and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to tackle the question ‘Can we continue to grow oilseed rape in the UK’? Cambridgeshire farmer James Peck is not sure he can. He farms 2,200 hectares from Scotland Farm, Dry Drayton, Cambridge, and in the Fens around March and Chatteris. He calculates OSR crop losses will cost his PX Farms business close to £88,000 over the 2015 and 2016 harvest seasons.
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Damage He experienced complete crop failure as a result of cabbage stem flea beetle damage across three fields last year and has to date lost one field this season. His OSR came under serious cabbage stem flea beetle attack in autumn 2014 and, after four insecticide applications and watching crops go slowly backwards, in the end he chose to put glyphosate in the sprayer tank rather than yet another insecticide. He drilled winter barley as a replacement crop and the cost of this, together with the costs associated with the abandoned rape crop, came to £52,000. He says: “This year I decided I would have another crack at these fields and have lost one field of the three, which is now in winter beans. They look wonderful but the only thing is winter beans make a loss. “So a loss of more than £87,000 is effectively what it has done for my business. “This is why we are wondering whether we are going to be growing oilseed rape. It is not because we don’t think we can grow it, but more because we don’t think we can handle the losses and the costs those losses create.
Oilseed rape has long had a place in many UK rotations, but is it time for new thinking on its risks?
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FEATURE OILSEED RAPE “At £400/tonne [for OSR] I can take a bit of a knock. At £261/t I can’t afford it,” he says. Mr Peck’s response has been to diversify his rotation, moving from 50:50 wheat:rape to include, sugar beet, linseed, peas and mustard. Impact Some of these crops will deliver a net margin significantly below that of rape, he points out, but he will also be taking into consideration their impact on following wheat crops.
JIndependent agronomist Andrew Blazey is all too familiar with the challenges of growing oilseed rape. He and his Prime Agriculture colleagues advise on 17,000ha of the crop across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire – counties which saw widespread cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) damage in autumn 2014 and spring (larval invasion) and autumn 2015. The extra costs from attempts to control the pest are clear
PX Farms oilseed rape losses r2015 actual loss per ha £301.45 r2015 total loss £52,256.36 on 173.35ha r2016 loss estimated loss/ha £486.18/ha
None of my farmers want to do weed control early in case they lose the crop Andrew Blazey
Time to adapt
r2016 estimated total loss £35,607.83 on 73.24ha rTotal loss over two years £87,864.19 Source: J. Peck/PX Farms 16:54 Page 1
to see in his clients’ records. In autumn 2014 his growers spent an average of £62/ha more on their OSR, comprising three foliar pyrethoids and a foliar neonicotinoid spray for TuYV control. In 2014/15 the average crop loss in the region as a result of CSFB damage was 10%, compared to the AHDB/ADAS national survey figure of 2.7%. Mr Blazey says: “But some of my farms lost 100% of their OSR in the autumn.”
And there are knock-on costs to be taken into account, he adds. Patchy oilseed rape crops permit the ingress of blackgrass and broad-leaved weeds, which lead to increased herbicide costs in following wheat crops, while uneven ripening can play havoc with spraying and harvesting logistics. Some of Mr Blazey’s growers are voting with their feet. “My oilseed rape area has dropped from more than 2,700 hectares in 2014 to below 2,000
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OILSEED RAPE FEATURE hectares this year,” he says. Some changes to agronomy have been made based on experiences from autumn 2014 and harvest 2015, but compromise has been needed in some cases. “I think there is a big consensus to sow early, for example early to mid-August,” says Mr Blazey. “But, from an agronomist’s point of view, you ask what side effects are there from this? “If you sow early, before you have harvested in some cases, there is just a complete
overlap of crop for pests and diseases to reach over on.” Some problems are proving more difficult to address; blackgrass control and effects on weed control in particular. Weed control “None of my farmers want to do weed control early in case they lose the crop and this is not a good way to start your weed control programme,” says Mr Blazey. Nor is it good for the sustainability of a rotation going forward, he adds.
An opportunity for an ‘agronomic recharge’? JJack Watts, AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds lead analyst, believes there is a need to reassess OSR in terms of its risks and rewards. Cabbage stem flea beetle is a risk, as is the prospect of some crop abandonment. Growers may need to apply an approach similar to that adopted by US corn and soybean growers and budget for a level of crop loss, Mr Watts suggests. “It is unusual for northern and western Europe to take this approach but we can
see how we might have to apply the same kind of budgeting in managing the risks associated with OSR.” The strategic importance of OSR to UK rotations is underlined by the ratio of wheat:OSR plantings, he adds. Over time OSR has moved from less than 20% to more than 40%, recently falling back to 30% but it is still strategically important to the long-term stability of rotations, acting as a break crop and supporting big wheat yields, says Mr Watts.
Low cost establishment methods producing rough, cloddy seedbeds on heavy land are behind a number of the problems oilseed rape growers are facing, says Mr Blazey. His focus is now on minimising soil disturbance and retaining moisture in order to achieve even, consistent seed depth and crop establishment. Crop losses were much reduced last autumn, when cooler weather and more moisture saw crop abandonments among Mr Blazey’s growers drop back to 2%.
Alternative break crops, with lower variable costs and hence lower risks are available but few provide the market access offered by oilseed rape, he adds. “OSR remains by far our leading break crop. It will be difficult to walk away from it wholesale and say ‘enough is enough’, though we will see elements of this at the margins. “Correcting the imbalance between risk and reward is key, and it is fairly clear we have started to see
“The CSFB adult feeding was as bad but growing conditions were better. Thresholds were triggered on most fields and a similar level of foliar insecticide was used on non-neonic crops,” he says. However, there are signs of high levels of larval infestation this spring. “Autumn 2015 was probably one of the easiest establishments we’ve had for a number of years. If we don’t get the yields this year I think a lot of growers will call it a day on the crop for the time being.”
a reduction in area against lower prices and higher risk. “We have some alternative crops but probably nothing which is going to be a 1:1 substitution, so we are still going to rely on OSR as the break crop of choice. “I look at this in terms of rotational risk – how do we use periods of low prices to give us an agronomic recharge and then capitalise when OSR is at £400/t? “To me it is down to how we respond to different periods in the agronomy cycle.”
THE HEAVYWEIGHTS Claydon Rolls for the most effective soil consolidation
One of the most important factors in achieving effective crop establishment is ensuring thorough soil consolidation around the seeding zone. Not only does a well-timed pass with a heavy set of Cambridge Rolls improve ‘soil to seed contact’, it also helps to retain moisture, reduce erosion, improve chemical spray contact and decrease slug activities, giving crops an uncompromised start.
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AF April p50 OSR EP TR_Layout 1 10/03/2016 14:02 Page 1
FEATURE OILSEED RAPE
Global expertise from one seed breeder is helping to drive changes in spring oilseed rape viability.
Is OSR overlooked in spring crop decisions?
inter oilseed rape (WOSR) drilling fell by 14% last autumn, and it has been widely reported the unplanted land is likely to be drilled with spring crops, such as barley, peas and beans. New spring barley varieties appearing on the Recommended List are partly responsible for the greater margin opportunities from this crop, which has led to interest from growers looking to replace their WOSR. But are these growers overlooking opportunities in spring oilseed rape (SOSR)? While SOSR is sometimes viewed as a crop which is only planted as a consequence of a failed winter crop, it actually has significant longterm benefits for the rotation, especially in terms of grassweed control, says Sarah Middleton, seed product manager at Bayer. SOSR also avoids many of the issues winter rape growers face. The crop is normally
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Sarah Middleton
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It is hoped new investment in spring oilseed rape breeding technologies will help establish a place for the crop in UK rotations.
drilled between mid-March and mid-April, which means both phoma stem canker and light leaf spot are not a concern. With a reduced need for fungicides, SOSR becomes a lower input crop and less of a financial burden, which is relatively easy to manage and harvest, with a flexible sowing window. Problems can occur at establishment, but, says Mrs Middleton, this can be overcome with the careful selection of varieties.
Oil content “A longstanding criticism of SOSR has been its lower oil content compared to its winter counterparts. However, its oil content is becoming much more competitive, with the addition of spring OSR varieties such as Dodger [44.9%] and Builder [45.0%] to the Descriptive List. As well as having superior oil content, both of these hybrids are resilient, with vigorous growth, which ensures they can establish quickly.” Both varieties are Bayer
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
InVigor spring hybrids, taking second and fourth place respectively for yield performance on the Descriptive List. The company launched its UK seed business in 2013, building on its global expertise and plant breeding programmes.
Learning from global expertise “This means in the UK we can access all the expertise on plant breeding programmes from Europe, and further afield from regions such as Canada, and tailor this knowledge to the UK market,” adds Mrs Middleton. Canada is one of the largest spring OSR (canola) producers in the world, growing close to eight million hectares of the crop last year. As demand for the crop in Canada continues, the company is using technology to provide growers with higher yields, explains Blaine Woycheshin, oilseed crops manager – InVigor Seed for Bayer Canada.
He says: “Oilseed rape, or canola as we call it, generates one-quarter of all farm revenue in Canada.” Because of the harsh winter conditions in Canada, all oilseed rape is planted in spring. The market has been revolutionised since the introduction of GM hybrids in 1996. Prior to this, growers were heavily reliant on preand post-emergence herbicides to ensure the viability of the crop, says Mr Woycheshin. “Managing herbicide-tolerant hybrids is quite different to traditional varieties, and so we had to work with growers on seed rates, herbicide application timing and water volumes to ensure they got the most out of the crop.” Over the last 20 years the company has built up its knowledge base on novel breeding techniques, and how these new hybrids perform in the field. The new techniques it can learn from its international colleagues to drive improvements in the home market, believes Mrs Middleton. She acknowledges the same breeding system is not available in the UK, but sees expertise in this area as a positive for growers here. “Bayer’s European breeding team is focused on increasing the performance of SOSR hybrids, to make the crop more productive and profitable for growers. We are continuing to invest in our breeding programmes, to ensure the future of SOSR for the UK market,” she says.
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OILSEED RAPE FEATURE
Breeding for pest-tolerant oilseed rape evelopments in hybrid oilseed rape breeding could make the crop markedly more impervious to pest attack in the future. That is according to plant breeder DSV, which says trials in the UK show plants virtually destroyed in February can produce gross outputs within 15% of untouched crops. DSV UK’s Sarah Hawthorne says: “With concerns over oilseed rape’s viability without neonicotinoid seed dressings,
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we have been working with colleagues in Germany to develop genetic characteristics that will allow the crop to survive high levels of damage. Armoury “The aim is to replace the decreasing armoury of external agronomic inputs with in-built genetic qualities which will allow plants to survive the early establishment period.” Trials at DSV’s Wardington trial site in Oxfordshire are building on results seen last year by mimicking the effects
Plant breeders are working to develop genetic characteristics which will enable oilseed rape to survive high levels of winter damage.
of severe pest attack using mechanical swathing. Last February plots growing the variety Dariot – currently in AHDB candidate trials – were cut to one inch above the ground using a swather to replicate the effects of a severe pigeon or slug attack. Half the plots were then hoed by hand to remove even more leaves. Within four weeks, compensatory growth had made these plots almost indistinguishable from plots that had been left
alone and after 10 weeks there was no visible difference, says Ms Hawthorne. “Crops flowered at the same time with same density and GAIs and all the plots were harvested at on the same day. “The untouched crops produced a yield of 6.2t/ha at 9% moisture, while the swathed crops with additional leaves removed manually delivered 5.6t/ha. The plants cut with the swather but without the additional hoeing yielded 5.9t/ha.”
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AF April p52 54 55 Soil Protection TR EP _Layout 1 18/03/2016 09:52 Page 1
MACHINERY SOIL PROTECTION
Soil erosion can affect crop quality and yields, but also threatens the long-term resources available to farmers. Jane Carley looks at some of the latest research into methods to minimise erosion and soil loss.
Protecting soil quality
oil quality and health, both of which are affected by erosion and compaction, are the subject of a series of studies under way at Cranfield University’s Soil and Agri Food Institute. The studies include experiments carried out in Cranfield’s Soil Management Facility, as well as field trials in conjunction with individual farmers, industry organisations and agri-tech manufacturers. Jane Rickson, professor of soil erosion and conservation, says: “Soil quality, in terms of soil biological, physical and chemical properties, affects not just crop yield and performance, but also
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Jane Rickson
the long-term soil resources available to farmers – soil biology, soil health and soil chemistry. “Poor soil management can affect the quality of crop production. Organisations such as Produce World and G’s recognise this and now regard con-
Erosion and compaction can have a dramatic effect on soil resources, as well as contributing to environmental issues such as flooding.
serving soil quality as key to protecting their bottom line.” Work includes studies to consider how agricultural implements can prevent soil degradation, both from the type of tillage method and tool used and the tyres used on
Tackling compaction in stone rows JDestoning prior to potato planting creates substantial compaction. However, ADAS research in the MOPS2 project (see p54 for details) has shown even a single pass post-planting but prior to crop emergence using a simple tine positioned below the stones can significantly reduce soil compaction and erosion risk. ADAS researcher Martyn Silgram says: “A more sophisticated solution involves angled tines into the base of the shoulder of adjacent beds using equipment developed by soil engineer Charles Creyke.” This surface profiler unit includes a roller which diverts water from the stone row back into the potato bed where it is needed. The angle of the tines
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ensures they are positioned away from the stones, and below the emerging tubers. Another solution is the use of a rotary harrow unit originally developed by tillage equipment manufacturer Great Plains for trailed sprayers, and since modified for use on self-propelled sprayers by Househam. The product is available from both companies and is fitted to a hydraulic toolbar frame controlled from the tractor or sprayer cab. It is designed to loosen the surface inch or soil above the stones buried in stone rows. “ADAS research in MOPS2 showed this simple method can also yield significant benefits in terms of reduced erosion risk when used once post-planting
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
and prior to emergence of the potato crop,” says Dr Silgram (see graph p54) . The harrow unit has a very low draft requirement, can be used at conventional sprayer speeds and has no negative effect on tuber yield or quality. Conventional tied ridging may help reduce soil erosion risk but this is often limited to the first month or two after planting on some soils. “The ridges can quickly collapse if established when soils are too dry, and they have a finite capacity to act as a dam to hold water and erosion back. Once breached, they are of little benefit through the remainder of the potato growing season,” adds Dr Silgram.
vehicles carrying implements. “Loss of soil structure from damage caused by inappropriate implements can lead to erosion,” Prof Rickson says. “Studies have shown efforts to alleviate compaction can exacerbate the issue, for example when use of a subsoiler causes soils to slump, after initial loosening.” A Cranfield survey for Defra looked at the various causes of soil loss, which include erosion by water, by wind (fen blow), during co-extraction with harvested crops and on-farm machinery and by tillage (for example when inversion ploughing across a slope). “We found the major cause of erosion is by water (rainfall and run-off). Erosion from co-extraction has decreased as farmers have become aware of the need to harvest in optimum conditions (i.e. drier soils), but the pressure to get the crop to the customer quickly still exists.” Erosion by water can have serious consequences for soil resources, says Prof Rickson and is an issue outside agriculture too, especially when sediment gets into rivers X
AF_04_P53_AF_04_P53 18/03/2016 10:53 Page 2
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AF April p52 54 55 Soil Protection TR EP _Layout 1 18/03/2016 09:53 Page 2
MACHINERY SOIL PROTECTION and lakes and reduces channel capacity, leading to flooding. “But soil erosion is not always responsible for flooding – a lot of sediment in rivers could come from the riverbed and bank erosion, rather than from nearby farmers’ fields. The challenge is to connect what is happening in the field with what is happening downstream.” A recent project for the Climate Change Committee suggested erosion rates have not changed markedly in recent years, but many believe current weather patterns, such as heavy rainfall events, wet winters and shifts in land use/cropping patterns will lead to accelerated erosion in the future. “The dramatic increase in maize production is one example,” says Prof Rickson. “Compacted soils after late harvests and bare fields punctuated by maize stalks over the winter can lead to soil degradation. We need a better strategy for
add nutrients to the soil.” Manures can play a role by increasing the organic matter levels in the soil, upping its resistance to erosion. Sources include AD digestate, poultry manure, green manures and green waste compost.
Compacted soils after late harvests and bare fields punctuated by maize stalks over the winter can lead to soil degradation.
growing maize, which might include the use of lighter machinery, controlled field traffic and low ground pressure tyres. But we recognise any measures need to be appropriate to the farming situation.” Approaches which can work well include min-till cultivation systems and cover crops, she adds. “Cover crops can be selected
for root systems which do a specific job. Those with strong lateral root systems can help to aggregate the soil or make inroads into compacted layers. “The latter would be appropriate for continuous maize production, and we currently have a study looking at the establishment of rye and clover between the maize rows, which as well as helping to manage erosion,
Understand “However, we need to understand what the different products can do, how quickly they take effect and how long they will last.” Trials are ongoing on the use of in-field grass ‘waterways’, which are strips of grass established at intervals between crop rows, which trap water and sediment. “These do not prevent erosion but do keep the sediment in the field. They can be used alongside other in-field erosion control measures such as the addition of compost and mulches plus tillage techniques,” says Prof Rickson.
Erosion research brings solutions for potatoes
JCrops such as potatoes are considered to inherently convey a higher risk of soil erosion, says Dr Silgram. “This is due to the agronomic need for intensive cultivations in autumn and early spring.” At these times soils are moist and there is potential for about half the national potato crop area to be irrigated. In addition, spraying and harvesting of maincrop potatoes takes place late into autumn and early winter when soils are moist. Soils are also left bare overwinter post-harvest, adds Dr Silgram.
Erosion Erosion can occur even on shallow slopes of two or three degrees if the slope length is sufficiently long, due to the effect of the potato systems
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Source: MOPS
Managing run-off JMOPS project results showed 1.1% of rainfall and irrigation water was lost as runoff from no-stone rows, but this increased to 5.2% from stone rows which were not trafficked and reached 17.9% where stone rows had been trafficked. This illustrates although only a small proportion of rows have stones and receive traffic, they can account for most of the run-off and typically channelling water between adjacent beds. The use of cover crops in winter prior to potatoes was examined in Dr Silgram’s Defrafunded Mitigation Of Phosphorus and Sediment (MOPS2) project to substantially reduce
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
erosion risk from potato fields and are therefore the location
where practical management activities should be targeted.
run-off and erosion risk. “This ‘erosion protection’ benefit is due to the physical protection cover crops offer the soil surface,” he says. “It is in addition to the wellknown effect of cover crops mopping up the substantial
amounts of mineral nitrogen often left in topsoil after the summer harvest. “Cover crops are best suited to lighter and medium textured soils – exactly the soils most widely used for potatoes,” he says.
AF April p52 54 55 Soil Protection TR EP _Layout 1 18/03/2016 09:53 Page 3
SOIL PROTECTION MACHINERY Tips to minimise erosion rAvoid planting potatoes on
inherently ‘moderate risk’ land, such as slopes of more than five degrees and/or land in close proximity to a watercourse rEstablish wide headlands and buffer strips where possible, exploiting available advice and incentives under schemes such as Catchment Sensitive Farming and the Countryside Stewardship Scheme in England rTime field operations to avoid activities when soils are moist or wet. Moist soils are far more prone to soil compaction than drier soils, and compacting soils reduces the air-filled pore space which means such soils have a very much reduced ability to soak up water from rainfall or irrigation rAim to reduce traffic events and vehicle weight per unit area and/or pay closer attention to soil conditions at the time of trafficking. ADAS researcher Dr Silgram says: “ADAS research in MOPS2 showed conclusively erosion from potato fields was greatest in stone rows compared to non-stone rows. The project also showed losses from stone rows receiving traffic (spraying and/or irrigation) had the greatest erosion losses of all” rUse low ground pressure tyres to distribute weight over as large a surface area of the soil as possible when undertaking activities such as cultivations, spraying/irrigation and harvesting. Some manufacturers, for example Michelin, have specifically designed their latest low ground pressure tyres for use in row crop situation, with some such tyres having broader applications around the farm which offset their (often higher) initial purchase price rConsider shallow destoning, which has lower draft requirements and so uses less fuel, and potentially offers greater operational speed, all of which may help reduce soil compaction and subsequent erosion risk. ADAS and Scotland’s Rural College research in AHDB project R444 showed shallow destoning has no negative effects on yield quantity or quality, and this finding has been confirmed in other recent studies
Waterways have been established in field trials and are designed to trap sediment contained in run-off.
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AF April p56 58 59 AD OM EP TR_Layout 1 10/03/2016 14:11 Page 1
FEATURE RENEWABLES
Making the most of the anaerobic digestion process has been a key driver behind the installation at G’s. Olivia Midgley went to the site at Littleport, Cambridgeshire, to meet the people behind the project.
G’s AD plant is putting veg waste to good use
rom expanding the formidable growing business to securing new markets for their produce, the Shropshire family has always been ahead of the curve. It is no surprise then, that the Shropshire Group’s venture into renewable energy has been just as successful. The 2.4MW anaerobic digestion (AD) plant and its additional Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant is an impressive showcase of how the relatively new technology can benefit a major farming operation. Macerated waste vegetables, wholecrop rye, maize, and chicken litter to balance the carbon to nitrogen ratio, is used to produce the 1,200cu.m gas per hour which is needed to run the two 1.2MW CHP engines. About 15% of generated electricity is used by the neighbouring mushroom farm along with the
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The Shropshire Group’s 2.4MW AD plant is fed on a recipe which includes vegetable waste. PICTURES: Tim Scrivener
100,000kW of hot water to heat the tunnels. The remaining electricity is sold back to the National Grid and used to power local homes and businesses. Every 30 minutes, three tonnes of feedstock is fed into the plant via two fermenter tanks. The quantities of feedstock
can be altered thanks to the computerised system. In each fermenter tank, stirrers keep the feedstock moving around for 30-40 days as it is digested. At the next stage, where the digestate is now more of a liquid consistency, it is transferred to a secondary fermenting tank, again stirred to aid digestion.
Facts about G’s’ AD plant rThe plant produces 2.4MW of electricity rIt is fed on vegetable waste, including parsnips, potatoes, carrots, radishes, onions and broccoli rThe plant uses 90t of maize and 30t of waste vegetables per day rG’s renewable energy firm Shropshire Energy started building the plant in 2011
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rThe plant was commissioned in 2013 rTwo full-time members and one part-time member of staff run the plant rThe installation qualifies for the Government’s Feed-in Tariff subsidy, which pays G’s for the electricity it produces rG’s is also paid for the electricity it exports to the National Grid
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
Pasteurisation plant Once the cycle is completed on the 60th day, it is pumped to a pasteurisation plant. Charles Shropshire, who is one of the family members managing the site, says: “One of the huge advantages of the whole system is the waste product. To be able to use this to its maximum effect, we use it on our maize crops and our salad crops. “To be able to spread X
Using the vegetable waste was an important factor for us because we are keen to reduce the ‘food for fuel’ problem Charles Shropshire
“
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FEATURE RENEWABLES this anywhere we have to be PASS110 certified.” The project is particularly impressive in it uses a full complement of technologies and the best in German engineering to make the most of the energy produced. Mr Shropshire adds: “The renewable energy boom, coupled with our plans to build the mushroom farm all went hand-in-hand on this project. Vegetable waste “Using the vegetable waste was an important factor for us because we are keen to reduce the ‘food for fuel’ problem as much as possible which comes with AD.” Mr Shropshire drills about 1,000 hectares of maize per year to ensure the plant has a guaranteed feedstock, along with the vegetable waste from their factories and chicken littler supplied from a local farm. “We needed another crop in the rotation and spring-sown
Mushroom farm facts
Each week 160 tonnes of mushrooms are produced in 48 tunnels.
maize suited the farm perfectly. We have definitely seen the benefits of using maize in the rotation,” he adds. “Wheat yields have increased by 15% and the land is in a lot better condition. It’s so important to get that right in a highly intensive rotation.” Where in many AD plants the heat produced is burnt off
What is the Organic Rankine Cycle? rThe Organic Rankine Cycle is a thermodynamic process where heat is transferred to a fluid at a constant pressure. The fluid is vaporised and then expanded in a vapour
turbine which drives a generator, producing electricity. The spent vapour is condensed to liquid and recycled back through the cycle Source: Ormat
Rainwater is harvested from the glasshouse roofs and used for irrigation.
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
and effectively wasted, the G’s plant uses two CHP engines which pump hot and cold water around the plant and to the mushroom farm 300 metres away. The CHP engines burn the methane gas produced by the plant. In that process of burning it, the engines produce heat which is harvested off the water jackets which encase them. That is then pumped to the mushroom farm, the AD plant and the pasteurisation unit. The 48 tunnels, which produce 160t of mushrooms each week, require a constant temperature of 16degC, 24 hours a day.
rClosed cup, button and large flat mushrooms are all grown from the same variety, but are picked at different times of growth. Mushrooms double in size every day rWaste mushrooms are fed into the AD plant rThe mushroom farm employs 300 staff rTesco is the biggest customer rThe mushrooms are chilled to give them their five-day shelf life rAll the electricity used on-farm, including the packaging facility, is generated by the AD plant Five Organic Rankine Cycle units (see panel, left) take the heat from the exhaust stacks and pass it through a process similar to that used in a fridge, but in reverse. On average, this process generates about 15kW of electricity in each of the five units. The liquid by-product/ digestate from the process is pasteurised at 70degC for an hour. This is then cooled and stored in two 6,000cu.m alligator bags at the back of the plant.
Glasshouses for growing lettuces stand on the AD plant’s neighbouring site.
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RENEWABLES FEATURE The digesate is a nutrient-rich fertiliser which is used on the firm’s salad crop. The process produces about 13t a day. The bags help the firm comply with Nitrate Vulnerable Zones regulations, preventing spreading between October 1 and February 1. Soil improver The dry matter is screw-pressed out and tipped on the pad and used as a soil improver when required. The entire plant is bunded to protect the land in the event of a leak or spill. Will Forbes, a director of Shropshire Energy, says: “The plant is producing hot water as a by-product, so we’re not having to burn fossil fuels. That is the big win. We would have had to burn thousands of litres of fuel to heat the mushroom farm. Instead we are using waste. “It has been a challenging experience, but obviously the plant is working well and delivering what it is designed to do.”
Second Willow Nursery, part of the Shropshire Group’s enterprise, grows 135 million lettuces each year.
Second Willow Nursery rRain water harvesting has provided a major benefit to the salad growing operation at Second Willow, part of the G's enterprise, both environmentally and economically rGreenhouses now stand on the AD plant’s neighbouring site, which underwent a massive transformation in 2005/06 rWater is harvested from the 3ha roof space and stored in a reservoir. This is used as and when needed to grow the celery and cos, iceberg and gem lettuce crops rThe rain water is firstly used to wet 4cm blocks of peat which hold one seed. It is then used to irrigate the crops as they make their way through the germination process rThe peat blocks are stored in the greenhouse for about three months before being planted out in the field rAt the moment, propane gas is being used to heat the greenhouses rThe operation grows 135 million lettuces each year
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AF Apr p60 61 Italy EP TR_Layout 1 17/03/2016 10:43 Page 1
EVENT REPORT ITALY
Drone enthusiasm pervaded the recent Fieragricola show in Verona, Italy, but there were some notes of caution sounded too. Andrew Blake reports.
Sensing a buzz about drones at Italian event
ith nine stands promoting Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in agriculture and two all-morning conference sessions on the subject, there was clearly plenty of interest in what the technology may offer at the Fieragricola show in Verona. Indeed, in Italy, RPAS are already being used to cut the cost of controlling maize corn borer. But cautionary notes in this fast-developing area of remote sensing also emerged. Drone-carried cameras can provide large amounts of data, reinforcing crop-walk-
W
Payload and weather impact
Up to 10% of Italian maize has been treated by drones for control of corn borer larvae, but there are concerns EU laws will restrict developments.
ing and potentially improving crop management. But the underlying message
was interpreting the information remains a professional task.
Frustration at bio-only treatments JUp to 10% of the Italian maize crop may have been treated with drone-delivered capsules containing eggs of a parasitic wasp (Trichogramma brassicae) which preys on corn borer larvae, according to Devis Contardo, of drone design and development business Adron. “Roughly, it halves the cost of application,” he said. Capsules However, both he and Gianni Marzola of FEG Group, which supplies a similar drone for distributing capsules, expressed disappointment about current EU law, which only allows bio-control products to be applied in this manner. Adron’s drone can carry up to 20 litres of liquid, making spray
60
Gianni Marzola hopes the EU will lift treatment restrictions.
treatments possible. But without EU rule changes, no pesticides may legally be applied this way, said Mr Contardo. “We know in Japan and China they are already doing it and using only 10% of what they might with a tractor sprayer,” he said.
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However, Prof Raffaele Casa, of Tuscia University, said drone assessments of weeds and subsequent targeted patch spraying had given 23-79% herbicide savings compared to conventional spraying in trials on maize, wheat, sunflowers and coriander.
JAccording to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, agricultural drones are at the forefront of 10 breakthrough technologies marking a turning point for change in the near future, said Francesco Marinello of Padua University. He recently conducted a survey of 250 RPAS – 60% of which were helicopters or drones with four, six or eight propellers, and 40% fixedwing types. More than 80% were electric-powered with typical flight times of no more than 50 minutes. The average cost was €2,160/kg (£1,666.41/kg), and only 30% of their overall weight could be payload, he said. Wind and rain affect the usefulness of drones, added Marco Dubbini of SAL Engineering. “A wet leaf gives off an electromagnetic radiance which differs from a dry one.”
Current rules mean only biopesticides can be applied using drones.
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ITALY EVENT REPORT Tougher licensing in the offing
Ground truthing and correct interpretation vital JDrones may bring real advantages to farming, but the industry remains in its infancy, said Claudio Canella, chief executive of service provider Cardtech. “A lot of phenomena which are not visible from the ground may be highlighted with drones flying low and slow, capturing images in the near infrared or with multi-spectral cameras,” said Mr Canella, a drones committee member of Ente Nazionale per l’Aviazione Civile (ENAC), the Italian equivalent of the Civil Aviation Authority. “Precision farming may achieve a new dimension, adding significant benefits in terms of healthy agriculture.” However, the use of some sophisticated cameras needed specific software and ‘ground-
truthing’ to make full use of the data, he added. “Data interpretation is essential to achieve significant results, and it requires specific skills as often those results depend on the method of acquisition and flight methodology. Training and experience are important.” Hyperspectral cameras, such as a €100,000 (£77,150) Headland model, available through companies such as 3D Target, could even distinguish between mildew, rust and septoria in wheat, suggested the firm’s Massimo Nestani. But confirmation would always be required by agronomists, said Marco Dubbini of SAL Engineering.
JENAC’s drone operator licensing is expected to be tightened in April next year, according to Vittorio Cipolla of new technology promoter Zefiro. With more than 3,500 certificates already issued, he said there was a view they had been too easily obtained. Mr Cipolla said: “RPAS will
become more and more present in everyday life. “It is just a matter of time. Today, all over the world, there are many research centres and industries working together to shorten this time and demonstrating the big advantages of having an eye in the sky.”
Recognise drones’ limitations JTry to avoid reading too much into what drones may tell, warned Prof Casa, who feared excessive enthusiasm risked creating a backlash against their use. Comparing the merits of crop management information from satellites, drones and equipment, he said he believed drones would
Farmers Guardian
be impractical for controlling irrigation. “You may need to repeat the irrigation often during the season. It is not easy to relate an infrared crop water stress index to irrigation advice and you might need a map of soil texture variability to adjust irrigation rates accordingly.”
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Benefits s of strip tillage age Following an investigation into farmgate prices, a group of MPs says the supply chain must be overhauled if farm businesses are to survive. PICTURE: Gerard Koudenburg
Retailers and inept civil servantsfailing UK farming
ALL THIS…
rDefra’s digital-led focus failed farmers rBroken supply chain not working By Alistair Driver and Olivia Midgley THE failing structure of the food and farming supply chain has pushed the industry into a cashflow crisis and must be overhauled if businesses are to survive, a committee of MPs has warned. Delays to Basic Payment Scheme payments, plummeting commodity prices, supermarket price wars and short-term contracts have all added to the turmoil faced by British agriculture, Envi-
ronment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) committee MPs found during a probe into farmgate prices. The country’s farm chiefs welcomed this week’s report which proposes a raft of measures to help farmers bounce back. It came as another Parliamentary committee delivered a damming report on the ‘unacceptable’ Government infighting, ‘childish turf war[s]’ between top civil servants and a failed Defra policy of pursuing a digital-led approach to support payments which was clearly inappropriate for many farmers. The Public Accounts Committee described the implementation of Defra’s new CAP IT programme as ‘an appalling Whitehall farce’. The Efra committee, which has
been collating evidence from across the industry since December, found pressure from retailers, particularly in dairy, had exacerbated the financial problems facing many producers. “The chronic low price of milk sold through supermarkets inevitably disadvantages farmers in the longer term,” the report said. “Supermarkets may choose to sell milk cheaply as a loss leader, but farmers must not be the victims of the supermarket wars currently taking place in the UK.” The committee said supply chain trust had been damaged over the past 10 years and had come to a head last summer when farmers took to the supermarkets to protest. MPs called on retailers to adopt clear and transparent approaches
to pricing and ensure any regional price differentials for equivalent produce took into account the full costs of production.
Extended remit They have also recommended the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator be extended to incorporate both direct and indirect suppliers to the major UK retailers. The Efra committee raised questions over the way red meat levy was collected in the UK and asked if Defra should have the final say on expenditure. The report also found current legislation surrounding origin labelling had the potential to mislead consumers and cause confusion. Efra chairman Neil Parish said
Defra must strengthen its guidelines around country of origin labelling and continue to press for EU support in establishing clearer and better labelling requirements. A Defra spokesman said Ministers recognised farmers were suffering financial difficulties and they were working to find ways to help build a thriving industry in order to take advantage of the growing demand for British produce both at home and overseas. “That is why we are pursuing a host of measures including introducing a fairer tax system, backing a futures market, the creation of producer organisations and opening up new export markets,” said the spokesman. MORE ON THIS STORY Page 2
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AF April p62 63 R in A EP TR_Layout 1 10/03/2016 14:05 Page 1
TECHNICAL RESEARCH IN ACTION
Keeping tabs on changing cereal diseases demands long-standing research absorbing plenty of levy funds. Andrew Blake finds out more.
Scrutiny of change aids control of diseases he discovery and assessment of the impact of Warrior and Kranich races of wheat yellow rust are the latest valuable findings by the United Kingdom Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS) which began in 1967. NIAB’s Sarah Holdgate says: “The UKCPVS monitors populations of important wheat and barley pathogens to look for changes which may affect varieties’ resistances. “The populations of wheat yellow rust, brown rust, powdery mildew and barley
T
Research projects *AHDB project RD-20113751(UKCPVS) rFour years to April 2016: Cost £760,469 (AHDB £490,424 and Animal and Plant Health Agency £270,045) rContract to be renewed for two years: Cost £398,986 rDisease monitoring April 2104 to Sept 2016: Cost AHDB £75,179
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powdery mildew mutate to overcome varieties’ resistances, resulting in a dramatic drop in their inherent defences. “The UKCPVS aims to spot these changes early to warn growers and help improve disease control decisionmaking.” Races are often named after the variety on which they were first identified. Warrior race The Warrior race was first found in the UK in 2011. By 2012 the average difference in yield between Recommended List (RL) treated and untreated trials for the variety had risen to 2.3 tonnes/ hectare from just 0.2t/ha before the race became established. The Kranich race was first identified in Denmark and Sweden in 2011 but did not arrive in the UK until 2014, with full confirmation only in 2015. “The impact of this race is still under investigation.” Varietal resistance ratings are shown on the RL, but the published figures lack data from the current season, says AHDB research and knowl-
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
Seedling results provide first signs of a new race, but more tests are needed to see how isolates may infect adult plants of RL varieties.
edge transfer manager Jenna Watts. “Disease populations are dynamic, and changes can occur quickly to render the resistance less effective; so even if a variety has a high RL rating, regular monitoring is advisable.” So in 2014 additional inseason disease monitoring and sampling began at selected RL trial sites to help detect such changes at the earliest possible opportunity and provide in-season information from the RL. In the UKCPVS, diseased leaf samples are sent to NIAB by growers, agronomists, pathologists and RL trials operators throughout the season and rust spores are isolated. At the end of the season a subset of these isolates is tested to determine the race group.
Dr Jenna Watts
“They are tested against a differential set of varieties with known resistance genes,” says Dr Holdgate. “Each of the selected isolates is applied to the differential set, and the reaction of each line is assessed. If an isolate causes disease on a particular line then we can say it is virulent for that line and is overcoming its underlying resistance gene or genes. “Our current differential set
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RESEARCH IN ACTION TECHNICAL monitors 30 individual genes and varieties, and we compare the profile of each isolate with the result in the previous year. “We alert growers to a new race if we find virulence for a gene which we have not detected or a new combination of virulences.” For example, virulence for gene Yr7 was seen for many years. But only when it was found in combination with virulence for Yr6, Yr9, Yr17, Yr32 did it become important and marked the arrival of the Warrior and KWS Sterling races. First signs These seedling results provide first signs of a new race, but more tests are needed to see how isolates may infect adult plants of RL varieties. “This is important because varieties often differ with their susceptibility at different growth stages,” explains Dr Holdgate. “Some varieties, such as JB Diego, are susceptible at the seedling stage but resistant as adult plants. “From the isolates tested using the differential set we choose five of the most interesting and infect an outdoor trial with them individually using widely-spaced field trials. This gives us a full picture of the impact of any new races, and this information is disseminated as soon as possible.” Extra in-season disease monitoring is conducted weekly, from March/April until harvest at eight untreated winter wheat and winter barley RL trials, with weather and growth stages also being recorded. Assessments go to AHDB by Wednesday of each week, backed by fortnightly assessments by four agronomists on
UKCPVS ‘valuable service’ JThe UKCPVS underpins the Recommended Lists, says senior wheat breeder for Syngenta David Feurehelm. “It warns farmers and agronomists early about potential shifts in pathogen populations which could lead to a change in varietal resistance. “It also gives breeders the opportunity to purchase, for £100 per sample, samples of new strains of pathogens so we can screen our new breeding material against the latest yellow and brown rust races.” The annual report gives information on how current varicommercial crops close to RL trials, each reporting on three wheats and three barleys, says Dr Watts. “If unexpected disease levels occur on varieties with RL ratings of 8 or 9, leaf samples go to NIAB for UKCPVS analysis.” Weekly assessment data and commentary appear on the AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds disease monitoring web page on Friday mornings. Wheat and barley powdery mildew populations have changed little over the past decade, but wheat yellow and brown rusts are constantly shifting, says Dr Holdgate. Among recent highlights is the emergence in 2011 of a new brown rust race causing high disease levels on Crusoe. “The Warrior race was unusual in it didn’t arise from mutation of the existing UK population,” she says. “It has effectively displaced the existing UK population and continues to change every year. The underlying cause of the high levels of brown rust on Crusoe is still under investigation.”
eties respond to new races of rusts, mildew and rhynchosporium which can influence breeders’ crossing strategies to help deliver resistant varieties to growers, adds Mr Feuerhelm. Limited by resources However, while the UKCPVS is a valuable service, the numbers of potential new races which can be tested in nurseries in any one year are limited by resources, he says. “It can take two to three years to fully investigate the potential impact of a new race on Recommended List variChanges in pathogen populations do not always increase disease, she adds. “For example, KWS Santiago’s RL yellow rust rating actually increased by two points from 2014/15 RL to 2015/16. “UKCPVS results showed this was because the variety was more tolerant to the Warrior than the Solstice race which previously dominated.”
eties and those progressing through National List trials. “When the Solstice yellow rust race was identified at the end of 2008 it quickly became established. Then, in 2009, it was found in a high proportion of samples sent to the UKCPVS and had an impact on the yellow rust resistance ratings of many recommended varieties. “The Kranich race was identified in one sample from 2014 but wasn’t found in any samples collected in 2015; so we don’t know how this race will affect yellow rust resistances in the next few years.”
Dr Sarah Holdgate
The UKCPVS monitors populations of important wheat and barley pathogens to look for changes which may affect varieties’ resistances.
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AF April p64 65 66 Plant breeding TR AD EP_Layout 1 15/03/2016 08:41 Page 1
FEATURE PLANT BREEDING
The direction of future plant breeding in Europe is at stake as the EC prepares to state how new technologies will be classed. Alistair Driver reports on the next phase of the GM debate.
Is genome editing GM? urope’s policymakers have embarked on a process which will go a long way to shaping the future of plant breeding in Europe – and whether EU farmers will be able to benefit from an emerging technology. After years of contemplation, the European Commission is expected to publish soon its opinion on how genome editing should be classified and regulated. This will kick-start a process which will eventually determine whether crops created by the technology, or at least strands of it, should be classified as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The stakes are huge, according to scientists working on the technology, which has been about for a decade but is still limited in terms of commercial application. Genome editing involves
E
Glossary rGenome The genetic material of an organism, containing all its DNA rGene Specific sections of DNA, which control the physical development and behaviour of organisms. Genes are hereditary, passed from parents to offspring rDNA Carries genetic information in the form of two strands coiled round each other to form a ‘double helix’ rChromosomes The structure which carries DNA
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Genome editing could revolutionise plant breeding, provided policymakers treat it fairly, says Prof Huw Jones.
inserting pieces of DNA, known as ‘molecular scissors’ into a host plant to cut and alter its genome. In its simplest form, the technology deletes or alters existing genes without adding new DNA. Prof Huw Jones, who is working on applications of the technology at Rothamsted Research, Hertfordshire, says genome editing could revolutionise plant breeding in Europe, but only if policymakers treated it fairly. “If it is seen as a non-GMO, it will streamline the approval process and could change how plant breeding is done. “If the technology is labelled as GMO, it will curb potential and largely kill the future of the technology for small breeding companies or institutes, such as Rothamsted. “All the subsequent negativity surrounding GM would effectively prevent them being used in Europe.”
APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
Penny Maplestone, chief executive of the British Society of Plant Breeders, says the technology has ‘enormous potential to really speed up the rate of innovation’. But she adds: “How the technology develops from here is completely dependent on what happens in the regulatory world.
Ready “The science is ready to go as far as I understand it, but what is holding people back is legal uncertainty about regulation.” The environmental lobby, which has been campaigning against GM crops since the 1990s, predictably sees things differently. Various non-governmental organisations have already joined forces to oppose the new technology and demand it is regulated as GM, despite industry claims it deserves to be exempt.
In a letter to the Commission, the group claimed ‘exempting new genetic engineering techniques’ from GM rules ‘could threaten the environment and our health, and would violate EU law’. So far, globally, just one commercial crop bred using genome editing, a herbicidetolerant variety of canola, has been approved. It should come onto the marketplace in the US and Canada this year. Authorities in Canada and the US have so far classified genome editing technologies as non-GM, an approach which is being followed in some other countries. In Europe, some member states, including the UK, have made unofficial assessments, also stating the technology would not be treated as GM. But, while Prof Jones describes the process of defining the technology in Europe as ‘legal, rather than
AF April p64 65 66 Plant breeding TR AD EP_Layout 1 18/03/2016 11:30 Page 2
PLANT BREEDING FEATURE rAfter seven years of scrutinising the issue, DG Sante, the European Commission’s health and food safety directorate, is set to publish a ‘legal interpretative note’ rThis will set out its view of how numerous breeding techniques, including genome editing, could be interpreted and subse-
quently regulated rA consultation with states and stakeholders will follow, with the aim of analysing responses rThere will then be discussions between EU members and institutions before final decisions are made rThe process will consider whether genome editing should be governed by the
scientific’, there is always the concern politics will hold sway. After all, for nearly two decades certain EU member states have routinely voted against any GM application, whatever the situation. The result has been a political impasse which has prevented the technology getting off the ground in Europe. Julian Little, chairman of the
Agricultural Biotechnology Council, says it is ‘disappointing’ the Commission has still not made a clear decision. Rational He insists the ‘rational decision would be to exclude most, if not all, new technologies from the GM regulation’, but he fears the opposite could happen. He says: “It would have a
EU Deliberate Release Directive 2001/18/EC rThe directive is based on the process used to alter a plant’s genome, rather than traits of the end product rThe consultation covers plants and animals altered in a way which do not occur by natural mating or genetic recombination massive impact on some of the great work going on in the UK, which would have to be massively scaled back. “The danger is farmers in the UK will not be able to access the new seed coming through this technology, which would be a crazy situation. We would be right back where we were with GM, but 10 times worse.” AHDB Cereals chairman
Paul Temple says the industry ‘needs access to all available routes of genetic improvement’ but he fears EU policymaking on the issue is misguided. He says: “My fear is the EU chooses to ignore science, rather than embrace it. “When public spending budgets are under pressure, we increasingly rely on commercial investment and the current EU approach sends exactly the wrong signals for this investment to take place.” Lessons Dr Maplestone is urging scientists and the seed supply chain to learn lessons from the long-running GM debate and more effectively communicate the potentially ‘enormous’ benefits of this technology before it is too late. Prof Jones, who has been a vocal advocate of genome ▼
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AF April p64 65 66 Plant breeding TR AD EP_Layout 1 15/03/2016 08:42 Page 3
FEATURE PLANT BREEDING editing, agrees, insisting scientists are ‘more confident about being open’ and challenging ‘falsehoods’ about what they do, compared to 15 years ago. He says: “The coin has flipped. There are now a lot of scientists at this institute and others who have the ability and confidence to talk about what they do.” Issues He says the media is now much more balanced when it comes to reporting on issues like GM, and reinforces the need for the industry to go out and make the case for genome editing. But soon all eyes will be on politicians and policymakers. Ahead of the Commission’s announcement, Defra has said
The technology can be used to remove the genes which make crops susceptible to different diseases.
it wants the position to be driven by science. A Defra spokesperson says: “We are discussing with the
How does genome editing work? JThe technology works by inserting natural enzymes, known as ‘molecular scissors’, into a plant which can be directed to specific parts of the genome. They bind to DNA at specific locations and cut it open. There are three main nucleases used for this: rZinc-finger nucleases (ZFN), rTranscription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), rClustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs). In its simplest form the technology ‘cuts and repairs’ the genome to alter it, for example by deleting parts of the DNA to ‘switch off’ genes, without adding ‘foreign DNA’. In more complex uses, scientists are looking to insert new stretches of DNA or even whole genes at pre-determined places in the genome. rHow is it being used in plant breeding?
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
After basic research, plant breeding is one of the most significant applications of this new technology. So far, one commercial crop, a herbicide-tolerant canola developed by US ‘precision gene editing’ company Cibus Global, has been commercially approved. Other applications under development are looking to ‘knock out’ certain genes to remove traits which cause problems for growers and consumers, such as toxins or allergens in plants. In the UK, the intention is to use genome editing to make a coeliac-friendly wheat. Rothamsted researchers are also looking at the possibility of addressing acrylamide levels in cereals. A 2014 research paper outlined how scientists in China had knocked out part of the wheat genome which caused plants to be attacked by mildew.
European Commission and other member states whether genome editing techniques are in the scope of GM regulations.
“We believe any regulation of these techniques should be proportionate and based on scientific evidence.”
rWhat are the advantages of the technology? According to Prof Jones, it will help address issues facing farmers, policymakers and consumers by introducing beneficial new traits. Prof Jones says: “It could fairly easily target toxins and allergens and allow plants to tolerate pests and disease without the use of pesticides and herbicides.” But its greatest potential benefit is its ability to speed up the breeding process. “It typically takes more than 10 years to breed a conventional variety. With genome editing, the process will be compressed by allowing us to edit genes.” He says the technology could support Rothamsted’s 20:20 wheat programme, which aims to increase yields to 20 tonnes/hectare in 20 years. He says: “It is a disruptive technology which is genuinely going to change how
we do science and, more significantly to consumers, the food we eat.” rWhat are its limitations? But it is not a quick or simple process, Prof Jones says, with the process of making a plant with the same mutation in every cell the biggest challenge. “If you make a cut in the plant’s DNA, every cell can repair it in a different way, which creates a challenge to make a plant with the same mutation in every cell. “So there is a process of selection, which can involve 300-500 seeds, to find individual plants which possess the desired traits. It is not as simple as some commentators make out. “However, this can be overcome by adding a repair template, acting like a sticking plaster, healing the cut the same way in all cells.” It is also more limited than ‘conventional’ GM practices in the traits it can produce.
AF Apr p67 Talking Policy EP TR _Layout 1 17/03/2016 14:32 Page 1
TALKING POLICY
MIKE Hambly
Mike Hambly farms in a family farming partnership near Callington in south east Cornwall. He is currently the chair of the NFU Combinable Crops Board and is the first Cornishman to hold the position.
So much more is to be gained from the adoption of rules that are not overly prescriptive
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Farm facts rFamily farming partnership, farming 200ha in south east Cornwall rArable and beef enterprises rArable cropping includes wheat, oilseed rape, barley, oats rFive year average rainfall is 1,407mm
rable farmers can make a full-time job over winter attending the conferences, demonstrations and discussion events organised by the industry. On occasion an event may fail to meet expectations and its success will be determined only by the quality of the lunch. But in March I was fortunate to chair a meeting on cover crops organised by the NFU, LEAF and GWCT and hosted at the Allerton Project, Loddington, by Jim Egan and Phil Jarvis. With my cropping entirely dominated by autumn crops, I wasn’t expecting to travel back to Cornwall with too many ‘take-home’ messages to implement. How wrong I was; the programme was informative and inspiring with a key message my grandfather would have advocated – earthworms are really important. Professor Chris Stoate detailed the benefits delivered by cover crops. Established in good time they deliver vigorous growth protecting soil and reducing erosion, while acting as a sponge to soak up available soil nutrients, capturing their benefit rather than allowing them to leach away. Soil, our most precious resource, was being eroded at a rate of 0.3-0.6t/ha/year and cover crops could reduce this loss, increase productivity and enhance the environment. Jake Freestone, farm manager at Overbury Estate and Nuffield Scholar, gave an enthralling practical view on his use of cover crops. He talked of creating a ‘soil armour’ to protect the soil through careful selection of appropriate cover crop mixtures. Prof Stoate had recognised the importance of timely establishment but Mr Freestone took it to new levels with his five-minute fallow, where the cover crop drill was following the combine swath by swath. But he needed help to achieve best effect and for that he knew
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earthworms were critical to his success. Dr David Jones, a research biologist at the Natural History Museum and acknowledged earthworm expert, put the importance of earthworms into a perspective farmers could readily understand and relate to. The presence of earthworms in soil could give a 25% increase in crop yield, all other things being equal. So how do we manage soils to increase worm populations? It’s simple, said Dr Jones, feed the worms (cover crops and vegetation) and do not disturb them (limit deep ploughing/cultivation in favour of shallow tillage or direct drilling). The recommended worm population was established as 400/sq.m, or more practically, 16 worms from a square dug with a standard spade. Those of you who have followed Arable Farming over the years will remember a well-known and loved contributor who recognised the importance of worms in the early 80s. If I recall correctly, Peter Hepworth even used to talk of cultivating at night to preserve his precious worm population from the marauding gulls. Cover crops can deliver real benefits and their worth has been recognised by their acceptance as a method of meeting EFA requirements. However, for maximum benefits and wider uptake adopted by growers, management rules should not be too prescriptive. Flexibility in choice of species is essential to derive the most appropriate benefit to an individual farm situation. Policy-makers and regulators should take note; so much more is to be gained from the adoption of rules which are not overly prescriptive for the environment, production and the worms. Let’s agree on a minimum period with appropriate start and finish dates but leave the formulation of the mixture and its management to the farmer so maximum benefit for each situation and environment is derived.
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AF Apr p68 Basis News TR EP_Layout 1 15/03/2016 08:39 Page 1
BASIS NEWS The latest news for BASIS and FACTS-qualified farmers and advisers.
BASIS news BASIS marks 200th diploma in agronomy JBASIS is celebrating awarding its 200th diploma in agronomy – the highest qualification offered by the independent standards setting and auditing organisation – to Ben Chapman, agronomist at Harlow Agricultural Merchants. The BASIS diploma requires candidates to complete at least six separate courses, covering aspects of agronomy ranging from crop protection and nutrients to soil, water and conservation management. Mr Chapman, primarily an agronomist, advises growers in Essex and Hertfordshire on crop protection and nutrition as well as seed choice. He says: “The BASIS qualifications and courses I have taken are essential. They reassure my customers I am
well-informed about new legislation which could affect their businesses. It enables me to provide the highest level of advice, including topical information on matters such as conservation management.” The BASIS certificate in crop protection and the FACTS certificate are the essential foundation for candidates pursuing the diploma in agronomy. In addition, candidates must undertake additional courses and modules which include: BETA (biodiversity and environmental training for advisers) or certificate in conservation management; the plant protection award (PPA); soil and water management certificate; and either an advanced crop module or advanced nutrient management planning module.
Ben Chapman has been awarded the 200th BASIS diploma in agronomy.
Candidates can build on their knowledge over time, taking the various courses and qualifications at their own pace – there is no time restriction. “While the paper certificates for passing each course are important, it is the knowledge gained which is essential. The
Requirements for the BASIS diploma in agronomy rBASIS certificate in crop protection: Meets the legislative requirements for sellers and suppliers of agrochemicals and those giving advice on their use in agriculture rFACTS certificate: The qualification for those giving advice on fertiliser and plant nutrition, with due regard for the protection of the environment rBETA or conservation management: Ideally
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APRIL 2016 ARABLE FARMING
suited to those managing farms, these modules build knowledge of the environment, biodiversity and conservation management as a means of improving agronomic decisions rPlant protection award: The syllabus covers the safety, application, formulation and effects of pesticides, while looking at their role in modern society rSoil and water
management certificate: The qualification meets the requirements placed on farmers to remain up-todate with changes to agri-environment schemes rAdvanced crop module or advanced nutrient management planning module: These modules allow agronomist to focus on their specialist knowledge of certain crops or to further their FACTS qualification Source: BASIS
courses have provided an on-going challenge in the workplace, pushing me to further my knowledge and understanding. This benefits my customers as I am able to provide a higher level of advice,” he says. Stephen Jacob, acting CEO at BASIS, says: “We are delighted to have awarded our 200th diploma in agronomy. Ben is an excellent example of a growing number of agronomists seeking high-level professional qualifications. “The increase in diploma holders is testament to the industry’s dedication to improving standards. This should reassure legislators, the foodchain and the general public UK agriculture is going above and beyond what is required to act responsibly with regard to pesticides, ensuring future food security as well as the highest environmental standards.”
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