In this issue... Combine climb page 32 Precision pointers page 57 Tweaks deliver capacity progression Eight-page special insight on technology
Resistance wrestle page 16 Leaf spot of bother page 22
Opinion Volume 18 Number 8 4 Talking Tilth – A word from the editor. September 2016 6 Smith’s Soapbox – Views and opinions from an Essex peasant….. 75 Last Word – A view from the field from CPM’s technical editor Technical 8 Weed control - Devil’s in the detail Blackgrass control last season was generally below par but it wasn’t necessarily down to resistance. 14 New product - Leading herbicide upstaged Hamlet is set to take the lead role against blackgrass in the autumn. 16 Theory to Field - Wrestling the resistance beast As two major AHDB-funded weed-resistance projects conclude, a third is underway. 22 OSR disease - Coping with a chaotic disease Light leaf spot is a disease that last year caught many growers with their trousers down. 28 Tech Talk - Early action stems fungal threat Putting the pieces of the autumn disease-control jigsaw together Editor provides the basis for a joined-up approach to managing phoma. Tom Allen-Stevens Technical Editor Lucy de la Pasture Machinery Sub editor 32 Combines - Tweaks take the tech forward Charlotte Lord There are small changes in the combine line-up for 2017 that add up Writers to big productivity benefits. Tom Allen-Stevens Olivia Cooper 36 On Farm Opinion - Small changes push productivity James Andrews Lucy de la Pasture To really appreciate the developments on Claas’ new Lexion 700 combines, you have to run one alongside an older model. Julian Cooksley Martin Rickatson 40 On Farm Opinion - Simplicity delivers on high-spec requirement Design and Production Growing crops for seed demands a forensic level of attention to detail, Brooks Design which is what a Rutland grower took with his latest combine. Advertisement co-ordinator 44 Tyres - The heavy price of more muscle Peter Walker The crushing weight of modern farm machinery means compaction is now Publisher a major factor affecting the health and productivity of agricultural land. Angus McKirdy 50 Cultivations - Strip seeding needs active approach Business Development Manager Weeds and slugs can soon wipe out any savings you make from direct drilling. Charlotte Alexander 52 On Farm Opinion - More from maize with combi-seeding? To claim two crop protection BASIS points, send an email to Companion cropping could offer considerable benefits in maize, but you [email protected], quoting reference CP/37178/1415/g. need the right drill and the right system.
To claim two NRoSO CPD points, please send your name, NRoSO member number, date of birth and postcode to [email protected] Special *the claim ‘best read specialist arable journal’ is based 57 CPM special insight - Precision agronomy on independent reader research, conducted by the With the help of our sponsors, we’ve brought together some of the latest National Farm Research Unit 2014 developments in this eight-page special feature. Editorial & advertising sales White House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY5 8LP Features Tel: (01743) 861122 E-mail: [email protected] 65 On-farm Innovator - Collaborative agronomy Reader registration hotline 01743 861122 Scottish Agronomy boasts the largest trials network north of the border, Advertising copy but it’s the sharing of ideas that may gve it real strength. Brooks Design, 24 Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 1RD Tel: (01743) 244403 E-mail: [email protected] Roots CPM Volume 18 No 8. Editorial, advertising and sales offices are at White House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury SY5 8LP. 70 Potato harvest - Early crops disappoint Tel: (01743) 861122. CPM is published ten times a year by A slow start to the potato growing season has put a dampener on yield CPM Ltd and is available free of charge to qualifying farmers and lifting behind schedule. and farm managers in the United Kingdom. 73 Potato storage - Chocks away, old CHAP In no way does CPM Ltd endorse, notarise or concur with any of the advice, Just six months old, the Innovation Centre for Crop Health and Protection recommendations or prescriptions reported in the magazine. (CHAP) is already delivering new potato research facilities. 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 september 2016 3
giving up on food production that shook me to my herbaholic came in an email, so it’s hard to and do something else with core: “There are blackgrass tell). It’s pretty much bullet-proof, my land. populations we now know in other words. So it’s real, it’s That would take that are less susceptible to happening, I’m pushing it and conservatively about glyphosate” (see Theory to Field if there’s any population that’s 500t of wheat out of on p16). It’s actually real and it’s likely to crumble, it’s mine. world production –– no actually happening. That’s a pretty compelling big deal really. Until you The other aspect of this that’s argument to change –– search consider that’s 1.7M really galling is that resistance for new ideas, try them to see if loaves of bread, or the is almost entirely down to what they work, monitor and develop How entrenched annual consumption of 54,848 you do on your own farm. You the system, share ideas with is my addiction? people. So it follows I’d push can blame blackgrass-ridden others and glean the benefit of 54,848 people closer to bales of straw or contaminated their experience. starvation if glyphosate lost its cultivators if you like, but But then, I’m a herbaholic To a herbaholic such as approval. It wouldn’t take many research has shown that –– maybe a reformed one, but myself, the prospect of losing other farmers to do the same resistance develops from like many others, still addicted to glyphosate simply doesn’t before there was a world food localised selection pressure in the chemical can. Is it realistic to bear thinking about, but it’s crisis, and all because a field, driven exclusively by the think we can truly find a way to a very real threat. glyphosate may supposedly farming practice applied to the avoid this unthinkable calamity, I’m not talking about the be harmful (but hasn’t actually local weed population. So it’s or will it be down to the next regulatory threat because I harmed anyone yet). real, it’s happening and it generation, unsullied by our don’t believe such a menace So no –– call me a delusional develops at a pace you have addiction but wizened by our exists. One of the things about herbaholic if you like, but I don’t direct control over. experience, to forge a new way? being a herbaholic is that it think even the pencil-pushing The final piece of the jigsaw instils in you an unquestioning blotter-jotters of Brussels or is likelihood –– if this horror is conviction that no law of the Whitehall would be so daft as to happening, how likely is it that land will ever come between do such a thing as ban it’ll happen to me? Let’s look at you and the subject of your glyphosate. the evidence: when they tested Tom Allen-Stevens has a 170ha addiction. The actual threat is weed my blackgrass, those friendly arable farm in Oxon, and would like So, although there were times resistance. Ever since people at ADAS were kind to thank his 54,848 customers for this summer when glyphosate herbaholics like me started enough to inform me that mine’s their continued support. appeared to come close to talking about glyphosate in the top 3% on the resistance joining the growing band of resistance, pretending we were scale (I swear they also wagged [email protected] pesticides we’re deemed too facing up to the reality, we their finger at me, but the news irresponsible to handle carefully, always sheltered behind the I always knew sense would assertion “no case of resistance NRoSO bonus prevail. to glyphosate has been Besides, it seemed a pretty confirmed in the UK to date”. While we’d hope there’s cause crop protection BASIS points ludicrous suggestion that In fact, as a journalist covering enough for you to turn the that are available. To find out glyphosate would lose its the issue, it’s always been one following pages and devour the how, turn back to the contents approval, even if there was of the first questions I ask carefully crafted words we’ve page and look for the BASIS a shred of science behind (although I’m not really sure brought together, we’ve now and NRoSO logos. the theory that it’s a probable whether this is to establish facts added two extra reasons. carcinogen. What would be the or because I’m desperate for You can claim two NRoSO CPD consequence and the human that reassurance). points through reading CPM. cost? For myself, and my lowly Well this month, I got a reply This is in addition to the two 170ha, I’d probably consider from a well respected scientist
of the stable, flat line and down. And as many of us As for farmers, the starts to shoot up the chart know only too well, you can question is: are we getting like every weight-watchers fit 30 scarcer hedgehogs heavier as a breed or worst nightmare. at 33g a piece into one fat lighter? It would be rude So while some 10kg badger. of me to comment. species such as skylark But when we weigh up the have fallen by 3 million fortunes of British agriculture to 1.5 million, there are in recent years in terms of increases of species such as pounds and ounces then Guy Smith grows 500ha of mute swan that have doubled unfortunately the trend is combinable crops on the their numbers from 32,000 to almost always down. In the north east Essex coast, 64,000 over the same period. 1980s we grew on average namely St. Osyth Marsh –– Weighing up This skylark-swan dichotomy a little over five million ha officially the driest spot in the numbers might look like a nett loss of of arable crops in the UK. the British Isles. Despite bird numbers, but it should be In the 2010s that figure spurious claims from others remembered that 64,000 is down nearly half a million that their farms are actually swans at 10kg a piece weigh ha. Since 1980, the UK drier, he points out that his farm is in the Guinness You can almost guarantee 40t more than 1,500,000 countryside has a quarter of Book of Records, whereas skylarks at 40g a piece. a million tonnes less breeding than when Brexit reform is others aren’t. End of. in the air the conservation While we’re on this avian ewes than it did 25 years NGOs will duly turn up the weight-watching theme, it’s ago along with a reduction volume when it comes to worth noting we have an of over a million tonnes of Email your comments and their tales of British wildlife additional 34t of buzzards dairy cows. ideas to [email protected] in decline with agriculture patrolling British skies since being the cause. 1970 while down below Right on cue we have patrolling the hedgerows there ‘The State of British Wildlife’ are an added 66t of magpies. It wasn’t an oilseed rape harvest to bit of farming sod’s law. remember, with mediocre yields, It goes along the lines produced by a cabal of lobby It would also be remiss of me but I did like the way my daughter that when a plant constitutes groups led by the RSPB. not to point out that as a captured my chagrin from the back part of a crop then they can Basically the thrust of the nation we also enjoy an extra of a tractor cab with this photo. And be vulnerable to an unwanted report is that if the highlighted 45t of great tits than we did now the cycle has started again negative reaction to approved trends of the last 50 years 40 years ago. with 25ha of our marshland drilled herbicides but when those continue then in 50 years’ So the overall trend is up and now awaiting a decent rain. same plants become weeds time, the British countryside British birds is getting bigger Concerns about erucamide they suddenly prove very will have the same level of and heavier. This is not a levels, now that intakes are difficult to kill. biodiversity as that found in matter of over indulgence routinely tested, have the average car park. This around the bird table but pushed us to drilling only is designed to engender a rather the fact that most larger Clearfield varieties. We sense of crisis which requires species tend to be waxing have grown plenty of high political action. while most of the smaller erucamide OSR varieties But here’s the thing: if you ones are waning. Our skies for the HEAR market on read the RSPB’s most recent are fuller than they were this farm over the past 20 years, so I’m now annual report on the state of when it comes to species worried about volunteers the UK’s birds, you will note such as crows, pigeons, surviving in the soil there’s actually been no herons waterfowl and raptors and contaminating low overall decline in our wild bird but less peppered with erucamide crops. populations since 1970. This buntings and sparrows. Hopefully any such is true when you analyse the It’s a similar story with the volunteers are susceptible stats by numbers of birds or mammals with the big boys to Cleranda (imazamox+ by species of bird. Intriguingly such as deer on the rise and metazachlor), although when you do the analysis by the smaller chaps such as I’m reminded of an old weight, the graph comes out harvest mice on the way
6 crop production magazine september 2016
Devil’s in the In dry years, the“ best strategy is to do as little as possible detail and let nature take its course.”
Technical Weed control
This makes the gap between harvest spraying off is doing much for overall Blackgrass control last and drilling a crucial slot for blackgrass control? According to John Cussans, the season was generally below control –– crop-free fields are the best answer to this depends on the weather opportunity for some serious weed control. –– the one thing we have no control over. par but it wasn’t necessarily So what can growers do in the coming “If you compare dry and wet years in down to resistance. CPM weeks before drilling and the pre-em the data, then the best strategy diverges programme? and become opposites. In dry years, the canvasses expert opinion on Seed mortality is the number one best strategy is to do as little as possible which small changes can priority. Eliminating viable blackgrass seed and let nature take its course. But in is essential, but this doesn’t always mean wetter conditions, which promote provide the biggest gains in repeated cultivations and glyphosate as survival, anything you can do to promote the fight against blackgrass. John Cussans of NIAB explains. germination will help to reduce the subsequent burden.” By Lucy de la Pasture Blackgrass seedlings Dry surface conditions are quite hostile “There seems to be an over-riding to blackgrass and other weed seeds. assumption that if you can get blackgrass Fluctuating temperatures, little moisture, seedlings to germinate before you UV radiation and biological activity all The harvest is off, autumn seed’s drill, then you’ll reduce the blackgrass cause many of them to perish –– known purchased and the early birds are population in the crop. But if you look at as direct seed mortality. Anything that cracking on with field work. Blackgrass data from published UK data and from increases soil contact can reduce direct control is all about incremental gains, overseas, then there isn’t actually a very mortality, he explains. say experts, and these days relies on strong relationship between the amount of “The fact that we haven’t taken sufficient putting together a plan of attack that blackgrass you get to germinate before account of this part of the weed’s biology incorporates both chemical and cultural you drill and the blackgrass that you get is perhaps why true no-till systems seem control in an effort to achieve the 97% in the following crop.” to work better with respect to weed control needed to keep blackgrass from This begs the question whether all the management than you’d expect from gaining the upper hand. effort that goes into greening up fields then existing models of the system,” he notes. L
8 crop production magazine september 2016
Weed control
we’re not talking about deep cultivations, just the things people normally use to stimulate blackgrass germination by increasing seed-soil contact. In dry years, this small amount of soil disturbance can actually protect seeds from the harsh elements.” In wetter years, the target is to achieve more indirect seed mortality –– germination followed by destruction of the weed with a spray or steel. The important thing to keep in mind is that there needs to be a gap of Not everyone has the luxury of leaving land about three weeks between cultivation and uncultivated – if you chop and incorporate straw any subsequent spray. It needs this time so the decision’s been made for you. John Cussans believes going to all the effort of that all the weeds that can germinate, will greening up fields then spraying them off may germinate, he says. 50mm in that month would count as a dry not be doing much for overall control. John Cussans is keen to emphasise that year according to his research. by wet or dry years he doesn’t mean the Because the UK weather is inherently L “Rolling and superficial cultivation take occasional wonderful or appalling summer, variable, in some years you can get a good seeds from the surface and integrate them but simply above or below average rainfall dry spell for direct seed mortality, followed into the surface zone within the soil –– so for the month after harvest. Less than by rainfall towards the end of Sept which
Farm trials seek answers on adjuvants
As soon as spray quality gets into the finer could see the pattern of spray deposition and spectrum, drift becomes a problem, but can assess coverage. adjuvants help address this? That’s what “The WSP showed there was better ground Dorset-based former spray operator of the year, coverage when the adjuvants were added, Iain Robertson, has been investigating. regardless of the nozzle used. The Defy 3D gave “I found it hard to understand how an superior coverage, especially around the ‘clods’ adjuvant could help retard drift and increase so would be my nozzle of choice, but if the coverage, as I felt this was a contradiction. But if weather conditions were sub-optimal then the it’s possible, then it could improve the number Guardian Air would be the next option. of spray days in the autumn.” So what conclusions does Iain Robertson So Iain Robertson put aside his scepticism come to? “Adding an adjuvant, such as Back and decided to investigate to see how nozzle Row or Stay Put, to the tank-mix can improve Iain Robertson has been investigating residual selection and the use of an adjuvant could help the efficacy of a pre-em application. It appears spray deposition using different nozzle types and improve his herbicide application. to improve coverage and either extends the found adjuvants would increase spray days in “Adjuvants were pretty much snake oil and operating window that Defy 3D nozzles can the autumn. wizardry to me but I wanted to answer the work in, or if it’s too windy and a low drift option two questions –– does an adjuvant increase has to be considered, the adjuvant makes coverage compared to water and does an air-induction nozzles a good alternative,” pre-em herbicide being applied well at the adjuvant reduce drift?” he reckons, adding that he’ll be using the correct time or not at all,” he believes. He set out to answer these queries using two adjuvants he tested on the farm this autumn. Agrovista has been recommending an nozzle types –– 03 GuardianAir (air-induction “I’ll also be using C-Cure (Adj A0467) as oil-based adjuvant, Remix (Adj A0765), in their nozzles) and 03 Defy 3D nozzles (flat fan 80° it contains an extra component binding the residual herbicide programmes for some time, with an in-built 38° angle), alternating forward herbicides to the soil particles keeping it in says Chris Martin. “Remix contains a long-chain and backwards as best practice to ensure best the important top zone. I feel this is another carbon molecule which carries a positive coverage. The treatments he chose to compare important aspect that the adjuvants bring to charge, creating a bond between the spray and were water alone, water with Back Row (Adj the table,” he adds. negatively charged clay and organic matter 0472) and water with Intracrop Stay Put (Adj The puzzle of why the adjuvant reduced drift particles in the soil. 0507), applied through both sets of nozzles. and improved coverage was also clarified by Iain “One of the things Remix does is keep the Treatments were applied with the farm’s Robertson’s WSP experiment. “The adjuvants residual herbicide where it’s needed on the soil Bateman RB26 self-propelled 24m sprayer in don’t make the whole spectrum of droplets surface layers. We’ve found crop damage is a water volume of 100 litres/ha, at a forward coarser, as I’d previously thought. They actually reduced because the herbicide isn’t washed speed of 12km/h. work by taking out the very finest droplets, most into the rooting zone of the crop –– something As part of the experiment, he placed water susceptible to drift. that’s becoming even more important for crop sensitive paper (WSP) on the ground and on “The outcome of using an adjuvant could be safety as we’re using a stack of residual a wooden block, to replicate a clod so that he as dramatic as making the difference between a herbicides,” he notes.
10 crop production magazine september 2016 Weed control aids drilling and the activity of pre-em which you can’t afford, so only drill the herbicides. crops when you know you can come back But in other years, all the factors can with the sprayer for the pre-em. turn against you. 2012 was one of these, “A good philosophy for pre-em where it was wet post-harvest, increasing programmes is to hit them hard and hit weed seed survival, and then conditions them early. Bayer has carried out research weren’t right for pre-ems so the blackgrass over many seasons and using Liberator romped away, he says. (flufenacet+ diflufenican) at the true Although, we’re now halfway through the pre-em timing is the key to blackgrass post-harvest window, now’s a good time to control.” review progress and finalise the steps for Drilling in mid-Oct means there’s less drilling and pre-ems, reckons Ben Giles likely to be an issue with soil moisture, of Bayer. which is necessary for residual herbicides to move and take effect in the soil. Even if Leaving land uncultivated it’s dry, the herbicides persist in the soil so “As John explains, conditions and can take advantage of moisture when it Ben Giles reckons a good approach for pre-em decisions straight after harvest are arrives, he advises. programmes is to hit the blackgrass hard and hit important but now you need to work out Pairing Liberator with other residuals is
L it as soon as you can after drilling. what that means for establishment. Not the obvious way to boost overall control everyone has the luxury of leaving land uncultivated –– for example if you chop and incorporate straw the decision’s been made for you. “There was high seed return from blackgrass this season, so there’s a case for spring crops on some fields. Investing in establishment and herbicides when blackgrass numbers are already very high makes no sense. Focus effort on land which can be managed well and deal with the other land later,” he advises. The target drilling date where blackgrass is a problem is from mid-Oct onwards, so mid-Sept is the time for the final and perhaps only stale seedbed. This objective is to capture the dangerous autumn germinating blackgrass which swamps crops when you drill too early, he points out. “The main operations for establishment are best completed in quick succession: spray off, drill, roll then apply the pre-em. Any delays will give weeds an opportunity
Defy 3D nozzles have been designed to optimise the droplet spectrum to reduce drift, says James Thomas. Weed control
James Thomas of Syngenta points out that if the Defy 3D nozzle is used in such a way then it no longer has a three-star LERAP rating, which is something growers may need to bear in mind. “Syngenta recommend the Defy 3D nozzles are placed in alternating forwards and backwards positions along the boom, and this is based on 10 years of field trials and research carried out at Silsoe Spray Application Unit. Positioning the nozzles this way consistently gives the best spray Agrovista trials have shown that adding Remix to the pre-em herbicide (right) improves efficacy of a deposition in more than 10,000 wind tunnel 0.6 l/ha application of Liberator through an air-inclusion nozzle. experiments,” he explains.
L and protect herbicides from resistance finer spray quality –– two things that don’t Paying attention to spray quality has a as Ben Giles explains, “We’re in a situation normally go together. We’ve found that the big impact on the chances of residual where quite a small number of actives are best way to achieve both of these at the doing the work on blackgrass every year, same time is to use two angles of attack by so everything you can do to support them using a forward-facing line at a 30° angle with more diverse chemistry is a plus. Most and a downward-facing line, gives the importantly it reduces blackgrass numbers best results. ahead of a post-em follow up.” And that’s where attention to detail Drift reduction when it comes to spray application “In small trials, backward-facing nozzles comes in. According to Chris Martin of can help deposition of residual herbicide Agrovista, application has never been on soil but when it comes to field more important. As blackgrass control application, the forward speed causes becomes reliant on residual herbicides, too much drift. Putting the second line of getting this part of the equation right nozzles facing downwards compensates can bring bigger benefits in terms of for the higher percentage blackgrass control than forward speed of the sprayer,” he says. using more herbicide, he believes. If you don’t have a twin line on the It’s an area Agrovista has been sprayer, all is not lost. “Twin caps facing researching and they recommend a forward and backwards can solve the twin line on the sprayer for best results problem if you put a Defy nozzle in when applying residual herbicides, forwards in the backward facing cap. Chris Martin explains. This effectively converts the Defy nozzle Syngenta recommends Defy 3D nozzles alternate “It’s all about coverage when it comes to a downward facing nozzle and also forward and backwards, while Agrovista trials to using residual herbicides and that has the same effect with the new 3D suggest forward and straight down is better. means using higher water volumes and a nozzles,” he adds. Effect of water volume on blackgrass control
100%
95%
90%
85%
80%
75%
70% 50 l/ha 100 l/ha 100 l/ha 200 l/ha 200 l/ha 300 l/ha 015 FF 03 FF 03 Defy 3D 06 FF 06 Defy 3D 08 FF
In 2016 trials, using the Defy 3D nozzles at 200 l/ha provided 96% control against blackgrass. Source: Syngenta; assessed 12/05/16 herbicides working, explains effect. By increasing the volume Chris Martin. “For the same medium diameter (VMD) of the water volume, a coarse spray spray droplets –– essentially of 400 microns will have one by losing the very fine droplets droplet, a medium quality spray –– adding Remix also helps of 200 microns produces 8 reduce drift. Paying attention to droplets. When it comes to the finer details of application using a fine spray of 100 can boost control of blackgrass microns then the number regularly by as much as 30%, of droplets for the same water with even greater improvements volume increases to 64.” possible where application practices were previously Droplet spectrum poor, he comments. But the same isn’t necessarily James Thomas reminds true across all nozzle types, recommends that pre-ems are explains James Thomas. “While applied within 48 hours of a flat-fan nozzle produces drilling for best effect. “Drilling more droplets in a fine quality brings moisture to the surface spray, the Defy 3D has been which both encourages designed to optimise the blackgrass seeds to germinate droplet spectrum to reduce drift and activates the herbicide. and our trials show that you can Having the residual in place to apply in a lower water volume act on the blackgrass as it (100-200 l/ha) and get the starts growing and is most best coverage and control of vulnerable is what you’re aiming blackgrass (see results in chart for,” he says. above). When water volumes Farmers will measure the are 300 l/ha or more then there’s success of pre-em programmes a drop-off in control, mostly due with some caution following the to the concentration factor and way blackgrass fought back larger droplets.” this spring. Mild conditions last Another problem that can winter meant that pre-ems lead to poorer blackgrass weren’t backed up by winter kill, control at the periphery of fields so the plants recovered in the is a reduced coverage as the absence of a few hard frosts in headlands are approached, Dec, adds Bayer’s Ben Giles. explains Chris Martin. “As the “The question is: can sprayer slows down to turn on you guarantee a cold winter the headland, the pressure is to support your pre-em reduced leading to a drop in programme? And the answer spray angle and an increase in is no, so coming back with coarseness of the spray.” a post-em before Christmas He recommends using the is worth considering,” adjuvant Remix to reduce this he believes. I
Leading herbicide upstaged
Technical New product
Hamlet is set to take the lead enhanced metabolism resistant (EMR) role against blackgrass in the blackgrass, where average control from a autumn, and puts in a strong single shot of Atlantis is currently around 47%,” he adds, citing results from Bayer’s performance as a supporting 2015/16 weed-screen trials. player in highly resistant The Hamlet effect situations. CPM surveys But growers thinking they can get the the scene. same result by just adding a slug of DFF to their post-em Atlantis tank-mix will be By Tom Allen-Stevens disappointed, he states. “You don’t get the same effect –– only Hamlet delivers it, Hamlet brings up to a 10% improvement in control according to our trials. DFF is not a over Atlantis says Gordon Anderson-Taylor. For growers who’ve suffered the slings blackgrass product, and as a residual and arrows of outrageous fortune, it’s partner to Atlantis, won’t deliver the extra weed activity and spectrum,” notes time to take arms against a sea of 10% on its own.” Gordon Anderson-Taylor. troubles, suggests Bayer. Not by ending So what’s the difference here? Again, trials bear this out, with Hamlet them, but by using the company’s new Somewhat unsurprisingly, formulation performing 5-20% better on bromes and blackgrass herbicide. plays a role –– Hamlet is an advanced oil ryegrasses than Atlantis. “The benefit is Hamlet adds a dollop of diflufenican dispersion formulation that ensures an clear across the species. It also performs (DFF) to Atlantis (iodosulfuron+ increased speed of uptake, says Bayer. better than Unite (flupyrsulfuron+ mesosulfuron). Designed as an There’s also slightly more iodosulfuron and pyroxsulam) –– even a few per cent autumn-applied replacement for the less mesosulfuron, although it’s actually the extra control can have quite an impact.” leading post-emergence product, it’ll bring latter that does the blackgrass bit. Applied at up to 1.5l/ha, the best way to up to a 10% improvement in control over “The benefit of iodosulfuron is on unleash your extra 10% efficacy is to use its predecessor and reduced variability, broadleaf weeds, and ryegrass in it after a good pre-emergence herbicide, according to Bayer development manager particular. The DFF brings in some residual and early in the season –– trials on EMR Dr Gordon Anderson-Taylor. control of blackgrass and bromes and blackgrass showed control dropped off “That’s on difficult sites with high extends residual and contact broadleaf by around 13% between growth stage
14 crop production magazine september 2016 ) t n u o c
t n a l p
( Hamlet vs Atlantis
l o r
t 100 n
o 90 c 8% 5% s 80 s a
r 70 10% g k 60 c a l 50 b
% 40 Atlantis WG Hamlet (1.5 L) Atlantis WG Hamlet (1.5 L)Atlantis WG Hamlet (1.5 L) (0.4 Kg) (0.4 Kg) (0.4 Kg) Applied GS11 Applied GS13 Applied GS23
Source: Bayer; mean of three weed screens 2015/16
11 of the weed and GS23. Atlantis plus DFF. But Hamlet Always use it with Biopower will be launched into a world adjuvant, in a spray volume where ALS-inhibitor resistance of 100-300 l/ha as a fine to is now widespread, he notes, medium spray, and mix in an so good stewardship will be effective residual partner, essential for growers looking he advises. to retain its efficacy. “For those with low to More blackgrass moderate levels of ALS-inhibitor “You need extra flufenacet, resistance, the challenge will pendimethalin or prosulfocarb, be to avoid burning Hamlet especially if you anticipate more out. Where there’s a high level blackgrass will germinate. of enhanced metabolism We’ve found 0.3 l/ha of Liberator resistance, Hamlet will still play (flufenacet+ diflufenican) a supporting role, and bring that works best.” 5-10% extra control.” As with But you may have to watch Atlantis, however, it will have little the DFF loading. A full rate of effect on ALS target site resistant Hamlet applies 75g/ha of DFF. blackgrass, he notes. There’s no legal limit, but if Research from Bayer’s sequenced with 0.6 l/ha of Weed Resistance Competence Liberator, you’ll be over the Centre has shown resistance typical advisory limit of 120g/ha doesn’t spread easily significantly at which there may be harm to between farms, nor within a farm a following oilseed rape crop. or a field. But it is the practice of “But if you break the DFF layer, an individual farmer that largely there’s no danger, so the determines how it develops advice is to plough or cultivate within a blackgrass population. to 15cm.” “Diverse cropping, including Bayer is looking to replace spring crops, makes a huge all autumn-applied Atlantis difference. Delayed drilling (including up to end of Feb) and other cultural control with Hamlet, says product measures should also be used manager Ben Coombs. “The to reduce weed numbers and market’s shifted from 40% ensure the chemistry is tackling applied in the autumn to 30%, a low population. Then ensure which we think is a result of your chemistry programme is more delayed drilling. Over diverse and effective, starting the next few years, we will pre-drilling with glyphosate and be introducing new products using a robust and dependable that will replace Atlantis for pre-em, based on Liberator, spring use.” before applying Hamlet to It’ll be priced on farm at a complete the programme,” similar level to the equivalent in he advises. I
Wrestling the resistance beast There are blackgrass“ populations we now know that are less susceptible to glyphosate.”
As two major AHDB-funded Oilseeds. But five years on, in Sept last weed-resistance projects year, a new project started to manage the resistance risk of glyphosate. So could conclude, a third is history be repeating itself? underway. CPM reports “There’s been no case of resistance to glyphosate confirmed in the UK to date,” on the research effort and he assures. “However, so many resistance how it’s gearing up growers mechanisms exist, it’s likely we’ll see it becoming a problem in ryegrass or in their quest to quell blackgrass within the next three to problem populations. five years.” By Tom Allen-Stevens Reliant on glyphosate The worry is that growers are increasingly reliant on glyphosate as resistance to In September 2010, an AHDB-funded post-em herbicides has risen. “We’re hearing blackgrass project got underway to anecdotal reports of multiple applications explore how winter cropping could be of glyphosate to stubbles to clean up sustained with the rising threat of blackgrass. In terms of resistance Paul Gosling believes glyphosate resistance is herbicide-resistant blackgrass (see management, that’s very bad practice.” likely to become a problem in ryegrass or panel on p20). And there are signs of some localised At the time, random sampling carried populations of grassweeds showing blackgrass within the next three to five years. out by Rothamsted Research and funded tolerance, he reports. “Initial surveys have by CRD had identified resistance to revealed a large variation in susceptibility to update the stewardship guidelines that post-emergence herbicides in as much and a number of farmers have sent in were issued last year.” as 50% of the blackgrass populations samples they believe are resistant. There This project runs alongside the tested, although growers were reporting are blackgrass populations we now know that BBSRC/AHDB-funded Blackgrass generally good levels of control from Atlantis are less susceptible to glyphosate, so it’s vital Resistance Initiative, he adds. “BGRI is (iodosulfuron+ mesosulfuron). all growers take steps to delay the process of represented on the steering group and With resistant blackgrass now an resistance building in the field.” close collaboration is maintained through established problem across most of the This is the main focus of the new five-year joint activity.” UK arable area, and a threat to the rest, the project currently underway. “It’s looking at Meanwhile, the final report from the findings of that body of research are now how to use glyphosate to best control previous project that focused on control enshrined into standard practice, points out grassweeds with a minimum risk of strategies to beat resistant blackgrass in a Dr Paul Gosling of AHDB Cereals and resistance developing. The ultimate aim is winter-cropping rotation has been published.
16 crop production magazine september 2016 Theory to Field
Blackgrass control achieved by delaying sowing of winter wheat
Measure of control Effect Range Trials with a positive result Blackgrass plants/m2 33% less -41 to 78% 80% Blackgrass heads/plant 49% less* -15 to 84% 80% Additional control from 26% more 5 to 45% 100% There is now powerful and convincing evidence pre-em herbicides of the overall benefits of delaying autumn sowing. Source: AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds, means of five field trials drilled from mid/late Sept to early/mid Oct. *Similar reduction in seed return. scientific analysis had never been managed “We now have powerful and convincing populations had changed, and so had wheat before on this type of trial and it means evidence of the overall benefits of delaying varieties. But the key difference here was the we’ve great confidence in the data autumn sowing of winter wheat as part of a experimental design.” generated,” notes Richard Hull. strategy to improve control of blackgrass by The plots were larger, drilled on specific “But the really novel bit was the interaction chemical means,” notes Paul Gosling. dates with set seed rates. Uniquely, each of the pre-em herbicide. We didn’t think we’d “Growers needed the numbers, and was split, with only half of it drilled so there see a discernible difference in its efficacy it’s largely thanks to this research we was a true comparison for the effect of through delayed drilling. But we really did, can be confident about the control each treatment. “We could look at them and it was remarkably consistent across all strategies that have been widely adopted independently, or study the interaction five sets of trials.” in bad-blackgrass situations.” between them. Such detailed, robust Average control rose from 47% for a L For Richard Hull at Rothamsted Research, which led the five-year winter-cropping project in collaboration with NIAB TAG, there was a fundamental question researchers were looking to answer. “We knew that resistance to ACCase herbicides was well established and that ALS resistance was creeping up. We wanted to know if it was actually possible to achieve a sustainable level of blackgrass control in an autumn-sown crop without these herbicides.” Three aspects were trialled. “We opted for one that would offer a big advantage –– delayed drilling –– and one that would make a smaller contribution, which was seed rate. We also looked at the impact of spring-sown, in comparison with autumn-sown wheat.” The results largely backed up previous research carried out by Dr Peter Lutman and Dr Stephen Moss some 30 years earlier, so why were new trials necessary? “Blackgrass
In terms of resistance management, multiple applications of glyphosate to stubbles to clean up blackgrass is very bad practice.
crop production magazine september 2016 17 Theory to Field
the trails was the pattern of blackgrass emergence. “We tagged plants at emergence and followed them through to see how much seed they produced,” recalls Richard Hull. “87% of blackgrass germinates by mid Dec, and just 3% germinates in March, April and May. These late emerging plants What surprised the research team was the produce on average just one head, with consistently improved efficacy of the pre-em this being half the size of a head from an herbicide achieved through delayed drilling. autumn-germinating plant.”
Problem eliminated and setting up the new trials, explains That doesn’t mean to say a blackgrass Lynn Tatnell of ADAS who leads the research problem will be eliminated in a spring-sown programme. Richard Hull wanted to know if it was actually crop, he cautions. “Where there’s a high “What’s surprised us is just how much possible to achieve a sustainable level of burden, 3% of a lot is still a sizeable current practice varies. Growers use blackgrass control in an autumn-sown crop population. Also, you shouldn’t underestimate completely different dose rates, and some without post-em herbicides. the contribution of the herbicide programme make multiple applications to stubbles, while –– one aspect these trials have shown in others rely on just one. Generally, rates are a
L mid/late Sept drilling date to 73% for particular is that cultural methods play lot lower than we were expecting or hoping, early/mid Oct. But this level of control a useful and vital role, but to control which may be a worry. Label guidance on crumpled if spray timings slipped. blackgrass, you must combine these glyphosate use in stubbles is vague, however, “We looked at the effect of applying a with effective herbicide use.” which may explain the divergence in peri-emergence herbicide, compared with But going forward, it’s the efficacy of practice.” a true pre-em. For a Sept drilling date, there glyphosate that’s likely to be the focus of A number of grassweed populations was a small difference. But in Oct, average AHDB-funded related research. The initial have been identified in commercial crops control dropped from 80% to just 50%.” year of the new project has been spent that now show reduced sensitivity to Another aspect explored thoroughly in gathering information on current practice glyphosate, following research carried out L Change of culture as chemical control dwindles
It was in 2013 that Paul Drinkwater, manager but he admits it’s limited. “The problem is the of Abbotts Ripton Farming Company, based in chemistry –– clethodim still works for us, which Cambs, first identified herbicide resistance in is useful in sugar beet, but blackgrass control in his blackgrass population. peas is a nightmare.” For 2017, 40ha of RGT “When you see it come through the crop at Planet spring barley will be introduced, however. flowering you know resistance has reared its Autumn cultivations have also come ugly head, and once here, you know you’ve got shallower. “The Discordon was too aggressive, so it for good,” he says. we use a Knight press –– I know they say 50mm The business farms 2400ha based near depth should be the aim, but we find the best Huntingdon on Hanslope series heavy boulder results all round at 75mm.” A 4m Tillso Sabre clay. The rotation includes winter wheat, winter Tine with seeder has just been purchased for barley, oilseed rape and spring beans, with one-pass low-disturbance OSR establishment. potatoes and sugar beet. The prospect for glyphosate is a worry for “I’ve been farming these fields for 40 years Paul Drinkwater. “The biggest threat at the Paul Drinkwater has had to change his practice and you get to know where the blackgrass is. moment seems to be regulatory, so the first to get a grip blackgrass. It’s still in the same place, but we’ve always priority for the industry is to retain it as an been able to control it with herbicides in the option,” he says. so many different approaches now on trial. To a past. I thought Atlantis would see me out, but “But we use thousands of litres of glyphosate, certain extent that’s up to growers to learn what we’ve had to change our practice to get a grip and around every crop. So we follow the system works best and then stick to them. on the problem,” says Paul Drinkwater. stewardship guidelines and are using water But anything researchers can do to share The biggest change has been to delay drilling conditioners and wetters in a bid to make it more information and offer some joined-up thinking from mid-Sept to mid-Oct. “Being a heavy-land effective. Resistance is a threat, but I don’t see it will help,” he says. farmer, you have to be realist, and we go into becoming a problem while I’m still farming.” “What’s clear, however, and very different to the autumn each year and play it by ear, He’s encouraged by the level of research how things were when I started farming, is that depending on field conditions. But we always that’s currently put into blackgrass management. the solutions won’t come out of a chemical can. leave the worst blackgrass fields until last.” “There’s some good work going on, and we No one’s looking too hard for a new active Sugar beet, potatoes and peas within the need to know where tools such as drones and ingredient, so we have to get back to proper rotation offer another opportunity to tackle mapping are taking us. There needs to be a farming and rotations to learn how to stay on blackgrass, as they’re established in the spring, better level of coordination, though –– there are top of resistance.”
18 crop production magazine september 2016
Theory to Field
L by Dr Laura Davies in her recently Research round-up completed PhD, reports Lynn Tatnell. “We’re monitoring these carefully. They can still be AHDB project RD-2009-3647, Sustaining (FMC) and in-kind contributions from the industry controlled with a robust rate, but the fact winter cropping under threat from herbicide- partners. they exist is a concern.” resistant blackgrass, ran from Sept 2010 to Dec AHDB Information Sheet 03, Minimising the The field trials are being carried out 2014. Its aim was to better quantify the impact risk of glyphosate resistance was published in in conjunction with Agrii, Frontier and of three non-chemical methods for control of summer 2015 and can be downloaded at Hutchinsons, who each have established blackgrass in combination with a robust cereals.ahdb.org.uk/weeds blackgrass trials sites, and this new work fits herbicide programme. Led by Rothamsted AHDB project RD-2012-3788, Preventing a in with their programmes. “We’re focusing on Research, with NIAB-TAG as scientific partner, wide scale increase in ALS resistant broadleaf the window from harvest through to drilling, its total cost was £172,216, funded by AHDB weeds through effective management in a looking to find out what flushes, and what’s Cereals and Oilseeds. cereal-oilseed rape rotation, ran from Oct 2012 required to control it,” she says. AHDB Project Report 556 from this to Sept 2015. Its aim was to develop practical Either one or two glyphosate treatments project can now be downloaded at solutions to prevent an increase in ALS are being applied at different timings from cereals.ahdb.org.uk/weeds resistance, focusing on common poppy, early Sept to mid-Oct, as well as an AHDB project 214-0006131, Managing the chickweed and mayweed. Led by ADAS, Dow untreated trial. “Most glyphosate treatments resistance risk to retain long-term effectiveness AgroSciences, DuPont and BASF were industry will be 540g/ha, although we will be of glyphosate for grassweed control in UK crop partners. Its total cost was £186,000, with assessing the difference one 1080g/ha rotations, runs from Oct 2015 to Sept 2020. £120,000 funded by AHDB Cereals and dose makes, so there’s a total of six Its aim is to provide information to develop Oilseeds. treatments,” she says. more robust guidelines to reduce the risk AHDB Information Sheet 54, Herbicide All plots are cultivated at the start then of resistance. Led by ADAS, Agrii, Frontier, resistance in broadleaf weeds, has now been half of each plot gets a second cultivation Hutchinsons, Agrovista and Syngenta are updated with the latest findings and can be at drilling. The drilling date will be mid-late industry partners. Its total cost is £500,000, downloaded at cereals.ahdb.org.uk/weeds Oct, and all plots will then receive a robust with £250,000 funded by AHDB Cereals and News and updates from the AHDB-supported pre-em and post-em herbicide programme. Oilseeds and the remainder funded by Resistance Action Groups (RAGs) can be found “We’re intensively monitoring the Monsanto, Nufarm, Albaugh and Headland at cereals.ahdb.org.uk/rags blackgrass emergence between flushes, as well as what comes up in the following Theory to Field crop.” The sites will be contained and populations of resistant poppies and treated sensitively, she adds, so that if any chickweed have come to light and cases regimes propagate resistant populations, of resistance in groundsel have been there’ll be no danger to commercial crops. confirmed. “We’re not expecting a While the field trials focus on what’s resistance explosion, but this is a creeping logical and practical, a set of container problem and can become an issue for trials will look to push resistance to the those who take their eye off the ball,” limit. “We’ve collected some of the UK’s he says. most resistant blackgrass populations As with all forms of weed resistance, and are treating them in a way to increase however, he emphasises it’s important not the likelihood of glyphosate resistance to underestimate the threat. “In other parts evolving,” reports Lynn Tatnell. of the world and within Europe, herbicide resistance is more serious than it is here in Resistance pushed the UK, so there’s scope for the issue to Samples that originated from Peldon in escalate. Make sure you’re aware of the Essex, where resistance to other modes threat, monitor levels of resistance in your Lynn Tatnell has collected some of the UK’s most of action was first identified, for example, own weed populations and use a range resistant blackgrass populations and is pushing receive a low dose of glyphosate when of techniques, both chemical and cultural, them to the limit. the plant is well tillered –– a timing not to combat it,” he concludes. I recommended in the field. “We have some survivors and have collected the seed so we can repeat the cycle and assess the effect over the course of the project.” A final part of the work is to validate an in-field diagnostic test for resistance. Developed at Jealott’s Hill in Berks by Syngenta, the RISQ (Resistance in season quick) test uses an agar gel to test whole plants that have ‘survived’ a glyphosate treatment. “If the test proves reliable, it will give growers a quicker measure of resistance levels of a problem population without having to wait for it to go to seed,” she notes. In the meantime, growers using glyphosate should follow the new guidelines to reduce the risk of resistance developing, she stresses. “Do what you can to prevent survivors, as repeat applications presentthe highest risk. Use the manufacturer’s recommended dose rate for the weed sizes present and use alternative control methods, such as cultivation. And keep a close eye on populations –– test any samples that may have survived treatment.” When it comes to broadleaf weeds, the guidelines for herbicide resistance has been updated following the conclusion of the three-year project looking at ALS resistance. These now include advice on how to take samples. “With chickweed in particular, this isn’t a straightforward job,” notes Lynn Tatnell. “Broadleaf-weed resistance is not widespread, but it’s an acute problem where it’s found. Using a wide range of active ingredients, relying less on ALS herbicides, will help, although this will put greater reliance on pendimethalin, which is up for review.” Paul Gosling confirms that more
crop production magazine september 2016 21
Coping with a Once infection “has occurred, the chaotic disease disease continues to cycle. ”
Technical OSR disease
Light leaf spot is a disease previous crop fuels the epidemic for the that last year caught many following year,” explains Faye Ritchie. “The fungus responsible for LLS produces growers with their trousers ascospores on crop debris which are down. CPM asks the experts airborne and provide the inoculum for autumn crops in the ground. So the why it’s becoming more greater the crop area, the more likely prevalent and what’s the best inoculum will be present to infect subsequent crops.” way to control it. Favourable for LLS By Lucy de la Pasture But it’s not just down to an increase in crop area. The weather’s also changed and last year in particular was very favourable for A decade ago, light leaf spot (LLS) was LLS development, explains Julie Smith. largely an important disease in Scotland “Unlike phoma, LLS is polycyclic, which and the northern reaches of the UK, means that once infection has occurred, but was less widespread in England. the disease continues to cycle. In recent years that seems to have “So there’s reinfection occurring from changed, with the disease popping up all conidia which are produced in acervuli on Infection occurs much earlier in the life of the over the country and superceding phoma infected leaves and spread by rain splash crop than when symptoms are first seen in the as the main disease concern prior to to new leaves. We suspect that infection field, says Julie Smith. Christmas. So what’s going on? can also progress internally within the plant ADAS plant pathologists, Faye Ritchie and may subsequently appear on buds and Julie Smith, point to a number of before they emerge in spring. as 17 days if mean daily temperatures are factors that are implicated in the rise of “Some of our early work showed that around 15°C. LLS across the nation. One of those is the LLS spores need 17 hours of leaf wetness “The warmer and wetter the weather, the massive increase in oilseed rape area for infection of the leaf to occur and then more quickly the LLS fungus will cycle, which occurred in its glory days, when enters a relatively long latent phase of which is why the challenge was so high last OSR prices hit a very healthy £450/t. approximately 260 day degrees, where season, although the pathogen is inhibited “OSR has doubled in area from the no symptoms are visible. This means by high (>21°C) summer temperatures,” 1990s and LLS is a disease where the that the latent period could be as short she says.
22 crop production magazine september 2016 If that sounds like a familiar pattern of disease, it’s because LLS is akin to septoria in wheat in terms of infection and spread. So does that mean that the principles of septoria control can be applied to LLS? That’s a question that hasn’t been fully answered yet as researchers play catch-up to find the best control strategy. But there are things that growers can do to LLS has a long latent phase so early limit the severity of LLS in their symptoms are difficult to see, crops, believes Julie Smith. especially on wet leaves. “The approach to LLS needs to be an integrated one and that all stacking up to have potential means choosing a variety with a to be another high LLS season, degree of resistance to LLS is a adds Faye Ritchie. good first step,” she says. “It’s Current advice is to apply a a tactic that wheat growers are fungicide from late Oct onwards employing as a matter of course or when the disease is first seen but it doesn’t tend to be the first in the autumn. With no spray thing that growers look at in an threshold for LLS before the OSR variety.” stem extension growth stage It’s an area that plant breeders of the crop, further fungicide are working on, with a couple of applications should be the newer varieties on the AHDB considered from Jan/Feb Cereals and Oilseeds East/West onwards when new symptoms Recommended List, Alizze and are seen, she advises. Elgar, having a score of 7 for LLS and some promising candidates Early symptoms in the pipeline. But the vast This relies on regular crop majority have ratings of 5s and inspections and more crucially, 6s, she points out. identification of early symptoms “Varieties with a higher of LLS. Early infection is resistance to LLS buy you something that both experts flexibility because they help keep agree is difficult to spot and may LLS levels low over the winter be a contributing factor where period before a spring spray can LLS is poorly controlled. be applied. This is particularly Symptoms to look out for relevant when the weather is are pale green lesions which catchy or the field won’t travel, tend to appear during Nov/Dec. so winter spray timings slip. These later take on a mealy “Effectively a resistant variety appearance without a defined will ‘shift’ the epidemic through edge. On looking closely at the time because there’ll be less lesion, it’s possible to spot tiny cycling of the disease and spore droplets (acervuli), usually fungicides can be applied in a around the outer edge of the more protectant, rather than than lesion and often on both leaf curative situation. That means surfaces. there’s less selection pressure for The spore droplets are white fungicide resistance as well,” and look a little like grains of explains Julie Smith. salt. In the early stages of the With crops now in the ground, disease the spore droplets may it’s a case of identifying which be present without causing any ones are at highest risk of LLS discolouration to the leaf, points infection and keeping a close out Julie Smith. “Early LLS eye on them. There’s likely to be symptoms are difficult to see, plenty of LLS inoculum around especially on wet leaves. this autumn and with cool The disease can also often summer temperatures another initially appear in patches factor favouring the disease, it’s across the field so can be L OSR disease
conditions can put the kybosh on late to control overwintering septoria, with autumn fungicide applications. Last season programs beginning at GS30. We do proved that point and in some cases LLS know autumn fungicide application can control was further compromised by not be beneficial for control, but whether or applying a second autumn fungicide not targeting the ascospore phase of LLS because growers were waiting for the right specifically in OSR is justifiable is time to apply Kerb, according to Bayer’s unknown, points out Faye Ritchie. combinable crops fungicide product Bayer commercial technical advisor, manager, Will Charlton. Jon Helliwell says that research last season “There’s a problem with this approach of showed that inoculum was plentiful earlier waiting to apply the second fungicide with than you might expect, even as the crop On looking closely at the lesion, it’s possible to Kerb,” he points out. “Fungicides need a dry was just emerging. spot tiny spore droplets (acervuli), usually around leaf so by the time conditions are right for “The results of the AHDB and the outer edge of the lesion and often on both Kerb to go on, the fungicide often has to be Bayer-sponsored spore-trapping initiative, leaf surfaces. omitted because blackgrass is the priority. coordinated by Weather INnovations Consulting (WIN), showed significant
L missed when field walking.” Autumn fungicide ascospore events in 2015 from Aug and But because of the long latent phase “40% of the UK OSR crop didn’t receive an right through the emergence phase. Crops of the LLS disease, infection is occurring autumn fungicide at all last year and of the were under threat from the moment they much earlier in the life of the crop than remainder, only one in five crops gets two came through the ground,” he explains. when symptoms are first seen in the field, autumn fungicides. Even where one According to Dr Neal Evans, plant reminds Julie Smith. fungicide has gone on, even if it’s one of pathologist at WIN, it was hoped that The easiest way to assess crops for the ‘stronger’ ones on LLS, no fungicide spore trapping would help produce a the presence of LLS is to incubate leaves can provide protection over the three to date-driven forecast for LLS, similar to by placing them in polythene bags and four-month window needed over the winter the one produced for phoma, but the storing them at room temperature for up to period. So LLS will get in,” he warns. polycyclic nature of LLS means that the four days, which will accelerate symptom Typically, agronomists do plan for two situation just isn’t as clear cut. expression, she advises. autumn fungicides targeting phoma but “It quickly becomes very chaotic at One of the problems for southern very often the second spray doesn’t go on. field level where LLS is concerned,” growers may be an over-emphasis on “It’s important to apply a robust treatment of he explains. “Within the crop there are targeting phoma control in the autumn, prothioconazole as the early spray because microclimates within the different leaf with LLS being unintentionally missed, the second spray can’t be guaranteed,” layers and different areas of the field. adds Julie Smith. he adds. Because the disease can keep cycling, “The first phoma spray should protect And that’s something both plant it’s also likely to be present at several against LLS, but offers a limited period of pathologists agree with. “If you can reduce different stages of infection. This is one of protection, so unless there’s a follow-up inoculum in the crop early, then there’s less the reasons that LLS infection can appear spray, the disease can develop. As a rule disease pressure on the next leaf level as patchy in fields.” of thumb, aim to apply a second spray which can lead to a reduction in the The effect of disease pressure on when re-infection occurs, which can epidemic, with potential benefits later different leaves and disease reduction at be anywhere from 4-10 weeks later, in the season,” says Julie Smith. specific leaf timings is something that’s depending on weather.” One pressing question that remains well defined in cereal crops but much less It’s part of the conundrum that growers unanswered is when exactly should control well understood in the OSR plant. Work face –– the reality is that often ground start? In wheat there’s no justification has begun to look more at the leaf layers protected after fungicide applications at L
27 T5 - 22/04/2016 Protected leaf layers 26 BBCH62 - 66 25 24 23 The figure shows a profile of an OSR plant from 22 21 sowing to pod formation. Ovals represent leaves 20 attached directly to the main stem with leaf 1 19 18 T4 - 11/03/2016 the first leaf to emerge after the cotyledons. 17 BBCH30 - 32 16 Red leaves (leaves 4, 7, 10, 18 and 27) were 15 the uppermost fully expanded leaf layer at the 14 13 time of the corresponding fungicide application. 12 11 Fungicide application dates are shown to the 10 T3 - 15/12/2015 9 BBCH18 right of the plant along with the growth stage at 8 the time of each application. Growth stages are 7 T2 - 16/11/2015 6 BBCH17 expressed in accordance with the BBCH scale. 5 4 T1 - 20/10/2015 Vertical bars to the left of the plant show which 3 It quickly becomes very chaotic at field level leaves remained on the plant at the time of 2 BBCH13 - 17 1 where LLS is concerned because of the polycyclic fungicide application. nature of the disease.
24 crop production magazine september 2016
OSR disease
this autumn? On the one hand, just like for 0.46 l/ha dose of Proline (prothioconazole) septoria, fungicides work best for LLS when to protect against LLS and phoma and used as a protectant rather than a curative these plots overwintered far better than treatment. The other side of the coin is that those left untreated. it’s not clear exactly when it’s economically “As LLS is polycyclic, we still had the best to start a programme. disease in treated crops but significantly less There’s not enough evidence at the than untreated crops. Results show that a moment to suggest two autumn fungicides well timed and robust dose of a fungicide for LLS can be justified, though there’s likely with proven activity against both diseases, to be some crops in some seasons that coupled with an agronomically strong variety, Airborne ascospores from crop debris provide the prove the exception to the rule, believes is the foundation for OSR disease control,” inoculum for autumn crops in the ground, notes Julie Smith, adding that LLS epidemics vary believes Jon Helliwell. Faye Ritchie. from year to year. “It makes sense that an application of a Plentiful source phoma fungicide with decent LLS activity “With so little OSR straw baled, the amount L the five key OSR timings –– autumn, late is a good start to an LLS programme on of infected crop debris providing a plentiful autumn, Jan/Feb, March stem extension and a susceptible variety,” she says. source of inoculum is a concern going flowering –– to help understand the influence At Bayer’s Hinton Waldrist demo site in forward. Growers will be drawing up winter of timings on disease control. Oxon, last season the disease control crop budgets and it might be wise to factor So how should growers be targeting LLS programme commenced with a single in split sprays or higher doses for those looking at single autumn treatments.” One of the frustrating features of LLS control is that typically field performance of fungicides can be very variable, with control typically in the 40-90% range. Pointing to resistance as the reason for this is a simple explanation but probably not the right one in the case of LLS, believes Faye Ritchie. “Fungicide performance very much depends on both the epidemic and the fungicide being used, with poor timing usually the root cause where fungicides appear not to be working well. Fungicides perform much better in protectant situations with less disease present than in what has become a highly curative situation,” she explains. “We don’t yet have a good handle on where we are with azole insensitivity in the LLS population, but we’re in a position to learn from what’s going on in with septoria in cereals and have the opportunity to implement a strong anti-resistance strategy before it becomes a problem,” adds Julie Smith. That means out-smarting the fungus by using resistant varieties along with mixtures of products, and those with different modes of action, SDHI plus azole will protect one another, she concludes. I
OSR stems this July showing high levels of LLS infection.
Phoma control in OSR Oilseed rape remains an integral part of arable rotations, and the most profitable break crop. The challenge is to consistently achieve high yields, year-on-year. Syngenta is committed to working with growers and agronomists to provide the varieties and crop protection inputs, along with advice and support, to get the best results –– starting with a focus on phoma.
within 300m of the source. the balance has changed with Ascospores will germinate LLS becoming prevalent in Early action overnight in moist conditions and many regions. infect leaves via stomata and Phoma can cause lodging wounds. Symptoms of infection and yield losses of up to 50% in are small pale lesions (phoma crops, so remains a disease to be stems fungal leaf spot) that appear 7-15 days reckoned with. Severe cankers can after infection, depending on disrupt water uptake, especially in temperature. The pale lesions hot conditions, leading to early threat develop black specks (picnidia), senescence of crops and a which are additional asexual consequent reduction in yield. Putting the pieces of the autumn disease- fruiting bodies. These release Under UK conditions, cankers further spores which are spread don’t reduce yield unless they control jigsaw together provides the basis to other leaves by rainsplash. expand to girdle at least half the for a joined-up approach to managing The fungus grows within the leaf stem by late May. without symptoms and spreads to phoma. CPM gleans some expert advice. the stem, where it incubates until How important is early spring. Rapid growth by the pathogen type? By Lucy de la Pasture fungus then produces a visible Lesions of L. biglobosa on leaves stem rot or canker. are usually smaller and darker in Phoma is one of those diseases smartphone app, Croprotect has appearance than those produced that you can’t be complacent all you need to know about its What impact does by L. maculans, but both types about, because when it strikes lifecycle and control just a fingers it have? vary according to interactions with it can decimate yields. In recent touch away. Phoma stem canker is a disease the cultivar and recent weather, so years, light leaf spot has been of worldwide importance in OSR, it’s difficult to identify speciation hogging the headlines but What is phoma? resulting in losses amounting to using disease symptoms. phoma hasn’t gone away and Phoma is a disease caused by more than £500M per season Of the two Leptosphaeria still poses a significant threat fungal pathogens, Leptosphaeria through severe epidemics in to the productivity of UK oilseed maculans and L. biglobosa. Europe, North America and rape crops, especially where Leptosphaeria sp. survive Australia. In the UK, AHDB susceptible varieties are sown. over summer on crop debris, estimates losses in 2010 were in A good understanding of the particularly the taproot and stem the region of £80M, so phoma has Phoma has pathogen’s lifecycle is critical to bases of old OSR stubble, and in the potential to be an economically “the potential to be help growers safeguard their the autumn they produce fruiting devastating disease. OSR crops believes Prof Jon West, bodies which release airborne Historically in the UK, phoma an economically senior researcher in plant ascospores. These then blow has been more important in devastating pathology at Rothamsted into nearby OSR crops and southern England, with light leaf disease. Research. But if genning up on although they can blow long spot the most significant disease ” epidemiology doesn’t appeal, the distances, most are deposited north of Lincs, but in recent years
28 crop production magazine September 2016 Tech Talk
and West which has had periods of wetter conditions than average. That means in southern regions, there’ll most likely be a delay in the maturation of fruiting bodies, so spore release will be late. In other regions, conditions have been more favourable for the pathogen’s lifecycle so spore release will be much earlier in the autumn. Jon West reckons a good There are useful online tools understanding of the pathogen’s to help growers assess risk and Small pale lesions appear 7-15 days lifecycle is critical to help growers time fungicide applications, after infection and develop black safeguard their OSR crops. such as Rothamsted’s phoma specks (picnidia), which are additional leaf spot forecast. This uses a asexual fruiting bodies. in OSR varieties to phoma may weather-based model to predict not be as effective against one when phoma leaf spots will appear recognise when a pathogen is pathogen type as the other. and is usually updated for the new trying to infect it and it then season around 1 Oct. mobilises its defences to ward How do you assess risk? it off. Whether a crop is at risk from How does variety While almost all the major phoma infections depends not choice help? genes have been relatively only on region and dominant Variety choice has a major rapidly overcome by the constant pathogens, L. maculans is disease in the location the OSR influence on phoma development mutation of the pathogen, RLm 7 thought to be more aggressive crop is growing in –– last year’s and is a good foundation for a has proved remarkably robust than L. biglobosa but recent work epidemic fuels this year’s –– but control strategy. Plant breeders despite its widespread commercial by the University of Hertfordshire also very much on the weather. have around a dozen major RLm use across Europe. has shown substantial yield losses In 2016, a cold spring has (Resistance to Laeptosphaeria As well as resistance genes, caused by the less aggressive been followed by a predominantly maculans) genes to phoma stem breeders also utilise a phenomenon L. biglobosa. It’s thought this may dry summer in the south of the canker to play with. A plant known as background (or be because the resistance genes country, in contrast to the North with resistance genes is able to quantitative) resistance. Varieties L Phoma priority for autumn disease control
Phoma is still the primary target of the a specific phoma treatment as soon “However, we know that we can autumn disease-control programme for as infection begins to take hold. “It’s manage any infection effectively, so the Herts grower, Joe Cole. But he’s found important to get the timing right, which main driver is the autumn vigour and that agronomy changes instigated to would normally be as a specific pass for establishment, along with overall yield tackle the increasing challenges of the phoma,” he advocates. potential,” he says. “Having a crop to cabbage stem flea beetle have helped Timing is typically determined by his manage is the primary objective, and in control of this primary autumn agronomist, based on infection levels in then we can look at the agronomy Improved autumn establishment of disease. surrounding crops and treatment options.” stronger plants with bigger leaves Earlier sowing and a move to thresholds. “However, last year, the Last season variety choice was gives Joe Cole greater flexibility for growing only hybrid varieties for the weather conditions prevented the dictated by the availability of the phoma-specific fungicide timings. past six years has improved autumn early application and we ended up neonicotinoid seed treatment. But establishment of stronger plants with combining the phoma treatment with Joe Cole notes that even varieties with bigger leaves, which gives greater a propyzamide herbicide application,” a phoma rating of 8 and claimed seasons a more susceptible variety flexibility for the phoma-specific adds Joe Cole. double resistance showed noticeably may require an additional spray if fungicide timings. He reports that the single application more infection, and that it came in reinfection continued longer into the Oilseed rape in the 830ha of arable of Plover (difenoconazole) last year was earlier. The varieties selected this autumn. cropping farmed by Ben and Joe Cole, sufficient to clean up the crop and season have lower stem canker ratings, With the extra autumn growth and based at Russells Farm, Kimpton, and effectively protected it for the rest of the of 7 and just 5. the crop vigour from early drilling, on contract farms on the Beds/Herts autumn. But if treatment was earlier “In reality, the phoma resistance Joe Cole highlights a spring PGR is borders, is sown into a Sumo Trio and reinfection occurred, a second score makes little difference to the increasingly important, and the cultivated seedbed, rolled before and application would be required. At the practical management of the crop as a fungicide effects that offers will also after drilling to conserve moisture. The later timing, he’d potentially look to whole, which will all be sprayed at the help to target any LLS infection. crop is given 30kgN/ha in the seedbed bolster LLS control, if it was considered same time. But we’d prioritise more “Ideally, after the effective autumn to get it going, then topped up with a to be a threat, by adding tebuconazole susceptible varieties, or crops with phoma treatments, we can avoid a bio-micronutrient foliar spray in the to the tank mix. smaller leaves –– potentially from later specific early spring fungicide and the autumn to keep it moving. Phoma resistance is considered as drilling or CSFB damage –– to prevent crop will stay clean through to the PGR In most seasons, he’d look to make part of the variety selection process. phoma spread,” he says. In some and flowering spray treatments.”
crop production magazine september 2016 29 Tech Talk
partly because breeders have How can we improve improved resistance. But another control? contributory factor was a It’s important to get OSR succession of relatively severe established well and growing winters a few years ago, which away in the autumn to avoid having delayed the stem canker backward crops, which are more development stage, thereby susceptible to phoma. If crops are reducing inoculum in subsequent on the small side, the risk of canopy seasons. effects has to be taken into account As a result, phoma sprays are when selecting which triazole tending to go on later than they fungicide to use in the autumn. Cankers that expand to girdle at least half the stem by late May can disrupt used to, which may be one of the Triazoles still provide effective water uptake, leading to early senescence of crops and yield loss. reasons that LLS is increasing control, according to AHDB work, in prevalence. In other words, but rates need to be kept robust at varieties available on the RL also growers were previously 50% or more of the recommended Phoma control in carrying good resistance to phoma inadvertently controlling light leaf dose. New SDHI fungicides also OSR: top tips with scores of 8. spot when they applied phoma give good control of phoma and sprays earlier in the season than an alternative mode of action. I G Look for varietal resistance – What’s an effective current practice. those with a good score for control strategy? phoma should be the first line Fungicides have very little effect of defence and also buy you once the fungus has reached It’s important to get OSR established well and growing away in the autumn to flexibility with fungicide timings. the stem, so the best timing avoid having backward crops, which are more susceptible to phoma. Source: Syngenta G Sow early to establish a for fungicides is after the first vigorous crop – this will significant release of ascospores reduce susceptibility to phoma in the autumn, ideally before more infection. than 10-20% of plants have phoma leaf spots. G Use phoma forecasts – along On susceptible varieties, a with crop scouting, these will two-spray autumn fungicide help you fine tune the application regime is advisable if phoma leaf of the first fungicide spray. spotting occurs early in the autumn (before mid-Oct), while
L with background resistance still a single autumn spray is effective can get the disease but it’s less if phoma leaf spotting is late severe and this is generally (appearing after mid-Oct). thought to be the more durable On more resistant varieties, form of resistance in the longer phoma fungicide applications term. can be more flexible in timing and Quartz, for example, which tops reduced or omitted completely Phoma Alert the AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds if phoma leaf spotting is late. Recommended List ratings for Phoma should always be the first Crops should be treated at stem canker with a score of 9, has How does this tie in priority for autumn disease control infection threshold, with applications a combination of major gene and with light leaf spot? in oilseed rape, targeted early to prior to the end of November using background resistance. Currently Phoma has decreased in prevent the worst effects of stem Plover alone; for later or follow-up there are several other OSR importance over the past 10 years, canker yield loss. applications, Plover should be NEW for the 2016 season, tank-mixed with tebuconazole Triazoles still provide effective control, but rates need to be kept robust at 50% Syngenta Phoma Alert will give where Light Leaf Spot is or more of the recommended dose. advance warning of specific phoma evident too. Source: Syngenta risks for your crops, to help better Visit the Syngenta website timing of Plover applications. to register for your local risk Working with ADAS, Phoma Alert assessment for agronomy actions: will utilise reference crops, varietal www.syngenta.co.uk resistance and weather forecast data to provide regular in-season updates of Phoma threats. Plover provides the most cost effective and reliable treatment to stop development of Phoma leaf lesions and to protect plants from infection.
30 crop production magazine september 2016
Machinery Combines The new model“ still boasts a There are small changes in harvesting throughput the combine line-up for of more than 50t of 2017 that add up to big wheat/hr. productivity benefits. ” CPM finds out what the main manufacturers are offering in place of the UK’s aging harvester hulks. By Tom Allen-Stevens Tweaks take the tech forward
With the number of new combines sold in Improved centrifugal threshing removes 700 range, is now available on the 600 the UK having sunk to nearly half what it more grain from the straw mat, improving series. “This option has proved very popular, was at its peak, it’s not surprising that performance when working with damper with 85% of new 700s sold with it,” says flash new models are a little thin on straw more common in UK crops. Adam Hayward of Claas. Sensors monitor the ground. When shod with tall 710/70 R42 tyres or engine speed, the APS and impellor drum That’s not to say that manufacturers aren’t 24-inch tracks, the CR8.80 treads a narrower and straw chopper, alerting the driver to innovating, however. Dig a little deeper into path through traffic and gateways at 3.24m any potential blockage. “It gives the operator the tweaks and tucks they’ve made in their wide. But the new model still boasts a the confidence to push the machine to its latest ranges and you’ll find some remarkable harvesting throughput of more than 50t of maximum capacity.” and quite irresistible features, once preserved wheat/hr when fitted with a 9.1m Varifeed Auto Slope control adjusts fan speed on for the premium models, are creeping into the table. It also features the same Twin Pitch uneven terrain, and the 600 series is now more standard machines. Rotor technology and Dynamic Feed Roll available with Claas’ Cemos automatic module as can be found in the range-topping cleaning, that sets the grain cleaning system Tucked-in technology CR10.90. to produce the optimum sample. Making its UK debut during New Holland’s Another addition to the 660 and 670 is the harvest demonstration tour during Aug and Straw-walker shine option of Terra Tracs. “Operators like the ride Sept is the company’s new narrow-bodied Following Claas’ upgrade of its Lexion 700 on the road, and say it makes the machine CR8.80. The latest model in its rotary series last year, the 600 straw-walker range more stable, while it spreads the weight combine line up, there’s a new engine which receives a facelift in time for the 2017 season. better and keeps transport width down,” meets Tier 4B emissions criteria and There’s a new engine, straw chopper and the notes Adam Hayward. adjustable vanes to improve grain separation. refreshed range picks up a number of other At the back, there’s a new straw chopper The CR8.80’s new FPT Cursor 11 engine features previously only available on the and radial spreader. “The drum width is brings it in line with the rest of the CR range, higher capacity range. larger so crop flow is more uniform. Blade with EcoBlue emissions technology meaning Power’s now provided by a 7.7-litre or diameter has increased so there’s larger no requirements for engine gas recirculation 10.7-litre Mercedes-Benz T4F compliant tip exposure –– a large volume of straw (EGR). The result is high efficiency while engine, putting out 313hp on the 620, up to and chaff can be accommodated and it’s remaining responsive when running under 435hp of grunt through the flagship 670. The accelerated to a higher speed, improving full load for long periods, says New Holland. 660 and 670 have Claas’ Dynamic Cooling residue spread.” Redesigned adjustable vanes have been system, that automatically adjusts cooling, The big news on the Lexion 700 Hybrid added and help improve power efficiency drawing clean air from above the combine, range is the new 7XL grain auger that puts and increase grain separation. Already in while dust is ejected in a skirt around the an extra-long unloading auger on the use on larger CR models, the vanes sit on the sides. This helps save up to 20hp, says the high-capacity machine for those heading top section of the rotor cage and help to manufacturer. down the Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) keep the crop on the rotor for longer. Auto Crop Flow control, developed for the route. The whopping 12m auger matches the L
32 crop production magazine september 2016
Combines
two new options for 2017. A distance engine speed management will now be height-control system allows the operator available on the S680, S685 and S690 to save a headland setting and a field combines in addition to the S670, T560 to cutting-height position, which can be quickly T670 and W660 models. resumed after turning at the headland. Alongside this, automatic header-control Mid-range might ensures that the cutting-platform height There have been a number of minor tweaks follows ground contours and cutting height to improve Massey Ferguson’s Activa S and is more consistent. Beta combine harvesters. “These harvesters All John Deere S-Series combines for are proving particularly popular among The CR8.80 treads a narrower path, but comes 2017 will feature the new DynaFlo Plus farms looking for an efficient and cost equipped with many of the same features as can aluminum cleaning shoe, which has been effective combine to secure their own be found in the range-topping CR10.90. increased in length by 12%. There’s a new harvests,” says MF’s Adam Sherriff. airflow concept and redesigned fan, which The Activa S combines have a 7.4-litre
L Vario 1230 cutterbar and is only available means the shoe is less sensitive and easier Agco Power engine chunting out a on Terra Trac models which have been fitted to adjust, with the result that tailing volumes maximum power of 243hp on the Activa with a reinforced 13,500 or 11,500-litre grain have t been reduced by up to 28% for 7345, while a 30hp boost for unloading tank. There’s a folding 2.11m long end-piece larger grains. takes the 276hp max power to 306hp on that wraps around the back of the combine The new active terrain adjustment (ATA) the Activa 7347. for transport and keeps the combine to a option alters the cleaning shoe chaffer, Both MF Activa S combines are available sensible length. sieve and fan in rolling terrain. This opens or with the Multi Crop Separator (MCS), closes the chaffer and sieves and adjusts claimed to provide enhanced threshing while Header contol fan speed, when travelling up and down remaining gentle on the straw. Engaged From 2017, John Deere will be replacing slopes, resulting in a productivity lift of up to electrically, this passes the crop through the the existing 300R cutting platforms on all 30% and reduced tailings of up to 50%, threshing cylinder to an additional drum W400 Series combines with 600R headers. says John Deere. It also takes into account and concave system providing up to 1.07m2 These have a larger diameter intake the type of grain being harvested, making of extra separating area. auger and feed plates, providing a better the changes to fan and chaffer settings The Activa S boasts the Proline cab, feeding capacity. accordingly. developed specifically for these machines, Meanwhile, the W330 combine will feature An optional 40km/h transport speed and that incorporates the TechTouch 2 terminal. Combines
Axial-Flow goes for Redekop chop
Case IH Axial-Flow 240 series combines have a The design features 12-blade paddle fans at new chopper option for 2017. The manufacturer’s each end of the chopper rotor. These generate working with Canadian firm Redekop to bring its maximum airflow velocities of up to 90mph which MAV (Maximum Air Velocity) straw chopper design draws both the straw and the chaff through the to the UK market. chopper as it’s ejected from the rear of the rotor, The new package creates a finer chop and explains Paul Freeman of Case IH. The Lexion 700’s new whopping 7XL grain auger more even spread of straw, leading to faster “Air is scavenged from the cleaning shoe, reaches a full 12m for those heading down the decomposition and incorporation into the soil, says drawing the chaff into the chopper so it’s mixed CTF route, says Adam Hayward. Case IH. The move follows two years of UK trials and distributed with the chopped straw. This to ensure the set-up’s suitability for UK conditions. airflow also helps present the straw lengthways to AutoGuide XLS automatic steering The Xtra-Chopping package will be an option for the 96 blades that are mounted in eight rows on provides accuracy down to 5cm, while the flagship 240 series Axial-Flow models and can the rotor. These operate at 3250rpm against an MF’s ParaLevel front-axle system offers be retro-fitted to existing 230 and 240 series adjustable counter-knife, helping to slice the straw automatic side-to-side levelling across combines. longitudinally as well as conventionally.” slopes of up to 20%. The Integrale option Xtra-Chopping retains the existing integral The paddle blades help blow the finely-chopped to PL combines provides complete two-speed Case IH Magna-Cut 120-blade material into the stubble across the full width of levelling, which raises and lowers the chopper. This is used as a discharge beater cut, he says, while splitting the stems lengthways rear of the machine to compensate for to pre-chop residue and propel it into the as well as crossways allows moisture and natural working on slopes of up to 30% uphill hood-mounted Redekop MAV chopper. The soil bacteria to get at the straw and break it down and 10% downhill. Xtra-Chopping is controlled via the combine’s more quickly. AFS Pro 700 terminal. The Activa S and Beta models have drum and concave threshing with “It provides features such as self-setting engines, with the 320hp, 8.4-litre capacity straw-walker separation, and all models and automatic reel speed, but it’s not overly version in the MF 7370 and PL models can be specified with MF’s PowerFlow complex,” adds Adam Sherriff. developing 30hp of extra power for header, which is available in widths up The MF Beta 7300 Series combines are unloading, while there’s a 7.4-litre engine, to 6.8m for the Activa S and 7.7m for the powered by six-cylinder Agco Power generating 276hp, on the MF 7360. Beta combines. I
Small changes push productivity
Machinery On Farm Opinion
To really appreciate the monitoring system and a number of in the Claas line, the Lexion 770. Key chopper improvements. differences between the 770 and the 780 developments on Claas’ new While the market as a whole was able to flagship are slight increases in horsepower, Lexion 700 combines, you buy upgraded 700 series Lexions in time for separation area and grain capacity. harvest 2016, a handful of farms were “We’ve long run two combines, always have to run one alongside an offered the opportunity to purchase one of working them together as a pair, in older model. CPM visits a the pre-production machines during their conjunction with a chaser bin and our launch season last year. Now with two own team of lorries,” he explains. Cambs estate doing just that. harvests under their belts, it was one of “With a single, large grain store and a those combines with which CPM caught continuous-flow dryer, we find this system By Martin Rickatson up during summer 2016. works best for us. When the 600 and 770 Lexion models were the flagships of the Operating two models range, we ran them, but as Claas continued Cast your eye over a 2015-16 model year Cambs-based Bartlow Estate is a to increase the size of its top model, we’ve Claas Lexion 700 series hybrid combine, long-term hybrid Lexion customer, having found we’re happy to stay with the power, and you’d be hard-pressed to spot run the machines since their mid-1990s grain-tank size and separation area of the significant differences between it and introduction. With over 2000ha of 770, even though the 780 is now available one of its immediate predecessors, which combinable cropping to cover, comprising and has marginally more of each. carried the same model numbers. a season-long spread from winter oilseed “Until summer 2015, we were running a Yet on the inside, a number of updates rape through winter wheat and spring 600 and a 770, with the older machine hired were made to the drum-and-concave/twin barley to spring beans and linseed, plus and the newer one owned. But prior to separation rotor machines in time for this a fairly strung-out spread of land, a single harvest 2015, knowing we had a good deal past harvest. These bring not only more top-of-the-range machine wouldn’t be of experience with the 770, Claas offered power and greater grain tank capacity, capable of the full workload, points out farm us the opportunity to purchase one of the but also a new cleaning system, optional manager Jason Turnbull, so the business pre-production upgraded 770s to provide Automatic Crop Flow shaft speed operates two models of the understudy final feedback ahead of the launch for the
36 crop production magazine september 2016 On Farm Opinion
With around the new/current model’s motor is a 15.6-litre £300,000“ of premiums straight six-cylinder unit, in place of the old 16-litre V-8, producing a higher rated power in the balance with our output at lower rated speed and 34hp more milling and malting crops, maximum output. it’s important we cut at Although Dynamic Cooling wasn’t new to last year’s 770 models, the farm’s existing optimum quality. 770, an early model, didn’t have this feature, ” and the business also benefited from this upgrade on the new machine. The system uses a variable fan drive that works on With both superseded and current (foreground) demand, providing only the cooling Claas Lexion 770 combines on its fleet, Bartlow capacity actually required at any time and Estate has been able to gauge the value of recent saving a claimed 15-20hp. upgrades. A fan/filter package lying horizontally on top of the engine bay draws air from the flows down the side of the combine to clean zone above the combine into the actively prevent dust rising, ensuring clean radiator, forcing it downwards over the air is being continuously drawn into the engine before it exits through louvred side engine and keeping the engine bay area
panels. This creates an air ‘curtain’ which cleaner, claims Claas. L
2015-16 sales year, and we accepted. So we retained our existing 2011 770 and since harvest 2015 have been running two owned combines, which also now gives us better forecasting of ownership and running costs.” The move has meant the farm has two machines with the same model number on the sides, but the specification of the combines is different in a number of key areas. First up is the engine –– while both powerplants come from Mercedes-Benz,
With the combines run as a pair and haulage based on a Perard chaser bin plus four trucks, a slight increase in 770 tank capacity has been welcomed. On Farm Opinion
L The other significant introduction among Lastly came the new Claas Automatic last year’s Lexion 700 series revisions was Crop Flow option. With many farms at this the new Claas 4D cleaning system. The firm end of the combine market looking for has long offered a 3D system to level the maximum productivity from their machines, upper sieves when working across slopes to Claas says its engineers identified that many avoid overloading the downhill side of the were working under high load for much of sieves, but 4D has added two key each working hour. The firm says it therefore components –– a slope-dependent rotor developed ACF to monitor and compare cover-plate control and automatic fan control. the working speeds of key components On combines specified with 4D cleaning, including the engine, APS primary an extra third pair of rotor cover-plates is separation and Roto Plus secondary fitted to the Roto Plus rotors, which are separation systems. divided in two. These are automatically adjusted according to the lateral and Rotor slip levels longitudinal angle of the combine, but with The system allows the operator to set the current separation and cleaning output preferred rotor ‘slip’ levels using CEBIS, and also taken into account. should this be exceeded an alert is provided The reassurance provided by Automatic Crop As the combine angle changes, the cover and cutterbar and elevator drives are shut Flow shaft speed monitoring has helped exploit plates on the up-hill side of the rotor are down, while the cutterbar brake is engaged, the greater potential of the new combine, automatically opened or closed. When the the unloading auger disengaged if active suggests Neil Hutchinson. combine is working directly up or down the and the Cruise Pilot cruise control set to slope, the 4D system also automatically minimum speed. ACF is designed, says year taking the operator’s seat of the new adjusts fan speed dependent on the angle, Claas, to allow operators to push combines machine and handing his five-year-old reducing the wind speed when working to their intake limits knowing the risk of combine to fellow driver Callum Ross. He uphill and increasing the speed on the way blockage occurring is minimal. reckons that aside from the more efficient down, in addition to adjusting the lower sieve. “With around £300,000 of premiums in the engine, the new 4D cleaning system has Among the other upgrades was the balance with our milling and malting crops, proved particularly beneficial among the integration of the optional CEMOS manual or it’s important we cut at optimum quality, and new series upgrades. automatic performance-maximising system the only way to guarantee that is to have “Although we’re in Cambs, we do have into the main CEBIS control terminal, and a plenty of combine capacity,” explains some banks, and on side slopes the new 300-litre boost in grain-tank capacity on the Jason Turnbull. 770 combine will retain its pace while 770 to 12,800 litres. Meanwhile, a new, “And getting crop off the field promptly keeping losses within limits, while with the slightly wider 12.3m cutterbar gives more means more time to achieve good quality older model it’s often necessary to ease margin when precisely cutting 12m bouts, cultivations and sound crop establishment. back by at least 0.5km/h to do that. particularly for those practising controlled So combine capacity isn’t just about Switching 4D off on a slope sees losses traffic farming. acreage.” immediately start to climb and the sample To keep the two machines operating at start to suffer. And fan speed is much faster With 4D maximum productivity, the business runs one to react when driving into and out of a dip. of Quivogne UK’s Perard Interbenne 30t “But the system does need fine-turning chaser bins –– which replaced a pair of in OSR – increased fan speed might be smaller Horsch units and is operated by desirable when working downhill in wheat, a Fendt 939 –– to fill a fleet of four farm but not in OSR.” artic trucks. He’s also found the hydraulic cover plate “We soon noticed the difference in the ‘bomb doors’ on the first two of the five rotor combine engines. As well as more power the concave pairs beneath the two separation new one produces more torque, meaning rotors to be particularly useful in some the engine doesn’t die back when unloading situations. Without 4D on the move with the combine at full “If we’re in dry, brittle straw I can close capacity, enabling the machine to continue them up so the sieves don’t become at exactly the same pace, where it can be overloaded, and I can consistently get necessary to ease back on the stick with the a good sample.” old model. The reassurance provided by the “We use the Claas Telematics package to Automatic Crop Flow shaft speed monitoring enable performance to be monitored directly system has also helped to exploit the from the farm office, and as a tool to plan greater potential of the combine, suggests refuelling. In 9-10t/ha wheat the new 770 Neil Hutchinson. averaged 58t/h using 76 litres/h of diesel “Knowing it’s there has given me a lot when chopping, compared to 52t/h using When working up or down slopes, the 4D system more faith to really push the combine on in 82 litres/h on the older machine –– a automatically adjusts fan speed according to the the knowledge I’m unlikely to block the difference of 17% or 0.27 litres/t.” angle, although this requires some fine-tuning machine. By coupling this with making more Head combine driver Neil Hutchinson in OSR. use of the Cruise Pilot feedrate control, I can operated the farm’s other 770 before last raise outputs by around 5-7t/h, and bring
38 crop production magazine september 2016 On Farm Opinion average output rates closer to spot rates. to an under-pressure chaser operator, And having the ground proximity sensors Neil Hutchinson suggests. now in the centre of the header on the new “Having that little bit more tank space 12.3m cutterbar has also helped here, gives our chaser-bin driver just a little more cutting out any bulldozing issues. time to take his loads from both combines, “We run both combines off a basic free empty into a lorry and return,” he says. GPS signal, with both set to cut at 11.6m. “And that can help prevent one of us Once I’ve set an A-B line, that’s shared with having to wait for him to get back because the other combine, and we can work fairly we’ve filled the grain tank in the meantime. precisely with matched bouts, despite the Unloading time on the new machine is slight difference in actual header widths. also impressive, again helping in this Being compatible with the Russian department.” There’s now the ability to dis/engage and GLONASS satellite network as well as the Meanwhile, it wasn’t just the combines fine-tune the chopper from the cab. US GPS one, the steering system retains themselves Claas reckoned to have signal well, and we’ve had it retro-fitted to improved in time for this past season. pre-production four-wheel steer trailer that the older 770. Previously, we had used the Back onto the drawing board went the was supplied with the combine is much Laser Pilot system, but we find this does firm’s trailer design for its largest headers, more manoeuvrable. I’ve been really have limitations in very dusty conditions.” and Neil Hutchinson says he has also been surprised by the places we’ve been able Neil Hutchinson also reserves praise impressed here. to get it into, and that helps to significantly for the improvements Claas has made to “Despite being longer, the new speed up moves between fields.” I straw-chopper control, with more fine-tuning now possible through the CEBIS monitor alleviating any need to leave the cab when making changes. “It’s helped improve quality of the spread pattern, meaning I can easily engage the baffle plate if a really fine chop is required. And I can also make a full switch between swathing and chopping from the seat –– there’s no need to leave the cab for any reason and get covered in dust.” Another 300 litres of grain tank capacity seems fairly marginal on a machine of this size, but it has added valuable seconds Farm facts
Bartlow Estate, Cambridge G Farm size: 2000ha of cropping G Soils: Hanslope series chalky boulder clay G Cropping: Winter wheat (feed and milling), winter oilseed rape, spring barley (malting), spring beans, spring linseed, sugar beet G Mainline tractors: Case IH Quadtrac 600 and 530, Fendt 939, New Holland T7.270, Massey Ferguson 7624 G Combines: 2015/16 (pre-series) Claas Lexion 770TT with 12.3m Vario header, 2011 Claas Lexion 770TT with 12.0m Vario header G Grain haulage: 30t capacity Perard Interbenne chaser bin feeding own artic trucks G Main cultivation equipment: 7m Väderstad TopDown, 12f Gregoire Besson plough, 10m Väderstad Rexius Twin G Drill: 8m Väderstad Rapid with Cultivating Solutions toolbar G Sprayers: 40m Agrifac Condor 3 plus 36m Bateman RB25
crop production magazine september 2016 39
Simplicity delivers on high-spec requirement
You just have “to get the job right and we put a lot of time and effort into doing that.” Machinery On Farm Opinion
Growing crops for seed working with breeding organisations such between yield and quality rather than demands a forensic level of as NSDO and PBI, together with local outright production. merchants. His father, Christopher, continued The attraction of specialising in high attention to detail, which is the tradition at Normanton Lodge, which is grade seed is the fact that it’s a premium just the approach one situated at the eastern edge of Rutland product which not many farms have the Water and where the family have farmed ability to produce. With three generations of Rutland grower took when since 1927. experience, the Renner family have a wealth choosing his latest combine. of knowledge in this specialist area and have Change in career remained close to the breeders, putting CPM reports. Determined not to be a farmer, George them at the source of new genetic material. Renner achieved a BTEC qualification in This year’s cropping includes 110ha of By Julian Cooksley mechanical and electrical engineering with winter wheat, all of which is grown directly a view to studying acoustic engineering. for the breeders. The varieties comprise However, during his gap year he decided Group 1 bread-making wheat Skyfall, At harvest time, every crop demands your that there were worse places to work than Group 3 RGT Conversion and Group 4 attention. But for George Renner, who the family farm and returned home in 1997, Belgrade, which is early to mature. The deals with high-grade seed direct from where he is now responsible for all of the line-up of winter wheats also includes some the breeder, attention to detail is critical, agronomy, spraying and combining, working high-grade multiplier seed of AHDB Cereals especially when he’s been entrusted with alongside his father and two dedicated and Oilseeds Recommended List candidate a tiny quantity of often pre-basic material. full-time staff who are an integral part of RGT Knightsbridge. “Sometimes we have the only field of a the system. Normanton Lodge also produces oilseed particular variety anywhere in the country, so The business encompasses 325ha of rape seed, all 40ha of it being Elgar for there’s simply no room for error,” he notes. mainly limestone brash, which is reliant on Elsoms, together with 55ha of vining peas “You just have to get the job right and we put adequate moisture in June and July for harvested dry for seed in the form of another a lot of time and effort into doing that.” crops to achieve good yields. Nearly all Elsoms variety, the semi-leafless Naches, The Renner family have been producing of the area is sown with seed crops on alongside the full-leaved variety Spandimo top-quality seed for three generations, ever contract to various breeding companies, for Daltons. since George Renner’s grandfather began the aim being to achieve a good balance As well as seed crops, the business also
40 crop production magazine september 2016 On Farm Opinion produces 85ha of Marmalade golden process and when looking for a new linseed –– a yellow-skinned variety that’s a combine we put the same care and commercial crop for human consumption. attention to detail into selecting exactly All crops are direct drilled with a Dale drill, the right model to meet our stringent a process which started 16 years ago when requirements,” George Renner explains. wheat was fetching less than £60/t and the farm had to reduce its costs. This method Reliability issues has been used ever since and is an “We’d had our previous 5.1m Claas important part of establishment, as seed Dominator 108 for eighteen seasons, but is often sown at very low rates due to last year it developed a couple of reliability limited availability, in bands which are 25cm issues and was showing its age. I was in apart to make hand rogueing easier and the workshop one day, repairing it, when At every stage of the production process George more effective. I received an invitation to an open evening Renner adopts a fastidious approach to detail. BASIS and FACTS-qualified, George at the Case IH dealership at Brigstock. Renner takes care of all the agronomy That started the whole process.” a 10m Axial-Flow 8240 to try out last year.” himself, although the farm is a member He looked at what Claas had to offer, but They aim not to have any machinery on of NIAB TAG and has a very good felt the modern equivalent of their Dominator the farm that’s not theirs. “We’ve seen the relationship with independent agronomist looked unnecessarily complicated and devastating impact of blackgrass on other Patrick Stephenson. impossible to clean out to the standard farms which have failed to stay on top of this At every stage of the production process required. very pernicious weed we’re paranoid about the Renner family adopts a fastidious “We researched every make and model introducing it on our own land. approach to detail. In terms of the machinery that might potentially meet our needs, “We’ve paid particular attention to they use this starts with carefully cleaning including New Holland, John Deere and eliminating blackgrass for the past seven the drill used to sow the seed, and follows Deutz-Fahr, but all incorporated some form years and don’t have any issues with it right through to the combine that harvests of secondary drum separator,” he recalls. because we walk the fields several times this valuable commodity. The trailers “Eventually we concluded that nothing a year with a knapsack sprayer filled with transporting it back to the store and the offered anything like the simplicity of Case’s glyphosate and kill individual plants to drying systems must also ensure it’s in Axial-Flow’s design, or would be as easy to prevent them from seeding. We also use perfect condition. clean. After spending time on two farms robust rates of herbicides to stay on top “Seed production is a painstaking which owned this type of machine we had of other weeds, such as brome grass, L On Farm Opinion
Axial-Flow 6140. They particularly wanted to side-hill feature that compensates for slopes. study the differences between the Axial-Flow The Renners’ new Axial-Flow 6140 Cross 8240 which they’d tried and the new 6140 Flow arrived in June, well ahead of harvest, model which the company would be leaving George Renner plenty of time to go introducing in the UK for 2016. through the entire machine with a fine-tooth As well as checking whether it would comb. In addition to sealing up any slight be suitable for the farm, George Renner gaps in the grain tank and cleaning system wanted to check how the two machines where weed and volunteer seeds might differed in terms of their design. In particular, lodge, he installed cameras to improve he was keen to access to every component visibility and the GPS system from their Dealing with high-grade seed direct from the to ensure that it could be completely previous combine, allowing him to breeder, often with the only field of a particular cleaned out between different crops and concentrate on maximising the quality variety anywhere in the country, there’s no room varieties to prevent cross-contamination. of the sample. for error. Happy with what he’d seen, George And it’s on delivering improved quality Renner compared notes with his father, samples and a reduction in the number of L as clean fields are an essential part of who also visited Case IH’s combine plant cracked grains where the emphasis lies for our business.” at Grand Island, Nebraska, USA, the home the Renners. So how has the new Axial-Flow Bringing in another combine without of Axial-Flow production. 6140 Cross Flow performed? thoroughly cleaning it out would be out of “The key thing for us, particularly in a the question, particularly a demonstrator that Key attractions season where the weather is difficult, is had been used on several other farms, he There were a number of key attractions. to have sufficient combine capacity so says. “So I spent two weeks going over Along with plenty of power from its 8.7 litre that we can harvest crops at exactly the every inch of the Axial-Flow. That gave me 400hp FPT Stage IV engine, they liked the optimum time and avoid any sprouting in a very good insight into its design and how mechanical simplicity and ease of routine the ear caused by wet or damp weather,” everything works, as well as a greater maintenance. “There’s only a handful of appreciation of the benefits of the grease nipples to cover each day, so single-rotor concept. That was underlined the job is quick and easy,” points out by driving it for the following two days George Renner. harvesting linseed.” The re-designed concave also got the What impressed him was the build quality. thumbs-up as it makes the combine easier “It undoubtedly represented a big step to clean out, with slide-out composite trays forward over our own machine and the at the base of the clean grain and returns header handled linseed much better augers, while the improved stone trap is because it didn’t clog up or wrap around useful on the farm’s brash soils. The ability the header auger and intake.” to change the concaves for a particular The Renners have paid particular attention to So George Renner and his father visited crop, rather than relying on a compromise eliminating blackgrass, including walking the Case IH’s European Headquarters in situation was also seen as a significant fields with a knapsack to kill individual plants. St Valentin in Austria, to view the new advantage. Another plus was the Cross-Flow Improvements aimed at ease and efficiency
Among the changes to 2016-model 140 Series easy process, says Case, while repositioning Axial-Flow combines is the introduction of a the driveline on the right hand side of the cleaning system claimed to be more efficient combine provides easier, quicker access. with increased throughput capacity. Already a machine noted for few drive belts, Following the rotor, a new six-auger bed there are even fewer on the latest Axial-Flow. has replaced the former five augers to convey Changes have been made to the ground-drive crop more quickly to the sieves, while a new system and many comfort features of the The new Axial-Flow combines have a cleaning automatic side-hill compensation system 240 range combines have been adopted. system claimed to be more efficient with optimises grain flow. The Cross Flow Cleaning The new transmission offers electrical increased throughput capacity. System feature is activated automatically to shifting between two mechanical ranges via a compensate for up to 12° of lateral slope. rotary switch on the console. Replacing the There are detail changes, too, such as new traditional gear-shift system, this method straw and chaff, as well as more precise composite bottoms for the clean grain and gives the operator the functionality of a swathing. Changing from swath to chopping tailings augers, said to make cleaning simpler semi-power-shift transmission, while the and back also becomes an easier process. The and quicker, and this is aided by the combine’s hydrostatic drive has been enhanced to operator has the option of changing from chop on-screen ‘Cleanout’ function. Re-positioning handle the higher traction loads which are to spread and vice versa from the cab or using the clean grain and tailings elevators provides commonly experienced in Europe. electrical switches mounted on the right-hand easy access to the combine’s right hand side. Other changes to 140 Series models for side of the combine. From here, the speed of Six smaller and lighter concave elements 2016 are designed to achieve better straw the chopper is also changed manually without make changing for different crops a quick and quality, for more precise spreading of chopped tools or belt changes.
42 crop production magazine september 2016 On Farm Opinion
new header picked them up very well. Conditions were very dry when we harvested the crop and our old combine would have caused some damage to the sample, but we had no such issues with the Axial-Flow. The only negative was that we had some difficulties fitting the lifters, which required some work to get them to fit in relation to the tine bars, but this was sorted The Axial-Flow’s single rotor design makes it out between the dealer and ourselves. much easier to clean and maintain than some “Like many other growers we’ve found other combines. that this season hasn’t been the easiest in which to harvest wheat, but we’ve The slide-out composite trays under the clean been able to utilise the full capacity of grains and returns elevators simplify the cleaning explains George Renner. the Axial-Flow.” process. “The greater power and output of the new The lack of sunlight had meant that some Axial-Flow mean that we can pick and of the wheats haven’t ripened as early as choose when we operate and really push expected, he continues. “Despite the grain on when conditions are in our favour. being dry, down to 12%-13%, some of the “It’s early days, but we’ve been very straw was green or not fully ripe, so the pleased with the way that the 6140 has combine had to work hard. We had to get performed. We started off in OSR and it into some crops before they were really handled that without any difficulty. We’ve ready, but the breeders had wanted to heard some horror stories about farmers make sure the seed of those varieties was who’ve seen very low OSR yields this year, available and needed us to crack on to but we operate a wide rotation and didn’t avoid weather risk so they could process experience any significant pest or disease the crop and get it out to growers. Despite issues and were happy when it came off this, there has been remarkably little The Axial-Flow 6140 Cross Flow’s separation at 4t/ha. damage to the grain and the Axial-Flow system compensates for side slopes of up to 12°. “We then moved into the peas and the produced an excellent sample.” I
The heavy price Machines can “push the compaction problem to more than a of more muscle metre deep, which is impossible to rectify mechanically.”
Machinery Tyres
The crushing weight of to soils and what can be done to fix it or serious damage to our soils. modern farm machinery prevent it occurring in the first place. Even if these machines are fitted with tracks or wide tyres at the correct pressures, means compaction is now a The problems they can still push the compaction problem major factor affecting the Prof Paul Hallett is a soil physicist at to more than a metre deep, which is Aberdeen University and specialises in the impossible to rectify mechanically. health and productivity of physical, chemical and biological processes agricultural land. CPM finds that take place in soils. We asked him what Which soils are most his recent work had revealed about the state susceptible? out what it’s actually doing to of soil compaction on UK soils and the Soils with a tighter structure and smaller our soils and what can be impact it’s having on crop performance. pore sizes are the least susceptible to compaction. done about it How serious is soil compaction That means clay soils are actually some in the UK? of the best at carrying heavy machinery, By James Andrews A recent broad-scale project looked at the providing conditions are good. Sandy loam condition of 850 different soils across soils or glacial silts are affected particularly Scotland. Of these, 20% were identified as badly as they have an open structure with All farmers know that pummelling fields having structurally degraded topsoils and lots of air pockets in between the particles with heavy agricultural machinery is 10% had structurally degraded subsoils. that can be squashed by heavy machinery. potentially bad news for soil structure, It’s likely that this situation is repeated in Luckily, in the UK a large proportion of crop rooting and yields. a similar fashion throughout the UK. soils aren’t actually that susceptible to But less is known about the physical Deeper-level compaction is also a compaction when conditions are good. changes that this process initiates concern due to the massive weight of So if you have to take a 20t plus machine throughout the soil profile and the long-term some modern agricultural machinery. onto the field, try to only do so when the effects this has on productivity. A few of these bits of kit breach the ground is dry. To find out more we asked the experts weight limit for driving on a motorway, Interestingly, a recent German study what this heavy machinery is actually doing so it’s no wonder that they cause showed that the financial penalty of
44 crop production magazine september 2016 Tyres establishing a crop in poor conditions was such as incorporating organic matter. greater than not planting one at all. This was Targeted subsoiling –– such as lifting due to the costs of having to rectify the soil tramlines or small areas where there’s a damage afterwards. known problem – is a more worthwhile operation though. What problems does it cause? If soils are given a rest from heavy traffic There are several. Firstly, it seriously affects and deep cultivation then they’ll recover root growth, causing plants to develop in time. That’s due to a combination of shallow, linear root structures. wetting and drying that causes natural In a dry year, this means they can be fissures to develop and to give time for susceptible to drought stress as there are plants to send roots deep down into the fewer roots penetrating into the damper soil profile. subsoil to access water. Overall, the most cost-effective methods It also reduces the plant’s ability to pick for relieving compaction were the ones that Clay soils are actually some of the best at up nutrients, particularly nitrogen. Often prevented it happening in the first place. carrying heavy machinery, providing conditions robust rates of artificial nitrogen mask this, are good, says Paul Hallett. but if applications were reduced you could The solutions start to see a yield penalty. Harry Henderson is AHDB’s Knowledge damage compaction can cause and best Another problem is that once the air is Exchange manager for the east of England ways of dealing with it. We asked him for squeezed out of the soil structure it can and has had plenty of experience of the some practical pointers. L become an anaerobic environment, which produces nitrites that are toxic to plants.
Are some crop varieties more susceptible? It’s important to note that varieties that make it to the top of the AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds Recommended List aren’t necessarily the ones that’ll achieve the best yields in soils that are suffering compaction. Generally trial crops are grown in ideal conditions with loose, open soils so they’ve never been tested in poorly structured soils. At the moment the James Hutton Institute is running a study looking at the performance of different winter barley varieties in a range of soil conditions. This will be concluding in the autumn, so it’ll be interesting to see the findings.
How do you relieve compaction? The best way to solve the compaction problem is to prevent it happening in the first place. That means trying to use lighter machinery, avoiding travelling when it’s wet and using the lowest possible tyre pressures or tracks. However, it’s important to remember that low tyre pressures or tracks can lull people into a false sense of security as the compaction problem is often just being pushed deeper into the soil profile. Many farmers think that running through the ground with a subsoiler will correct most compaction problems. However, studies suggest the benefits of subsoiling are relatively short lived as soils will soon slump back down, particularly if they’re driven on again with heavy machinery. There’s also little economic gain for doing it unless you’re combining it with another job
crop production magazine september 2016 45 Tyres
digger in the field to see what’s going shed any of that weight. on deeper. Take John Deere’s 9RX for example –– that comes in at about 28t and there’s no What about drainage? way of removing any of that bulk, even if the Due to the high price of draining agricultural job requires less weight or the conditions are land, a lot of farms have suffered from too poor to take it. underinvestment in this area. Unfortunately, It’s also worth considering if all that power a lot of the drains that were installed when and is being used to correct problems that there were grants available in the 1960s and have been caused by the weight of the 1970s were put in with little or no backfill so tractor in the first place. The power of a high hp tractor may be being they can suffer from silting up, particularly Ask yourself if a lighter machine with used to correct problems that have been caused when land has been intensively cultivated. similar power could do the job. You then by its weight. Wet conditions will intensify compaction have the ability to add or remove ballast and encourage the growth of blackgrass, according to the conditions. L How do you spot compaction? so it’s an important problem to solve. Even Massive self-propelled harvesters lifting The first thing to find out is if you really do though it can cost around £2500/ha to install late root crops are another concern, have compaction and not to just head out proper land drains, it’s not actually that particularly for deep-level compaction as with the subsoiler and hope for the best. much when you consider the benefits over they can push the problem as much as If there’s water sitting on the field this a 20-year period. 1.2-1.5m down into the soil profile. This can’t could be down to poor land drainage, Getting drains inspected for blockages be corrected with a machine and time is the collapsed mole drains or compaction deep and jetting them can be a cheaper only cure. down in the soil profile that you can’t reach. short-term fix as well as patching the It’s said time and time again, but you need to worst affected areas. Is wheel slip a concern? dig a hole and find out what and where the Wheel slip is another big contributor to soil problem is. What about machine weight? damage particularly in the top 5cm of soil. Also, if you don’t get any definitive One of the big problems with some of the If you can’t adjust tyre pressures answers digging a shallow hole with a more powerful tractors on the market is that sufficiently to get wheel slip under spade, it might be worth getting a mini they’re seriously heavy and there’s no way to control, then you should really accept L Tyre tuning
“This way the tyre will have the biggest Mitas has recently launched an app that possible footprint on the ground, spreading the works in a similar fashion. Both are available weight over a larger area –– like snow shoes –– for Apple and Android devices. and as a result, compaction will be reduced.” Firestone’s app includes recommended running Increasing the tyre’s footprint also reduces pressures for all of its agricultural tyres wheel slip, which saves fuel and time in the field, according to load. he adds. The latest tyre technology offers a 40% benefit over that of a standard tyre, points out Steve Lamb from Bridgestone, which potentially means a 40% decrease in tyre operating pressure. “With this latest technology, you don’t always have to go wider, as in the past,” he adds. “And it’s very important to have the correct front and rear axle weight balance, to ensure that the Set the inflation pressure at the minimum available horsepower is distributed correctly to amount for the load being carried, says each square inch of the total contact patch.” Kirk Walker. Most of the major tyre manufacturers now offer a smartphone or tablet app to help farmers make sure they’re running their tyres at the Picking the correct tyres for a machine and optimum pressure for the task in hand. getting them set at the optimum pressure is Firestone’s app was launched in 2011 and one of the easiest ways to reduce soil damage, includes recommended running pressures for particularly in the topsoil. all of its agricultural tyres according to load. “The most important thing is to set the All the tractor driver has to do is select the inflation pressure at the minimum amount tyre model and size, before inputting the load for the load being carried,” says Kirk Walker that’ll be on each tyre. The app then gives a of Mitas. recommended pressure for a range of speeds.
46 crop production magazine september 2016
Tyres
to make any significant Keeping tabs on organic matter improvements. Farmyard manure is probably The free SOCiT (Soil Organic up with the prediction. the most effective input for Carbon Information) app has been To take a sample, all the user raising soil organic matter developed by The James Hutton needs to do is dig a small hole content in the short term. Institute and allows any farmer in and take a picture with a colour Sewage sludge also works well, Scotland to get an estimate of soil correction card in the shot. These but this is often applied by organic matter just by taking a are available for free from the incredibly heavy self-propelled picture of their soil. James Hutton Institute. The entire spreaders. If these run in It works by using the phone’s process takes around five minutes. less-than-ideal conditions, it GPS signal to record the user’s Matt Aitkenhead, scientist at the Try to use lighter machinery, avoid can make the problem worse. position within a photograph of the James Hutton Institute, developed travelling when it’s wet and use soil, which is then sent back to the the modelling system behind the the lowest possible tyre pressures Does Controlled Traffic James Hutton Institute’s servers. app and says it gives a pretty or tracks. Farming help? Here a clever algorithm uses a accurate prediction of soil organic If you’re running big, heavy combination of information already matter without the need for time- distance in front of the tractor machinery then it’s a no brainer known about that area as well as consuming and costly analysis. so a huge amount of force to confine these operations to detail in the photograph to come is exerted on the smaller as small an area of the field front wheels, which is then as possible. This may one day become standard practice,
L transferred to the soil. that conditions aren’t suitable equipment is a serious contributor For those running the biggest particularly for nutrient for crop establishment. It’s far to compaction. linkage-mounted kit it might be applications and harvesting better to come back in the Not only does it put a huge worth considering switching to operations. spring than maul a crop in and load through the rear axle of the a trailed implement when an That’s partly because these cause damage in the autumn. tractor onto the soil, but it also upgrade is next due as there’ll are the heaviest and most requires the addition of a be an extra axle or two to help damaging machines, but massive counterweight. Mounted or trailed? spread the weight. also because it’s relatively Many farmers don’t think about Front linkage-mounted weights Toolbar drills with front- straightforward to fit them this, but heavy linkage-mounted also hang a considerable mounted hoppers also help into the system. distribute weight across axles The benefits are less evenly and remove the need clear-cut for establishment for a dead weight on the front. operations though, as you often Mounting some of the biggest need a big, expensive drill and mounted fertiliser spreaders on a generally a large, heavy tractor wheeled bogie is also a sensible to pull it. idea. So there are merits for having a narrower, lower-disturbance Does soil organic drill on a lower-powered, lighter matter help? tractor that doesn’t have to work Soils with a higher organic matter to the same wheelings. content are less susceptible to This also means that the compaction, so any efforts to ground can be drilled at an increase this will be beneficial. angle to the previous crop, However, it’s a costly process which helps even up the field and takes a lifelong commitment and reduce runoff risk. I
If there’s water sitting on the field this could be down to poor land drainage.
48 crop production magazine september 2016
Strip seeding needs active approach
A little-and-often “approach is required when managing stubbles. ” Machinery Cultivations
Weeds and slugs can soon without being told the full story. Direct drilling is potentially a very valuable technique, but wipe out any savings you in order to work successfully and sustainably make from direct drilling. it must be done correctly.” CPM asks strip-seeding Benefits build over time pioneer Jeff Claydon for Weed and slug issues can build up if stubbles are left unmanaged, and he points some tips. out it takes time for critical beneficial bacteria and worm populations to build up By Julian Cooksley in the soil. “I found out the hard way that moving to a direct drilling system involves much more than simply owning a drill which Effective stubble management is a basic works in chopped straw without blocking.” ingredient of any successful, sustainable In 2002, low grain prices prompted farming enterprise, regardless of which Jeff Claydon to develop the tine-based crop establishment method is used. But sprip-seeding system that bears his name. the economics of farming must be Designed to work directly into stubbles, he weighed up with the level of cultivations used it to do just that. “It had no problems undertaken, notes Suffolk farmer Jeff coping with chopped straw and for two or Jeff Claydon believes that the importance of Claydon, who explains his approach. three years we achieved increased yields effective stubble management is under-estimated. “Those who still plough or deep cultivate combined with very low costs. But then are losing £30-£40/t at current cereal I realised it wasn’t always going to be stubbles would have to be actively and prices,” he says. that simple.” effectively managed.” Establishment costs are one of the few With stubbles left virtually undisturbed, He advocates active management of areas where savings can be made. But he slugs had a licence to multiply, particularly stubbles, based on 14 years’ experience of believes many growers are turning to direct where straw was poorly chopped and direct drilling. “Doing nothing or just moving drilling often without understanding the need distributed. This resulted in areas where soil once or twice during the 8-12 weeks for effective stubble management to contain the crops were thin or non-existent, and between harvesting oilseed rape and drilling weed and pest issues, or how to go about it. blackgrass took every opportunity to grow autumn cereals will not achieve the desired “I often come across farmers who have on any bare patches. “It quickly became results. Instead, a little-and-often approach been persuaded to buy a direct drill purely apparent that to get the best results and is required when managing stubbles, the key on the basis of its potential cost saving, avoid a proliferation of weed and pest issues being to achieve rapid germination of weeds
50 crop production magazine september 2016 On Farm Opinion and volunteers so they can be killed using deep, to increase the surface area of mechanical or chemical methods.” unmoved soil under the tilth, depending The conventional min-till approach moves on soil type and conditions. This generates 100mm-125mm of soil, which is too much, a high-humidity environment in which says Jeff Claydon, and results in slower volunteers and grassweeds germinate germination or burying weed and volunteer quickly. “We then use the Straw Harrow to seeds so deep they don’t germinate until create a wave of surface tilth to break off after the crop itself emerges. “Deeper germinating plants at the one-leaf stage, cultivations also present a weather risk, as eliminating the need to spray while ground significant rainfall will reduce the soil to a conditions allow its use.” sticky mess with no structure or ability to Although this involves multiple passes, support following machinery,” he adds. each one is relatively cheap, and relies less Leaving stubbles unmanaged and chopped straw on glyphosate and multiple dressings of slug unmoved provides an ideal environment in which Chop and spread straw pellets, he points out. “On our own farm blackgrass and slugs will thrive. “My objective is to create a tilth without we’ve proved the benefits of direct seeding moving too much soil. We aim to leave a beyond doubt, but the caveat is that it must seen yields increase progressively. However, maximum of 150mm of stubble, chop the be done correctly in combination with an we’ve also learned that ignoring weeds, straw short and spread it evenly. effective stubble management strategy. volunteers and slugs doesn’t make them go Immediately after combining we go in “Using timings of light surface cultivations, away –– it’s essential to make them grow with a 7.5m Claydon Straw Harrow, which strip seeding and wider rotations, we’ve and kill them so that they cannot return.” I performs three main functions: trash and residue management, slug control and encouraging weeds and volunteers to germinate.” Operating at 15-25km/h behind a 150hp tractor, it’s fitted with 60 pairs of 16mm flexible steel tines which disturb the top 10-30mm of soil, covering up to 100ha per day. This is repeated every 7-14 days when conditions are favourable, to help destroy germinating volunteers, weeds and slugs. “So little soil is moved that if we do get wet weather this mini-tilth will quickly dry out and not hold up subsequent operations.” The Straw Harrow works well on most farms, but sometimes harder clay-based soils may require something a little more aggressive. Where this is the case, he uses the Claydon TerraStar. This is a low disturbance, 6m shallow cultivator fitted with 68 cross-blade rotors. These move slightly more soil than a Straw Harrow but less than normal tine cultivators or disc-type implements. The two banks of rotating blades pluck tilth out of the soil, approximately 30mm
The soil on this trial area was left undisturbed after the 2015 harvest, yet despite four applications of glyphosate new blackgrass shoots were still emerging in April.
crop production magazine september 2016 51
More from maize with combi-seeding?
I just thought“ there must be a better way of doing this.” Machinery On Farm Opinion
Companion cropping could benefit to boot, you get a development that offer considerable benefits in could be quite intriguing. The story starts with Rob Yardley, currently maize, both in terms of a trainee farm manager with Velcourt, who production and soil had been working as an arable operator with a farming business in the north west structure, but you need of England, while also studying part time the right drill and the right at Reaseheath College. system. CPM reports on Bit of a state pioneering trials that put “I’d spent a lot of time as a chopper driver at maize harvest. The process often leaves the both to the test. field in a bit of a state, and I’d noticed the load-bearing capacity of the soil was much Rob Yardley was keen to find ways to make the By Tom Allen-Stevens better, causing less damage, where the crop land between maize crops more productive. was naturally weedy. I just thought there Maize, you could argue, is a crop that’s must be a better way of doing this,” “I was keen to find ways to make the land yet to benefit from detailed UK trials work. he says. between maize crops more productive, and Despite its widespread use for forage Maize can sit a bit awkwardly in the figured the best way to do it was to establish and, more recently, for anaerobic rotation –– it’s often harvested too late for a second, grass crop at the same time as digesters, it doesn’t receive as much a following winter-sown arable crop, and the maize, or undersow it.” agronomic attention as wheat, or even establishing grass can’t be successfully But this plan seemed flawed as well –– if barley, for example. managed until the next spring at the earliest, the maize faces any competition within the But this makes any trials work that is leading to a sward that’s not particularly row at establishment, yield is knocked back carried out on the crop all the more productive in its first year. The result is a field considerably. By the time it’s established interesting. When this is combined with that lies bare over winter, leading to erosion enough to be untroubled by a companion a new drill which incorporates some and run-off, which can be exacerbated if crop, the canopy closes in and any fairly novel features, a new way to add harvest was carried out in less than ideal undersown plants will fight for light. productivity to maize, and a big environmental conditions. “I was looking for a drill that would L
52 crop production magazine september 2016
On Farm Opinion
L precision-sow the maize at 75cm spacing drilling technology into a standard pneumatic pressure on the maize coulters separate and sow conventionally between the rows format (see panel below). It’s suitable from the rest, so it would push the individually in one pass. But as far as I was aware, a for drilling maize and is fitted with up to 10 seeded maize down to the right depth of drill with that ability didn’t exist,” says individual seed elements for a row spacing 50mm, but a lower pressure on the other Rob Yardley. of 37.5cm or 75cm. These units sit separate coulters would place the grass seed at the So he took his search to Twitter, and it to the main pneumatic seed distribution required 5mm depth,” notes Rob Yardley. was Shaun Groom from Pöttinger UK who head, that passes another seed, such as What’s more, the distributor head offers replied, pointing out the company’s Aerosem grass, or fertiliser to the other coulters at any combination of outlets, controlled by has a design that unites cereal and maize 12.5cm row spacing. A split tank transfers Pöttinger’s Intelligent Distribution System drilling within the same unit. the seed (and/or fertiliser) to the two (IDS). This is based on an electrical metering Pöttinger’s Precision Combi Seeding distribution systems. drive, controlled by its own terminal or via (PCS) system integrates individual seed “On the Aerosem you could also set the ISOBUS from the tractor terminal. Combination drill offers flexibility for precision seeders
blown to the coulter. Airflow through the precision lines is adjustable so it caters for different-sized seed. The Dual-Disc coulter ensures seed is delivered precisely into the ground. The large, 350mm diameter discs push trash to the side, with a slot made by a seed-groove former. The stopper roller catches the seed emerging from the air hose and presses it down, ensuring plants are evenly spaced. Repacking and depth guidance are controlled using the standard press wheel, The Precision Combi Seeding technology delivers applying 25kg pressure or up to 50kg per The calibration unit runs on two tracks under seed to the hydraulically driven individual seeding coulter on the Aerosem ADD models. units, from where it’s blown to the Dual-Disc the metering system, and slides out, so there’s The other conventional seeding lines on the no clambering under the drill. coulter. drill can be equipped with either two full rows of Dual-Disc coulters, or with two rows of The Pöttinger Aerosem 1002 series is available in single-disc, or three rows of Suffolk coulters. certainly thought through the detail –– it’s really working widths of 3m and 4m. The seed drill is “The Dual-Disc coulters didn’t block up at all well made and put together, right down to the mounted over the rear roller of the leading tillage and there was a very even germination and a foldable steps that sit against a special bush to implement, such as a power harrow or compact consistent sowing depth,” comments Rob Yardley. keep them in place.” disc or tined cultivator. “It’s simple to convert it from a Combo-drill to a The whole set up of the drill was something There’s a seed hopper of 1250 litres that sits conventional seed drill –– you just fold the flaps of a surprise for him. “I’m used to maize drilling above the mechanical or electric versions of the down inside the seed hopper and set the being a contractor operation, preceded by plough metering drive system. This handles seed rates distributor head accordingly.” and power harrow. But this is a single-pass unit, from 1.5-340kg/ha at forward speeds of up to The drill’s calibration was one aspect he found doing up to three jobs in one.” 12km/h, with the mechanical metering system particularly neat. “The calibration unit runs on two But he does have one gripe. “For a drill of that driven by a land wheel on the left-hand side tracks under the metering system, and slides out, build quality, the lighting’s awful –– I was taking it of the machine (the speed signal for electric so there’s no need to clamber under the drill.” on a 60-mile round trip when drilling the trials, metering is provided by a DGPS sensor). This is just one of a number of design features and these days you should expect good LED lights A hydraulically driven fan transfers seed to the Rob Yardley admired. “Whoever designed it when you’re travelling on the road.” distributor head, that’s optionally operated through Pöttinger’s IDS system, for which it was Tech specs: Pottinger Aerosem 1002 Series drill awarded a silver medal at Agritechnica in 2013. This allows the operator to make adjustments to 3002 A 3002 ADD 4002 A 4002 ADD row spacing and tramline configuration via the Working width 3.0m 3.0m 4.0m 4.0m Power Control terminal or ISOBUS-linked tractor Seed coulters 20/24 20/24 26/32 26/32 terminal, with seedflow optimised through the Row spacing 12.5/15cm 12.5/15cm 12.5/15cm 12.5/15cm distributor head. The result is a consistent Disc coulter diameter 320mm 350mm 320mm 350mm number of seeds in each row and a uniform crop with seed savings of up to 6%, says Pöttinger. Pressure per coulter up to 25kg up to 50kg up to 25kg up to 50kg Individual seed drilling is handled through the Pressure wheel diameter 250mm 330mm 250mm 330mm PCS technology, for which Pöttinger also received Seed hopper volume 1250 litres a silver medal at Agrotechnica 2013. Up to Transport width 3.0m 3.0m 4.0m 4.0m 400 litres of seed is taken from the split hopper Power requirement 110hp 140hp 140hp 190hp (rather than individual hoppers) to the hydraulically Starting price £15,768 £19,935 £18,460 £24,874 driven individual seeding units, from where it’s
54 crop production magazine september 2016 On Farm Opinion
It was the soil erosion aspect that appealed most to Ross Barton (left) and John Ball.
“For the maize to establish The trials were set up at correctly without too much Reaseheath College earlier this competition, you’d have to shut year (see panel on p56) and it off the outlets to the coulters was Rob Yardley who drilled the either side of the maize lines, as plots with the Pöttinger Aerosem well as to the outlets that would 3002 ADD. receive the individually metered “You can’t take anything away seed,” he points out. from the drill – it really was a Keen to put this system to the piece of kit and did a super test, he approached Agrovista, job of establishing the plots,” to ask if they’d be interested continues John Ball. in running the trials, and “But the biggest challenge Reaseheath College to host them. we had was weed control. This John Ball and Ross Barton site was intentionally chosen from Agrovista took up the because it’s a high-burden opportunity to investigate the weed site, and there are no potential of the system. “It was pre-emergence herbicides you the soil erosion aspect that can use safely with grass. So appealed most to us. that limits all weed control to It’s poor practice to leave soil post-emergence chemistry, bare over the winter and there and that’s where the limitations may be legislation soon to of some of the mixtures on trial prevent it, as there is in France. surfaced. But it’s essential that any “However, as it turned out, companion crop doesn’t grasses may not be as compete with the maize, and vulnerable to pre-ems as we that’s ultimately down to the think they are –– at the edge design of the drill you use,” of the plots, where the pre-em explains John Ball. |treatment over the rest of the field overlapped with the outside of the trial area, we noticed the grasses we established survived the pre-em well. It’s not a recommendation and clearly needs more work, but this may overcome a potential commercial barrier for this system.” Overall, across the 12 plots, the lesson they’ve learned so Up to 10 individual seed elements far is that it’s about finding a place maize at a row spacing of balance, notes Ross Barton. 37.5cm or 75cm and sit separate “We’ve shown we can get very to the main pneumatic seed vigorous grass growth –– almost distribution head. too much –– or so little it was hardly worth the bother. There L
crop production magazine september 2016 55 On Farm Opinion
L must be enough cover to compete with The true value of the system won’t be fully the weeds and deliver the primary objective assessed until the maize is harvested later of helping soil structure, but not so much this autumn, but John Ball is confident it has that it competes with the maize and is diffi- potential. “There’s no doubt you’ll end up cult to harvest.” with a more productive sward once the maize crop is cleared, and that there will be environmental benefits. It’s a question of planting the right grass mix at the right time and then finding a herbicide strategy that fits. Indications are that you want a vigorous variety if drilling into a standing crop, and The Aerosem 1002 series seed drill is mounted a tamer one if planting at the same time,” over the rear roller of the leading tillage he notes. implement, such as a power harrow. “But I do believe this practice will be commonplace in 4-5 years’ time –– as with benefits for those willing to try something For the maize to establish correctly without too many of the options growers are trying that new. There’s an appetite in the industry for much competition, the outlets to the coulters fit with Ecological Focus Area requirements, it that will appeal to more progressive either side of the maize lines were shut off. this is one that has some clear production growers.” I
Trials point way to system potential
difficulty we came across,” notes John Ball. “It was hard enough to match the previous drill lines, so you have to take it slow. But the drill we came back with was 1m wider than the Aerosem we’d previously used, so we had particular problems on the outer row of each previous bout.” The entire site was treated with Callisto (mesotrione) at the three-leaf stage of the maize. The Callisto, applied at the three-leaf stage of “Unsurprisingly, this herbicide took out any clover the maize, hit the clover and vetch established and vetch we’d established within the maize. The later, but they seem to have survived. active has some residual activity, so it hit the peas, clover and vetch we established later, but the clover and vetch at least seem to have survived,” he reports. Where the grass was established with the The Prorubka is a beast, says John Ball, proving maize, the ryegrass mixtures are now too too competitive. vigorous, he reckons. “The Prorubka in particular is a beast –– there’s plenty of cover, but this could The trials at Reaseheath, established into sandy be competing too much with the crop and may clay loam, looked at two separate timings for the cause problems at harvest. We thought the tall companion crop to be established. fescue would do best, but it looks a little on the The AberNiche fescue/ryegrass cross appears Initially, the whole site was drilled at the weak side. Perhaps the AberNiche, that’s a to be the happy medium. beginning of May at 42,000 seeds/ha with fescue/ryegrass cross is the happy medium.” P7326, a new, early maturing hybrid from The fescues never got a chance in the later greater prospects for adding clover and vetch Pioneer. In five of the plots, a grass mixture was established plots, however. “Here the more that should bring additional benefits for the soil established with the Aerosem 3002 ADD at the vigorous grass types have done better, and there’s structure,” concludes John Ball. same time, while just maize was initially planted in the other seven (see table below). Grass seed mixtures on trial The grasses, drilled at 14kg/ha, were chosen to cover the full spectrum of vigour, points out Established with maize Established at 6 to 7-leaf stage of crop Ross Barton. “The Italian ryegrass varieties are Creeping red fescue – Maxima Maxima highly productive so potentially offer greater Italian ryegrass x fescue – AberNiche Kora forage value following the maize crop. Creeping AberNiche + clover + vetch Perennial ryegrass – pea red fescue brings little benefit other than to the + clover + vetch soil structure.” Tall fescue – Kora AberNiche + clover + vetch At the 6-7-leaf stage of the maize, the seven Italian ryegrass – Prorubka AberNiche maize-only plots were over-drilled with the Perennial ryegrass – Foxtrot companion mixtures, using a specially adapted 4m precision drill. “This was the first practical Prorubka
56 crop production magazine september 2016
On-farm Collaborative innovator agronomy The group “system is what really makes our agronomy service efficient.”
Scottish Agronomy boasts It’s mid-afternoon in the last week of the largest trials network August, and while the bulk of England basks in the hottest temperatures of the north of the border, but its year, the Scottish Agronomy trial plots managing director feels it’s near Loch Leven sit beneath a grey pall, with the peaks of the nearby hills the sharing of research shrouded in mist. and ideas within its “Welcome to the glorious Scottish summer,” comments Andrew Gilchrist, the farmer membership that company’s managing director, as he passes gives it real strength. his hand over a somewhat lacklustre plot of spring barley that should be passing through Scottish Agronomy has built its reputation CPM finds out. the plot combine that very afternoon. on making the most of the Scottish climate, The harvest may be on hold, but these and turning it into profitable crops for its By Tom Allen-Stevens trial plots may represent what Scottish farmer members. Agronomy has built its reputation on –– L
crop production magazine september 2016 65 On-farm innovator
a farm walk in the afternoon. The group offer to join him. It’s grown ever since.” structure facilitates a collaboration between It’s the trials side of the business for which farms, not only of agronomic practice and the company may be best known. “We ideas but also of informal machinery and started by tackling areas that weren’t being resource-sharing. It’s been at the core of the addressed anywhere else for the Scottish system from the start.” grower. Back then, there were new triazole The company started in 1985. At the time, fungicides being introduced and we wanted Andrew Gilchrist had recently left college to evaluate how they should be best in Edinburgh and had started working with matched to the crops and climate of the BASF trials team in Scotland. “I did the Scotland. We established a niche in second part of my industry placement with unbiased trials work.” the team, working with Huw Philips, and this got me really enthusiastic about Trials network agronomy. It was Huw who came up with Now the largest trials organisation in the concept of a co-operative trials-based Scotland, Scottish Agronomy has over agronomy company, generating independent 25,000 plots across 10 sites. These form the Andrew Gilchrist has looked intensively at barley information for its members. He left to set basis of research into the agronomy of new varieties, tailoring fungicide and seed-rate up Scottish Agronomy and I accepted the varieties and crop inputs, not just for interaction to produce the most efficient its members, but also for a number of agronomic blueprint. commercial interests. “It’s a side of the business that’s really
L making the most of the Scottish climate, grown arms and legs over the past and turning it into profitable crops for its 10 years,” he comments. “The statistical 180 farmer members. What’s more, it has a analysis of our trials programme has always fairly unique way of delivering this across the been very robust, and we try to achieve a main arable area from the Borders to north good coefficient of variation. We’re working of Inverness, as Andrew Gilchrist explains. with most of the main players in the industry “The core of the membership is The group structure facilitates a collaboration and the income keeps the cost down for sub-divided into groups of 8-12 local between farms, not only of agronomic practice members, helps us invest in the best farmers. We meet each month, rotating the but also of informal machinery and resource- equipment and means we can resource location around the membership, to discuss sharing. the programme well.” arable issues, then usually combine this with The members also benefit from an insight L Working together brings real progress in on-farm trials
It takes a level of trust and dedication to achieve northern European countries. The Scottish a collaboration where everyone benefits, believes Agronomy trials have shown hybrid rye can work BASF agronomy manager for Scotland Dudley well for Scotland, too, and this could be a real Kitching, which is what Andrew Gilchrist has opportunity if a market can be developed.” developed with Scottish Agronomy. And there’s a dedication that drives this “That’s not just the way he works with the forward. “Those who know Andrew will know his farmer members –– it’s a reflection of the passion for the industry and determination to do relationship Scottish Agronomy has with what’s best for Scottish Agriculture. On the trials manufacturers and agricultural trade partners, side, he knows how to balance sharing results too,” he says. with farmers without betraying confidential “What Scottish Agronomy has done is develop agreements and commercial sensitivities.” BASF aims to work with partners who can help a programme of trials, not just in the plots but on Getting that balance right is the keystone of develop chemistry innovations into on-farm farm, and not just about chemistry, but much making the most from applied agronomic solutions, from high-level research through to broader into total agronomy. This is then focused research, he believes. “Trials, both in plots and on split-field comparisons. on the local area and the climate and conditions farm, work well when they look outside the norm the company’s farmer members face.” and think forward to the next challenge. You need over maximum residue limits of chlormequat. He reckons the collaborative approach to to focus on the right issues and balance ‘nice “We value the quality of the work that Scottish bringing results to members also works well. to have’ with ‘need to have’. You also should be Agronomy does and how this is applied on farm. “Some growers talk about working with others, prepared to fail –– it can often teach you more But it goes much wider –– the chemistry we bring but often don’t. Here there is a structure that than success.” to market works best when we work with partners maintains a true sharing of ideas –– a safe and BASF has worked with Scottish Agronomy to who can help us develop it into on-farm solutions. trusted environment to discuss failures as well help develop solutions for Scottish growers and That goes right from innovations through to tried as successes.” agronomic practices to address particular issues. and trusted products, and right from high-level The trials include some true innovations, he One example in particular was developing PGR research through to split-field comparisons carried points out. “Rye is a crop that works well in other recommendations for oats following concerns out by individual growers,” he says.
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On-farm innovator
alternative to wheat or barley –– we’re pitching for Scottish Government funding to take it further,” he says.
Alternative methods On the cereal fungicide side of the trials, he feels the future lies in varietal resistance and alternative methods of disease control. “We carry out some of the AHDB fungicide performance trials and I’ve seen how septoria control is slipping –– in some situations we’re struggling to control it with a double dose. “We’ve had the best days out of the SDHIs and the chemistry is really under threat. We now need more emphasis on varietal resistance. Looking forward, Now the largest trials organisation in Scotland, Scottish Agronomy has over 25,000 plots across 10 sites. biocontrol agents in combination with conventional chemistry have real potential L into a vast array of agronomic inputs that around three years, working with KWS and it’s something we’re looking into. We come under scrutiny. One of the areas in and Saaten Union. Its use for anaerobic know they work, but the key to success is which it leads is in evaluating varieties, digesters is well documented, but I think its finding the right delivery mechanism, and and barley in particular. potential as a feed grain in Scotland is the that’s going to require a lot of trials work, “The variety trials form a massive part more interesting area.” of what we do. We look at them from the Modern hybrids such as KWS Magnifico mini-plot stage right through to AHDB and SU Performer aren’t quite as tall as the Cereals and Oilseeds Recommended List 2m monster conventional varieties. “They trials, so it’s quite likely we’ve 7-8 years look bulky, but they’re actually quite stiff of experience with a variety before it’s and stand well, provided they receive a even launched on the market,” says reasonable PGR programme, and they Andrew Gilchrist. go through the combine better than you “There are few other trials providers might think.” who can replicate the disease spectrum But the real surprise is the yield. “In our experienced by the Scottish grower to the trials, hybrid rye can outperform wheat Hybrid rye can outperform wheat for half the extent that we can. If you look at the two-row for half the production cost –– it has a production cost and has potential for wholecrop feed winter barleys, for example, and how considerably lower N requirement and forage as well as a feed grain alternative to they’ve progressed in recent years, we’ve needs less fungicide. It has potential for wheat or barley. looked at these intensively, tailoring wholecrop forage as well as a feed grain fungicide and seed-rate interaction to produce the most efficient agronomic blueprint. That’s our stock in trade.” How to be an on-farm innovator – He’s keen the trials programme helps Andrew Gilchrist’s top tips develop other areas for Scottish growers. “We’ve been looking into hybrid rye for 1. Have the ability to measure. To carry out stick to your methodology and continue a reliable on-farm trial requires some degree through to yield to ensure you have valid of accuracy in measuring the output. A good results. combine yield monitor may be enough, 4. Cultivate your contacts. You may need although a weighbridge is better. You also need specialist equipment, help or support with your some discipline on farm to combine, weigh and trial. It’s a time to draw on favours and ask record the assessed plots separately. around – you may be surprised what people 2. Choose the right issue to focus on. would willingly offer to be involved. The best on-farm trials are those that build on 5. Keep a scientific approach. You don’t a thorough understanding and knowledge of a have to evaluate CVs or undertake statistical particular topic. So stay abreast of the arable analysis, but you should approach a trial conversation through the farming press and objectively, make sure the variables are farmer meetings, which will help you decide measurable and take the results at face value, what would be best to trial and bring you even if they go against your expectations. most value. 6. Don’t be afraid of failure. An inconclusive result is still positive – it at least shows any Going forward, Andrew Gilchrist is looking into 3. Commit and follow through. Be thorough benefit of an input/system is inconsistent and using biocontrol agents in combination with in your set-up and approach, and once you’ve will point a way to further investigation. conventional chemistry. determined on a particular trial and procedure,
68 crop production magazine september 2016 On-farm innovator both in plots and on farm,” he notes. On-farm field-scale trials work is an area Scottish Agronomy develops with its members, and it’s an essential element of the collaborative nature of its agronomy service. “We have one grower doing a variable seed-rate trial, to assess the value of this technology. He’s planted at four different rates in strips across a field where the soil type and aspect varies. We’re looking closely at the spatial variability, taking plant and ear counts as well as taking it to yield.” On the precision farming side, there’s now Trials research for commercial companies helps them invest in the good equipment and means the a link up with specialists Soil Essentials, with programme is well resourced. a pilot group of farmers within the Scottish Agronomy membership, looking at yield data feedback on costs of production and agronomy service, with regular crop-walking. from different years. This is overlaid with other keeps us in touch with what matters to our But the group system is what really makes spatially variable data and amalgamated to members and where we should take our our agronomy service efficient, as well as build up what Andrew Gilchrist believes is a research. We have our one-to-one bespoke enjoyable and rewarding.” I truer picture of field variability. “Our members have spent a lot of time, money and resources on precision farming, and they’re keen to make the most of it –– it’s an area where the collaboration really pays off.” And it’s this aspect of sharing ideas within the group that is the real strength, he says. “One example is in min-till –– Scottish growers are some way behind those in England in how the system has developed, but a number have adopted systems, and some have worked while others haven’t. But they’ve been willing to show their failures as well as their successes within their local groups, and that’s been a benefit to all,” he notes. “It also gives us agronomists excellent
On-farm innovation
Farmers are constantly innovating to improve their businesses, which is why BASF is committed to investing 10% of its sales revenues into R&D to deliver new technologies for farming. BASF’s new innovations include pioneering agricultural chemistry, as well as Innovations Beyond Crop Protection like biologicals, bacteria, soil and water management and renewable technologies. Our future is firmly focused on delivering towards farming’s future.’
Innovations Beyond Crop Protection
Early crops disappoint
Roots Potato harvest
A slow start to the potato blight sprays on either, so blight pressure Yields have improved slightly as harvest has been particularly high. Some people has progressed, with early yields below growing season has put a have had to burn off corners of fields to average and later crops moving closer to dampener on yield and control it.” the farm average. Quality concerns have The wet and cold weather affected dry included the usual cases of bruising, lifting behind schedule. matter build in chipping and processing blackleg, growth cracks and wet rot, CPM gathers some reports. crops, so some early crops suffered from with unirrigated crops senescing early, low dry matters, says Arthur Marshall. he adds. By Olivia Cooper “However, packing crops are broadly In Yorks, Sagitta and Panther were good quality. July and Aug also saw better yielding around 37-40t/ha towards the end weather so that boosted dry matters.” of Aug, with the best Marfona in Suffolk Potato harvest is proving disappointing and Essex reaching 60t/ha. “Waste is across much of the country, with below Below average yields mainly growth cracks and greening, with average yields and high levels of wastage. Yields have been somewhat mixed, with some break down reported in bagged However, later crops are slightly better early yields below average in general. samples due to the immaturity of some than earlies, which suffered particularly “There were some reports of people not crops combined with high field heat,” says from the bad weather in June. quite making up their contracted volumes, Arthur Marshall. In some places, extensive According to Arthur Marshall, analyst at but the later crops have been more irrigation has been necessary to maintain AHDB Potatoes, the growing season has variable, with some good and some bad. moisture levels and assist bulking, with been about two weeks behind normal, Which way maincrop yields go will depend reports of low tuber counts in the South ever since plantings were delayed with on the weather throughout Aug and Sept.” and Scotland. wet weather. “The very first crops were Lifting conditions have generally been According to the AHDB’s provisional coming off about two weeks later than good. Although early lifting was affected planting estimate, growers set 116,000ha normal –– we got the first buyers’ quotes by rain, it meant there has been plenty of potatoes this year –– 4% up on last year for new crop around 13 May.” of water available for irrigation over the but still the second lowest area on record. May and June were pretty wet, so there summer, says Arthur Marshall. “Some Given that yields are below average, were some difficulties getting on the growers are irrigating ahead of the compared with last year’s bumper yields, ground, he explains. “It affected crop harvesters to help avoid bruising and total production is likely to be down. “If a development, and farmers couldn’t get damage when lifting.” five-year average yield (including 2012)
70 crop production magazine september 2016 It’s going “to be a very ordinary year.”
variety, this could be related to the higher area intended for both the chipping and packing markets,” he explains. Newer varieties have grown in popularity, with Taurus (crisping) up 32%, Royal (processing) up 38%, Brooke (crisping) up 114% and Nectar (packing) up 49%. In contrast, Lady Rosetta (crisping), Hermes (crisping), Harmony (packing), Estima (packing) and Markies (processing/chipping), all continued their decline.
Wet and cold weather in May and New varieties June affected dry matter build in Richard Solari, who grows chipping and processing crops, 100ha of potatoes at Heath says Arthur Marshall. House Farm, Beckbury, Shrops, has been experimenting with a of 45.2t/ha was achieved, this few new varieties alongside the would result in a 3% decrease old favourites. About a third in production,” says Arthur of his area was down to early Marshall. varieties Accord and Miranda, Maris Piper continues to with another third growing be the most popular variety, second earlies and chipping with a 5% increase in area, varieties, and the final third year-on-year. “As a versatile for packing. L Potato harvest
to the point of flowering, but irrespective of from greens and growth cracks are variety they’ve gone off very quickly, which amounting to 10-15% on their own in the I’ve never seen before. They were very East. Hollow heart has also been a problem, happy and suddenly then they weren’t.” although common scab hasn’t been as Despite some high blight bad as expected. “Blight was a big pressure earlier in the season, Richard issue in June and July, but people have Solari managed to keep on top of it at managed to get on and keep it in check,” great expense. He’s also seen some he says. blackleg, but is relieved to be on light land. “On heavier land there’s been a lot Mixed bag on quality of rot where the crops were just sitting in By the end of Aug, growers in Suffolk and wet soil.” Norfolk were mainly lifting early crops, with In the East of England farmers have farmers in south Lincs just making a start Despite a slightly higher planted area, below been two to three times worse off, on salads. “Quality is very much a mixed average yields will result in a 3% decrease in with even higher levels of waste and bag –– we’re seeing everything from good production. senescence, following the wet June, he to poor,” says Simon Faulkner. “Early and adds. “Usually it takes us two or three maincrop yields will probably be 10-15%
L “The Accord was very good quality, but weeks to fill an artic-load of waste –– now down on last year due to lower tuber the Miranda and Ramos had quite it’s one a week as we’re getting 20% numbers, although salads have a much a lot of waste, with greening and growth waste levels. Even so, in the East I’ve shorter growing season and will likely be cracks,” he says. “Yields have been heard of waste levels up 80%; it’s a on par with last year.” 10-15% below average –– so compared complete write-off.” Simon Faulkner attributes the lower with last year they’re 20-30% down. With the Independent agronomist Simon yields to the poor June weather. “Sunlight disappointing prices now, it’s going to be a Faulkner, of SDF Agriculture, says wastage levels were very low –– we lost a month of very ordinary year.” growth at a key time. Aug has been better Test digs on Divaa and Eurostar indicate but the days are getting shorter,” he that their waste levels will be better, with the explains. “The second earlies are naturally Maris Piper looking to be good quality, adds senescing, but I think the later maturing Richard Solari. “Harvest is running a couple crops will probably benefit.” of weeks late –– by 25 Aug we’d Processors have been concerned over lifted 45ha. Chipping yields are still below crop quality, particularly in the earlier average, and I think the Piper will be down, crops, he adds. “They had a very difficult too, although by how much is hard start to chipping, with low dry matters to tell until we get into it.” and size.” Richard Solari attributes the lower yields And it’s been a similar story in Europe. to the lack of sun –– something which also “French yields are down and prices are resulted in the worst winter barley yields Quality is very much a mixed bag, with the usual strong there already,” says Simon Faulkner. he has ever had. “We also had a cool May, cases of bruising, blackleg, growth cracks and “There’s been high blight pressure and high so the potatoes didn’t get going early on. wet rot. temperatures recently which has stopped They looked fantastic up potatoes from growing.” I
72 crop production magazine september 2016
Chocks away, old CHAP
It’s exciting and“ reassuring to have this recognition about the importance of agricultural research. ”
Roots Potato storage Graeme Stroud, AHDB
Just six months old, the account for a third of agri-tech output and chain and scientific institutions, with the looks set to continue to grow, according to aim to increase productivity but also Innovation Centre for Crop government figures. build resilience into the supply chain,” Health and Protection Dr Mike Storey, AHDB head of he explains. resource management explains how the Government investment is being used (CHAP) is already delivering government-funded strategy will provide to provide facilities and resources which new facilities at Sutton actual benefits to growers at the coal face. industry can exploit through partnerships with scientists and researchers. In the Bridge Crop Storage World leader case of CHAP, the line-up of partners is Research. CPM finds out “The Agri-tech strategy aims to help the impressive –– ADAS, AHDB, CABI, UK become a world leader in agricultural Cranfield University, Farmcare, Fera what CHAP is all about. technology, innovation and sustainability, Science, Frontier Agriculture, Newcastle which will contribute to tackling global University, Rothamsted Research and By Lucy de la Pasture challenges such as climate change and Stockbridge Technology Centre. food security,” he says. Within the scope of CHAP, a number This sounds very laudable, but how will of challenges to the industry have been It’s easy to forget that UK agriculture it be achieved? The idea is to tackle these identified and targeted to discover isn’t just about farmers and growers issues in a number of ways, such as funding potential solutions collaboratively. Broadly producing commodities for global business-led projects to bring industry speaking, there are three main categories markets. There’s a whole agri-tech and researchers’ ideas to market more of CHAP activity: industry that lies behind it that effectively, and establishing Centres for G Discovery of novel integrated measures contributes a significant amount to our Agricultural Innovation. to extend the range of chemical-free economy –– £14.3 billion according to One of these is CHAP –– the Innovation pest and disease-control options 2013 figures (the latest available). Centre for Crop Health and Protection available to growers Under the radar of most of us in the –– which has been up and running since G Surveillance, monitoring and real time wider industry, the UK government the spring of this year after securing £21 (SMART) decision support systems for launched its Agri-tech Strategy in 2013. million of government money for capital pest and disease risks in-season Although traditional agriculture dominates investment, explains Mike Storey. G Precision technologies to help optimise the sector, emerging technologies such “The vision of CHAP is to drive innovation use of pesticides and other products. as unmanned aerial systems, diagnostic across the entire crop protection sector by One of the first CHAP projects to get tools and precision farming already forging new links throughout the supply off the ground is at Sutton Bridge Crop L
crop production magazine september 2016 73 Potato storage
to the market place,” he comments. Research Centre, Newark,” he explains. Giving a flavour of what’s going on at One of the benefits of CHAP is the Sutton Bridge, Mike Storey describes creation of new synergies and links with some of the Innovate UK projects. “We’re partners throughout the supply chain who working with Monaghan Mushrooms, haven’t previously worked together and it’s Queens University, Belfast and University this pooling in expertise that’ll facilitate of Lincoln on a project looking at ground breaking solutions for plant health biocontrol of fungal pathogens in problems, believes Mike Storey. mushrooms and potatoes, in particular One of these new scientific affiliations fusarium (dry rot) and phoma (gangrene). is between Sutton Bridge and Cranfield University, also members of CHAP, who Ozone washes have a wealth of experience in a whole “Another project at Sutton Bridge is range of scientific technologies and crops. investigating ozone washes, in conjunction “We’re now linking the more basic and with eozone, Branston and Tong, to reduce strategic work being carried out at bacterial rots in the supply chain. Other Cranfield University with the applied investigations are ongoing using CFD research going on at Sutton Bridge. (computational fluid dynamics) modelling Blackheart is one of the tuber disorders to look at airflow and particularly we’ve been jointly looking in to, with ventilation and temperature management Cranfield supplying the expertise into The vision of CHAP is to drive innovation by for CIPC applications, in a partnership that the biochemistry and physiology of the forging new links throughout the supply chain includes Crop Systems, Cranfield problem,” he says. and scientific institutions, says Mike Storey. University, Aceto and the Technology Blackheart doesn’t occur in crops in the field so is a particular problem in potatoes
L marketed out of store, with around 25-30% Storage Research, an AHDB facility of of consumer complaints being due to the world repute in the potato industry that’s blackening in the centre of tubers caused also involved with post-harvest storage by the disorder. research for a number of other crops, So what advantages will CHAP offer including onions and leeks, sugar beet, to growers moving forward? Sprout carrots, brassica and cut flowers. suppression is clearly an area where “Capital funding from CHAP at CHAP will aid the linking of expertise Sutton Bridge is enabling 10 six-tonne within different organisations to deliver an ‘state-of-the-art’ storage rooms to be built. alternative to CIPC, reckons Mike Storey. This is being complemented by AHDB “DMN, ethylene and spearmint all offer investment to build a further 10 new an alternative for sprout suppression storage rooms and refurbish the older but we still have work to do to actually 12t stores,” he says, adding that this will understand the crop itself, especially provide a resource of 48 fully specified Projects in the new stores at Sutton Bridge when it comes to control of dormancy. experimental stores on the site. include one looking at airflow and particularly “All in all, it’s exciting and reassuring to The new facilities will improve both the ventilation and temperature management for have this recognition about the importance capacity and capability of Sutton Bridge, CIPC applications. of, and investment in agricultural which is currently involved in a number Graeme Stroud, AHDB research,” he concludes. I of Innovate UK projects as well as AHDB-funded research, the results of which will ultimately improve crop storage and productivity. New research in store “These are exceptional facilities and we welcome new contacts from industry who The 10 six-tonne stores from CHAP are part of want to work with CHAP to bring innovations the capital development plan for Sutton Bridge, which includes: G Refurbishment of existing 12-tonne capacity stores originally built in 1992. G Replacement of 14 three-tonne capacity stores built in 1985/6 with ten new six-tonne capacity stores. G Addition of 10 six-tonne capacity stores in Graeme Stroud, AHDB a chemical-free environment. The stores are designed to hold crops at capability. The stores are all capable of being CHAP has been up and running for six months temperatures from -1°C to 30°C ± 0.5°C and fully sealed and each has humidification after securing £21 million of government money will accept commercial-scale storage boxes as capable of maintaining relative humidity for capital investment. well as small sample trays, providing a flexible as high as 95% ±3%.
74 crop production magazine september 2016 It’s something we’re really Things are improving but monitoring sites that will help rather good at but there’s a way to go and we develop and validate new something we probably still haven’t really managed to risk-forecasting models for could do more to connect growers with all the pests and diseases and convey to the wider science and innovation they provide real-time data to public, who still can tap in to. It’s something agronomists and growers. often see big tractors, CPM is fairly passionate about Forecasting and in-season pesticides and a delayed and CHAP could be another info on pests, diseases and journey as representative of step forward in bringing the weeds will be available on farming, rather than the skill, scientists more within reach an updated version of the resources and care that goes of the grower. already widely used into producing quality food. One of the novel things CropMonitor platform. It was something that was CHAP will do is run a fleet of And let’s face it, we could do Let’s celebrate brought home to me the other mobile lab-to-field trailers fitted with some help when it comes day when I was at an open with all the latest equipment to some diseases, especially day looking at potatoes and so that pests, pathogens and as problems with fungicide As I put pen to paper, the Rio chatting to someone from diseases can be diagnosed in insensitivity look set to increase. Olympics have just ended and outside the industry, but very the field –– instantly. But that’s We need to apply fungicides in a record medal haul is coming much into sports nutrition. He not all, the trailers also double a protectant situation which home with our athletes. was surprised and amazed at as demonstration units where means knowing when infection Now I feel I don’t need to the level of detail and research CHAP specialists can show is likely to occur, then keep justify buying the odd ticket for that goes in to producing the growers new developments in ahead of it. Spore trapping the National Lottery. It’s for a humble potato. technologies, techniques and and forecasting can only help. good cause and our Olympians More used to grabbing a bag crop protection products to The future is looking exciting have just proven what a bit of of pre-pack off the supermarket encourage faster adoption on and I get the feeling that, not decent funding can achieve. shelf, he’d never considered that farm. The trouble is, not many too far in the future, we’ll be And that got me thinking there was so much still to learn of us actually know that you farming very differently. about our own industry and in about producing one of our can give CHAP a call if you particular, the new innovation staples and it had never crossed have a crop problem and need centre for crop health and his mind that there was such to know what’s causing it –– protection, thankfully going Based in Ludlow, Shrops, a depth of knowledge and these guys can actually roll up under the acronym CHAP. Lucy de la Pasture has research in agriculture. His on farm and identify the cause To be honest, I’d never heard worked as an agronomist reaction was that we should there and then. of CHAP before visiting Cereals and likes it when a helpful tell consumers about the science Another of the benefits CHAP and I doubt most growers had CHAP turns up in farming. that goes into producing will deliver to UK growers is either. I came away from my [email protected] our food. a new SMART network of chat at their small stand feeling both excited by the vision and CHAP could be another step forward in bringing scientists more within reach of the grower and putting more science slightly confused as to where and innovation into the field. the new consortium would sit among the other well known acronyms in agriculture. As I understand it, the general idea is to solve some of the problems in world agriculture. This concept goes far beyond the waters that surround our island. The aim is to put the best people together from both research institutions and industry and harness their combined resources to find innovative solutions. What a great idea. Not long ago, it dawned on me that we take the level of expertise that backs up agricultural production in the UK pretty much for granted.
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