AGRONOMYNews and agronomy advice for arable farmers

Issue 08 | February 2021

www.frontierag.co.uk @frontierag FrontierAgriculture

Innovation focus: R100® biostimulant

IPM control in beet yellows

A proactive approach to undersowing maize

How can we impact winter wheat yield potential?

Expert focus: Nigel Foster, crop protection commercial manager

IN THIS ISSUE

For cereal crops to perform to their potential at harvest, adequate macro and micro-nutrients need to be available at the right stages of plant development. In order to achieve this, a programmed approach including an advanced crop nutrition strategy should be implemented.

Frontier national crop nutrition technical manager, Edward Downing, explains there is still time to influence crop growth and make it resilient to further pressure during the season.

“To do this effectively, we need to utilise all the information available to make informed decisions,” says Edward. “This will enable us to make marginal gains later in the season.”

There needs to be an understanding of current soil reserves and what impact the winter weather may have on these and root development. An assessment can then be made on how to best get the nutrients into the plant.

“From here, we need to identify or predict potential deficiencies and create a programme of when to apply each nutrient. We’ve already learnt a precision approach to crop health and growth works when applying variable rate nitrogen. We need to adopt the same detailed and measured method in the wider crop nutrition programme.”

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Pushing crop performance with nutrients

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Nutrient timingsThere are several stages in plant development when nutrients are required by the crop. This helps to correctly target applications, as noted below:

• Phosphate and potash – early spring applications to allow time to get into the soil for crop uptake, to encourage rooting and water management

• Nitrogen – early applications required to promote tillering and biomass development

• Sulphur – ideally multiple applications, but if not then avoid being too early (leaching) or too late (for crop uptake)

• Magnesium – adequate levels required throughout the spring, but particularly during the maximum periods of growth in late May/June

• Manganese – must be applied before symptoms appear, as crop growth and photosynthesis is restricted even when levels aren’t low enough to cause visible deficiency

• Zinc and Copper – complete applications before GS 32 to enable nutrients to be fully utilised by the plant

• Boron – target stem extension to flag leaf emergence, so the plant isn’t deficient as the ear emerges and starts to flower

Next level understandingEdward adds that tissue testing plants ahead of potential T0 applications can be a good tool for understanding current levels within the crop.

“This provides a greater understanding of the crop in your field and highlights any deficiencies that need addressing. The results can inform how to support the crop, with subsequent tissue tests conducted to monitor levels and development through the spring.

“It’s important not to apply a broad-brush approach to nutrient management. A targeted approach should be used to treat specific nutrients. We need to supply sufficient levels of nutrient to address the crop need, but also in a form and formulation to maximise crop uptake.

“It’s important not to apply a broad-brush approach to nutrient management. A targeted approach should be used to treat specific nutrients.”

“We can also look at utilising biostimulants, including new additions such as R100®, which build plant resilience and maximise nutrient uptake, therefore optimising the performance of the applied nutrients,” he adds.

“When it comes to crop nutrition, there’s no single silver bullet solution. To give the crop the best chance to succeed and for the farm to maximise profit at harvest, a complete approach to crop nutrition is required, utilising all the information and tools available.”

Leaf tissue testing results 202080

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0N P K Ca Mg S B Cu Fe Mn Zn

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2020 tissue testing results, % below optimum, supported by FMC Agro Ltd

All data - 467 samples - (58% Wheat, 36% Barley, 6% Oats)Frontier - 51 samples - (59% Wheat, 39% Barley, 2% Oats)

Edward Downing

Innovation focus: R100® biostimulant

A proactive approach to undersowing maize

Frontier customers purchasing certain products through IntraCrop have the added benefit of the inclusion of R100® - a biostimulant which maximises nutrient update and performance with proven results.

R100® is made of two components which aim to enhance and improve transportation of nutrients to the plant.

• Two disubstituted urea compounds (DPU) which boost cytokinin levels in tissues, resulting in increased cell division and growth. In turn, this leads to increased yield

• Gamma-PGA binds to foliar-applied cations to improve uptake

Previous studies at the University of Nottingham in 2019 showed the benefit of R100® inclusion on magnesium uptake. In 2020, Frontier conducted a second trial to demonstrate the effect of Gamma-PGA on the uptake of manganese (Mn), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in spring barley.

This new independent study showed that the inclusion of R100® in our product, Cearum, significantly (p<0.05) increased the uptake of Mn, Zn and Cu when applied to spring barley. These results meant nutrient content remained in the plant for a longer time. The trial also showed increased levels of chlorophyll content, meaning the plant’s photosynthetic capacity was improved. Increased photosynthesis will improve the plant’s ability to absorb and utilise nutrients, resulting in greater plant resilience and productivity.

Undersowing maize with grass offers a host of benefits to soil health. It’s a cost-effective and sustainable way to improve soil health to benefit both the current maize crop and future rotations.

“Not leaving soil bare overwinter is understood as good soil husbandry that is also a cross compliance requirement. Using management techniques such as undersowing maize with grass is starting to increase in popularity,” says Dave Harris, Frontier senior agronomist, maize and grassland crop production specialist.

“Establishing a grass cover within maize is a recognised and reliable technique to help improve soil health and with the correct management, it can produce a productive cover without impacting the performance of the maize.”

Dave notes the benefits of this method, including improved soil structure, reductions in nutrient leaching and decreased soil erosion, as well as

providing grazing for livestock. The latter has the added gains of cycling manure back into the soil for further improvements to soil biology.

“We would suggest growers opt for an Italian ryegrass variety, such as Westerwold, for quick establishment and broad field cover,” he adds.

Tips for establishing a good cover

• Drill at a seed rate of 8-10kg/ha

• Drill the grass mix when maize is at the 5-7 leaf stage via direct inter-row drilling – broadcasting is used less and doesn’t produce a constant cover

• If needed, broadleaf herbicide control can be 10 days prior to sowing of the grass seed with selected herbicides

Manganese: R100® signifi cantly increases Mn content80

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Cearum(+R100)8 days

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Dave Harris

British Sugar predicts 2020 beet crops will be down 24.4% in white sugar production, largely due to the impact of virus yellows. National average yields are also down 25% because of the aphid-vectored virus,

coupled with poor crop establishment. To ensure 2021 doesn’t follow suit, Dr Reuben Morris, Frontier crop production specialist, discusses how growers can adopt an IPM approach to control.

“Many growers will be thankful if we have emergency authorisation for the use of Cruiser, which contains neonicotinoid thiamethoxam to treat sugar beet seed in 2021,” explains Reuben.

“While this offers robust chemical protection for the coming season, we won’t have this tool going forward. To truly mitigate the impact of aphid attacks, growers need to consider an IPM approach.”

“To truly mitigate the impact of aphid attacks, growers need to consider an IPM approach.”

There are several techniques which can be implemented, but Reuben acknowledges that the weather is one of the biggest influencers.

“We know a cold, hard winter can delay the migration of the vector, but this is completely out of our control. What growers can ensure is minimal carryover of virus in beet volunteers from the 2020 season and utilise other tools of IPM.”

Kill off volunteer beetWe need to remove the source of the virus and prevent volunteers in crops following 2020 beet, such as regrowth on spoil heaps. Most volunteers will be in following wheats or spring barleys – these will need a herbicide that is targeted at volunteer beets.

Consider a cover cropField observations show that establishing a cover crop of barley can reduce virus yellows, increasing both root and sugar yields. Soil type and beet establishment system can impact on how easy this may be for individual growers.

Monitor aphid flightsThe AHDB aphid bulletin provides data on monitoring and predicting aphid flights which can then inform necessary next steps. Every season differs, meaning this needs to be reviewed annually.

Utilise chemical control measuresIf the Rothamsted model predicts high virus yellows risk and aphid vectors are known to be in the crop, utilise insecticides to manage aphid numbers. Options vary each season as these largely depend on granting of emergency authorisations.

IPM control in beet yellows

Beet yellows control is needed to prevent impact on yield and sugar quality

IPM in action, with Frontier agronomist Sam Cooke

“Our grower in Yaxley has a proportion of sugar beet ground which is of high risk to blow, leading to establishment issues, hence use of barley cover to avoid redrilling.

“We drilled half the field liable to blow with a barley cover. The ground was irrigated, giving a thick and quick establishment of barley and beet. It was a crop of Smart Janninka KWS so Conviso One herbicide helped kill the barley quickly. By July, it was visually clear that the barley cover area had much less virus yellows than the other half of the crop.

“I contacted the BBRO, who took samples of leaves from both sides of the crop and found fewer virus yellows where there had been barley cover. At harvest, root and sugar yields were higher.”

Dr Reuben Morris

Frontier crop production technical lead Dr Paul Fogg often gets asked what can be done differently to influence a crop’s yield potential; in particular, what can be done to increase tiller numbers and how to

convert high tiller numbers into fertile ears/m2.

“We know that final yield is governed by ears/m2 (500-600/m2 for optimum yield) and the weight of each grain. Both are influenced by the available natural resources (water and sunlight), as well as the plant’s ability to capture these resources and convert them into grain.

“It’s also important to distinguish between crop development and crop growth. The first cannot be easily manipulated in season, whereas the latter we can influence throughout the year.

“To increase ears/m2, we need to understand the key influencing factors. Varietal characteristics can significantly impact how a crop develops, with the relative speed of development affected by temperature, day length and drilling date.”

Influencing tiller numbers“Early sown crops tend to produce most tillers in the autumn and then go into a ‘maintenance mode’ in order to support the established growth. This contrasts with later sown crops which may extend or delay tiller development through to the spring.

“The aim for an October sown crop should be to establish at least 200-250 plants/m2 to ensure 500-600 ears/m2.

“Generally, the first tiller or side shoot emerges in the junction of the first leaf as the subsequent leaves start to emerge, with next tiller at leaf 2 junction and so on. Leaf emergence is influenced by temperature, with tillering normally ending when the green area index (GAI) reaches 1. In dense crops, this is typically around GS 31.

“To support tiller production, look to establish crops into warm, moist soils with good seedbeds and adequate nutrition available to support growth. Seed rates should have been optimised, taking into account varietal traits, anticipated establishment percentage and other agronomic pressures such as black-grass.

“In spring, it’s critical to ensure adequate nitrogen is applied and available, taking into account soil reserves, weather patterns and crop potential.”

“In spring, it’s critical to ensure adequate nitrogen is applied and available, taking into account soil reserves, weather patterns and crop potential.”

Plant growth regulators“It’s important to know that modern PGR’s can’t make a crop tiller; they can, however, help with tiller survival.

“During the early stages of growth, the plant and tillers produce gibberellins. Day length triggers an end to ‘foundation’ growth stages which prompts an increase in the biosynthesis of gibberellic acid.

“It’s the increase in gibberellins that stimulates cell diversion and elongation. This is when PGR’s can be used to manipulate the plant’s hormonal system to modify growth and suppress stem extension. This allows the plant to utilise the nitrogen available to support the tillers and ensure numbers don’t drop.

“Consider variable rate nitrogen application where there are large areas of biomass to support the higher tiller numbers.”

How can we impact winter wheat yield potential?

Drilling date can have a big influence on tiller production

Dr Paul Fogg

Frontier has a UK-wide team of 130 BASIS qualified agronomists, including 44 Diploma holders, working with growers to deliver fully integrated agronomy advice on all aspects of profitable and sustainable crop production. To find out more about Frontier’s agronomy services in your area email agronomy@frontier.co.uk, call 0800 227 445 or visit www.frontierag.co.uk

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Talk to the people that work for the company that makes a difference.

Expert focus: Nigel Foster, crop protection commercial manager

“I’ve been involved in farm advice and agronomy since leaving university in 1984. I’ve worked alongside growers for over 35 years and still have accounts that I do the field-walking agronomy for. I ran my own agronomy business for nearly 20 years and now work within the business developing the crop protection (CP) strategy, working with suppliers and colleagues to develop solutions for our customers.

One thing for certain is that over the decades, advice can no longer be just an ‘out of the can’ solution - agronomy is much more holistic.

Working with our technical colleagues who have expertise in all major areas of crop production, me and the wider crop protection team develop practical CP solutions for the grower that work alongside non-CP solutions.

A good example would be where we have developed our urease inhibitor product, Limus Clear, with BASF

and our liquid fertiliser department over the last two years. This gives the grower a solution that can be used where their agronomist advises that the risk of volatilisation is high - protecting the environment and saving the grower money.

With IntraCrop - one of our divisions - we’ve developed a product that can be added to our nutrition range to increase the uptake of nutrients like manganese and copper; the benefit being quicker uptake and response from the crop. These are available to the grower this year in both our Cearum and manganese options.

In technology and data, we’re involved in the creation of decision-making tools which will enable the grower to make more accurate decisions around when and where to spray. Ultimately this is what good agronomy is - evidence driven decision making.”

FrontierAgriculture

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