In this issue... The lure of LAMMA page 44 Septoria shudder page 8 Euro giants line up beside British kit Strategy shift as resistance looms

Nutrition knowledge page 30 Brexit debate page 66

Opinion

4 Talking Tilth – A word from the editor. Volume 18 Number 1 6 Smith’s Soapbox – Views and opinions from an Essex peasant….. February 2016 91 Last Word – A view from the field from CPM’s technical editor Technical

8 Disease control - Appropriate dosing essential to safeguard SDHIs The breaking news in December was the discovery of new strains of septoria with reduced sensitivity to the SDHI group of fungicides. 16 Tech Talk - Stay on the front foot With disease presenting an ever greater challenge to the fungicide armoury, a new strategy may be needed to keep it at bay. 20 Lodging control - Will soggy roots create a lodging problem? After a winter where parts of the country have practically been building Arks, the big question is whether the extreme wet will effect lodging risk. 24 Weed control - ID key to grassweed grip Wild oats and brome may play second fiddle to blackgrass, but they can become a real problem if control isn’t matched to specific species. 30 Nutrition - More to nutrition than meets the eye When it comes to getting crop nutrition right, it’s as much about Editor understanding your soil as selecting the appropriate product, rate and timing. Tom Allen-Stevens 34 Theory to Field - Rebuilding the crop nutrition ‘bible’ Technical Editor The Fertiliser Manual, RB209, is currently under review, under new Lucy de la Pasture management and is set to benefit from a wealth of relevant research. Sub editor 38 Arable resilience - A solid base allows for tailored nutrition Charlotte Lord Crops that yield a consistent margin above the cost of production are Writers key to maintaining profits during a price slump, but how do you feed them? Tom Allen-Stevens Melanie Jenkine Olivia Cooper Lucy de la Pasture Machinery Nick Fone Mick Roberts 44 LAMMA 2016 - Home-grown equipment on show at LAMMA 16 Design and Production LAMMA still stays close to its roots providing a shop window for many Brooks Design British manufacturers. Advertisement co-ordinator 56 On Farm Opinion - Accuracy aim as business expands Peter Walker The experience of Shrops-based Cooke Farms which upgraded its Publisher spreader to manage variable-rate applications and auto shut-off. Angus McKirdy 65 Machinery news - New options for section control Business Development Manager Amazone’s Section Control; KRM Bredal; Quadtrac birthday Charlotte Alexander To claim two crop protection BASIS points, send an email to [email protected], quoting reference CP/37178/1415/g. Features *the claim ‘best read specialist arable journal’ is based 66 Conferences - Brexit battle commences on independent reader research, conducted by the Passions rose and accusations flew at the Oxford Farming Conference, while National Farm Research Unit 2014 resilience in the face of resistance was the focus at technical events. Editorial & advertising sales 72 Insiders View - Added lustre in the Group 1 line-up? White House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY5 8LP When it comes to bread winners, RGT Illustrious looks like it might just take Tel: (01743) 861122 E-mail: [email protected] the top spot in 2016, having so far demonstrated that it’s a cut above the rest. 76 Insiders View - Puts in a polished performance Reader registration hotline 01743 861122 The latest oilseed rape variety to reach the market looks to be taking Advertising copy another leap forward in yield. Brooks Design, 80 On-farm Innovator - Landscape leader 24 Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 1RD A Wilts estate manager whose determination to transform the business Tel: (01743) 244403 E-mail: [email protected] in the wake of foot and mouth literally changed its environment. CPM Volume 18 No 1. 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 Roots CPM Ltd and is available free of charge to qualifying farmers and farm managers in the United Kingdom. 84 Potatoes - Is your bed too deep? In no way does CPM Ltd endorse, notarise or concur with any of the advice, With potato planting just round the corner, now’s a good time to reassess recommendations or prescriptions reported in the magazine. the approach. 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. crop production magazine february 2016 3 didn’t settle at all for the rest of Liz Truss’ announcement on also been to see a Shrops the visit. What’s more, he’d ditch dredging a cautious grower who’s upgraded his traced it and found the welcome –– how ironic! fertiliser spreader to manage source –– a field of So it’s probably just as variable-rate applications and oilseed rape on a well that visit from the EA auto shut-off (p56). slope that had man has knocked a bit of The Features section is been hammered self-righteousness out of me. where you’ll find Insiders View, by pigeons. I’ve always maintained that and we’ve looked at a couple Muddy water had farmers are more sinned of promising contenders this been coursing down the against than sinning, but we month – RGT Illustrious is the tramlines and breached the have to be spotless if we new Group 1 wheat (p72), Am I a pollution 6m grass margin to end up in expect the public to truly trust while Elgar leads the AHDB pariah? the ditch –– goodness knows us and the technologies we Cereals and Oilseeds OSR how much phosphate and take into the wider environment. Recommended List (p76). Also, propyzamide had exited It’s with that in mind that I’d in a new series, we’re seeking The Environment Agency along with it. urge you to progress to the new out the on-farm innovators man came to visit the other There are a host of extenuating Technical section in this (p80). day for a routine inspection. circumstances which make this month’s CPM. It starts on p8, Finally, look out for the new The humiliating thing is that a one-off incident. But I can’t and we’ve taken a close look at Roots section, which this month he actually found a pollution help feeling that the next algal the implications for growers of looks at the latest research on source while he was here. bloom that happens in the news that strains of septoria potato bed preparation (p84). In my defence, the day he River Ock, or subsequently with reduced sensitivity to And Last Word is another new came was the wettest day downstream, that suffocates SDHIs have been found. regular feature in which Lucy of the wettest month of the God knows what pond life, will Tech Talk (p16) continues the casts an agronomic, critical wettest winter most of us can be down to me and my poor theme, and explores disease eye over what’s front of mind in remember. We’d spent a good practices. prevention. the field. couple of hours in the office, The EA man wrote me what You’ll also notice a bit of a So the outcome of the EA with me doing my best to looked a bit like a speeding change as you thumb through visit shows I clearly haven’t impress him, producing ticket, and that’s exactly what it this month’s issue. We reckon got my farm in order. However, records on demand with a felt like, too. But to be fair, he that bringing you the most hopefully you’ll agree the flourish, brandishing my LEAF wasn’t going to get the pollution timely, topical analysis of changes we’ve made to CPM membership and showing him police onto me –– this was an technical issues is where CPM will bring you even more value how engaged I was with the ‘awareness’ visit, and I now serves you best, which is why from the time you put into Water Framework Directive. have to decide how I’m going we’ve brought those features reading it and even more I’d also quizzed him to remedy the offending field. together in the new Technical insight into what promises to thoroughly on the need for What made it that much section. What’s more, we’ve a be a truly challenging season. an inspection, as the NSF worse is that less than a month new technical editor on the Drop me an email to let me one had taken place just the previously I’d been at the team –– Lucy de la Pasture –– know what you think. week before, so wasn’t this Oxford Farming Conference who’s committed to ensuring duplicating effort? I then (see report on p66). We’d those pages are packed with dispatched him into the wind quizzed the politicians on insider insight. and rain with a map while I their plans to release us from Machinery has been brought stayed in the warm and dry. regulation, and their polished further forward, and this month Tom Allen-Stevens has a 170ha But I really wasn’t prepared for presentations spoke of a future includes a full analysis of some arable farm in Oxon … and also what he returned with. rich in opportunity, where a of the highlights from LAMMA down most of the River Ock and He’d filled a bottle with farmer would be trusted to do 2016 (p44). We’ve focused into the Thames. muddy water from one of my what’s right. I’d even given an especially on the British-built kit [email protected] ditches, which (worryingly) interview on local radio giving that lined the avenues. We’ve

I’m aware of, so quite rightly and combines, well I simply don’t British farms. Let’s hope it much more cheaply it’s straight have that many acres. Of course doesn’t take 50 years for the home afterwards with decency the depressing bit was that when current generation of farmers to and virtue firmly intact. compared to machinery at afford the current generation of LAMMA has become LAMMA just three years ago in technical advancement that’ll quite a show, though. It’s 2013 using the same ‘area of help us grow crops more come a long way over the wheat’ currency metric then efficiently thereby optimising last ten years. Admittedly everything had doubled in price input use and optimising things Lincoln, which is where it in 2016 –– even the sausage like carbon footprints. started from and what the L still sandwiches. So LAMMA for me this year, stands for, is not that far from It seems a bitter irony that was largely about ‘window Peterborough where it’s held now just as things like improved shopping’. Or to put it more but in terms of size it seems to robotics and in-cab telemetry precisely ‘investigating A tale from go from strength to strength. With are improving rapidly on fairly technology investment 40,000 farmers visiting this year it standard bits of kit, we haven’t opportunities in readiness for two cities certainly is attracting a healthy got the necessary dosh to invest the forthcoming economic gate. Of course the free entry in technology that would make upturn’. Fear nor machinery probably helps keep gate us more efficient. Just as the salesmen of Britain, your time The mid-winter machinery numbers up (the organisers of necessary electronics and will come. show now seems a firm fixture the Cereals show need to take engineering to help improve our in the arable farming calendar. note). So even if you’re not margins becomes available we At first glance it seems a buying anything more than a find the means to purchase it, Guy Smith grows 500ha of strange idea to pick a time of sausage sandwich, you can namely money, is in short supply. combinable crops on the year when it’s too wet for field still justify a day off the farm in It reminds me of a tale my north east Essex coast, work and too cold to be kicking Jan and a day out at LAMMA. father used to tell of how farmers namely St. Osyth Marsh –– tyres and holding conversations It was interesting that normally would attend County shows in officially the driest spot in outdoors. when you meet up at LAMMA the the 1930s to stand boggle-eyed the British Isles. Despite It’s notable that the German usual opener to the conversation and penniless in front of stands spurious claims from others equivalent, Agritechnica in is the weather but this year it was displaying the latest revolution for that their farms are actually Hanover, and the French version, ‘have you got your BPS payment farmers –– the tractor. The result drier, he points out that his SIMA in Paris, are sensibly held yet?’ Unfortunately for the was always the same –– a forlorn farm is in the Guinness indoors in vast heated halls. In salesmen on the stands, the return back to the farmyard to Book of Records, whereas Britain we do things differently answer was usually ‘no’. You had harness up the horses. It took others aren’t. End of. –– we freeze our nuts off (wheel to feel a bit sorry for the brave 50 years and the advent of nuts, that is). But as we know, RPA staff manning the stand. the Second World War for the that’s because we’re British I bet the health-and-safety drill average farmer to be able to Email your comments and and a little bit of cold can easily beforehand recommended hard afford tractor technology on ideas to [email protected] be sustained with a free cup of hats and Kevlar vests as the tea which is always not far recommended dress, not to In Hanover (left), a scantily clad ‘expert’ might welcome you to the stand, away from any self-respecting mention ear defenders. while in Peterborough (right), a hot cup of tea might be more welcome. machinery salesman. But clearly the main thing that The French and the Germans was probably keeping a lock on might have scantily clad female the machinery budget purse for ‘experts’ handing out literature most visitors at LAMMA wasn’t from their centrally heated stands the late arrival of our BPS but us Brits know better than to payment but rather wheat at be distracted (or heated) by £110/t. I couldn’t help but work such cheap sexist exploitation of out what the various bits of the female form. And while I am polished machinery cost in terms on that sordid subject I’m told of production from anarea of that some visitors to ag shows wheat, based on average yields. in Paris or Hanover make fools Most of the tractors seemed to of themselves in dens of be costing in excess of what you iniquity after leaving SIMA or might reasonably expect off Agrictechnica. Fortunately you 120ha of cereals whereas don’t find that sort of thing in self-propelled sprayers were Peterborough, at least not that more like 240ha. As for

6 crop production magazine february 2016

Appropriate dosing essential to safeguard SDHIs

The more “we use them, the faster we’ll lose the SDHIs. Technical ” Disease control

The breaking news in against septoria (Zymoseptoria tritici). Septoria will reproduce both sexually and December was the discovery Losing the effectiveness of our newest asexually in the course of a season, which fungicides is something we need to avoid makes it rapidly able both to adapt and of new strains of septoria by carefully managing the situation before spread,” she explains. with reduced sensitivity to it’s too late.” “It will reproduce clonally via conidia which will splash upwards in the crop and the SDHI group of fungicides. Septoria pathogen via ascospores (from sex) which can What exactly does that mean So what exactly does ‘managing the spread further afield. It’s this ability to situation’ entail? He believes that in order change that results in a shift in the genetic for growers? CPM canvasses to get the best out of fungicides and population of the septoria pathogen and is some expert opinions. protect them for the future, it’s important what happens when we apply selection to understand the septoria pathogen pressure by relying on fungicides to By Lucy de la Pasture itself and how the fungicide is working, control the disease.” so we can use their strengths and protect In Nov, Rothamsted Research reported their weaknesses. low frequencies of SDHI insensitive strains Septoria overwinters on current crops in UK field populations. The significance of and on crop debris and all crops are the announcement by Teagasc, a month Although we’re getting used to living with likely to be infected already by airborne later, is that a new isolate had been found resistance issues, there’s no room for spores, which are the result of sexual in the field that behaves differently than complacency when it comes to fungicide reproduction. “As soon as you introduce the others, notes Jonathan Blake of ADAS. resistance. This is especially important sex into the equation, things become “These have a mutation (C-H152R) as there’s absolutely no new chemistry complicated,” says Fungicide Resistance in the SDHI target site, a particular in the pipeline to provide a lifeline if Action Group (FRAG-UK) chair and SRUC concern because it’s a step change in the worst were to happen and SDHI plant pathologist, Professor Fiona Burnett. sensitivity compared to any of the isolates chemistry breaks down, warns Bayer “Sexual reproduction results in a we’ve seen so far. How large that step is, technical manager, Gareth Bubb. recombination of genes which can give we just don’t know yet, but laboratory “The SDHI and azole groups of rise to new strains of the pathogen. Strains studies indicate that this strain will chemistry are the only fungicides we which can reproduce sexually can change likely show cross-resistance to other have available with any eradicant activity at a faster rate and are more adaptable. SDHI fungicides.” L

8 crop production magazine february 2016

Disease control

have a fitness penalty over the winter. If few years, with prothioconazole and they do, then they may stabilise at low epoxiconazole just about keeping their levels, or if we remove the selection head above water. Jonathan Blake pressure, they may disappear altogether,” believes care is needed over exactly how says Jonathan Blake. growers interpret the data from fungicide The alternative is that this could mean response curves when it comes to azole the beginning of a decline in efficacy for activity. the SDHI fungicides. The message from across the industry is that stewardship Efficacy decline measures are absolutely vital to slow down “Over the past nine years, there’s been any decline. When it comes to fungicide a decline in efficacy of the azoles. In a programmes, that means using azoles and septoria-eradicant situation, the fungicide multi-sites to protect SDHI chemistry, says response curves are indicating both Bayer’s Gareth Bubb. epoxiconazole and prothioconazole are “A robust rate of azole should be now giving around 35-40% control (on Losing the effectiveness of our newest fungicides is included to protect the SDHI chemistry, average over the past three seasons),” something we need to avoid, urges Gareth Bubb. otherwise you’re leaving it to do the he explains. majority of the work and increasing There are a number of reasons why L This new Irish isolate is approximately the resistance selection pressure. The performance may be better than this in a 100 times less sensitive in laboratory selection pressure for azole resistance is field situation. “The response work looks tests than a broad range of field isolates greater the more times you apply an azole, at multiple applications of a single active collected previously, which shows how irrespective of the dose, but with SHDIs, ingredient, which puts the fungicide under potentially serious this could be, he adds. the situation is different,” he explains. enormous pressure and is not how you’d Currently the only detection of this more “Selection for resistance is dependent apply it on farm,” he comments. insensitive strain is in Ireland, where on dose and on frequency of use. Using a “Generally fungicides are applied just Teagasc are also investigating a further, robust rate of azole ‘spreads the load’ and after a leaf has emerged, in the case of as yet unidentified, strain which is helps both groups of chemistry protect leaf one and leaf three, or 10-12 days exhibiting SDHI insensitivity but has one another.” after a leaf has emerged in the case of a lower resistance factor. The decline in activity of the azoles leaf two. The aim is to apply fungicides “As yet, we don’t know if these strains has been much reported over the past early in the latent period of the disease Disease control

(when infection has occurred but avoid using fungicides in a curative symptoms aren’t visible). The activity we’re situation because this increases selection getting early in the latent period is greater pressure. Identifying the leaf layers is than at the mid-point, as represented by really important to identify timings because the dose response trials. So the curative if there’s a delay in application, there’s a activity that we’re getting in practice may higher probability curative activity will exceed the 40% or so shown in these be needed. trials and provide useful control that’ll “As a rule of thumb, work backwards help protect the SDHIs.” from the T2 timing, when the flag leaf is On top of the curative activity they have, emerging. This is governed by day length the azoles still have good efficacy in a so occurs predictably each season, protectant situation, even though this now generally May 16-20. Leaf three usually sits at around 60% control. It’s even more emerges about a month before but it can important to get timings right, stresses be earlier in a warm spring, in which case Gareth Bubb. “Growers should aim to you need to watch the interval so that leaf The isolate found in a field by Teagasc represents a two isn’t left completely unprotected as the step change in sensitivity, notes Jonathan Blake. T1 spray runs out of steam,” he says. “T0 timing is 3-4 weeks before the third leaf comes out, so generally mid-late March.” late-drilled Crusoe (rated 6 for septoria) Because the number of times a fungicide then I won’t be rushing to put an SDHI on,” is used in a season affects selection for he says. resistance, using an SDHI just once in the “It’ll be a case of taking a view on the programme will help alleviate the pressure, weather and disease situation at the time adds Gareth Bubb. AICC agronomist, Luke but where I do go in with an SDHI, it’ll be Cotton, is aiming to try to avoid using an partnered with a robust rate of epoxiconazole SDHI at T1, unless he absolutely has to. or prothioconazole. “In situations where crops were drilled “The triazoles, although they’re not great Strains which can reproduce sexually can change early with septoria-susceptible varieties in an eradicant situation, are still effective. at a faster rate and are more adaptable. then I’ll have to use an SDHI plus azole We all need to be responsible with how we plus chlorothalonil (CTL) at T1. Where I’ve use fungicides. If we make a mistake with L Disease control

What growers should not be tempted to do, is to cut out the azole from the programme because they think it’s not working well anymore and it’s just another cost in the mix, says Clare Tucker of BASF. “The azole still has a valuable role to play because it gets into the leaf and works by preventing the mycelium from developing inside the plant. CTL stays on the surface of the leaf and stops spores from germinating so is acting in a very different way. Some of the septoria fungus will escape the CTL barrier and enter the plant where CTL can do nothing about it,” she explains. Use a dose large enough to control the disease but no larger than is actually needed, says Fiona Burnett. Dip in activity According to Gareth Bubb, prothioconazole and epoxiconazole showed a dip in The performance of azoles may be better in a L herbicides then we’ve a weed problem activity 2010-2012 but have been relatively field situation than the fungicide response curves on the farm. With diseases, any mistakes stable since, in spite of high septoria are indicating. quickly become everyone’s problem pressure in 2014, so they’re still having because spores are airborne so spread a useful effect. The view from BASF is more, septoria affects everyone so to keep far and wide.” broadly similar, according to Clare Tucker. the efficacy of SDHI chemistry we all need There may be some interesting debates “There’s been a gradual shift in septoria to work together. If your neighbour cuts in the coming season, he reckons. “The sensitivity to the top triazoles; epoxiconazole, corners, then it’s going to affect you.” pressure on prices means pressure not to prothioconazole and metconazole, but When it comes to fungicide dose, spend unless we have to, which is what they’re still playing an active part in appropriate and balanced rates of partner we try to achieve as agronomists anyway. control and yield contribution,” she says. products should be used, according to The trouble is, how do you cut the fat out “There’s no getting away from the fact Fiona Burnett. of an already lean program? that the effectiveness of the SDHIs is “Fungicide resistance is Darwinian, so “There’ll be an inclination not to apply driving yield at the moment, but the azoles the more fungicide used then the stronger fungicide at T0 and T3 but we can’t allow have an important supporting role to play. the selection pressure. Using lower doses disease to develop and then use an SDHI Also don’t forget about other diseases means exerting a lower selection pressure at T1 because this’ll put more pressure on such as yellow rust where the triazole is but the dose needs to be appropriate. resistance. It’s important to make use of the mainstay for control and SDHIs are That means a dose large enough to the multi-sites, CTL and folpet, as much as relatively weak. control the disease but no larger than we can to help keep inoculum down and “Although it does mean spending a little is actually needed,” she explains. reduce selection pressure.” The use of the multi-sites and azoles alongside SDHI chemistry whenever New FRAG guidelines issued possible is something Jonathan Blake advocates. “Strobilurins which still have FRAG-UK recommends the following measures some activity on septoria may also have to reduce the risk of fungicide resistance a possible role in slowing selection for development and extend product life. These SDHI resistance. The important thing to guidelines apply to both spring and winter remember is that the more we use them, cereals where SDHI foliar applications the faster we’ll lose the SDHIs.” are made: 1. Follow the statutory requirement to limit the number of applications to two SDHI fungicide-containing sprays. 2. Always use SDHI fungicides in mixture with at least one fungicide from an alternative mode of action group which has comparable efficacy against the target pathogen(s). 3. Tank mixing two SDHI fungicides is not an anti-resistance strategy. In any tank mix the SDHI should be applied in a balanced mixture with at least one fungicide with comparable Always use SDHI fungicides in mixture with at efficacy against the target pathogens from least one fungicide from an alternative mode Identifying the leaf layers is really important to an alternative mode of action group. of action group. identify timings.

12 crop production magazine february 2016 Disease control

“Adding multi-sites into programmes that we don’t want septoria-susceptible reduces the selection pressure on the varieties which are costly to grow. In the higher risk partners azoles and SDHIs future we’ll have to rely massively on varietal and because multi-sites carry a low risk characteristics to help with disease control.” of resistance, they represent a good way Currently there are only two varieties of protecting other groups.” of the RL with a rating of more than 6 In practice a crystal ball would be for Septoria tritici, both newcomers for useful to get this right every time, but 2016-17 which is encouraging, he adds. Fiona Burnett says the important thing to Septoria has always been a tricky disease remember for stewardship is balance. to control and according to the Defra “Dose rates are a personal decision and commercial crop winter wheat disease depend on your actual situation –– the survey, 61% of crops were infected with farm history, the season, the variety, septoria in June last season. And that’s timeliness of application and risk of in a year of lower than average disease disease. pressure and SDHI chemistry functioning at “You want the SDHI to be strongly its glorious best. The concern in the industry supported by the azole. So if you make is that septoria is a disease some growers Luke Cotton is aiming to try to avoid using an the judgement that disease risk is high are failing to control fully, even with an active SDHI at T1, unless he absolutely has to. and SDHI rates need to be high, then it’s chemistry set to call upon. I important to also use an increased rate of the partnering azole to fully support it. If you judge disease pressure is low, make sure you’re using proportionally lower rates of the SDHI.” All manufacturers of co-formulated SDHI products are confident that they have the right balance, so it’ll be up to individual agronomists to decide which SDHI product is appropriate in any given situation because they do vary in the amount of azole they deliver. Bayer’s Aviator 235 Xpro (contains bixafen) at 1 l/ha delivers 80% of the full dose of prothioconazole. BASF’s Adexar (contains fluxapyroxad) used at 1.5 l/ha delivers 75% of the full dose of epoxiconazole, while Librax (contains fluxapyroxad) used at 1.5 l/ha delivers 75% if the full dose of metconazole. Syngenta’s Keystone (contains isopyrazam) used at 1 l/ha delivers 80% of the full dose of epoxiconazole. The biggest area of concern is perhaps where SDHIs are available as straights, such as Imtrex (fluxapyroxad) and Vertisan (penthiopyrad). Any misuse of the straight products could have potentially serious consequences, although manufacturers point out they offer the flexibility to match azole rate to specific situation. “The important thing is that in a high septoria situation, if you don’t use enough azole then the SDHI is being relied on to do most of the work which will increase the resistance pressure on it,” adds Gareth Bubb. Although disease control from the SDHIs is still expected to be good in 2016, there’s a responsibility on the industry to move towards varieties that have a better resistance to septoria, believes Luke Cotton. “We need to send a message to breeders

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Tech Talk

aren’t faced with too much of a challenge, which means keeping disease in check. However, preventing pathogens from taking hold is an easy resolve to make, but one that’s tough to put into practice on a busy arable farm. Crop economics further exacerbate the problem –– wheat prices languish close to the cost of Disease prevention production, while input costs are not diminishing. Minimising the risk of disease gaining a That may put a strategy review foothold has become an increasingly important on your agenda, which requires a part of protecting cereal yields. That’s why knowledge of both the pathogen we at Syngenta feel the timing is right to be you’re facing and an understanding Don’t present fungicides with too of the tools you have at your associated with this important much of a challenge this spring, disposal to keep it at bay. advises Peter Riley. Tech Talk on prevention rather than cure. What’s meant by disease Effective disease prevention prevention? requires an understanding of the Ultimately, the main aim of any risk factors and then using the effective fungicide programme is chemistry to protect the crop, Stay on the not to allow disease to get out of rather than eradicate disease. control. Once a pathogen takes hold, if you ask a fungicide to Why is prevention front foot control it, you’re not only unlikely important? to succeed, you’re creating a The ongoing fungicide With disease presenting an ever greater situation in which less sensitive performance trials, funded by isolates will thrive. AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds, have challenge to the fungicide armoury, But nor is it about blanket tracked a gradual erosion in the CPM asks Prime Agriculture’s Peter Riley treatment. An effective strategy ability of azoles to tackle septoria. takes account of risk –– crops What’s significantly reduced now is for pointers on a new strategy to keep it with low disease ratings in a high the kickback activity the chemistry at bay. rainfall area face a considerably used to offer. This allowed flexibility higher risk of septoria than those between timings so that an By Tom Allen-Stevens in the drier regions of East Anglia. application would eradicate a But in parts of the south and east disease up to 14 days after of England, there’s a high risk of a crop had been infected. In December 2015, Teagasc in with reduced sensitivity in UK brown rust developing in some the Republic of Ireland confirmed field populations. seasons, while a susceptible crop the detection of field isolates of The drop in sensitivity’s not a is at high risk of heavy losses from septoria with reduced sensitivity break down, points out Peter Riley yellow rust, especially if the to SDHI fungicides. This followed of Prime Agriculture, but it does The main pathogen takes hold early on findings the previous month by make it ever more important aim“ of any effective that fungicides used this spring in the spring. Rothamsted Research of isolates fungicide programme is not to allow disease to get out of control. ”

16 crop production magazine february 2016 Tech Talk

We’re now dependent on the How do varietal disease growers prioritise which fields to persistency of SDHIs for this, but ratings help? spray first –– those with large since the curative ability of azoles Variety choice is the first step in areas to cover will choose to treat is relatively limited, a challenging disease management, and the high risk crops at the most ideal situation would put immense good news is that there are spray timing. Disease ratings pressure on the newer chemistry. varieties with relatively good are only a guide, however, and That’s not a tenable situation. septoria ratings now appearing on varieties cannot be solely relied The AHDB-funded trials show the AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds on to manage risk. azoles currently offer around Recommended List. It’s important This was illustrated a few years 60-70% average control of to look at the decimal figures, ago when the new Warrior race of septoria when used in a protectant however – both Cordiale and yellow rust infected varieties with A susceptible crop is at high risk of situation, while eradicant activity Reflection appear to have the apparently high ratings for the heavy losses from yellow rust, has dropped to just 35-40%. This same rating of 5 for septoria. But disease. The ratings are relative, especially if the pathogen takes hold means a preventative programme Cordiale is 4.8, while Reflection and are averaged over several early on in the spring. is not only more effective, it stands at 5.4. years, so will not reflect recent costs considerably less than the Varieties like Group 2 newcomer changes in pathogen population. of the T1 spray and the kickback robust rates needed to eradicate KWS Siskin and the hard Group 4 offered at T2 should keep leaf two a problem. Graham are rated 6.7 and 6.6 How does spray timing protected. Septoria for example respectively, offering a significant influence disease has a cycle of around 10-14 days, degree of protection that’s plainly strategy? while fungicides remain effective evident in trials. This can help Decades of research have for about two weeks. manage risk, so growers in high established that the key timings to Challenging situations reveal rainfall areas will be mindful of apply a fungicide for maximum shortcomings in these timings, variety choice. yield is just as one of the three however. If the period between the Drilling date is also an important main leaves emerges. T2 is when T1 and T2 sprays is extended due risk factor, so varieties with robust the flag leaf emerges, which to seasonal factors, a T1.5 timing ratings will reduce the higher contributes most to yield. Leaf may be necessary, in high risk risk of septoria from an early three emerges at T1, while leaf situations. The lower eradicant Sept-drilled crop. Likewise, a two appears roughly midway activity offered currently by azoles Crops with low disease ratings in a high seed rate or fertile site can inbetween. increases the risk of uncontrolled high rainfall area face a considerably produce a thick crop that will These two key timings have infection. higher risk of septoria. encourage disease. been chosen because the What’s more, the timing of the So variety choice can help combination of the persistence T1 is crucial, and very hard to get L Front-loaded programme helps manage risk

Low grain prices make a preventive range from London clay to organic cyproconazole+ propiconazole) has approach to disease control even black land. formed the basis of the T0 application, more important, believes Essex farm “I think the key is to get a robust with the switch to new-generation SDHI manager, Ian Gibson of Broadacre programme in place from the offset. from older chemistry at T1 beginning Farming Partners –– he’d rather not You’re far better to start the protection in earnest in 2013. That year, early risk infections becoming established early, on lower leaves, than chase septoria concerns prompted isopyrazam and losing yield as a result. disease all season. plus epoxiconazole (as in Keystone and Managing 400 ha of combinable “We do treat according to disease Seguris) to be used, with the aim of crops near Great Dunmow, he’s also pressure, but we try to make the early providing long-lasting protection across taken responsibility for field operations application robust, to protect the 75ha of Scout. on a further 800ha for the first time this emerging new leaf and so prevent “The thinking was it had robust year. Top priority across the winter disease from spreading to the septoria control and longevity, which wheats will be to keep the lower leaves yield-building leaves, leaf three would keep lower leaves clean and aid Top priority for Ian Gibson will be to clean from the outset. and ultimately the flag leaf. reduction in splash dispersal to the keep the lower leaves across the winter So early season fungicides are “Forward-loading also allows for the upper leaves,” says Ian Gibson. wheats clean from the outset. front-loaded against the chief concerns potential to reduce fungicide costs later Since then, isopyrazam has continued of septoria and rust. That begins with in the season if disease pressure is low. to be part of the T1 treatment. an “across the board” T0 of triazole However, a robust programme would “Because it’s got that longevity it takes prevention, in case windows are plus chlorothalonil, followed by a always be maintained at T2, as nearly you through to T2. If you’re delayed, stretched. three-pronged strategy combining 50% of yield comes from the flag leaf, you’ve got that fall back,” he adds. “One block in particular, which new-generation SDHI plus triazole so an SDHI is also used at this timing. With an additional 800ha to spray follows a river valley, tends to be prone plus Bravo (chlorothalonil) at T1. “With an SDHI at T1 and T2 you’ve this season, spray timeliness could be to septoria. So again I’d like to use “From a septoria and rust point of got extra greening to help photosynthesis challenging, so he believes prevention Keystone with 1 l/ha of Bravo, which is view, you don’t want to be on the back fill the grains.” becomes even more important. “We’re a cost-effective, good protectant. You just foot,” explains Ian Gibson, whose soils Historically, Cherokee (CTL+ going to place increased emphasis on can’t afford to be complacent,” he notes.

crop production magazine february 2016 17 Tech Talk

What’s important to note is t Disease prevention: hat disease susceptibility, both top tips through genetics and situation, will have a big influence on the G Weigh up the risk factors – scope to limit overall spend. variety, weather, location, drilling Another key aspect in disease date and rainfall all have a prevention is the success of the significant influence. programme in the early part of the G Tailor the timings – use the season –– keep the crop clean up A T0 spray, timed around a month earlier than the T1, keeps early disease levels leaf-layering approach to match to T1 and that takes the pressure to a minimum. applications to crop growth stage off the chemistry thereafter. and stay in a protectant state. If needed, a rust-acting triazole have a clear idea on how many G Use appropriate actives – works well as a pre-T0, while either days it will take you to spray your adapt choice and rate to conditions What chemistry is best a triazole or strobilurin (again for wheat area and prioritise fields at the time, paying particular for disease prevention? A cornerstone of the programme rust) could partner the multi-site if according to risk. But these are attention to early applications. will be the use of multi-site a T1.5 spray is applied. challenging times for fungicides materials, such as chlorothalonil The best way to minimise –– the last thing you want to do is

L right, especially on large arable (CTL), folpet and possibly fungicide use is to have very to present them with greater units. So a T0 spray is now an mancozeb. There’s no known accurate weather forecasting, challenges through a poorly established part of the programme resistance to this chemistry, and while the best way to target it is to planned season. I on most farms, timed around a it’s effective at helping to protect month earlier to keep early disease the crop from infection. As each leaf emerges, assess the background and current risk of infection to levels to a minimum. But some Use will be tailored to risk, but refine the course of action. growers are now finding even up to four applications, focused on that timing has its limitations in the early timings, may be used in some situations, and a pre-T0 high risk situations. Take note of application is occasionally label restrictions, such as no more necessary. than 2000g/ha of CTL may be applied in a season. How can timings be Azoles remain the backbone refined? of a programme, but it can be a A new strategy, currently being good idea to switch active as the adopted by a number of season progresses. Epoxiconazole agronomists and progressive and prothioconazole are still the growers, is the leaf-layering most effective, so best saved for approach. The broad aim is to the key T1 and T2 timings, keep the crop in a protectant state although metconazole in mixture from before stem extension right with SDHIs has been shown to be through to canopy senescence. effective in recent AHDB trials. But there’s the same focus on You don’t necessarily need Sponsors message timing applications to leaf a septoria-active triazole at T0, emergence, with a greater so cyproconazole (included Preventing disease from establishing septoria strains and a high loading of emphasis on accounting for with propiconazole+ CTL in is important not only because of two triazoles (including cyproconazole) risk factors. Cherokee, for example) is a good increased difficulty curing Septoria against rusts –– it has produced An overall strategy, based on rust-focused material. Strobilurins tritici due to shifts in sensitivity to significant yield increases in trials. background risk factors, is also play an important role in both triazoles, but also because of the Following this, with its robust planned before the season starts. yellow and brown rust control, and speed that rust can flare up in SDHI loading of isopyrazam (IZM), As each leaf emerges, you assess tebuconazole is another useful suitable conditions. co-formulated with epoxiconazole, the background and current risk of material early in the spring. It also makes sense when Keystone offers long-lasting yet infection to refine the course of Depending on the season, the using any fungicide to reduce the cost-effective T1 protection. action –– whether to spray and T3 spray is where you may be amount of disease you expose your Its compatibility with Bravo also what to use. able to make savings. chemical to. provides the reassurance of using So high risk crops –– those SDHIs must be used according At T0, Cherokee provides a a three-pronged strategy against drilled early with poor disease to FRAG advice –– no more than highly cost-effective solution against septoria –– which helps with ratings in high rainfall areas, two applications in a season and over-wintered disease pressure and resistance management –– and for example –– in high disease always in a mixture with at least prevents new infections. With its Keystone provides excellent activity seasons may receive as many as one other mode of action. That robust package of active ingredients against rusts. six fungicide applications. But later puts the chemistry squarely at the –– including chlorothalonil against drilled, resilient varieties in drier T2 timing and most growers are situations will be equally well finding benefits from using it at T1, protected with just three well too. Note that boscalid is regarded judged sprays. as an SDHI.

18 crop production magazine february 2016 ADVERTORIAL UK Cover Crop Developments

Nitrogen Our R&D programmes will look at seedbed fertiliser applications.We are investigating the implications other application methods and nitrogen timings on stimulating grass weed germination. Spring Cereals have a much shorter season with a faster establishment, leaf and tillering development phase, before moving into the stem extension phase. Early nutrition is essential so aim to apply up to 50% of planned N in the seedbed to maximise early growth to establish full ground cover for light interception and early weed competition. Demand for nutrients will accelerate as biomass develops. Seed rates Newer varieties of spring cereals are capable of achieving average yields in excess of 8t/Ha but When it comes to establishment after a cover crop, particularly on-farm yields have often where grass weeds can be an issue, time spent setting up a drill disappointed, achieving yields is essential. lower than anticipated. Commonly suggested seed rates resulting in plant establishment counts are not badly worn and that seed The aim is to place the seed into the ranging anywhere from 150 to coulters are in the raised setting 2 soil at the correct depth with the least 300 plants m at best are often allowing the leading edge of the disc amount of disturbance so disc drills the cause for poor yields. Recent to cut the slot for the seed. have become preferable for this work of spring wheat seed rates is job. Row spacing is an important Both Claydon and Dale have now “sparse” and seed rates are an consideration and whilst close developed a low disturbance option for area requiring new R&D work. spacing is preferable for crop their drills specifically for use with However, limited data would competition, too close will result in cover crops. For strip drills, again, lift suggest that the aim should be to increased soil disturbance so aim all soil engaging components clear establish nearer to 400 plants m2, for 125 - 150mm. of work and rely solely on the seed always recognising that actual The growing cover crop has been coulters to place and cover the seed. establishment achieved for spring conditioning and restructuring the soil Operators must be prepared to sowings can vary considerably. profile, all the drill needs to do is place decrease forward speed to minimise For this reason, particularly later and cover the seed at the correct soil disturbance, 8 – 10 km/h rather sowings where the plant’s capacity depth then gently firm the soil around than 12 – 14km/h. to tiller may be compromised, then much higher seed rates should the seed, taking care to minimise soil Seedbed conditions are far more be considered. disturbance. This requires a change important than date of spring of mind-set as the resulting seedbed drilling.The cover crop tends to hold can often look particularly scruffy moisture at the surface. Go when too For more information visit compared to the norm. moist and excessive slot smearing may www.agrovista.co.uk For Cultivator drills such as the result. If the seed is covered and well Vaderstad Rapid, lift the system disc consolidated giving good seed to soil and following harrow clear of the soil, contact then rolling won’t be required. remove track eradicators (LGP tyres However if in doubt, rolling with worn and correct pressures will help) and Cambridge rings as opposed to more if possible, lift the bout markers also. aggressive breaker type ring rollers It is essential that disc coulters is preferable. crop production magazine february 2016 19

Will soggy roots create a lodging problem?

Technical Gut feel is Lodging control that“ based on conditions now, most crops will After a winter where parts of be less developed than in a dry season require a robust PGR the country have practically or does the plant have the ability to programme. been building Arks, the big compensate under these stress conditions? Dr Paul Fogg, of Frontier, points to ” question is whether the published research as providing a possible extreme wet will effect answer, but his belief is the actual risk will depend on the weather between now and anthesis, root lengths of the waterlogged lodging risk. CPM finds out. when the crops start to grow away in plants were only 10% less than those the spring. grown in freely draining conditions, By Lucy de la Pasture showing that the plant had all but Root lengths compensated for early waterlogging stress. Published work by Cannell et al. found “From my experience, anchorage Lodging is an emotive subject. It’s there that at the end of a waterlogging period strength is controlled by the root-plate for all to see and a constant reminder between mid-Jan to mid-April, root lengths spread and depth and the strength of that something, somewhere, has gone of winter oats were reduced by 77%. But the surrounding soil. Soil strength will be horribly wrong. A flat crop is one of the root density in the top 10cm was increased governed by particle size distribution or biggest robbers of both yield and quality, when compared with roots growing in texture, bulk density and water capacity. especially when it happens relatively freely drained soil. The closer to saturation, the greater the early on in the grain-fill period. “When growing in poorly aerated influence water capacity will have on a There are times when lodging really is conditions, waterlogged roots can develop soil’s inherent strength. an act of God and no amount of lodging a spongy tissue with large air spaces, “When it comes to the risk of root-based risk management would have prevented which allows sufficient oxygen to be lodging, it’s the combination of the strength extreme weather prevailing, but in the obtained from the aerial parts of the plant of the anchorage system (as described main, lodging is something agronomists to enable crown roots to grow several above) in association with the amount find unacceptable on their watch. centimetres into the waterlogged soil,” of leverage being exerted onto said So does a long period of waterlogging he explains. anchorage system (height, number of over the winter mean that root systems will The research went on to show that by tillers, size of ears and natural frequency or

20 crop production magazine february 2016 Lodging control

on a sandy loam soil. Three different tillage systems were studied –– shallow tillage (10cm), deep tillage (25cm) and zero tillage,” says Mitch Crook. “We found that the physical properties of the soil indicating the greatest soil strength –– soil bulk density, shear strength and penetration resistance –– were highest in the zero-tillage system compared with shallow and deep tillage. “The coronal root properties, including the number and length of roots with a Waterlogging can reduce root length of winter diameter >1mm, angle of spread and root cereals by 77%. diameter were also all greater under the zero-tillage system. We were able to flex in the stem). calculate plant anchorage using these “There are a lot of forward crops in many measurements and the greatest support areas given the mild weather so far. I can Anchorage strength is controlled by the root-plate for the plant was found under zero tillage, buy into the Cannell work, however, gut spread and depth and the strength of the providing a plant anchorage of 0.72Nm. feel is that based on conditions now, surrounding soil, says Paul Fogg. Shallow tillage provided anchorage L most crops will require a robust PGR programme, starting early to try and mitigate the risk of root lodging,” he reckons. We’ve been managing the lodging problem of risk by using plant growth regulators (PGRs) since the 1960s, but over the years the game has changed. There has been a huge improvement in the stem strength of varieties. So much so, that root lodging is now the predominant cause. In practice, that means that getting a good root system is every bit as important as reducing the height of the crop when it comes to keeping the crop standing. A recent study at Harper Adams University has been looking at the effects of cultivation systems on the soil strength and root anchorage support in winter wheat, in an attempt to help growers identify crops more at risk of root lodging, says Dr Mitch Crook, principal lecturer at Harper Adams University. “This study, which was part of a PhD programme, looked at the field-scale drilling and establishment of winter wheat

The research showed the greatest support for the plant was found under zero tillage. Lodging control

L support of 0.65Nm and deep tillage To get the best out of any lodging risk factors to a particular variety in a particular provided the least support at just 0.49Nm.” insurance policy there are two main things field. You then need to factor in the crop’s The findings may come as no surprise you need to consider when devising PGR yield potential and how big a yield you’re but do highlight that soil strength may be strategy, believes Paul Fogg. “The thing to actually aiming for.” related to cultivation practices and is remember about PGRs is that they can On average, every three or four years, something that needs to be taken a have a negative effect on yield unless widespread lodging occurs on up to 20% ccount of when assessing risk of root they’re really needed. It’s crucial to have an of the UK winter wheat area. It’s distressing lodging in any one season. understanding of the relative lodging risk to look at and for good reason. Lodging

New cereal PGR available this spring

BASF has introduced another PGR option active form actually in the spray tank, so has an for growers this spring, Medax Max. Strictly immediate PGR effect on application. Unlike speaking, it’s nothing revolutionary in that it other PGRs, there’s no requirement for quality of contains no new active ingredients, but instead light and activity isn’t affected by temperature.” is a coformulation containing trinexapac-ethyl So does that mean you can apply Medax Max (the active ingredient found in Moddus) and under sustained cold conditions and no crop BASF’s own molecule, prohexadione-calcium growth and still get good results? “No, because (the main active in Canopy). the PGR works by suppressing gibberellin Medax Max has characteristics that will synthesis, the hormone responsible for growth provide growers with a useful additional PGR of the plant, the plant needs to be actively option, believes Clare Tucker, BASF business growing in order to have an effect. But it means development manager. “The combination of once the crop starts to grow and Medax Max is actives in Medax Max offers increased reliability, applied it will work despite some ‘poor’ days,” especially where growing conditions can be very she qualifies. Medax Max offers increased reliability in variable variable during the early spring.” The trinexapac-ethyl component of Medax conditions, says Clare Tucker. One of the key objectives when applying Max is slower acting but more persistent so early PGRs at GS30/31 is to get them working keeps going longer in the plant. “The plant takes similar to Moddus across both wheat and barley quickly at a time when temperature and light up the trinexapac-ethyl molecule in its ester crops, producing a height reduction of 55mm can be limiting factors. Speed of action is form and this has to be metabolically converted and some stem thickening as a result. “One of important as there’s a relatively small opportunity by the plant into its active, acid form. This is the significant influences Medax Max looks to to influence rooting and shortening the lower dependent on both light and temperature so have is on root-plate diameter and depth. Each internodes of the stem, she explains. the effect can be unpredictable,” she explains. 2mm increase in root-plate spread corresponds “Both trinexapac-ethyl and prohexadione- “The slightly different characteristics of to a point reduction in lodging risk, according to calcium do a very similar job in that they both the two actives in Medax Max means they ADAS work. With Medax Max we’re consistently influence the same biosynthesis pathway in the complement each other, especially useful when seeing improvements of 2mm or more in plant by inhibiting gibberellin synthesis. The conditions in the spring are variable. With this root-plate spread,” explains Clare Tucker. difference is in the speed that they start working combination of actives, you can rely on at The full label rate of Medax Max is up to after application – one component kicks in least one to be having an effect whatever the 1kg/ha but in practice, standard rates are likely to straight away, the other trickles on longer. conditions, as long as the plant is still growing.” be 0.3kg/ha, reduced to 0.2kg/ha when applied in “Prohexadione-calcium is converted into its In trials, rate for rate, the activity is very combination with 1l/ha chlormequat 750.

22 crop production magazine february 2016 Improvements in the stem strength of varieties mean root lodging is now the predominant cause. can have a serious impact on virtue of their height are subject the bottom line, with up to 75% to increased leverage forces on yield loss if crops lodge at ear both the roots and the stem. emergence. Later lodging has For a variety with a large ear less effect on and flag leaf, this acts in the yield, but will impair quality same way as a sail, increasing characters such as Hagberg leverage on the plant. falling number. “The bigger the crop canopy Structural break the more potential for the crop “In stem-based lodging, there’s to be under greater leverage usually a structural break in the forces, possibly increasing portion of the stem containing lodging risk (depending on the the lower two internodes. other risk factors you’ve already Making the crop shorter, with identified) so managing the thicker stems, helps reduce the green area index (GAI) of the leverage forces, so reduces crop is also a crucial part of lodging risk. To mitigate root the process.” lodging, PGRs can be useful Although root-based lodging to help root plate spread and may be the number one concern, depth,” adds Paul Fogg. stem-based lodging is still If you’re aiming to have any important in the weaker-strawed significant effect on plant roots, and taller varieties, which by a PGR has to be applied before the plant goes into stem extension (GS30-31). When this Stem-based lodging is still important begins, most materials will be in the weaker-strawed and taller moving upwards in the plant. varieties. This is the case even where actives, such a trinexapac-ethyl (Moddus), are able to move up and down within the plant, explains Paul Fogg. “The best way to reduce any negative effects PGRs can have on the crop is to trickle feed them throughout the season at key spray timings. The next target timing is GS31-33, with the aim of reducing apical dominance to increase tiller retention, shorten the lower internodes and so strengthen the base of the straw,” he says. I

ID key to grassweed grip

Technical Weed control It’s very “important to know Wild oats and brome may exactly what you’re play second fiddle to Such has been the industry’s obsession dealing with to ensure you blackgrass, but they can with blackgrass in recent years, any have the right casual observer could be forgiven for become a real problem if thinking it’s the only grassweed growers strategy in place. control isn’t matched to have to grapple with. For those without ” the blackgrass curse, however, brome specific species. CPM gets and wild oats pose a predominant threat, some expert advice. and there’s some debate over whether they’re actually being managed correctly. Ireland. The move towards more min-tilling By Tom Allen-Stevens and direct drilling is likely to encourage its Identification tricky prevalence, says Stephen Moss. Wild oats “There are five common species of brome are more widespread. and identification can be very tricky,” “Where growers are using herbicides notes independent grassweed intensively for blackgrass, that tends to consultant Dr Stephen Moss. “With wild keep brome and wild oats in check, which oats we’re almost totally dependent on explains why they’re rarely seen as a ACCase chemistry and ALS inhibitors for major issue in the east and south of the control, and resistance can be a problem, country. But with increasing problems of but you may have spring or winter wild herbicide resistance in blackgrass, many oats, or even both. growers are now reducing their reliance “Unless you know which species you’re on ALS and ACCase chemistry,” explains dealing with, it’s very difficult to know Stephen Moss. whether your approach to controlling “While that may be a good strategy either of these grassweeds will be for blackgrass control, those growers effective, which is why we’ve produced may be inadvertently building up a Stephen Moss believes many of the problems new guidance.” (see panel opposite) problem with wild oats and brome. Again, growers may be having with controlling brome Brome is the predominant grassweed it’s very important to know exactly what are related to misidentification. across northern England as well as you’re dealing with to ensure you have

24 crop production magazine february 2016 Weed control

Exclusive weed identification guides

Included in the current issue of CPM are two As well as the web-based tool, it’s available to identification guides, written and compiled by download to iPhones and Android smartphones. Dr Stephen Moss for Rothamsted Research’s And it learns and takes feedback too –– it’s Croprotect knowledge transfer initiative. a two-way system that allows researchers to There’s full guidance on how to tell a rye obtain a detailed picture of specific challenges brome from a meadow type, and the growers face, which are shared with users differences between winter and spring wild through the tool’s reporting section. oats. Colour pictures give the detail on how to www.croprotect.com pick out the key characteristics, and there’s information on prevalence, sampling and what the difference between species will mean in practice. Croprotect is a web-based knowledge Light cultivations stimulate great and sterile exchange system for growers and brome to germinate, while it’s best to leave agronomists. There’s guidance on pest, meadow and rye brome undisturbed in the weed and disease management, especially in stubble for at least four weeks. situations where effective pesticides are not available and alternative approaches are out from cereals and most other required. This can be tailored to your specific grassweeds at this time of year. requirements. Stephen Moss advises growers with brome to inspect populations carefully the right strategy in place.” brome spikelets are oval-shaped with once they flower. “Earmark where your Of the five brome species, the two that shorter awns.” patches are now, and then map and are most common are sterile brome and Great brome looks very similar to sterile identify them correctly in the summer soft brome, according to the Atlas of the brome, while meadow and rye brome have using the new identification leaflet. The British Flora. “These two species are quite very similar spikelets to soft brome. All reason it’s important is that the species easy to tell apart at flowering because five species are virtually indistinguishable are managed differently following harvest.” sterile brome has wedge-shaped spikelets during their vegetative stage, although Sterile brome and great brome are with long, spreading awns, while soft they are usually hairy, so can be picked encouraged to germinate if cultivations L

Autumn focus for a broad bash at bromes

Growing continuous or several consecutive classic case of why, ideally, you should complete years of cereals, early drilling and shallow the programme in the autumn. The weeds have cultivations will each encourage brome been piling on the tillers, so are going to be large populations, notes Stuart Jackson of Dow and therefore difficult to control this spring. But AgroSciences. where an autumn residual herbicide has been “The difficulty for growers in the north of used then the weeds are at least held back.” England and Scotland is where they have rye, His preferred programme is to start with meadow or soft brome as this should be left a pre-emergence application of Crystal on the surface for at least four weeks before (flufenacet+ pendimethalin), then follow up when a light cultivation to get them to germinate. the brome’s at 2-3 leaves with Broadway Star That’s often too long to leave inbetween plus a pendimethalin top-up. “Where a pre-em’s crops,” he notes. not possible, you’d boost the pendimethalin in Elsewhere in the UK, as growers with the follow-up spray and this would ideally go on resistant blackgrass move away from in the autumn, but in many cases it’s applied in post-emergence contact chemistry, brome the early spring. populations will tend to build, he warns. “For sterile and great bromes, the Broadway “There’s no evidence yet this is a serious Star should always be applied by GS24 of the As growers with resistant blackgrass move problem, although we have received feedback brome. For meadow, soft and rye bromes, you away from post-emergence contact chemistry, that growers are switching to Broadway Star can apply the Broadway Star in the spring, as brome populations will tend to build, warns (florasulam+ pyroxsulam) to control the these species are more sensitive, but best Stuart Jackson. bromes and wild oats.” practice is to spray before GS24, whatever His strategy for control starts with a robust the species.” on the label, because enough data wasn’t autumn residual herbicide, preceded by an Although Dow’s done trials work on several generated on the other species to submit for appropriate stale seedbed. “This autumn is a brome species, you’ll find only sterile brome is approval, he adds.

crop production magazine february 2016 25 Weed control

the surface so they can finish their will hopefully help resolve this issue” maturation.” (enclosed in this edition of CPM). So the best cultural control for meadow “What’s more, I’d question how often and rye brome is to leave stubbles soft brome is a serious arable weed within undisturbed, he advises. “This should be fields, although it’s abundant in roadside at least a month, according to research, verges and field margins. It’s my opinion but as long as you can in practice. that the closed-spikelet types most The best strategy for soft brome is growers have serious problems with less clear cut.” are rye and meadow brome. But many herbicides that include brome on the label Brome difficulties don’t specify which type they control.” And this is where some of the difficulties As for sterile and great brome, again, with the weed build, believes Stephen correct identification is key, he continues. Moss. “Soft brome is very common in field “Of the two, great brome is the tougher margins but is very often misidentified as beast to kill. It’s a bigger seed, so harder a weed of cereals. It’s quite possible that to bury – you need to plough it down to at Bromes are usually hairy, so can be picked out meadow and rye brome are actually the least 150mm to prevent it germinating, from cereals and most other grassweeds at this more prevalent of the closed-spikelet and it takes a good plough operator to time of year. types within arable crops.” achieve that level of inversion.” When it comes to chemical control, correct identification may be even more Harder to kill L take place directly after harvest, important, reckons Stephen Moss. “Rye Great brome also tends to be harder to kill similar to cereal volunteers. “Unlike most brome tends to be harder to control than with chemistry, although Stephen Moss is grassweed seeds, including blackgrass, meadow brome, but the problem of correct keen to stress there’s been no known leaving sterile or great brome seeds on identification means there is a lack of instance of resistance. “Great brome is the surface inhibits germination due to reliable information. It’s considered by much less common than sterile brome and exposure to light. But the opposite is true many to be a rare weed but I believe it’s mainly recorded in East Anglia. But of meadow and rye brome –– cultivate it’s actually quite common in arable given its persistence, it’s possible growers these after harvest and you’ll prolong rotations. The problem historically has who think they have a problem with just dormancy. You need to leave them on been identification, so the new ID leaflet sterile brome are in fact keeping that weed

Wide window poses a problem for wild oat control

Wild oats are prevalent across much of the instance, you may find another fop or den UK, notes Iain Hamilton of Syngenta, and can herbicide will.” germinate over a long period of time. Most autumn residuals have minimal effect “When mild temperatures prevail, all sorts on the grassweed, so Iain Hamilton’s preferred of strange things will be happening in the field. strategy is to start with Avadex, and then monitor Even where good control was achieved in crops for wild oat emergence, applying a the autumn, you might have to go back in post-emergence contact herbicide as appropriate. the spring.” “Axial (pinoxaden) is a good choice for both Wild oats are rarely a surprise when they wheat and barley, and as a den herbicide, appear, he maintains –– those growers who resistance has only been found in a minority have a problem know about it –– and they of cases. Applied at the appropriate rate, it’s don’t spread too far in the field, staying mainly effective on both winter and spring oats. The in the same patches. only difference between the two is that winter “If blackgrass is your main target, the oats tend to be bigger because they tend to post-em ALS inhibitor should take care of the germinate earlier.” wild oats, depending on the season and when There’s flexibility in the dose rate, and spot it’s applied.” treatments can be an effective way to control Herbicide resistance mechanisms can vary, wild oats, says Iain Hamilton. “Coverage can be but both enhanced metabolism and target-site an issue, so early in the season, when the crop If blackgrass is resistant to fops, Iain Hamilton mutations are found, he notes. “There are is small, is the best time for control. When you notes the wild oats in the same field may be around 7-8 target-site mutations, and they’re get past stem extension, the crop canopy can susceptible, and vice versa. not all the same as blackgrass target-site shield the weed. But then they’ll stick above the resistance, so if blackgrass is resistant to top of the crop and can still be controlled. If uptake fops, the wild oats in the same field may be isn’t good, however, you can get retillering.” the growth. Make sure there’s enough of an susceptible, and vice versa. Care is needed when sequencing with ALS interval before following up with Axial to take “Resistance in wild oats can also be very chemistry, he adds. “If it doesn’t fully control the out survivors or the impaired plants won’t take specific, so if fenoxaprop doesn’t work, for wild oats, the ALS application will suppress up the chemical.”

26 crop production magazine february 2016 Weed control in check, but grappling with an increasing While resistance has been found in spring wild population of great brome.” oats, it tends to be relatively more common in Wild oats are weeds growers should the winter type. always aim to keep to an absolute minimum, advises Stephen Moss. “Once first found in Essex in a population of you get a problem, it’s very difficult to winter wild oats, and while resistance has eliminate it, so hand-rogueing is always been found in spring wild oats, it tends a good idea.” to be relatively more common in the A relatively large seed, it will persist winter type. in the soil if buried for longer than “Frankly, I’m surprised resistance isn’t blackgrass, especially if undisturbed, more widespread,” notes Stephen Moss. although it is not as persistent as is “We’re very reliant on ALS and ACCase often claimed he notes. It will germinate chemistry to control wild oats and we have throughout the autumn and spring, and recently found a small number of highly can be distinguished from wheat or barley resistant populations. It’s important to by the fact it has no auricles at the leaf prevent wild oats increasing as there are base. Apart from Avadex (tri-allate), fewer non-chemical options than with autumn-applied residual chemistry tends blackgrass.” Fallowing for several years to have a limited effect on wild oats. can be the only option if you get a large “There are two species, known as winter resistant population. I and spring wild oats, and the latter is more widespread, although, like bromes, they can only be correctly identified when they flower. Winter wild oats germinate mainly in autumn and winter, and spring wild oats mainly in March/April. But either can appear throughout the growing season.”

Widely spread According to the Atlas of the British Flora, winter wild oats are found mainly within 50-100 miles of Oxford, but Stephen Moss reckons they’re more widely spread. “I’d be surprised if some of the populations presumed to be spring wild oats aren’t actually the winter type. Winter wild oats tend to be more challenging to control with herbicides.” Herbicide resistance has been found in wild oats across 28 UK counties. It was

Once you get a problem with wild oats, it’s very difficult to eliminate it, so hand-rogueing is always a good idea.

crop production magazine february 2016 27

More to nutrition than meets the eye highlighted as the main yield driver, the efficiency of use of that application will only Technical Nutrition be as good as the availability of the least abundant nutrient. If in short supply, those When it comes to getting crop nutrition right, there least abundant nutrients actually become more important.” certainly isn’t a magic formula. It’s as much about Which brings us to micronutrients. Most understanding how your own soil works as selecting basic soil analyses look at pH and levels of the major elements P, K and Mg, often the appropriate nutritional product, application rate assumed to be more important because and timing. CPM goes back to basics. they’re required in larger quantities than the other elements. By Lucy de la Pasture “Plants require 17 essential elements to complete their life cycle from seed to seed and most of them have a direct role There have increasingly been rumblings the major nutrient (N, P, K, Mg and S) to play in the many metabolic pathways of within the agriculture fraternity that we’re requirements of crops. The trouble is, when photosynthesis,” explains Charlie Bannister. falling well short of the genetic potential it comes to actually growing crops, there “For example, manganese is the main ion of the crops we’re growing. The massive are a multitude of interactions that can affect in the oxygen-evolving part of the process, 16.5t/ha wheat crops produced in 2015 the availability and uptake of nutrients, with a little help from calcium and chlorine. by Lincs grower, Tim Lamyman and explains Headland’s technical manager, If any one of these elements is in inadequate Northumberland’s Rod Smith, rather Charlie Bannister. supply, then photosynthesis becomes proved that point. Rather than get bogged down by inefficient which means the plant isn’t able They smashed through the yield plateau, the complexity of nutrition, he firmly believes to fulfil its yield potential.” though admittedly the ‘right type of sunshine’ in going back to basics and understanding The next basic concept to grasp when boosted many yields in 2015. Interestingly, the principles underpinning the subject. looking at soil sample results, is that elements both growers attributed their success to “Liebig related the Law of the Minimum to affect each other, he continues. Sometimes growing a crop so it didn’t come under plant science, based on the idea that ‘the making one more or less available and any stress and Tim Lamyman, in particular, availability of the most abundant nutrient in sometimes locking each other up. believed his nutritional supplement the soil is only as good as the availability of “Calcareous soils are high in calcium, programme played a crucial part. Perhaps the least abundant nutrient.’ As farmers and which can have a major impact on the these elite growers are on to something... researchers push for higher yields, it’s a uptake of other elements and can also For a field that has been so well basic concept that we should remember,” antagonise the uptake of magnesium, researched, crop nutrition still has an aura he says. potassium, iron, manganese, zinc and of muck and mystery when you stray beyond “So while nitrogen application is often boron. That may be why we’ve seen yield

The most abundant“ nutrient in the soil is only as good as the availability of the least abundant nutrient.”

30 crop production magazine february 2016 Nutrition

the nutrition of the crop, he argues. Because soil analysis can be misleading Interaction of different when it comes to the actual availability of elements in the soil nutrients to the crop, Yara’s Jon Telfer is surprised we don’t make more use of leaf tissue testing in the UK. “Leaf tissue tests are increasing in the UK but the rest of the world seem to take more leaf samples as routine practice. In the UK, we tend to turn to leaf Plants require 17 essential elements to complete analysis when we already have a problem. their life cycle from seed to seed, points out “There are a whole host of reasons why Charlie Bannister. nutrients may not be getting into the plant. For example, it could be due to compaction, inadequate soil moisture or nutrient benefits from the application of foliar boron interactions or a combination of factors,” he on oilseed rape, even with high levels of soil explains. “We shouldn’t be seeing deficiency boron –– foliar application gets round the soil symptoms in crops because these can be they can be corrected by supplying required antagonism,” he reckons. picked up early, at a subclinical stage, using nutrients as the plant demands them and A useful chart to have in the farm office leaf tests. If hidden hungers are spotted, before there’s a negative effect on yield.” L is Mulders chart, which gives an indication of how the different elements interact with one another. Knowing whether high levels will suppress or stimulate availability and uptake of another is fundamental to using nutritional products effectively, reckons Charlie Bannister. Different soil textures behave in different ways, with clay particles and soil organic matter both having a negative charge which helps hold on to the positive elemental cations, a characteristic measured by its cation exchange capacity.

Exchange capacity “A soil’s cation exchange capacity (CEC) and its soil organic matter (SOM) status will have an effect on the availability of nutrients. Increases in SOM will increase the CEC of the soil, which means it has a greater ability to act as a reservoir for positively charged cations. Getting a comprehensive soil test done on different soil types, or with different cropping histories, will give you this information so you can gain an insight on what’s likely to happen to nutrients in your soil, which will help planning of nutrient applications,” he recommends. Around 40% of samples that went through Lancrop Laboratories last year were for broad-spectrum testing and it’s an area of analysis that’s continuing to grow, according to Jon Telfer of Yara. “It makes sense to get a snapshot of the all the important nutrients in the soil, not just P, K and Mg. Soil organic matter content, cation exchange capacity and soil texture are also accurately analysed as part of the comprehensive test. Given the investment of time it takes to collect a decent soil sample, you may as well get all the information you can from it. The results will form the basis for important management decisions regarding

crop production magazine february 2016 31 Nutrition

(30-50% SOM). But organic matter is also made up of living materials including roots, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and other organisms that all facilitate vital biological processes, such as nitrification.” he explains. “These microbes are the key to fertility and have a beneficial effect both before and after death. When active they transform complex organic materials into forms which will later be available to plant roots. Some The New Farming Systems project at Morley has Jonathan Telfer reckons it makes sense to bacteria and fungi are symbiotic with plants. shown economic responses in winter wheat analyse soil organic matter content, cation As they break down organic matter they following a spring break after cover crops. exchange capacity and soil texture as well release accessible forms of key plant as P, K and Mg. nutrients, particularly nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus.” population of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, L A new range of soil tests was introduced A proportion (33-50%) of soil organic nematodes and arthropods should be of by Lancrop in 2015, providing different matter is actively decomposing plant and adequate size, diversity and activity. depths of analysis into ‘life’ contained in animal residues, releasing nutrients as well Approaches to farm management can soils. “Soil biology testing is something that’s as colloidal gums. “It’s these gums which have great influence upon this soil food web. generating a lot of interest across the board. cement the soil particles together producing “For example, cultivation practices, fertiliser Awareness that the soil is a living ecosystem a well aggregated, crumbly texture and chemical inputs, application of organic that needs looking after is on the increase,” allowing good root penetration, improving manures and slurries will all have an says Jon Telfer. water infiltration and reducing erosion.” impact,” he says. “Traditional soil organic matter testing Under normal conditions there’s a rough “Determining the micro-organism balance estimates the total carbon content of the balance which naturally maintains organic of the soil allows the efficiency of existing soil which essentially gives a measure matter levels in the soil. If the soil is to be farm practices to be benchmarked, and of stabilised organic matter, or humus healthy, fertile and productive, then this means the success of any future action to

Using nutritional products more efficiently

David Marks is the managing director of Levity improve the efficiency of a fertiliser by looking at Cropscience, the company behind the nutritional how a plant uses the nutrient and then helping products used on the record-breaking Lamyman plants make use of nutrients as energy efficient as winter wheat and OSR crops. He’s also a possible,” he explains. “The less energy used in scientist and visiting research fellow at Lancaster taking up, transporting and metabolising nutrients, University, with a passion for making agriculture the more energy is available for plant growth. all over the world more sustainable. In a With nitrogen it takes seven times more energy David Marks believes it’s not unusual for as nutshell that means increasing the efficiency to utilise N from a nitrate molecule than from an much as two thirds of the nitrogen applied not of fertiliser use. amine molecule. be taken up by the crop. He believes growers are using twice as much “So if we use formulation technology to inputs as are needed, to gain about half the yield stabilise N fertiliser as amine N, then the plant has been good with yield increases of 6t/ha and tuber that should be possible. “There’s a lot of room for more energy available to put into growth. This is number uplift of >50,000 tubers/ha. lifting yield, and reducing inputs and the industry particularly valuable when the plant is under stress “Plants take calcium up through their roots and should be setting its sights on major gains in the because the plant isn’t having to work so hard to transport it via the vascular system. That means it coming decade. To improve on this, we need to metabolise the N.” only moves up in the plant and not down to where get nutrient-use efficiency up, which can be An additional benefit of amine-N is that it the tubers are,” he explains. “The challenge is to changed by focusing development on wasting less encourages reproductive growth rather than get the calcium into the tubers which we can product, making sure that more of what is applied vegetative growth, he says, so plants tend to be achieve by using activators to get uptake where ends up being taken up by the crop. shorter and bushier –– OSR will have more the plant needs it.” “It’s not unusual for as much as two thirds branches and pods and wheat will have larger ears, David Marks firmly believes that the research of the nitrogen applied not be taken up by the helping ensure that nutrients are used by crops to being generated in the academic community crop,” he explains. “Historically, slow release build yield in the harvested fraction of the plant. needs to be adapted into products that target coatings were used to slow down losses but The next question to consider is are we solving practical agronomic problems, and the we now have technology to stabilise nitrogen applying the nutrient to the right place? It’s no agronomy needs to be understood in order to get fertilisers and prevent their decomposition, use applying a nutrient unless the plant can the best out of new technology. meaning more goes in to the crop per kg of N use it, explains David Marks. A case in point is “Our research seeks to better understand how applied and less ends up in the environment calcium applied to potatoes. Levity are involved plants take up and move nutrients, and through volatilisation and leaching.” in Dutch trials trying to understand the role how they use them. Understanding this is key But that’s only part of the story. “We can calcium plays in tuber quality. The results have to getting better performance out of crops.”

32 crop production magazine february 2016 help improve soil fertility can be assessed.” One of the questions growers with cover crops will be asking is, ‘do I need to adjust my nutrition in the following spring crop?’ Ron Stobart, of NIAB TAG, has been leading the New Farming Systems Research at Morley which has been looking at the inclusion of cover crops in the rotation for the past 12 years. Funded by The Morley Agricultural Foundation and The J C Mann Trust, the research is carried out on a sandy loam soil Ron Stobart has seen changes in and consists of a large scale aspects of soil quality, improvements series of long term experiments in soil structure, reduced bulk looking at cultivations and fertility density and improved water building, he explains. infiltration rates.

Long term clover break crops. This response is The systems being evaluated in addition to any benefits seen include a range of cover in the spring-sown break crop cropping approaches. Long following the legume cover crop.” term clover bi-crops, as well as “Quantifying the changes brassica and legume-mix based will take a long time, especially cover crops are being used when it comes to measuring ahead of spring-sown crops in organic matter improvement the rotations. to the soil. But we’re seeing “What we’re finding in our changes in aspects of soil research, is that we often see quality, improvements in worthwhile yield and margins soil structure, reduced bulk over nitrogen responses following density and improved water cover crops but we haven’t infiltration rates. tended to adjust N rates “There are also improvements downwards. For example, in soil biology. The incorporation following an autumn legume of organic matter increases cover crop, we’re getting earthworm activity and yield responses of 0.3t/ha in improvements in soil function spring barley after applying have a positive effect on 150kgN/ha.” microbial respiration in the What’s more difficult to judge soil, resulting in improved is the longer term rotational nutrient availability,” explains benefit of including cover Ron Stobart. crops in the rotation, reckons In the short term, the inclusion Ron Stobart. Does the winter of cover crops in the rotation wheat crop following the spring shouldn’t complicate nutritional barley also benefit from the programmes. “The benefits are earlier cover crop? likely to prove longer term. The “From our work in the New most important thing to bear in Farming Systems project the mind when cover cropping, is short answer is ‘yes’. We’ve to be clear about what you’re seen economic responses in hoping to achieve by growing winter wheat (with standard one, then select the right mix to programmes of around achieve this. Thinking through 200kgN/ha) giving £45-65/ha the decisions and planning is key increase in margin over nitrogen. with cover crops; there’s often no This is mean data from several right or wrong, but developing a seasons from rotations involving system that works in a specific repeated use of legume cover farm situation is important,” crops ahead of spring-sown he concludes. I

We can “now have more confidence in the RB209 guidance.”

Rebuilding the crop nutrition ‘bible’

If you were to pick out some of the most-thumbed possessions in your office (or boot of your car in the case of many agronomists) chances are there’d be a number of familiar suspects: The BCPC UK Pesticide Guide, the AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds Recommended List, and probably looking a little worse for wear by now, Defra’s 8th edition of the Fertiliser Manual (RB209). But if it’s looking a bit tired and weathered, there’s a very good reason –– RB209 was last updated in 2010 and is now The Fertiliser Manual, RB209, well overdue for a revision. “Defra didn’t have any plans to update it,” says Dr Sajjad It made sense for AHDB to take on responsibility is currently under review, Awan of AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds. for the manual and produce the next revision, “But collectively, the AHDB sector boards says Sajjad Awan. under new management and have been the biggest contributors of the is set to benefit from a wealth research that goes into it over the past 25 years. So it made sense for AHDB to been agreed for the new, industry-owned of relevant research. CPM take on responsibility for the manual and RB209. “Rather than publish a new version takes a look at the changes produce the next revision.” every 5-6 years, we’re aiming to revise it In fact, nearly £11 million has been spent every two years. There’ll be some significant growers can expect. by the industry on relevant research since changes in the 2017 version, but thereafter the 8th edition of RB209 was published. it’ll be a relatively minor revision,” explains By Tom Allen-Stevens “Only research up to about 2008 would have Sajjad Awan. been included in the last revision –– science But it’s not just AHDB that will take the new has moved on a lot since then.” manual forward –– the six sector bodies are And that’s one of the first changes that’s joined by another 32 industry organisations in

34 crop production magazine february 2016 Theory to Field a new UK Partnership for Crop Nutrient Management. These include Government representation and academic bodies, but 22 commercial organisations form the majority of the partnership. “There are a lot of people involved, and a number of technical working groups have now been set up. But it’s not an unwieldy partnership, and it’s resulted in data coming forward that would otherwise have never been considered for the new manual.”

Proprietary research This includes some proprietary research carried out by Yara and CF Fertilisers, for example, while data from work on The 38 organisations on the Partnership for Crop Nutrient Management have helped bring forward phosphates in Ireland has been contributed around £1.5 million of extra research. by Teagasc. “In total there’s around £1.5 million of extra research we simply wouldn’t and tools that are being considered for crop nutrient management and organic be able to access had it not been for the the current revision. This is the job of materials. The rest cover the different partnership,” notes Sajjad Awan. the research consortium, led by relevant sectors, with separate sections on Significant AHDB-funded research Dr Paul Newell Price of ADAS. cereals and oilseeds, grass and forage includes work carried out by Dr Pete Berry “We’ve been assessing the results from crops, potatoes and horticultural crops. at ADAS on winter barley, and the Critical-P the projects, asking whether the science is “Most of the revisions to RB209 will be research led by NIAB TAG. “There are a robust enough and deciding how it affects reinforcing existing guidelines, clarifying and number of projects nearing completion, the recommendations in RB209. We’re also making the wording stronger where we now and findings from these will be included looking to identify what gaps still exist,” have the science to have more confidence in the 2019 revision.” he says. in the advice. There could be additional In all, there are about 60 new pieces of The review has been split into six work information on cover crops, for example, research, knowledge transfer publications packages, two of which cover principles of and a number of notable changes to the way L Theory to Field

there’s more information available on “The crop puts on quite a bit of growth in the canopy management in OSR.” autumn. What we wanted to find out was There’ll also be a noticeable change in whether that affected the way it utilises tone, reveals Paul Newell Price, reflecting manure applications.” the differing objectives AHDB has, Sure enough, the results so far suggest compared with Defra. “The advice will that it does. “We applied manure to OSR be streamlined, with a focus on practical crops in both the autumn and spring, and recommendations and signposting to there’s very little difference in the response. environmental regulations. There’ll be In wheat, however, there’s better utilisation changes in presentation and format from spring applications. That shows less –– each section will be standalone, so you S is leached from autumn-applied manure can discard those that aren’t relevant to if it’s applied to an OSR crop,” notes your business.” Lizzie Sagoo. One section where recent research has New in the RB209 revision will be figures helped to remove much of the mystery is in on the crop available S content of a range of manures, and in particular the crop-available organic materials, based on the wheat work. Most of the revisions to RB209 will be reinforcing sulphur content of organic materials. This “We’ve reasonable confidence in those f existing guidelines, clarifying and making the work has been led by Dr Lizzie Sagoo at igures, but we’ll be reviewing the table at the wording stronger, says Paul Newell Price. ADAS. “Three years ago, we completed a end of the Opti-S project, and any changes project looking at quantifying the S supply will be made to the 2019 version of RB209.” L recommendations are presented,” reports from farm manures to winter wheat crops. But it’s the S-response trials that have Paul Newell Price. But we were keen to repeat these in brought the most remarkable results so far. Among these is a simplification of the oilseed rape, and also carry out some “The recommendations for OSR in RB209 grassland recommendations, while advice sulphur-response trials.” are based on a small number of trials carried on barley and oilseed rape nutrition is also That led to the Opti-S project, that started out in the 1990s. Rates of sulphur deposition likely to be updated. “There’s significant in 2013 and includes a work package have come down since then, and varieties evidence indicating that more N could specifically geared towards quantifying the have moved on. A number of commercial be applied earlier to winter barley, and S supply from organic materials to OSR. companies are now recommending SO3

RB209 must be a manual that can be trusted

George Lawrie views RB209 from a number of much greater understanding of how nutrients different perspectives: he’s farmed at Kinross, are utilised, and how they interact with soils, and between Edinburgh and Perth in Scotland for you could also say the climate’s changed. We 30 years, so is aware of its value to growers. should have a fertiliser manual that reflects He’s chairman of AHDB Cereals and Oilseed those changes.” Research and Knowledge Transfer Committee as And a significant change that’s already been well as chairing Scottish Agronomy, and knows agreed by the partnership is that RB209 will it’s an essential reference manual for advisors. move to become a ‘rolling’ document, updated Now he also has the role of chairing the as and when relevant research is completed Partnership for Crop Nutrient Management, and can be included. responsible for guiding the new revision of “Recent research I’m looking forward to RB209 works well as an advisory tool, but also RB209 through its current research review seeing come through is some of the AHDB-funded puts the industry on the front foot with to publication next May. work on nitrogen-use efficiency and in-field regulators, says George Lawrie. “Everyone in the industry uses RB209,” he variability, led by ADAS,” notes George Lawrie. notes. “In fact, one of the significant aspects “There have been some interesting results on solid consortium of research institutes reviewing of the manual is that it’s used as a basis for how to refine the optimum dose of applied N.” all the material. There are also representatives regulation by Defra and other UK Government A lot of research has also come forward from from the Environment Agency and UK agencies. But it’s not a statutory document, it’s the many organisations in the partnership, and Government agencies in the partnership an advisory manual, and we must ensure it he reckons this will add further confidence in –– we’re keen to ensure RB209 remains a remains a valuable, reliable tool to help growers the advice included in the next revision. “It’s manual that can be relied on to protect the maximise returns from crops.” great to have such a wealth of information on environment.” That’s why he’s keen to ensure the current which to base recommendations –– there are And this is a key strength, he maintains. research review brings the manual up to date. a number of commercial organisations that “Across the industry, you see instances of where “The 8th edition of RB209 is six years old, but have done valuable work they’re offering for single-issue pressure groups have undermined it’s based on research carried out over 12 years inclusion,” he says. scientific understanding, and it’s led to product ago. Some of the information for Scotland draws “But we have to look pragmatically at withdrawals and greater regulation. RB209 puts on work done back in the 1980s. this information. It’s essential that RB209 is us on the front foot –– it’s a manual both industry “Varieties perform differently now, we have a scientifically robust, which is why there’s a very and regulators can have confidence in.”

36 crop production magazine february 2016 Theory to Field

OSR response to applied sulphur

The economic optimum application rate of Source: ADAS; Frostenden, 2014; total N 190kg/ha sulphur remains the same, reports Lizzie Sagoo, application rates some way above the For 2014 harvest, these were at but the yield response on light soils has been 50-75kg/ha advised in RB209.” Frostenden in Suffolk and Woburn in Beds staggering. So are these higher rates justified? –– both loamy sands. Six ammonium “Surprisingly not,” states Lizzie Sagoo. sulphate rates, from 0-150kg/ha SO3, were “The economic optimum found in the trials applied at two overall N rates. It soon sites to understand the range of response supports the amount recommended in became clear that the plots that received no growers are likely to achieve.” RB209. Whether that’s because the original S were suffering. “The flowers were visibly Some of the results to date will be fed recommendation was on the high side or paler, the plants stunted and thinner.” through to appear in the 2017 RB209. Once that OSR doesn’t need a large quantity of And when the combine went through, published, this will be available to download the nutrient isn’t clear. What it does mean is the zero-S plots yielded as low as 0.9t/ha, as a pdf and 1500 copies will be printed for that we can now have more confidence in compared with 4.3t/ha where just 30kg/ha those who like to thumb through it in the the RB209 guidance.” SO3 had been applied (see chart above). office. A web-based version isn’t currently on “That’s a massive yield response, and it the cards, says Paul Newell Price, “but ideas Truly staggering shows for growers on these light soils that are being developed”. There’s been one finding from the trials that failing to apply any S can have catastrophic “Ultimately, RB209 could also reside in the was truly “staggering”, however. “We knew results,” notes Lizzie Sagoo. cloud, accessed through your laptop, iPad from the wheat trials that the S response can The project has received a two-year or mobile phone, and updated almost on a vary quite a bit depending on the nature, extension to 2018. “This will bring better project-by-project basis. It’ll be a big step, location and history of the site. results on a range of livestock manures but AHDB and the new UK Partnership for So we deliberately chose sites for the OSR –– we now have some robust data on the Crop Nutrient Management are keen for work that would show a decent response.” use of biosolids. We’re also targeting heavier RB209 to embrace the digital age.” I

Research round-up

The revision of the Fertiliser Manual (RB209) farm profitability (Opti-S), runs from Aug 2013 started in Sept 2015 and runs to May 2016, with to Sept 2018. Its aim is to develop improved the new version due to be published in May guidance for farmers on sulphur management 2017. The aim is to review the crop nutrient through S-rate response field experiments and recommendations outlined in the current guide, improving information on the S supply from considering existing farm practices and recent organic materials. The project is led by ADAS research. The project covers grass and forage with Rothamsted Research as academic partner. crops, cereals and oilseeds, potatoes and The total cost is £245,030, funded by Anglian horticulture, and is carried out by an ADAS led Water, AHDB Dairy, AHDB Beef and lamb, consortium including NIAB, Bangor University, CF Fertilisers, Monsanto, Severn Trent Water, Warwick University, East Malling Research and United Utilities, Wessex Water and Yorkshire Plant Nutrition Consulting. The total cost is Water and with AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds £98,000, with AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds contributing £138,030. In all, there are about 60 new pieces of research, contributing £18,000. The Fertiliser Manual (RB209) 8th edition, knowledge transfer publications and tools the AHDB project 216-0007, Optimising sulphur published in 2010, can be accessed at research consortium is sifting through. management to maximise oilseed rape yields and www.ahdb.org.uk/projects/CropNutrition

crop production magazine february 2016 37

A solid base allows There is a “need for change, a for tailored nutrition need to take a more holistic crop production approach. ”

Technical Arable resilience

Crops that yield a consistent accustomed to and will continue to lead to your annual expenditure, but cost per margin above the cost of inconsistency in output price,” notes tonne of production will increase as yield Stuart Hill of Frontier. will reduce and the pest burden grows.” production are key to “But it’s the more localised challenges Average wheat yields for 2015 were maintaining profits during a facing growers that may be of greater 8.6t/ha, he points out –– a climb from the concern. Regulation is already affecting long term average of 7.6t/ha. “We’re going price slump, but how do you and narrowing our range of crop protection in the right direction, but for most growers, feed them? In the first of chemistry. This pressure is increasingly that’s just a break-even yield –– we need to leading to resistance in our weed, pest be producing 10t/ha with confidence to a new series, CPM gets and disease populations. take us into profit and build resilience into expert advice on how “Meanwhile growers have to cope with the arable system,” states Stuart Hill (see increasing extremes in our climate, only too chart opposite). to build a resilient crop well illustrated by the record-breaking That means making the most of the nutrition strategy. warm temperatures at the end of last year.” genetic potential of today’s crop varieties, he continues. “The record-breaking By Tom Allen-Stevens Gathering momentum wheats topping 16.5t/ha and oilseed rape There’s a paradigm that’s surfaced in surpassing 6.5t/ha illustrate what can be response to this threat, and it’s gathering done. They show the so-called yield Arable businesses in the UK may be momentum in the industry –– resilience is plateau only exists where growers haven’t sitting in a particularly precarious the quality that will see the progressive set the goals or put in place the strategy situation. Prices for the main commodity arable business through the current to move their crops off it. crops, that had reached such bold highs downturn, and deliver it stronger and “There’s clearly a need for change, on the promise of a hungry world, have fitter to benefit from future opportunities. a need to take a more holistic crop shrunk and seem to be sliced ever lower. So what does this mean in the field? production approach to increase yield and They expose, for many growers, a “Every situation and farm system is optimise the costs per unit of production,” worryingly expensive cost of production. different, so how a grower builds in he enthuses. “Global factors annually impact on resilience will vary. But simply cutting input So what’s the first step to ensuring a markets –– it’s a dynamic most growers are costs is counterproductive. It may reduce resilient arable system? “Soil vitality is at

38 crop production magazine february 2016 Arable resilience

Wheat cost of production vs market price

£200

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£0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20112012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Simply cutting input costs is counterproductive, Projected November price Cost/tonne of production - average yield Cost/tonne of production @10t/ha warns Stuart Hill, because cost per tonne of production will increase as yield reduces while Source: Frontier the pest burden will grow. the heart of sustainable profitable farming. A soil that’s in good heart is essential for structure, nutritional delivery capability and A healthy, well structured and vibrant soil a plant in good health –– one that can addressing any limitations to the yield will support significant rooting systems maximise its own defence mechanisms. potential will be critical to set achievable required to fulfil the genetic potential of “So assessing your soil’s current status is a goals.” (see panel below). varieties and crops,” maintains Stuart Hill. necessary first action. Understanding the Edward Downing, crop nutrition L

Resilient soils unlock the value of nutrients

No arable system is resilient unless it has soil? “There are some key metrics, such as bulk resilient soils, reckons Frontier’s Mike Slater. density, porosity and compaction vulnerability, “This comes down to the ability of a soil to which you can assess through a soil analysis,” withstand the cultivations and crop-production he says. process you’ll put it through –– essentially, you Frontier’s soil report, a service launched last need it to withstand compression so that the year, for example, aims to assess the chemical, structure allows the roots to grow freely and biological as well as physical nature of a soil access the nutrients they require.” to give growers a good idea of how their soils With P, for example, this is critical. “While N perform and how vulnerable they may be. and S are mobile nutrients, P binds tightly to “All three aspects of a soil interact. So the soil particles and organic matter, so the root physical bulk density may be high, for example, must be able to find the nutrient. Conversely, but if the soil is biologically active with a high a poor structure will encourage erosion, which organic matter, it is still resilient and the natural washes P away and causes environmental chemical processes that allow roots to thrive pollution,” he explains. and access nutrients will be unhindered,” In ideal conditions, maintaining the soil at he explains. Index 1 for P is sufficient. “But in a resilient Feedback from farmers has shown that system, the aim should be to maintain Index 2, assessing their soils in this way has helped which gives you some leeway if conditions turn them when making management decisions. “The If roots can’t access sufficient K when they need against you.” intriguing part of the service is when the results it, the crop is vulnerable to wilting and K is more mobile and Index 2 represents a are back and you’re talking through what they susceptible to disease, notes Mike Slater. concentration of 120-240mg/l. But peak indicate with the farmer,” notes Mike Slater. demand can be as high as 300-350mg/l for “Some growers have used it to compare a some crops, and this can be taken up rapidly. new area of land they’ve taken on with their “It gives you a greater understanding of the “If roots can’t access sufficient K when they existing fields, and it’s helped determine how potential and limitations of your soil and that need it, the crop is vulnerable to wilting and to bring the additional land into line. It’s also can help bring consistent yields, which form susceptible to disease. So again, a soil structure helped expose some deep-seated problems the foundation to a resilient system –– really that allows good access to K reserves builds –– for example, one farm has switched from good farmers don’t suffer yield drops in a resilience,” notes Mike Slater. Quadtracs to smaller, lighter tractors to put the bad year, and that’s largely down to the soil,” So how do you know if you have a resilient soil under less pressure. he concludes.

crop production magazine february 2016 39 Arable resilience

against low commodity prices nutrients, he says. Over a annual applications are the best with a fluctuating yield, and quarter of soils are below the way to deliver resilience.” hard to cover input costs with target Index 2 for P, almost a But he’s convinced that a low yield. We’re not talking third are below Index 2 for K nitrogen applications can be about yield at any cost, but and 16% have low magnesium. improved. “I’m staggered that resilience has to be focused “At these levels, yields will more growers don’t look on optimising output, which potentially be affected and back on previous years to means managing the factors other nutrients, such as nitrogen assess how they performed. that limit it.” will be used less efficiently. Grain protein is a crude “Added to this is the fact that measurement but it’s the only Limiting factors applications of P and K fertiliser real gauge a grower has. If He turns to the Professional have reduced by 0-50%. This you’re growing a milling wheat Agricultural Analysis Group is fine where growers are and achieve a protein of under (PAAG) data from routine mapping and precision-applying 12%, your nutrition program soil analysis for proof that there nutrients, but the current level hasn’t matched that season’s are plenty of situations where doesn’t look sustainable yield potential. Equally, if you’re limiting factors may not be as considering the high yields producing feed wheat at 9% managed as perhaps they growers are aiming to achieve,” protein, you may not be should. he notes. optimising the yield.” When it comes to efficient use of “There are 39% of UK soil “During tough times, it’s The AHDB Cereals and nutrition, Edward Downing points samples below pH6.5 and 20% feasible to reduce P and K Oilseeds Cereal Quality Survey out you don’t even pass Go until below pH6.0. When it comes to applications, but only if you’ve is a good indicator of national you sort out your lime status. efficient use of nutrition and invested during the profitable performance and shows where good rooting, you don’t even times to ensure healthy soil improvements can be made, he

L technical manager with pass Go until you sort out your indices.” A resilient strategy suggests. “Over the past Frontier, agrees a resilient lime status,” he points out. must aim to have good soil 10 years, 48% of milling samples soil is the basic first step. Likewise, there are worrying nutrient status, so prioritise have achieved 13% grain “It’s difficult to be buffered figures for indices of major fields –– focus applications protein. That means more than where indices are at or near 0. half are missing the premium “Cut back by all means, potential, which is worrying in but don’t cut out,” advises itself. But what I find of most Edward Downing. concern is the variance: that When it comes to sulphur, number dropped to 15% in figures are more encouraging, 2014, and to 14% in 2008 –– it he says. Three quarters of the suggests we’re bad at managing oilseed rape area receives the high-yielding years.” sulphur, and 57% of winter cereals get a dressing. Review performance “Applications are increasing, In a year where NIAB seed and where it’s used, rates are stats suggest many growers generally OK. Responses to have moved towards Group 1 sulphur do vary between varieties such as Skyfall, seasons but in the responsive Edward Downing believes it’s years, it’s huge, which means important for growers review the

A resilient strategy should aim for good soil nutrient status, prioritising fields where P and K indices are at or near 0.

40 crop production magazine february 2016 Arable resilience performance of their cereals and assess monitoring crop development and adapting whether N applications need re-evaluating. applications to the prevailing conditions for “Start out with your objective in mind –– the season are where you can really target if you’re aiming for Group 1 milling quality, resources for the maximum returns.” the time to decide how to feed the crop This is where precision is before you cut open the first bag of farming comes in, but Simon Parrington of fertiliser, not as you apply the final dressing Soyl agrees that getting the basics right is in May,” he cautions. the essential first step. “Lime, P and K are “When deciding rates, the fertiliser relatively cost-effective inputs for what they manual RB209 is only a guide that gives you deliver, but that doesn’t mean to say you the average, but it won’t tell you how to can’t make savings.” optimise your performance. The AHDB The company’s precision nutrient Wheat Management Guide is a better management uses GPS to map nutrient It may seem counter-intuitive to consider high N reference tool. If it’s your first time with a variation within fields. Sampling is carried rates when crop prices are low, but the quality wheat, be prepared to apply some out ‘strategically’, with at least one sample breakeven ratio for applied fertiliser is still very robust N rates.” location per ha to produce a map and a relatively low. The caveat here is that regulation variable-rate application plan that can decrees N max must not be exceeded in be plugged directly into a GPS-enabled can prioritise by asking the software just to Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. In England and fertiliser spreader. focus on areas where indices are low. Wales, that stands at a base level of “If you’re looking to make savings, you We’ve used this service across well over L 220kgN/ha over the growing season. But growers can add 20kgN/ha for every 1t/ha of expected yield above 8t/ha, and milling wheat growers may apply a further 40kgN/ha. Rates may also be averaged over the farm. “Those who can aim for more than 10t/ha, especially with milling varieties, can therefore justify applications of 300kgN/ha and potentially more. It may seem counter-intuitive to consider high rates when crop prices are low, but the breakeven ratio is still relatively low at around 6 and optimising yield and quality is the key to reducing your cost of production,” he points out. With the right basics in place, growers are better equipped to react to the season, maintains Edward Downing. “If we knew in advance what the weather would do and how the crop would yield, applying the right amount of fertiliser would be a lot easier. Clearly that’s not possible but

A greater focus on addressing crop need and the market you’re aiming for will help optimise N applications.

crop production magazine february 2016 41 Arable resilience

spring, while SoylSeed is based on a one-off electrical conductivity (EC) scan of fields to map soil type. In both Arable resilience cases you’re looking to apply the inputs –– whether that’s nitrogen or seed –– As crop prices have fallen, while input where they’re most needed,” explains costs have been steadily rising, on-farm Simon Parrington. profitability for UK arable farmers is being “These are relatively mature services squeezed. Only the businesses that have now, and growers have found the main a resilient strategy in place will weather benefit is a crop that yields consistently. the downturn and emerge fitter and But what’s more significant is we’re also stronger for the opportunities that lie finding growers have achieved better and ahead. But what does that mean on farm? more consistent grain protein levels.” In this sponsored series, CPM has Many growers have now amassed vast teamed up with experts from Frontier amounts of geo-positioned data on their to examine the everyday management fields, from nutrient levels to yields over decisions and explore what separates a many years. “This can help you identify the resilient strategy from one that leaves a weak spots on your farm, and address business exposed to the harsh cuts of an them to ensure a more consistent output. economic downturn. From nutrition and But when you have many layers of data, it’s MySoyl uses algorithms to identify and highlight precision farming, through seed choice sometimes like looking for the wood among parts of the farm that warrant further and markets to soil health and rotations, the trees,” he notes. investigation, points out Simon Parrington. “That’s why we introduced MySoyl that the aim is to highlight the elements that uses special algorithms to identify and ensure the arable business thrives.

L one million ha, and experience shows highlight parts of the farm that warrant you can make considerable savings but further investigation. During the current still maintain nutrient indices.” economic downturn, this is a very However, it’s a slightly different philosophy cost-effective way of focusing your efforts with N applications and seed, he says. to ensure improved resilience of your “SoylSense uses satellite maps to measure arable system,” maintains Simon leaf area index at various points in the Parrington. I

Even indices crucial first step in Yorks

With 200ha of arable crops grown on soils that variable-rate records –– reveals they’ve evened vary from blow-away sands to heavy clay, up considerably. “That’s what made the biggest sometimes within the same field, one aspect difference, and it’s shown me you have to get Graham Potter is keen to avoid is a variable yield. your nutrients straight before you can start “The 2012 harvest was a disaster,” he working on other areas.” recalls. “One second wheat field yielded just For the past four seasons, he’s used the 4.3t/ha. We realised we had to get our lime SoylSense service for its NDVI maps, which he status and our nutrient indices in order if we uses to generate his own nitrogen application were to progress at all.” plans. “Soyl can do them for you, but I prefer to Based at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, Yorks, W go into the MySoyl gateway and prepare them Potter and Sons had already started to shift myself. The aim at the start of the season is A move to variable-rate applications has evened down the precision farming route six years ago. to even up the crop, and there can be quite up yields considerably for Graham Potter. While out in Australia, Graham Potter purchased a variation –– you amend the rates by up to rate-control equipment for his ageing Bateman +/- 20%.” sprayer. “It must be the oldest sprayer in the UK The variable-rate plan is then plugged into depth and I’m looking at applying PGRs and slug equipped with section control.” his John Deere Greenstar controller which pellets variably. I’m planning to use MySoyl to Having mapped the farm for P, K, Mg and operates the KRM 3000-litre granular spreader. take a closer look at how the fields vary.” lime, he worked with Soyl’s Richard Tait from The application plan and actual rates applied are Meanwhile, the field that yielded poorly in autumn 2012 to bring the indices into check. fed back into his Gatekeeper software to update 2012 brought in over 12t/ha from a first wheat “They were all over the place –– the pH was as the farm records. last year, he notes. “This year, we’ve moved from low as 5.5, while the field that yielded badly had The farm was EC-mapped in 2014 and the all feed wheat and brought in some Skyfall. Index 0 in patches for P and Index -1 for K,” seed rate is now varied through the Claydon We went out of quality wheats some time ago recalls Graham Potter. Hybrid 4.8m drill. “I’m quite an enthusiast for because we failed to get the protein, but I Just one glance across the 2014 maps in his the system,” admits Graham Potter. “We’ve just reckon we’ve got the soils into a state that’ll Soyl ‘bible’ –– the folder in which he stores his purchased a subsoiler equipped for variable do the job now.”

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Home-grown equipment on show at LAMMA 16

Machinery LAMMA 2016

While many visitors to Although Britain’s farm machinery room for the spray pack. It also provides a sector may have shrunk in the past twenty 50:50 weight distribution when fully laden, LAMMA now head first to years, some sectors continue to remain and offers as good, if not better visibility, the enormous tents housing strong. This year’s catalogue, for example, as other self-propelleds. lists no fewer than 14 different British “One of the reasons we chose to work the multi-national giants, the sprayer manufacturers, many of which are with JCB Agriculture and use its 4000 event still stays close to based in Lincs and in the surrounding Series for this application is that the counties. cab offers such outstanding visibility, its roots providing a shop especially the panoramic rear screen,” window for many British Agritechnica onslaught says Brian Knight. In the face of the onslaught of the new The Fastrac also comes with an AGCO- manufacturers. CPM machines launched at the Agritechnica built continuously variable transmission takes a look at the show by their European-based rivals, the (CVT) as standard, which puts the Knight L UK sector fought back at LAMMA with latest developments. new developments, some interesting innovations and a big surprise. By Mick Roberts In an age when it’s almost impossible to move without it being tweeted, shared or posted, it was a real surprise to see the I’d like to LAMMA first began, back in the early new Knight forward-control, self-propelled think“ farmers still like 1980s, as a showcase for equipment sprayer based on the latest JCB 4220 produced by Lincolnshire Agricultural Fastrac making its debut at LAMMA. the idea of buying Machinery Manufacturers Association Attracting much attention from visitors, British. –– hence its name. While the show may it soon became the talk of the show. ” have changed immeasurably, you can With its 4t payload platform the latest still find many of the original exhibitors, Fastrac, like its predecessors, is a logical particularly those making sprayers, drills host for a sprayer. But removing the cab and cultivators. and placing it up front creates even more

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LAMMA 2016

Knight says it had to make only a few changes to convert the tractor to a sprayer, but one of the most important was to accommodate the 380-90-R46 Michelin SprayBib tyres and to move the original mudguards. The linkage is removed entirely and there are also new fuel, AdBlue and oil tanks, built to allow the fitting of the spray pack.

Pressurised circulation The vehicle can be supplied with tanks up to 4000 litres and with booms up to Knight Farm Machinery surprised many 40m wide, which are equipped with the visitors by unveiling its new forward control, Maximiser pressurised circulation system The Kellands latest M380-4 is powered by a new self-propelled sprayer based on the latest with air-operated nozzles. Distance control Cummins engine and has cameras in the front of JCB 4220 Fastrac. II 4D active suspension/levelling system is the bonnet. an option.

L sprayer in the unique position of Kellands takes a different approach from the previous Deere Power Systems providing mechanical drive, but with with its MultiDrive, keeping the cab in the (DPS) motor. an infinite speed control. The high middle, which suits its often multi-purpose One of the main reasons for the change spec continues with hydro-pneumatic role. On the latest M380-4 model this to Cummins is that its 6.7 litre engine’s suspension, all round air disc brakes, a results in a long bonnet up front, which more compact SCR system used to meet high, legal top road speed plus the ability sports a snazzy new style to accommodate the Stage IV emission regulations, which to tow a large bowser. the new Cummins engine that takes over allows it to fit under the bonnet. The 225hp Cummins now provides 17% more power Many UK sprayer makers are taking the fight back to the European and multi-nationals, with Chafer and a 20% increase in torque. reporting strong interest in its new Guardian models. Other changes include new hydraulic cab mounts, which reduce noise and vibration. In the cab there’s a new floating control console and a joystick with thumb-wheel controls to switch between manual and automatic transmission modes. It’s also equipped with a new colour screen terminal that, among other functions, displays images from cameras mounted in the bonnet allowing operators to see what’s coming from either side. There’s also a reversing camera. A new off-set steering mode is said to increase traction and improve control while working on slopes. Capable of carrying a 10t payload, the MultiDrive will handle a

5000-litre spray tank or an 8t spreader L

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LAMMA 2016

machines including previously popular air shut-off recirculation system. A Müller options as standard. terminal provides automatic rate control “I’d like to think farmers still like the idea as well as operating the boom folding and of buying British,” says Danny Hubbard. steering system either through the screen “We’re a family business and make virtually or with the standard joystick. everything on our machines in Ely. But Lite-Trac is continuing to develop its we still need to provide what the Dual Use boom, which can be used to customers’ want.” apply as granular products at the same The Team Leader 4, he adds, has been time as liquids through the spraylines. developed in response to dealers and Hollow sections in the boom’s structure are customers’ requests and is a radical used to transport granules from a 900-litre In a radical departure from its existing ranges, the departure from its previous designs, capacity hopper to the 24 distribution Team Leader 4 is fitted with a new sculpted tank including a range of modern features, outlets, spaced at 1.5m. Heat from the and comes with a high specification as standard. which were often taken as options on hydraulic hoses that drive the fan is used existing models. to help dry the air to prevent product sticking in the pipes. L hopper as well as haul an 18t load at Centre of gravity The boom can apply liquid and dry 50km/hr. The design and position of the new products at the same time and at variable The trailed sprayer sector saw a polypropylene tank helps lower the centre rates with control from the Trimble FmX new entrant and a range of machines of gravity and is available in 3000, 4000 terminal. This also provides auto-section introduced at last year’s Agritechnica show, and 5000-litre capacities. There’s a twin control for both systems. but domestic manufacturers continue to airbag, load-sensing suspension and the While the Drone that Crop Angel plans lead sales in the UK. Chafer got its axle is equipped with a new steering to use for spot spraying is made in China, response to the European offensive in system. The new, low folding boom is it’s Norfolk-based agronomist Matthew first, with last summer’s launch of its new available in widths from 18m to 24m Kealey’s idea to use his experience to Guardian Series, which was on show at with double folding or with triple on 28m, provide an aerial application service. LAMMA for the first time. 30m and 32m. The drone can carry 20 litres of liquid “The new machines, particularly the The spraylines are protected inside the and applies sprays through standard

‘e’ models have been well received by boom structure and are equipped with an hydraulic nozzles fitted beneath each rotor. L customers,” says the firm’s Joe Allen. “We developed the electronics in-house and have not only responded to customers’ The Lite-Trac prototype Dual Use boom uses the hollow sections in the structure to distribute granular needs during the design process, but we products at the same time as spraying. can also tailor the system to individual requirements. We feel that although the ISOBUS standard has its benefits, the drawback is it’s quite prescriptive. Using our own software allows us to provide different and extra functions that many operators are finding useful.” With the launch of the new Leader 4 range at LAMMA, Team Sprayers is also responding to its customers’ requests for higher specifications, with the new

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LAMMA 2016

His idea is to create a franchise service across the country with contractors providing the service using operators who are trained and qualified to not only fly the drone, but also apply pesticides. “The drone is equipped with GPS and in the future we plan to be able to fly and apply pesticides according to spot-treatment plans,” he adds.

Britain cultivates ideas New cultivation ideas on show at LAMMA for the first time included the first and only new British-built plough, shallow seedbed makers along with further developments in Agri-Hire says the Hubert is the first UK-built plough for 40 years and uses genuine Dowdeswell drilling and establishment. wearing metal. The new Hubert plough range, which made its debut at LAMMA, takes its

L It offers an application width of about control,” he says. “This provides a far name from Agri-Hire managing director 3m, with the blades helping to force the more efficient and cost effective treatment Tim Hubert. chemical down into the crop. compared with the cost of aerial application After Dowdeswell went into liquidation “We’re already looking closely at bracken by helicopter. in 2015 Agri-Hire, its largest UK dealer, continued to supply genuine parts to existing users. While working with customers the company realised there was substantial pent-up demand for a replacement for the well regarded plough. “Agri-Hire has its own engineering division, which is already well known for manufacturing a range of manure spreaders and trailers,” says Tim Hubert. “So we decided to fill the gap by making the new plough range using genuine Dowdeswell wearing parts.” The Hubert range is built using the latest materials and engineering expertise, he adds. They’ll be available with five to nine furrows, fully mounted with vari-width and a choice of Dowdeswell bodies. For those who’ve moved away from traditional establishment methods, Claydon has introduced a new shallow cultivator designed to move more soil

Crop Angel’s Matthew Kealey aims to use drones for spot spraying and is currently trialling one for bracken control.

50 crop production magazine february 2016 LAMMA 2016

Future of spray research centre secured

The future of the Silsoe Spray Applications Unit internationally important facility,” says Robert has been secured following its acquisition by Willey. “At a time when the application of crop Robert Willey, the owner of the Lincs-based, chemicals is coming under increasing scrutiny Househam Sprayers. it’s particularly important that the unrivalled The Silsoe Spray Applications Unit is a expertise of the staff and the high quality world-renowned research centre that has been facilities at Silsoe are not only protected, but responsible for some of the most innovative also enhanced to offer highly professional developments and practical application advice. and independent services to the whole crop “The Silsoe Spray Applications Unit is an protection sector.” Special discs, equipped with four blades on the Claydon TerraStar are designed to move more soil than its existing straw harrow. than its existing straw harrow. stimulate both blackgrass seeds and The TerraStar uses special ‘star’ points volunteers to flush. It’s then followed up to to create a tilth to encourage weeds and every 10 days with the harrow to knock out providing higher outputs for other users. volunteers to chit as well as to control any plants that have germinated and stim- With a power requirement of about slugs, but still leave the soil structure ulate further weed flushes. The Terrastar is 20-30hp/m it offers a daily output of intact. The shallow cultivation is achieved especially handy where soil conditions about 100ha. using ‘stars’, each with four knife blades after harvest are a little too tight to achieve The ECO Max follows the Dale Drills –– providing a total of 68 points. These a decent weed flush with the harrow, format, with 96 seed units on 48 drilling are said to create 80mm square divots in says Claydon. assemblies. The wider model, however, the top layer of the soil in a 200mm grid The 6m wide TerraStar has a power offers larger clearances with a new pattern to a depth of about 30mm, which requirement of at least 150hp and is A-frame that’s 275mm longer than the creates a tilth, while still allowing the designed to work at about 15km/h, ECO drill. surface to support machines providing a workrate of about 9-10ha/hr. The distance between the tines has An additional tool in the Claydon Dale Drills has introduced the 12m wide been extended by about 110mm to provide system, the Terrastar goes in first after the ECO Max drill, which fits into common a clearance of 750mm. Row spacings can combine, and its shallow tilth is said to controlled traffic systems, as well as be set between 125-250mm for cereals L LAMMA 2016

change between wide and narrow drill spacings at the touch of a button. The ability to change widths provides a number of benefits, says the firm’s Martin Lole. “It means operators can use the machine conventionally for all combinable crops with the nine-leg option, but with the touch of a button select the five-leg configuration to sow OSR, cover crops and maize,” he explains.

Dale Drills has developed its 12m wide ECO Max Strip-till sugar beet Sumo has introduced toolbar versions of its DD As strip tilling becomes more widely drill for those using controlled traffic systems, as direct drill and DTS strip tillage seeder which are accepted, users are looking at using the well providing higher outputs for other users. supplied with seed from a front-mounted hopper. technique in a wider range of crops. The latest joint i-Tillage development by

L and up to 500mm for oilseed rape. Cousins of Emneth, working in conjunction Sumo is now offering mounted toolbar with Hutchinsons, is designed to sow sugar versions of its DD direct drill and DTS, beet using the V-Form soil loosener strip-tillage machines, which are designed equipped with Micro-Wing legs. to work with a front-mounted hopper. The development works in a similar way The 4m wide toolbar version of the as the set-up for sowing OSR, but uses an DD4 retains all the same elements as additional leg. For sowing beet seed the the existing machine, using 450mm Micro-Wing is set to a depth of about discs set at an angle to open the slot. 50-75mm to create a tilth for the seed, The strip-till DTS toolbar is 3m wide and, while the second leg works at a depth of at like the DD, also remains unchanged. least 175mm to provide deeper loosening. Operators can switch between five and nine-leg Sumo suggests using the front hopper A following zonal roller compresses only sowing at the touch of a button on the latest 3m and buying both toolbars to form a the soil that has been moved. Mzuri Pro-Til 3T ‘Select’ drill. modular system, using either drill to “Strip-till sowing sugar beet offers big suit the conditions. savings in costs, without any yield penalty,” weeds and helping to prevent wind blow.” Meanwhile, the latest 3m Mzuri Pro-Til says Hutchinsons’ Dick Neale. “It also Great Plains’ Spartan 607 direct drill 3T ‘Select’ drill offers the opportunity to provides the additional benefits of reducing made its debut at LAMMA, along with a L

Ursula launches farmers’ eye in the sky

A new farmer-targeted drone made its debut at the symptoms have become visible on the ground. LAMMA. Dubbed the G1, it’s marketed by Ursula It’s also able to take measurements for Agriculture which up until now has offered only percentage crop cover, weed levels (especially in an aerial mapping service to growers using its mapping blackgrass patches) and in making own kit. assessments of disease levels and crop damage. Now however, the company says interest has Once the G1 has done its overflight of the grown to such an extent that farming businesses selected area, the information is stored on a want to take control of their own data collection standard SD memory card and can sent off to Ursula Agriculture’s G1 drone is designed for from the air with their own drones. And that’s Ursula for analysis. The firm then sends back farmers to operate themselves to map crop where the G1 comes in. the processed map files in whatever format the issues such as blackgrass, septoria and rust. Ursula says it’s been specifically designed farm’s office software requires it –– most often for easy operation so it comes with GPS as .shape files. The farm-ready G1 might look like a cheap flight-planning software so it can follow a Currently the company is working with Bayer polystyrene remote-controlled plane but it’s the pre-programmed route with field boundaries and Agrovista to further develop blackgrass on-board sensors that make it a sophisticated pre-selected via Google maps. It’s launched mapping and work up a useful means of piece of kit and consequently there’s a pricetag simply by flinging it into the air and once the job’s prescribing how the problem should be best dealt to match. The whole setup comes in at around done will land itself automatically. with in specific situations using a combination of £10,000 and then there’s an additional £4-£6/ha On board there’s a multispectral camera that variable rate herbicides, cultivation strategies and data-processing fee to pay. will capture images in the normal RGB range as other management approaches. Anyone wanting to fly their own drone requires well as in near-infrared, invisible to the naked eye. Ursula has also teamed up with BASF and an ‘Aerial Permission’ from the CAA and cannot let When that information is analysed it’s apparently Velcourt to refine a mapping system for early it go outside a 300m range of the operator or possible to detect the difference between healthy diagnosis of rust and septoria problems well above 400ft – Ursula says it will assist and advise leaves and those harbouring disease, well before before they are visible to the naked eye. G1 operators in getting themselves set up to fly.

52 crop production magazine february 2016

LAMMA 2016

The latest machine developed by Cousins in conjunction with Hutchinsons, is designed to sow sugar beet using the V-Form equipped with Micro-Wing legs.

L range of other machines it and surface cultivation in one launched at Agritechnica in pass as the mounted version, Germany last year. The 6m wide launched last year. Users said drill uses the firm’s proven 07 they particularly like the ability Series opener, is equipped with to adjust the working depth of a new seed tower based on a both elements, hydraulically similar design to that used on from the cab. the Centurion cultivator drill. “This new version reduces This now provides a range of the load on the linkage, which new features as well as a new means the power requirement variable rate system and isn’t determined by the tractor’s push-button seed calibration. lift capacity. In some cases, this Also on show were the new means it can be used with generation of mounted and smaller tractors. It’s also easier trailed X-Press cultivators to transport on the road,” (see CPM Dec 2015 issue he explains. for details). Also new on the trailed model is an optional low-disturbance Euro LAMMA line-up disc opener, which uses a disc While the latest He-Va 3m to slice through the top layer in trailed Combi-Disc is built front of the subsoiling leg. This in Denmark, it’s design is reduces the surface ‘burst’ based on feedback from UK of soil, which helps keep customers, says Opico’s blackgrass seeds buried. James Woolway. The first direct drill from “The trailed model provides Horsch made its LAMMA debut. the same deep soil-loosening Available in 4m, 6m and 12m

Great Plains’ new generation 6m Spartan drill and its updated range of X-press cultivators made their UK debut at the LAMMA show.

54 crop production magazine february 2016 LAMMA 2016 working widths, the Avatar SD combines a emptying and cleaning. new single-disc seeding The Vega 12, which is likely to be system with the hopper and metering the main model in the UK, is equipped system from the Pronto DC model. with SEH aluminium booms, which fold The coulters, which are arranged in two vertically at the rear and are available rows, use a straight disc to slice through in widths from 15-24m. The spraylines trash, working ahead of a smaller, angled run inside the boom structure with opener disc and seed coulter. A steel, the liquid recirculation system that angled press wheel consolidates the soil continuously delivers liquid to all sections. on the seeding slot. It provides 16.7cm row This provides instant starts with individual spacings on the 6m wide model or 20cm nozzle control provided by the Eltec on the 4m and 12m versions. Pro system. Drilling depth is controlled by a larger, Two pumps are fitted as standard stronger version of the Pronto rubber –– one for spraying and the other for suspension system, which is able to apply filling –– providing outputs of 200 or The high specification of the Lemken Vega up to 200kg of coulter pressure. An 260 l/min. trailed sprayer includes individual nozzle ISOBUS terminal is standard. A steering drawbar and pneumatic control, aluminium booms, two pumps and The long awaited Lemken Vega trailed axle suspension will be standard on the a steering drawbar. sprayer made its first UK appearance at UK-spec Vega 12 models in the UK. I LAMMA. The first trailed model to be developed entirely by the German manufacturer, it provides a high specification as standard as well as a range of options. There’s a choice of 3000, 4000 and 5000-litre capacity, moulded plastic tanks. All are positioned low in the chassis to help lower the centre of gravity and the sculpted shape is also designed to hold a minimum residual liquid and easy

The new trailed 3m He-Va Combi-Disc, one-pass cultivator also comes with the option of a low disturbance disc opener.

The Avatar is the first direct drill from Horsch and uses two rows of new single disc coulters, along with the hopper and metering system from the Pronto DC.

Accuracy aim as business expands

Machinery On Farm Opinion

Having already seen the StarFire 1 –– the basic, free signal –– then benefits auto-guidance can SF2, which is corrected. For the past two years we’ve been on a mobile RTK bring to the arable operation, (Real-Time Kinematic) signal,” he explains. Shrops-based Cooke Farms RTK accuracy upgraded its spreader This uses a number of base stations to bring to manage variable-rate the sub-centimetre RTK accuracy to jobs such as potato bed-forming, without applications and auto the need for your own base station, with shut-off. CPM pays a visit the corrected signal transmitted via the mobile network. By Tom Allen-Stevens “The auto-guidance brought a real benefit to productivity –– there’s much less overlap now –– and you get less driver A move into precision farming can be fatigue too. Since we were getting our prompted by a desire to even out in-field tramlines spot on, it was time to improve variability, increase accuracy or do a the accuracy with the fertiliser spreading. better job over a wider area. For Tim We wanted less double-dosing on the Cooke, farming near Telford in Shrops, headlands, less damage and less waste.” Tim Cooke wanted to improve the accuracy it’s done all three. Two years ago, the business took a step with the fertiliser spreading and achieve less He first started using precision-farming up from 325ha of arable crops to 570ha. double-dosing on the headlands, less damage kit seven years ago. “We started with the Medium loam soils to heavy clays are and less waste. John Deere GreenStar system, initially on farmed in an 18-mile radius across owned,

56 crop production magazine february 2016 On Farm Opinion

Tim Cooke. “If you change, it’s not just a case of getting used to a new terminal but whether it would work with the other What it says kit we have.” “on the screen is As it is, they have to use the GreenStar 2630 terminal from the combine to gain the exactly what it’s full functionality of the spreader. “The fixed spreading. screen in the tractor doesn’t have all the ” variable-rate and section shut-off controls. So the GreenStar terminal sits in the EMC constantly measures the mass flow (kg/min) tractor to control all the GPS functions at the point of application, independently at on the spreader. I think this is something each disc. John Deere now offers on the fixed screens, however.” rotation. “We’ve been forced into growing Soyl produces the application files from beans through the new greening measures.” basic cropping information Tim Cooke Land is also rented out to potatoes and supplies and the files are plugged into the organic carrots, with the business carrying terminal via the farm’s Gatekeeper software out some of the field operations. in the office. “As we had applied a lot of chicken Improvements in accuracy manure historically over most of the land, our Soyl was brought in to map the farm for potash levels were getting high. To lower L nutrients and soil type, and when the fertiliser spreader was upgraded two years The spreader came equipped with hydraulic ago, Tim Cooke was keen to ensure it would drive, weigh cells and Kuhn’s Varispread variable be well equipped to manage auto shut-off, working-width, that has four spreading sections headland control and the improvements in on each side. accuracy he was looking for. “We’ve always had a Kuhn spreader, so it was natural to stick with the brand we knew.” The model chosen was an Axis 50.1 H EMC W with a 3000-litre hopper (see panel on p58). This came equipped with hydraulic drive, weigh cells and Kuhn’s Varispread variable working-width, that has four spreading sections on each side. They also decided to stick with the GreenStar system, although this was rented and contract-farmed land. Two not so much out of brand loyalty as wheats are followed by oilseed rape, compatibility. “You do feel slightly locked barley and now beans have come into the into the system you have,” remarks

crop production magazine february 2016 57 On Farm Opinion

Technology geared towards Axis accuracy

An accurate rate is delivered through Kuhn’s This also means no more conventional static Electronic Mass Control (EMC) system, available calibration testing, as the machine makes on both the mechanical and hydraulic drive the adjustments automatically from simple spreaders. EMC constantly measures the pre-programmed data. mass flow (kg/min) at the point of application, All machines are equipped with Kuhn’s independently at each disc. This allows the Varispread (VS) variable working width machine to adjust aperture size on the move technology as standard –– this can be controlled to maintain a target application rate. manually or by automatic GPS adjustment. VS 4 On mechanical drive machines, it does this equipped machines have two sections per side by measuring the torsion in the drive shafts for which are adjusted by progressive action each of the discs, with this measurement being metering outlets. VS 8 equipped machines The Axis M spreaders, with mechanical drive, correlated with mass flow to give the machine have four spreading sections per side. now also come with EMC. accurate information about the amount of fertiliser being applied. Differences in hydraulic Sensors detect changes in fertiliser flow-ability pressure are measured on the hydraulic drive and instantly adjusts the actuator or aperture Kuhn has now launched the second generation version to likewise adjust the rate applied to position. of its Axis fertiliser spreader range. the discs. Enhancements across the Axis 2 range include Kuhn claims this constant monitoring of increased hopper capacities and a redesigned fertiliser flow means the spreader can make chassis which allows for a higher payload. almost instantaneous adjustments to actuator or Starting with the Axis 20.2, these have a aperture positions to either side of the machine. 28-36m working width and 1000-2300 litre So changes in fertiliser flow-ability, such as a hopper capacity. The range-topping Axis 50.2 partial blockage, or to forward or disc speed, are will throw out to a 50m working width and carry picked up instantly and target application rate is 4.2t of product. adjusted accordingly.

On Farm Opinion

the leaf area index varies across the field. “Crop cover varies more in the early part of the season. The aim is to even the crop up with the variable-rate application, and as the season progresses you do notice the map becomes less patchy,” he says (see panel on p62). The actual use and operation of the spreader is a doddle, according to operator Ben Deane. “It takes just 10 minutes to hook up, although it’s mounted very close to the tractor, which can make it awkward to plug everything in,” he notes.

Weigh cells The biggest change from the previous spreader are the weigh cells, he reckons. “These make such a difference. You always The spreader automatically compensates for know exactly what’s left in the spreader forward speed and uneven fertiliser flow, which and it self-calibrates –– with the last makes the job easier and faster, says Ben Deane. spreader you had to travel 50m before it knew the rate, but with this one, it sets the

L them we decided to apply manure only rate instantly. It’s also very accurate –– before the OSR and then apply the K what it says on the screen is exactly what A close coupling with the tractor makes it difficult variably. This is actually a cheaper way it’s spreading.” to connect the spool valves and ISOBUS cable. of applying K.” He’s noticed the weigh cells also allow The N application maps are also the spreader to compensate if the hopper forward speed either –– the spreader prepared by Soyl. These are generated by is unevenly filled with product. The compensates automatically. This makes the satellite, with 10-12 NDVI images of the hydraulic drive means the operation isn’t job a lot faster –– you can beat along at crops supplied each year, which show how dependent on engine revs. “There’s no set 16-18 km/h and cover 120-160ha in a day.” L

On Farm Opinion

How to even out the in-field variations

the crop variation within the season, he says. growers, but Tim sent through images of his It uses satellites to take Normalised Difference crop, commenting it was even enough to put Vegetation Index (NDVI) images of fields that a spirit level on.” give a measure of the amount of live green All spreaders, if equipped for variable-rate vegetation. These are ‘ground-truthed’ by application, are suitable to use with the system, specialists to provide green area index he says. “The one issue is compatibility, and it’s (GAI) maps. always worth checking with your dealer that “Customers access their maps via the any new purchase is compatible with any other internet to generate the application data,” precision-farming kit, software or service you’re explains Harry Rabbetts. “There are three planning to use.” different models we follow. The first in the The Soyl services are fully compatible with season is a field average model. The grower the vast majority of seed drills and fertiliser specifies an average N rate for the field which is spreaders, including Kuhn kit, he confirms. increased on thinner areas and reduced where Harry Rabbetts advises that one issue worth the crop is fuller. You can specify a maximum Years of applying chicken manure led to a big checking is compatibility. variation and we recommend 20-25%.” variation in nutrient indices. The mid-season application follows the canopy model, at which the growth stage of Tim Cooke’s situation is very similar to many the crop is entered, along with average planned growers in Shrops and surrounding counties, N rate for the field. “For OSR the aim is to according to local Soyl advisor Harry Rabbetts. bring the GAI to 3.5 at flowering, and that’s a “There are quite a few farmers applying chicken calculation the software carries out. The grower litter and other farmyard manure to arable also stipulates a target yield, and the rate is land. While it’s a good source of nutrients, adjusted accordingly.” it’s very variable and you end up with a range The third model for wheats (the imagery of indices.” doesn’t work for OSR once it’s in flower) is the The farm was mapped in mid 2014, he field average reversed, he continues. “Here recalls. “There were some big variations that you’re feeding the parts that have the most Tim’s now addressing by applying manure potential, but cutting your losses where the crop roughly once every third year, then following a growth suggests an application will be wasted. variably applied application to bring up any low This works well for getting protein levels right in spots every other year. That means he still gets milling wheats, for example.” the benefit of the manure, but addresses the The 2015 harvest was the first for Tim variation it can potentially bring to his crops.” Cooke’s farm, but proved successful, reckons The SoylSense service is one that addresses Harry Rabbetts. “I rarely get feedback from

62 crop production magazine february 2016

On Farm Opinion

canopy on those parts, but not many pods. soon be a thing of the past, and regulation We varied the rate of the Incentive seed we will probably ensure variable rate becomes drilled in autumn 2014 by 1-1.5kg/ha and it the norm,” he adds. “It helps look after the all came into flower evenly. land and keep it in good heart, too.” I “So with both the seed and fertiliser varied, we’re getting a uniform crop, which ripens evenly and is very much Farm Facts easier to bring into the combine, with less bunching. There’s both a time saving and a fuel advantage in that.” G&T Cooke Farms, Bratton Hall Farm, The discs are protected from mud thrown up by There’s also been a yield advantage Telford, Shrops G the tyres. –– while the farm average OSR yield last Area farmed: 570ha harvest was 4t/ha, on 50ha where both G Staff: two full time plus Tim Cooke

L The auto shut-off works well, he says. seed and fertiliser were varied, the crop G Soil types: medium loam to heavy clay “You don’t have to get out on the headland achieved 5.2t/ha. G Cropping: wheat, barley, oilseed rape, to alter the vanes –– they’ll work to left or “I think blanket-spreading fertiliser will beans; potatoes and organic carrots on right. But with the border discs on, you land let out have to shut off the sections manually.” The touchscreen interface is easy-to-use and G Mainline tractors: Challenger 765D There’s also very little maintenance, he intuitive, but runs off a separate terminal in the (changing to a 775E), John Deere 6215, adds. “The spreader’s very easy to clean tractor cab. Case Puma CVX160 and you don’t get much dust all over the G Combine: JD S680i with 9.2m header tractor, either. The vanes are protected G Fertiliser spreader: Kuhn Axis 50.1 from mud flung up by the tractor wheels, H-EMC-W with 3000-litre hopper too. Reaching in to fill can be a problem, G Sprayer: Sands Vision 4000-litre with but there’s a useful ladder on the side.” 30m boom There’s also been a move over to G Drill: 6m Väderstad Spirit variable seed rates to even up the crop, G Cultivations: 4.5m Sumo Trio; 6f notes Tim Cooke. “On OSR we noticed Dowdeswell plough; 12.3m Dalbo rolls some areas were more fertile than others G Handler: Merlo 42.7 –– you’d get a thick crop and a huge

Machinery news New options for section control

The Quadtrac 620 has a maximum power output of 692hp.

operator to set the application rate and spread width for any material directly from the tractor cab. The ISO system is GPS variable-rate ready so you can plug in application maps and it’ll also provide warning functions for floorbelt drive, disc speed etc. Headland section control is standard on the F8 and F10 models. This automatically switches on or off the spreading in up to 12 sections when approaching or leaving Part-width section shut-off is now available Bolt-on hopper extensions are also the headland and can be adjusted to left across the Amazone range of fertiliser available for five existing models in the ZA-V or right to match irregular-shaped fields or spreaders, with the ZA-TS Hydro range range. The ZA-V 1700 and 2000 models can angled headlands. now offering stepless SectionControl. be increased by 600 litres while an 800-litre The new KRM Bredal F8 spreader has a Previously Amazone’s SectionControl step-up is available for the ZA-V 2200, 2700 hopper capacity of 5700 litres while the F10 was only available on hydraulically driven and 3200 models. holds 7600 litres. Options include weigh cells spreaders. Now the eight-section basic to monitor the hopper contents with tilt sensor SectionControl is available on all ISOBUS Bredal boost for accurate weight reading on slopes. Prices PTO-driven ZA-V and ZA-TS spreaders, KRM has introduced a new range of Bredal start at £57,350 for the F8 model. controlled either manually or automatically trailed spreaders, featuring ISOBUS control via GPS-Switch. New on the ZA-TS Hydro for automatic setting of application rate Quadtrac birthday is infinitely variable stepless SectionControl, and spread width up to 40m and with Case IH celebrated the 20th anniversary promising more precision when working in section control. of its Quadtrac at LAMMA 2016. To date, short work, says Amazone. Fertiliser is metered through the new F8 540 of the mighty machines have been The standard SectionControl on the ZA-V and F10 spreaders by an individual 40cm sold in the UK, one of the first of which and ZA-TS allows control over individual wide feed belt from the hopper to each disc. was purchased by John Rainthorpe at outside part-width sections, similar to that of This eliminates the need for agitation, says Hemswell Cliff, Lincs. crop protection sprayer, by switching sections KRM, which may cause damage to softer It was on that farm that a Guinness off from left to right or vice versa. prilled materials and ensures the same world record was set in 2012 for the Meanwhile a new 2600-litre model has rate to each disc compared with single most machines cultivating on one field been added to the ZA-V range, which is now belt machines. –– 50 Quadtracs gathered to claim the available with hopper volumes from 1700 right Drive to the two 80cm-diameter discs title. The latest generation includes the through to 4200 litres. A one-piece hopper comes from the tractor PTO via the simple top-of-the-range Quadtrac 620, which extension fits onto the 700-litre base hopper, Bredal twin V-belt drive system. The vanes has a maximum power output of 692hp. that maintains a filling width of 2.22m, are carbide coated and there’s a working For those looking for a more modest allowing it to be filled with a front-end loader. width from 12-40m, dependent on material. output but considerably lower payload and Headland control is provided via a “novel” a relatively high specification, Case’s brand reduction-gear system, fitted to one spinning new Optum CVX tractor range features two The new F8 Bredal is variable-rate ready and disc drive. Operating a lever cuts the speed models boasting 270 and 300hp. Designed includes headland and section control. of the outside disc by half to produce an to sit just below Case’s Magnum range, adjustable, sharp cut-off at the field boundary, there’s a ‘typical’ weight of 11t and a without affecting the spread pattern into wheelbase under 3m. the field. Powered by the same 6.7-litre FPT engine Each floorbelt is individually driven by a as the Puma, there’s a structural sump, which hydraulic motor, with material directed onto supports the load without any side rails. a precise position on each disc for the Both Optums have a new four-step CVT required rate and spread width. The fully transmission, with four-speed PTO at the ISOBUS-compatible Bredal display in the rear as standard and optional dual-speed cab connects to the spreader and allows the front PTO. I

crop production magazine february 2016 65

Brexit battle commences

The obstinate “refusal to adopt advances in technology means that Europe is becoming the museum of world farming. Features ” Conferences Passions rose and accusations flew at the One of the MPs behind the Vote Leave 35 million ha of someone else’s farmland.” campaign, Owen Paterson delivered an Unshackled from the EU, the UK’s Oxford Farming Conference electrifying attack on how the EU deals “incredible institutions”, such as as senior politicians debated with modern technologies in agriculture, Rothamsted Research and the John Innes and the battle over neonicotinoids came Centre, could deliver to the country’s whether Britain should firmly in his sights. farmers the scientific innovation they

needed, he suggested. “The UK, freed L exit the EU. At technical Caved in to activists “The European Commission, as is its habit, conferences, resilience in Owen Paterson insisted that some of the world’s caved in to the activists. They overrode biggest economies are ‘gagging’ to work with a the face of resistance their own scientists and banned neonics. UK that sits outside the EU. was the focus. The result was predictable –– by removing the best modern defence against insect By Tom Allen-Stevens pests, England’s oilseed rape crop has diminished by more than 13%.” The EU’s record on GM technology was What are your views on Brexit? Chances even worse, he maintained. US maize are you’ve more immediate concerns than yields have overtaken those of France, he what would happen if Britain decided to pointed out, so that the country is missing leave the EU, and that may have been the out on some 1.4M tonnes of maize every case for the majority of delegates at the year because its farmers can’t access the Oxford Farming Conference last month. GM varieties grown in the USA. Until, that is, former Defra secretary “The obstinate refusal to adopt Owen Paterson took to the stage. “British advances in technology means that agriculture, brimming with potential, is Europe is becoming the museum of world held back by the European Union’s farming,” he said. “Europe sits on some prejudice against advanced technology of the most fertile land on the planet and and science,” he asserted. yet imports food from the equivalent of

66 crop production magazine february 2016

Conferences

L from the encumbrance of the EU will a full seat” on world bodies that determine employment protection into one imposing be able to develop bi-lateral trade deals, global regulation, and ensure its farmers had common environmental outcomes across without waiting for lengthy complex a system that was “massively simplified”. a vast and disparate geographic area.” treaties such as TTIP (Transatlantic Trade What’s more, with the UK currently But Owen Paterson himself participated and Investment Partnership) that are held contributing £9.8 billion to the EU, yet in the last reform of the CAP, pointed out up by the Greek definition of Feta.” receiving just £2.9 billion in farm subsidy, EU Farming Commissioner Phil Hogan, Some of the world’s biggest economies a UK agricultural policy could pay farmers who told delegates the CAP was now are “gagging to work with” a UK that sits at least as much but target funding more “more liberal, more flexible and more outside the EU as it’s the “fifth largest effectively, he insisted. outward looking”. economy in the world”, Owen Paterson “Today, the CAP is morphing from a “We now have a market-orientated policy repeatedly pointed out. Britain would “take regime of subsidised food production and which means that farm businesses decide Warnings sounded on fungicide use

the former just having the edge. There were few surprises in the yellow rust trials, Over the past three years, Bravo has been found with Ignite and Comet (pyraclostrobin) both very to be “clearly more effective” than Phoenix in a active. “The SDHIs are adding to rust activity, but protectant situation, he said. In eradicant trials, all those with epoxiconazole are very active, while Vertisan (penthiopyrad) plus Ignite “seem to be a Aviator (bixafen+ prothioconazole) struggles,” combination that’s working well”. While the azoles said Jonathan Blake. are still helping to protect the SDHIs, they were only In barley, Siltra Xpro (bixafen+ prothioconazole) giving around 35% control. and Adexar are both very active on rhynchosporium, The shifts in sensitivity of pathogen populations with Zulu (isopyrazam) proving the weakest of the were evident from the charts presented. “There’s straight SDHIs under test. “On net blotch, it’s been a startling change in eradicant performance reassuring to see very strong activity from Siltra and of both prothioconazole and epoxiconazole from Vertisan plus Proline, as there have been indications If you can avoid using an SDHI, avoid it, advised 2007-2015,” reported Jonathan Blake. of the pathogen showing reduced sensitivity to Jonathan Blake. “What’s notable in protectant trials is the huge SDHIs,” he commented. range in control that’s opened up in recent years.” While straight SDHIs were used in the Azole fungicides have continued their steady The effect has been to shorten the latent period performance trials for evaluation purposes, decline in efficacy against Septoria tritici, according following infection of one of the three main leaves Jonathan Blake stressed they should only be to results of the AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds during which you can still achieve control from an used in mixtures with at least one other mode fungicide performance programme. SDHIs are still azole fungicide. of action in commercial crops. the most active chemistry, said Dr Jonathan Blake who delivered the results at the AHDB Agronomists Conference in Peterborough in Dec, but both azoles SDHIs are still very active, especially in a protectant situation (left) but the eradicant activity of azoles and multi-sites are required to protect them. is waning (right). The conference took place just days after septoria isolates with reduced sensitivity to SDHIs had been detected by Teagasc in Ireland (see Technical section for details). “This is a step-change in sensitivity but what size that step is, we just don’t know,” said Jonathan Blake. “As the less sensitive isolates are at a low frequency in Ireland, and as its fitness is unknown, it could disappear altogether.” But this development reinforced the need for SDHI stewardship. “If you can avoid using an SDHI, avoid it,” he advised. One newcomer in the performance trials is There’s been a startling change in eradicant performance of epoxiconazole (left) while a huge range in Librax (fluxapyroxad+ metconazole). “You’d the level of protectant control achieved with prothioconazole has opened up (right).” naturally assume it would come way down on the list against septoria in terms of efficacy, so it’s slightly surprising that it matches Adexar (epoxiconazole+ fluxapyroxad) in protectant situations. This may be down to formulation or synergistic activity. But all SDHIs are very similar and very active.” A half dose of Bravo (chlorothalonil) showed “as strong if not stronger” activity to a full rate of azole, noted Jonathan Blake. There was “a little separation” in activity between Proline (prothioconazole) and Ignite (epoxiconazole), with Source: AHDB; SDHIs should only be used in mixtures with fungicides with at least one other mode of action.

68 crop production magazine february 2016 Conferences themselves what they want to produce, for its farmers on “the final roll of the dice” rather than looking to Brussels to see what against the world’s biggest economies, support is available,” he said. he maintained. When it came to recent global trade “The UK outside the EU would not have negotations in Nairobi, far from being been in that room. You can’t achieve these hamstrung by complex agreements, it was things on your own –– you need help,” “the combined weight of 28 member states” he added. that allowed the EU to be present at the “endgame”. That’s when the EU pushed Demanding consumers aggressively for a fair and level playing field He argued it was the CAP that had delivered the security behind Britain’s rural economy, that’s now worth £200 billion/yr. Question time at the conference became heated “This is fuelled by more demanding as Owen Paterson put forward a passionate consumers, seeking guarantees of argument for Britain leaving the EU. traceability and quality assurance,” he said. And a Eurobarometer survey, showing four out of five British citizens now believe the CAP is delivering its Simplification of the CAP is one of Phil Hogan’s aims, was a “remarkable endorsement” main objectives. of the policy. But simplification of the CAP was one of his main objectives over the next few exports. “There’s no such thing as a months. He rattled off a number of free pass to the EU –– Norway pays measures he had already announced £460 million/yr to trade with us. and promised to reduce 200 existing “And how would Britain with a population EU regulations down to 40 or 50. of 60 million fare in negotiating with China He scoffed at suggestions the UK would and its population of 1.3 billion? In the EU it trade as strongly as it does if it followed the punches with a weight of 500 million, almost Norwegian or Swiss model, noting that the twice the size of the US. It could take the UK

EU accounts for 60% of the UK’s food years to negotiate deals with Korea, Canada L

Beetle battle needs an alternative strategy

Controlling cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) is He also suggests removing flushes of going to need a step change in approach. This volunteers, thereby depleting the food source was the warning from Alan Dewar of Dewar of the adults that are developing their ovaries in Crop Protection, at the recent Association of an attempt to reduce fertility before they attack Independent Crop Consultants annual conference the newly emerged crop. (AICC), near Towcester, Northants. “Consider providing a trap crop around the Where crops are badly infected, growers could edge of the main crop as this may encourage the be looking at infection levels of over 2M adult beetles to lay their eggs in the trap crop and not High infection levels of cabbage stem flea beetle beetles per ha, he warned, and programmed the main crop, and this can be sprayed off in late could leave growers in a crisis situation. spraying won’t control them. autumn to take them out.” Picture courtesy of Dewar Crop Protection. “This leaves us in a crisis situation, with Longer term, Alan Dewar believes that an regards effective control of CSFB,” he stated. inability to control CFSB could move OSR Oilseeds survey of crop damage, carried out by “Flea beetles move about at different times production to areas where currently the threat 56 AICC agronomists. every autumn so it’s difficult to get the timing is reduced, such as the North and West. At the three to four-leaf growth stage, CSFB right for spraying. Also we can’t ignore the fact “Although a bit extreme, in some areas we damage was present in 69% of oilseed rape that there’s increasing resistance to pyrethroids may even need to consider putting sheep into crops, although only 4% had levels of damage –– we’re looking at over 50% resistance in some established crops to eat the leaves containing the in excess of 50% leaf area lost. areas, and I don’t see any effective control from flea beetle larvae. This might reduce the number Complete crop loss was reported in 1% of other non-pyrethroid autumn sprays such as of larvae pupating in the soil, and thus reduce cases, equivalent to 6000ha of the total winter Biscaya (thiacloprid), which leaves us without a adult emergence in the summer,” he suggested. OSR area, with the main areas of crop losses viable control option.” “What is certainly needed is a comprehensive, found in Bucks, Cambs, Essex, E Yorks, Suffolk, So what can be done to help control this independent study to devise an IPM strategy for Lincs, Northants, N Yorks, Hants and Beds. devastating pest in oilseed rape? “We need to controlling this now-epidemic pest, as we can no CSFB was not the only cause of crop losses look at cultural control practices such as early longer rely on established control methods.” this season, however. Slugs may still remain the sowing –– Aug, if possible. Increasing seed CSFB damage was more widely dispersed crop’s number one pest as this was seen as the rates will also help dilute the damage a given around the country in autumn 2015, compared predominant cause of an additional 3.1% of the population of beetles will have.” with 2014, according to the AHDB Cereals and OSR area (or 18,000ha) lost in autumn 2015.

crop production magazine february 2016 69 ‘Make better use’ of natural resources

Look to the soil and the sun for more yield, delegates at Hutchinsons winter technical conference, in Peterborough were told. Prof Achim Dobermann, director of Rothamsted Research explored the status of yield increases in different crops across the world. Climate change is only responsible for 10% of the yield Forget the quick fixes and stagnation in wheat in the UK, move back to the basics of he told the 350 farmers at the good agronomy, advised conference. Achim Dobermann. Instead, he highlighted a correlation between yield plateaus about energy conversion and its and the reductions in the use of success depends on capturing nitrogen and phosphorus. The and measuring it. When it comes long term work on cereal yields to light capture, the choice of at Rothamsted, such as the varieties plays a major role Broadbalk experiment that has through their leaf size and angle, been running since 1843, has he insisted. identified the importance of soil “Growers and agronomists must management, he said. then optimise the development “This combined with genetics, phase of the plant, and secure its are the keys to unlocking the yield protection through the maturation barriers. So forget the quick fixes phase. Root structure plays a key and move back to the basics of role in this process to ensure the good agronomy.” maximum capture of water and This was a message echoed by nutrients in the soil.” Dick Neale of Hutchinsons, who There’s clear evidence that considered some of the impacts some of the SDHI fungicides play a of cultivation techniques on soil role in rooting structure, according health. “Many farmers prepare to research presented by Dr David their seedbeds to accommodate Ellerton of Hutchinsons. There’s the type of drill that they also a correlation between a bigger use, rather than the specific green leaf area and increased requirements of different crops. photosynthesis. It’s crucial to really look at your “But the battle for disease soils and understand what issues control is being complicated by exist,” he said. the development of fungicide Many soil inspections are resistance, especially with carried out in the summer septoria, yellow rust and when soils are dry and hard, fusarium,” he noted. which could draw the wrong Work carried out last year by conclusions, on soil compaction Hutchinsons and ADAS showed in particular, he noted. that triazole mixtures gave a better “Many of the answers to control of disease as different these problems can be solved products can have differing levels by reduced tillage, as a way to of control of the various strains of increase soil strength. Growers septoria, he said. “The trials also often underestimate the power highlight the efficacy of SDHIs –– of plant roots to maintain it’s crucial for UK farming that we soil conditions.” preserve their efficacy through Prof Roger Sylvester Bradley of applications in mixtures with other ADAS maintained that farming is chemical families,” he added. of our [proposed] reforms and it would make Europe more flexible, outward-looking and dynamic,” she said. “But we are pursuing a renegotiation to secure a better deal for Britain and I have every confidence in the Prime Minister’s renegotiating skills. We’ll need to see what we get when that referendum takes place. “There are clearly big benefits of being part of the EU in terms of access to the single market, Liz Truss blamed the current but also big costs in terms of complexity of CAP for the hold-ups bureaucracy. I think it’s for in payments from the RPA. everyone to weigh up and for the British people to take a decision.”

L and so on –– deals the EU has She blamed the current already successfully negotiated.” complexity of CAP for the Outside the EU, the UK hold-ups in payments the RPA agricultural budget would be has been making to farmers. subject to the same annual Defra is pushing Brussels for review by the UK Treasury as any simplification, she said, but there other government department, will be an on-line BPS in 2016, he pointed out. “Can farmers although this will exclude the compete with doctors, nurses mapping facility that failed and teachers in such a review? last year. The Defra budget is already Shadow Defra secretary Kerry down a third since 2010, McCarthy gave her first speech while other departments are at Oxford, and one that was ring-fenced from cuts.” criticised as “full of ideology, but woefully lacking any credibility Licences approved or challenge to the Government He acceded the progress of the whatsoever”. previous Commission on allowing During question time with new technologies had been Liz Truss, she was “dangerously slow, but said 22 licences for close to agreement” with the biotechnology and GM had minister, but did criticise her recently been approved that position on Brexit. “I think the were previously blocked. In minister needs to be able to an enhanced Horizon 2020 answer what the alternative programme of EU-funded would be before we have the research, 4 billion was referendum itself,” she said. I ring-fenced€ for agriculture, he said. “We need Kerry McCarthy was full of ideology to do more, but we are making but barely challenged the minister. progress and evidence-based science is now back at centre stage for decisions on GM and biotechnology,” he assured. The current Defra Secretary of State Liz Truss would not be drawn on whether she was in the ‘in’ or ‘out’ camp, nor on whether there was a “Plan B” for Defra if it suddenly found itself the day after a referendum with the task of constructing a national farming policy. “Improving Europe’s competitiveness is a key plank

Added lustre in the

Group 1 line-up? We’re seeing“ a return to Hereward quality.”

Features Insiders View

When it comes to bread AHDB Cereal and Oilseed trials but is still planted earlier than either of these varieties winners, RGT Illustrious waiting to be verified as a bread-making –– from the first week of Sept –– allowing for wheat by nabim. more manageable drilling and harvesting. looks like it might just take Even so, its baking performance is its It also has a solid disease profile, the top spot in 2016, having stand-out feature, according to Simon Howell boasting the highest untreated yield in the at RAGT. “It’s shown functionality at a huge group, at 90% against a treated yield of so far demonstrated that it’s range of protein levels. It has a quality 100. It scores a 7 for mildew, a 6 for a cut above the rest. But will not seen in UK wheat breeding since septoria, 6 for fusarium and a 7 for eyespot Hereward,” he says. due to the beneficial Pch1 resistance gene. it maintain this momentum It also scores 9 for yellow rust and 8 for come harvest? Milling quality brown rust. Barry Barker at Agrii reckons RGT Illustrious This disease resistance looks good By Melanie Jenkins will interest most people due to the possibility across the board for Barry Barker, who of getting the same milling quality as other reckons its yellow rust score is likely better varieties at a lower protein level. “It ticks the than the official AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds It has surprised some people in the right boxes and is a real game changer. With Recommended List score. Yields also industry that RAGT has managed to current pressures on growers, the appeal will appear similar to Skyfall. “It has a better produce such a promising variety so soon be to get the same result for less money by untreated yield though, so there’s not much after hitting it big with Skyfall. After such putting less nitrogen on.” to poke holes in. It’s a solid variety in all sorts a successful variety though, there are However, this’ll depend on end users of situations.” undoubtedly pressures for RGT Illustrious putting contracts out that are equitable with David Leaper at Agrii says the variety has to perform to the hype surrounding it. normal Group 1 contracts but at a lower good all round disease resistance but its A cross between Qplus and Battalion, protein level, he adds. “To date this hasn’t brown rust score was about one notch lower RGT Illustrious has two selling-point features: happened but we’re hopeful that it will.” in Agrii’s trials than on the RL. RGT Illustrious Its all-round good disease resistance, set to Farmers now have a choice of three or may also have slightly weaker straw than the appeal to growers, and its capability to bake four good quality Group 1 varieties, which official ratings suggest. “Growers should use at lower protein levels, that’ll draw in both gives them greater security, adds Simon a robust PGR programme if putting on a lot growers and millers. Listed as a provisional Howell. RGT Illustrious could be grown of nitrogen,” he advises. Group 1 variety, it’s boasted high yields in alongside Skyfall and Crusoe and can be Simon Howell reckons RGT Illustrious has

72 crop production magazine february 2016 Insiders View a typical growth pattern akin to a traditional Agrii looked at protein accumulation on wheat, with stiff straw and maturity around two trial sites for the main bread-making the summer solstice. It has moderate wheats across heavy and light soils. competitiveness with blackgrass but not as Nitrogen was applied at rates between good as Relay. “It performs better on heavier 150kg and 350kg/ha and RGT Illustrious land without a doubt, whereas Skyfall demonstrated similar accumulation to performs better on light soils,” he adds. Skyfall, says David Leaper. “It can achieve Barry Barker agrees that RGT Illustrious 13% protein no problem.” is better suited to heavier land. “It’ll suit growers in the east of the country, whereas Hereward quality Crusoe would be more suited to those in the However, research has shown that RGT West due to its septoria resistance.”However, Illustrious will bake at a lower protein, so if it more needs to be learnt about its suitability falls below 13% the market will still want to for different drilling times. “It might be buy it, he adds. “We’re seeing a return to suitable for later drilling and has pretty good Hereward quality which might see Illustrious tillering capacity, which might be why it’s taken in preference to Skyfall and Crusoe.” suited to heavier land.” Mark Ringrose at ADM says that the yield Farmers are swinging towards growing advancements from Skyfall and Trinity can With a high untreated yield, there’s not much to top quality wheats in the UK –– a trend that potentially dilute achievable grain protein. poke holes in, reckons Barry Barker. started with Skyfall, he adds. “Now there’s a With this set to remain the case, the need for L good quality wheat that also has a decent disease profile, so over the next few years demand should steadily increase as farmers see more of it and end users learn more about the variety.” RGT Illustrious is likely to chip away at Gallant and Solstice’s proportion of the market and Barry Barker thinks it’ll also nibble away at Crusoe’s market share. “If it doesn’t have to achieve 13% protein and can secure contracts for 12.5%, then RGT Illustrious will have the commercial advantage over other varieties,” he says. “There’s a worry surrounding nitrogen application so if the target protein was lowered, this would interest a lot of growers. It could have around 5% of the market in a couple of years’ time.”

RGT Illustrious has two feature-selling points: its all-round good disease resistance, and its capability to bake at lower protein levels. Insiders View

tested, and he hopes that Skyfall, Trinity Gleadell has just started offering seed and RGT Illustrious will all provide future availability for 2016, adds the firm’s Chris consistency. “So far RGT Illustrious ticks the Guest. “As contacts become available, boxes as a Group 1, but it’ll be looked at there’ll be more interest from growers, in more detail after we’ve assessed the particularly as they take on quality wheat commercial crops we have fast tracked for as part of their rotations. Skyfall prompted the 2016 harvest through our ADM Connect a lot of growers to move from feed to growers club.” milling quality.” The grain quality of RGT Illustrious looks Nicely positioned promising, from the specific weight of Compared to the current nabim Group 1 77.4kg/hl to the Hagberg Falling Number milling wheats, RGT Illustrious is nicely of 262, but with a feed wheat nitrogen positioned, he adds. “Skyfall is the highest protocol, protein looks a tad low in RL yield yielder and Crusoe is the quality backbone trials, at 11.5%, adds Lee Bennett. However, with higher protein. It’ll be interesting to see how RGT Illustrious does perform this season in our extensive commercial trials, Simon Howell notes RGT Illustrious can be and how its quality and yield balance out planted earlier than other Group 1 varieties in relation to the value of milling wheat –– from the first week of Sept. premiums.” Buy-back contracts have already been L protein functionality at lower levels has issued for the variety, according to Lee increased. “RGT Illustrious could be the Bennett at Openfield. “It’s gone straight to first of a new era of wheat that performs the top in terms of baking performance and consistently at lower protein levels; it is kind of in a field of its own. Commercially reminds me of KWS Sterling which had it’s not different to Skyfall but it’s a different Suited to heavier land, Agrii trials suggest it may the same features.” plant type to any other Group 1.” Gallant and have slightly weaker straw than the official Millers look for consistency in baking Solstice have both been totally outclassed ratings suggest and a lower brown rust score. quality; Solstice and Crusoe are tried and by RGT Illustrious, he says.

Norfolk growers get an Illustrious performance

Will More and his father Robert began trialling extra nitrogen applications. Will More used a RGT Illustrious for RAGT in 2014 on a 15.2ha peri-emergence herbicide, with an application site at Tunstall, Norfolk. Robert has a good of epoxiconazole and chlorothalonil at T0 (early reputation for growing seed and a good March), and a split growth regulator of relationship with RAGT. “Our land is fairly well chlormequat and trinexapac-ethyl, plus suited to seed wheat production, with good manganese. At T1 (early April), he applied the soil and no blackgrass issues, so at RAGT’s second part of the PGR split, as well as another suggestion we planted RGT Illustrious,” says epoxiconazole dose with fluxapyroxad and Will More. “It’s been a good variety to grow chlorothalonil. and looked strong throughout the season.” Then in late April he applied another PGR RGT Illustrious yielded 12.57t/ha when it of Terpal (mepiquat). At T2 (early May) it had was harvested on 8 Aug last year. It had a epoxiconazole and chlorothalonil, then at straightforward establishment and despite some T3 (early June) an application of Prosaro torrential rain at points that caused serious (prothioconazole+ tebuconazole). RGT Illustrious Will More’s crop of Illustrious grew quite tall so lodging in other crops, RGT Illustrious stood grew quite tall so Will More said he had to be he had to be careful with growth regulation. up well in comparison. careful with growth regulation. “You do have to Will More used a 3m Amazone power-harrow keep an eye on it being relatively tall.” combination drill at a seed rate of 125kg/ha, An application of DoubleTop fertiliser was the second trial is like. It was drilled under good planting in late Sept under great conditions. applied in late Feb with a split application of conditions but the weather wasn’t as good as “In a generic sense I’d describe the soil as a ammonium nitrate at the end of March and from the first trial, and the winter has been so mild, sandy loam, classified as Wick 2,” he says. mid to late April. “The disease resistance of the it’ll be a good test.” However, the crop is looking “It’s workable, with moisture retention on the variety was helpful and we had no real issues very good so far. heavier side, but it’s free draining so doesn’t other than a little bit of septoria, but we contend Will More says that it will likely be a variety get waterlogged.” with that on the majority of the varieties we that he and his father will grow commercially in RGT Illustrious was planted after peas so grow,” he adds. the future. “I think farmers are looking for a had a good start. It was treated as a seed crop The trial is repeating this year on the same value-added cereal crop and we’ve been very rather than a milling crop, so there were no piece of ground. “It’ll be interesting to see what impressed with it so far.”

74 crop production magazine february 2016 Insiders View

Openfield ran trials for Warburtons, and RGT according to Alex Waugh at Nabim RGT Illustrious never struggled to meet protein Illustrious has performed well in small scale levels when grown as a milling wheat, and baking trials. Larger trials will be undertaken always made excellent bread, he says. early in 2016, putting the variety though “I don’t think millers or bakers will stay shy commercial scale assessments. Though of it. It’s quite special and has come along there’s no delivery date for the trial results at the right time.” as yet, it’s likely to be early March, and he’s Not a lot of work has been done to look hopeful that the provisional status will be lifted. into rotational cropping of RGT Illustrious yet, The beauty of RGT Illustrious, says says David Leaper. “But it’s likely to be a David Leaper, is that it’s a good all rounder. good candidate as a second wheat due to “It doesn’t need any specific agronomy to its Battalion parentage.” hide any weaknesses. It should set a new It’s still only a provisional Group 1 but standard in the market which I like to think would be the gold standard of bread making.” The prediction is that RGT Illustrious seed will be a sell-out and Lee Bennett warns farmers not to sit on their hands, So far RGT Illustrious ticks the boxes as a Group 1, otherwise they’ll end up disappointed. says Mark Ringrose, who’s fast tracked commercial “You’ll need to move with it and not wait crops through the ADM Connect growers club. until June to decide.” I

Lee Bennett’s seen it go straight to the top in terms of baking performance and says it’s in a field of its own.

RGT Illustrious at a glance

Treated grain yield (% control) 100.3 Untreated seed yield (% control) 90.1 Protein content (%) 11.5 Hagberg Falling Number 262 Specific weight (kg/hl) 77.4 Resistance to lodging (with PGR) 8.1 Height (without PGR) (cm) 88 Disease resistance Mildew 7.4 Yellow rust 9.0 Brown rust 7.5 Septoria tritici 6.2 Eyespot [7] (Pch1) Fusarium ear blight 5.8 Source: 2016/17 AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds Recommended List Winter Wheat; [ ] limited data

crop production magazine february 2016 75

Puts in a polished performance

Farmers may“ actually be able to have their cake and eat it.” Features Insiders View

Oilseed rape yields have based around growers’ needs, he adds. was very stiff and vigorous but the yield data made great strides over the “We selected heavily for farmer-friendly was very encouraging.” characteristics like early autumn vigour, Its performance has been pretty past 10 years, and the latest good disease resistance and standing consistent, too, with a gross output score of new variety to reach the ability. We also wanted it to be early 103 in 2013, 111 in 2014 and 114 in 2015. maturing, because all the growers and “It seems to do well at lots of locations with market looks to be taking agronomists we spoke to said there was different weather patterns –– and its another leap forward. a crying need for early maturity.” earliness is just what the market wants,” CPM finds out what Elgar he adds. “Excalibur was the last very early Breeding programme variety and in most years, Elgar’s been on a has to offer. The complex parentage pre-dates the SWO par with it. It allows farmers a bigger window oilseed rape breeding programme, which for drilling wheat, and spreads the harvest By Olivia Cooper brought together SW Lantmannen from period if you’re a big grower of OSR.” L Sweden, Florimond Desprez from France and Elsoms Seeds in the UK. With breeding The highest yielding variety on the E/W and trial stations across Europe, it produced It’s been 12 years in the making, but it Recommended List, Elgar has early autumn its first commercially available variety, Trinity, looks as though Elgar is one variety vigour, good disease resistance and standing in 2013. worth waiting for. The latest offering ability. from Elsoms Seeds, it’s gone straight Now acquired by Syngenta, the SWO to the top of the AHDB Cereals and programme has a couple of promising Oilseeds Recommended List with a varieties in the pipeline. The first is Skye –– a gross output at 111% of the control in robust, farmer-friendly conventional variety the East/West region. with good autumn vigour, which scored 106 A conventional, open-pollinated variety, on the AHDB East/West candidate table this Elgar also boasts a solid disease resistance year. The second is still a couple of years profile, with vigorous autumn growth and away from candidacy, but looks good based early ripening. “The breeding programme on limited data so far. started more than 12 years ago,” says “Elgar is an original Elsoms cross that Elsoms breeder Mark Nightingale. “It’s the was 100% developed in the UK, for the UK result of several lines which we inter-crossed market, which makes it fairly unique,” says to try to get multi-gene disease resistance Mark Nightingale. “We realised its potential that’s longer lasting.” about four years ago, when we had some The breeding programme was firmly very good trial results –– we already knew it

76 crop production magazine february 2016

Insiders View

UK, which is always a good sign, and it’s According to Openfield’s Duncan Durno, been very consistent in trials,” he adds. Elgar’s early vigour is a real asset in the “However, we’ve had two very open autumns absence of neonicotinoids. “It’s big and leafy so you can’t really comment on any variety’s in the field, producing excellent autumn vigour –– hybrids are probably still the best growth area indices, which is increasingly choice where you have challenging important. And it’s very consistent across conditions like cold, wet soil after a late different soil types –– as an all-round harvest.” package it’s really raised the bar for conventional OSR,” he says. High seed rate Good seedbed conditions are vital to get Either way, growers should avoid sowing any variety off to a good start, with early Elgar at too high a seed rate, warns Mark nitrogen and phosphate also of value. Nightingale. “A lot of people growing “Traditionally the seed rate growers use for open-pollinated varieties tend to put them in conventional varieties has been too high at far too high a seed rate –– we use the –– I’d suggest the maximum rate should be Mark Nightingale inter-crossed several lines to try same seed rate as hybrids in our trials. Elgar 80 seeds/m2 rather than the commonly used to get multi-gene disease resistance. will tiller as well as any other variety and 100 seeds.” branch out,” he says. “We had one seed Elgar has a wide drilling window, giving

L Although many growers prefer hybrid crop that was eaten to the ground by deer the grower a greater chance of drilling into varieties for their vigorous growth, Elgar and partridges –– in March it looked like it optimum soil conditions, adds Duncan can match them in the autumn, says Mark wouldn’t produce anything yet it ended up Durno. “I’d still want it in by 5 Sept –– after Nightingale. “It has an unusually large seed yielding just short of 3t/ha. The recovery of that I think quick-developing hybrids are still for a conventional variety, and grows away the crop never ceases to amaze me.” the way forward.” very fast in the autumn. It’s also extremely Although Elgar isn’t on the RL for the deep rooted, which is probably why it has North, he sees no reason why it wouldn’t such good yields.” perform well anywhere. “It has early maturity, Having a decent conventional variety on good light leaf spot resistance and stiff straw the RL ensures continued balance between –– all of which are good for northern farmers.” conventional and hybrid varieties, says RL Simon Oxley agrees that the variety has manager Simon Oxley. “And it’s performed a lot of pros, and not many cons so far. “It well over the years –– some varieties did provides growers with the highest gross better in 2013 but it does seem to be output on the E/W RL, in combination with consistently good.” some very good agronomic traits and As a firm, Agrii sells more hybrid than disease resistance. There’s no compromise, conventional varieties, but there are plenty which you sometimes get with high output or of supporters in East Anglia and along the good disease resistance in varieties.” South coast, says seed manager David Its high score for LLS makes it particularly Leaper. “Until last year varieties like attractive to growers, he adds. “LLS used to Cabernet took a lot of the market there, be more of a problem in the North, but now followed by Charger –– but I think Charger Simon Oxley notes Elgar has performed it’s very much a UK-wide disease, which is will fall away quite quickly now. consistently well over the years. really challenging to control with fungicides. “Elgar has been bred and selected in the With stiff straw and reasonably early maturity, Resilience brings good results in Lincs

Alex Jasinski grew two blocks of Elgar totalling which droughted badly during June and July, 18ha for seed last year at Little Scotland Farm, just as the pods were filling. “Looking at it Ingoldsby, Lincs, and has 13ha in the ground earlier in the year we thought it would easily this year. Although the growing conditions exceed 5t/ha, and it still managed around that weren’t ideal, he remained impressed with the despite the land it was on.” Although seed crops variety’s resilience. can be more difficult to harvest due to green “One block of virgin OSR ground was stems, the Elgar stood well and combined absolutely destroyed by pigeons –– if it hadn’t relatively easily, he adds. been for seed we would have written it off,” he This year’s crops are looking fantastic, says says. “It ended up averaging 3.7t/ha, which Alex Jasinski, having been drilled in the first considering there was no crop there in early week of Sept at a seed rate of 3.5kg/ha. “It was March wasn’t bad going. There were also some up and through in no time at all. There are a lot Grown on brashy land, which droughted badly areas that easily did 5t/ha –– it definitely has of crops that are too far ahead in my opinion, during June and July, Alex Jasinski’s Elgar still some vigour.” but ours are just where they should be for this yielded an impressive 5t/ha. The other field was on very brashy land, time of year.”

78 crop production magazine february 2016 Insiders View

The other two locations produced competitive –– but not table-topping –– yields. “Based on those yields and the total package that comes with Elgar –– particularly the stiff straw, very good LLS resistance and early maturity –– we believe it would have gone through to RL trials. “We previously trialled it in Scotland and it did very well –– in my view it’s a perfect variety for the North, but marketing it won’t be easy now,” admits Mark Nightingale. Although the rapeseed area has declined as a result of poor market prices and the neonicotinoid ban, it remains an extremely important break crop, says David Leaper. “The long-term prospects remain good –– farmers should focus on fields that can yield Elgar has been bred and selected in the Good autumn vigour is an attribute noted by upwards of 4t/ha. UK, which is always a good sign, reckons Elsoms’ Bob Miles. “Where cabbage stem flea beetle is a David Leaper. concern, it’s worth drilling by the third week in Aug, so the crop is well grown by the there’s nothing much to cause concern not to rush in and desiccate or swath the second and third week in Sept when the –– farmers may actually be able to have crop too early. “Quite a few people harvest beetles migrate,” he adds. “With Elgar you their cake and eat it.” their rapeseed too early,” he says. “If you can do that without the risk of it getting One drawback is that yields in the do that the oil content will be lower, the over-extended and lodging in the spring.” Northern region weren’t competitive enough glucosinolate content will be higher, and to put Elgar forward for the RL in the North, you run the risk of red seeds.” says Simon Oxley. “It had agronomic merit, Marked progression Elsoms uses a pod stick product on Although trial results have revealed a but the yields were just off the pace.” all of its crops, and Mark Nightingale marked progression in yields in recent Even so, Mark Nightingale reckons the recommends that farmers should do the years, it hasn’t been reflected on farm, variety would still be ideal for Scottish same. “The cost is minimal and the benefits with average yields remaining relatively growers. “In its NL2 year there were three and flexibility massively outweigh it.” unchanged. To make the most of the new trial locations in Scotland, and being the As a stiff-strawed variety, Elgar can be genetics, farmers should really tailor their earliest variety to mature, one site was swathed, desiccated or combined direct. fertiliser programme, says Mark Nightingale. damaged by finches. When the pods start “It has no weaknesses, which is very unusual “With all OSR, the most important thing is to get to the soft green endosperm stage –– it’s the combination of high yield and how much nitrogen you apply and when. If they’re favoured by birds, and as it was robust disease resistance that makes it you’ve a backward crop don’t put too much all three reps of Elgar they significantly quite unique.” on in one go as the crop can’t use it, and it’ll damaged it, resulting in under-performance With plenty of seed crops in the ground leach away. Instead, split the application into on this location,” he explains. this year, there should be no shortage three doses. Applying the last dose at the “With such limited Scottish data, one of seed for 2016 drilling, says Mark late green bud stage will really elevate the poor result has a much larger effect on the Nightingale. “We’re growing it in a lot of yield to its potential.” overall average, resulting in Elgar not being locations on different soil types, and it’s all In Agrii trials last year, Elgar and Nikita selected for the next phase of trials.” looking very well. We’ve enough seed for it topped the list, but Elgar’s agronomic to take a substantial share of the market.” I benefits make it hard to beat, says David Elgar has been performing well against hybrids Leaper. “After a couple of years of high LLS in Martin Smart’s strip trials in Wilts. pressure, especially in the East and West, Elgar at a glance having something with really good disease resistance is a key driver,” he explains. Treated gross output (% control) 110.5 “Phoma has historically been important in Treated seed yield (% control) 109.9 the south of England –– and Elgar has good Oil content (%) 45.3 resistance to both. It has high oils and stiff Resistance to lodging [8] straw –– it really ticks all the boxes.” Stem stiffness 8.5 Having such all-round disease resistance also means farmers can potentially cut back Shortness of stem 6.4 on input costs, he adds. “It’s possible to Earliness of flowering 6.9 have more flexibility in your fungicide Earliness of maturity 6.1 programme –– both in terms of timing and Light leaf spot resistance 6.6 the products you use.” Good autumnal Stem canker resistance 5.6 growth should also mean they can reduce Source: 2016/17 AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds their nitrogen fertiliser use at that stage. Recommended List East/West; [ ] limited data According to Mark Nightingale, it’s crucial

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On-farm Landscape leader innovator Those who know the Wiltshire Downs will Visit an area of the Marlborough Downs, be familiar with its landscape –– vast eight miles south of Swindon, however, open fields of calcareous soils marked and there’s a discernible difference –– by majestic steep scarps. Logic-based more features break up the vista. Look farming has balanced large-scale arable closely and there’s a necklace of dew In association with cropping with mainly sheep on the ponds and small pond complexes on a steeper slopes. ribbon of wildflower-rich grass margins. But it’s a lived-in landscape –– profitable farming lies at its heart, landowners accrue the asset value and there’s a

In the first of a new series looking at what makes an on-farm innovator, CPM visits a Wilts estate manager whose determination to transform the business in the wake of foot and mouth literally changed its environment. By Tom Allen-Stevens

This is an estate“ that’s no longer reliant on the vagaries of commodity markets. ”

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management ladder and eventually taking But we also worked together to explore over as estate manager of the thriving and maximise all of the natural resources farming business. across the different farms.” “At one stage, Temple had the largest This comprised the Temple Estate at lowland sheep flock in the UK, with just 800ha, neighbouring Barbury Castle with a under 10,000 ewes and lambs. But this further 800ha, the nearby 1100ha Manton is good arable land too –– our 2015 Estate and 220ha at Maisey Farm. Manton wheats averaged 11.4t/ha, while the was already well established as a premier spring barleys achieved 8.6t/ha.” horse-training premises, and Chris This is down to the free-draining chalk Musgrave worked with its owners and the soils with occasional clay caps –– “boys new owner of Barbury Castle to develop land”, Chris Musgrave admits. Recently these facilities. the farm has stopped growing oilseed The original 2.5 miles of racehorse rape –– “at 3.6t/ha and £250/t, it doesn’t training gallops grew over the years and at wash its face,” he says. Poppies grown on one stage totalled an impressive 19 miles, contract now provide the main break crop, with some 350 horses in training every and turn in a tidy profit. day. As the sheep flock shrunk, buildings have been repurposed as state-of-the-art Epiphany experience stabling with indoor schooling rings. For many estate managers, running this Barbury Castle now also hosts an Vast open arable fields and steep scarps for straightforward mix of enterprises over a International Horse Trials –– a prestigious sheep grazing characterise farming on the large acreage would be enough. But event in the equine calendar to which Wiltshire Downs. Chris Musgrave experienced something of 12,000 people flock every year. an epiphany in 2001. It was the year of “I’ve always been surrounded by horses, community that benefits from its enhanced foot-and-mouth disease, and although but I’m not necessarily horse-orientated,” L management. there were only seven cases across Wilts, Innovative farming has driven the Temple Farm was one of them. transformation, and few exemplify the “What happened that year shocked me, qualities needed to bring about this but more importantly it changed me. I was change more than Chris Musgrave, who in an industry that felt in disarray, it made runs the farming and diversified interests me feel like a pariah of the countryside. across around 2000ha, based at Temple So I needed to set myself and the estate Farm near Marlborough. up for a future that didn’t depend so much “Our single greatest asset is the land on farming.” itself. But you’re running a business so you At his employer’s suggestion, he set need many eggs in that basket to truly up his own business. At the time, Konrad realise its potential,” he maintains. Goess was downsizing, and Chris When he came to Temple as assistant Musgrave secured the estate consultancy shepherd over 30 years ago, farming for the land that was sold off. He also revolved around traditional arable and set up Temple Farming to manage the sheep-based enterprises. Back then, it contract farming on the land, as well as was an 1100ha estate, owned by the Post for some neighbouring farms, to create Office pension fund. Soon afterwards it a 3000ha farming unit. In the aftermath of foot and mouth, Chris was bought by Count Konrad Goess, “We collectively came together on the Musgrave set the Temple estate up for a and Chris Musgrave became assistant arable side –– Temple provided the future that didn’t depend so much on farming. manager, thereafter working his way up the machinery and grain storage facilities.

How to be an on-farm innovator – Chris Musgrave’s top tips

1. Be wholly accepting of change. 3. Challenge yourself constantly. A thriving owners, you need a quick decision and often Challenge every assumption, and once business is one that is dynamic. Goals will can’t afford to be stymied by having to wait you’ve worked through that process, don’t move and innovators adapt plans to an for a board of directors to convene. Equally, if be afraid to take the steps necessary to evolving environment. it’s a no, respect the decision and don’t lose make the change. 4. Keep your focus. Once you’ve made up sleep – move on. 2. Take off the blinkers. You’re not just your mind, get on, make the necessary 6. Enjoy the journey. There has to be an a farmer – your asset is land and there changes and see them through. Those who element of fun, both for yourself and for are many things you can do to utilise it. stall just lag behind. others involved in what you’re doing. Make If it involves skills you don’t have, buy 5. Recognise the value of trust. When you’re sure you always get a kick out of what you them in. working with stakeholders, such as estate do, and if this begins to fade, change direction.

crop production magazine february 2016 81 On-farm innovator

for Game and Conservation in 2013. and more recently in the Entry-Level and “What we’ve aimed to do is move away Higher-Level schemes. from the parameters of wheat and sheep “We commissioned an audit of flora and and create thriving country estates. fauna in 1997, and that got us going –– we There’s a considerable capital asset value knew what was there, so what else could to what’s been achieved,” he notes. we do? In 2007, we redid the audit, and But he’s always been sure the changes this showed we really could move a complement, not compromise the arable species –– landscape management operations. The gamekeeper has been works. But like most farmers, we entered keen for ‘weedy stubble’ for instance, while racehorse trainers were not overly enthusiastic about large machinery and sprays near the gallops.

As the sheep flock shrunk, buildings have been Organic regime repurposed as state-of-the-art stabling. “I’ve never been a fan of conservation headlands –– where you farm, you farm it

L notes Chris Musgrave. “I think that’s a properly, otherwise it’s just too confusing. strength though –– you can go in, say your We looked instead for a solution that piece objectively and agree on how to would add value to the arable side. So develop the business aspects. It doesn’t we put a small percentage of the estates really matter what the specialties of a into an organic regime, particularly around business are, the same principles apply.” the gallops.” Temple has also planted around a It’s in environmental stewardship that million trees, 23 miles of hedgerow and Chris Musgrave’s pursuit of maximising the Looking to add value, a small percentage of the created nine dew ponds. Shooting has value from natural resources comes to the estates was put into an organic regime, thrived, to the extent that Konrad Goess’ fore, however. The Temple Estate has a particularly around the gallops. private shoot won the Purdey Gold Award long history in Countryside Stewardship,

Perfecting the art of ‘experiential communication’

The changes Chris Musgrave has brought about In this case, Chris Musgrave has started with a at the Temple Estate strike a chord with Graham good understanding of his baseline data, including Hartwell of BASF, who runs the company’s the audit of the estate’s environmental assets, for biodiversity partnership with the farming families example. “He knows what the land can deliver at Rawcliffe Bridge near Goole, E Yorks and The and has read the tealeaves of what the various Grange near Kettering, Northants. stakeholders require –– that’s an art in itself.” “What Chris has done is to recognise the key The result delivers not just for the estate assets of the land and of the estate as a whole –– the businesses that depend on it and the and put together a plan that successfully estate owners – it goes beyond bringing tangible delivers on the classic triple bottom line of a benefits to the local community, believes Graham sustainable business: one that is profitable and Hartwell. “Chris is an ambassador for the industry, builds economic value, that delivers for the and exemplifies what it means to be a steward of the land, of the farming business and the benefit of the environment, and that addresses A successful innovator knows when to listen and relationships these involve. the needs of a wider society,” he notes. then delivers what they have to say with an “He’s shown how you can create the best It’s not everyone who can pull off such a plan, infectious enthusiasm, reckons Graham Hartwell. he says. But it’s not constrained by the land of both worlds –– combining organic and assets you have at your disposal. It depends more conventional agriculture within the same business, on the attributes of the individual, he reckons. for example. He’s shared that knowledge with “It’s the ability to come up with a feasible plan many audiences, from politicians through to “We also bring some 6-700 visitors through and then deliver it in a way that builds schoolchildren.” the farm each year and this model has now been relationships and inspires people to want to be This is what BASF has driven through Rawcliffe rolled out by BASF across 16 farms in seven involved that makes the difference. An innovator Bridge since 2002, he points out. “We’ve worked countries across the EU. But any farmer can recognises that you can’t do it all, but with the Hinchliffe family in an inspirational deliver the same level of experiential successfully garners support for his or her partnership that’s helped bring a balance of communication and make a real difference for the plan. What’s critical is to know when to listen and practical wildlife-enhancing measures that industry through their own farm –– it’s just a case when to communicate, and when you do say your encourage biodiversity alongside highly productive, of understanding your land assets and delivering piece, deliver it with an infectious enthusiasm.” well managed arable crops. key messages in a way that inspires.”

82 crop production magazine february 2016 On-farm innovator

The catch was bringing together that won’t interfere with estate management. 10,000ha. “I got in touch with our local There’s now a real sense of community environment advisor, Dr Jemma Batten. involvement and that people get tangible We laid out a map and sized up what benefits from the work we’ve done.” 10,000ha looked like.” Nor is it entirely philanthropic –– as a The area of the Marlborough Downs result of the NIA, the Temple Estate has NIA takes in 42 farm holdings, from the entered a far more comprehensive HLS world-famous Avebury stone circle in the agreement with Natural England than the west, to Marlborough Common in the east standard ELS application it may otherwise and bound by Swindon on its northern have agreed. “So there’s also a worthwhile side. Steeped in rural history, the financial return for the extra effort invested.” Ridgeway National Trail snakes through But for Chris Musgrave, it’s the sense the area in which chalk grassland and of achievement that’s worth more. “This is rare farmland birds feature in a fragile an estate that’s grown considerably in its Audits of flora and fauna, commissioned in 1997 landscape. capital value and is no longer reliant on and 2007 proved landscape management works, the vagaries of commodity markets. And but there was little regard to what others farmers Working together it has an environment I’m proud of. were doing. “26 farmers turned up to our first It means I come to work every day in a meeting, but they all supported the living landscape that’s not only glorious, concept –– they could see that it just but one I’ve helped shape –– who could stewardship schemes with little regard to involved work we were all already doing, ask for more?” I what others around us were doing.” but by working together we could achieve The breakthrough for him came in June far more than we could as individuals,” 2011. On the back of a report by Sir John recalls Chris Musgrave. Lawton, Defra published a white paper on The plan for the Marlborough Downs a new type of environmental initiative. NIA was drawn up and submitted, and Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs) were was one of just 20 invited to be presented partnerships where groups were asked to to Defra. “Going up to Defra head office submit proposals for new ways of delivering was great –– they could see the enthusiasm nature conservation on a landscape scale we had for the scheme. There were only –– 10,000ha was the minimum. two farmer-led initiatives across England “What excited me was the bottom-up –– the rest were submitted by conservation approach –– rather than follow a list of organisations. prescriptions laid down by Natural “For us, there was a downside though England, it gave farmers for the first time –– we had no working capital and we had the opportunity to decide what they The Marlborough Downs NIA has a necklace of to negotiate up-front payments for the wanted to do.” dew ponds and small pond complexes on a huge amount of work it took to set up the ribbon of wildflower-rich grass margins. NIA, while others had funds they could draw on.” But the bid was successful and by June 2012, the scheme was fully up and On-farm innovation running. This has seen the restoration of wildlife sites and dew ponds strung Farmers are constantly innovating to together with wildlife corridors. There’s improve their businesses, which is why strong public engagement through events BASF is committed to investing 10% of its like Open Farm Sunday and through sales revenues into R&D to deliver new working with local groups, such as technologies for farming. BASF’s new Riding for the Disabled, which caters innovations include pioneering agricultural for carriage-driving, allowing greater chemistry, as well as Innovations Beyond access to the Marlborough Downs for Crop Protection like biologicals, bacteria, disabled people. soil and water management and renewable “More recently, we’ve seen the group technologies. Our future is firmly focused on catering for injured servicemen and delivering towards farming’s future. women –– it’s wonderful to be in the enviable position of being able to help improve their quality of life,” notes Chris Musgrave. “But it’s managed public access –– we The first step was to map out 10,000ha, then put up signs to inform people what we’re the owners of the 42 farm holdings this doing, and draw them to areas they’ll encompassed were invited to a meeting. receive most benefit, that we’re most Innovations Beyond Crop Protection proud of and where public access

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Is your bed too deep? field-level demonstrations. At James Daw and family’s farm, W B Daw and Son, in Roots Potatoes Staffs we’re examining potato production from a best practice perspective on a With potato planting just round the corner, now’s a 20ha site.” good time to reassess the approach. CPM attended the In 2015, the demonstration site looked at best practice on nutrition, meeting that reviewed the results of AHDB Potatoes’ soil management and cultivations, seed Strategic Potato (SPot) Farm. rates, greening, crop variability and yield mapping, irrigation scheduling and By Lucy de la Pasture preventing run-off. “There has been a tremendous amount of engagement from across the industry in The differences between pure research explains Dr Philip Burgess, head of the first year of the project. This year an and actual practical application in the knowledge transfer at AHDB-Potatoes. additional SPot Farm in the East has been field can be huge. AHDB Potatoes has “The idea was to highlight some of proposed and the areas of work we’re attempted to bridge the gap by showcasing the research that’s going on but also to showcasing is set to expand,” explains all the latest research in a commercial provide a platform where levy payers Phil Burgess. setting at their SPot Farm in Staffs. and agronomists can interact with and James Daw is a progressive farmer and Levy payers fund £1.5 million of challenge the experts on their views in along with his son, Sam, is at the cutting research and innovation. That’s a lot of a practical situation, right through from edge when it comes to gadgets and the useful information being generated but planting to harvesting. latest precision techniques. Soil mapping, the problem has always been getting the “At the Strategic Potato Farm we’re crop canopy assessments and the use benefits of research into growers’ hands, scaling up the research work to commercial, of drones are some of the areas where L

The idea “was to provide a platform where levy payers and agronomists can interact with and challenge the experts on their views.”

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Potatoes

L precision technology is helping to build properties that affect crop productivity, a wealth of information. including water content, soil texture, cation “It’s helping us better understand the exchange capacity (CEC), drainage land we’re working with and the areas conditions, organic matter level and where we can push the yield potential, subsoil characteristics. as well as the marginal areas where we To make the SPot demo site meaningful, can make potential savings because James Daw chose a field with variable they persistently underperform,” says soil type to be typical of the real life James Daw, explaining the rationale. challenges growers face. The SPot Farm Soil tests kick off the planning, with demonstration was situated on Gravelly a nutrient and PCN analysis as well as Bank, a sandy clay loam soil with a clay soil electrical conductivity testing. This content between 19-35%. As its name measures the soil water’s ability to conduct suggests, the field is moderately stoney, positive charge which correlates with soil largely in the subsoil, giving the site The objective of forming a bed is to get just potential for vulnerability to drainage enough soil to grow a crop of potatoes, says as well as structural problems. Mark Stalham. Pracitical headache Before a potato was even planted, James Daw. “We ploughed (to 35cm Gravelly Bank threw up the first practical depth) at right angles to the Simba headache for the SPot team, which led to cultivations because the soil was very wet a switch from the primary cultivations underneath. It was a surprise to us to have intended as current best practice. “The to plough. This field has been in potatoes field had been in stubble turnips over the 4-5 times since the 1980s, always from winter and grazed by sheep,” explains stubble turnips and we’ve not had to Dr Mark Stalham of NIAB CUF. plough before potatoes in the past. It “Best practice on the farm is to generally just goes to show that you have to have go in with the Simba SL as primary shallow flexibility as every season is different.” An electrical conductivity scan of the SPot Farm cultivations (to 25cm depth) and this is what The demo work looked at work rates site shows an area of heavier soil as well as an was planned, but the wet spring and sheep and costs of bed-forming following the old pipeline across the right-hand section of had really caused the soil to slump.” different primary cultivations –– best the field. “We had a plan but had to adapt our practice plough versus the Simba SL best practice to suit the season,” adds non-inversion. “Bed-forming following the L Seed age key to tuber size

Another of the areas being explored at the Spot “A variety such as Innovator (planted at the Farm is seed rates and how best to meet the SPot Farm) isn’t as effective at opening its eyes size requirements of the target market. One of to produce stems as a variety such as Estima, the points made was that not all varieties so for Innovator there isn’t such an important behave in the same way when it comes to the relationship between age and stem production,” relationship between stem production and age adds Mark Stalham. of seed. “According to the work done by CUF, most As a general rule, older seed produces more commercial seed is planted too close together, stems than younger seed of the same size, reducing marketable yield. It’s actually better to explains Dr Mark Allison, NIAB CUF. “The interval have some seed left over at the end of planting The interval from emergence of the seed crop to from emergence of the seed crop to planting than to make what you have fit, so monitor planting the ware crop determines the seed age. the ware crop determines the seed age. Early seed at planting to see if you’re achieving emerging seed is ‘older’ than later seed when your target spacing.” delivered. James Daw outlined the current scenario. planted on the same date.” “The results of a PhD thesis being carried out “Seed grown under contract arrives on the So what’s the practical application of this at Cambridge University show that the important farm with tuber counts, but we don’t know its knowledge? “As seed becomes older it thing to get right, in terms of seed rate, is the age, whether or not chits have been knocked off becomes more precocious, producing more overall number of tubers planted per ha. The and it’s virtually impossible to find it out. It would stems, and has a shorter growing season. That average spacing in the row probably doesn’t be helpful to have this information.” means you need to adjust the planter to a wider matter as much in terms of overall yield, but Representatives of the seed trade assured spacing,” he explains. avoid double-dropping seed pieces,” adds growers that things were getting better. “A key aspect is to know the characteristics Mark Stalham. According to HZPC’s Richard Baker, the breeders of the variety you’re planting because there In general discussion, one of the points of Innovator, one of the best ways to find out can be big differences between the response of universally agreed upon by the growers in the the age of the seed is to ask for the date of different varieties to age and this can influence room was that they needed to have more herbicide application by the seed grower and optimum spacing by as much as 25%.” information supplied to them when their seed is add seven days.

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Potatoes

(360hp) with Sumo Forma behind, showed there was scope for working at a shallower depth than the farm’s current best practice, with savings to be made on fuel, labour, fewer clods and without adverse effects on yield and quality.

Shallow depth The standard practice was bed-forming to a depth of 45cm but working at the shallower depth of 37cm was 32% faster than the standard, 23% cheaper on fuel and labour and with fewer clods. In contrast, deeper bed-forming at 60cm De-stoning work rates and fuel consumption was double the cost of the standard 45cm Form a bed that’s too deep and you may create were only improved where deep bed-forming depth, with the highest wheel slip of all one that’s fluffy with a fine tilth that will be was carried out. at 28%. susceptible to slumping Eyebrows were raised at the observation L Simba was slower with wheelslip 8.7% that bed-tilling as a matter of course is a higher than on the ploughed land. That questionable practice on many soils and create a fluffy bed with a fine tilth that will equated to an increase in fuel and labour may not be a necessary operation. Mark be susceptible to slumping.” cost of 39%,” explains Mark Stalham. Stalham explains, “The objective of forming At the SPot Farm, the standard practice A closer look at the bed-forming depth, a bed is to get just enough soil to grow a is to deep bed-till using a Grimme RT6000 carried out with a John Deere 8360R crop of potatoes –– too deep and you may behind a Fendt 936 Vario, producing a A right Royal crop

Last year was a year of record-shattering, “We have our cattle muck analysed which this bumper yields. Although the achievements in the year was applied at 20t/ha, using spreaders with combinable crops sector grabbed the headlines, weigh cells to make application as accurate as a Yorks-based British potato grower is also flying possible. We use soil mapping and analysis over the flag, having harvested a whopping yield of the the farm to optimise the accuracy of P and K processing variety, Royal. applications, which we apply at a variable rate According to the Guinness Book of Records, according to the mapping information. I believe this Aerial view of the bumper crop with its canopy the world record for a crop of potatoes stands at has helped us increase the uniformity of our soil starting to drop into bulking in early Aug. 72.9t/ha. Although Ibbotsons Produce’s director, indices across this field over a period of years.” James Hopwood, isn’t claiming a new record, All James Hopwood’s potato ground is flat-lifted the transport tickets are proof enough that his before ploughing to 30cm. A base suspension and have increased our marketable yield by an processing crop of Royal has performed extremely fertiliser is applied onto the ploughing, before deep average of 12% over the past three years.” well, producing 79.64t/ha on contract to ridging and bed- tilling (if required depending on As a further management tool, James Hopwood McCain Potatoes. soil conditions) prior to a pass with Grimme uses a drone to help identify any areas of concern Asked what he attributes the huge yield to, CS150 de-stoner. in the crop. “In this field, the drone picked up an he quickly points out that Royal is a naturally “We’ve moved to rotavating behind the area of 0.25ha of nitrogen-rich canopy, which high yielding variety, reflected in the contracted de-stoner to incorporate nematicides, when turned out to correspond to an old muck midden. tonnage of 59.3t/ha. “However, the yield in itself, required, with a small set of ridging bodies This had the potential to effect the dry matter I believe, is through taking a holistic view to behind,” he adds. content so we were able to manage this small production and therefore productivity.” Part of James Hopwood’s ethos is to prevent area appropriately as a result,” he explains. As part of that approach, good soil his crop from coming under stress. To help achieve management forms the linchpin of the farming this, neutron probes are used to monitor soil The stem cross section of 2.5cm transports enterprise. “It’s important to retain and build soil moisture deficits and manage irrigation plenty of nutrients and water from canopy organic matter to enable improved moisture and accordingly, with only 3 passes required in 2015. to tubers. nutrient management. This field was planted with He believes one of the key factors influencing a stubble turnip cover crop over the winter, grazed the performance of the crop is supplying nutrients by sheep which helps us achieve this while throughout the crops rapidly changing growth also keeping volunteer weeds down,” explains stages to avoid any hidden hungers. James Hopwood. “We use the Optiyield nutrition management He also uses hot radish as a cover crop on the plan throughout the crop’s development. This helps farm, which he incorporates in mid Nov, because us meet the crop’s requirements for nutrients in its biofumigant activity helps reduce populations a strategic and targeted manner. We also apply of PCN. biostimulants when the Optiyield model suggests

88 crop production magazine february 2016 bed depth post-tilling of 56cm. Shallow and deep bed-tilling were compared within each of the shallow, standard and deep bed-forming demonstrations. “Deep bed-tilling was very costly in terms of fuel (£34/ha), compared with £13/ha for the shallow. Deep bed-tilling was also not effective at reducing the proportion of large clods,” explains Mark Stalham. “Where rows were shallow bed-formed and shallow bed- tilled, the operations were 48% faster than the standard best practice but de-stoning work A bed depth of 31cm allows 19cm rates (one of the major reasons of soil between the top of the ridge for bed-tilling) and fuel to the bottom of the seed tuber, consumption were only leaving 12cm of soil below the seed. improved where deep bed-forming was carried out.” According to James Daw, the growers present. shallow beds were anecdotally When asked directly whether slower to harvest but there he now had the confidence to was no increase in dirt tare, set cultivations shallower, misshapen or green tubers. James Daw replied that he In fact, across the cultivation has doubts because of the demos, there was actually more variability in depth of soil tuber greening in the standard across his farm. and deep beds than in the “Have I always gone in too shallow. deep and overworked the That trend was repeated seedbed? Yes, I think I have. when the bed-tilled plots In 2012 we had a good planting were assessed versus the no and then had 39 inches (990cm) bed-tilled, there was more of rain and the soil slumped. greening where the seedbed If the seedbed had been left had had the extra pass. In spite coarser then harvesting would of the possible advantages of have been easier,” he says. moving to shallow secondary “I’ll now try not to overwork cultivations there was a common the soils and I’ll go in shallower, feeling of nervousness about but I’m not confident not to making the change among the bed-till. What happens before L

There’s scope for working at a shallower depth, with savings to be made on fuel, labour, fewer clods and without adverse effects on yield and quality. Potatoes

important to remember to manage the soil rather than the clod.” Moving back to the point of how much soil is just enough in a bed, Mark Stalham points to the shallow de-stoning treatments where the bed measures 28cm from the top of the de-stoned bed to the depth where the harvesting share will operate. “When bedded up this will give you a depth of about 31cm. If you plant tubers so there’s 15cm of soil between the top of the seed tuber and the top of the ridge and 19cm to the bottom of the seed tuber, then this still leaves 12cm of soil in the bed below the seed. That’s more than Hosts of the AHDB SPot Farm, James and Sam Daw use soil mapping, crop canopy assessments enough and when questioned, harvester and drones to build a wealth of information on the crop. drivers often only request 5-6 cm below the deepest tuber.”

L the de-stoner is the important bit.” destroying soil structure. Possibly because Summing up the event, Phil Burgess Mark Stalham was quick to point out to of the horse power available in modern notes that perhaps the real value of the James Daw that he knows his soil and tractors makes it easy to pull equipment SPot Farm lies in the discussion and not knows where it’s deep with more clay over-deep, just because they can. just bridging the gap between research and where it’s shallower. “Why not run the “Soil type will be the major factor and farm practice. “The SPot Farm helps bed-tiller as usual but only work at depth influencing how shallow you can work,” everyone involved in the industry interact, where you really need extra soil to plant? adds Mark Stalham. “In sandy soils, which highlights the gaps in communication For the rest of the row, where bed-tilling there’s a risk of creating a pan if you work where information needs to be more isn’t essential, just shallowly work the soil too shallow. In sandy and silty loams, if available. There’s also a sharing of as if you were incorporating a nematicide you work too deep then there’s a trend knowledge as well as the latest as this is the key to breaking down clods,” that yields will be lower because you get research-based thinking to take he suggests. slumping with rainfall. In heavier soils, it’s back to their own potato enterprise.” I With a plethora of maps generated by the precision techniques used on the farm and a very engaged team of tractor The making of a bumper crop operators, it’s an approach that James Daw will consider as it would reduce Harvest date 23 Oct – 03 Nov machinery costs yet keep work rates up. Yield 79.64t/ha The best approach for growers is a Average tuber count per 10 kg 37 gradual move towards working shallower Planting date 18-21 April on your own soils, suggests Mark Stalham. “Do some controlled strips and come up Nutrition an inch (25mm) in depth every year until Available nitrogen/t 0.75kg you find your own optimum.” Available phosphate/t 2.0kg The general consensus in the room was Available potash/t 7.4kg that the majority of soils are overworked, FYM applied 20t/ha Fertiliser suspension/liquid broadcast 1925kg/ha of 13-9-22 Aerial shot of the SPot Farm taken by a drone, Optiyield programme one of the precision farming techniques used GS3 tuber initiation (early hooking) Activator, Base, Ful-zinc, Ful-man on James Daw’s farm in Staffs. GS4 tuber initiation (swelling) Phi-diamond, Activator, Seaspray 45, Ful-mol, Optiyield K GS5 50% of swellings are twice MagPi, Ful-K stolon width GS6 50% ground cover Seaspray 45, Activator, Base GS7 All tubers formed, rapid growth ends Aqui-S GS8 100% ground cover, tuber MagPi, Optiyield K, Seaspray 45 bulking begins GS9 Mid tuber-bulking Phi-diamond, Seaspray 45 Irrigation 18mm on 14 June 22mm on 28 June and 15 July

90 crop production magazine february 2016 element of long term with an appropriate rate of one selecting for resistance, say thinking involved. of the more robust triazoles? the experts. This may be the very It’s that word ‘appropriate’ When it comes to straight beginnings of the again, and the general idea products, I’d doubt any CPM demise in SDHI appears to be that if you use reader would even think of not chemistry or a a large enough dose of the using a triazole with the SDHI warning shot over the triazole, it will have enough to save a few pounds, but bows. Either way, we need activity to mop up any septoria you may want to quiz your to take it seriously because that could potentially escape the neighbours on their plans there’s nothing new in the SDHI. There’s always been a –– such a strategy would be pipeline. We have to look after debate about whether you select absolute suicide for the whole our fungicide chemistry or to for resistance by reducing rates. industry. So for the moment it put it bluntly, we’re snookered. It’s an interesting one and open seems it is ‘as you were’, just How much is As discussed in this issue, to interpretation. as long as you were actually there’s the concept of using There’s a view about the following the FRAG-UK ‘appropriate’? ‘appropriate’ dosing to slow triazoles that using more than advice… down selection for fungicide necessary only causes a slight Back in the day, when I was resistance. Use too much shift in sensitivity of the septoria more attached to my boots SDHI/azole and you’re selecting population. So I reckon we’re Based in Ludlow, Shrops, than my laptop, I was often for resistance, use too little and currently in the situation where it Lucy de la Pasture has asked what was it I did for a the same thing applies. makes little sense to overly trim worked as an agronomist living. The term agronomist It’s a grey area and that leaves down triazole rates and risk not and reckons we’ve just tended to draw blank stares so agronomists with the question, properly covering the back of the about had more than the I usually described myself as a ‘what exactly is the right dose?’. SDHI. The exact opposite is true ‘appropriate’ dose of crop doctor, which seemed to At this point, agronomy crosses of the SDHI when it comes to rainfall this winter. sum it up pretty well. over from being a science to an dose –– use too much and you’re As this issue has come art form. There are many factors together, I once again find that influence what makes the myself drawing similarities right dose on the day, a number If only septoria looked like this when it’s time to control it. The disease has between the problems facing of which can only be assessed an uncanny ability to be invisible when you’re making spray decisions, pharma and our industry when by an agronomist’s experience which makes the appropriate treatment and dose more of an art form than considering the significance of and ‘feel’. a science. the discoveries across the Irish There’s no way everyone can Sea –– superbugs. get it right 100% of the time, The news that a strain of especially when dealing with a septoria with reduced sensitivity disease like septoria that has an to the SDHI group of fungicides uncanny ability to be invisible is probably one of the most when you’re making spray significant things CPM has decisions. The reality is we need reported in the last couple of in-field diagnostics to detect seasons. Granted, we won’t latent infection and better know the true significance of this weather forecasting/disease for months to come but the point modelling if we’re ever going to is, it really doesn’t matter if this get dosing more refined. In the particular strain proves to be a meantime, there’s a delicate one-minute wonder and then balance to find between getting disappears off the face of the the job done and overprescribing. earth. What is important is that it But there are some further highlights the fact that resistance important questions in my mind. to SDHIs will occur at some Firstly, does the disease pressure point. What’s more, the only and season warrant the use of an thing we can do is to slow SDHI at all? If it does, then is the down that reduction in efficacy application timing targeted and from happening. fungicide strategy tailored to It’s a good time to really get the most benefit from the question fungicide strategies chemistry? And last but not least, and make sure there’s a strong is the chosen SDHI partnered

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