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In this issue...Harvest hero page 46The global study tour and the BBC series
Get pelletwise page 14
Mechanical measures page 30Can cultivation kit clobber blackgrass?
Companion cropping page 42
FREE INSIDE !!SOIL MATTERSSUPPLEMENT
Tools to tackle blackgrassWhat part does machinery play in grassweed control, and in particular the battle against blackgrass?
Ideas on show to step up yieldFrom ways to strike above the wheat yield plateau to pulse advances,there were ideas to inspire at various open days and events.
Buddy benefitsAn innovative companion-planting technique, developed in France for use in oilseed rape, is showing promise in the UK.
Down to earthA yearning to understand more about his soils took an Essex farmer on a global study tour, and brought the BBC to his farm.
Fog clears on CIPC residuesHopes are high for a new campaign to safeguard the continued use of sprout suppressant CIPC in potato stores.
Genomics key to resistance conundrum?New areas of science are shedding light on how to tackle one of the biggest challenges currently facing farming.
Meta measures must get betterMetaldehyde pellets must be used more carefully if further restrictionson their use are to be avoided, warn industry specialists.
Market concerns as crops are combinedDespite this season’s poor UK rapeseed crop, prospects for global oilseed production look good and prices are falling.
Talking TilthA word from the editor.
Smith’s SoapboxViews and opinions from an Essex peasant…..
4Volume 15 Number 7August 2013
*the claim ‘best read specialist arable journal’ is based on independent reader research, conducted by the
National Farm Research Unit 2012
Editorial & advertising salesWhite House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY5 8LP
Tel: (01743) 861122 E-mail: [email protected]
Reader registration hotline 01728 622521Advertising copy
Brooks Design, 24 Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 1RDTel: (01743) 244403 E-mail: [email protected]
CPM Volume 15 No 7. Editorial, advertising and sales offices are at White House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury SY5 8LP.
Tel: (01743) 861122. CPM is published ten times a year by CPM Ltd and is available free of charge to qualifying farmers
and farm managers in the United Kingdom.
In no way does CPM Ltd endorse, notarise or concur with any of the advice,recommendations or prescriptions reported in the magazine.
If you are unsure about which recommendations to follow, please consult a professional agronomist. Always read the label. Use pesticides safely.
CPM Ltd is not responsible for loss or damage to any unsolicited material,including photographs.
EditorTom Allen-Stevens
Sub editorCharlotte Lord
WritersTom Allen-Stevens
Andrew BlakeJulian Cooksley� Robert HarrisLouise Impey
Rob JonesEmily Padfield
Martin RickastonDesign and Production
Brooks DesignAdvertisement co-ordinator
Peter Walker
PublisherAngus McKirdy
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3crop production magazine august 2013
INSIDERS VIEWThe secret wheats with promiseGroup 3 newcomers Delphi and Monterey have some stand-outcharacteristics, but there’s little of either variety grown.
58
TECHTALKWater worries prompt weed threatBetter grassweed management in oilseed rape is essential –– and not just to increase the crop’s yield potential. A different approach is needed.
26
Herbicide strategies realignAs preparations get underway for the autumn weed assault, moregrowers than ever will be battling resistant blackgrass.
8 WEED CONTROL
Precise costings pay dividendsCosting every aspect is the key to operating efficiently and profitably for a Cambs farming business.
Doing a little could achieve a lotMajor soil movement may not be necessary to repair damagecaused by last season’s high rainfall.
42
46
52
54
64
68
It’s also the season where regulators start to get het up aboutpesticides. Anyone would think
that growers are chucking metaldehyde, propyzamide andcarbetamide down the drainwith gay abandon. Chlorpyrifosis squirted onto as many non-target species as growerscan find, and CIPC is heaped
incessantly onto potatoes, specifically to trigger an MRL exceedence. As you see yet another ‘say no to…’ campaignplastered all over your breakfastreading material, you feel the innergrumpy teenager writhe.
The fact is, there’s a case toanswer, and not a lot can be done to dress it up and make it soundappealing. Triggering an exceedence of pesticides in drinking water is a big deal, but youwon’t be a hero or discover a pot of gold if you follow best practice –– the regulators just wave a bigstick and threaten to remove someof farming’s most useful chemistry if you don’t.
So please try to quell the innergrumpy teenager as you read aboutthe metaldehyde stewardship campaign (p14) –– we’ve gleanedthe latest information and it really is essential reading. Likewise, Tech Talk addresses sustainable grassweed management in oilseedrape (p26), and presents new waysto help keep the chemistry tacklingblackgrass and not escaping downthe drain. And real progress has
been made with CIPC (p52), butthere’s still work to do in some potato stores to minimise thechance of an exceedence.
Soil management is another areawhere regulators like to bark orders,accusing farmers of erosion, degradation and depletion. But webelieve CPM readers deserve to betreated better, and that there aremany soil champions among ourreadership who are doing quite theopposite. That’s the case withEssex grower Tom Bradshaw (p46),who’s literally been to the four corners of the globe in his quest for soil solutions –– what’s more, he features in next month’s BBCHarvest programme that champions the cause of the arable farmer.
There’s more on soil-related solutions in our feature that looksinto cultivation kit used to tackleblackgrass (p30), while we’ve alsolooked at how to nurse fragile soilsback to health (p68). There’s also
Who’s bossingyou around?I’m never very good at being toldwhat to do. Make somethingsound appealing or exciting, andI’m all there –– ready to help. Butbark orders at me, and I becomethe grumpy teenager who turnsthe task into a painful, drawn-outone, and you wish you’d neverasked.
There are a couple of instances recently, where I’ve been compelled to do somethingand had to quell the inner grumpyteenager. This new real-time payment thing for PAYE, forinstance –– I was quite happy withthe old system that allowed you awhole year to get your house inorder before submitting records to HMCE. Then there’s the annualregistering of agricultural wastesites –– can’t they just assume I want the same as last year, or isthis a ruse to catch me out?
Tom Allen-Stevens has a 170haarable farm in Oxon, and would like to thank Perkins Engines forsponsoring the Power on the FarmAward, that aims to single out anexceptional article covering farmpower in all its forms, and was presented for an article thatappeared in the April 2012 issue of CPM on an anaerobic [email protected]
exciting new discoveries in genomicsthat could hold the key to crackingresistance (p54), and we assess theprospects and some new researchon companion cropping (p42).
There’s nothing worse thanbeing told what to do, which is whywe’d much rather deliver exciting discoveries in new technologiesthrough the pages of CPM, ratherthan bash you about the head forhow you apply your chemistry. Butequally, if the industry is to be trustedwith the new technology, you’ll haveto prove you’ll use it responsibly.
There seems to be a new buzz word around the corridors of power when itcomes to farming and that’s‘innovation’. It’s certainly akey word in the Government’srecently announced Agri-techStrategy. Furthermore, thereseems to be an implied insinuation that farming hasn’t seen enough innovation in recent years and this must be improvedon. One struggles to disagree.From Turnip Townsend toHarry Ferguson, agriculturehas tended to flourish wheninnovation flourishes. Thepast thirty years seems tohave lacked this dynamism.
When I look at my own farm business, there has beenchange but I’m not sure therehas been much innovation.The key change on this arablefarm, as with most arablefarms over the past threedecades, has been coveringmore acres with less labour,rather than trying to producemore from the same acres.This hasn’t exactly been ashot in the arm for the ruraleconomy but it’s all part of the necessary grind to reducecosts. A lot of arable farms
now run on what in previoustimes might be thought as‘skeleton’ staffing and if
you wanted to get a bitglum about things, youmight wonder where abare-boned industry is going to find the
innovators of the future.Alongside this key change
in manpower per acre, theredoesn’t seem to have beenmuch innovation on UK arable farms when it comes to cropping. Since the introduction of oilseed rape inthe ‘70s and ‘80s, UK arablecropping seems to have fossilised. The occasionalnew crop such as soya, sunflowers or lupins seem tocome and go, but in the mainwe seem to have settled intocereal and OSR rotations with the odd root or pulsecrop thrown in. So not muchinnovation there.
Our cropping is much as itwas thirty years ago and soare our yields. As to what liesround the corner, one wouldlike to think there’s a newwonder crop out there that willimprove our fortunes, but asyou scan the horizon theresure isn’t anything that grabsthe attention.
In terms of machinery it doesseem we’re on the brink ofsomething new and innovative.My guess is that in twentyyears’ time, the role of the agricultural machinery operatorwill be to drive the machine tothe field, programme it toundertake the job in hand withGPS-guided precision andthen leave the machine todrive itself. The idea of turningsteering wheels or pullinglevers and knobs when in thecab will become as old hat as using a pitchfork is today.
A key question in all of
this is how the farmer on theground will pick up innovativeideas. In the last great age ofinnovation after the SecondWorld War, there was a state-funded extension servicecalled NAAS then ADAS whereby farmers were linked tocentres of innovation and newideas and technologies. Todaythis link has gone and without ityou fear a disconnect that willimpede any attempt to repeatthe progress seen on farms in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
We do however still have a vestige from that past in the form of farmers’ clubs and discussion groups. These groups still have thepotential to play a key role in knowledge transfer. But you worry that, without anextension service, both government and the researchcommunity are no longeraware of or engaged with thisnetwork. The danger is weend up with Defra doing thejob, and I don’t think farmers
The need toinnovate
will readily engage with this. It would be far better to useexisting farmer groups,where farmers are familiarand comfortable with thestructures. It’s time that wefarmers remind Defra of ourdiscussion groups and firmlysuggest that’s the route toengage with us.
Email your comments and ideas to [email protected]
Guy Smith grows 500ha ofcombinable crops on thenorth east Essex coast,namely St. Osyth Marsh ––officially the driest spot inthe British Isles. Despitespurious claims from othersthat their farms are actuallydrier, he points out that hisfarm is in the Guinness Bookof Records, whereas othersaren’t. End of.
6 crop production magazine august 2013
At the time of writing, the ‘silly season’ is just kicking off. With the latest start to harvest I can ever remember, we could be in line forsome late nights in the combine cab as we try to make up for losttime. I hope you have a good harvest and come out the other sidewithout too much ‘combine lag’.
This year in some areas, blackgrass
has become such aproblem that culturalapproaches have to
change.
“
”
More growers than ever will be battling resistant
blackgrass this year. CPMfinds out the preparations
underway for the autumn assault.
By Tom Allen-Stevens, RobertHarris and Rob Jones
W E E D C O N T RO L
Herbicide strategies realignEarly indications suggest that growersare looking to get to grips with resistantblackgrass this year. There’s been more interest in testing blackgrass for resistance, reports ADAS, while acompetition offering free tests, run by
BASF, was over-subscribed within 24 hours of being launched.
“We carried out a survey of growers to find out why they didn’t test,” explainsSarah Mountford-Smith of BASF.
8 crop production magazine august 2013
s
Delayed drilling, the use of stale seedbeds and minimum tillage, coupled with rotational ploughingshould be the foundation on which blackgrass control strategies are now based, according to Stuart Hill of Frontier. He urges growers with bad blackgrass to resist the temptation to drill early, and points out that establishment practice has a significant influence on control from residual chemistry.
“This year in some areas, blackgrass has becomesuch a problem that cultural approaches have tochange,” he says. “Decisions must be made on a
field-by-field basis, while achieving the optimumresponse from the herbicide strategy is heavily influenced by seedbed condition, moisture and time of blackgrass emergence.
“The worst fields must be left until last beforedrilling, and a flexible approach to cultivation andestablishment method is needed –– what works oneyear may not work the next. The plough will help ifthere are fields of particularly bad infestations whereseeds need to be ploughed down. But it’s critical that full inversion takes place.”
Growers will be keen to get rotations back to normal this autumn, notes Stuart Hill, but with a narrow drilling window for OSR this season, wheatplantings may be up and the OSR area could drop.
“The delayed harvest will add to the pressure onthe drilling window and particularly the stale-seedbedapproach. With potential low dormancy of blackgrassthis year, associated with the dry summer conditions,stale seedbeds will be invaluable to take out one oreven two flushes of blackgrass in the worst fields.All this helps as part of the overall blackgrass control strategy.”
Post-emergence contact ALS chemistry, such asAtlantis (iodosulfuron+ mesosulfuron), needs to behandled with care, he says, as it’s coming underincreasing pressure of resistance. This puts greateremphasis on good use of residual chemistry pre and post-emergence.
“Pre-emergence has become the target
timing now and there’s a realisation that if this is missed then control of blackgrass in that cropwill be lost. The key must be to gear herbicidestrategies towards stacking pre-emergence of the blackgrass. Avadex, where the applicatormachinery is available, is the first part of the programme, and this is particularly useful in drier conditions. Flufenacet is the cornerstone ofgrassweed programmes and should be mixed with a proven partner such as flupyrsulfuron (FPU–– such as Lexus SX).”
This approach can be coupled with a furtherstacking of post-emergence residual herbicides,he suggests, which should include the furtherremaining dose of flufenacet with various partnerssuch as diflufenican (DFF) and/or pendimethalin(Hurricane, Omaha).
“When sequencing residuals, take care not tooverload sequences with some active ingredients,”he adds. No more than 125g of DFF should beapplied, for example, due to following crop issuesand a maximum of 2000g of pendimethalin can be used over the programme.
“FPU in trials has added between 5-30% control to flufenacet-based programmes. We’relooking for every bit of additional control. Care isneeded as to what sequences of ALS and SUchemistry can be used after FPU but this is manageable with the right advice.”
In barley he says the residual approach is even
Stuart Hill urges growers with bad blackgrass toresist the temptation to drill early.
Prepare for heavy dependence on pre-emergence chemistry
Bayer now supports Liberator with FPU as a pre-em treatment in winter wheat.
It’s important to get a good picture of exactlywhat you’re up against, especially if you’re takingon new fields, says Sarah Mountford-Smith.
“The two main reasons were cost andnot knowing how to sample. So we set upthe competition, giving away 100 freetests, and made a video, which we put on the BASF website, showing the correctway to take a sample.”
Online questionnaireBut within just 24 hours, they had receivedmore than 100 requests for free tests. “Wehadn’t even sent out the email to promoteit. So we set up an online questionnaire toask growers why they were keen to test.”
Typical reasons include wanting to know the level of resistance so that theherbicide strategy can be tailored, to find out if poor control is resistance orapplication problems and concerns overAtlantis control levels.
“It’s important to get a good picture ofexactly what you’re up against, especiallyif you’re taking on new fields,” says SarahMountford-Smith. “The test will also tell youwhether you’re dealing with target site orenhanced metabolism resistance (EMR).It’s worth retesting every three to five years to see how resistant populations are evolving.
“At £200 it’s not a high cost, comparedwith what you could save on needlessly
spraying a field with a herbicide that simply won’t bring you a cost-effectivelevel of control,” she adds.
Lynn Tatnell of ADAS confirms interestin testing has been higher this year.“We’ve been inundated, and have hadhundreds of samples through.”
The standard of the samples has alsobeen better, she reports. “I think the BASF video has helped here –– often
more critical as Atlantis products can’t be used, makingflufenacet programmes coupled with FPU and followedup with the post-emergence stack a must.
Bayer supportBayer CropScience has announced full support for a pre-emergence application of Liberator (flufenacet+ diflufenican) and FPU in winter wheat.The decision to support the tank-mix, at rates of 0.6 l/ha Liberator and 20g/ha FPU, follows consistentperformance in trials, says Bayer’s Tim Holt.
“FPU lifts pre-em control by up to 10%, and it also brings some broadleaf-weed control to the mix,on cranesbill, for example.
“Caution should be taken where crops are stressed–– any stack will be less safe than using straightLiberator –– but in most seasons, this tank-mix willhelp growers increase control at an important time of the year.”
W E E D C O N T RO L
s
s
Seed must be mature, brown and fall from thetop of the blackgrass head at a gentle touch.
It usually takes about 6-8 weeks to establishresults, says Lynn Tatnell.
Oilseed rape growers are being urged to adopta different approach to their autumn weed control to fend off tighter controls likely to beintroduced under the next round of the WaterFramework Directive (WFD).
Ten years after the WFD was transposed intoBritish law and with only two years remaining of the first round of River Basin ManagementPlans, the frequency and amounts ofmetazachlor, carbetamide and propyzamide in many surface water catchments remainunsustainable, according to Dr Paul Fogg,of Makhteshim Agan UK.
All actives continue to peak at levels wellabove the 0.1ppb limit following autumn applications, he points out. High rainfall in lateautumn and winter leads to movement throughthe soil profile and into field drains.
While the second six-year period of the WFDfrom 2015-2021 aims to rely on voluntarymeasures to ensure compliance with WFDobjectives, there’d also be a backstop of regulation, he warns.
“Defra needs to have a credible Plan B inplace to show the EU it’s doing what is expectedof it,” he says.
This is the Options Appraisal Project,according to Jo Kennedy of Environment Agency,that Defra is expected to publish this summer,and looks at the next solutions for catchmentswhere current approaches haven’t worked.
“The project aims to identify extra measuresand assess their validity and how to implementthem,” she says. “These measures will be takenforward for full cost-benefit analysis.”
Options include a total withdrawal of offending chemistry, targeted restrictions inhigh-risk areas, application of catchment measures such as biobeds, wetlands and bufferstrips to reduce pollution or to alter product orapplication techniques. Implementation could be through incentivisation or regulation, advisesJo Kennedy.
New option for OSR grassweedsA new graminicide for use in OSR has receivedUK registration. Based on the active ingredientclethodim, Centurion Max is recommended forthe control of blackgrass, annual meadowgrass,wheat and barley volunteers in winter OSR andsugar beet, and is described as an important and exceptional herbicide to reach the market.
Although an ACCase inhibitor, Centurion isactive on strains of blackgrass that are resistantto other ACCase products, according to manufacturer Interfarm. In tests carried out byRothamsted Research with AgHerba Consultantsand Interfarm, clethodim gave 23-43% bettercontrol of four ACCase target site resistant populations of blackgrass than tepraloxydim.
But Dr David Stormonth of Interfarm pointsout that Centurion must be used in a programmewith herbicides with different modes of action,such as propyzamide or carbetamide. “Theseproducts should be used either in mix or afterCenturion. This way any survivors from aclethodim treatment should be removed bythe other herbicide, and prevent or reduce anyseed return.”
The recommended dose rate is 1 l/ha,delivering 120g/l of clethodim, and it can beapplied from the four true leaf stage of winterOSR. It’ll control blackgrass and cereal volunteers from the optimum, three-leaf stage to five tillers, and annual meadowgrass fromthree leaves to tillering, says Interfarm.
For more on sustainable grassweed management in OSR, see Tech Talk on p26.
Metazachlor, carbetamide and propyzamidecontinue to peak at levels well above the0.1ppb limit following autumn applications.
Centurion offers superior control of blackgrassand volunteers.
you get a lot of whole heads or immature seeds. But this year, it appears growers followed the samplingguidelines, which is important if you want an accurate result.”
Growers can expect initial results to
take 6-8 weeks, she says. “First through willbe the EMR and ACCase target site results,as they are done using the RothamstedRapid Resistance test method in Petri-dishes.Most tests confirm RR or RRR for ACCase–– that’s fully resistant –– while EMR resultsare often lower at R? or R –– partially resistant. ALS target site results come from a pot test, that takes longer to comethrough, but are usually RR or RRR.”
Once results arrive, growers should discuss how weed control strategies shouldchange with their agronomist, she says.“But if you suspect resistance, act now –– try to remove as much of the weed burden before drilling and plan your pre-emergence chemistry around different actives.”
Lynn Tatnell will be on the BASF stand at the CropTec event at the end of Oct todiscuss results.
Results of ADAS dormancy tests onblackgrass are due in mid to late Aug, andare expected to show a lower dormancythan in previous years as a result of hotterweather during seed maturation. n
W E E D C O N T RO L
12 crop production magazine august 2013
s
Different approach urged in oilseed rape
Meta measuresmust get better
Metaldehyde pellets must be used more carefully if further restrictions on theiruse are to be avoided, warnindustry specialists. CPMrelays their concerns andlooks at the prospects for controlling slugs this autumn.
By Andrew Blake
It’s not good enough to put the
season down to being‘exceptional’ and
continue as usual.
“
”
‘Kill slugs, not metaldehyde’. That’sthe message from the MetaldehydeStewardship Group (MSG) whichurges all users of metaldehyde-based slug-control products to stickto its Get Pelletwise campaignadvice (www.getpelletwise.co.uk).
Until last autumn it seemed thatthe campaign had, at least in part,contributed to a downward trend inthe number of times that metaldehydehad been detected in raw and treatedwater, says Water UK’s policy and business adviser Dr Jim Marshall.
However, the slug control challengeposed by last autumn’s sodden conditions resulted in the chemicalbeing found in rivers, reservoirs andcanals across large parts of Englandat levels well above the drinkingwater standard.
“Some catchments recorded thehighest concentrations since intensivemonitoring began,” he says.
Legal limitsMetaldehyde can’t effectively beremoved by conventional water treatment processes and has beendetected in some drinking water supplies above legal limits for pesticides, confirms the EnvironmentalAgency’s Jo Kennedy.
“The levels found don’t pose a risk tohuman health, but they put the UK atrisk of not meeting the requirements of the Water Framework (WFD) andDrinking Water Directives.”
Metaldehyde is a particular problem,explains NFU plant health adviserDon Pendergast. “The current watertreatment processes that are in general use can’t remove the metaldehyde effectively, which results in non-compliances at the tap when it’s present in water at theabstraction point.”
While fully supporting the voluntary
14 crop production magazine august 2013
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Autumn action advice
As last autumn proved, weather is the key when itcomes to controlling slugs, says Dr David Glen ofStyloma Research and Consulting. “Everythingdepends on the weather.”
This year’s hot dry July kept slugs in checkand populations were lower than at the same time last year when the pests were exceptionallyactive and abundant because of wet weather,he explains.
“However, slugs are enormously resilient and numbers will increase quickly when wetweather returns.
“It’s essential to anticipate problems, assessthe risk, and as far as possible prepare fine, firmseedbeds. Then, where the risk justifies using slugpellets, apply them soon after drilling and rolling–– before damage is seen.”
Jo Kennedy urges growers to determinewhether they’re within a surface water catchmentused for drinking water supply.
“Growers can find this out and identify whethermetaldehyde is an issue within that catchmentfrom the Environment Agency’s “What’s in yourbackyard” WIYBY web page.
“There, by typing in their postcode, they cansee if they’re in a Drinking Water Protected Areaor upstream Safeguard Zone –– i.e. a catchmentarea where water is abstracted for public drinkingwater supply. By double clicking on the red area,they can see whether metaldehyde –– or otherpesticide –– is a risk in their locality.
“In these metaldehyde-risk areas it’s veryimportant that growers’ slug control strategiesconsider water protection and all the measuresthat can be taken to keep metaldehyde out ofwater. That’s not to say that in other areas stewardship advice can be ignored –– it’s important for everyone to use pesticides responsibly so risks to water are minimised and deterioration is avoided.”
Paul Fogg stresses that the MSG guidelinesstill apply in all areas of the UK, and integratedcontrols remain important for everyone.
“But by using WIYBY it’s possible to drill downand assess the individual farm level of risk, whichis really important in taking the MSG’s GetPelletwise campaign to the next level, and makingsure those in critical areas sit up and take note.
“The three most important action points fromthe guidelines are then:l Ensure the minimum amount of active per ha
is applied to avoid drainage and run-off lossesl Not to use metaldehyde when soils are at
full water-holding capacity, or when heavy rain is forecast
l Know when to stop.“Once the metaldehyde top limit is reached
(max is 210g/ha of active between 1 Aug and 31 Dec) don’t use metaldehyde but switch to an alternative if needed.”
Many factors need to be considered whendetermining slug control strategies, says Andrew Crossley. “They include the weather,previous cropping, cultivation type, crop residues,buffer strips, watercourses, soil conditions, andwhen to stop using metaldehyde and switch toanother product.
“Certain locations represent a greater riskbecause of soil type, slope and proximity to awatercourse, and there the use of alternatives may be appropriate as a standard measure on the main crop or on the headland.
“The WIYBY tool is useful in planning and helps identify whether metaldehyde is a risk towatercourses in your area.
“Seedbed consolidation is absolutely crucialbefore any chemical control measures are implemented.”
The key this year will be determining the riskand pressure of infestations as early as possible,believes Dorset-based Velcourt farm managerMark Edgecombe.
“The degree of risk, and therefore the associated ease with which slugs can be controlled, depends on a huge array of factors.
“Weather, soil type, rotation, cultivations,seedbed quality, drilling date and chopping qualityof the combine are all factors you need to try todigest and use to make a judgement on the day,based on experience.
“The current worry is that with a protractedharvest, establishment of 2014 crops may bedelayed, in turn running the risk of some of thosefactors not being ideal.
“I believe it’s better to be on top of slugs early in the autumn, rather than chasing the problem through the early winter in less than ideal conditions.
“If all cultural controls and the weather aren’ton your side, the chemical options are usually very effective.
“It would be a huge blow if there were productshortages, or further forward, metaldehyde waslost as an active ingredient.”
Trapping slugs is widely advocated to helpassess the extent of potential control problems.
“Trapping, I always find, is like soil mineral
nitrogen testing,” says Mark Edgecombe. “It givesyou a good ‘feel’ for the level within a given year,but you perhaps wouldn’t make too many large-scale decisions on the results of the test.
“We generally try to trap in two or three previous crop cycles in fields of high, medium andlow risk. From this you can begin to build a pictureof the risk of the season and make decisions fromthe results.
“In my opinion it’s better to trap before cultivations so you don’t impede visible signs ofsurface activity. Also, the faster you realise thescale of any potential issues, the easier it is to deal with in a sustainable and best-practice way.”
Growers should plan slug control in much thesame way as they do nitrogen and fungicide use,he believes. “Gone are the days when the quadbike went out to blanket treat everything in Octwhen the problem was already too great.
“I don’t think growers necessarily misused metaldehyde last year. It’s just that the areas and volumes of product applied were significantlyhigher than in a ‘normal’ year.”
He thinks more growers should use a decision-tree system for choosing products in various circumstances. He uses both metaldehydeand ferric phosphate for control depending on specific circumstances. “It’s almost like a mycotoxin risk assessment in wheat.”
Despite this year’s hot dry July, slugs are resilientcreatures, notes David Glen.
Trapping slugs helps assess the extent ofpotential control problems.
Mark Edgecombe reckons the sooner anypotential issues can be identified, the easier it is to deal with them in a sustainable way.
16 crop production magazine august 2013
17crop production magazine august 2013
Last autumn’s sodden conditions resulted inmetaldehyde being found in water bodies atlevels well above the drinking water standard.
Reliance on two actives to control agriculture’snumber one crop pest would not be a goodposition to be in.
MSG campaign and the statutory metaldehyde application limit of 700g of active substance (a.s.) per ha per calendar year, Jim Marshall says: “Themeasures taken to date have shown benefits, but they may be stretched in certain conditions to meet the drinkingwater standard.
“If a voluntary approach doesn’t generate sustainable reductions in levelsin drinking water sources then it may be necessary to introduce tighter environmental restrictions.”
Growers’ actions this year will be particularly important, stresses Don Pendergast.
MSG guidelines“Since the first detections in 2007 and the introduction of MSG guidelines therehad been a downward trend in metaldehydeexceedances, but in 2012 this trend went into reverse in an extremely difficultseason.”
While regulators accept that this wasdriven largely by the weather, they expectgrowers will have learned lessons and beprepared to modify their approaches toslug control where necessary, he adds.
“Farmers need to adhere strongly to theguidelines this year and discuss strategieswith their agronomist, where appropriate,to demonstrate good stewardship.”
The MSG’s Dr Paul Fogg notes thatstewardship is an evolutionary process. “It takes time to fully understand the issue,develop the mitigation strategy, achieve ahigh level of uptake and then monitor itseffectiveness. The entire industry hasachieved a great deal in terms of promotingsustainable use. However, under high
pressure conditions it’s clear that moreneeds to be done.
“Also, we’re coming to a turning point in the next two to three years, where decisions will be made as to whether what is being done is sufficient. The statusquo is unsustainable and it’s not goodenough to put the season down to being‘exceptional’ and continue as usual –– butnor should metaldehyde be considered a lost cause.
“The MSG is firmly committed to metaldehyde and we continue to investheavily, both in terms of stewardship butalso re-registration. We’re working closelywith water industry, Defra and regulators to develop the next steps and secure the
s
s
The status quo is unsustainable, argues Paul Fogg.
If a voluntary approach doesn’t reduce levels in drinking water, it may be lead to tighterenvironmental restrictions.
Metaldehyde dosesUsing a typical 5kg/ha spreading rate, the metaldehyde dose will vary by product:
Product % metaldehyde 4% 3% 1.5%
g of metaldehyde 200g 150g 75g
Maximum total application rate The maximum kg/ha rate of metaldehyde products that can be applied as an individual dose andduring the calendar year, and the autumn restriction period, are listed in the two tables below:
Maximum individual rate: per application
% metaldehyde Maximum dose of pellets to nearest kg of productin pellets 210g a.s./ha 160g a.s./ha
4% 5kg/ha 4kg/ha
3% 7kg/ha 5kg/ha
1.5% 7.5kg/ha* 7.5kg/ha*
*CRD approved maximum rate
Maximum total rates: per hectare% metaldehyde Maximum total dose of productin pellets Calendar year 1 Aug to 31 Dec 1 Aug to 31 Dec
700g 210g 160g
4% 17kg/ha 5kg/ha 4kg/ha
3% 23kg/ha 7kg/ha 5kg/ha
1.5% 46kg/ha 14kg/ha 10kg/ha
Application restrictions: metaldehydel Use minimum active per ha to avoid drainage and run-off lossesl Maximum total dose from 1 Aug to 31 Dec: 210g metaldehyde a.s./ha*l Maximum application rate: 210g metaldehyde a.s./ha*l Note that for additional protection of water, suppliers or BASIS advisors may recommend these
rates are reduced from 210g to 160g a.s./ha or less*l Maximum total dose rate: 700g metaldehyde a.s./ha per calendar year*l No pellets to be applied within 6m of a watercoursel Don’t apply when heavy rain is forecastl Don’t apply if drains are flowing
*from any combination of metaldehyde products
long-term availability of the active.Continued industry support has neverbeen more important.”
Although metaldehyde poses no humanhealth risk, the task of defending its continued use will become harder if concentrations in water sources continueto exceed the 0.1 parts-per-billion EUstandard for pesticides in drinking water,warns Andrew Crossley, Farms Director at Thurlow Estate Farms in Suffolk.
“We can’t assume that there’ll be anyfurther reprieves,” he says. “Growers needto take the issue very seriously and ensurethat everyone does their bit, or there’s a real risk that we’ll lose metaldehyde sooner rather than later.”
Slug pellets are pesticides and must beafforded the same level of respect given toother pesticides, says Simon McMunn ofmetaldehyde manufacturer De Sangosse.
Potential effectBaits containing the chemical account for 80% of the market for slug controlproducts, he notes. “This is due to existing factory establishment and production capacity throughout Europe,and that wouldn’t be easily replaced orconverted if we were to lose the active.The potential effect on future croppingcould be enormous.”
There are only two other active ingredients recommended to control slugs in the UK within an integrated pestmanagement programme, notes the AIC’sHazel Doonan.
“Reliance on two actives to control such a major crop pest would not be a goodposition to be in –– particularly if therewere supply issues with either of them ortheir increased use led to non-complianceunder the WFD.
“Allowing metaldehyde to be withdrawn without efforts to improve stewardship around its handling and usewould set a precedent for other activeswhich are also under the spotlight due toissues with drinking-water compliance.
“If regulators feel that stewardshipdoesn’t work they’ll be faced with no alternative but to regulate, and we’ll see products withdrawn without the opportunity to initiate better stewardshipand ensure they remain available.”
There are just three effective chemical
18 crop production magazine august 2013
Adhering to MSG guidelines
s
Andrew Crossley urges every grower to do theirbit to keep metaldehyde.
Existing factory establishment and productioncapacity wouldn’t be easily replaced or convertedif the active was lost, warns Simon McMunn.
slug control options –– metaldehyde,methiocarb and ferric phosphate, notesBayer CropScience’s Peter Stacey.
“A complete ban on metaldehyde would leave a large hole which the othersuppliers would find hard to fill, especiallyin the short term. If the ban occurred in a wet year then it could be that the slugpellet market would be less than half supplied, and that’d mean many cropswould be unprotected.
“In such a scenario growers wouldstruggle to establish oilseed rape, andwithout that crop as a break, wheat wouldalso be less profitable.”
Robert Lidstone of Certis agrees, notingthat while the company has interests inboth metaldehyde and ferric phosphateslug pellets, there’s a clear case for adopting a programmed approach, coupled with cultural controls. “This offersfarmers a choice and will ultimately help preserve the range of treatments available.”
Extra measuresJo Kennedy says last autumn’s experience showed that in order to secure and be confident of long term compliance, extra measures will need tobe introduced in some catchments, aboveand beyond those already promoted by the MSG.
“The Environment Agency is encouragingthe industry to look at what these measuresmight be, including reducing the quantitiesof metaldehyde applied to the land inhighest risk areas, and implementing product substitution in a way which doesn’t cause pollution swapping.”
A reduction in the number of active substances available for tackling any particular pest or weed can result ingreater use of those left, she points out.
19crop production magazine august 2013
“It depends very much on the activesubstances that remain and their environmental profiles, but there’s a risk in this type of scenario that we remove one problem but create another. That’ssomething we always need to bear in mind when trying to identify the best overall solution.
“Targeted application of extra measuresin highest risk areas, i.e. being more risk-based in our approach to managingnon-compliance, is a way of avoiding theneed for widespread product restrictionsand keeping a wider range on the market.”
Run-off from field drains is one of the biggest sources of watercourse contamination the industry faces, saysSimon McMunn. “So the use of alternativesto metaldehyde is essential in problemareas. The water companies recognise theimportance of metaldehyde to agricultureand aren’t calling for it to be withdrawn.” n
Despite this season’s poor UKrapeseed crop, prospects for
global oilseed production lookgood and prices are falling.
CPM joins a group of growersto discuss the impact and priorities for the next crop.
By Tom Allen-Stevens
We’re looking at a
predicted record global crop of 64M tonnes.”
“
Market concernsas crops arecombinedIt’s the last Driving Up Oilseed RapeYields meeting before harvest, andthoughts have turned to marketing thecrop, as well as establishing next year’sOSR. But following a year during whichweather extremes have taken their toll onthe crop, no one’s confident enough tomake a yield prediction, and it’s affectingtheir marketing plans.
20 crop production magazine august 2013
“Usually, we take a risk-averse view and commit a fair percentage of therapeseed forward,” says Innes McEwen,farm manager of Syngenta’s Jealott’s Hillfarm in Berks.
“But while I’m more confident about the crop than I was a couple of monthsago, we’ve got a very mixed bag and it’s difficult to predict what we’ll get.
We’ve committed much less forward than normal.”
Derby-based James Chamberlain takesa stronger line. “My view may be skewedby what happened last year, but I don’tlike the price and I haven’t sold any
The annual mix has been specially designed tobe easy for growers to establish and containsthe right mix of wild flowers to complement theOSR crop.
Sowing a small strip of annual wild flowersestablished next to oilseed rape ensuresan extended flowering season for the benefit of bees and other pollinatinginsects, according to Belinda Bailey of Syngenta. The concept has been evaluated with some of the Driving UpOilseed Rape Yields farmer group, as part of the company’s OperationPollinator initiative.
“This mix has been specially designedto be easy for growers to establish andcontains the right mix of wild flowers,”she says. “It’ll start with crimson cloverthat gets underway before the OSRstarts flowering (mid May this year),while the corn flowers will keep on going right through July.”
Planted at a rate of 4kg/ha, this canbe at the same time as the OSR cropwith the same seedbed conditions. “Butleave the seed on the surface beforerolling,” she advises.
“Once it’s time to establish the nextcrop, you can top and incorporate it,planting a new strip with your next OSRcrop. We’re also looking to see if it can
be kept going for a second year,although it’s primarily an annual mix, so may need rejuvenating.”
21crop production magazine august 2013
Growers who sit on their OSR believing a poor UK harvest will drive up prices are likely to seethe value of their rapeseed diminish, warns Chris Guest.
rapeseed forward,” he says.But this is just what the grain trade
is warning against, according to ChrisGuest of Gleadell, who has joined thegroup to update growers on marketprospects for the 2013 crop. “The UK is just a small cog in the big globaloilseed machine,” he says.
“Prospects for the UK crop may notlook good, but elsewhere the weatherhas been favourable and crops lookexcellent. Those growers who sit ontheir OSR believing a poor UK harvestwill drive up prices are likely to see thevalue of their rapeseed diminish.”
The group has gathered at JamesChamberlain’s farm to discuss how toachieve an OSR crop that has thepotential to yield more –– and yield moreconsistently. The aim is to consider hownew and different agronomy techniquescan enhance a crop’s performance.
This year, it’s tricky to know whetherthe careful nurturing the crop hasreceived will bear fruits at harvest. “The weather conspired to ensure thecanopy wasn’t over-big,” points out
James Chamberlain. “Plenty of light got down to those lower pods. It’s that time before harvest that’s crucial to get the extra oil content, and I think there’ll be a lot of surprises when the combinegoes through.”
But having lost a percentage of hiscrop, Innes McEwen has concerns for theaverage returns over the whole area. “Thegross margin will look skewed becausethere’s a higher cost per ha of harvestedcrop,” he points out.
Much of the crop return will nowdepend on what the market does, notesChris Guest, and he warns that currentlyall the signs are pointing downwards.
Good yields“There are good yields and good oil contents coming through from initial harvest reports in Poland and elsewhere inthe EU. The German crop looks good, asdoes most of Eastern Europe. It’s only theUK and isolated parts of France where thecrop is expected to be lower.
“Further afield, the rapeseed crop looksexcellent in the Black Sea and Canada,while there’s been no adverse weather toworry about in Australia, the other large
rapeseed producer. We’re looking at apredicted record global crop of 64Mtonnes,” he reports. s
Annual wildflower mix for OSR growers
When you enter the grain store at Glebe Farm,you’re struck by how clean and orderly everything is. But it’s not up to the standardowner James Chamberlain would like to see.“Apologies for the dust –– we’re just about to get the pre-harvest clean underway.”
It’s a high standard that’s maintainedthroughout the pristine farm buildings, anddespite the extraordinarily difficult year, not anear of wheat nor pod of oilseed rape looks out of place either.
But it’s the soils that present the biggestchallenge, he says. “They’re Grade 3 sand andgravels. You can do everything right, but themaker or breaker is precipitation. We’re verymuch weather takers –– these soils aredrought-prone and they naturally slump,so they need a fair bit of nurturing.”
For years, biosolid applications provided thenurturing. “This has great nutrient value andbuilt up our phosphate indices, but not a hugeamount of humus. We need something that aids
workability, but more importantly, adds moistureretention, too,” says James Chamberlain.
So for the past three years, around 4000t ofcompost has been spread at a rate of 30t/ha,usually applied after the OSR in the rotation –– there’s 120ha of OSR, alongside 160ha of winter wheat and 180ha of spring barley.There’s also 160 head of beef finishers and upto 500 lambs grazing on 80ha of grassland onthe farm that sits between the River Derwentand the Trent just outside Derby.
As well as having a greater organic-mattervalue, the compost supplies “very useful” levelsof potash, he says. “With little clay content,the soils struggle to hang on to the nutrients,especially K. We chop wheat and OSR straw and variable-rate apply P and K in the spring to maintain indices at 2+, which is sufficient to deliver them to crops at peak requirementtimes. A history of applying magnesium limestone means Mg levels are good.”
Generally, tramlines and headlands of thosefields destined for OSR are subsoiled with aTWB subsoiler down to a depth of 250mm.“Our soils don’t self-structure, so they need a little help,” notes James Chamberlain.
The 3m Simba Express will then usually follow. “This leaves it in a state that’s veryreceptive for the drill, although last year weploughed, and this is often the best solution,particularly in front of spring barley.”
A 4m Kuhn power harrow makes theseedbed, while a 6m Accord drill establishes thecrop. “We don’t have a cultivator drill –– I thinkthat would pack the soil down too tightly. Weaim to mix the top 75mm and get a firm, levelseedbed for good seed/soil contact, and the
power harrow achieves this, especially withthe small OSR seed.”
Excalibur and Fashion are the varietiesgrown. “Fashion we’ve grown for four yearsand Excalibur for 5-6 years. They’re not thetop-yielding varieties, but they’re consistentand reliable.”
The seed may have a Take-Off dressing tohelp it get away, and Nutri-Phyte is applied inautumn to assist rooting. 30kgN/ha is alsooften applied as soon as tramlines are visible.“If the autumn conditions are good, and thecrop’s growing well, we won’t need this. But Ifeel, with this year’s late harvest, the crop willneed some help to get going.”
With OSR harvest just underway at thetime of writing, James Chamberlain still doesn’t have a lot of confidence in this year’syields. “We swath our crops, and most wascut in mid July, but we haven’t yet completedharvesting a field. It’s coming in okay, but I don’t think we’ll be near our usual target of 4t/ha.”
Soils nurtured for high-standard OSR
James Chamberlain’s soils are drought-prone and they naturally slump, so they need a fair bitof nurturing.
The OSR crop is now coming in, but is expected to yield below the farm’s 4t/ha target.
Only around 20% of the UK crop was soldforward before harvest –– it’s usually closer to 55%.
Global rapeseed production is heading for arecord high.
But soybeans drive the oilseed complexas it’s the biggest global oil crop, hepoints out. “To put things in perspective,the South American soybean harvest was140M tonnes –– that’s up on last year’s.The global soybean crop suffered fromweather problems last year and the yearbefore, which drove up rapeseed prices.But there have been no such problemsthis year.
Prices under pressure“The market’s reacted –– those who havebeen hedging in MATIF are locking in forward prices by selling futures. Thefutures prices have been under severepressure, there’s seed everywhere anddemand is stagnating. But the really worrying part is that just 20% of the UKcrop has been sold forward –– by now
that’s usually well over 50%.”Lower prices will hit growers who need
to shift rapeseed at harvest for cashflow orstorage reasons, he says. “There’ll be the
22 crop production magazine august 2013
s
s
Innes McEwen wants to get the rotation back to what it should be, with a proper OSR crop in the ground.
Rapeseed markets will come under furtherpressure from soybeans that drives the oilseed complex.
odd uptick, and at some point priceswill bottom out. But for the moment,
supply and demand, as well as favourable weather, dictate there’s no reason forprices to rise.”
The demand side is influenced by rapeseed’s two main products –– rapemealand oil. “The market for rapemeal is currently particularly firm –– there’s a lot of demand out there. But oil is the biggercommodity for OSR, and that’s sufferingfrom oversupply.
“Biodiesel demand is stagnating andthere’s lots of uncertainly in this sector.Much of this is down to politics, and theon-going long-term debate of how the EU sources biofuels. It’s worth keeping an eye on the political decisions as theycan have an effect on the market,” notesChris Guest.
“The market is underpinned by oilprices, and we’re now approaching arapeseed price where it looks favourablefor biodiesel producers. But it’s not easyfor them to shift from one feedstock toanother, so they’ll only move if they’re confident there’s a long-term dip in rapeseed prices.”
There are other influencing factorsgrowers should take account of when marketing their crop, he continues.“Currency always has a significant influence and can make the market moveby £20-30/t. It’s the pound against theeuro you need to watch, and a strongpound makes the UK crop look expensive,so will tend to lower farm-gate prices.
China is the world’s biggest oilseedbuyer, engulfing a whopping 60M tonnesevery year, he notes. “It’s always worth
Driving up oilseed rape yields
Oilseed rape is one of the most profitablecrops on farm and is no longer just a breakcrop. Striving for better yields, however incremental, can deliver big returns. It’s forthis reason that Syngenta has brought togethereleven of the country’s leading OSR growers as
part of the ‘Driving Up Yields’ initiative, withthe aim of challenging current conventions,promoting best practice and stimulatinguptake of innovations. Meeting throughout the season with industry experts, the group isvoicing its concerns and sharing its thoughtsin an online forum –– you can follow the discussion and debate at www.syngenta.co.ukby following the links to the ‘Driving Up Yields’ pages.
keeping an eye on what China’s doing as small shifts in its buying pattern –– astrengthening economy, for example –– can have a big influence on prices.”
Hedge funds can also influence prices.“If hedge-fund managers feel there’smoney to be made in a particular commodity, their appetite can drive themarket. But interest is currently fallingaway from oilseeds as the market dropsback. What’s more, the equities market ispicking up –– traders will switch betweencommodities and equities, depending onwhere they think the movements are.”
There’s also next year’s crop to focuson, and there are rumours that plantingmay have got underway very early on.“I’ve heard there’s some fallow land thatgrowers were planning to drill in July,”notes Chris Guest.
“That’s way too early –– it’s a car crash waiting to happen,” says James Chamberlain.
Return to normalityInnes McEwen is looking for a return tonormality. “I want to get my rotation backto what it should be. We’ve had to muckaround for a year with peas and beans,and new techniques of establishment. I want to drill, and I want proper OSRcrops again.”
But there’ll be one new addition to hisrotation next season. “We’re trying 32ha of Hyvido Volume winter barley. The mainreason is the assured higher yields, but itwill also ensure a mid-Aug entry for ourOSR. We’ll be home-feeding the barley to our beef cattle.”
The rotation has moved from OSR onceevery three years to one in five. As well asbarley, there’s a spring crop, which ties inoverwintered stubbles as an ELS option.
But there’ll be some restructuring to dobefore this year’s OSR goes in, he says.“Where there was no crop in the ground,
we’ve got to put things right, and thatstarts with some mole-draining. But we’llhave to take care not to overwork thesesoils or we’ll pulverise them.”
He builds in organic matter with compost from local green waste and farmyard manure. “The FYM needs morethought this year –– we’ll focus on thefields that took a battering.”
Manure tends to go on after the OSRcrop, ploughed in before the followingwheat. The OSR itself is established with a 3m Sumo Trio and seeder box. “That’sour primary form of establishment, but itdepends on conditions on the day,” notesInnes McEwen.
His variety of choice this year isCamelot. “We grew it last year and got onwell, so we’ll grow it again. I’m interestedin SY Fighter and dropping NK Grandia.We also grow NK Molten for HamishCampbell’s cold-pressed rapeseed oil –– hopefully that’s one market that won’tbe knocked about by current price movements.” n
24 crop production magazine august 2013
s
Water worriesprompt weedthreat
A better balance needs to be struck between safeguarding groundwater from pollution and protecting the OSR crop from competitive weeds,in particular blackgrass. A number of key residualherbicide actives currently cause problems withrespect to drinking water supplies. Switching from one to the other is just ‘pollution swapping’, say water experts. Growers must find a better solution as soon as possible or risk losing these valuable actives for good.
Better grassweed management in oilseedrape is essential –– and not just to increasethe crop’s yield potential. A differentapproach is needed if current chemistry is to be retained.
By Tom Allen-Stevens
Oilseed rape is one of the mostprofitable crops in the arablerotation and provides an excellent opportunity to tackleresistant blackgrass. But it’sthis very quality that now puts the future of the crop in jeopardy.
The herbicides used in OSR are frequently found at raised levelsin drinking water catchments, triggering the need for extra treatment and putting water qualityat risk, points out EnvironmentAgency’s Jo Kennedy. While theEA is looking for sustainable solutions, the fear is that OSR herbicides could be subject to restrictions in use. One of thesesolutions may be to take a differentapproach to how grassweeds are tackled in the crop, believesDick Neale of Hutchinsons.
Both experts agree that thestatus quo is not an option, andmanagement of the crop mustchange if growers want to retainits profitability and worth withinthe rotation. A good understandingof the factors surrounding theproblem is essential to ensuringbetter grassweed control andless risk of surface-water contamination.
Why grow OSR?OSR is now the second mostwidely grown winter crop in theUK, with 756,000ha grown in 2012,according to Defra. A ready market for a variety of uses, including biofuels, has seen pricesfor rapeseed reach almost £400/tin recent months, bringing a grossmargin that can easily rival or evenexceed that of wheat.
It’s also a valuable break crop,providing an excellent entry forwheat. What’s more, the key OSRherbicides –– propyzamide andcarbetamide –– have useful activity against blackgrass, with no known resistance issues.
But a good, well establishedcrop is essential for yield potential–– figures prepared by ADAS suggest poor control of blackgrasscan reduce OSR’s gross margin by43%, while poor ryegrass controlwill erode margins by 20%. One ofthe problems with OSR is that it’sestablished early in the autumn,with little opportunity pre-drilling toremove weeds with glyphosate.Weed populations left unchecked
until early winter can compete with the crop during importantearly stages as the OSR tap rootdevelops. Research also suggestsroot exudates from blackgrass further inhibit crop growth andlower the yield potential.
Why is there an issuewith water quality?OSR herbicides pose a problem in drinking water catchmentsbecause high peaks can occur in abstracted water during theperiods of use. Monitoring andmodelling work, undertaken by the EA and others, shows the most significant pathway for theherbicides into water is via drainflow. Fields on heavier claysoils which are under-drainedpose the greatest risk.
Under the Water FrameworkDirective (WFD), the UK has anobligation to protect its drinkingwater catchments. The DrinkingWater Directive standards at thetap –– 0.1g/l for any individual pesticide and 0.5g/l for total pesticides –– must not bebreached. As a minimum, the UKmust avoid deterioration of itsDrinking Water Protected Areas(DrWPAs), while over time weshould be looking to clean up theabstracted water so the amount oftreatment required to meet qualitystandards required at the tap canbe reduced.
But the peaks are difficult toremove from drinking water andthe water companies need toemploy extra treatment to avoidexceedence of the 0.1µg/l limit.This is both costly and triggersnon-compliance with the WFD. In severe cases, water companieshave had to temporarily closeabstractions down.
Recent trends over the past fewyears to grow more OSR haveexacerbated the situation in somedrinking water catchments ––
Sustainable grassweed management in oilseed rape
The status quo is not an option,and management of
the crop must change if growers want
to retain its profitability.”
“
Water-wise approach needed in Cherwell Valley
26 crop production magazine august 2013
[picture: Blackthorn Arable]
those set out in the VoluntaryInitiative’s water protection advicesheets. But in some catchments,it’s not clear that these are going to reduce exceedences to anacceptable level.
Ultimately, the UK faces aninfraction risk if it doesn’t find a wayof managing OSR herbicides indrinking water catchments so as toavoid the need for extra treatmentand the potential breach of standards at the tap. So the industry needs to think about additional pollution control measures.
The second round of RiverBasin management plans are dueto take effect from 2015-2021, and these will seek to ensure compliance with WFD. Whereproblems with pesticide exceedences are still identified,there needs to be a credible ‘Plan B’ in place. Further options-appraisal and cost-benefitanalysis work, currently under wayat Defra, will help inform whatadditional mitigation measurescould be adopted for OSR herbicides. These could includeproduct restrictions, althoughDefra’s confirmed these would be a last resort.
EA compliance data shows thatbehind metaldehyde, propyzamideand carbetamide are now the twomost problematic pesticides in surface water drinking watercatchments (see charts on p28).
What are the regulatoryimplications?Currently there’s a suite of mitigation measures beingemployed by farmers, including
Jon Bellamy is acutely aware of theeffect pesticides can have on drinkingwater quality. As an agronomist withTAG Consulting in Oxon, Northants andBucks, some of his farms cover around60% of the River Cherwell catchmentaround Banbury, Oxon.
“It’s a true drinking-water catchmentand behaves like a large bowl, in thatthe reservoirs used for drinking waterare supplied directly by run-off fromfarms in the area. It’s unusual for adrinking-water catchment in that thefarms are predominantly arable, andthey’re also well drained,” he says.
“At certain times of the year, you doget spikes in pesticide loading, andsometimes these spikes are so greatthat they have to shut down theabstraction points to the reservoirs to protect the water quality.”
Propyzamide and carbetamide frequently feature as pesticide spikesfrom around mid Nov. “The only way toget around the 0.1µg/l limit is not to
use the chemicals. But resistant blackgrass is increasingly a problem for many growers in the area, so they form the backbone of control programmes. On some farms whereAtlantis (iodosulfuron+ mesosulfuron) is now failing, and fops and dim resistance is complete, propyzamideand carbetamide provide the only reliable post emergence control ofblackgrass anywhere in the rotation.”
The traditional approach for thosewith bad blackgrass has been to apply a pre or early post-emergencetreatment of a metazachlor-based product. “This is followed with agraminicide –– Aramo (tepraloxydim) or Falcon (propaquizafop) –– but this is largely to tidy up volunteers,especially where resistant blackgrass is a problem.”
Propyzamide is applied at the fullrate from the third week of Nov. “If thepropyzamide works well, this gives goodresults. But that means around 95%
control, which is barely standing still onreducing blackgrass populations. It putsa lot of pressure on the propyzamidetreatment, and all too frequently theideal timing is missed or the blackgrasshas outgrown what can be adequatelycontrolled. So often it’ll be followed up with a fire-brigade treatment of carbetamide that puts quite a loadingon the soils late in the year when thedrains are bound to be running.”
The next step to improve blackgrasscontrol is to apply carbetamide earlier,he says. “At 2.5kg/ha, applied at theend of Oct, it prevents the blackgrassrooting too deep, so improves controlfrom propyzamide. It also takes thepressure off getting the Nov treatmentspot on –– it’s a strategy that workedwell for a number of growers last season.”
Applied earlier in the year, it’s lesslikely that the carbetamide will find itsway into the drains, but Jon Bellamynotes the strategy doesn’t reduce
pesticide loading overall. “Ultimately,growers with bad blackgrass have toutilise other control methods, and in the Cherwell catchment we’re trying to use more later drilling of wintercrops, spring cropping and rotationalploughing. The wheat/OSR rotation is broken, but where OSR is beinggrown, farmers should try to avoidapplying high rates of propyzamide or carbetamide when the drains are flowing.”
Water-wise approach needed in Cherwell Valley
Carbetamide applied at the end of Octimproves control from propyzamide and takes the pressure off the Novtreatment, says Jon Bellamy.
What can you do to mitigate the risk of pesticide loss?Growing less OSR in drinkingwater catchments –– in otherwords, extending rotations so the overall quantity of herbicideapplied in a catchment every year is lower –– will reduce theproblem. But this may also reducethe profitability of the arable rotation, so may be regarded as unsustainable.
Cultural control methods canreduce populations of grassweedsthat must be managed with herbicides –– ploughing can beconsidered, for example. But,where used, this is often a methodfavoured elsewhere in the rotationwhere the opportunity to reducethe establishment cost is lower,and the benefit from ploughinggreater. Otherwise, cultural grassweed control in OSR is fairly limited.
So there’s a tension betweensafeguarding water and the needto protect the crop –– three residualherbicide actives currently cause
Sustainable grassweed management: top tips
l Make water protection a priority – Consider whether you’re in a high-risk area and how your herbicides could be reaching drinking water.
l Keep cultivations shallow – Ensure grassweeds don’t root to depth.
l Use a mix of active ingredients – Use a range of sequenced chemistry,aiming to apply earlier in the autumn.
27crop production magazine august 2013
Herbicides get into water via drainflow,says Jo Kennedy, with fields on heavierclay posing the greatest risk.
The Drinking Water Directive standardsat the tap –– 0.1g/l for any individualpesticide and 0.5g/l for total pesticides–– must not be breached.
s[picture: Blackthorn Arable]
Uniquely, it believes, Makhteshim Agan(MAUK) has been working ahead ofothers in the industry to help growersidentify sustainable weed control strategies for OSR which it claims willbe compatible with Defra’s new plan to find the next solutions for watercatchments where current approacheshave not worked.
In developing an innovative,alternative strategy for Crawler (carbetamide), the company hasachieved close to 100% control ofblackgrass in autumn-sown OSR trials.
The new approach involves adoptinga similar mind-set to blackgrass controlin winter cereal crops by utilising the
residual product earlier in the season,well before those all-important fielddrains start to flow. By bringing the firstresidual application of the sequence forward and making better use of the best, resistance-free blackgrass herbicides available, MAUK allows growers to target blackgrass roots andshoots at a smaller, more vulnerable sizewhile sensitising the weed plant for thefollow-up Cohort (propyzamide) treatmentin early Nov.
Sponsors message
problems for drinking watertreatment. To switch from one to the other would just result in‘pollution swapping’ and therearen’t currently product-substitutionoptions that have a lower pollutionpotential. So the most practicaloption for growers is to alter theiruse of product to allow differentproducts at reduced dose rates,and used less at times of the yearwhen the risk of entry to water viafield drains is high.
What’s the best cultivation strategy forgrassweed control?Although cultivations are of limiteduse on their own to tackle blackgrass in OSR, they can betailored to get the best out of thechemistry. Propyzamide is veryimmobile in soils, and while carbetamide has better water solubility, both products workthrough the roots of the weed. So the over-riding objective with cultivations is to avoid theblackgrass rooting to a depthgreater than 75mm.
Direct drilling or Autocastingrapeseed is therefore ideal,although the drill used shouldensure minimum soil disturbance.The Cousins Microwing has been designed especially forestablishing OSR, working a strip of soil to 100mm, but onlymoving 20% of the soil per pass.
Care should be taken whensubsoiling that this results in minimum disturbance at the soilsurface. Slots where the legshave travelled should be closedwith a suitable press, which willreduce the risk of deep-rootedblackgrass as well as ensure you haven’t opened up an easyroute for herbicides to find thedrains. Seed should be placed as accurately as possible if sub-casting.
The worst establishmentmethod for OSR is to mix the soil to a depth of 100mm or more,such as with a TopDown, Trio or Solo – the more moving andmixing of the topsoil, the morelikely the blackgrass will root to a greater depth, out of reach ofthe herbicides.
What are the best herbicide options?Metazachlor, applied ideally pre-emergence or early post-emergence, helps to holdblackgrass and volunteers back,allowing the young OSR crop toget established. You won’t getmuch control of blackgrass, butthe stunted plants will be moreaccessible to later applied soil-acting chemistry.
An early flush of volunteers is best controlled with an early Sept application of a contact herbicide, such aspropaquizafop. But if soil conditions are such that there’slittle green cover until mid Sept, it’s better to go with a product with better efficacy onblackgrass, such as tepraloxydimor clethodim. Bear in mind,though, that contact chemistrymay have little effect on resistantblackgrass.
Traditionally, propyzamide is applied in Nov when soil temperatures fall below 10°C and
there’s plenty of moisture. This isbecause it breaks down in warmertemperatures, so cool conditionsfavour its long-term residual activity. But there’s less need forthis if the blackgrass has beenkept near the soil surface, meaning a less protracted emergence. So, provided there’ssufficient moisture, you can bringforward the residual element.
Carbetamide isn’t as effectiveas propyzamide, but is more watersoluble, so works better in drierconditions earlier in the autumn.Applied from mid Sept, it does a good holding job, stoppingblackgrass in its tracks, so keeping the roots from developing
too deep before the propyzamideis applied. It’s particularly usefulwhere the efficacy of contactchemistry on resistant blackgrasshas fallen away.
Using a sequence of herbicidesmeans you’re not relying solely on late applications of residualchemistry, which are more likely to find their way into a field drainthan smaller doses applied earlier.With the right soil conditions andcultivations, this strategy is aseffective overall, but has theadvantage that you’ve held back the grassweed pressurethroughout the autumn, allowing a better start for the OSR crop itself. n
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Dick Neale encourages growers tokeep cultivations shallow so thatblackgrass roots stay close to the surface.
The interactive map atwww.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiybyallows growers to quickly identify ifthey’re in a DrWPA.
metazachlorisoproturon
2,4-Dchlorotoluron
clopyralidMCPA
mecocropcarbetamidepropyzamidemetaldehyde
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90Number of DrWPAs at risk of failing because of pesticides
EA monitoring reveals drinking water standards are frequently breached by keyOSR herbicides
Tools to tackle blackgrass
Know your enemy – only then canyou use machinery to
give you optimum weedmanagement.
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”30 crop production magazine august 2013
Everybody has the luxury of looking over the hedge and addressing theirneighbours’ blackgrass problems. But different systems call for different machinery and there’s no golden bullet,say experts.
One of the factors often cited as being a cause of the rise in blackgrass problems in the UK and in mainland Europe is the
reduction in the use of machinery, coupledwith a reliance on herbicides, as the sole or primary control method, accordingto Dr John Reade, senior lecturer in weed and crop science at Harper Adams University.
“Machinery offers great weed managementin a way that doesn’t impose selection pressure for blackgrass. However, the
other weeds that are present will oftenrespond differently to cultivations. The message? Know your enemy,” he warns.
What part does machineryplay in grassweed control, andin particular the battle againstblackgrass? CPM investigates
and discovers there are several different schools
of thought.
By Emily Padfield
“Only then can you use machinery in a manner which will give you optimumweed management.”
Leaving blackgrass seeds on the soilsurface or within the top few centimetresof soil gives them the best chance of germinating to produce surviving plantsin the next year.
“Bury the seeds at depth and theywon’t germinate to give rise to emergingplants, but what happens when youplough again next year? You bring theseseeds back to the surface where somewill still be viable and will give rise tomore plants.
“So it’s advised to use the plough rotationally. Ploughing once every threeyears will result in very few blackgrass
John Reade believes using machinery is vital toreduce selection pressure for blackgrass.
31crop production magazine august 2013
seeds that are viable being returned to thesurface, as the seeds of this species have arelatively short viability.
“It’s worth remembering that we’re notexpecting the plough to carry out sufficientweed control on its own –– it’s part of anintegrated approach and subsequent weedmanagement techniques will have lowerpopulations to deal with because of theeffectiveness of the plough,” John Readecontinues
Vital partMachinery plays a vital part in the staleseedbed, another weed management technique that has been squeezed out ofmany cropping systems as a result of thepopularity of earlier sowing dates.
Steve Corbett has been working on blackgrass trials for the past six years atAgrii’s blackgrass management centre atStow Longa, Huntingdon.
Trials have developed to include not
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Shallow and often
German machinery manufacturer Amazone also promotes a shallow-and-often approach to blackgrass control, but highlights the importance of providing an integrated line-up of machinery for cultivation and drilling.
The first stage is to hit stubbles shallow and early, advises the company’sSimon Brown.
“Initial cultivations should be as shallow as possible using either a straw rake or something like our Catros compact disc harrow at 50mm maximum.”
But, he warns, the whole of this surfaceshould be moved during this pass and it’s vitalto keep as tight behind the combine as possibleto make use of the soil moisture available.
The use of a specialist shallow cultivator is becoming increasingly effective, he adds.“Ideally, the cultivator should work in the top 50-75mm and the pass should be left consolidated in strips to maximise surface area and maintain a weather-safe surface with drainage.”
For those considering direct drilling, the perfect tool for knocking weed seeds out of thehead and making them come into contact withsoil is a stubble rake, advises Simon Brown.“The lack of soil disturbance at drilling thenhelps reduce subsequent weed promotion.
“Solo or tine seeders with a 16.6cm spacingseem to help by reducing overall disturbance.”
The Catros compact disc harrow has been
Wide spacings of 16.6cm between chisel pointsof just 12mm width on the Cayena reducesurface disturbance and so lower blackgrassseed germination at drilling.
With two rows of discs, the Amazone Catros+is specced with scalloped edges for moreaggressive mixing.
designed to aid chitting in the stubble. The 460mmsmooth discs are offset and individually mountedon an adjustable gang beam that allows operatorsto adjust the stagger between the front and backdisc gangs to ensure all soil is being moved duringeach pass. For those who want more aggressivepenetration there’s the Catros+ with scallopededges. Reconsolidation from a wedge-ring rollerensures seed to soil contact and moisture retention.
For those looking for a tool designed for both tillage and straw incorporation, there’s the Amazone Cenius cultivator. Three rows of staggered tines give the options of mixing,inversion or deep loosening, depending on the desired effect, explains Simon Brown.
“Because the tines have long tip-to-tip spacing and high frame clearance, trash can beincorporated easily at depths from 8cm rightthrough to 30cm. Different shares are available for different jobs, including inversion shares thattake the surface layer and bury it out of the danger area.” Again, a wedge-ring roller leaves the soil surface consolidated.
“Tine drills like the Cayena provide minimumsurface disturbance and hence less weed germination.”
Capable of drilling direct, into min-till or intoploughing, the Cayena has a 12mm wide chiselpoint for minimal soil disturbance and each is spaced at 16.6cm, again to reduce the amountof soil disturbed. The wedge-ring roller completesthe line-up, maximising seed-to-soil contact and leaving the ideal finish for pre-emergencespraying, he adds.
Knowing where your blackgrass is in the soil profilewill tell you when it’s going to emerge –– if youdon’t get a kill, don’t drill, says Steve Corbett.
only chemical and variety trials, but also arange of cultural control methods, both in the absence and alongside herbicides.These are plotted together to build a pictureof efficacy.
Soil profile“What we can do before we get to the chemistry has more and more of an impact,”explains Steve Corbett. “Throughout the trials we’ve taken advice from several manufacturers and use a cross-section of machinery. What we wanted to do wasplace blackgrass seed at certain pointsthroughout the soil profile, to learn how to deal with it.”
One method, working with Lemken, hasbeen to plough and fully invert the top 7.5cm (3 inch) profile and start afresh, butthe crucial factor in this plough-basedapproach is to ensure the plough is set upcorrectly, with a furrow press that properlyseals the surface, he explains.
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34 crop production magazine august 2013
Dick Neale is clear on which route he favours forbest results.
The other extreme being monitored is to move as little soil as possible using a Claydon direct-drilling system, addsSteve Corbett. “Keeping blackgrass on the surface allows it to emerge, so it canthen be sprayed off before drilling”
But Trials have to replicate reality andmin-till methods have been the norm now for many years. “We’ve been looking at other cultivation methods that mix the soil to between 8 and 10cm and in these situations there’s the opportunity to spray off the flush, or even two or more flushes, in some seasons.
“But in some cases, hundreds of seedskeep coming and you need both pre andpost-emergence pesticides to work well for a system like this. When that breaks downyou’ve got a problem.”
Deeper incorporation methods, usingtines to sort out compaction and discs tomix and consolidate, take the blackgrass
seeds even further through the profile toas deep as 18cm.
“Learn where your blackgrass is anddecide whether you want to keep it on the surface or bury it. Inverting and mixingit constantly is just exacerbating the problem. You can then ring fence it and consider ploughing just that area,”he advises.
“During the first year of the cultivationtrials, ploughing after eight years of shallow min tilling gave up to 97% controlof blackgrass, with direct-drilling 75% and one-pass deep tillage 90%. But thiseffect then changes quite dramatically as you move onto the next year’s cultivation choices.”
This year, the single most important factor turned out to be drilling date, he adds.“We had a 40% improvement in blackgrasscontrol where we delayed drilling.”
Early chit“The critical fact is knowing when the blackgrass is going to emerge. If youachieve an early chit then by all means drill early. But if you don’t get a kill, don’t drill–– consider spring drilling instead. To drillwinter wheat when you haven’t addressedthe blackgrass problem is madness.
“With any luck this year seed shouldn’tlay dormant as it has both heat and moisture so we should see a good flushbefore drilling, but only drill early thosefields without blackgrass problems.”
Hutchinsons has used a number of different machines in a bid to establisheffective methods for blackgrass control atthe company’s National Blackgrass Centreof Excellence near Brampton, Cambs.
Machine types used include the Cousins MicroWing for oilseed rape establishment, strip-tillage for sugar beetand maize, typical one-pass deep-leg and disc stubble cultivators as well as aplough for cereal crops, explains technicalmanager Dick Neale.
During last year’s trials at Stow Longa, drillinglater (1 Nov –– on left) resulted in much lessblackgrass than earlier, Sept drilling dates.
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Ploughing the way
Lemken has been working alongside agronomyadvisors looking at the effect of using differentmachinery on the number of viable seedsthroughout the soil.
“Following this work we believe it’s vital to plough rotationally to below 10cm. Trials suggest ploughing can reduce blackgrass by up to 98%, but only if the plough is set up correctly, otherwise you’re wasting a lot ofmoney and effort,” advises Mark Ormond.
“Skimmers must be set properly so that allsurface material is put into the bottom of thefurrow. This top soil profile has to be fully inverted and the furrow should be closed,ideally with the help of a press.”
But he also advises using disc harrows closebehind the combine to create a stale seedbed.The company’s Rubin and Heliodor machineswork in a shallow soil profile and move all soilacross the working width, encouraging rapidgermination ready for spraying.
A tine-and-disc one-pass cultivator isn’tadvisable, adds Mark Ormond. “Because tinesand discs mix a deeper soil profile, weed seedsget dispersed over a wider area, so you’re leftwith different germination times, meaning you’reback to relying on post-ems following drilling.”
If going down the non-inversion route,shallow min-till is the best control method, headvises, and the more passes you allow for,the better the kill. “A second pass will oftenencourage a second flush, which helps youreduce the weed seed-bank even further.”
The Heliodor has two rows of 465mm-diameterdiscs, mounted on leaf spring elements that alloweach disc to track the ground and provide overload protection should conditions become
difficult. A rear roller provides depth guidanceand consolidation for good seed-to-soil contact.
For those looking for intensive mixing and the possibility of working up to 12cm for non-blackgrass applications, the Rubin offers a heavier-duty option than the Heliodor, addsMark Ormond.
The 620mm-diameter discs overlap betweenthe two rows, and this can be adjusted accordingly.They’re also mounted on hinges, allowing for overload protection.
“For sandy soils, a tined machine is okay,as long as it’s only working in this top 50mm,”he adds.
Lemken believes that using a surface disccultivator like the Heliodor at a shallow depth iscrucial in a non-ploughing yearThere’s no point in ploughing to control
blackgrass unless the plough is set up correctlyand buries the whole problematic layer, saysMark Ormond.
There are pros and cons to every system, he advises. “The plough gives a clean start, but it’s not a long-term solution without Atlantis (iodosulfuron+mesosulfuron), as late and protractedemergence takes you outside the pre-emergence effective range.”
Deep tillage, like that achieved with theone-pass stubble cultivator, mixes seedgenerations and gives protracted autumngermination because the seed brought up has slightly differing dormancy profiles.“What’s more, destructuring soil at depthcompromises using delayed drilling forblackgrass control, should conditionsturn wet.”
“Focused surface tillage to 50mm isadvised as the best form of non-inversiontillage,” adds Dick Neale. “When deeperloosening is required, a deep soil loosenermachine with near-zero surface movementshould be used.”
“The machine we’ve been developingwith Cousins focuses seed in the germinationzone –– to 50mm –– and leaves soil structure intact for later field access.”
This gives rapid germination of grassweed seed in the ‘active controlzone’, as well as allowing buried seed to remain at depth to decline in viability.
“The Cousins MicroWing suffered insome places with extremely wet conditions
last year, but it was no worse than other systems, and the blackgrass control behindit was still phenomenal,” he explains.
Lack of moistureThis autumn’s forecasts suggest thechance of a dry autumn, however, so therecould be a return to the more usual causeof OSR failure –– lack of moisture. “Andthat’s when we believe, and trials haveshown, the MicroWing excels.
The continuing collaboration betweenCousins and Hutchinsons has now developed the new ‘Surface’ cultivator (see main pic on page 30).
The prototype 6m cultivator movesthrough the top of the soil profile withsquare chisel pointed rigid tines; a doubleroller configuration gives depth control andfocused re-consolidation.
“This encourages blackgrass to grow sothat it can be controlled pre-drilling and themachine has a focus on exhausting theseed bank in this 50mm zone over time.”
Power requirement is around 45-50hpper metre because it only moves 50mm of soil and the fuel consumed per ha is around half that of the equivalent min-till strategy.
“There’s no doubt that ploughing is useful as a starting point in high seed-returnsituations, however further ploughing
brings seeds straight back up and min-tilltakes you back to needing to plough.
“Min-till cultivation as it’s currently practiced is the primary driver of grassweed population increases and in myopinion can’t continue,” warns Dick Neale.“Growers must check soil condition prior tocultivation as it’s too readily assumed thatdeep soil movement is required or isalways beneficial. Increasingly it’s notneeded and is actually propagating thepopulation of blackgrass weeds across the UK.” n
Developed alongside Hutchinsons, the prototype‘Surface’ shallow cultivator has square chiselpoints to work in the top 50mm profile.
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Ideas on show tostep up yield
From ways to strike above the wheat yield plateau to pulse advances, there were ideas to inspire at
various open days and events. CPM picks out some of the highlights.
By Tom Allen-Stevens
The chances of achieving a 15t/ha winter wheat crop this year in Agrii’syield challenge plots are looking slim,growers at the AgriiFocus event nearMarlborough, Wilts, were told. Butfavourable late spring growing conditionshave benefited crops more than manygrowers may’ve bargained for, accordingto Andrew Richards of Agrii.
Trials carried out at the company’s nearby Salisbury site have aimed to identify how growers can get closer to15t/ha yield potential of a wheat crop.“There’s a yield gap of about 3t/habetween a wheat crop’s genetic potentialand what you actually achieve,” he notes.
So plots on the site are given a no-holds-barred approach to input
38 crop production magazine august 2013
Andrew Richards and Todd Jex (right and far right) talk through progress in the 15t/ha challenge.
There are clusters of science
that can deliver higheryields.
“
”
management to ensure they’re not limited by disease or access to sufficientnutrients. This enhanced programme iscompared with a standard approach tosee what effect it’s had on the variouscomponents of yield.
“Poor autumn development and thecold spring will have held back yieldpotential,” points out Andrew Richards.“So if you’d taken a pragmatic approachto N inputs at the start of the spring,there’s no way you’d have budgeted to put as much as the 320kgN/ha ourenhanced plots received. But there have been very favourable growing conditions during May and June that lifted the potential.”
Plenty of light and daytime temperaturesof 15-20°C meant the crop didn’t rushthrough to canopy completion, he says,retaining tillers –– and therefore ear numbers –– as well as producing plenty of grain sites. “For example, the KWSSantiago plots have 500 ears/m2 and 48 grains per ear,” he reports. “It’s betterthan you might’ve thought back in March,but it’s not enough for a 15t/ha crop.”
New Zealand modelTaking the New Zealand agronomy model, where such a high yield can bereadily realised, you’d need to aim for 500 ears/m2, or 125 plants/m2 at four tillersper plant, he explains. The number ofgrains per ear is determined at spikeletinitiation and the target would be 60 grainsfor a 15t/ha crop. The final component is grain weight, decided by assimilateavailability at maturity, and you’d need
a thousand grain weight of about 50g.“So we’re looking at a 12t/ha yield in our
challenge plots, and the hot, dry weather
39crop production magazine august 2013
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The challenge plots have set more ears per m2 and grain sites per ear than had initiallybeen feared.
Hybrid wheat shows strong potential for UK growers
A recent open day at Cowlinge in Suffolk, hostedby Cropco, was a chance for growers to see howhybrid wheats perform alongside conventionalvarieties. Most hybrid wheat is currently grown inFrance –– also the centre of its seed productionand base for breeder Saaten Union.
Hybrid varieties make up around 9% of theFrench certified wheat area, says the company’sRichard Jennaway. “They come into their ownwhen growing conditions are less than optimumwhich means they’re particularly suited to soilsof medium to low potential. You’ll get an extra1-1.5t/ha on such sites –– yield performance in the poor conditions of the 2012 harvest wasphenomenal, but it’s always at least 20% betterthan average on the more marginal soils,”he remarks.
There’s a premium price for the seed, butthis reflects the improved yield potential andcomplexity of multiplication, he explains.“There’s no cytoplasmic male sterility. So to produce the male-sterile parent, the female lineof the seed crop has to be sprayed with Croisor(sintofen) at a precise timing. Then you harvest
only two thirds of the field and can expect justhalf the yield of an ordinary seed crop from that area.”
But drilled at around 70% of the usual seedrate, growers can expect significant hybridvigour, he stresses. “You typically get a thickercanopy with a bigger, bolder flag leaf, and tallerbut stiffer straw. Tests have shown what you getabove ground is repeated below the soil surface–– the root mass grows faster, stronger andlarger, which gives the crop its ability to performon more marginal sites.”
There are three hybrid varieties currentlygrown in the UK, and which show the mostpromise commercially –– despite good performance in French variety trials, they’re notcurrently in HGCA Recommended List trials, andonly one has been entered for National Listing.“We’d welcome more independent UK trialsinformation on hybrids, but trials are usually carried out to the same regime on soils withhigh potential –– which would disadvantage a hybrid wheat’s optimum performance,” pointsout Richard Jennaway.
“Hystar is the leading hybrid wheat acrossEurope and nearly all the commercial crop in theUK is down to this variety. It’s a soft Group 4type, and UK trials put it at the equivalent of108% of the treated yield of current RL controls–– it’ll easily match KWS Kielder on a good site.All hybrids have robust all-round disease resistance, and Hystar is particularly strongagainst fusarium.
“We don’t think it has distilling potential, butit does have an excellent specific weight –– thiscame out at 78kg/hl in the 2012 trials. That’spartly the hybrid effect and partly specific toHystar. It’s an early developer and matures earlier than anything on the RL –– it’s ripeningscore would be about -5, putting it almost asearly as Soissons. This makes it a good entryfor oilseed rape, but it wouldn’t be suitable for growing north of the Humber because itdevelops too quickly.”
Hyteck is also a good fit with the UK market,
believes Richard Jennaway. “It’s a soft milling,potential Group 3 type and has good diseaseresistance, with 8s for yellow and brown rust and 6 for septoria.”
Hybery is in NL1 trials and has good millingpotential, he says. “French millers have confidence in the variety and readily includearound 25% in a typical grist, so we’re hoping to get some samples into Nabim tests.
“It’s different from a conventional varietybecause you’re processing the F2 grain, whichmeans there’s more variation within the sample.But that’s not necessarily a problem for millers,and it gives it a stability between sites, and aconsistency between years.”
Cropco trials are investigating later N applications to get answers on how Hybery accumulates grain protein. “You normally needan extra 40kgN/ha applied late to a milling variety, but timing it correctly can be difficult,depending on conditions. With a hybrid variety’sbetter rooting ability, do you really need thatextra 40kgN/ha?”
Interest among UK growers for hybrid wheatseed has been strong, reports John Poulton ofCropco. “It’s been doubling year on year, and wewere beginning to think we would have moresales than seed availability. We’re encouraginggrowers to try a small area alongside their otherwheats as a look-see. We’re finding that, oncethey try it, they include hybrid wheat in their regular wheat portfolio.”
Hybrid wheats are particularly suited to soils of medium to low potential, says Richard Jennaway.
Hystar is an early maturing Group 4 soft wheatwith a yield score of 108 and a specific weightof 78kg/hl.
during July may have pinched thegrains a little, limiting thousand grainweight. What’s more, although we’veachieved good plant numbers, it’s been a struggle, and there’s a lot of variationwithin the plots.
“What’s interesting this year, however,is the role played by micronutrients.” In the managed plots, with no limits onnutrient availability, there was much better
green-leaf retention, he reports.“It’ll be interesting to see how this
transfers through to yield, and we canassess the contribution made by nutrientssuch as boron, zinc and copper.”
Science solutionDelving deep into the science of wheatproduction will help growers lift off theyield plateau, according to Prof MauriceMoloney of Rothamsted Research, speakingat AgriiFocus. “There are clusters of science that can deliver higher yields.Bring together agronomy with genetic
40 crop production magazine august 2013
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Research underpins good pulse prospects
If you account for the true value of a pulse crop,it’s a lot more profitable than you might think,growers at the recent PGRO open day weretold. That’s the view of Roger Vickers of PGRO, who says growers seldom factor in thecontribution a pea or bean crop makes to thefollowing winter wheat when working out thegross margins of different crops.
“The benefits of having a pulse crop in therotation are well known,” he says. “It’s a sourceof free nitrogen, aids weed and pest control,improves biodiversity and spreads the workloadon farm, for example.
“We often hear growers say that their wheatperforms so well after a pulse crop, but they’redisappointed by the crop’s gross margin. But afirst wheat is only the most profitable crop inthe rotation because of the contribution of thebreak crop that precedes it.”
According to the Nix Farm ManagementPocketbook, the gross margin of a first wheat is £838/ha, making it the highest rotational
returner, with spring beans coming in aroundeighth at £567/ha.
“But if you attribute 0.5t/ha of the wheatcrop’s yield and 50kgN/ha to the pulse crop thatcame before it, that brings an adjustment of£118.50/ha,” Roger Vickers calculates.
So at an adjusted gross margin of £686/ha,spring beans become the third most profitablecrop in the rotation after oilseed rape (£834/ha)and first wheat (adjusted to £720/ha). “With themany other benefits it brings, there’s a clearcase to include a pulse in the rotation, especiallyon farms looking to break the wheat/OSR cycle,”he concludes.
Fungicide trialsSuitable partner products for SL 567A (metalaxyl-R) are under investigation in PGROtrials to improve control of downy mildew inspring beans, reports Becky Ward of PGRO.With Folio Gold (chlorothalonil+ metalaxyl-M) nolonger available, an Extension of Authorisationfor Minor Use (EAMU) has been granted for SL 567A.
“We’ve been looking at the cost/benefit ofusing SL567A with or without a Wakil XL(cymoxanil+ fludioxonil+ metalaxyl-M) seeddressing and are investigating the most effectivemix partners when downy mildew and otherdiseases are present,” she says.
A two-spray programme is most cost-effectiveagainst chocolate spot, according to work carried out as part of the Optibean project (funded by the Sustainable Agri-Food InnovationPlatform and the Technology Strategy Board).Three timings were trialled last year, but therewas no economic response to a third fungicidespray, reports Becky Ward.
“The critical timing is the middle one –– early pod-fill. The trials showed the best yieldresponse when this was preceded by one atearly flowering.”
Gene identificationScientists are close to cracking the genetic code that delivers yield in a pulse crop.The Defra-funded Pulse Crop GeneticImprovement Network (PCGIN) is a £1.2m,five-year project that involves genetic workundertaken by the John Innes Centre (JIC) and NIAB, with more applied field trial work at NIAB and PGRO.
“We’re trying to identify the genetics behindimportant traits, such as yield, seed size andseed colour and stability,” explains Dr ClaireDomoney of JIC. “The idea is to pass the toolsand knowledge on to breeders to help themdevelop better performing varieties.”
So far, identifying genes responsible for yellowing in marrowfat peas has been one success of the project –– a uniform and stablegreen colour will enhance the crop’s exportprospects, she points out. Genetic markers forseed size and components of yield are alsounder investigation.
“If there’s a specific gene we can identify,that’s ideal, and gives you a 100% link with thetrait. Otherwise it’s about identifying geneticmarkers that are closely linked to a trait, and that can give breeders about 95% reliability.”
Claire Domoney has been trying to identify thegenetics behind important traits, such as yield,seed size and seed colour and stability.
If you account for the contribution spring beansmake to the following wheat crop, it comes outas the third best performer in the crop rotation.
potential and you have an integratedapproach that will generate long-termresults,” he maintains.
An example is Rothamsted’s 20:20Wheat programme –– a research projectthat aims to increase wheat productivity to 20t/ha within 20 years. While some of the research is looking at genotype improvement, other elements of the programme focus on protecting yield potential, and mitigating losses from pests and diseases. “We’re also goingunderground to understand what’s going onin the soil and the rhizosphere,” he enthuses.
“Perhaps one of the most ambitiousaspects of current plant research is looking at raising photosynthetic efficiency.
If we can do this by just a few percent, wecould create germplasm of much greaterproductive capacity.”
One of the ways to do this is to introducegenes from wild species into commerciallines. “But we’ve also identified enzymes and proteins that can be manipulated tostep up photosynthetic efficiency.”
Other possibilities include trying to limit a wheat plant’s photorespiration,whereby it uses up plant reserves at nighttime when there’s no light. “There are algaethat have learnt not to do that.” Similarly,there are traits within wheat plants, such as the semi-dwarf gene linked to yield and the ability to mobilise N, that could be identified and influenced to increase
yield efficiency, he maintains.Bill Angus, an independent plant breeding
consultant who works with Agrii, warns such advances involve more than just gene-juggling. “Historically, a hidden dangerof this sort of work was that moving a chunkof chromosomes from one plant to anothercould bring in ‘baggage’ that you then haveto spend years identifying and breedingout. Nowadays, though, the technology is more precise leading to ’capturing individual traits’.
“So it’s good to see a move for lab-based scientists to work more closely with companies, such as Agrii, to ensure such scientific advances areoptimised in growers’ fields.” n
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42 crop production magazine august 2013
Buddy benefitsAn innovative companion-plantingtechnique, developed in France for use in oilseed rape, is showingpromise in the UK. CPM finds out.
By Louise Impey
Companion-planting trials have
shown improved cropgrowth, as well as
weed and pest controlbenefits.
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Growing companion plants alongside winter oilseed rape is just one of the novelideas being evaluated by Agrovista at itsseven Grow Crop Gold trial sites this year.
Initial results from the specialist legumemix central to the concept are impressive,says technical manager Mark Hemmant,who acknowledges that the company is stillwaiting to see the impact of the companionplants on final crop yield and quality.
“It’s early days,” he stresses. “But our firstfindings suggest that there’s tremendouspotential for the technique. There’s also been a great deal of interest in it from ourfarmer customers.”
Companion planting, which was developed in France by seed and planthealth specialists Jouffray-Drillaud, involvessowing the legumes with the OSR crop inAug and allowing the two to grow togetherfor a few months.
As this takes place, the companion plant mix ‘mops up’ any nitrogen that would otherwise be lost, as well as helpingwith weed control and contributing to soilstructure.
Killed by frostsHowever, once winter arrives, the legumesare killed by frosts, releasing their nitrogenback to the soil, so that it becomes availableto the growing crop in the spring. This environmental benefit was the original driverfor the French work, although there havealso been some interesting agronomic and financial observations.
“In France, companion-planting trials have shown improved crop growth, as well as weed and pest control benefits,”reports Mark Hemmant. “We’re keen to seewhether we get the same results with UKvarieties and in our growing conditions.”
The choice of companion plant speciesand varieties is critical. The blend used inthe Agrovista trials is made up of one cloverand two vetches –– all selected by theFrench company for their susceptibility tofrost and their ability to release nitrogen atdifferent rates over a period of time, ratherthan in one hit.
“A great deal of work has gone intoselecting the varieties which combine theright growth characteristics, rooting depthsand frost tolerance,” he reveals. “They also have to grow well with OSR, withoutimpeding the crop’s establishment and early growth.”
Mark Hemmant has been conducting trials to see whether the positive benefits found in Francecan be achieved with UK varieties and growingconditions.
Care has to be taken when drilling that thedifferent-sized seed doesn’t settle out.
Those particular requirements have resulted in a mix comprising two summervetches –– Nacre and Bingo –– as well as a specific variety of berseem clover, Tabor.
The common vetch, Nacre, is relativelyslow to establish, but then grows quickly and develops good ground cover, outlinesMark Hemmant. “That means it can have asmothering effect on autumn-germinatingweeds coming up between the rows. Itmakes up almost half of the mix.”
The red vetch, Bingo, has similar characteristics but is quicker growing andreleases its nitrogen a bit later. It representsalmost one third of the legume mix.
Develops rapidlyThe third component, berseem clover, is an annual which originates from the MiddleEast. It grows well on most soil types, evenvery heavy ones, and develops rapidly during the summer and autumn if conditionsare favourable.
“It’s less competitive in dry conditions andtends not to establish well if it’s cold. So inmany respects, it’s very similar to OSR.”
With very good root development, it produces high levels of biomass, and ispresent at a 20% inclusion rate.
The legume mix is sown at a seed rate of 25kg/ha. At the Agrovista sites, it hasbeen used with the wide row concept, allowing the company to evaluate companion planting in a practical situationand with the optimum seed rates. Three crop seed rates have been compared, with Agrovista’s recommended 28 seeds/m2,or 15 seeds/m of row length, being one of those.
“We used a Simba Great Plains one-passsystem, with two seed boxes fitted,” he continues. “This allowed the OSR in the firstbox to be dropped behind the DD rings in55cm rows, by placing the pipes directlybehind the legs.
“The companion plants were then broadcast between the rows from the second hopper.”
In contrast, the French system is to mixthe companion plants with the OSR in one hopper, he reports. “But this only allows afew acres to be drilled at a time, as you have
to re-fill to stop the two components fromseparating in the hopper.”
Where two passes are necessary –– theapproach advocated by Mark Hemmant following last year’s efforts –– then the companion plants should be drilled first.
Pre and post-winter crop emergencecounts have shown no negative effects from the legume mix on crop establishment,he reports.
“What tends to happen is that the smaller seeded berseem clover is the firstspecies to emerge,” he recounts. “It has a very vertical growth habit, so it doesn’tcompete with the crop in the early stages,when it’s most sensitive to competition.”
The larger-seeded vetch species, withtheir more prostrate growth habit, emerge abit later and fill the inter-row spaces. By thistime, the OSR is beyond its most vulnerablestage, he says.
“What has been interesting is that whilehaving companion plants between the
43crop production magazine august 2013
s
Graminicides can be applied as normal.
The main thing to remember is that thegrowth of companion plants is very similar to that of OSR, points out Mark Hemmant.
“That means that conditions whichcause the establishment and growth of thecrop to be slow will also affect companionplants,” he says.
So later sowing dates, cold conditionsand poor seedbeds should be avoidedwherever possible, just as you would do for the crop, he warns.
“Berseem clover, in particular, won’t establish very well at later sown sites.”
Other factors which can limit thetechnique include high levels of weeds and surface trash, he reveals.
“Where you’ve got high weed populations,the companion plants will struggle to compete. So don’t try it on sites where you know there are lots of weeds.”
Similarly, surface trash will affect their ability to establish. “Either don’t attempt thetechnique where trash levels are high ordeal with the trash before drilling.”
Should sufficient winter frosts fail to materialise and the legumes aren’t killed off naturally, they can be dealt with using a herbicide, he reveals. “An application of clopyralid after the middle of Feb will do thetrick. It may well be that you have to use it anyway.”
Temperatures of -50C will kill red vetch,while they need to drop to -100C for common vetch to die off.
Rotations that contain peas aren’t suitable for companion planting, warns Mark Hemmant.
His final advice is not to reduce the seedrate of the legume mix. “The plants need tobe able to establish in sufficient numbers todo their job.”
Later sowing dates, cold conditions, poorseedbeds and high levels of weeds andsurface trash should be avoided for bestresults.
What can go wrong?
rows didn’t significantly reduce crop establishment, crop growth was improved –– especially on the more difficult sites.”
The reason for that appears to be theirimpact above and below the ground, he continues.
“We conducted a series of green areaindex (GAI) assessments in our trials and the OSR crop had a greater GAI where companion plants were present. They
seem to help produce bigger, stronger OSR plants.”
The positive effect from having the plantsthere could be due to improvements in soilhealth and structure, he speculates.
Nitrogen capture was also recorded, bydoing soil N testing. Although this variedfrom site to site, up to an extra 23-29kg/ha ofnitrogen was captured, which is equivalentto 40-50kg/ha of bagged nitrogen.
“This is an exciting finding,” he says.“Although the legumes do nodulate in thetime that they’re in the ground, they aren’tthere for long enough to fix nitrogen. Whathappens is that their biomass releases itsnitrogen back to the crop, rather than itbeing wasted.”
This would suggest that nitrogen applications can be reduced where companion planting is being used, heacknowledges. “We’ll be doing more work on this.”
s
Frosts over the winter should knockback the companion crop so that theOSR can grow away unhindered inthe spring.
Companion planting has a positiveeffect on root-neck diameter in theautumn, which increases winterhardiness.
A surprise to Mark Hemmantwas the positive effect at latersown sites, where growth of boththe companion plants and theOSR crop hasn’t been as goodas the more timely sites. “Whereweather conditions and slugpopulations were against us,there was a very noticeable difference between the plots.”
Better rhizosphereThere could be two reasons forthis, he believes. “The slugs mayhave eaten the companionplants, as well as the crop, and the better soil health and rhizosphere conditions arisingfrom having companion plantshad an influence.”
Measurements of root neck diameter have confirmed thatthere’s a positive effect. “Whereyou have a root-neck diameter ofmore than 9.5mm in the autumn,you get better winter hardiness.And we saw a really good effecton this important measurementwhere companion plants werepresent.”
In France, where the technique is used on over
2000ha, growers have reportedusing one less insecticide percrop, as flea beetle populationsare lower where companionplants are growing.
“This could take on far greater importance once theneonicotinoid ban comes intoforce,” notes Mark Hemmant.
Whether having other plants in the field is having a dilutioneffect, or insect behaviour hasbeen disrupted by them, isn’t yet clear. Visual disturbance, a barrier effect or repellent properties have all been suggested in France, where flea beetle numbers came down from 10-25 pests per plant to just 5-10 pests per plant.
Pigeon grazing has beenobserved, but with only a temporary effect seen. “Thereseemed to be less grazing initially, but overall there was no difference.”
Weed control with herbicidescan still be carried out, but somealterations are needed to ensurethat the legume mix survives, he advises.
“There’s further work beingdone on this, both in France andthe UK, to get the right balancebetween herbicide effectivenessand companion plant selectivity.We’re confident that mostgraminicides can be used without any problems.”
Reduced rates of residuals,such as 1l/ha of Butisan(metazachlor), can be appliedpre and post-emergence, whilepropyzamide and metazachlor-based herbicides have alsopassed the test. Carbetamidecan also be used, but clomazone should be avoided.
“There are new OSR herbicides coming onto the market this autumn and developments such as Clearfieldto be aware of. So take advicebefore applying herbicides.”
Growers interested in tryingout the companion planting concept this autumn can buy the specialist legume mix fromAgrovista, for around £65/ha.
“It’s an additional cost, butthere are considerable benefits.The yield boost in France hasbeen in the region of 0.3t/ha, andthere can be savings in fertiliserand agrochemical inputs too.” n
45crop production magazine august 2013
Down to earthA yearning to understand moreabout his soils took an Essexfarmer on a global study tour.CPM visits to find out what helearned and why the BBC hasbeen filming on his farm.
By Tom Allen-Stevens
It really concerns me that
we’re on a tail-off, and I believe the soil is
our limiting factor.”
“
At this time of year, you’ll usually find TomBradshaw digging holes in his fields toinspect the state of his soils. But with1500ha of mainly Hanslope series chalkyboulder clay to cover in a 20-mile radius,he’s developed a way to speed up the job.
“I just stick the forks on the telehandler and push them into the soil –– you get a good picture of what it’sdoing down to a 60cm depth withoutthe back-breaking digging,” he says.
Tom Bradshaw has a keen interest
in his soils and an infectious enthusiasm forfarming. It’s probably the latter that hasbrought a BBC film crew to Fletchers Farm,near Colchester in Essex, to shoot a majorseries about the harvest. The farm will feature as one of three that has been tracked
throughout the year for seriesof programmes due to run
on BBC Two in midSept (see panel
on p48).As for his soils,
the interest
doesn’t end with a bit of hole-digging –– TomBradshaw’s quest to discover more aboutthem has taken him all over the world as partof a Nuffield scholarship. From organic dairyin Australia to the massive GM-cropped plains
46 crop production magazine august 2013
The soil had a CEC of a medium clay loam, whichhighlighted that there were other problemsmaking it work like a heavy clay.
Higher inherent fertility on the farm at homesparked an interest to find out exactly what wasgoing on and whether it could be replicated.
of Argentina, the aim has been to learnabout diverse systems and what lessons hecan bring home to capture more value fromhis own soils and address the yield plateauhe believes he’s reached, like so many otherUK farmers.
“It really concerns me that we’re on a tail-off, and I believe the soil is our limiting factor. We’re teetering on the edge of a cliff, able to maintain yields by blindlyadding more chemicals and fertiliser. But we’re not actually addressing the fundamental needs of the soil itself.”
It was when he returned to the farm fromWye College in 2004 that he began toappreciate subtle differences in its soils thathad a big impact on management. “We werea traditional mixed farm until 2001, but sincethen we’ve been focused on arable and
have taken on whole-farm contracts.”The cropping, overall soil indices and soil
type across much of the acreage was thesame, so traditional advice, based on croptake-off, suggested the fields should receivesimilar inputs. “However, dad always said totreat the farm at home differently because ofthe livestock history. Sure enough, there wasone year when some of the wheat at homewent flat as it had received too much N andnot enough PGR.”
Low organic matterThis sparked his interest to discover whatexactly lay at the heart of these differences–– with precious little livestock remainingacross much of East Anglia, low organicmatter levels and therefore inherent fertilitywould surely be a problem for much of theland the family business was now taking onas it expanded. “I wanted to find out whatwas going on in those fertile areas andwhether we could replicate it elsewhere.”
It was then that he came across theAlbrecht system of soil analysis, developedby a professor in Missouri in the US from thelate 1930s, and based around balancing thesoil. Albrecht argued that the ability of a soilto hold nutrients is determined by its cationexchange capacity (CEC).
Soil contains negatively charged clay particles and organic matter that bind topositively charged cations, such as
potassium, magnesium and calcium. So a clay soil would have a high CEC and asandy soil would reach nutrient saturation at a much lower level, he said.
Furthermore, Albrecht argued that there’san ‘ideal soil’, where all nutrients havereached a desired proportion of the variouscations. Where these fall out of balance,problems with nutrient take-up by a crop islikely to occur, often as a result of lock-up.
Tom Bradshaw took samples from acrossthe farm and sent them for analysis. “I wasexpecting a particular soil to have a CEC ofover 30 –– the value for a strong clay, while
crop production magazine august 2013 47
s
For three days in Sept, the focus of the BBC will shiftto the job farmers do to bring in the harvest everyyear. Harvest is a new series on BBC Two that aimsto reveal the secrets behind the culmination of thecrop-growing season and shed light on British farming and how it brings food to the nation’s tables.
“Following the success of Lambing Live, we werekeen to find another event in the farming calendar
that has the same popular appeal and that we canbuild into a television event,” explains BBC directorLucy Smith, who has been working on the programmesince July last year.
“There’s a huge interest in farming at present,and harvest is something we can all connect to –– it’scelebrated in schools and churches up and down thecountry. But very few people know the story that liesbehind it –– and that’s what we’re aiming to conveyin the series.
“Our main motivation has been to produce a seriesthat’ll make farmers feel proud of what they do, andhopefully it’ll also make the general public think a bitmore about the food they buy in the supermarkets –– where does it come from, who grew it, how didthey grow it, and how much hard work has gone intoproducing it?”
The programme, that will be shown on 11, 12 and 13 Sept, follows the fortunes of three farmingbusinesses –– Hereford fruit business Lower HopeFarm, Produce World’s field-grown vegetable operation, based at Peterborough, and the combinable crops of Fletchers Farm in Essex.
For the past year, film crews have turned up regularly to capture moments in the farming calendar, such as drilling, spraying and wheat-flowering. The programme will explore the science behind such issues as photosynthesis, explainthe business side of the farm, whether that’s global or local, and marvel at the technology used to grow
and bring in Britain’s harvest, says Lucy Smith.“We’ll also have ‘as-live’ coverage of the harvest
itself. Unlike Lambing Live, this’ll be pre-recorded,because you obviously can’t schedule when harvestwill take place. But it’ll capture the action and highsand lows of bringing in the crop as it happens.”
So why did the BBC choose Tom Bradshaw torepresent combinable crops growers? “When wewere researching the programme, a number ofpeople mentioned Tom, and we liked the fact thathe’d travelled the world on a Nuffield scholarship.When we visited, it was clear he had a keen interest in soils and was eager to tell us about the farm,” she recalls.
The series will explore what goes on belowground, as well as above it, says Lucy Smith(pictured with camera).
Philippa Forrester and Gregg Wallace willpresent the BBC’s Harvest series.
48 crop production magazine august 2013
Harvest heroes feature in major new BBC Two series
“There’s so much going on his farm that mostfarmers would probably think is everyday, but is fascinating to a consumer. He showed us the NSensor, and how he uses GPS to put the rightamount of fertiliser on. Then there’s pretty ordinarythings like ploughing ––– what does it actually do?
“Then on the business side, few people willrealise that such a large farm is run by so few|people, and that Tom’s selling on a global market.I’d never actually appreciated that wheat flowers–– that’s fascinating in itself.”
The series is presented by three well knownfaces, continues Lucy Smith. “Philippa Forresterrepresents the consumer and asks the questionsfrom that point of view. Gregg Wallace’s background is as a greengrocer in Covent GardenMarket, so knows the business side of fruit andvegetables, but is keen to find out how food isgrown. Then there’s Stefan Gates, who explores the science of farming, such as photosynthesis and pollination.”
The other two farms are similarly large farmingbusinesses, but have an interesting story to tell,she says. “Produce World is a £200M businessthat’s still owned and run by the Burgess familythat started it. It supplies many of the main supermarkets so most consumers will probablyhave bought a Produce World broccoli at some point.
“Andrew Burgess has a passion for finding the
next big thing in vegetables, and the harvesting fieldfactory they use is fascinating –– the way it’s all cut, washed and packed in the field within 60 secs,” she enthuses.
“Lower Hope Farm specialises in cherries,with around 60,000 trees, supplying the major retailers. They employ 260 seasonal workers, mostlyEastern Europeans, but there’s a real family feelabout the farm –– we loved the cosy, happy atmosphere. The farm manager Andy Hunt is reputedly the top cherry grower in Europe and knows so much about the fruit that’s truly intriguing.”
The programme also visits other farms to exploreother areas of farming and the resulting produce.Oilseed rape comes into focus on Colin McGregor’sfarm at Coldstream in the Scottish Borders. GuySmith in Essex follows mechanisation and how farmmachinery has progressed.
“We also visit some malting barley farmers aroundScottish maltings to look at aspects such as thequality of the crop and how farmers achieve this,”says Lucy Smith.
“It’s been a privilege working with these farms,and following our three main farmers through theyear has been great because it’s their voices tellingus the story of their farming year –– how the rollercoaster of the weather has impacted on their business and the job they do.”
The Harvest series will be supported by BBCLearning who are producing a free harvest resource
booklet that’ll explain the science behind producingUK crops and feature practical recipes using harvest produce.
The BBC is also keen that viewers see, firsthand, the struggle growers’ face as they gambletheir future on their knowledge of nature, saysexecutive producer Tim Martin.
“The success or failure of the British harvest has a huge impact on all of us –– it affects theprice, quality and availability of our food, it’s crucial to the economy of much of the UK, and it shapes the very nature of our countryside.
“This ambitious new series is a wonderfulopportunity to bring all the drama of the harvest into viewers’ lives, and reveal the clever sciencethat keeps our farmers one step ahead of disaster, and guarantees there’s always food on our plates.”
Eric Ober of Rothamsted explains the sciencebehind wheat production on Fletchers Farm toPhilippa Forrester.
A French grower aims to produce10t/ha between mid July andearly Oct, capturing around140kgN/ha as well as buildingorganic matter. The problem isthat there’s no direct payback –– you invest the money and only really see the benefits in five years’ time.”
Direct drilling has alsoimproved the soil for a pioneeringgrower in Argentina who sufferedsevere erosion, according to Tom Bradshaw. With over10,000ha, the farm has 45mwidth of drilling capacity, andeverything, including nutrients, is applied in one pass. “He justwaits for ideal conditions andthen goes. We’re so obsessedwith dates in the UK, and on getting a crop in the ground inthe autumn. He’s producing 12-14t/ha of corn, despite applying only 125-150kgN/ha.”
More targeted nitrogen usewas one of the lessons of thesustainable agriculture course inAustralia. “Overuse of nitrogen will often result in calcium andpotassium deficiency,” says Tom Bradshaw.
“It also affects levels of soilcarbon. Carbon is present in allbacteria at a C:N ratio of around5:1, so when excess nitrogen’sapplied, there’s a feeding frenzyand the multiplication of bacteriameans carbon has to be converted out of organic carbon,reducing levels in the soil.”
The fertiliser injection systemin Germany claims a 20%increase in efficiency of N, henotes. “There’s probably mileagehere, but we’d need to see independent UK trials.”
So what changes have been
Tom Bradshaw visited four countrieson his Nuffield scholarship study tourover six months in 2011.
The Cultivating Solutions toolbar for the front of the drill allows OSR to be established in one pass, with liquid phosphate applied from the front-mounted tank.
light sands are usually below10 –– but ours came back atabout 15, which is a mediumclay loam. This highlighted thatthere were other problems making the soil work like a heavyclay. One of them, highlighted by the test, was that the organicmatter was only 2.3%, while ahealthy soil contains around 5%.”
There was also a large imbalance in the nutrients,according to the test results, withthe soil containing 88% Ca and4% Mg –– an ‘ideal’ ratio being68:12. “In the top six inches of
soil, we’ve got 2700t/ha of Ca, so how would adding any limehelp? What’s more, with thatmuch calcium present, phosphate is locked up. It wasclear that putting on TSP in theautumn, when only a smallamount is used for the roots at that time, wasn’t going to deliver much P to the crop in the spring.”
Finding out more became thefocus of Tom Bradshaw’s Nuffieldscholarship. He visited four countries on his study tour oversix months in 2011. In Germany,he went to see how the N-Sensoris used and looked at a form offertiliser injection.
In Australia, he attended athree-day course in sustainablecrop production. “Australianfarmers are masters of resourceefficiency –– they have to be at the top of their game. Inexceptional years when theweather is with them, they canachieve over 5t/ha crops with just 50kgN/ha. I was keen to findout how.”
Then in the US, he attended aconference organised by AcresUSA, which is at the centre of the
Albrecht ideal soil movement.“Finally, in Argentina I spent acouple of days with Monsantolooking at the role of biotechcrops and visited one of the pioneers of direct drilling.”
Among the highlights of histour was visiting a dairy producerin Australia who has literallytransformed his soils over a ten-year period, says TomBradshaw. “It was a high-input,high-output unit, but the soilswere shallow and not verymoisture retentive. Despite
high milk yields, the herd hadhealth problems.”
Health improvementsAn Albecht analysis revealed lowCa and high Mg levels, correctedover subsequent years throughapplying large amounts of Calimestone. As well as grassgrowth and moisture-retentionimprovements, the health of theherd has improved. “The farm,having switched to organic, isproducing almost as much asmilk as it did when they farmedconventionally,” points out TomBradshaw.He was keen to findout how farmers in other countries improve their organicmatter levels. “Cover crops interest me –– they don’t just provide organic matter butaddress structural problems,improve soil biology and suppress weeds. Purists in conservation agriculture movements wouldn’t like to see a period of greater than twoweeks where there’s no cropgrowing in the warmer months.”
At the Acres USA conference,he discovered that such cropshave a high financial value. “
50 crop production magazine august 2013
s
The legs work to a maximum 300mm depth and add subsoiling capacity to the VäderstadRapid drill.
made to the farm at home? “We don’t useTSP anymore. We’re moving over to liquidfertiliser and looking at how we can placethat more accurately to prevent lock-up –– that represents a massive change fromwhere we’ve been.”
Where possible, phosphate is appliedfrom manures and biosolids, while it’s placedat drilling to maximise efficiency of uptakewhere no organic P is applied. “If we need to lime, we’ll use magnesium limestone.”
There’s also been a shift to more minimumcultivations. “We’ve bought a Cultivating
Solutions toolbar for the front of the drill that’sallowing us to drill the oilseed rape in onepass. We’re aiming to run through with theVäderstad TopDown to a depth of just 50mm,then going straight in with the drill. Again, the OSR receives some starter fertiliser.”
Cover crops are also being tried in front of spring-sown crops. “We plant them in Aug and they grow until Feb. Last year, themustard we established was fantastic, butthis year the cover crops were hopeless as a result of the poor conditions.
“But we’ve got to concentrate on the core
business –– our large-scale arable enterprise –– and try to maximise the efficiency of all areas of crop production. I’mconvinced the answer to getting off the yieldplateau lies in the soil, but there’s no onemeasure that’ll bring a 10% improvement –– it’s more likely to be ten lots of 1%,” concludes Tom Bradshaw. n
W Bradshaw and Sons, Fletchers Farm, Fordham,nr Colchester Essexl Farm size: 1500ha, all arable, mostly contract-
farming agreements, including one holding farmed to Conservation Grade standards
l Soil type: 65% Hanslope series chalky boulderclay; 35% varies from blowing sand to silty clayand heavy clay
l Cropping: Winter wheat (Cordiale, Gallant,Invicta, KWS Santiago, Crusoe), winter oilseed rape (DK Excellium, PR46W21, Compass),spring oats (Canyon) spring barley (Cheerio,Propino), spring peas (marrowfat)
l Staff: Two full-timers, an apprentice, plus Tom and father, David
l Combines: 2x Case IH 9230 with 10.6m header
l Tractors: Case IH Quadtrac 550hp, Steiger 435hp, Puma 230hp, Puma 160hp
l Drill: 8m Väderstad Rapid with Cultivations Solutions toolbar
l Cultivators: 6m Väderstad TopDown,6.6m Simba Cultipress, 4.2m Keeble 7-leg subsoiler
l Plough: 10f Dowdeswelll Fertiliser spreader: 24m Kongskilde Wingjet
(but moving to liquid)l Sprayer: Sands 4000-litre self-propelled
with 24m boom
Farm Facts
Hopes are high that a newcampaign to safeguard the
continued use of sprout suppressant CIPC in potato
stores will prevent the needfor further regulatory action,
as CPM finds out.
By Louise Impey
The potato industry has made hugeprogress with CIPC stewardship but moreimprovements are required if furtherresidue exceedances are to be avoided.That was the message from the PotatoIndustry CIPC Stewardship Group at the launch of its ‘Be CIPC Compliant’ campaign at Potato Council’s recent storage day, ahead of the 2013/14 storage season.
Dr Mike Storey, chairman of the stewardship group, reported that it had originally been set up in 2008, following concerns raised by the Advisory Committeeon Pesticides (ACP) towards the end of 2007.
“At that time, the industry came together
and committed to a five-point action plan to run for the next five years,” he said. “The group was established to report andmonitor residues, as well as help introducemeasures which would change the management and application of CIPC in stores.
“While there have been plenty of successes in that period and a far greaterawareness of stewardship needs, there werealso seven exceedances,” he revealed.
“We submitted our report to the ACP atthe beginning of the year, as required, butare waiting to hear the outcome. We believecommunication will happen in Sept.”
Whatever the ACP’s response, the group’s made the decision to continue withstewardship and is keen to move forwards,he added.
“We’ve made the case for the potatoindustry’s continuing need for CIPC anddemonstrated the progress that’s beenachieved in the past five years.”
A great deal of work has been done since2008 and there’s a strong set of controls inplace, he stated. “As well as a Code of Best Practice, there have been revisionsto the applicator’s test and a new BASISpost-harvest course introduced.
“In addition, a store checklist is now
required by assurance scheme auditors,foggers have to be NSTS trained and there’san approved NAAC Applicators Group.”
Furthermore, industry investment in R&Dprojects has amounted to £2.23million overthe past five years, noted Mike Storey.
“These projects have investigated the use of inverters for application in bulk stores,the potential for CIPC vapour use, the timingof applications, modifications for use in box stores and enhancement of sprout control efficiency.”
While there’s been success in bulkstores, uptake of these measures mustincrease, he stressed. “CIPC use is moredifficult in box stores, but we’re convincedthat positive ventilation gives the bestresults. Unfortunately, vapour isn’t a solution.”
CIPC alternatives are a mid-term goal, heconfirmed. “We already have products suchas ethylene and spearmint oil which can beused effectively with CIPC.”
The seven breaches which have occurredsince 2008 have been investigated, withsome common themes being evident, he revealed.
Fog clears on CIPC residues
While there have been plenty
of successes, therewere also seven
exceedances.
“
”
52 crop production magazine august 2013
In overhead throw stores, growers should modifythe stacking pattern to create a plenum, whichwill act as a main duct, advised Adrian Briddon.
Mike Storey has made the case for the potatoindustry’s continuing need for CIPC anddemonstrated the progress that’s been achieved in the past five years.
‘Be CIPC Compliant’ has a new identity whichshould make it instantly recognisable and relevant to every part of the potato supply chain,said Dr Sharon Hall of the industry-wide CIPCStewardship Group.
“It’s focused on the industry and we’re hoping all will want to get involved. Raisingawareness and attracting support are essential if we’re going to be able to keep using CIPC.”
For growers and crop owners, the campaignsets out four key requirements, she revealed.“But there’s also guidance for CIPC applicatorsand potato supply chains. Everyone has aresponsibility to see that things are done right.”
Campaign information will be relayed by website, roadshows, meetings, text messageand literature, she added. “This is going to be a high profile campaign.”
Crop owners1. Take responsibility for the crop, the stores andthe CIPC applications –– the crop owner isresponsible for CIPC use and conformance with
the MRL. Store inspections must be done by theRed Tractor Farm Assurance scheme and CIPCrecommendations must be taken from a BASIS-qualified adviser. Applicators must be qualifiedto PA1 and PA9 level and should be members ofthe NAAC’s CIPC Applicators Group, while allequipment must have been NSTS tested.2. Get it on early –– apply the first treatmentwithin three weeks of harvest, even in theabsence of signs of breaking dormancy. Lowspeed fan assistance should be used in all bulkand box stores with positive ventilation to aiddistribution, while inverters should be fittedwhere this capability doesn’t exist.3. Only use it once in cold stores –– in coldstores with a holding temperature of 5oC orbelow, use just one application of CIPC andapply it before the temperature drops below 70C. Recirculate the air for at least six hoursbefore application.4. Use the tools to comply –– always follow best practice advice, use a store checklist andcomply with Red Tractor Farm Assurance.
CIPC Applicators mustl Hold the relevant NPTC qualifications and
be audited by the NAACl Follow BASIS-qualified adviser
recommendationsl Have all equipment tested by NSTSl Follow the CIPC Code of Best Practicel Only apply CIPC if a store passes the CIPC
Store Checklist and complies with the CIPC Code of Best Practice.
Potato Supply Chainsl Ensure treated potatoes are sourced
from stores following the CIPC Code of Best Practice
“Box stores and crops being grown for the fresh market were the two prominentones. But that doesn’t mean we can be complacent about chipping and processing crops.”
Adrian Cunnington, head of SuttonBridge, said that audit findings had revealedthat best practice wasn’t always beingadhered to before fogging.
“There needs to be more planning in the process. A uniform temperature beforeapplication is really important, as you’re aiming for uniform distribution of CIPC. This can’t be achieved where there are temperature gradients.”
For this reason, turning fans off beforeapplication is important, he added.
“There also needs to be more considerationto where fog is being introduced into the storeand to box-stacking patterns. You need to geteven movement of CIPC through the boxes.”
He pointed out that there were labelchanges for this coming season. “These areto do with the timing of the first application,treatments made in cold stores and ventilation management.
“The changes mean that some old waysof working will have to go. But the remainingchallenges have to be addressed if CIPCuse is to continue.”
Avoidable exceedencesHis colleague, Adrian Briddon, said that the MRL for CIPC is 10mg/kg. “Some of theexceedances that have occurred shouldn’thave happened and were avoidable withbest practice. There’s no doubt that boxstores present a bigger problem.”
The solution for box stores is positive ventilation, he noted. “That’s when the ventilating air is drawn sideways through the crop. You get a more predictable distribution and there’s a chance to bring the rate down.”
In overhead throw stores, growers shouldmodify the stacking pattern to create aplenum, which will act as a main duct, headvised. “The pallet apertures will thenbehave like lateral ducts.”
In all stores, the initial application shouldbe made early, ahead of dormancy break,recommended Adrian Briddon. “The labelchanges will include the timing of the first
treatment, which should be within threeweeks of harvest.
“Bulk stores should be fitted with inverters or fans, as should box stores with positive ventilation. It helps to distribute the chemical evenly.”
Box stores without positive ventilation are a high-risk scenario, he warned. “Try to prevent fog rising into the headspace anddon’t use full rates.”
Low-temperature stores are also challenging, as they give rise to sluggishresponses to CIPC. “It’s due to saturationvapour pressure, as vapour concentration is influenced by temperature. Unfortunately,it tends to lead to high or repeated applications in these stores, which is a residue risk.” n
Compliance call for new campaign
53crop production magazine august 2013
to develop and design new chemistry andcontrol methods, it may literally ensure crop production remains sustainable for some growers.
“The key threat with insecticides is that regulation is leaving us with fewer choices,shifting reliance onto chemistry that has anincreased risk of resistance developing.Scientists are now looking into the genesinvolved in insecticide detoxification to gain a greater understanding of how the mutationsthat confer resistance come about.
“We’re still getting pretty good disease control, but the future of triazoles is currentlyunder discussion at EU level –– if we lostsome of them, we would be in a risky positionin terms of how we’d manage septoria populations. A greater understanding of howthe pathogen evolves and spreads can helpus become more targeted in our approach.”
The commitment from HGCA is about morethan just discussions at a conference, shesays. “We’re looking to increase our own cashcommitment to these new areas of researchand combine funding with UK ResearchCouncils, such as BBSRC, so that we canensure growers receive tangible benefits. We want to be sure that HGCA is an active
New areas of science areshedding light on how totackle one of the biggest
challenges currently facingfarming. CPM quizzes theUK’s leading agriculturalresearchers about what
the future holds for cropprotection.
By Tom Allen-Stevens
Get ready for the next generation of cropprotection products. These don’t just latchonto a protein or inhibit an enzyme, theyreach into the genetic code of thepathogen, pest or weed itself. They canflick a switch to reverse a resistancemechanism, or even recognise the potential for resistance before it’sappeared.
“There are scientists starting to developnew tools and ideas around genomics andbioinformatics,” enthuses head of R&D atHGCA, Dr Susannah Bolton. “This isn’t justabout plant breeding or new varieties. As we unravel the genetic code of more
and more organisms, we can apply newunderstanding to tackling threats such asaphids, septoria or blackgrass.”
The possibilities for crop protection thatthese new technologies hold will fall intofocus at the AHDB Crop ResearchConference, taking place in London nextmonth. Hosted and arranged by HGCA,this’ll bring together researchers with policymakers and industry innovators, she says. “Essentially, this is largely about horizon-scanning –– much of the discussionwill revolve around areas where there’s currently very little applied research.”
But there’s a very real and immediateneed for the industry to be involved in theseearly discussions. “The government has now launched its £160M AgriculturalTechnologies Strategy, aimed at securingsustainable future growth for the UK food-based economy. We’re keen to ensurecrop protection forms a central part of thatstrategy –– the new technologies supportedmust embrace how we manage crops in the field, as well as bringing new varieties to market.”
Pesticide resistance is the area wherethere’s the greatest need, believes SusannahBolton. “Herbicides are practically at failurepoint for some farmers. If we can use anunderstanding of the molecular mechanismsof resistance in weeds such as blackgrass
Genomics key to resistanceconundrum?
The Holy Grail is achieving an
understanding of howresistance evolves – themechanisms and genes
responsible.”
“
54 crop production magazine august 2013
change in core activities, such as the delivery of the Recommended List or fungicide performance work. But there’s anice interaction between some of this newresearch and the core applied R&D currentlyunderway, so we’ll be looking to make themost of that.”
Full genomic sequenceThis research is already underway atRothamsted, according to plant pathologistProf John Lucas. “The Holy Grail is achievingan understanding of how resistance evolves–– the mechanisms and genes responsible.We now have the full genomic sequence of a number of pathogens and plants –– that’s a resource we can now mine fornew clues about the modes of action of different compounds.”
This has been put to use to investigate triazole resistance in Septoria tritici, heexplains. “We’ve known that the pathogenhas been changing for the past 15-20 years,evolving as a result of the triazole fungicidesused on it. What we’ve done is to define theevolution of the specific protein targetresponsible for developing this resistance.
“Using modern gene-sequencing techniques, we’ve discovered it’s not a single mutation, but a whole series of events
participant in the Agri-Tech Strategy and thatit delivers real solutions for agriculture.”
So does this mean a shift in priorities in the way grower funds are spent? “Cutting-edge research has always been apriority for levy funds, but the cutting edgealways moves forward. There’ll be no
Genomics isn’t just about plant breeding, saysSusannah Bolton, there are also excitingadvances in crop protection.
and multiple changes in the protein that arebuilding the resistance. We’ve learnt moreabout the gene promoter, too, that acts like a switch to increase the amount of protein produced.”
But how can this information help tacklethe pathogen? “We’re currently mutatingstrains of septoria –– forcing changes in theprotein to see what effect that has. We’realso using sophisticated protein-modellingpackages to see what changes might do to the structure and its interaction with
John Lucas plans to mine the genomic sequenceof a number of pathogens and plants for newclues about the modes of action of differentcompounds.
s
Exciting opportunities for in-field research
Like many growers, Peter Gadd has seen pesticide resistance become an increasing threat to productivity. With 100ha of combinablecrops at Stragglethorpe in S Notts, blackgrass is the biggest menace he faces, particularly on his Keuper marl red clay where achievinggood seedbed conditions for pre or early post-emergence herbicides can sometimes be a challenge, he says.
“Over the years we’ve moved from autumn-applied isoproturon to Atlantis (mesosulfuron+ iodosulfuron) applied in earlyspring. This worked really well initially, but it’snow failing. Stacking autumn residuals mayimprove their efficacy, but it’s clear the chemistryisn’t succeeding to address the problem now aseffectively as we would like –– there are farmersnearby who’ve been forced to cut fields forwhole-crop silage where the blackgrass hastaken hold.”
Septoria resistance isn’t such a challenge,he says. “I’m conscious that greater tolerance to triazoles has been identified, but we take aforthright approach to prevention, starting with a T0. We’re careful to select products from different groups, and to maintain rates and spray timings to keep disease out.
“But while we haven’t physically experiencedtoo much of a problem, if triazoles were takenout of the picture, we’d have very little in thepesticide armoury that would offer significanteradicant activity against septoria, and that’s a worry.”
His biggest area of concern following theneonicotinoid restriction is the control of cabbagestem flea beetle and Turnip Yellows Virus inoilseed rape. “Resistance to pyrethroids is alsobuilding in pollen beetle and aphids responsiblefor BYDV –– if we have to rely more for controlon older chemistry, these problems can only get worse.”
So advances in genomics and geneticsequencing offer a real opportunity to take thescience on and deliver new solutions, he feels.“They offer a step change in resistance management, but it’s not just about getting bettercontrol out of a can. These new techniques offerthe ability to safety-proof new chemistry –– if wecan use this better understanding to target pestsmore effectively and overcome resistance, maybeit can also be used to make products safer forthe environment and non-target species –– thisis arguably true sustainable intensification.”
But he feels that the days of relying solely on chemistry or new technology to overcomeresistance issues are over. “The big question ishow long will these developments take to comethrough? We have to learn how to adapt croprotations, use flexible tillage methods, varietalcompetitiveness and other cultural control methods better. Growers have the ability to assist the next generation of crop protectionchemistry to do its job.”
So should grower funds be spent on this typeof research? “The benefits may seem a long wayfrom the sprayer tank, but maybe they’re closer
than you think. These new areas of researchallow scientists to sift through huge amounts of data and complex genes to target the areas of real interest. With over-arching strategicresearch in genomics, the HGCA will be able to focus better on the value and direction ofnear-market applied research projects.
“What’s more, with the new Agri-Tech strategybringing £160M of funding into agriculture,there’s a real opportunity for synergies betweenlevy-funded and government-funded research,ensuring the strategy delivers to the field as its ultimate aim. So I think we’re on the precipice of some really exciting advances –– they mayseem like a long way from the farm gate, butthere’s every reason to embrace the opportunitythey hold.”
Peter Gadd reckons these new techniques offerthe ability to safety-proof new chemistry.
insecticides and mutations in genes encoding insecticide target proteins.”
Much of the sequencing information hasbeen made freely available to entomologiststhrough user-friendly, interactive websites,she notes. “But the fact that some agrochemical companies have investedmoney in sequencing pest insect genomes,in order to look for new insecticide targets,tells us that they see a great potential here.And the wider genomic resources that have been developed rapidly alongside the genome sequencing have allowed high throughput screens of potential insecticidal molecules.”
Researchers have used genomes and the associated arrays to identify genes andproteins involved in insecticide detoxificationand sequencing to identify target-site mutations, she explains. “Studying these target proteins for mutations reveals howresistance to insecticides has evolved.
“This means better predictions of potential cross-resistance. What’s more,
Studying target proteins for mutations revealshow resistance to insecticides has evolved and leads to better predictions of potential cross-resistance, says Lin Field.
56 crop production magazine august 2013
agrochemicals. This might even help usdesign new chemistry, related to currentpesticides, that’ll get round the problem of resistance.”
So how will these new pesticides overcome increasingly burdensome
regulatory requirements? “Another new areais toxico-genomics,” explains John Lucas.“Here, researchers are using genetic information about target and non-targetspecies, comparing this to compile detailedtoxicological and environmental safety data.”
And it’s not just about new chemistry, henotes. “Knowledge is power. Combine thisnew genomic information with monitoringand we can build an advanced warning system for growers on septoria populations,which could even inform on which particularproducts should be used, based on theirresistance profile to the prevalent population.
“There may also be prospects for usingmodelling techniques to predict future resistance problems –– where these mayoccur, as well as when.”
It’s a similar picture with insecticide resistance, according to Prof Lin Field ofRothamsted Research. “The genomes ofmany insect species have been sequenced,resulting in a greater understanding of the genes involved in detoxification of
s
high-throughput diagnostics can be used tomonitor resistance and develop strategiesfor better use of the compounds.”
As well as helping to design moleculeswhich overcome resistance, more selectivechemistry may also be on the horizon. “An example of this would be identifying the genes encoding sodium channels in arange of insect and mite species to try tounderstand why some pyrethroids are goodinsecticides and others good acaricides,”she says.
“A further benefit will be understandingspecificity with non-target species. There’smuch this work can inform us about theeffects or otherwise of pesticides on bees.”
But the chemistry growers use doesn’thave to kill the target species. “There aremore novel pest control strategies, an example of which is the work at Rothamsted,where researchers have transferred a geneencoding the aphid alarm pheromone towheat, and are doing field trials to see if this prevents aphid colonisation.
“There may be many more ways of usinginsect genomes in crop protection which willcome on stream as more genomes becomeavailable,” notes Lin Field. “The future islooking very exciting.”
Herbicide resistance research mayalready have turned a corner. In July, scientists at York and Durham Universitiesannounced they had discovered a gene thatcontrols blackgrass resistance.
The gene, AmGSTF1, plays a key role incontrolling multi-herbicide resistance (MHR)in grassweeds, explains Prof Rob Edwardsof York University. “We believe it works as amaster switch that activates a wide range ofprotective mechanisms.”
The work, funded by BBSRC andSyngenta, revolves around an enzyme, glutathione transferase (GST), that’s responsible for switching on MHR. “We’veknown about this enzyme for over 10 years,
Rob Edwards and his team have discovered agene in blackgrass that they believe works as aresistance master switch.
A further benefit will be understanding specificitywith non-target species, such as bumble bees.
but had originally thought it was an effect,rather than a cause of resistance. We wereinterested in disrupting its function, thinking it might act as a synergist, and developedchemical inhibitors that blocked the enzyme.But the effects we were seeing were too profound to be accounted for by simplyinhibiting a detoxifying enzyme.”
What they actually discovered, thanks toadvances in genomics, was that AmGSTF1is the trigger mechanism within a plant toproduce the enzyme. “When we transferredthe gene to thale cress, the transgenicplants became resistant to herbicides,”explains Rob Edwards.
Effective weed control“We’ve identified a group of compounds that could be applied, along with existingherbicides, to restore the effective weedcontrol we’re currently losing. Unfortunately,they’re too environmentally unfriendly to beapplied to a crop. But now we know moreabout how they might be working, we’relooking for safer alternatives.”
The team’s also developing a genetic test for AmGSTF1 that could provide the firstreliable diagnosis of MHR.
While this could provide a positive steptowards addressing MHR, it’s only a part ofthe story, according to Dr Paul Neve ofWarwick HRI. “To fully understand this evolutionary phenomenon, we need tounderstand the intricate molecular mechanisms of resistance. But equally, weneed to know how ecological, evolutionaryand agronomic forces shape the evolutionand spread of resistance,” he points out.
“Important questions include: what is thefrequency of resistance mutations? Is there a cost of resistance, so that resistant plantsare disadvantaged in the absence of theherbicide? Does resistance evolve in a few
Prof John Lucas, Prof Lin Field and Dr Paul Neve will be addressing the AHDBCrop Research Conference, entitledKnowing your Enemy, that takes place atthe Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre,London, on 25 Sept, 2013.
The conference will help investigate how a better understanding of pest, weedand pathogen biology can lead to moreeffective prevention and control. Targeted at researchers, policy makers and industryinnovators, the day will look at key cropprotection issues and solutions.
For more information and to book tickets, go to www.hgca.com/research.
Research conference
Sophisticated protein-modelling packages helpscientists see what mutations in a pathogen’sgenetic make-up might do to its structure andinteraction with agrochemicals.
57crop production magazine august 2013
locations and spread from these or does itevolve independently in individual fields? Do low herbicide doses speed up evolutionof resistance?”
Growers unwittingly hold the answers to these questions, he says, as what theypractice in the field is ‘evolution-in-action’.But to set up studies that monitor this would be prohibitively expensive. Soresearch in this area currently revolvesaround computer-generated models.
“These models are based on researchthat studies weed populations and modelorganisms, attempting to integrate themolecular, ecological and evolutionaryknowledge generated. They’re able to the evolution of resistance and exploreresistance-management strategies that can slow or even prevent the evolution of resistance.
“Herbicide rotations and mixtures canslow evolution of resistance. But equally, if misused these strategies can actually haveadverse effects. The modelling work shouldhelp growers decide which route is best for them in the battle against resistance,”concludes Paul Neve. n
58 crop production magazine august 2013
For those growers who’ve trawled the trials this summer, and studied countlesswheat varieties, there are two that probably remain something of a mystery.Delphi and Monterey were added as Group 3 soft wheats to the 2013/14 HGCARecommended List, but don’t appear inmany trials and there’s very little seedavailable for planting this autumn. So howdo they actually perform, and where dothey fit?
“What appealed to us about Monterey |is that it’s got great big grains –– we know that’s what a lot of growers want,”comments Barry Barker of Agrii. “It does the job for a biscuit wheat and should geta premium.”
It’s Delphi’s high Hagberg that makesAndrew Bourne of Kent-based Denne sit upand take notice. “It’s also got early drillingcapability and a good agronomic packageto go with it.”
In East Yorks, Stuart Saunt has grownMonterey for the past two years. “To me it’s a farmer’s wheat –– it comes out of the ground well and looks good all the way through.”
But for Suffolk agronomist Martyn Cox,the reward with Monterey comes when you rub out the ear. “In the 2012 harvest it produced the best sample of any wheat bya country mile –– it’s farmer friendly becauseit delivers the goods.”
The road to the RL hasn’t been a straightforward one for Delphi and Monterey.Marketed by Senova, they first came up for
The seed trade is now realisingthat these varieties
really do offer something.”
“
The secret wheats with promise
recommendation in 2011, but Montereyachieved a yield rating of only 102, whileDelphi managed just 100, against the Group 3 control, Invicta, that hit 105.
This meant they failed to get on the2012/13 RL, and weren’t initially consideredas candidates for the following year,although they were retained within the RL trials programme.
That’s just as well, because the trialsresults in 2012 told a completely differentstory, recalls Bill Handley of HGCA. “Theirtreated yields held up well, while it was anawful year for many other varieties. This
Group 3 newcomers Delphiand Monterey have some
stand-out characteristics,but there’s been precious
little of either varietygrown. CPM delves deep to
discover their potential.
By Tom Allen-Stevens
I N S I D E R S V I E W
Monterey has the second highest specific weight on the RL
Monterey has many of the qualitiesgrowers are looking for in a wheat,says Barry Barker.
brought up their five-year average yield, and when considered with the balance oftheir features from an extra year’sworth of data, this tipped the balance in their favour, and theywere both added to the list.”
But these swings of fortunehave meant seed supply is tight. “They missed the radarbecause they weren’t initially recommended,” explains Jeremy Taylor of Senova.
“By the time they were addedto the RL, seed growers alreadyhad their 2013 crop in theground, and trials had alreadybeen drilled. It’s been a slowstart, but the seed trade is nowrealising that these varieties reallydo offer something.”
When it comes to Monterey,
that “something” is a big grain,according to Barry Barker. “Wehad some Monterey last year and are currently multiplying it up for a limited amount that’ll beavailable to growers for plantingthis autumn.
“At 78.6 kg/hl, Monterey hasthe highest specific weight ofanything on the RL exceptCordiale –– we know that’s goingto be popular with growers. It’salso tall, with reasonable strawstrength, like its parent Istabraq,and that’s a variety that wasalways underrated. It’ll do well onlighter land, and with a ripeningscore of +2, it’s not too late. It’llfind favour in the South West,” he says.
Make the gradeBoth Monterey and Delphi makethe grade as biscuit wheats andare classified as uks for export.Delphi is also rated ‘medium’ fordistilling, although as a varietythat’s only recommended in theEast, that’s unlikely to be anissue, notes Bill Handley.
What Delphi does have, however, is Hagberg. At 266, it’sthe highest of the soft wheats on the RL, and it hasn’t goneunnoticed, says Andrew Bourne.
“Feedback from end users isvery limited –– they want to knowmore from how it performs thisharvest. But from what we’veheard, Delphi’s at the top end of the Group 3 sector.
“This is significant becauseClaire is still the top performer for millers. Scout does well,
s
Finding a wheat that finishes well is a challengeon the Suffolk/Cambs border betweenNewmarket and Ely, according to independentagronomist Martyn Cox. “For every good acre,there are three that aren’t, and there’s a lotthat’s droughty. You tend to find that it’s the lessconventional varieties that do well.”
So in 2012, as winter turned into a particularlydry spring, the signs weren’t good for much ofthe wheat in his area. “We were cutting back oninputs because we were worried there simplywouldn’t be a crop. I had a grower with a crop ofMonterey –– it had an application of fenpropidinfor mildew at T0, but nothing at the T1 timing.”
Then the weather broke. “It got a robust triazole with a strobilurin at T2 and 0.75 l/ha
of Aviator Xpro (bixafen+ prothioconazole) on theear, which was a bit unconventional, but as away to top up the flag leaf spray and protect the ears from the incessant rain, it proved very cost effective. In the end, it produced thebest sample of any of my wheats in the area,”recalls Martyn Cox.
It was most noticeable when the lorry turnedup to take the first load of wheat off the farm,he says. “As soon as the first bucketful hit theback of the lorry, the driver remarked it wasweightier than any wheat he’d had, and howeasy it was to get a full load without heaping the trailer up.”
Monterey is a variety that’s easy to manageand stays clean, he says. “We always got on
As soon as the first bucketful of Monterey hit theback of the lorry, the driver remarked it wasweightier than any wheat he’d had.
The best sample on Suffolk marginal land
well with Istabraq in this part of the world, andMonterey seems to be the same. It doesn’t lookparticularly impressive, but you don’t have toload it up with inputs, provided you keep themildew out, and it produces the best sample –– you’re pleasantly surprised when the combine goes through.”
but there have been a lot of also-rans inGroup 3.
“Growers will like it because it’s suitablefor early drilling, but you can also plant itlater in the season. We expect it to be popular in Kent for the local export market.”
He feels the time is long overdue for aGroup 3 wheat that can compete well with
the high-yielding Group 4s. “We need tomaintain enthusiasm for Group 3, and that needs to come from good, consistentvarieties that end users favour.”
There’s certainly a need for a reliableGroup 3 that has good qualities for themilling industry in London’s north hinterland,says Mike Sheppard from North Herts
Farmers. “There hasn’t been a significantstep forward in Group 3s for nearly adecade. Delphi’s certainly moving in theright direction and it’s from a breeder with an excellent track record, so we’re happyto recommend it.”
Others, like Chris Parker of Norwich-based Parker Seeds, need more evidence.
s
Stuart Saunt believes Monterey is well suited tothe strong Holderness clay he farms in EastYorks. With five farms and a total of 1000ha,he’s also an agricultural merchant, sellinggrain, seed and fertiliser locally.
“It’s a very good variety and we achieved10t/ha with it in 2012. Its straw isn’t the shortest nor the longest, but it stands well with very little PGR. It’s a clean variety and has a very good specific weight.”
He grew 11ha last year. “It didn’t get a T0 spray, but we gave it a T1, T2 and T3.The T3 was an expensive one to keep thefusarium out.
“But it always looked well throughout theyear and yielded the best at harvest of theseven Group 3 and 4 varieties we grew. Thespecific weight was easily the highest, at 74-75kg/hl.”
This year, he’s growing 80ha of the varietythat’s survived the cold spring well, he reports.“It did better than other varieties and held onto its tillers. We’ll see how it performs when the combine goes through, but it shoulddo well –– this land is capable of 12t/ha crops and there’s no reason why Monterey
shouldn’t achieve that in a normal year.”In his part of the world, the variety that’s
currently selling well is Leeds, he says. “Montereyhas as much going for it, with superior specificweight and the added bonus of a biscuit premium–– a few local mills are keen to take it. But noone’s seen the variety –– there’s no spotlight on it –– so it’ll be a harder sell.”
Monterey has performed well for Stuart Saunt, butvery few farmers have seen the variety, he says.
INSIDERS VIEW
The varieties failed to get on the 2012/13 RL, buta strong performance in the 2012 harvest tippedthe balance in their favour, notes Bill Handley.
“Delphi looks like a useful variety and hasgenerated quite a bit of interest. But weneed to see the results from this harvest.”
Whatever the prospects for Monterey andDelphi, they certainly have a good pedigree,says Barry Barker. That’s down to theirbreeder –– John Blackman of Blackman s
Monterey performs on strong Yorks clay
The past 12 months has seen something of arecalibration of how millers handle UK varieties,according to George Mason of Heygates. “We’vebeen spoilt for choice in recent years, but the2012 harvest was a shock from the point ofview of quality,” he says.
UK millers use a wide range of wheat varieties and qualities to make hundreds of differing types of flour, subject to the demandsof the consumer, he explains. “While a significant amount of Group 1 and 2 varietiesare used for bread, Group 3 and 4 types arealso in demand by millers, but for different applications. Heygates aims to use as muchEnglish wheat as possible, so we’ve a demandfor every variety on the HGCA List.
“It’s good to see that we now have someexcellent new Group 3 varieties that can
compete with the high-yielding Group 4 hardwheats. Growers readily chop and changebetween Group 3 and 4 with yield being one of the main drivers.”
But the jury’s still out on whether Delphi orMonterey will reflect a quality superior to othersin its group, he says. “So far, we’ve only seenbagfuls, rather than lorry loads, but the resultswe’ve had are encouraging. At 266, Delphi hasa high Hagberg, which fits the minimum marketrequirement with ease.
“To a purist biscuit miller, Claire is still thebest variety, but its availability makes it difficultto produce 100% Claire flour. Last year was asteep learning curve on extraction rates due tothe dramatically reduced specific weight, soMonterey, with its specific weight of 78.6kg/hl,has got to be a positive,” notes George Mason.
Group 3 and 4 varieties are also in demand bymillers, but for different applications.
John Blackman puts his varieties through theirpaces in both England and New Zealand.
Agriculture. “If he hasn’t already produceda market-leading variety, he will soon ––there’s no question. John has a reputation forbreeding good varieties with yield potentialthat are a little bit different,” he says.
For many years, John Blackman was thesenior wheat breeder with CPB Twyford, nowKWS. In April 2004, he left the company andstarted his own consultancy, but it wasn’tlong before he was breeding his own varieties again. This time, he was developingvarieties in New Zealand as well as the UK.
“We’ve been taking varieties from thebreeding programme out there and seeinghow they fare here, and vice versa. It’s a truemix and match,” he explains.
So where’s the advantage? “There’s anincredible yield potential in New Zealand asa result of the light intensity and cool nighttemperatures. In the UK, there are too manyrestrictions limiting what a wheat canachieve, even in trials. But in New Zealand,you can really push it and get more than16t/ha. Yield factors are exaggerated and
that means you can select much more precisely for yield potential.”
Monterey and Delphi are the first winterwheats from the Blackman breeding programme to get onto the RL. Spring wheat Mulika, also a Blackman variety, was first listed in 2011.
“In Monterey and Delphi, we picked varieties that the breeding programmeshowed were robust and reliable, with no major faults, and we wanted orangewheat-blossom midge resistance. They’rebiscuit-quality with good levels of resistanceto rusts and septoria. If you look at the RLresults, their yield consistency over the yearsis obvious, and the quality spec is reliable.”
Faster developingOther than that, the two varieties are very different, he says. “Monterey isIstabraq crossed with Robigus. It’s a faster developing type and I wouldn’t recommendsowing before 20 Sept. But you can go lateinto the spring with it –– I’d be happy forMonterey to be drilled in March.
“It gives an outstanding performance onblack Fen soils. This has something to dowith its rooting ability and tolerance of manganese deficiency.
“You can push Monterey hard. Try andgrow it on soils that won’t dry out, because it flowers early but there’s a long finish.Provided it can access moisture and the soil structure’s right, it’ll finish well.”
Delphi is another Robigus cross, but thistime with Gladiator. “That brings it the yellowrust resistance that’s durable. It’s moredrought tolerant, which is why it’s suited tothe Eastern Counties. Both varieties have
good sprouting resistance, but Delphi hasthe high Hagberg, and will hang onto this ifyou’ve a large wheat area to harvest.
“Delphi is a slow developer –– you cansow it early and it does well as a secondwheat. It’s leafy in spring and the longer youcan keep it going, the better it’ll perform,especially if it’s given a good fungicide and nutrition programme, although it didwithstand fusarium very well last year, to my surprise.
“When feeding these biscuit wheats, I like to keep some N back for flag-leafemergence and to fuel the grain-fill period –– don’t let the plant run out of steam. Youhave to balance that with achieving a biscuitprotein. But they shouldn’t accumulate protein in the grain –– they’ll convert it into yield.”
Otherwise his advice is to treat the varieties much the same as any other wheat.“But don’t drill Delphi into a black Fen soil,and don’t drill Monterey at the beginning ofSept,” concludes John Blackman. n
Delphi’s stand-out quality is its high Hagberg.
INSIDERS VIEW
62 crop production magazine august 2013
s
Group 3 line-up provides positive pointers, say millers
Delphi has become a firm favouritefor seed grower Peter Kindred. Thevariety is one of 11 wheats grownfor seed across his 465ha of chalkyboulder clay at Parham in Suffolk.
“It’s one of the best we’ve grownbecause of its all-round diseaseresistance –– it’s not particularlysusceptible to anything, so is a goodinsurance variety.”
For two years, a 10ha field hadbeen drilled with Delphi, following a red fescue grass crop that washarvested in 2010. “It yielded9.8t/ha in 2011, which is on a par with what I’d expect following a grass crop.”
The following year, it stood upwell to the relentless disease. “Weapply a comprehensive, four-sprayprogramme to all our wheats, withsome more disease-prone varietiesgetting further treatments last year,and we still had a lot of septoria.But the Delphi kept clean throughoutthe year.
“It yielded 11.2t/ha, which is a good result for us as a secondwheat, especially given the poor harvest. But the sample was the realsurprise –– the Delphi was the lastto harvest, but it held on to its
Hagberg, which stayed above 250.It was a good, bold sample with lovelyplump grains.”
This year, the crop wasn’t planteduntil early Nov, with a seed rate belowwhat Peter Kindred would have preferred. But it established well andput on plenty of tillers, he reports,and he’s expecting a good harvest.
“Delphi’s a safe variety –– abanker. If you’ve got a lot of acres to get round with the sprayer, this isone that won’t mind if the timing’smissed, and it won’t lose all its quality just because you haven’t cut it on the right day,” he notes.
Peter Kindred’s Delphi produced agood, bold sample with plump grains.
Delphi’s a banker for seed grower
Delphi Monterey
Fungicide-treated grain yield 102.1 102.3
Resistance to lodging with PGR 7.9 6.6
Height without PGR (cm) 86 90
Ripening (days +/- Solstice) +2 +2
Specific weight (kg/hl) 75.6 78.6
Hagberg falling number 266 228
Disease resistance
Mildew 5.0 6.0
Yellow rust 8.7 6.4
Brown rust 7.4 5.0
Septoria tritici 5.2 5.4
Eyespot [4] [5]
Fusarium ear blight 6.6 5.8
Orange wheat blossom midge R R
Delphi and Monterey at a glance
63crop production magazine august 2013
Source: HGCA 2013/14 Recommended List
Precise costings pay dividends
Costing every aspect of their business is the key to operating efficiently andprofitably for a Cambs farming business. CPM studies its figures.
By Julian Cooksley
Knowing exactly what everymachine costs is
fundamental.
“
”
While most farmers would look at aworking tractor and make judgements onits performance, Edd Banks is probablyalso calculating its return on investment.He feels his head for figures gives him acompetitive advantage when it comes tobidding for contract-farming work.
“Accurate costings are so fundamentalto efficient management that it amazes mehow many farmers still don’t know whattheirs are, let alone the cost of every itemwithin the overall figure,” he says.
A partner in Thomas Banks andPartners, which operates 1200ha of ownedand contract-farmed land from ManorFarm, Harlton, Cambs, 32-year-old EddBanks graduated from Harper Adams in2004. Since then, he’s followed in theenterprising footsteps of his fatherThomas, who started the business on50ha he rented in 1976 and has seen it develop progressively ever since.
Focusing on taking the family businessto the next level by obtaining the bestreturn from even the smallest investment,Edd Banks is now the driving force behind a number of new initiatives and
64 crop production magazine august 2013
Edd Banks is fastidious about accuratelymonitoring and recording every aspect of thefarm’s operations.
enterprises. These range from a weddingcentre housed in former farm buildings toa share in RTK Farming Ltd, a rapidlyexpanding company which provides RealTime Kinematics (RTK) GPS services tofarmers throughout the East of England.
A self-confessed “stickler for figures”Edd Banks is fastidious about accuratelymonitoring and recording every aspect ofthe farm’s operations. When it comes tomachinery, every item is meticulouslylogged throughout its life, which generatesthe data that helps him calculate, precisely,its running costs and the optimum time to change.
“Operating very efficiently with minimallabour depends on using modern, reliable,highly productive machinery, but in choosing what to use we’re not blinkeredby brand or dealership. We approacheverything purely from a business viewpoint, and knowing exactly what every machine costs is fundamental to that process.
“We were all John Deere, but switchedto Case IH combines and tractorsbecause they do exactly what we want, at lower capital cost and with low runningcosts. We know that because everything is
monitored in minute detail. We also havean excellent relationship with Collings Brosat Abbotsley, our local dealer, and receiveprofessional support from Case IH.
Keenly priced“The level of detail we now have at our fingertips is invaluable when quoting forfarming contracts. These are gettingincreasingly competitive and requiredetailed knowledge of your operatingcosts so you can submit tenders which are keenly priced yet generate profit. My costs of production are much lowerthan those in the Nix Farm ManagementPocketbook, and I know that our machinery costs are around £5.50/habelow the average of other farms in ouraccountant’s agriculture group.”
Currently, Thomas Banks and Partnersoperate a Case IH Quadtrac 380 whichhas completed 3300hrs since it was purchased new in 2007. This is used with
65crop production magazine august 2013
s
The Axial Flow combine has achieved athroughout of 80ha of winter wheat in just over 12hrs.
The farm uses RTK GPS guidance for theautosteer which reduces the number of hoursthat machines are clocking up.
Thomas Banks and Partners, Manor Farm,Harlton, Cambsl Farm size: 1200hal Cropping: Combinable crops and
sugar beetl Harvesters: Case IH Axial Flow AFX
9120, Agrifac 6-row self-propelled 18t tanker sugar beet harvester
l Tractors: Case IH Quadtrac 380,qMagnum 310, Puma 195, Puma 140 (plus a Puma 225 hired at harvest)
l Drills: Vaderstad 8m Rapid, TWB 6m 12-leg subsoiler with OSR direct drill,band fertiliser and slug pellet applicator,18-row Stanhay precision drill
l Cultivation: Vaderstad 6m TopDown, 6mCarrier, Dowdeswell 8f DP9 reversible semi-mounted plough, 8m power harrow
l Rolls: Flexicoil 12m Cambridge type heavy rolls (with Avadex spreader)
l Sprayers: Knight 36m, 5000-litre self-propelled, Micron 6m Varidome band sprayer, 12,000-litre fibreglass bowser
l Fertiliser spreader: KRM M3l Baler: New Holland BB9090l Loaders: 2x Merlo P60-10ev, with 6t lift
(3t Grain bucket)l Staff: Three full-time, including
Edd Banks, plus one placement student
Farm Facts
a 12-leg TWB subsoiler, an 8mVäderstad Rapid drill or 6m VäderstadTopDown. The business also owns a3500hr Magnum 310, bought new in 2007,which pulls the 6m TopDown, a 6m Carriercultivator, 8f Dowdeswell DP9 reversibleand 8m Dowdeswell power harrow.
The fleet also encompasses a 2500hrPuma 195 which was purchased in 2009and is used with a KRM M3 fertiliserspreader, a New Holland BB9090 big baler and for corn carting, while a 1200hr2010-model Puma 140 handles the Micronband sprayer, StanhayWebb sugar beetdrill and bale chaser. Underlining the lean nature of their machinery fleet, thebusiness hires a Puma 225 from CollingsBrothers during the harvest period.
Since it replaced their previous Case IH 8010 combine in 2010 the Banks’ CaseIH AFX 9120, with a 10.6m header, hascompleted 800 hours. “It’s an awesomepiece of engineering and as good as current combine technology gets,” says Edd Banks.
“I’ve managed to harvest 80ha of winterwheat in just over 12hrs with it –– you canpush on, even in difficult conditions.” Thisis helped by the knowledge that the singleAxial Flow rotor can be hydraulicallyunblocked in seconds at the touch of a button in the cab, he adds.
The Banks sell all the straw off the field,which helps in the fight against blackgrassand minimises carryover of wild oats, henotes. Removing it also makes subsequentcultivations much easier and maximisesthe financial output of the business.Having taken the farm into the straw business five years ago, originally sellingto power stations in the UK, Edd Bankshas increased the number of bales produced from 4000 in 2011 to 9000 in the current year. That makes the physical quality of the straw very important, he emphasises.
With technology playing an increasingrole on the farm, Edd Banks believes histime is better spent in the office, where itgenerates much greater financial return.This accounts for around 60% of his time
currently, but is steadily increasing in the drive to study the farm’s finances and maximise efficiency. Everything isrecorded in minute detail using Farmplansoftware, so he knows exactly his costs of production and the levels of outputneeded for a good return on investment.
Computerised costingsWhen it comes to farm equipment, eachmachine has its own computerised assetcard which shows every detail about it,from the date of delivery, registration andpurchase price to today’s running costs.Every invoice is recorded as it comes inand even general farm costs such asinsurance are apportioned on an individualbasis. Depreciation is factored in at a 25% reducing balance annually andapportioned on a monthly basis, while on 31 March every year Edd Banksrecords the hours on each machine and area covered by every implement,allowing him to calculate annual operatingcosts per ha.
Building on this level of detail, everyfield operation is recorded in minute detail,serving as both an accurate record in thecase of a query and a means of adding tothe farm’s knowledge base.
“When an operator arrives in the fieldthey log into the Gatekeeper web app ontheir iPad, record start time, details ofeverything they do and finish time. Thisinformation synchronises automaticallywith my computer, which helps me seeexactly what’s happening. In the future I’llbe able to ‘interrogate’ machines from theoffice, while operations are taking place,”suggests Edd Banks.
Making the most of technology and theefficiencies it can bring also extends toGPS technology, he continues. “It has dramatically enhanced every aspect of ourbusiness. With every machine equippedwith automatic steering and most spreadingprocesses using variable-rate technology,time and materials are used more efficiently,output has increased significantly and unitcosts of production have fallen.
“Until recently, we shared one GPS unitbetween our two Case IH Puma tractorsand on one occasion I had to power harrowa field without the autosteer function operating. When my farm foreman and I looked at what had been done we weresurprised at how inaccurate it was usingmanual steering, even with a relatively narrow piece of equipment. It certainlybrought home the many benefits of automated steering.
“The combination of RTK GPS andautosteer is pivotal to how we farm todayand has dramatically reduced the numberof hours that machines are clocking up.The more accurate operation from theusing autosteer, combined with theincreasing use of min-till establishment,has reduced annual tractor hours by 37%per cent in the past five years.”
Using RTK-based GPS auto-steeringhas also brought other benefits. For example, the Banks are now able to control weeds in oilseed rape and sugarbeet crops using their new MicronVaridome band sprayer, which hasreduced herbicide costs by 40-60%.
“We normally purchase machinery
66 crop production magazine august 2013
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An additional tractor is hired in during the harvest period.
When an operator arrives in the field they log into the Gatekeeper web app ontheir iPad to record start time and details of everything they do.
on three-year finance to spread the cost. In its first year theQuadtrac cost £148/hr to operate. When we fitted RTKGPS, and with the finance paidoff, the hourly cost in year fourwas £70.43 and in years fiveand six it levelled off at £84, sowe’re obtaining a huge amountof value from it.”
Upgrade delayedAlthough the Quadtrac andMagnum were due for replacement this year, two difficult harvests meant that thechange has been delayed until2014. “But running costs remainvery low in terms of cost per ha and we’ve had no major problems, so I’ve no reservationsabout keeping them for anotherseason.
“When deciding what to purchase, the initial cost is veryimportant, as second-hand values are relatively similar formachines of comparable sizeand output. When looking tochange our previous Case IH8010 combine, for example, I considered a Lexion 600, which cost considerably more.That wouldn’t have been fully
reflected in its second-handvalue, so the overall cost ofoperation would have beenmuch higher. The Case IH 9120also had a better cab, requiredvirtually zero daily maintenanceand featured the push-buttonrotor reversing, so decidingwhat to buy was a ‘no brainer’.
“The cost of operating thecombine has fallen substantially.The total hourly cost was £426,everything included, during thefirst year, or £75.16/ha. By thefourth year after the financepayments have finished, thetotal costs have reduced by28% to just £53.82/ha.
“Reliability is the key issue forus and we normally purchase at least one new piece of equipment every year to keepthe fleet current. Having modern,high-specification machinerywhich incorporates the latesttechnology gives us the capacityto expand our contract farmingoperations as and when the rightopportunities arise. Over the nextfive years we’ll look to increase to 1600ha, but the key to doingso profitably is to know our operating costs down to the last penny.” n
67crop production magazine august 2013
68 crop production magazine august 2013
Doing a little couldachieve a lot
Land worked when wet will almost
undoubtedly have been subject to
damage and compaction.
“
”
Soils on over three quarters of the UKarable area are likely to present farmerswith structure issues this autumn,estimates David Holmes, UK sales director with Great Plains, the firm which three years ago purchased SimbaInternational. But while many may havetaken a battering from rain, traffic andtillage itself, simply using a deep tine totry and lift, loosen and aerate may notaddress issues sufficiently unless theright tine and point are used at the correct depth.
69crop production magazine august 2013
Last season’s high rainfall saw many establishmentplans forcibly altered, in many cases setting back soil structure advances made by years of min-tilling.But major movement may not be necessary for repair.
By Martin Rickatson
“Land worked when wet will almostundoubtedly have been subject todamage and compaction, and that may be both shallow, where traffic and the rain have affected the surface,and deep, caused by the implementsthemselves and particularly heavyequipment. There’ll be a need in mostcases to lift and loosen that damageusing tines, but choice of implement,leg style, point type, working depth and timing are all critical to achievingthe right result.”
The SLD has 600mm proactive discs and closer-spaced Prolift legs in a V-formation that can work down to 300mm.
Hot, dry weather during June saw surfacecracks appear in many clay-based soils,possibly indicating that an element of unaided repair was underway, notes DavidHolmes. But this natural ground crackingdoesn’t mean action isn’t required, he warns.
“The problem comes when such soils getwet, swell and then dry, before shrinkingback into the same place, leaving the samecracking pattern. Good lateral cracking isrequired as well as vertical, and the heavierthe ground, the deeper compaction tends togo. Lighter land can suffer equally, with thecompaction tending to be shallower butmore severe.
“While surfaces may have dried, underneath some soils may still be very wet, and the wrong tine design and/or working depth can bring wet material to the surface or smear it within the profile. A tine needs to lift and disturb without causing upward compaction, while keeping the fine aggregates on the
surface, especially when establishingoilseed rape, for example.
“Choosing the right implement with theright action for a farm’s soils is as muchabout water conservation as drainage,though. Loosening will not only aid the passage of water downwards, but in a dry
s
The Armstrongs consulted with Simba/GreatPlains when looking for an alternative to theirprevious ST tine-equipped Solo.
The liquid fertiliser kit now installed on the farm’sSLD has brought about noticeably better resultsin early crop growth, says Neil Armstrong.
Since Simba was purchased by US-basedtillage, seeding and planting specialist GreatPlains in 2010, the new firm of Great Plains UK has made considerable investment in itsSleaford facilities and return to full-line manufacturing. First evidence of this was last year’s introduction of the all new-designCenturion European Cultivator Drill, a seed/fertiliser version of which is in development.
“Worldwide, Great Plains, which remains a family-owned business, is a true manufacturer, employing a large number of its 1500 staff in machine construction,focusing on production alongside design and assembly,” says David Holmes.
“As an indication of the commitment beingmade to manufacturing here, we’ve extendedour manufacturing facilities at Sleaford by38,000sq ft, expanded the workforce considerably, and introduced more skilledroles within that.”
With vast experience in both seeding andplanting, the firm is focused on ensuring it has models suited to Europe, and is currentlyworking on a new range of products. Its combinable-crop drills, meanwhile, remain
dedicated to the disc-coulter principle.“No-till tine drills can often disturb the soil
surface too much,” suggests David Holmes.“By working on the Great Plains principle ofusing the Turbo Coulter with fluted blade creating a strip of finely cultivated soil andthen double disc coulters followed by presswheels, we keep that to a minimum.”
Great Plains UK has made a return to full-linemanufacturing with last year’s introduction of theall new-design Centurion, says David Holmes.
Great plans for Great Plains
year also boost capillary action of water rising from the lower soil profile. Combining it with tilth establishment using discs in thesame implement means land isn’t being trafficked twice, which is particularly important this year, given the battering it’s received.”
Soil structure restoration must begin with the combine, believes David Holmes,ensuring that it makes as little impact aspossible on the field surface and that itevenly spreads chopped straw and chaff.He urges growers to keep trailers off the fieldif possible, or at least to the tramlines, and toturn the combine on the tramlines where
possible, encouraging any straw teams tokeep to the same. Attention to tyre groundpressures is also vital across the harvestingmachinery equipment
“That’ll then give a good foundation fromwhich to work to assess any damage to the soil profile by digging some sampleareas and then selecting the appropriatecultivation strategy.”
Constantly expandingThe range of available implements andspecification is constantly expanding. Thismeans it can be a challenge to choose theright tool for the job, for those in the marketfor a new one-pass tine/disc cultivator, heacknowledges. But from a Great Plains point of view, he offers farmers some helpwith selection.
“Where the Solo is more aggressive in itsaction, the SL was introduced as a lighterversion, providing a more level finish andworking down to 250mm. While that conceptworked well, farmers were asking for something that could still work a little deeper where required, but also cultivate all the ground at more shallow levels wherenecessary
“That led to the development of the SLD,with 600mm proactive discs and closer-spaced Prolift legs in a V-formation that canwork down to 300mm for greater versatility
and flexibility,” says David Holmes.“It can be set to work less aggressively
via disc angle alteration and tine options. Butit can also tow a double press, operate onploughed land, and be used to incorporatemuck. In short, it’s adaptable to the seasonand the soil conditions.”
Achieving sufficient shatter and disturbance effects from any implement ofthis type will depend on the right point/wingcombination for the soil and for the desiredeffect, with wings of different angle, pitchand width suiting different soils and aims.
“For true sub-surface movement, the high-lift wing option when fitted to the proliftleg has a chamfer on the wing that drops off at the back, to lift the soil just under thecompaction layer and restructure it. Thatsuits users looking to subsoil, achieving thedesired result without going all the way to aseparate implement and operation. Theywork well alongside the smaller discs, whichwork faster and to chop trash and mix it intothe surface.”
Time and cost pressures led J Armstrongand Sons to move to a one-pass system for establishing OSR on their 720ha sandy clay loam farm at Thornton Mains,Berwick-on-Tweed. In an area of the country more used than most to wet summers and short seasons, a recentchange in implements as part of a plan to work less shallow has cut fuel use andimproved workrates and timeliness, saysNeil Armstrong. But it’s still achieving thedesired soil-structuring effects.
A 4.6m Simba Great Plains’ SLD cultivatoris being used to loosen, create surface tilth,place liquid fertiliser and distribute OSRseed in a single non-inversion pass for 140-160ha of the crop each year. But havingoriginally used a 3.8m Simba Solo with ST tines, he’s an advocate of using bothdiscs and legs only as much as absolutelynecessary.
“We wanted to use non-inversion techniques to reduce both the cost andtime taken for establishment, and our initialaim was to incorporate the trash effectively,prepare a good seedbed and restructure the soil below it in the same pass,” explains
70 crop production magazine august 2013
s
Depth of work of the Prolift legs can be variedwhere necessary, and they can be lifted clearaltogether if desired.
The SLD tows an Aqueel roller press, which NeilArmstrong rates for its consolidation anddrainage improvement, as well as being self-cleaning.
Neil Armstrong, who grows winter barley,OSR, winter wheat, spring oats, combiningpeas and winter beans, as well as lettingland to vegetable growers.
“But I was looking for something moreadjustable and adaptable than the Solo, sowhere required, we could alter its effect tocreate less disturbance. The large Solodiscs were doing too much on the surface,and we didn’t want to work the legs downdeep in all areas, particularly where we’velarge sub-surface rocks that we don’t want to bring to the top, so needed somethingwhere we could easily lift the legs out.
“We considered other implements, butthen Simba told us it was working on a cultivator that would combine the smaller,faster-operating discs from the XPress withProlift legs which could be placed in and outof work on the move and lifted clear wherenecessary. That became the SLD.”
After seeing a 6m prototype at work, inDec 2010 Neil Armstrong ordered a 4.6mmodel to suit the farm’s 320hp ChallengerMT765. The cost of fuel is a big factor inoperating a one-pass cultivator, he says, with the combination using around £25/hr in diesel. But the correct effect and highworkrates are also important.
“We need to work OSR stubbles early sowe get a good three-week chit of weeds andvolunteers before spraying off and drillingwheat. It’s then important to ensure theplants quickly establish a good, deep rooting system, so we need the legs and points to produce thorough verticalshattering down to 250-300mm, and we’veequipped the SLD with a liquid fertiliser kit.
Move to one pass“In the past we ran a set of Simba 2B discsand a packer roller for cultivations, with asubsoiler used to restructure parts of thefield that needed it, and followed up with the drill. We can now establish OSR by discing, subsoiling where required down to 250-300mm –– below any pan. We’re alsoplacing fertiliser behind the leg, pressingwith the Aqueel roller and applying slug pellets in one pass.
“With the legs spaced at 665mm, we’reon wide rows, and initially they appeared toowide, but benefits of the space this gives tothe plant roots and branches soon show.”
One element of Neil Armstrong’s SLDwhich acquitted itself particularly well lastyear was the Aqueel roller fitted to themachine, which dimples the soil surface to trap water and prevent run-off.
“I don’t think we’d have been able to consolidate at all last year using a conventional press or roller,” he believes. “It’sunderrated for consolidation and drainageimprovement, as well as being self-cleaning.
“With this system we can stop at the endof the field and that’s everything done, so ifthe weather breaks it doesn’t matter. It’s self-contained, which could become moreimportant as our weather seems to be getting less reliable and our windows ofopportunity seem to be getting smaller.”
Ploughing is still practised for spring
cropping and for winter barley establishment,where a quick turnaround is preferred andthe opportunity to wait for good growth fromstale seedbeds is very limited.
“Last year, the wet meant that we reverted to ploughing all of our wheat ground, but first wheat seedbeds will usually also be prepared using the SLD. It’s much easier to set up for different jobs and soils ––angling can be altered much more simplyvia handles rather than undoing nuts andpushing the gangs round. It’s also simpler to service, with the discs needing greasingonly once per season, so daily servicing ismuch reduced.”
With natural cracking much more evidentthis season, aided by July sunshine, NeilArmstrong is confident that, providing thenext month or two are a least a little drierthan last year, his cultivations system shouldgo some way this autumn to repairing thedamage of the last.
“The liquid fertiliser system we’ve fitted tothe SLD has taken us another step forward.The first year we used the cultivator, weapplied the fertiliser to the field surface andworked it in, but putting liquid down behindthe legs has produced much better results–– it’s as if the crop has had a dose ofViagra, and helps get the tap root growingdown into the loosened soil.” n
