Arable Farming - September 2015 by FG Insight

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ARABLE September 2015

FARMING

NEW R R W ITE

Talking Agronomy

Chris Martin on harvest in the North East Page 20 www.arablefarming.com

OILSEED RAPE New findings on light leaf spot

Weed seeds

Clean up for better black-grass control

Stewardship Herbicide resistance

Cultivation and drilling date effects

Making it pay at CropTec 2015

New markets

China is digging potatoes

Innovation in action for progressive arable farmers

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LEADER

a word from the

EDITOR like autumn, but at the moment it feels like it has turned up a bit too early. Harvest got off to a somewhat stuttering start, built up into a good run and as I write, in the last week of August, has been brought to a grinding halt by widespread heavy rain. Crops and spirits alike are considerably dampened. Congratulations to those of you who managed to get done before the rain came and commiserations to those of you, in the North and West in particular, with cutting still to do, and who are probably viewing the weather forecast with some consternation. What a harvest it has been so far. We have had reports of unofficial yield records coming in thick and fast across the main combinable crops; results from AHDB Recommended List trials showing yields above the long-term mean, significantly so in some cases, and commercial yields which seem in the main to be good, providing some respite to poor prices and cashflow pressures. We are in a period of squeezed margins but the new season is upon us and decisions must be taken as to what will and won’t be planted. Oilseed rape’s place in the rotation has been under particular scrutiny, but harvest 2016 crop drilling is well under way, with some taking advantage of seedbed moisture in early August to get crops in, leading to a few raised eyebrows among their agronomists I suspect. This autumn is of course the second in which oilseed rape crops will be planted without neonicotinoid seed treatments following suspension of

their use, although some growers in areas severely affected by cabbage stem flea beetle have had access to products via an emergency approval. Some have pointed to the very good yields achieved this harvest as evidence of our ability to grow oilseed rape without neonics. Growers, agronomists, plant breeders and scientists will no doubt be taking a close look at how harvest 2015 crops have performed, how they were managed and what lessons we can learn from this particular season. However, we should also make sure we do not look at yield figures in isolation, but rather consider them in the context of the original area planted in autumn this year, thereby taking into consideration the level of crop losses. OSR pests aside, autumn is a key period in the black-grass control calendar and for this issue we have cast our net far and wide to come up with the latest and also some novel thinking on how to improve levels of control.

Contacts Editor Teresa Rush 01787 282 822 teresa.rush@arablefarming.com

Group Editor Emma Penny 01772 799 401 emma.penny@arablefarming.com

Production Editor Katie Tiddeman 01772 799 405 katie.tiddeman@arablefarming.com

Account Manager Jane Newton 01948 780 783 jane.newton@arablefarming.com

Picture Editor Theresa Eveson 01772 799 445 theresa.eveson@arablefarming.com

Account Manager Mark Jackson 01322 449 624 mark.jackson@arablefarming.com

Machinery Editor James Rickard 01772 799 496 james.rickard@arablefarming.com

Head of Commercial Solutions Mike Hartley 01772 799 532 mike.hartley@arablefarming.com

Arable Specialist Heather Briggs 07815 003 236 heather.briggs@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 UK £76/year Europe £115/year World £140/year

www.croptecshow.com 24-25 November, 2015 © Briefing Media Ltd 2015 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.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

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THIS MONTH

CONTENTS september Volume 37 Issue 8

32-36

Application

Latest developments Avadex applicator round-up

Comment

Regulars

4-6 8-13 20-26

14-15 55 56

Latest news Talking Arable Talking Agronomy

Market analysis Arable marketplace BASIS news

Crop protection

Grass-weeds Flufenacet resistance threat?

28 2

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

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THIS MONTH

44-46

Oilseed rape

Disease

52-53

An early start for light leaf spot? Plus Research in Action looks at the latest LLS research findings

Weed control

Novel solutions Clean up for cleaner crops

37-39

50-51 Event highlights

Potatoes in Practice Latest research findings

grain stores livestock housing kit buildings silage clamps industrial units straw barns livestock equipment dairy buildings slurry lagoons fabricated steelwork recycling plants general purpose buildings SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

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NEWS

AHDB refutes claims it will become ‘Defra puppet’ he boss of AHDB has insisted the board is ‘sharpening up its act’ in order to ensure it delivers value for money to its levy payers. Chief executive Jane King, who took up the role in January this year, was responding to farmer criticism about how the board was being run, including how it spent levy money and how the ongoing restructure would impact farmers and growers. Arable Farming’s sister publication Farmers Guardian has been contacted by a number of producers in recent months who were deeply concerned about the direction AHDB was taking. Ms King said the organisation, which employs 430 staff and receives an income of £60 million, ‘is a good organisation but it can definitely be a lot better’.

‘common ground’ could work in a more ‘joined up’ fashion and share resources. “We have got to make the levy count and, quite rightly, we have been up for some scrutiny from our levy community and from Government.”

Jane King

“We are having a good, hard look at it and trying to reorganise it so we deliver smarter, more effectively and deliver better value for money,” she said. At Cereals this year AHDB launched the rebrand of its six sector boards, which include AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds, AHDB Horticulture and AHDB Potatoes, as part of its reorganisation. Ms King said the sectors with

Focus Ms King said there would also be a focus on ‘outcomes rather than just output’ to measure if its work had benefited members. “We are ambitious about the industry and want to help it grow. “To do that we have got to sharpen up our act here.” Responding to farmers’ concerns not enough money was being spent on promoting British produce, Ms King said the board was evaluating how it spent levy cash. “We are not opposed to promotion per se, but we need to

Sterling strength slows UK exports

JWith harvest put at 50% complete at the beginning of the last week of August, arable markets hit fresh lows as sterling’s strength prevented UK grain exports taking off. November futures prices broke their previous May low and were trading below £115/tonne. Other EU countries made a solid start to their wheat and barley export campaign, but experts said UK prices were still uncompetitive in global markets, keeping pressure on domestic prices. Helen Plant, senior analyst at AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds,

said: "The general rule would be a strong EU export campaign would be supportive to EU prices and to the UK as a part of that to a lesser extent. “But sterling is still relatively strong and that is keeping pressure on our prices relative to Europe.”

Competitiveness James Bolesworth, director at CRM AgriCommodities, said UK exports had been slow during the current campaign and there were issues with UK competitiveness in the global market. “European wheat is finding

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

support because it is competitive. The spread [between UK and EU prices] needs to come back down,” he said. Mr Bolesworth said global prices were coming under pressure, but suggested there were hopes within the market an El Nino weather event may bring price gains. “El Nino is confirmed. It is just a matter of how much stronger it gets and whether it continues into the Australian harvest,” he added. Defra estimates show this year’s wheat area in England and Wales was down 5.8% to 1.7 million hectares.

be sure for the levy payer we are adding value because marketing is expensive,” she said. She added she could empathise with levy payers’ concerns the organisation may become ‘a puppet’ for cashstrapped Defra. “There is no question, we would have to be very clear with Defra about what is the right thing for us to do with levy payer money,” she added.

British Sugar reveals campaign start dates JThe 2015 sugar beet processing campaign will get under way on September 24, British Sugar has announced. Two of British Sugar’s four factories, at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and Newark, Nottinghamshire, will open on September 24; the Wissington factory, Norfolk, will open on September 28 and Cantley, Norfolk, will open on October 2. The sugar processor says these dates, which are up to a fortnight later than last year, are designed to strike a balance between managing the industry’s large sugar stocks, the current growth stage of the crop and growers’ desire to start their harvesting programmes. The anticipated end dates for Bury, Cantley and Wissington factories are in mid-January and Newark, as is normal, will be about two weeks later.

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NEWS

Delays to agrienvironment payments

JDelays of up to four months in agri-environment scheme payments for English farmers are unacceptable, the NFU has said. Natural England has told the NFU payments will be made from October, but most will take place in November and December. The NFU has claimed this will put added strain on farm businesses at a time when thousands are under pressure due to commodity prices. Farmers are reportedly owed £200 million for environmental measures they have carried out. NFU vice-president Guy Smith said: “I am extremely frustrated to learn the first payments under the agri-environment scheme this year will not be made until October, at the earliest. “This is partly due to IT failures in the spring and the extension of claim deadlines for the BPS and agri-environment scheme. “The NFU understands the delay is due to the need to cross-check BPS and agri-environment data as part of a requirement under EU regulations.” Cashflow Mr Smith said it was vital farmers got payments as soon as possible. He claimed farmers would need to adjust cashflow requirements accordingly. A spokesman for Natural England said: “Natural England understands the importance of early payments to the rural community, we are working to get these out as soon as they can. We expect advance payments for Environmental Stewardship agreements to start being paid from October.”

NFU hits out at 2016 EFA options decision efra has confirmed there will be no changes to the Ecological Focus Area (EFA) greening options available to farmers for 2016, a move which has drawn criticism from the NFU. Under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), the options available for farmers to achieve their 5% EFA next year will be: ■ Fallow land. ■ Growing a nitrogen-fixing crop. ■ Growing a catch or cover crop. ■ Buffer strips. ■ Hedges. The only change will be the addition of oilseed radish to the list of approved catch/cover crop options for the 2016 scheme year.

Wider options The CAP regulations permit a wider set of options to be deployed and the NFU said it was ‘disappointed’ by the announcement. Other features Defra could have added to EFA options in 2016 include ponds, lines of

Hedges will still be an Ecological Focus Area option next year.

trees and individual trees and short rotation coppice. The NFU said all relevant land features and areas laid out in the greening regulation should be included in England. “A broad selection at the national level ensures individual farmers have access to the most appropriate measures at farm level,” it said. “We are also disappointed more could not be done to allow farmers to use existing

catch and cover crop options. “We need Defra to make more positive revisions when it reviews the options available for 2017.” A Defra spokesman said: “We took an early decision to ensure hedges could count towards EFAs which was the most important for farmers, but we are not adding to the options for 2016, because we need to allow things to bed down. “We will keep this under review and re-consider for 2017.”

Monsanto abandons Syngenta takeover JUS agri-business giant Monsanto has dropped its bid to take over rival Syngenta, after the Swiss company rejected its latest offer, reported to be worth $47billion (about £30bn). The potential coming together of two of the biggest players in the seeds and agrochemicals market had prompted concerns within farming the new company would enjoy too much power, particularly over prices.

The merger would have been subject to scrutiny by competition authorities across the world. Monsanto, which had been pursuing its rival for some time, submitted an enhanced proposal to Syngenta to combine the two companies last week. This was unanimously rejected by the Syngenta board, which said it ‘significantly undervalued the company and

was fraught with execution risk’. Syngenta said recent market volatility further ‘highlighted the significant risk for Syngenta shareholders resulting from the structure of this proposal’. Monsanto had failed to address certain key issues in sufficient detail to allow Syngenta to make a proper assessment of the proposed new entity, it added.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

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NEWS

Neonicotinoid ban has cost farmers £22m he neonicotinoid ban cost the farming industry in England £22 million this year, according to an interim assessment of the ban by Newcastle University. The assessment used data from 205 Farm Business Survey (FBS) farms selected in proportion to the number of oilseed growers by region and, where possible, county. It estimated the area of winter oilseed rape (WOSR) grown for harvest in 2015 in England was 8% down on the 2014 harvest, at 577,000 hectares. However, the two main reasons given for the area reduction were ‘rotation’ and ‘price’, followed by problems with cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB), which neonicotinoidtreated seeds are effective in controlling. An estimated 240,000 litres of insecticide, mainly pyrethroid-

The neonicotinoid ban has resulted in an increase in pesticide spraying.

based, was applied to WOSR crops to combat actual or predicted attacks by CSFB in the absence of the seed treatments. National level At a national level in excess of 1.1m hectares was estimated to have been sprayed against

CSFB with 33,957kg of active substance used, representing a 2.5-fold increase in the use of autumn insecticides in England to combat the threat of CSFB. An estimated 17% of growers suffered crop losses due to CSFB, with the area lost esti-

mated at 16,000ha or 3% of the area grown. Of this area an estimated 9,200ha were replanted and 6,600ha written off. The total cost of chemicals used to control CSFB was estimated at £7.8m, with a further £11.4m spent on their application. The cost of replanting was estimated at £0.7m and the crop lost, and not replanted, at £2.3m. This resulted in a total cost of £22m, according to Charles Scott and Paul Bilsborrow, from Newcastle University’s School of Agriculture Food and Rural Development. They concluded: “The absence of neonicotinoid seed treatments is making CSFB control more challenging for farmers.” Friends of the Earth, which is challenging the decision in the courts, claimed the ban has had little impact on farmers.

Sharp potato price increases Scientific community Experts have claimed poor supplies and slow condemns Scots GM ban JLower growing conditions and a development of potato crops in

JExperts from the scientific community have condemned Scotland’s decision to prevent the country’s farmers growing Genetically Modified (GM) crops. In a joint letter to Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead, several universities and organisations including the NFU, John Innes Centre, The Roslin Institute and Rothamsted Research, said the decision would put Scottish agriculture at a significant disadvantage. The organisations highlighted the fact Scottish

researchers had been working on agricultural challenges such as potato blight and tree diseases and asked if the decision to ban GM meant these scientists would be prevented from making further contributions in future. Traits currently being investigated which might benefit Scotland’s farmers, consumers and environment include potatoes which can reduce fungicide use and omega-3 enriched oilseeds which could provide a more sustainable source of feed for salmon farming.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

parts of the UK have led to sharp price increases in recent months. Delays in harvesting the 2015 crop have brought improved prices, allowing farmers to clear potato stocks while buyers wait for new crop supplies. Rob Clayton, director at AHDB Potatoes, said improving prices had also given the opportunity for some farmers to shift stocks. “We would expect [the market] to stay reasonably firm unless there are dramatic bulking rates,” he added.

smaller planted area were set to lead to a smaller harvest. Scottish potatoes have been struggling to bulk and, with other parts of the UK delaying harvests, demand has risen. An NFU Scotland spokesman said there were ‘slight delays’ with the potato crop, but growers may struggle to lift if adverse weather continued. The reports come as a contrast to last year, when high production and reduced demand caused a build-up of potato stocks leading to price falls.

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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.

We will not be drilling any rape until we have had a five, or better still, a six-year break

“

ll we needed was just another half day of dry weather to get the wheat finished. I cannot complain as we had a run of reasonable weather to get the majority into store. We never seem to be able to get the moisture below the magic 14.5%; it must be a consequence of farming in the wetter West, and so all bar about 200 tonnes has been over the dryer. Yields are what I would describe as a good average, somewhere between 8-8.5t/hectare, not spectacular but better than the three previous years. As ever, any hint of black-grass and output drops by at least a tonne or more per hectare. Our best crop has been JB Diego, which produced a good looking sample with some very high specific weights (78kg/hl). Our Relay yielded well (8.5t/ha), but the sample was not as good as the Diego. Our crops of Evolution have looked good all season but have produced some very poor specific weights (69-70kg/hl), which was a bit disappointing, especially as the variety was grown on some of our best fields, so not a contender in next year’s cropping plan. My fear of late-drilled wheat appears to be totally unfounded, as our best crop (JB Diego) was drilled during the last week in October. Grass-weed control was good, with just a pre-em and Atlantis (iodosulfuron + mesosulfuron) in the spring, which worked. I just hope we get an open autumn, which will allow us to do the same again. Our late-September drilled crops all had levels of black-grass in them as well as suffering from gout fly damage. At the time of writing, the third week in August, our winter beans are ready to combine and look promising with little sign of any bruchid beetle damage. However, our black-grass control

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

in the crop has not been good, even after an autumn application of Kerb (propyzamide) and a spring application of Laser (cycloxydim), so much so I might even go for spring wheat on some fields to give time to clear up the black-grass. Spring beans Our spring beans will not even be ready to be desiccated until the end of August, so it looks like a mid- to late-September harvest for them. Our spring-sown wheats, Belepi and Tybalt, could really have done with an August heatwave as it is probably going to be mid-September before they ripen. The ears are big and so are the grains but they are still very green. I am sure this will ensure a bumper yield... Usually our spring wheat is ready for harvest as soon as we have finished the winter crop, but this year it has just kept on growing; it will be followed by spring beans so it’s not a problem. I have stuck to my resolve not to plant any winter oilseed rape, but obviously my neighbours think differently, with large areas being planted over the last week. I cannot see how a positive margin could be made out of the crop, with forward prices of £235/t for harvest 2016.

Belepi is still some weeks away from harvest.

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TALKING ARABLE

Neighbours have planted large areas of winter oilseed rape on their farms over the last week.

Black-grass flowering in last week of August.

I know we have grown OSR too often over the last two decades and I am sure this is why we have seen yields plateau at about 3.5t/ha, so we will not be drilling any rape until we have had a five, or better still, a six-year break between plantings. The question then is what to grow instead and looking at present commodity prices the best option is probably nothing, a winter/early spring fallow to clear up any black-grass followed by summer fertility building cover crop, then back into winter wheat.

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: Silty-clay-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)

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SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

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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.

We are one of the fortunate ones to have access to neonicotinoidtreated seed

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arvest finally got under way with the winter barley on July 21. Early results were below average as off the first sandy field we yielded 8.4 tonnes/hectare with a very low bushel of 61kg/hl. The second and subsequent heavier fields proved more exciting, with an improved bushel of 66kg/hl and significantly improved yields. Some 51mm of rain over the fourth weekend of July slowed progress. However, the oilseed rape finally fell under the combine knife on July 28 at Boughton, with an expected below-average yield of 4.45t/ha. The first field to be cut at Toddington yielded a disappointing 3.91t/ha due to this field suffering badly from verticillium wilt and as a consequence will now remain rape-free for several years. The balance of the rape was a mixed bag, with DK Extrovert averaging 4.18t/ha and the one field of Popular 3.66t/ha. I would almost describe the amount of flea beetle coming into the farmyard as biblical, with hundreds of millions of these insects, which have been hoovered up by the combine, everywhere. The neonicotinoid issue rumbles on. The emergency derogation for our area is welcomed; we are one of the fortunate ones to have access to neonicotinoid-treated seed which will prevent us from having to spray the rape every four days like last year. Oilseed rape drilling started on August 18, with RAGT variety Alizze being trialled against old stalwart DK Extrovert, which will make up the remainder of the acreage.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

Milling wheats were desiccated during the last two days of July, which evened up the crop making for easier threshing, protection of hagbergs and, more importantly, straw chopping. Straw crops are generally on the large size here at Toddington, so ensuring the crop is dead so it gives a good quality chop is vital as this is the first part of the cultivation process. There has been much talk in the press about spraying off milling wheat with glyphosate pre-harvest. This is a practice we have been doing for several years now for the reasons already stated and for us may prove problematic should we be prevented from doing it in the future.

Flea beetle are everywhere, but the farm is within the derogation zone for use of neonicotinoid-treated seed.

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TALKING ARABLE Gallant wheat was combined under blue skies as England won an emphatic fourth Test victory over the Aussies to regain the Ashes – a true British summer. Yields are good, as is the quality. Skyfall yields and quality too are excellent, but the straw is more of an issue here, which I hope will not prove too problematic for the following rape crop. The contract 74ha of JB Diego wheat was swallowed up in a day and a half, allowing us to head over to Lidlington to cut the Leeds over there before making our way back home again. Exceeding expectations Our new Phillip Watkins cultivator has performed superbly, with its newlydesigned high clearance subsoiler legs in addition to our own choice of a third set of discs just in front of the DD packer. We also have the option of changing the DD packer for the large packer should conditions become less favourable. Very few machines arrive on-farm which exceed all my expectations, however this machine certainly does. It produces an excellent, tilth-laden, level finish – this machine has taken us to the next level in cultivation on our heavy soils. Margins look like they will be tight again this year depending on your particular cost of production. One area which gripes with me is the price of new machinery, which just keeps on increasing year-on-year, with some of our machines costing double what they did seven years ago. This going forward is simply unsustainable as machinery represents a huge cost to the business and could genuinely become unaffordable which may mean other options like revamping older kit, contract hire or employing a contractor, becoming more attractive in the future.

The new cultivator is performing well, taking cultivations on the farm’s heavy soils to the next level.

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

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

15:49

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TALKING ARABLE

IAIN Green

Iain Green farms in partnership with his parents Jimmy and Nan Green at Garmouth, Morayshire. He is a past president of the council of the British Simmental Cattle Society and the Royal Northern Agricultural Society.

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Straw yields have been good and conditions allowed us to get all the winter barley tidied up quickly

inter barley harvest started here on August 2, 18 days later than last year. The lightest soil yielded the best, averaging 9.71 tonnes/hectare at 16.1% moisture. Some areas of heavier ground should have been ripped out and drilled with spring barley. It was just too wet in the autumn and cold in the spring for these fields. Straw yields have been good and conditions allowed us to get all the winter barley tidied up quickly. We have drilled stubble turnips into some fields for the spring-calving cows to graze over the winter. We have been extremely lucky in this area with dry weather. While rolling the ground after the stubble turnips were sown it was almost impossible to see the tractor for dust. I am almost terrified to say it is such a contrast from last year, where at this time we had received 211mm of rain over 14 days. We started cutting spring barley on August 20. The first fields have been Maresi on lighter soils and have performed well, averaging 7.12t/ha at 17.8% with plenty of straw. Although it has been dry at home, it has been very mixed weather in the surrounding areas and everywhere has had a lack of sunshine this summer. Finally we did have some sun which has allowed us to make hay. It is the worst crop to get right but thankfully it was cut on the Monday, baled on the Thursday and finished on the Friday, with only the last fields getting a few showers of rain. We have had a busy but very successful

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show season this year, with five of our local shows being held over two weeks. As well as these local shows and the Royal Highland Show we attended another three, bringing the total to nine this summer. It has been a huge amount of work for our pedigree stockman who has made an excellent job in bringing the whole team out. Our most success came from one of our stock bulls, which was breed champion at six shows and inter-breed champion at two. My eldest daughter, Laura on her holidays from agricultural college took her own herd to the shows. Her first home-bred heifer did very well at the Highland Show, where she was reserve junior female champion, and continued picking up prizes on the local circuit throughout the season. This year for the first time my middle daughter, Jemma, has also been attending with her pedigree Texel sheep and had a tremendous season, winning numerous firsts, two breed championships and a reserve interbreed title with her ram lamb which is going to be sold at Lanark. Shop window Despite the shows being a lot of work it is our shop window for our stock and we have had good fun during the season. I was honoured to host one of the farm visits in our area by the International Farm Youth Exchange organisation which was hosting its 57th European Conference in Moray this year. I attended its opening ceremony which was very enjoyable and interesting talking to delegates of all ages from throughout Europe and beyond. They

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TALKING ARABLE

Winter barley harvest is under way, 18 days later than last year, with the lightest soil yielding 19:18 Page the 1 best, averaging 9.71 tonnes/hectare.

were all very interested in our local agricultural industry.

Weather forecast As I write this article, on August 24, and look at the forecast, which is very mixed for the next couple of weeks, I worry how we will get everything done with still another 540ha of cereals to harvest, as well as all autumn drilling of grass-seed and winter crops. I can only hope the forecast is wrong and the weather is kind to us and allows us to harvest everything successfully.

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

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BUSINESS MARKET ANALYSIS High world wheat production is driving down prices, according to consulting firm ODA UK.

Bumper harvests put prices under pressure Wheat

ore detailed figures about wheat availability are now coming in, with this year being marked by high world wheat production. The USDA has even increased its estimate by five million tonnes to a new record. France is no exception, with operators forecasting a record production level. Agreste is looking at 39.3mt. FranceAgriMer has an even higher production estimate of 40.4mt, which we feel is high, so for now we are staying with 39.4mt. Harvest is in full swing in the UK, with some interruption due to heavy rainfall, although yields to date are promising and there are good protein levels in milling wheat. The UK market has responded with the

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

Promising yields from the good harvest, which is in full swing in the UK, are exerting downward pressure on prices.

lowest milling premium since 2013. Indeed, the overall production level is reflected on the market. Euronext is feeling the pressure, especially on nearby expiry. Export outlets to third countries are not being favoured at the moment. French wheat is currently finding outlets to Europe to be consumed in place of maize because wheat is more competitive than imported maize in northern Europe. The harvests are beginning in Canada, one of the last countries to harvest in the Northern Hemisphere. The weather market is now shifting to the Southern Hemisphere: In Argentina and Brazil, El Nino is influencing the weather. Eastern Argentina and southern Brazil have received 100-200mm of precipitation over the last two weeks. The wheat has already been

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affected and the losses could reach 300-500,000t, which is still quite low when compared to the excellent world harvest. In Australia, however, there are no signs of an El Nino effect on the weather. Some precipitation is in fact forecast for the east of the country. Feed barley Most English winter barley is now cut and yields are encouraging. On the continent post-harvest pressure plus cover taken by shippers has resulted in the discount between feed barley delivered Rouen and the wheat futures market moving from €11/t (£8.06/t) to €20/t (£14.65/t) for delivery in October/December. This increase is mainly the result of a slowdown in exports and the discount is now likely to stabilise. Given the high cost

of maize, which has been caused by a fall in the forecasts for the French, and more generally European, barley is likely to become more attractive in animal feed manufacture. On the European market, the issue of European barley export certificates has fallen to 161,000t this week against an average of 335,000t since the beginning of the campaign. Barley sales, however, are still 76% up on last year. Oilseed rape Weak soya, weak demand for rapeseed and the potential for a better-than-expected harvest in Canada are bringing pressure to bear on prices The harvest is drawing to a close in Europe and although it will be a while before official figures are published, particularly for central Europe, we feel

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MARKET ANALYSIS BUSINESS What to watch rWheat: Weather conditions in the Southern Hemisphere and the progress of harvests in Canada and Russia rOSR: Harvest progress in Canada and Russia, theoretical crushing margins in Europe, the weather in Australia and a range of economic factors, including the dollar, crude oil, oils market and rapeseed/ wheat price ratio rMaize: US yield potential, French competitiveness and the wheat-maize spread the 2015 harvest will retain its level of 21mt. At the same time, the theoretical crushing margins have collapsed to under €30/t (£21.98/t). It is therefore reasonable to think the factories are currently idling or crushing soya. This is all the more likely given palm-based biodiesel is now more competitive than rapeseed-based biodiesel, enough to slow demand a little further. In Canada, the market is now quite generally looking at a production level of 13-13.75mt, although the end-of-season rains seem to have had a positive effect, with crop condition improving. Furthermore, the first cuts are regularly showing yields which are above expectations. Support from Canadian canola therefore seems more limited. In Ukraine, harvest pressure has been put back by delays with the harvest, but this is now drawing to a close and exports are getting under way. In Russia, the level of progress which has been made would suggest the country’s harvest could therefore reach 1.3mt, an increase of 150,000t. This change will allow the risks for Europe’s import potential to

ease, especially as the risks are minimal in Australia. In the longer term, a large area from western Ukraine to Hungary via Poland, has dry weather. Furthermore, the rapeseed/wheat price ratio is well under two for the 2016 harvest. Lower prices are therefore joining forces with weather constraints and we are looking at a further fall in the global rapeseed acreage. Maize Maize production is the subject of much debate in Europe: if the problems in France are well-known, production levels in central Europe are less well understood. European production could be down by 15% on last year. This fall will be partly offset by the consumption of wheat, to the detriment of maize, given wheat costs the same as maize in the consumption regions. Soybeans Soybean prices fell after publication of the USDA’s report. As we have stated previously, the US production level anticipated by the market for the USDA’s report has proved to be unrealistic. With regard to weather vagaries, we still believe the market is over-estimating the effects which the vast majority of them will have on yields. Elsewhere in the world, we note a sharp increase in India’s acreage to 11.2m hectares; this is a 4% increase on last year and a 13% increase on the fiveyear average. The weather is still generally very favourable. India is therefore likely to return to the international meal market with the arrival of the 2015 harvest in November/ December. Lastly, exports are still very buoyant in South America. The supply of beans and meal is therefore way above normal levels for this time of year.

With the current high cost of maize, barley is likely to become more attractive to animal feed manufacturers, reports ODA.

Overview rWheat: Despite the presence of El Nino, weather risks are limited in the Southern Hemisphere. The scale of harvest is likely to continue bringing pressure to bear on prices in the short-term, the outlook being for them to remain stable or fall rFeed barley: After falling sharply because of a decline in export demand, barley prices are likely to benefit from the increase in domestic requirements. We therefore expect some stability, if not a fall in its discount over wheat rOSR: Rapeseed is likely to be driven down in the wake

of the soya complex, oils (which are themselves guided by crude oil) and lower demand. In the longer term, this crop’s loss of attractiveness is likely to lead to further reductions in the 2016/17 acreage, but time will be needed for this factor to be reflected in prices rSoybean: Demand is the last real supporting factor for soya rMaize: There is already pronounced rationing on the maize market; with the wheat-maize spread very low. The slight pressure we are expecting to see on wheat is likely to spread to maize

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BUSINESS FEATURE British potato growers may have planted their smallest area ever, but in many parts of the developing world the crop is being seen as an essential way of feeding growing populations. Cedric Porter reports from the World Potato Congress in China.

Growing potatoes’ potential in China

he World Potato Congress is held every three years. In 2012 the conference of growers, processors, academics and government representatives came to Edinburgh. This year it was held 50 miles north of the Chinese capital Beijing. The Chinese government used the event as an opportunity to confirm its intention to make the potato a staple food to rival wheat and rice as the country strives to feed its massive and increasingly wealthy population.

China has to feed a fifth of the world’s population on just a tenth of its arable land. It produces 600 million tonnes of grain a year, but that still means it needs to import 100m tonnes (mainly soya and wheat). It is already the world’s largest producer of potatoes at 100m tonnes a year (30% of world plantings), although less than 70% of that figure is used for human consumption. The Chinese government wants to increase output by more than 50% and increase consumption from 40kg a

Regular Arable Farming contributor and Supply Intelligence director Cedric Porter was among the speakers at this year’s World Potato Congress.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

The Chinese Government took the opportunity to confirm its intention to make the potato a staple food to rival wheat and rice.

head per year to 60kg/head/ year by 2050. Dongyu Qu, vice-Minister of agriculture and chairman of the Potato Association of China told the Congress in a recent plan specific regions of China were identified as being suitable to increase potato production, with other regions targeted for developing the production of other crops. “One area which China will be focusing on is developing yields,” said Mr Qu. “Current Chinese potato yields are about 17t a hectare, with the Government aiming for a 50% increase in that figure.” To put that in context, yields in the main western European countries (including the UK) and North America average more than 40t/ha. Input and labour challenges The challenges facing potato growers in China are similar to those facing growers elsewhere,

according to Professor Ke Binsheng, of the China Agricultural University. “One is the cost of production with input costs rising over the long-term. However, the biggest cost challenge is labour, with a rapid loss of people from rural areas to the cities. This is inevitably leading to the use of more mechanisation and the consolidation of production into fewer but larger farms.” The exhibition at the congress demonstrated how China is using a variety of technical solutions to meet its aim of increasing output. There was plenty of interest in the latest six row Grimme and DeWulf self-propelled harvesters, but also just as much attention to a hand-guided petrol-driven onerow harvester. Elsewhere, western companies manufacturing entry-level sorting and processing equipment were signing up orders. Congress delegates visited a modern potato farm attached to

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FEATURE BUSINESS a new processing plant 200 miles north of Beijing. The operation is owned by Chinese firm Snowvalley which farms 10,000ha of potatoes in all. It has a 70 variety-strong breeding programme and yields consistently average 45t/ha, with strategic use of irrigation. Snowvalley has signed a joint venture with the largest European-owned processing company Aviko worth £60m and parts of a new processing plant are due to be opened this year. The 33ha site will house a 130,000t capacity storage facility and a 9,100sq.m processing factory which will produce 100,000t of French fries and 10,000t of flakes a year. The company works closely with a local state-of-the-art baby milk dairy plant to allow fodder crops to be included in potato rotations, for waste to be shared in anaerobic digesters and resulting fertilisers used back on the fields. Changing consumption Frozen potato product consumption (mainly fries or chips) is still very immature in China. US restaurants McDonald’s and (especially) KFC have a strong presence in the country, but average consumption is just 0.2kg a year compared to a world average of 1.57kg and a European and US average of X

British connection JThe increase in potato production around the world could provide opportunities for the British potato industry. Markets such as China and India are too far away to ship fresh potatoes to and the UK is dependent on imports of fries or chips. But the UK does export 130,000t of seed potatoes to more than 60 countries across the world, including some in Asia, with Egypt buying 60,000t. AHDB Potatoes director Rob Clayton was in China for the congress. He said: “There are opportunities for British potato equipment companies to sell technology to developing potato markets, while there could be significant seed potato opportunities in the future. Scotland’s reputation for quality seed is high around the world and in particular its SASA quality scheme.” It may take some time for British seed to be shipped to China as the UK and Chinese governments still have to sign an export agreement. It is something the potato industry (including AHDB Potatoes) is working on.

JKIJGUV [KGNFKPI XCTKGV[ QP VJG 2)41 TGEQOOGPFGF .KUV

www.lgseeds.co.uk/ www.lgseeds.co.uk/tundra Rothwell, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, LN7 6DT

This year’s World Potato Congress was held 50 miles north of Beijing.

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Tel: 01472 371471 www.lgseeds.co.uk enquiries@limagrain.co.uk

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BUSINESS FEATURE about 14kg. As well as Aviko, other western processors including Lamb Weston (part of Conagra) and Farm Frites have also entered joint ventures with Chinese companies. These investments will increase national fry production capacity to at least 450,000t. China is also importing nearly 130,000t of fries. It will be interesting to see if the extra capacity within China leads to a reduction in import demand. Traditional dishes Despite an increase in demand for western potato dishes such as fries or mash, China’s growing appetite for potatoes is likely to be focused on more traditional dishes, with potato

flour used to replace rice and wheat ingredients to make noodles and buns which are the backbone of many people’s diets. A display of the types of products which could be made from potatoes featured strongly at the congress. All made by Chinese company Xisen, dishes included cookies, noodles, pasta, juice and even ice cream. However, there could be a significant hurdle to using potatoes to replace other ingredients – cost. Currently a tonne of potato flour costs about £1,000/t in China, which is at least three times as much as wheat or rice flour, but greater use of potato flour might reduce that difference.

Chinese business Snowvalley grows 10,000 hectares of potatoes, has access to irrigation and is achieving yields of 45 tonnes/ha.

Potato’s profile rises JIt is not just China which is turning to the potato as a way of feeding its population. India has also committed to increase consumption from 34.5kg/head/year now to 48.5kg/head/year by 2050, with a programme of variety and yield development in place. If India’s ambitions are met then it will rival China as the largest producer of potatoes in the world. Addressing the World Potato Congress, Zhongjun Zhang, a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s representative in China said the potato can play a very important role in feeding hungry people around the world as the population heads towards 9.5 billion by 2050. “The potato is ideally suited to places where land is limited and labour abundant – conditions which characterise much of the developing world. The potato produces more nutritious food more quickly, on less land and in harsher climates than any other major crop. Up to 85% of the plant

is edible food, compared to just 50% in cereals. “Consumption of potatoes in developing countries is still less than a quarter of that in Europe, but all evidence suggests it will increase strongly in the future.” So what does this mean for potato production? World Potato Markets has made some informed but inexact calculations. These suggest world production will increase by 53% to 577m tonnes by 2050. Increase Both China and India have announced their intention to increase potato production and consumption significantly through to 2050 and beyond. Using those intentions and 2050 population estimates, then both countries are likely to be producing a similar volume of 118m tonnes and 115m tonnes respectively. If they continue to account for around three-quarters of Asian output between them, then Asian production is likely to be about 315m tonnes by 2050.

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Predicted potato production in 2050 in million tonnes

Source: FAO

A larger African population and higher potato consumption should mean the continent has joined the 100m tonnes a year club by then, with output similar to Europe which is likely to see reduced consumption due to its smaller population and changes in eating habits. North American output may have risen 5m tonnes to 30m tonnes, with a 10m tonne jump in South America to 25m tonnes. Oceanian output may increase by 1m tonnes to nearly 3m tonnes.

An increase in potato yields or a switch from other crops will have to occur if the increase in potato production is to take place. Currently there is a massive gap between the average yields of developed and developing markets. Yields in North America, the major five EU countries and Oceania are consistently above 40t/ha, but elsewhere they are half that. Countries will have to be aiming for yields of at least 30t/ha if production goals are to be met.

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TALKING AGRONOMY

CHRIS Martin

High yields partially compensating for dismal prices Many farms in the region have drilled next year’s rape crop before harvesting last year’s

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t the time of writing a very unwelcome spell of unsettled weather has interrupted a promising start to harvest in the North East. Most barley has been harvested now and yields have been pleasing, with some farmers experiencing higher yields than achieved from first wheats over the last two seasons. It has also come off fairly dry, minimising drying charges – a massive bonus in this region. Oilseed rape yields to date have also been encouraging, however, with many fields still to harvest, it is to be hoped the weather improves quickly. By the time you are reading this we should be in full flow with the wheat harvest. I have never seen crops with so much green material left at this stage, which has to bode well, so fingers crossed for a good harvest too, to at least partially compensate for the dismal prices. While the rain has frustrated combine drivers, it has been ideal for recentlysown oilseed rape crops. Many farms in the region have drilled next year’s crop before harvesting last year’s. Most of these have gone into nearly ideal seedbeds, and now with plenty of moisture, they have the perfect opportunity to jump out of the ground and away from flea beetle and slugs.

Opportunity If, as a result of this early sowing, crops get away in the back end, with the recent autumn and split dose approval of Caryx (mepiqaut chloride + metconazole), growers have the opportunity to apply a genuine growth regulator to forward crops in autumn in order to manipulate canopies and reduce lodging risks. As a rough guide, if crops are going to reach 25cm or more in height before winter sets in, then they are likely to benefit

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from an application of Caryx at the 4-6 leaf stage. Despite giving oilseed rape seeds the best possible start, it is vitally important emerging fields should be monitored regularly for the tell-tale signs of ‘shot-holing’ in the leaf indicating the presence of flea beetle, particularly with no neonicotinoid seed dressing being permitted in the region. Notorious ‘sluggy’ areas should also be closely monitored as the mild wet weather can quickly trigger a slug population explosion. With the Tillage Live event taking place in the region in the middle of September at Crofton-Tees, there is a lot of discussion regarding cultivation techniques, and particularly the theory of using ‘sun-powered roots’ rather than iron to restructure soils. On the back of this there has been a surge in growers using cover crops prior to spring cropping to improve both soil structure and soil organic matter while also trapping nutrients over winter. This technique is growing in popularity even more in areas of difficult grass-weeds, as the correct well-managed cover crop can significantly reduce grass-weed burdens without the use of selective herbicides, as well providing all the soil health benefits. Another area increasing in popularity which will be demonstrated at Tillage Live is growers sowing berseem clover as a companion plant among their oilseed rape crops in order to improve establishment and early rooting of the OSR crops, as well as improving soil structure and soil organic matter.

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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BEST PRACTICE GUIDE

Making the Most of Out-of-Crop Weed Control Acute financial, time and herbicide resistance pressures make the most effective glyphosate control of problem weeds outside the growing crop more essential than ever this autumn. Equally essential for sustained control is the most effective management to guard against the development of glyphosate resistance. Key Considerations Top Black-grass Stale Seedbed Tips

• Delay drilling for as long as possible to give time for the greatest pre-planting weed emergence and kill.

• Aim for two good pre-planting treatments with a modern Roundup formulation.

• Make every stubble application count with the best combination of cultivation and glyphosate treatment.

• Shallow cultivate as soon after combining as possible.

• Use the right rate of the most effective & flexible glyphosate as dose rates, efficacy and labels vary widely between products.

• Consolidate well to maximise moisture retention and weed seed-to-soil contact. • Spray-off emerging weeds at the earliest opportunity.

• Do not reduce active ingredient rates when adding adjuvants as they will not make up for insufficient glyphosate in most situations. • Apply glyphosate in the most effective way, with the right water volumes, the correct nozzles and at the right timing.

Get the most sustainable weed control & flexibility you need this autumn with a modern Roundup formulation Label approval for multiple stubble applications (up to 1800 g/ha) Performance proven under challenging conditions Rainfast in 1 hour on annual grass weeds 6 hour cultivation interval for annual grass weeds Label approval for a post planting, pre-em application

• Re-cultivate lightly and press again to get a second weed flush to spray off before drilling. • Include Roundup with the pre-em herbicide if drilling more than a few days after the last spray.

USE PESTICIDES SAFELY. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND PRODUCT INFORMATION BEFORE USE www.monsanto-ag.co.uk Technical Helpline: 01954 717575 Roundup contains glyphosate. Roundup is a Registered Trademark of Monsanto LLC © Monsanto UK Ltd 2015

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TALKING AGRONOMY

SARAH Symes

To apply a pre-em or not?

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It has been very clear this year we are struggling to protect septoriasusceptible varieties

nother season has got off to a roaring start, with the undeterred oilseed rape growers planting from the third week of August and the debate of whether to apply a pre-em or not high on the agenda. The large initial spend has put many growers off, coupled with the 750g stewardship limit on metazachlor, which although not a legal requirement, is something we should be paying attention to if we all wish to use it in the future. However, much like peas and beans, postemergence control of broad-leaved weeds in particular is extremely limited, especially now Galera (clopyralid + picloram) can only be used from March 1. A pre-emergence application of metazachlor and quinmerac will give the best control of broad-leaved weeds and clomazone can be added to boost cleaver and hedge mustard control. Flea beetle, of course, plays a part in this decision as the crop can be destroyed by them before it even comes up, although our area was fortunate not to suffer badly last year. Growers with OSR around grain stores should be extra vigilant as we have reports of heaps almost moving with them during warm days during harvest, and they then of course migrate into crops once sown. However, the recent cooler temperatures and rain have slowed their progress and where volunteers have appeared in stubble we have seen little damage so far, although I expect this to change once the weather warms up again. There is still plenty of wheat left to be harvested along with spring barley and a seemingly large acreage of beans. Cereal yields have been extremely good, with many growers averaging more than 11 tonnes/hectare on wheat and 10t/ha winter barley. Much like last year, the only disappointment has been relatively low wheat proteins, which have been hovering around the 12.5% mark. Oilseed rape yields have provided us again with a mixed bag, with closeness of rotation

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partly to blame for the lower yields, It has not taken us long to find verticillium wilt in stubbles where the crop is grown one year in three. Despite achieving good wheat yields this year there is one lesson which can be learnt, and that is to grow varieties with a 6 rating for resistance septoria. It has been very clear this year we are struggling to protect septoria-susceptible varieties. In what has been labelled a low disease year there are some crops out there which had high levels of infection late on in the season. SDHI fungicides can only economically work as part of a strategy and we should not rely on them to provide us with control throughout the whole season. We expect early-drilled wheat and barley to be planted from September 15, so pre-emergence sprays are being planned using a full rate of flufenacet (240g/ha) as a base for black-grass control. Baited traps Slugs will need to be monitored with baited traps as pressure will be high if the weather remains mild and unsettled. All our cereals are dressed with Deter (clothianidin) as this will give some seed hollowing control to begin with, along with aphid control. Now methiocarb has been revoked, the pressure has been piling on metaldehyde usage. Only treat areas in which the threshold of four-plus slugs has been reached in a layers mash-baited trap. The stewardship level is still 210g ai/ha from August 1 until December 31, so be mindful of quantity applied in one application if you are hoping to go back with a second application. Farms in catchments where high levels of metaldehyde are regularly found should consider using ferric phosphate-based pellets instead, or at least use metaldehyde once before switching to these.

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

SAM Patchett

Signing off on a high note

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It definitely hasn’t been a low septoria season

he slings and arrows of uncertain politics, prices and precipitation mean plenty enough arable challenges to face as another cropping year approaches at the gallop. Even so, I couldn’t think of a better note on which to sign off my Talking Agronomy stint than this autumn. For a Yorkshireman it doesn’t get much sweeter than putting Australian cricket in its place; my only regret being forfeiting a first day seat at Trent Bridge for the chance of combining, and having to follow the Ashes-winning morning in texts from my mother and sister at the ground. While we still have most of our wheat to bring in as I write in mid-August, this year’s harvest is proving every bit as satisfying as the cricket. I’ve had more people averaging 10 tonnes/ hectare from their winter barleys than ever before. And specific weights are well into the mid- and high 60s – even among six rows. Plenty of radiation, enough moisture and timely agronomy have paid dividends with our winter oilseed rape too. Despite the highest-ever early season light leaf spot forecast, most crops are up on the long-term average at 4t/ha or so when grown every three to four years and pushing 5t/ha in six- to eight-year rotations. One field of difficult ground previously in-grass before a wheat crop last year, for instance, gave us 4.9t/ha from September-sowing into a far from perfect seedbed. It definitely hasn’t been a low septoria season, mainly due to high levels of the carryover from last year. Robust early treatment and one SDHI fungicide, if not two, in our wheat programmes have paid off in green leaf retention, though. This and good summer mois-

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ture levels means the harvest is again on the late side. But with crops a long time in the ear and not assailed by any prolonged heatwave, early yields and quality are looking every bit as good as the barley. We’re also seeing some phenomenal spring cereal yields. Nor are the relatively large acreages of beans we have in the ground this season looking bad, although it will be into September before they’re fit to harvest. So, all-in-all, it’s shaping up to be a good cropping year. This is just as well, with wheat and barley prices languishing at barely half the level they were when I first started writing this column. Thankfully, this autumn also seems full of promise for the new cropping season, with good soil moisture levels for stubble weed control and crop establishment – providing they’re not lost by inappropriate cultivation, that is. Winter OSR continues to be our preferred cereal break, mainly because the alternatives don’t stack up economically or organisationally in most cases. Having said that, we don’t want to be growing it more than every four to five years for the future and we’ll be using fast-developing hybrids for any September sowings after wheat. Septoria will remain our number one wheat management priority, with variety selection and matching varieties to drilling slots critical. We’ll also be making the best use of today’s high yielding bread wheats to extend our marketing options without having to spend much more to do so. Equally, I’m sure we’ll be re-discovering the finer points of spring cropping. As I set aside the privilege of sharing my views and thoughts with you, I can only hope these musings have helped you see a little more of the wood from the trees in your crop production.

Agronomist facts rSam Patchett is an Agrii agronomist based in Yorkshire. He provides agronomy, crop nutrition and seed services to clients growing cereals, oilseed rape, maize and fodder beet across West and South Yorkshire and also helps run Agrii’s Brotherton R&D site near Selby

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Did you know? Arable Farming reaches further and deeper into the arable farming sector than any other title in G.B. Visit http://www.farmersguardian.com/research to view our latest independent media research.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

AF Sep p26 Roots TR EP_Layout 1 27/08/2015 11:29 Page 1

TALKING AGRONOMY ROOTS

DARRYL Shailes

Until we know more it’s always going to be quite a challenge to control this increasingly problematic disease

“

2015 is a big alternaria year

s we approach the end of the growing season, alternaria has been a topic of conversation across the country. In mid-August the AHDB potatoes Fight against Blight maps only showed about 20 red dots (which are used to show confirmed blight incidents) across the whole country. It would be interesting to compare an alternaria map if there was one, as I’m sure that would be full of red dots with large amounts of infection up and down the country. Within our business we have asked our team of potato agronomists to report alternaria infections, and it’s pretty clear this year is a big alternaria year, with symptoms being reported up and down the country from Cornwall to Scotland, East Anglia to Shropshire and all points in between. In addition to this we have also asked for varietal info and it appears most varieties seem to be affected to some extent, not just the classics like Vivaldi and Markies. It also interesting to note where we have had the samples tested in the laboratory there has been a high level of alternaria solani which can be the more damaging of the two species, especially if the infection occurs early in the crop’s life. This contrasts to 2013, where we also had high levels of infection but it was all alternaria alternata. Even the spore traps which monitored our trial site only caught A. alternata in that year. Last year our trials run by John Kerr, Holbeach, did have some significant A. solani infections, but not until September, when the weather was still warm and we had significant humidity and periods of leaf wetness. We’ve seen in the trials materials containing difenconazole do a good job of controlling A. solani, but until

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

we know more about the disease life cycle and varietal susceptibility it’s difficult to target the applications with great accuracy. With the increasing number of newer varieties – especially in the processing sector – it makes sense to regard them all as susceptible as currently we’ve no other information on which to judge. Control Chemical control of alternaria has therefore been a struggle and even where the best products have been applied it’s difficult to say how well they’ve worked, as there are still plenty of leaves which are carrying significant infection with an overall yellowing of the canopy and signs of early senescence. In most instances this is on mature canopies on less robust soils, but not in all cases. It’s not easy to pin down what the actual effect on yields will be, as many of the infections have come in when the crops are mature with good tuber yields already formed. But it’s having some effect, as the loss of photosynthetic capacity will always reduce the yield to some extent. We’ve had some hot weather this summer and it would appear this has been the trigger, particularly when it’s been combined with periods of leaf wetness. Potato blight needs considerable periods of leaf wetness for the spore to be able to germinate and infect the potato leaves, but we suspect alternaria needs a lot less. It may be the brief periods of heavy rain we had in July and – even irrigation – may play a role in A. solani development, much more so than potato blight. There is quite a lot R&D effort going on in various places in the UK, not least our own work, and this should give us more insight into this problem over the next few years. In the meantime, until we know more it’s always going to be quite a challenge to control this increasingly problematic disease.

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 Sep p28 Flufenacet TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 10:20 Page 1

FEATURE WEED CONTROL

Flufenacet is the cornerstone of pre-emergence herbicide programmes for black-grass control in winter cereals, but will its increasing use mean resistance issues down the line? Teresa Rush reports.

Flufenacet under threat? fficial pesticide usage data highlights the rise in flufenacet’s popularity. Its use increased 10-fold in the 12 years from 2002 to 2014, according to Fera/Defra pesticide usage survey figures, with the sprayed area rising from 0.17 million hectares to 1.7m ha over the period. This autumn, for the first time, it will be available as a straight active ingredient, although its use in mixture with suitable partner herbicides is advised. In agrochemical terms, increasing use can often lead to selection for resistance in weed populations, as evidenced by ALS and fop and dim materials. But while resistance to flufenacet has been recorded, overall it is seen as being a low resistance risk herbicide, says grassweed expert Dr Stephen Moss, of Stephen Moss Consulting. Results from several trials over a number of years support this view. Dr Moss highlights a

Flufenacet rMode of action: Long chain fatty acid inhibitor rNumber of resistance species identified: Four rResistance risk: Low Source: Heap, 2014

Using a selection of other pre-emergence herbicides in addition to flufenacet is reducing selection for resistance, says Stephen Moss.

series of experiments conducted at Rothamsted Research between 2006 and 2009, in which pre-emergence herbicides flufenacet, pendimethalin, diflufenican and prosulfocarb were tested at 75% maximum field rate on five black-grass populations with known resistance status, ranging from susceptible to highly resistant. Control with 180g/ha flufenacet (75% of field rate) ranged from 99% of a Rothamsted-susceptible population to 88% of a highly resistant population (see table, below). Dr Moss says: “Of the four active ingredients [ais] studied, flufenacet was the most effective and least affected by resistance. “There was a much smaller drop-off in the efficacy of flufenacet. I am not saying flufe-

Control of five black-grass populations by pre-em herbicides (in containers, 2007/08)

% reduction in plant numbers relative to untreated (Dec 2007) ROTH-S Partially-R* Highly-R* 36 22 14 80 44 18 93 63 33 99 96 88

Herbicide g/ha Diflufenican 45 Pendimethalin 900 Prosulfocarb 3000 Flufenacet 180 *Mean of two populations Source: Stephen Moss/Rothamsted Research

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

Main pre-emergence herbicides used in UK rFlufenacet rPendimethalin rProsulfocarb rFlupyrsulfuron rDiflufenican rTriallate rChlorotoluron

Resistance occurs to all these herbicides but is partial and appears to increase slowly Source: Stephen Moss Consulting nacet is unaffected by resistance but its performance is holding up.” Further work to investigate the potential for selection for resistance to flufenacet, funded by Defra and the Chemical Regulations Directorate and using baseline black-grass populations, field populations and herbicide-selected populations from Peldon, Essex, and Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, found it was possible to select for resistance under experimental conditions, but less easy to do so in the field.

Higher levels of control were achieved in Peldon and Colsterworth field populations, which had received six applications of flufenacet plus other herbicide active substances over six years (35 ais in total applied to the Peldon field population and 23 to the Colsterworth) compared to flufenacet-selected populations, which had received five applications of flufenacet over five years. “Despite this very heavy use of the herbicide we have not seen a drop-off with flufenacet. This implies we have not got the same type of selection going on. By using a range of different herbicides pre-emergence we are reducing selection for resistance,” says Dr Moss. Slight decline Moreover, a compilation of efficacy data from 375 trials (489 data sets) conducted between 2001-2013 on control of blackgrass with flufenacet + pendimethalin or flufenacet + diflufenican found there had been only a very slight decline in flufenacet efficacy since it was introduced and no evidence of widespread resistance. The data was provided by Bayer CropScience, BASF, Syngenta and DuPont and showed a slight – less than 1% per annum – decline in efficacy over the period, which was not necessarily the result of resistance, says Dr Moss. “You haven’t got a very rapid change in the efficacy of flufenacet-based herbicides,” he says. “There has been only a very slight decline in flufenacet efficacy since it was introduced, there is no evidence of widespread resistance.”

AF Sep p29 30 31 Herbicide resistance TR EP_Layout 1 27/08/2015 11:34 Page 1

BASF provided 150 farmers with the opportunity to find out more about the resistance status of black-grass on their farms. Teresa Rush reports.

Assessing herbicide resistance

Resistance testing has helped shape strategies to stop the spread of resistant black-grass on farms struggling to control the weed.

n 2013 and 2014, in a bid to learn more about resistant black-grass on farms, BASF offered 150 growers the chance to have their black-grass tested for resistance free of charge. Not surprisingly the offer was swiftly snapped up and subsequently 58 farmers supplied detailed information on cultivations and choice of herbicide chemistry stretching back several years. The results were compared with the resistance status of the black-grass seed samples they submitted for testing. Herbicide resistance was widespread among the original 125 samples submitted to Adas for testing. Almost half (46%) of the samples were categorised as RR resistant (sub-optimal control from herbicides likely) or RRR (poor control likely) to all three resistance mechanisms. The enhanced metabolism resistance mechanism (EMR) was detected in 66% of samples, ACCase target site resistance (TSR) in 84% and ALS resistance in 75% of samples. Only 2% of samples were either completely susceptible or completely resistant. To identify the key drivers behind these results Adas research scientist Dr Sarah Cook, who collated the results, first examined primary cultivation regimes and sowing dates, which indicated the degree of cultural control employed. Three cultivation strategies were identified: min-till, mixed (plough and min-till) and plough. Dr Cook found, of fields from which samples were taken, min-till fields were cultivated in this way 89% of the time; mixed-till fields were min-tilled for 53% of the time and ploughed 45% and X

WEED CONTROL FEATURE

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SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

AF Sep p29 30 31 Herbicide resistance TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 10:21 Page 2

FEATURE WEED CONTROL ploughed fields were ploughed 90% of the time. Drilling date groups were defined as autumn-sown (growers who sowed most of their crops at this time – 93% of their acreage on average), or springsown (growers who sowed an appreciable portion of their crops at this time – 32% on average). This resulted in four cultivation/drilling date strategies: min-till/autumn-sown, mixedtill/autumn-sown; plough/ autumn-sown; plough/springsown. Dr Cook then scored these four groups for cultural and herbicide risk factors using Weed Research Action Group guidelines and combined the two audits to draw up an overall resistance risk for each of the four strategies. Grass-weed herbicide use figures across the rotation show min-tillers/autumn-sowers used a lot of herbicide – three applications per year – with fops, dims and sulfonylureas accounting for close to 50% of herbicide usage. Mixed tillage group The mixed tillage group was also very reliant on herbicides, with 3.25 applications/year and a high proportion of TSRprone actives. However, the amount of ploughing done by this group was enough to reduce the resistance risk to medium. Plough/spring-sowers used the least amount of herbicides at two applications/year and the equivalent of 0.85 applications of fops, dims and SUs. The test results reflected the different strategies, with more than 40% of samples from the autumn-sown min-till and mixed-till groups, showing all three types of resistance. This was slightly reduced where ploughing was introduced, although the number of samples with two resistance

mechanisms dropped significantly. The ploughing/spring cropping group showed a dramatic fall in multiple resistance. “Auditing the farmer groups and analysing the test results clearly demonstrates the relationship between cultural control/herbicide practice and resistance development, with TSR particularly reduced under the ploughing regimes,” says Dr Cook. “This highlights the value of all these strategies in helping to stop the spread of resistant black-grass on farms which are increasingly struggling to control the weed.”

Black-grass resistance testing conclusions r The more min-till, the higher the risk of resistance developing r Min-tillers used a lot of grass-weed active herbicides. Fops, dims and SUs – all subject to target site resistance – accounted for about half of min-tillers’ herbicide use r Only a small percentage of min-tillers and mixedtillers grew spring crops r Mixed-tillers were very reliant on TSR-prone

herbicide actives, but the amount of ploughing was enough to reduce the overall risk in this group r Plough/autumn-sowers used less herbicide and the equivalent of just one application of TSR-prone actives r Plough/spring sowers delivered the best result, using on average just two herbicides/year and the equivalent of 0.85 applications were fops, dims and SUs

Resistance survey growers JBASF recently contacted some of the farmers who took part in the resistance survey to find out how they were dealing with their resistance problems going forward. Farmer in Lincolnshire, resistance test results ALS RR, ACCase RR and EMR RR “I am growing as much spring cropping as I can within the three-crop rule. I am maximising sugar beet and spring wheat. I only grow winter wheat now on fields which have had three years of spring cropping. In severe black-grass fields, winter wheat yields slipped to 7.5t/ha or less. I am hoping for that in spring wheat now. “My message is a one-year break will make no difference to black-grass seed returns. You need at least a four- to five-year programme. Only by introducing three years of spring breaks can you start to see less black-grass in the crop. “Moving to spring cropping plus use of glyphosate precropping has been a radical but successful strategy but does make for a busy spring.”

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

Farmer in East Yorkshire, resistance test results ALS S, ACCase RR and EMR RR “I used a number of different measures. I have drilled wheat much later than normal (late-October) and this has resulted in much less black-grass. I have dropped winter barley from the rotation as the blackgrass control was not good enough. “I planted mustard as a cover crop to peas but found that the peas were damaged. I will be continuing to investigate these but only in front of cereals now. I am trying direct drilling of both wheat and rape this year too. “My main strategy against black-grass was increasing spring crops on the farm. In the past we had no spring crops at all. Now we have 15% of the area in spring wheat and rising.” Farmer in Dorset, resistance test results ALS RR, ACCase RR and EMR R? “Unfortunately the farm is not conducive to spring cropping as it is usually too dry. We are growing 15ha of spring

beans and the rest is wheat and rape. As part of the black-grass control strategy I am getting rid of second wheats and introducing winter barley in the hope black-grass will be lessened. “I am also introducing Avadex granules. This chemical has never been used on the farm, so I am hoping it will add significantly to the Crystal/Defy in the wheat programme. I am introducing Centurion Max in beans as well as AstroKerb in rape. “Because my black-grass is much less of a problem than in say, East Anglia, I feel changing some cropping and making sure I use a range of different chemistries should be enough. “I am also ploughing before wheat and barley to help bury seed and delaying drilling where I can. “In one field where blackgrass was bad, I sprayed it off with glyphosate in the standing crop. We caught it right before seed shed – I hope. I have done this before for rye-grass control but not for black-grass.”

AF Sep p29 30 31 Herbicide resistance TR EP_Layout 1 27/08/2015 11:35 Page 3

WEED CONTROL FEATURE

Winning the black-grass numbers game

JThere are essentially two black-grass control scenarios – low populations and high populations. Low populations are those with fewer than 10 plants/sq.m in the autumn or 100 heads/sq.m in the summer, while high populations are those above these counts. That is according to BASF East Midlands agronomy manager and farmer Ruth Stanley, who maintains the two scenarios require a different course of action. She also believes a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to black-grass is a must if populations are to be reduced. “What we would like to suggest is you split your field into low and high populations,” she says. For low populations, advice is to adopt a full range of cultural and agronomic practices. For high populations, Ms Stanley’s advice is: “Be brutal, a major change to the rotation/cultivations is needed.” In a low population scenario she suggests thinking about black-grass control as a pyramid, with cultural control at its base. “Cultural control needs to provide a solid base so herbicides can finish the job and provide sufficient control. Resistance to post-em modes of action is significantly affecting field performance. In general, the low resistance risk herbicides are the preems, so it is increasingly important to get the most out of them.”

Reduce black-grass Step one should aim to reduce the blackgrass population before drilling with stale seedbeds. The top 5cm of soil should be lightly stirred and rolled straight after, says Ms Stanley. Black-grass flushes should be sprayed off with glyphosate, before winter ploughing (plough no more than once in every three years and proper inversion is essential) or shallow cultivation depending on the black-grass population. Drilling should be delayed until October or later where possible. Pre-ems should be based on full rates of the three strongest actives: flufenacet, pendimethalin and diflufenican. Where there is difficult-to-control black-grass, Avadex (tri-allate) granules have a different mode of action and work in dry conditions. “We would recommend Avadex preemergence, then flufenacet + PDM + DFF peri-emergence,” says Ms Stanley.

Drilled October 28

Drilled December 9

Drilling on black-grass should be delayed where possible, says Ms Stanley, with the benefits clear to see.

Drilling and peri-emergence sprays should be thought of together, she adds. “If it is too dry, don’t drill. You should be

drilling and putting your peri-emergence on within 48 hours; the two should be thought of together.”

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

AF Sep p32 34 35 36 Grass-weed control TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 10:36 Page 1

FEATURE WEED CONTROL

Better application for grass-weed control Tri-allate is a useful tool in the battle against grass-weeds and a new generation of applicators has increased accuracy and boosted workrates. Jane Carley reports. s the battle on black-grass intensifies, the value of tri-allate (Avadex) in sequence with other actives is well recognised. According to Dr Dominic Lamb, of Avadex supplier Gowan, more of the product than ever before went onto farms last year and indications are for an even heavier

demand this coming autumn. It is important Avadex is applied accurately and granules are evenly applied across the boom width, he says. However, the granular product requires a specialist application kit and so the latest machines are designed to help growers achieve more consistent application across seedbeds and get the best out of the herbicide.

Horstine’s TMA4 has an individual metering system for each broadcast outlet, controlled by a Horstine Wizard automatic rate controller.

Techneat offers new Geoboom for its Avacast

JTechneat’s new Geoboom for its Avacast trailed Avadex applicators incorporates a twin-point geometric divergent link suspension system to help keep the 12-metre boom level where applicator wheels ride over bumps or dips in the surface. The new design is intended

to improve accuracy, maintain application speed and stability of the booms. Director Tim Neat says the company has seen a significant increase in orders for trailed machines over the past two years, with many growers opting for increased flexibility in timing and soil

conditions, compared to having applicators mounted on rolls. He says: “Soil moisture which can prove too sticky for rolling can be ideal to get the best performance for grassweed control. Pulling a trailed machine behind an ATV or utility vehicle will achieve high

Techneat’s new Geoboom incorporates a suspension system to help keep the 12-metre boom level.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

workrates and can deliver extremely high accuracy. “It gives growers flexibility to make applications at the optimum time every season. With difficult wet conditions in autumn last season, many customers reported using the opportunity to contract spread granules for other growers with the trailed machines when they had finished their own work.” The Techneat Avacast uses its own petrol engine to drive the granule distribution fan. It requires no external hydraulic coupling and can be trailed by any suitable vehicle. The Techneat Geoboom can be retrofitted to all Techneat trailed Avadex applicators. Price depends on specification, but as a guide, tractor mounted machines are about £10,000, with a trailed machine about £11,500. X

WP Template_Layout 1 27/08/2015 10:00 Page 1

Crop

“Delaying drilling reduces black-grass emergence in your crop.” When it comes to black-grass control, delaying drilling can significantly reduce numbers – on average more than 40% germinates during September and October. And later drilling gives you more time for stale seedbeds and glyphosate applications too. For optimum control, start planning with the Black-Grass Task Manager at www.bayercropscience.co.uk/bgtm

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AF Sep p32 34 35 36 Grass-weed control TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 13:40 Page 2

FEATURE WEED CONTROL

TMA4

JHorstine’s TMA4 (pictured on page 32) is designed to offer growers a precision applicator for Avadex, slug pellets and other granular chemicals. Using Horstine’s individual metering system, each broadcast outlet is fed by its own rotor for consistent application. The metering system is controlled by a Horstine Wizard automatic rate controller, ensuring application rates are always correct regardless of forward speed. Its electricallydriven metering and hydraulic fan means a land wheel or PTO is not required. A 12-metre manually folding boom comes as standard and can be upgraded to a hydraulic folding system, but a 24m version is in development. It can be mounted on the front or rear of a tractor, fitted to a drill or set of rolls, or pulled by an ATV on a purpose-built trailer with its own 6.5hp petrol engine to power the fan. The price for a mounted 12m TMA4 is £9,900, with a trailed 12m TMA4 at £11,700.

Micro Pro 16 for accurate spreading

JOpico has introduced the Micro Pro 16, designed to ensure an accurate spread pattern and suitable for fitting onto a variety of machines. The Micro Pro 16 has 16 outlets and can be used to spread up to a maximum width of 12.5-metre. At their widest setting, outlets are spaced at 750mm and still achieve a double overlapping spread pattern. Each outlet is fed by an individual metering roller for

even micro-granule distribution across the working width. Suitable to fit onto tractors of 80hp and upwards, the Micro Pro 16 has a lightweight chassis and its suspended 12m boom allows micro-granules to be spread as a separate operation to maximise application output and optimise timing. This is also available as a trailed chassis for towing behind utility vehicles or similar. Opico’s James Woolway

says: “Precision is absolutely key when applying microgranules such as Avadex to a crop. Micro Pro 16’s individual metering and double-overlapping spread pattern ensure distribution is precise. “In addition, application rate can be precisely controlled via radar and electronic metering.” The Micro Pro 16 with 12m boomed applicator is priced at £13,931.

Opico’s Micro Pro 16 has 16 outlets and can be used to spread up to a maximum width of 12.5 metres.

Case study: Demand for accurate applicators JContractors across the country are finding increased demand for Avadex application services, using high output, accurate equipment. David and Kevin Maughan, of Maughan Agricultural Contractors, in Hexham, have purchased a new 24-metre Horstine Cascade applicator to treat brome in winter barley with Avadex Excel 15G granules. David says: “With very little black-grass in the North East historically, there has not been the need for these sophisticated granule applicators. But we are seeing

an ever-increasing problem of sterile brome in winter cereals, mainly barley, and this is not just in the headlands but in the body of the field.” Andy Roy, Frontier agronomist, says: “Brome [mainly sterile brome] has become a field-scale problem in winter barley now. It has increased, mainly because of tighter cereal and rape rotations, plus the adoption of minimal cultivation and early sowing. “Brome is a very competitive grass-weed and its presence in the populations we are seeing now will be adversely affecting production and profitability. “We are trying out a more

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

comprehensive weed control programme which starts with Avadex granules pre-emergence followed by flufenacet-containing herbicides.” Mr Roy says it is often difficult to use stale seedbeds for brome in barley, as harvest is later and drilling needs to be early as possible in order to get the crop well established for winter. He says: “In the North East, the gap between harvest and drilling is not usually long enough for glyphosate, but if you have time for glyphosate, then do it.” David adds: “We were approached by Frontier to

invest in an appropriate applicator for Avadex granules and this new Cascade seems to fit the bill. “The 24m boom, which is the preferred width in the North East, is able to accurately apply granules across the full width. “We will be able to use it for grass-seed, cover crop seed and slug pellets applied at a clearly defined width, so it is not just an Avadex machine.” He estimates on a good day they could treat up to 160 hectares with this one machine.

AF Sep p32 34 35 36 Grass-weed control TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 13:40 Page 3

WEED CONTROL FEATURE

Premium application option from Cascade JA premium option for purchasers who want to apply slug pellets, granular fertiliser and small seeds as well as Avadex, the Horstine Cascade offers growers a precision applicator capable of working at widths of up to 24 metres. Cascade features a vertical folding steel boom, operated from the tractor cab via electro-hydraulics. The structure of the boom is made up of a number of steel product delivery pipes, with additional plastic delivery pipes used to reduce the weight of the boom. Parallel Tilt control is available to ensure the boom remains parallel to the surface when

operating on side slopes and the whole Cascade applicator folds to a width of 2.9m. Utilising Horstine’s individual metering system, each broadcast outlet is fed by its own metering rotor for consistent application from each outlet across the full width of the boom. Control The RDS ISOcan controller is IsoBus-compatible and allows optional control of the four sections via auto section control, while also offering variable rate capability. The Cascade is available with 15, 16, 18 and 20m booms and has a 1,500-litre polyethylene hopper. It is priced at £26,800.

Case study: More capacity needed JContractor Matt Redman has purchased a second Kuhn Aero 24-metre boom spreader to satisfy the increasing demand for the herbicide Avadex Excel 15G granules in his area. He says: “A matching pair of applicators means we can double our capacity without affecting the accuracy of application we need. Demand “We have been applying Avadex granules for our clients for the last three years and demand has nearly trebled in that time. The first Kuhn Aero boom spreader with a 24m boom was bought in 2013, with the second arriving this year in time for autumn. “In my trading area of

Bedfordshire and surrounding counties, Avadex is mostly applied to winter wheat for the control of black-grass, with brome and wild oats seen as a bonus. “The acreage of this herbicide has increased massively year-on-year.” Mr Redman says there is an application window of four to six weeks for Avadex granules, depending on when customers start drilling and how late they are willing to finish drilling. He says: “Kuhn applicators are mounted on John Deere tractors with full GPS steering and Michelin low ground pressure tyres, giving a very light footprint. Depending on field location and farms, we can apply about 150 hectares a day with each machine.”

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AF Sep p32 34 35 36 Grass-weed control TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 13:41 Page 4

FEATURE WEED CONTROL

Lite-Trac

JLite-Trac has developed a prototype 36-metre dual boom system which can be supplied complete or retrofitted to existing aluminium booms to apply Avadex granules or slug pellets. With 24 sections at 1.5m spacings featuring individual section control, the system has a 900-litre granule hopper and is controlled via a Trimble FMx terminal. Construction The all-aluminium construction is robust and enhances airflow and flexible pipework is only used at the boom ends, says the company. The cost to retrofit is expected to be about £55,000.

Kuhn’s Aero, now superceded by the AGT, offers a high output option for contractors covering larger areas.

High output alternative from Kuhn

JAnother high output option is the Kuhn AGT, known as a pneumatic fertiliser spreader,

which has superseded the Aero. At 36 metres wide and with a price tag of about

£100,000, Avadex application may extend the season of use for this machine on large farms.

Case study: Developing a new machine JUnable to find an applicator to meet his requirements, Yorkshire farmer and contractor Neil Welburn developed an Avadex applicator in conjunction with his Agrovista agronomist Simon Vaux and contractor Richard Lapage of R. and H. Contract Services. Mr Welburn says: “The demand for Avadex has been increasing over the last few years as growers look for a solution to their difficult-tocontrol black-grass. Our new applicator makes its application much more accurate. “The new machine covers the ground quickly, so we get more acres treated in a day. Farmers work to a tight schedule and everything on-farm has sped up. We need a matching increased workrate with the applicator.” The 24-metre boom applicator is mounted on a small tractor with large wheels, which allows the

Agrovista agronomist Simon Vaux (left) and Yorkshire farmer and contractor Neil Welburn have worked together to develop an Avadex applicator to meet their requirements for output and precision.

whole system to tread more lightly and allows access to the land when required, he adds. Mr Vaux says: “Certainly in the last few years, tri-allate, which has unbelievably been on the market for more than 50 years with no change in its resistance status, has become an integral part of our strategy

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

today and is an essential residual to include in the mix. “I think it makes a big difference to the end result. “We have found it is not always easy to get the product applied accurately. You do not want to be overdosing or underdosing. “Neil and I went to

Agritechnica last year to seek out a suitable machinery solution, but we did not see what we were looking for. “Some of the existing machines did not have a wide enough boom, and more importantly, some were not delivering the precise amount of granules down each pipe.”

AF Sep p37 38 39 Black-grass TR EP _Layout 1 28/08/2015 12:21 Page 1

WEED CONTROL MACHINERY

Improving soil hygiene to minimise spread of weed seeds could help tackle grass-weeds, and good practice is backed up by some original equipment overseas. Jane Carley finds out more.

Clean up weed seeds for better black-grass control

Richard Hull, weeds ecology and evolution technician at Rothamsted Research, says: “It is vital to know which are your worst fields and the weed distribution in those fields. Resistance “If resistance to herbicides is present, it is imperative to stop seed spread to other areas for long-term sustainability. “The effectiveness of any measure to stop seed spreading is dependent on many factors, including population size, time and implementation.

The Harrison Seed Destructor manages crushed weed seeds in chaff.

“If possible, clean machinery between fields. It is time consuming but could pay off

in the long run. Cultivate the worst fields last, therefore not dragging seed to cleaner

n the battle to gain control over weeds, growers are increasingly looking to their entire farming system for ways to reduce weed seed populations. Black-grass, in particular, is being reported in parts of the country where it has previously been unknown and one cause of its spread may be seeds being transported from traditionally afflicted areas. Weeds can quickly spread to previously clean fields and, if herbicide resistance is present, control can be challenging.

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AF Sep p37 38 39 Black-grass TR EP _Layout 1 28/08/2015 10:23 Page 2

MACHINERY WEED CONTROL fields. Ideally, start cultivating from cleaner parts of a field, finishing in the worst areas.” The most important action is not to spread seed further than its current limits. Another possible cause of weed seed spread is from the combine, especially in the chaff, Mr Hull says. “Where possible, make sure all chaff is removed from the combine before moving to the next field, although again, this has time implications. “If time is at a premium, another option is to start in the worst part of the field and finish in the cleanest. Seed will still be spread, but finishing where the weed burden is lowest should reduce the carry over to the next field.” Risk Using contractors can also risk contamination, he says.“If you have contracted a combine to come and harvest land, make sure the machinery has been fully cleaned out before arriving. The last thing you want is weed seed, which could have resistance issues, being spread on your land. “The same could be said for balers and straw movement. This movement of machinery could be one of the main reasons certain weed species appear to be moving into areas of the UK where they have not been seen much before.”

Harvest solutions for weed seed control

French firm Thierart offers a number of systems for managing chaff, including a harvester-mounted collector.

JIn mainland Europe, chaff management is being developed as a solution to weed seed spread. French manufacturer Thierart specialises in chaff management tools, from swathing systems to collection hoppers which can subsequently be emptied into heaps away from the harvested area. Chaff can be stockpiled or baled and then turned into biofuel pellets, briquettes, animal bedding or a feed constituent. The company claims chaff recovery can decrease weed populations by 97%; reduce the incidence of diseases, such as fusarium; and cut slug populations, minimising the need for treatments and

Weeds seeds found in chaff at harvest can spread between fields.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

offering savings of up to €35/hectare (£24/ha). Cereal crops yield up to 2.3 tonnes/ha of chaff which is used as a biofuel feedstock across France, with barley grown in the Loire Atlantique region offering biogas potential up to 263 nano litres/kg from raw material.

Baled When baled in with straw, it offers from 0.7-2t/ha of extra bedding material, with an increased absorption capacity and low dust content, said to be ideal for poultry. Trials are ongoing with poultry producers Moulin Henry and Doux as well as cattle breeders the Meusienne Union Dairy. It is also used as a fibre feed for improved digestion in cattle fed on starch-rich diets. As a heating material for pelleting or briquetting, wheat chaff offers energy yields of 15,240kJ/kg – more than two-year-old hornbeam wood at 12,560kJ/kg. Thierart’s chaff collector models are available for most makes and models of combine and weigh 800-1,100kg. The chaff collector is fitted to the rear axle and supported on the grain tank. A mechani-

cal screw auger loads chaff from the rear of the combine to the hopper, which is emptied hydraulically. Units are priced at €30,000-€40,000 (£21,000-£28,000) depending on model. Also in the range is a twostage turbine designed to remove chaff from the combine, optimising material flow and reducing risk of jams. The company says this is a good solution for smaller combine harvesters equipped with cutter bars of 5.5 metres or less; options include removing the chaff in a trailer or windrowing it via a deflector. A chute also allows chaff to be spread or placed on top of straw. Thierart’s tractor-mounted collector system can blow tipped windrowed chaff either into a trailer or into the pre-chamber of a baler, using a paddle to collect chaff to prevent any backflow of earth or stones. A different approach is offered by the Harrington Seed Destructor (HSD), developed by farmer Ray Harrington, Western Australia, with assistance from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GDRC).

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WEED CONTROL MACHINERY The original design features a diesel-engined trailed mill, based on a processor used in the mining industry. It collects chaff from the rear of the sieves and crushes seeds before blowing the residue out on top of the straw swath. Combine cutter bar heights need to be slightly lower in most crops (described by Mr Harrington as ‘beer can height’) to ensure most weed seed heads are processed. Efficiency Field trials have shown up to 95% weed seed destruction efficiency when used during commercial harvesting of wheat, barley and lupins. A new version of the machine has since been developed to process chaff as it exits the header of class 9 and 10 combines, enabling straw to flow into the spreader. The integrated approach, which

mounts the mills on the back of the header, is designed to use less power and have a higher capacity than the original version. It is still being evaluated by the GDRC ahead of a commercial launch. Despite using the header’s power system, the new version processes chaff at more than 30t/hr, spreading the crushed mix evenly across the field. The commercial tow-behind HSD is still used for class 6, 7 and 8 headers which do not have enough power to drive the integrated mills. It is manufactured and marketed by De Bruin Engineering, of Mount Gambier, South Australia. Mr Hull says: “This device is mainly used to tackle rigid rye-grass in Australia, which comes to inflorescence later than black-grass and more seed is on the plant at harvest. By the time winter wheat is harvested in the UK, about

The latest combine-mounted HSD is powered by the header drive.

99% of all black-grass seeds have been shed. “However, it may have an application in winter barley, where up to 30% of blackgrass seed could still be on inflorescence at harvest. It could add a further non-chemical weed control option for growers who have ALS-resistant black-grass on their farms. The same chemistry can be used on barley as in wheat crops, but barley is more competitive to weeds.”

More information For more details, visit: rDe Bruin – www.debruin engineering.com.au rAustralian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, School of Plant Biology, Institute of Agriculture, Univ. of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. www.ahri.uwa.edu.au rThierart machinery www.thierart.fr

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AF Sep p40 42 43 Weed Control EP TR _Layout 1 28/08/2015 10:59 Page 1

FEATURE WEED CONTROL Paying particular attention to machinery cleanliness could prove a useful way of restricting the accidental transport of weed seeds. Geoff Ashcroft finds out more.

Keep machines clean to gain cleaner fields eeping machinery clean is becoming increasingly important, but not just for obvious reasons. While clean, tidy kit can command a useful premium when it comes to residual values, the additional benefits from regular cleaning include easy inspection to address potential problems or perhaps make it easy to improve performance. In the case of harvesting equipment, cleanliness could also limit the risk of what one combine manufacturer refers to as a ‘thermal event’ or fire. But given the difficulties the arable sector faces in tackling resistant species of grassweeds for example, there could be an increasingly more

pressing need to clean tractors, harvesters and implements on a more regular basis. Fussy approach For Will Steel, farms manager at Little Pix Hall Farm, Hawkhurst, Kent, adopting a fussy approach to machinery cleaning has helped to restrict the movement of weed seeds, and contributes to an impressive level of crop cleanliness. He says: “We’ve worked hard for years to get our fields free of many weeds, and a lot of it has come from rotation and use of cover crops. However, maintaining such a high level of crop cleanliness does mean we need to be thorough when cleaning equipment.

Will Steel says dirty machines provide the easiest method of moving weed seeds from field-to-field, and even from farm-to-farm.

“I’m quite particular about the cleanliness of kit when it arrives on our farm,” he says. “Residues are easily carried on machinery, be it straw, chaff, or soil. It is one of the easiest ways to move weed

With the correct equipment, cleaning machinery thoroughly should not be a time-consuming task.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

seeds from field-to-field, and even from farm-to-farm.” While baled straw can easily conceal weeds, particularly if it has come from a farm with black-grass, one of the biggest culprits is the combine, says Mr Steel. While providing a contract combining service on neighbouring farms, he is careful not to transport debris which could impact on crop cleanliness. “If we’re working on farms with any visible or known levels of black-grass or ryegrass, we do spend as long as it takes to clean equipment as much as possible before leaving that farm,” he says. Using a road compressor, Mr Steel is particularly vigilant when cleaning the combine. Panels are opened, covers removed and guards repositioned during the quest for machine cleanliness. “It can take as much as three or four hours to clean

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WEED CONTROL FEATURE the combine, and it almost always requires us to hand rogue in the spring, because it’s almost impossible to get everything when machines have so many hiding places.” His advice is to be thorough and clean equipment before leaving the field if at all possible. “Don’t be tempted to cut corners, and ideally, leave any debris where you found it,” he says. “We’ll also clean machinery on a permanent pasture field if necessary back at our own farm.” Pasture toppers too can provide a safe haven on which weed seeds can travel. “If toppers have been used on pastures and they need to go on to stubbles, then make sure these machines are thoroughly cleaned before you start. “The last thing I want to do is take anyone else’s weeds

back to Little Pix Hall Farm,” he says. “Nor do I want anyone bringing weeds to us – our baling contractor is expected to arrive with a suitably clean baler.” Vital aspect For seed growers like Richard Monk, of Hampshire A.F. Monk (Rookley) based at Rookley Farm, near Stockbridge, cleanliness is a vital aspect of the farming business. Growing 1,335 hectares in total, most of which is used for seed production, the farm can ill-afford to be sloppy when it comes to machinery hygiene. Mr Monk says: “We do put a huge emphasis on cleanliness. We grow nine species and more than 30 different varieties of crop, so we have to pay particular attention to drill cleanliness, store hygiene, trailer cleanliness,

With increasing levels of black-grass incidence, growers need to be more vigilant when it comes to the hygiene of their machinery.

balers and of course, combine cleaning.” The farm’s three Claas Lexions – 760, 670 and 630 models – are subjected to a thorough blast-off after each variety is harvested. It takes two operators a minimum of two hours to thoroughly clean a combine. “We can run two pipelines off our road compressor to

boost efficiency,” he says. “Otherwise, it would take twice as long to get the job done. And two pairs of eyes are a lot more thorough than one.” He says all panels are opened during the cleaning process. “Dust and debris can rest almost anywhere,” he says. “From stone traps, X

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AF Sep p40 42 43 Weed Control EP TR _Layout 1 28/08/2015 11:01 Page 3

FEATURE WEED CONTROL elevators, ledges on axles, around belts and pulleys, behind panels – anywhere you can think of, really.” Such a thorough cleaning means the cooling pack, engine bay and exhaust system also get a dust-off, so any hot spots are addressed too. “With such frequent cleaning, we just don’t let dust and chaff build up anywhere it could cause us a problem. Even the headers get a thorough cleaning – there are plenty of ledges and pockets on a header where dust and debris can hide,” he says. “It might seem like a back to basics approach, but it is one which is an essential part of our business. After all, who wants to buy contaminated seed?” While Mr Monk says the farm is aware of soil being carried on cultivations equipment, the wider hydraulicallyfolding implements now in use do tend to self-clean when folded for transport. “If there is any trash or large amounts of soil carried for example on frames and drawbars, our operators do knock this off in the field, which is

“ Oxfordshire grower James Price believes machinery dealers should take the trouble to deliver spotlessly clean demonstration machines to farms.

good farming practice,” he says. Machinery share Sharing machinery between two different farm locations, Oxfordshire grower James Price is mindful of how weed seeds could be casually moved between locations. “It could be very easy, through moving tractors and equipment between farms, to carry weed seeds concealed in dust, chaff or soil, between our two farming locations,” he says. “The biggest challenge is cleaning our Lexion 580 combine, but our experience of growing seed crops at Perdis-

well Farm has also created a solid discipline when it comes to machinery cleansing,” he adds. The Price family is currently farming 404ha from Perdiswell Farm, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, and two years ago, took on a further 200ha of arable work some eight miles away. While the business operates a predominantly min-till regime, there is a need for rotational ploughing to suit the crop rotation. In addition, the heavy land farm recently taken on is affected by black-grass and needs to be effectively managed to get weed numbers under control.

Higher-speed cultivators and flying soil means there is a greater risk of accidental transport of weed seeds.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

It could be very easy, through moving tractors and equipment between farms, to carry weed seeds James Price

“It could be quite easy to spread black-grass during harvest, simply because of the areas on the combine where debris can rest,” he says. “The header is an area of particular concern, simply because of the space available where dust, trash and debris can build up.” However, the problem of weed seed movement is not confined exclusively to farmers and contractors – machinery dealers too, have a duty of care to ensure demonstration kit or second-hand equipment is thoroughly cleaned before it is picked up and transported. “The next time you have a demonstration on-farm, ask yourself where that machine has come from, and question whether it is as clean as it could be,” he says. “How many dealers take the trouble to deliver clean kit to farms? “Given how easy it is to accidentally spread weeds between farms – and also between fields – it really is worth taking the time to make sure your tractor, baler, combine and header are cleaned off after field work. “And the same can be said about cultivation kit – as soil flies around during cultivations and gets hung up on axles, frames and drawbars, so too can weed seeds,” he says. “Knocking the worst of it off before leaving the field, is a prudent course of action.”

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AF Sep p44 45 46 OSR Disease TR EP _Layout 1 27/08/2015 14:29 Page 1

FEATURE OILSEED RAPE DISEASE

While formerly considered a disease of the North, light leaf spot is becoming oilseed rape’s version of septoria, affecting the crop across the country. Martin Rickatson seeks the latest advice on what growers can do to mitigate its effects.

Variety role in LLS control

limate, variety choice and rotation could all be playing roles in the increase in recent seasons of UK-wide reported incidences of light leaf spot (LLS), and focusing on

fungicide timing and active ingredient choice alongside these could help oilseed rape growers address the issue. That is the consensus of researchers and agronomists who suggest, while cultural controls may be limited in their

Light leaf spot spores may begin to develop in oilseed rape crops from late August onwards, earlier than originally thought.

scope – given a lack of stronglyresistant varieties and growers’ inability to affect the weather – they have a place to play alongside other management tools such as fungicide choice and timing.

UK losses AHDB CropMonitor data suggests UK losses as a result of LLS rose from less than £20 million in 2005 to £140m last year (see graph, below), while losses from phoma remained largely unchanged over the same period. While the increased frequency of oilseed rape in many rotations has been a factor, southern growers’ focus on phoma and their unfamiliarity

with LLS and the way it behaves may have allowed it to become more predominant as a consequence of diseasefavourable winter weather and the move to non-inversion tillage, suggest some advisers. Adas plant pathologist Faye Ritchie says there is no evidence of a change in the LLS pathogen itself, but recent research suggests disease ascospores are active earlier in the season than previously thought. She says: “It was believed the spores were dormant until lateSeptember to early November, but new work shows they are active from late-August to early September, when crops are emerging. As a result,

Winter oilseed rape: yield losses 2005-2014

Source: CropMonitor/Defra

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

AF Sep p44 45 46 OSR Disease TR EP _Layout 1 27/08/2015 14:29 Page 2

OILSEED RAPE DISEASE FEATURE undetected infection may be occurring earlier than thought. Evidence in the crop is often not seen until late-November or early December. “The fact low resistance levels may be as much to blame for the increase in the disease’s prevalence as climatic conditions is illustrated by the fact that in Scotland, where varieties with greater LLS resistance are more commonly grown, reported incidences have been declining at a rate similar to that at which southern cases have been increasing.” She suggests there may be a trade-off where farmers who have shifted their fungal disease focus from phoma stem canker in autumn to LLS in spring, because they have seen lower levels of the former, may be losing out on the extended protection an autumn phoma spray brings.

Caroline Young

“An autumn azole application for phoma can help suppress early light leaf spot infection through to the spring spraying period at early stem extension.” Her Adas plant pathologist colleague Caroline Young stresses spray timing is critical if successful fungicide control is to be expected. She says: “An LLS-targeted fungicide must be applied before stem extension begins. If

the disease ultimately gets on to the stem and the pods, then not only will losses be higher, but carryover is likely to be too. Leaves degrade quickly, but stem trash will harbour the disease.” Darren Adkins, commercial technical manager with Bayer CropScience, says in many ways, LLS has mirrored what has happened with septoria. Risk “Both carry huge risk, there’s no real curative option, azole performance is highly variable and control is really a combination of cultural strategies combined with fungicides. Integrated control is essential to both controlling the disease and protecting our most effective actives for the future. “We’ve seen a series of high pressure seasons, with forward crops being hit hard as mild winter weather has failed to

Research update JIt was believed LLS spores were dormant until late-September to early November, but new work shows they are active from late-August to early September, when crops are emerging. So undetected infection may be occurring earlier than thought. Symptoms in the crop are often not seen until late-November or early December (Source: Adas) rFor more on this, see pages 52-53 check the disease, but surveys suggest growers still consider LLS less of a threat than phoma or sclerotinia.” While shortened OSR rotational intervals have played their part, the fact Southern autumn disease strategies have been built around easier-to- X

AF Sep p44 45 46 OSR Disease TR EP _Layout 1 28/08/2015 10:24 Page 3

FEATURE OILSEED RAPE DISEASE identify phoma has exacerbated the problem, he believes. “The focus has been on the autumn period, but we know light leaf continues to sporulate down to 5degC, and with light leaf spot being a trash-borne disease, it has benefited from the greater acreage and frequency of oilseed rape and the fact much of it is established using low tillage crop establishment systems.” Trials That lack of strong resistance among Recommended List varieties was highlighted this season by trials at Bayer’s Thorney, Cambridgeshire, oilseed rape demonstration site, where, while the weather checked the disease to a certain extent, the green area index (GAI) of varieties rated 5 for LLS was lower than the average at the end of March. But all varieties, irrespective of disease rating, responded positively to a split autumn disease control programme based on prothioconazole to target both key diseases. “There’s no need to spend more to control LLS – a more targeted spend is what’s required,” he says. “The best GAI scores were achieved on more resistant varieties with spring treatment which had been preceded by robust autumn applications. But even on Charger, rated 4 for LLS, we saw a doubling of GAI between spraying and next assessment.”

Steve Cook

Top tips for light leaf spot control

Building autumn disease control strategies around easier-to-identify phoma may have exacerbated the LLS threat, says Darren Adkins.

With farmers beginning to make greater use of varietal resistance for septoria in particular when selecting wheat varieties, oilseed rape varieties more resistant to LLS likewise bring more flexibility to spraying programmes, he says. “For phoma and LLS control, split autumn treatments are still advisable, but varieties with better resistance are helping to hold disease from crops in early autumn and allow better-targeted applications. “LLS is a polycyclic disease and the gap from autumn fungicide application to stem extension fungicides can be so long re-infection will occur. So as with winter wheat, using varietal resistance in combination with appropriate fungicide strategies is a wise policy.” Steve Cook, agronomist with Hampshire Arable Systems, suggests recent cooler lateautumn and spring periods have helped boost the disease’s prominence. “It has always been present in the South, but the conditions which have prevailed over those autumn and spring periods in recent years have helped to make it more visible within crops,” he says. Many farmers are starting to lengthen rotations, moving from oilseed rape one year in

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

three to one in four, five or six, and this will have a beneficial effect, adds Mr Cook. “But using varietal resistance alongside decisions on choice of crop location according to soils and prevailing climate can also help to manage the disease. “For example, a variety with a weak light leaf spot score is best avoided on heavier land on which you know it may be difficult to travel at the critical timing of early stem extension. LLS is similar to septoria in that, by the time widespread evidence is noted, it’s almost too late for successful treatment. No gap “It’s essential not to leave a gap of more than three months over winter between an autumn phoma treatment, which should also hold back LLS, and a spring one targeted specifically at the latter. A robust dose of 0.4-0.45 litres/hectare of prothioconazole ahead of winter should do the job, but on heavier land, where getting back on in early spring may be difficult, that should perhaps be raised to 0.55-0.6 litres/ha.” Agronomist Simon Jackson is a brassica specialist with Lincolnshire-based AAB Agronomy. He says weekly

rAn autumn azole application for phoma can help suppress early light leaf spot infection through to spring rBut do not leave a gap of more than three months between an autumn phoma treatment, which should also hold back LLS, and a spring spray targeted specifically at the latter rAn LLS-targeted fungicide must be applied before stem extension begins rMore resistant varieties bring more flexibility to spraying programmes rAvoid growing varieties with a weak light leaf spot score on heavier land on which it may be difficult to travel at the critical early stem extension timing rCultural controls and lengthening the rotation can help as part of an integrated approach to LLS control tests for LLS pathogen spores are widely used by growers of brussels sprouts, which are also susceptible to LLS. Inefficacy of tebuconazole on disease-infected sprouts was noted as long as 15 years ago. “Some varieties proved impossible to keep clean, but breeders switched on to the industry’s need for varietal resistance, and we now have a wider range to choose from. “Cultural controls such as not planting brassicas and OSR adjacent to each other and keeping winter and springsown brassica crop types apart have become part of brassica growers’ cultural controls. “But of equal importance is trash incorporation and at least a one in five gap between brassicas in rotations,” he adds.

Project1_Layout 1 27/08/2015 09:54 Page 1

AF Sep p48 49 Tech Stewardship (TR final) EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 12:13 Page 1

TECHNICAL STEWARDSHIP Pesticide stewardship schemes are crucial to preventing further red tape and losses from the plant protection toolbox. Heather Briggs reports.

Stewardship safeguarding tools for crop protection

hen it comes to pesticide use best practice, getting all involved parties to work together to change practice where necessary can make a huge difference, says Voluntary Initiative (VI) manager Patrick Goldsworthy. A consistent message and practical solutions from industry, supported by regulators, stakeholders and Government

and promoted through wellplanned campaigns helps prevent confusion and leads to better adoption of best practice measures, he adds. The success of schemes such as the National Register of Spray Operators (NRoSO) with qualifications and continual professional development (CPD) has already proved to regulators the sector can solve problems voluntarily but there is no room for complacency. David Felce is a farmer,

Working with farmers rRichard Reynolds,

rAndrew Moir, chair of the VI

catchment manager at Anglian Water, says: “We are working with farmers to encourage alternatives to metaldehyde which we cannot remove from the water. We have had a fantastic response from farmers in our first trial areas and we want to build on that – farmers face ever growing pressures and they should not be left to tackle these kinds of problems alone. In the water industry, we have to play our part – and other industries do too – as the UK countryside is vital for the UK economy as a whole.”

in Scotland, says there are some slightly different initiatives from the rest of Britain, although the principles remain the same. “I am very keen to promote best practice; many farmers used to see it as a way of mitigating problems, but now it is much more widely accepted as the best way of working. It is for the better good for water, soil and air; in Scotland, Scottish Water is working closely with farmers so they can continue to produce good quality food but at the same time, reduce time costs for water purification.”

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

Practical training, such as that available through the National Register of Sprayer Operators, is an important part of stewardship.

sprayer operator and trainer. He says: “Pesticide stewardship gives us the opportunity to adopt measures to protect water and the environment. When we demonstrate we can be successful in reducing levels of these pesticides, we will be allowed to continue using these valuable tools.” Mr Felce is very aware of the challenges caused by metaldehyde losses to water, for example, his own farm is adjacent to Grafham Water, which not only supplies water to the community but is also scheduled as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. A pilot Anglian Water scheme ‘Slug it Out’ is starting this autumn with sampling to monitor metaldehyde in the water near to the reservoir. “The aim is to protect the vulnerable zone areas and minimise the impact on farmers at the same time,”says Mr Felce. The scheme highlights Anglian Water’s willingness to work with farmers, he adds. “They realise slugs are a real problem for farmers, so they are asking us to use ferric phosphate as an alternative, monitoring samples to discover differences when measures are taken,” he says. According to Paul Fogg, crop production specialist at Frontier

Agriculture, and until recently senior crop team leader at Adama, where he worked on stewardship programmes for oilseed rape herbicides, engagement with stewardship groups needs to be high to bring about the required level of improvement. The stronger the identity of the group, the more effective it is, he says. Practical stewardship While developing relationships with other stakeholders and regulators is crucial to the future of the industry, timely training can help farmers and sprayers adhere to stewardship best practice guidelines. For example, this year’s NRoSO CPD training course, on ‘Sprayer Care and Technology’ includes advice on how to prepare for the National Sprayer Testing Scheme (NSTS) test . Mr Goldsworthy says: “Proper understanding of how to get the most from your machinery is not just good economic sense, it also helps reduce the risks to water. “We need to make the most of training, best practice, local knowledge, and the support and expertise of water companies and regulators if we are to avoid further restrictions.”

AF Sep p48 49 Tech Stewardship (TR final) EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 12:14 Page 2

STEWARDSHIP TECHNICAL Stewardship schemes Metaldehyde (Get Pelletwise) Scheme objective: To prevent metaldehyde entering watercourses Best practice: rDo not apply metaldehyde when heavy rain is forecast rDo not apply within six metres of a watercourse rSpillages must be properly cleared up rFilling and cleaning of application machinery must be done in-field rSpreader settings should be adjusted according to pellet type rProper disposal of waste pellets through approved contractor rMaximum application rate: 210gm metaldehyde/hectare rMaximum total rate: 700gm metaldehyde/ha/year Propyzamide and carbetamide Scheme objective: To prevent actives entering watercourses Best practice: rMaximum application rate propyzamide: 840gm ai/ha rMaximum application rate

carbetamide: 2,100gm ai/ha

rCut-off date for drained

rCheck cereal variety as

rDo not apply when drains

fields in Drinking Water Safeguard Zones is October 1

some restrictions apply

are flowing or are likely to flow rApplication of propyzamide and carbetamide at full rate should only be done when tackling severe black-grass problems rFor other weeds use at 700gm ai/ha rUse lower rates of carbetamide for annual meadow-grass (1,500gm ai/ha) Metazachlor (Metazachlor Matters) Scheme objectives: To prevent herbicides entering watercourses Best practice: rMetazachlor dose should not exceed 750gm ai/ha per crop rDrill oilseed rape early and prepare good seedbed conditions rWhere fields are drained spray by October 1 if possible rWhere there are no field drains, there are no application restrictions

Bentazone Scheme objective: To prevent entering ground water and surface water Best practice: rUse 6m grass buffer strips rAvoid use on soils vulnerable to leaching rReduce dose to a maximum of 1,000gm ai/ha/year rUse as late as possible to avoid leaching rAvoid applying in autumn and winter Chlorotoluron (WaterAware) Scheme objective: To prevent entering raw water Best practice: rUse at revised rates and timings rDo not apply after October 31 rAquatic buffer of 6m (reduced to 1m at top of a dry ditch at time of application) rOnly one use for each area in one year

Mecoprop Scheme objective: To prevent herbicide entering watercourses Best practice: rFollow water protection guidelines rMaximise foliar uptake by ensuring plant canopy is full with no more than 50% bare ground before application rNo straight applications between October 1 and March 1 rAllow regrowth on grassland when applying after silage cutting or grazing Chlorpyrifos (Say No to Drift) Scheme objective: To prevent entering water and harming aquatic life Best practice: rCreate 20m buffer zone when applying with conventional boom sprayer rUse low drift nozzle rCreate 1m buffer zone when water bodies are dry

CropTec 2015 JWith the agchem crop protection toolkit shrinking and new legislation affecting how crop protection products are used, the need for best practice use of these inputs has never been more important – for economic and environmental reasons. New at CropTec 2015 is a dedicated spraying technology and advice area – the Spraying

Technology Hub – designed to bring together the latest advice on sprayer developments, spray handling, agchem stewardship, legislation, training and much more. The hub also includes the popular outdoor sprayer demos. Spraying Technology Hub exhibitors include John Deere, Airinov, Agrifac, Agricultural

Plant Hire, Chafer Machinery, Defra, Crop Protection Association, Lite-Trac, National Association of Agricultural Contractors, Association of Independent Crop Consultants, Billericay Farm Services, National Sprayer Testing Scheme, Voluntary Initiative, Knight Farm Machinery and Wroot Water. CropTec takes place on

Tuesday, November 24, and Wednesday, November 25, at the East of England Showground. Entry is free for farmers but pre-registration is essential. rMore information at www.croptecshow.com

Sprayer demos will be an important part of the new dedicated spraying technology and advice area at this year's CropTec event.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

AF Sep p50 51 Potatoes Event TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 10:25 Page 1

POTATOES EVENT REPORT

Genetically Modified crops, disappearing crop protection active substances and new markets were among the topics for discussion at Potatoes in Practice at the James Hutton Institute’s Balruddery Farm overlooking Dundee. Heather Briggs and Jo Learmonth report.

Research will continue despite GM crops ban he ban on growing Genetically Modified (GM) crops in Scotland does not mean the door is closed to research. Speaking at Potatoes in Practice, Professor Iain Gordon, chief executive of the James Hutton Institute (JHI), said: “The fact the commercial cultivation of GM crops is prohibited does not close the door to us doing research. “The plant and environment research portfolio at the James Hutton Institute develops and uses new gene technology to

Prof Iain Gordon

study the link between genes and plant traits. Research can still be done under quarantine conditions, in the lab and sealed glasshouses. We do not cultivate commercial GM crops.” Late blight Researchers at JHI are currently looking for a GM solution to late blight, with teams working on ways to either express genes already in the domestic potato genome, or take genes from close relatives of the domestic potato and putting these into a domestic variety. “Trying to produce late blight-resistant varieties in this way is much faster than conventional breeding programmes which would take about 20 years,” added Prof Gordon. With the withdrawal of chemicals from growers’ toolkit by the EU showing no sign of abating, potato plants which have inherent resistance to pests and diseases are likely to become increasingly important.

Researchers at JHI are currently looking for a GM solution to late blight.

However, if researchers in Dundee are successful in producing a GM solution to late blight, the potatoes could not be grown and multiplied by Scottish seed producers, placing the Scottish seed potato industry at a commercial disadvantage, it was suggested. Dr Gerry Saddler, head of potato and plant health at Sci-

ence and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, said: “We will cross that bridge if and when we come to it. There is a balance in the political decision which has been taken. It must be remembered certain seed potato export markets would not receive our potatoes if they had been Genetically Modified.”

Potato growers quietly optimistic JThe cold, wet weather in Scotland this year has reduced yield expectations, growers attending PiP told Arable Farming. However, tuber quality is generally reported to be good as the cool temperatures have resulted in disease

pressure being relatively low. The signs are the UK may even experience a shortage of supply in 2015 from the combined result of reduced acreage planted and the impact of weather on tuber numbers and yield. Northern

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

Europe has also had a prolonged cold and very dry spell, so surpluses are unlikely there also. This has led to quiet optimism in the sector as prices may improve as demand tightens due to the expected lower yields. However, industry leaders

are calling for growers and potato companies controlling the acreage grown not to increase plantings in 2016. Prices need to remain firm with adequate profits so the sector can recover from the losses of the 2014 season.

AF Sep p50 51 Potatoes Event TR EP_Layout 1 27/08/2015 11:52 Page 2

REPORT POTATOES EVENT

Loss of crop protection actives highlighted

JThe impact of the continuing loss of crop protection active ingredients was highlighted. Disappearing from growers’ crop protection armoury are fluazinam as a soil fungicide treatment and Storite Super (imazalil + thiabendazole) as a seed tuber treatment. The suspension in use of neonicotinoid seed treatments in oilseed rape was also indirectly affecting the potato sector, growers heard. Dr Andy Evans, team leader of the applied practice team for SRUC, and SAC Consulting senior potato consultant Euan Fraser warned of the potential increase in certain pests and diseases as a result of the loss of these materials. Mr Fraser said: “The loss of fluazinam raises the spectre of powdery scab for seed producers. The original off-label approval secured by SRUC has been withdrawn. “Powdery scab is the second biggest problem after blackleg for growers, and fluazinam has been very effective. Trials of an alternative are under way, however there is no guarantee we will get another extension of authorisation for minor use for this product. Control in the future will rely on soil diagnostics for powdery scab spores.”

Storite Super is to be withdrawn as a seed tuber treatment next year, with a use up period until June 2017. Mr Fraser said: “The seed industry has relied on this relatively cheap broad spectrum fungicide for control of many diseases, notably dry rot and skin spot. Other options are relatively poor, however, there is considerable scope for diagnostics to be used to identify stocks at risk and for non-chemical control measures such as earlier harvest and specific positive ventilation to be adopted.” Neonicotinoids The loss of neonicotinoid seed treatments on winter oilseed rape has caused significant problems for oilseed rape growers, but is also posing a risk to seed potato growers as well. Dr Evans said: “When the seed treatments were available they curtailed the over-wintering of peach-potato aphids [Myzus persicae] on the crop and so reduced the number flying into seed potato crops in the summer. Peach-potato aphids are effective vectors of virus in seed potato crops and so there is the potential to lead to increased virus transmission into seed crops.”

Seed potatoes to India JNegotiations are under way to export British seed potatoes to India as the country has rescinded its previous policy of not permitting seed potato imports, AHDB Potatoes head of seed and export Rob Burns revealed. “This has huge market potential for the sector,” said Mr Burns, who will be visiting India in September to work out toler-

ances with the authorities over there. “Our latest reports show we have achieved record exports again, both at GB level and in exports to our most important country of export, Egypt,” he added. The first exports of seed potatoes to Cuba are also taking place this year, with the country taking 3,000 tonnes of seed.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

AF Sep p52 53 RinA TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 10:39 Page 1

TECHNICAL RESEARCH IN ACTION

Research to help improve control of light leaf spot in oilseed rape suggests the disease may be taking hold earlier than thought. Andrew Blake finds out more.

Early light leaf spot discovery a surprise early two-thirds of the way through the mainly AHDBfunded project* led by Neal Evans, of Weather INnovations, there have been what he believes are several significant findings. “Reflecting the figures coming out of CropMonitor surveys, we’ve found high levels of light leaf spot at all sites, especially those in the south of England,” says Dr Evans. “But surprisingly we’ve seen less of the disease than we expected at

the north of England and Scottish sites. “Interestingly too, the variety Cracker, with a currently high Recommended List resistance rating of 7, had similar levels of light leaf spot at all sites to Charger which has mid-range resistance rating of 4. This suggests there’s some slippage in resistance response and possibly a shift in the pathogen population.” Spore sampling is part of the research, he adds. “We’ve found spore release

Light leaf spot outbreaks may begin with a few ‘unobserved’ infections.

appears to happen as early as August, which is much earlier than we previously thought, and that the release is mainly driven by local environmental factors such as rain or dew. ‘Unobserved’ infections “Although the amounts of spores captured were lower than we expected, their earliness and continued release so soon in the growing season suggests inoculum is not a limiting factor in epidemics and outbreaks may begin with a few ‘unobserved’ infections.

“So by the time the disease is seen in the crop, an infection may be a second or third generation one arising from wind-blown ascospores. “The disease profile of the crop at the field level then soon becomes chaotic with a mixture of ascospore-initiated ‘new’ infections and ‘secondary’ conidial ones cycling throughout the season. “Our modelling work is now focused on understanding the drivers of these processes at a local level.” The epidemiology of light leaf spot, caused by the

Early spore findings may be clue to better control JThe research project’s discovery of light leaf spot ascospores so early in the growing season has been a surprise, says Bayer CropScience’s combinable crop fungicides product manager Will Charlton. “Often symptoms aren’t visible until early spring, although we do know crops are infected in autumn because we see the most benefit in control from a lateautumn fungicide,” he says. “The fact crops could be infected much earlier than we

previously thought is very interesting and draws the spotlight on autumn programmes and variety choice for controlling this disease.” Light leaf spot has risen to become the main disease of oilseed rape, costing farmers more than £140 million last year, says Mr Charlton. “Once chiefly a concern for Scottish and northern growers, it now affects every UK region where oilseed rape is grown; and despite extensive research, we still don’t fully

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

understand the process or conditions required for its infection and proliferation in commercial crops.” Improving control Understanding when the disease first infects crops, as well as how varietal resistance can delay an epidemic is critical to improving control, he believes. “We know light leaf spot builds up quickly and can be very difficult to control once established, resulting in severe yield loss.”

The choice of varieties with resistance ratings of 7 or more is small, and even those need fungicide protection, he adds. “Azole fungicides, such as prothioconazole, still provide good control, but their curative activity is limited so they mainly offer protection. “If agronomists and farmers could know when infection is likely to begin they could apply a fungicide protectively, stopping the disease in its tracks and getting their light leaf spot programmes off to the perfect start.”

AF Sep p52 53 RinA TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 12:46 Page 2

RESEARCH IN ACTION TECHNICAL fungus Pyrenopeziza brassicae, has been extensively researched for up to 40 years, adds Dr Evans. “Growers follow a range of best management practices on their farms, but despite their efforts, the incidence and severity of the disease and subsequent yield loss – it can cut output by up to 10% – have increased substantially in the UK in recent years.” Spring incidence of light leaf spot has risen steadily since 2006. CropMonitor reported at harvest 2012, light leaf spot in England was recorded on the pods in 82% of crops surveyed, the highest level since 1988, and at 97% the incidence of the disease on stems was the highest since the survey began in 1987. Failure “This increase can only partly be explained by failure to use more resistant varieties and poor timing of fungicide applications targeted at light leaf spot.” The current project aims to re-assess the importance of different components of epidemics and examine how they combine to cause yield loss, he explains. Factors under scrutiny include: n The earliness of epidemic onset. n The importance of physiological stunting and subsequent winter survival of plants. n The relevance of harsh winter conditions/snow cover to epidemic progression. n The importance of stem infection and its contribution to subsequent floral and pod infection. “Our main objective is to develop a new decision support tool which can give growers and advisers a

Similar disease levels between varieties with resistance ratings at the upper and lower ends of the scale may indicate some slippage in resistance response and a shift in the LLS pathogen population.

‘heads up’ warning an epidemic is about to start – much like the current phoma leaf spot forecast.” The work involves a mixture of modelling, spore sampling and processing, and disease observations from field experiments. “A model which predicts the day when spores can be expected to be airborne is

currently being validated by PCR-based spore analysis of existing multi-site air samples from England and Scotland and from new air sample data collected during the project from six ADAS and SRUC partner field sites

throughout England and Scotland. “We’re also assessing the field performance of a number of recently introduced varieties with a range of light leaf spot resistance ratings,” says Dr Evans.

Research projects *AHDB Research project RD-2013-3814 rInvestigating components of the oilseed rape light leaf spot epidemic responsible for increased yield loss to the UK arable industry rLead partner: Dr Neal Evans, Weather INnovations Consulting LP rScientific partners: ADAS, SRUC, Rothamsted Research rFunding: Total cost £92,711 (AHDB £77,711; Bayer CropScience paying £5,000/year) rFinishes: December 31, 2016

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

AF Sep p54 Hambly TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 11:09 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.

“

As usual the weather is providing a reality check

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

he favourable weather enjoyed through April, May and June gave hope for an early harvest. However, due to rain our early start didn’t transpire and we finally started winter barley on July 30. After completing the first few fields of KWS Cassia, we developed a warm glow of satisfaction, crops were yielding very well, a welcome partial antidote to falling market prices. Encouraged by the initial success we next tackled the winter OSR. Now I, like most if they are honest, lack any ability to assess a standing crop of oilseed rape with any degree of accuracy. The simple fact the combine didn’t make it first time around before needing to unload was an unexpected surprise. All the rapeseed required some drying and individual fields yielded in excess of the magic five tonnes/hectare. Pest problems reduced the overall average, but the result was still very pleasing. Much mischief is being made over OSR yields this year. Those who oppose the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments have jumped on the higher yields enjoyed by many this year, seeing them as justification insecticide seed treatments are not required. They have conveniently forgotten that, in nature, not all things are constant and yield variation from yearto-year is quite normal. Taking yields only from the harvested crops hides the true impact of those crops lost before harvest; the true figure should be yield against all acres originally planted. AHDB Recommended List trials data will show 2015 to be an excellent year for OSR yields. But for those who suffered heavy losses to cabbage stem flea beetle in autumn it will only serve to demonstrate the increased losses from failure to effectively control the pest.

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

Next to the header were the Mascani oats. It’s a crop I always seem to struggle with, never quite achieving the claimed yields of my neighbours. I have two reasons (excuses) for this; first their place in the rotation and second my slightly conservative approach to nitrogen inputs. The thought of lodged oats in a high rainfall area is something which gives me nightmare flashbacks to harvest 2008. Despite this, my Kernow Grain members’ report made pleasant reading, the oats had achieved milling quality and my 7.5t/ha yield target. Reports from ‘up country’ from those into the wheat filled us with excitement. Expectation levels were high after our initial harvest success. In truth I was letting myself get carried away. As usual the weather is providing a reality check. The wheat we have cut performed very well, but it is the overall average which will count. With almost 102mm of rain in the last week no further progress has been possible and we have endured 170mm so far this month (up to August 25). One brave local grower has been cutting at up to 31.6% moisture as we all expect to face losses from shedding and sprouting due to the very wet conditions.

Harvest survey JWhile (at the time of writing) harvest might be complete for some in the South and East, it is far from over for those in the West and North. Until then the overall success and yield cannot be determined. What is critical is we have accurate data to support any views or points we need to make. I would urge you all to complete the NFU Harvest Survey at www.nfuonline.com/hs2015/

AF Sep p55 New Products TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 10:19 Page 1

NEW

ARABLE MARKETPLACE

products

‘3D’ spray coverage for better black-grass control

JA new spray nozzle, designed to boost the performance of a key pre-emergence tank mix for black-grass control in cereals, has been introduced in time for the autumn application season. The 3D Defy nozzle is the latest in Syngenta’s line-up of specialist nozzles; it has been developed to deliver increased spray coverage over the seedbed surface, says the company’s spray application specialist Ben Magri. Results from Syngenta trials with a four-litre/hectare Defy (prosulfocarb) + 0.4 litre/ha flufenacet + diflufenican (Liberator) are said to show an

Boom height Spray boom height in the trial was 75cm. Similar results were achieved with the boom height at 50cm. Mr Magri says: “The significance of 97% control is this is often considered the minimum

threshold needed to stop blackgrass populations increasing.” As with the previous Defy nozzle, which the new nozzle will replace, the 3D Defy nozzle is an angled nozzle and is designed to be used alternating backwards and forwards along the spray boom to treat blackgrass from both sides – not just above. A key improvement over its predecessor is the new nozzle has been engineered to produce very little variation in spray coverage along the boom length, adds Mr Magri. Testing is also said to have shown improved spray coverage over the front, top and back surfaces of

rDroplet spectrum tailored for grass-weed control rFewer smaller drops for reduced drift and more spray days rExcellent performance at

100 litres/ha water volume rOptimised for use at 5075cm boom heights rSpray pressure should be between 0.7 and 3bar rMost effective at sprayer

improvement in black-grass control to 97% where the new nozzle was used, compared with 91% achieved with an equivalent-sized conventional flat fan nozzle. This 6-7% increase in control is the equivalent of adding another herbicide to a pre-em herbicide ‘stack’, says Syngenta technical manager Jason Tatnell.

Ben Magri

simulated soil clods, compared with coverage achieved with a conventional flat fan nozzle.

3D Defy nozzle rProduces angled spray from alternating forward/ backward facing nozzle rEngineered for minimum variation in spray coverage along boom

Straight flufenacet formulation launched JTwo new herbicide products containing a straight formulation of 500g/litre flufenacet will be available for use this autumn. Supplier Certis says the two herbicides, which will be marketed as Sunfire and System 50, will give growers and advisers more flexibility to create bespoke herbicide programmes tailored to individual fields. The company’s arable product manager Inez Cornell says:

“Flufenacet has been available in mixture products for a number of years, but it has not been available on its own until now.” Studies conducted by grassweed expert Dr Stephen Moss indicate among the main preemergence herbicides used in the UK, flufenacet is the least affected by resistance, giving 99% control of a highly susceptible population, 96% control of a partially-resistant population

speeds of 12kph-14kph rAvailable in 03, 035, 04, 05 and 06 r2 star and 3 LERAP applied for allowing a buffer zone reduction with Defy

Sunfire and System 50 rSupported tank mixes on label with Hurricane (dliflufenican) and Toppel (cypermethrin) rFor use in winter wheat and winter barley

rFor application up to GS23 or before December 31 in the year of planting rAvailable though a network of distributors

and 88% control of the highlyresistant Peldon population. What this means in practice is there is a smaller drop year-onyear in the efficacy of flufenacet. He says: “The reason for this is flufenacet tends to be used

alongside other herbicides and those herbicides are not acting in the same way as flufenacet. “Flufenacet should be seen as an essential component of any pre-em programme aimed at controlling resistant black-grass.”

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

AF Sep p56 BASIS TR EP_Layout 1 28/08/2015 11:16 Page 1

BASIS NEWS

BASIS news

The latest news for BASIS and FACTS-qualified farmers and advisers.

New Foundation Scholarship encourages next generation

JNine young farmers from across the UK, all aged under 30, have been provided with the opportunity to complete the BASIS Foundation Award in Agronomy by way of Dow AgroSciences’ Foundation Scholarship. The Foundation Scholarship is designed for anyone beginning their career in practical farming. The 2015 winners were selected for their enthusiasm and interest in farming best practice, along with their willingness to act as advocates for the agricultural industry. The youngest winner of the Foundation Scholarship is 19-year-old Rhys Jones, Lincoln, who recently completed the first year of his two-year agriculture course at Bishop Burton College. Rhys, who has ambitious plans, says: “I’m trying to get as much knowledge and work experience as possible, which is why completing the Foundation award is important. I would like to work in farm management, so will need the relevant BASIS certificates to ensure I’m fully qualified and ready for the job.” Emma Foot is another young winner, and graduated from Kingston Maurwood College just a year ago. She has already completed the Foundation Award, thanks to the scholarship, which has helped improve her technical knowledge and practical skills

on the family farm based in Dorset. She says: “The training for the Foundation Award has been beneficial, it has helped me understand more about all the practical tasks I need to do on the farm. I feel more confident about making important agronomy decisions on-farm.” William Allan is also using the Foundation Award to help run the family farm in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, to which he returned following a career as an accountant.

Technical knowledge William has used the course to improve his technical knowledge of agriculture and decision-making on-farm. He says: “A lot of what I learned focused on adapting to the changing agricultural environment, which is especially relevant for us in North East Scotland.” Other winners at a more advanced stage of their careers are Edward Lawton-Bradshaw and Jim McNair who are currently employed as assistant farm managers, but with ambitions to become fully-fledged farm managers. Edward, who is based on a farm just outside Bury St Edmunds, says: “The Foundation Award will be vital in furthering my understanding of important farming issues and will help me progress in a role as a farm manager.”

SEPTEMBER 2015 ARABLE FARMING

The Dow AgroSciences’ Foundation Scholarship has provided nine young farmers from across the UK, all aged under 30, with the opportunity to complete the BASIS Foundation Award in Agronomy.

Jim, who works for Strutt and Parker Farms, based in Essex, says: “The Foundation course is excellent at giving you a taste for what the full BASIS Certificate course will be like.” Foundation scholarships were also awarded to Martin Daw, a sprayer operator from Reading; James Means, a second-year agriculture student from Driffield, Yorkshire; Barry Wright, who helps run his family’s arable farm in Norfolk; and Edward Lidgett, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. Dow AgroSciences launched the Foundation Scholarship last year to underpin the importance it attaches to BASIS’ role in the farming industry. Toni McEwan, managing director for Dow AgroSciences in the UK and Ireland, says: “The Foundation Scholarship is all about helping the farmers

of tomorrow and developing their understanding of crop protection and agronomy.” BASIS sees the Foundation Award as a first step for young farmers as they seek to develop a career in the farming profession. The financial help from the Dow Scholarship is a welcome way to enable ambitious young people to fund their training. Rob Simpson, BASIS managing director, says: “We are grateful to Dow AgroSciences for providing this entry level qualification. “We hope all of the scholarship winners will continue their professional development through BASIS and the wide range of courses we offer.” JFor more information about the BASIS Foundation Award in Agronomy visit https://basis-reg.co.uk

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