Talking Arable

from Arable Farming October 2022

Where next for NPK usage?

OLLIEMartin

Ollie Martin is responsible for the arable and grain business enterprise across Bedfordia Farms’ 2,450-hectare operation, with 27,000 tonnes of grain storage, near Bedford. He studied agribusiness management at Writtle University College and has had previous farm management roles in Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Fife.

The continued lack of moisture has made for challenging conditions and has been hard on kit

OLLIE MARTIN

Farm facts

rBedfordia Farms has more than 2,400 hectares of combinable crops including wheat, barley and beans rThe business also provides grain testing in its on-site lab and has 27,000 tonnes of grain storage and processing capacity rThere are 27 soil types across the farms, but most of the land consists of Hanslope clay, Faulkbourne and Stretham, which are classified as chalky clay, becoming waterlogged in winter rThe farm utilises a number of precision technologies and has two pig units totalling 1,100 breeding sows With a giant leap of faith, we sowed just shy of 400 hectares of oilseed rape in the first three days of September. In the days that followed there was nowhere near as much rain as had been forecast. Ideally, I would have liked to wait another week or so to get past the main migration of the dreaded cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB).

Sure enough we are now suffering significant damage with the crop at a vulnerable growth stage. I have seen on social media a handful of people applying pyrethroid insecticides as a supposed means of control. I’m going to put my head above the parapet and state that I believe that to be an irresponsible use of such products.

With an estimated 80% of the CSFB population resistant and possibly as little as 50% of targets hit, control levels could be as low as 10%. Meanwhile, how much harm has been done to the wider insect species populations?

An application of Panarex (quizalofop-P-tefuryl) at 0.5 litres/ha is planned for the coming days to control volunteer wheat, with Centurion Max (clethodim) likely to follow in a few weeks when – if – the crop makes it to 4 true leaves. Pig slurry is being applied as I write (September 17) which should hopefully give the crop a shot in the arm.

Meanwhile, cultivations have been moving on at a

Cultivations have been progressing at a relatively relaxed pace. relatively relaxed pace. With harvest finishing so early and little in the way of precipitation to stop us we have, like many I suspect, enjoyed an unusual amount of downtime for this time of year.

The plough has been out to turn over some particularly ‘bromey’ and ‘black-grassy’ land. With a good four weeks between harvest and ploughing, I am hopeful the soft brome will have broken dormancy before it was buried so that we are not just saving the problem for later.

The continued lack of moisture in the South East has made for challenging conditions and has been hard on the kit. Thankfully we tend to keep a healthy stock of spare parts in stock as lead times from some manufacturers have been painful. Something resembling a seedbed has been achieved for the most part – no mean feat on some of our ground in a dry year.

Direct drill

This year we will aim to direct drill a significant proportion of our first wheats, a notable shift from our ‘standard’ methodology of recent years. I am confident that the soil condition in these areas is suitable and as such there is little point in burning diesel, metal, not to mention soil carbon, in an effort to manufacture conditions for establishment.

Despite the relative lack of moisture, we have seen a good flush of black-grass in the last week or so. No doubt there is plenty more to come. We will make

every effort to delay wheat drilling until October 1. That said, with nearly 1,650ha of wheat and beans to sow this autumn I shall make no apology if my nerve gives out a few days early. Despite the increased cost of glyphosate, rates for stale seedbed applications will remain robust – we can’t afford any hint of resistance to this active.

Wheat prices have firmed as little trust is placed in the longevity of the Black Sea grain corridor. Milling premiums also remain significant as grain protein was, it seems, generally found lacking across Europe this harvest gone. This is all just as well as input prices are only going one way. You could have been forgiven for thinking last season’s fertiliser prices could not be topped but it seems we are now in a perfect storm of extreme gas

The plough has had an outing to turn over some land affected by grass-weeds.

prices, no domestic production and weak sterling.

With machinery prices going the same way and many pesticides in short supply or even unavailable, it looks like a particularly challenging year ahead for the arable sector.