Arable Farming articles from April 2004

Arable Farming archives from April 2004

NIAB to reduce staff.
April 5, 2004... NIAB, the crop variety research company - formerly the National Institute of Agricultural Botany - based in Cambridge, is reducing staff numbers by 10% to cut #0.5m from its annual budget. The redundancies stem from the recent review of...

Thin oilseed rape vulnerable to attack.
April 5, 2004... Patchiness in oilseed rape in East Anglia will make crops more vulnerable to attacks from pollen beetle and cabbage seed weevil this spring, BASF has warned. "Delayed development means that the patchy areas will reach the vulnerable yellow...

Budget diesel incentive dismay.
April 5, 2004... Biofuels failed to get sufficient backing and there was a hike on tax on red diesel. These were two unwelcome announcements made by Chancellor Gordon Brown in his budget speech on March 17. Despite calls for a 28ppl reduction in fuel duty...

Blight updates.
April 5, 2004... The internet-based potato blight warning service BlightWatch, goes live on-line in mid-April, at the start of its fourth year. BlightWatch includes a daily update on Smith periods, supplemented by regular disease reports and agronomy advice...

GCT guidance for growers.
April 5, 2004... Find out how to put the Game Conservancy Trust's scientific work into practice by attending one of its summer courses for arable farmers. The GCT's advisory team is running a series of practical courses, aimed at helping to make the very...

N knowledge.
April 5, 2004... Well-established wheat and barley crops will generally not require nitrogen fertiliser until growth stage 30/31 this season. But soil reserves are not excessive and the required application rates should, in most cases, be close to normal when...

No-go spray zone near houses.
April 5, 2004... The tabling of an Early Day Motion has increased pressure on the Government to introduce no-spray buffer zones near houses. Labour MP for Stroud David Drew's EDM calls for the move to be introduced "as a precautionary public health...

Atlantis follow-up.
April 5, 2004... The only ALS group herbicides permitted for control of cleavers and broad-leaved weeds following an application of Atlantis (iodosulfuron+mesosulfuron) are amidosulfuron-based products Eagle and Chekker, Bayer CropScience has advised. ...

Best blight programme?
April 5, 2004... Phenylamides may still be the best blight control products to use at the start of the programme, according to Interfarm UK Ltd. Levels of phenylamide (PA) resistance have remained at relatively low frequencies since the 1980s as a result of...

Another accolade for farmer-columnist.
April 5, 2004... Congratulations to Essex farmer and Arable Farming columnist Guy Smith, who has added another accolade to his mantlepiece. The 2003 Press Awards Columnist of the Year was recently named Farming Ambassador of the Year at the NFU's Farming...

Crop nutrition guide.
April 5, 2004... The Crop Nutrition Directory has been designed to save farmers time when they need to look up information on primary, secondary and trace elements for the principle agricultural crops. It also contains details on symptoms of deficiency, the...

Bioethanol from barley.
April 5, 2004... Spring barley growers could extend their acreage on to set-aside if they opt to grow it for bioethanol under contracts currently on offer from Banks Cargill. Limited tonnage contracts for Optic, Cellar or Barke for drilling in 2004 are on...

Smith's Soapbox: Mine's a pint.
April 5, 2004... Do your bit for agriculture and the blood service Every six months or so I go along to our village hall for a little lie down. I don't spend long there, but I always come away feeling the better for my visit. I have always given blood....

Smith's Soapbox: Fert timing.
April 5, 2004... Due to their late emergence our wheat crops are a little backward. Last year we toyed with the theory that well-tillered crops do not need any nitrogen until late April. I am not at all convinced this policy worked last year. Either way, too...

Smith's Soapbox: Sunny faces.
April 5, 2004... We grew ten acres of sunflowers once. The yield put me off growing them commercially again. This saddens me somewhat as they really are the most delightful things to grow. That great sea of yellow heads in July is a most beguiling sight....

GRAIN MARKETING: Swimming in the pool.
April 5, 2004... Cambridgeshire-based farm business consultant Increment compared pool price performance achieved by merchants and groups over a 3-year period. Here is what they found. One year's figures was thought too blunt to produce meaningful data to...

Grain marketing: Centaur rides forward.
April 5, 2004... In the last 12 months, Centaur Grain became the largest farmer-owned marketing company in the UK when it took on Viking Cereals' members after Viking went into receivership. Alison Lea discusses Centaur's approach to grain marketing with chief...

Water now a critical issue.
April 5, 2004... Climate change will transcend every other issue, and the conservation of water will become one of the most critical issues for farmers in the next few years. That was the prediction of Sir Ben Gill, outgoing president of NFU, in his speech...

`Conserve soil organic matter'.
April 5, 2004... How best to protect our soils from the effects of climate change - more stormy winters, and, particularly, hotter, drier summers, - was the theme of Dr Chris Mullins, of the plant and soil science department of Aberdeen University. He said...

Min-till: look first at the agronomy.
April 5, 2004... Growers contemplating a switch to a reduced tillage system should make sure they have a good understanding of rotation, soil structure, fertility and weeds before making any changes. That was the advice of Worcestershire farmer and minimum...

`High grade seed key to better establishment'.
April 5, 2004... High grade oilseed rape seed may provide the key to better crop establishment in dry summers. That's according to Jonathan Blake of ADAS, who told the conference that several seed factors, including seed size, protein content and maturity,...

`Seedbed trash not a factor in eyespot risk'.
April 5, 2004... Trashy seedbeds do not increase the risk of eyespot. That was the message from Dr John Jenkyn of Rothamsted Research. It was still widely assumed that there would be a smaller risk of eyespot in a following crop of winter wheat if wheat...

Winter wheat establishment rates lower than expected.
April 5, 2004... Establishment rates for winter wheat may be lower than most growers would expect and seed rates used may be inappropriate as a consequence, according to a leading research scientist. John Spink of ADAS told the conference that the average...

Black-grass dormancy is temperature-related.
April 5, 2004... Black-grass dormancy is related to temperature rather than moisture stress and, as such, should be easier to monitor, scientists believe. A LINK project, part funded by Defra and HGCA and led by ADAS aims to develop a better understanding...

Dump management: Think potato planting - think dump control.
April 5, 2004... With preparation for maincrop potato planting in full swing growers shouldn't forget a vital task - potato dump control. The British Potato Council explains why. Potato planting creates its own pressures, not least on time, but the BPC is...

Disease management: Build fungicide plans round triazole base.
April 5, 2004... HGCA's `Wheat disease management - 2004 update' dropped through levy payers' letterboxes recently. We asked a few of the UK's leading agronomists for their thoughts on the guide's messages. Teresa Rush reports. "Do not be complacent about...

Cereal disease: Continuous wheat benefits from take-all foliar spray.
April 5, 2004... Buckinghamshire wheat grower Ian Waller is only too aware of the losses from take-all. Growing all wheats for milling, he lost his #15/t premium to a late onset of the disease when no take-all control measures were employed in 2002. That...

Talking Arable with our Borders-based farmer Guy Lee.
April 5, 2004... March 22 I am getting behind with my homework. Our monthly group meetings with the local members of Scottish Agronomy take the form of a discussion about the state of the nation, and then a specific look at individual crops. The two...

EU expansion: What will an enlarged EU mean for you?
April 5, 2004... The European Union has grown from six to 15 countries since its beginnings in 1951, and is now preparing for its fifth and largest expansion. Giselle Jones reports on what this may all mean to the UK arable farmer. Ten countries from...

Sprayer safety: Time to act on emergency plans?
April 5, 2004... Farmers are increasingly being asked to provide evidence of emergency procedures, with reference to sprayers and spraying in particular. But, as Teresa Rush discovers, there's no recognised industry source for emergency action plans. ...

Sprayer maintenance: Sprayer away day.
April 5, 2004... Unlike the majority of machines, there is only one person on the farm who should check over and maintain the crop sprayer during out of season times, or when gearing up for the busy season ahead. That person is the sprayer operator, who...

Sprayer washdown: In-field washdown is the easiest option.
April 5, 2004... With the ever-increasing focus on best practice for sprayer operators, Dominic Kilburn seeks a reminder on sprayer washdown and rinsing protocol as growers enter one of the busiest times in the spraying calendar. It's simple really. Wash...

Tractor axles: Rear tractor wheel suspension tests.
April 5, 2004... Suspended cabs, seats and front axles are becoming increasingly popular as tractor makers look to find new ways to improve driver comfort and increase productivity. The next stage could be suspended rear tractor wheels. Currently only available...

The importance of sprayer hygiene.
April 5, 2004... SWEET TALK with Simon Fisher I have just received a circular from a major agrochemical manufacturer outlining spring tank mixes and spray sequences using its latest sulfonyl-urea (SU) products. The information is clear, concise and...

Talking Arable with our South Devon-based organic farmer David Pearson.
April 5, 2004... March 22 Well it is here, the SFP or "Single Fudged Payment". Numerous meetings have and are being held countrywide to impress on farmers the urgency of acting before it is too late. Inevitably there will be winners and losers, but my...

BACK CHAT: Gone up in smoke.
April 5, 2004... As Arable Farming went to press, news filtered through (pardon the pun!) that EU talks on reform of the tobacco regime had broken down. EU spending on tobacco subsidies accounts for E963 million (#642 million). The subsidy per hectare is 20...

Letter: The mildew battle.(Letter to the Editor)
April 5, 2004... Colin Myram writes that quinoxyfen has been 'found to have strains of mildew resistant to it.' (Arable Farming, February 16, 2004). Recent data suggests the field performance of quinoxyfen - the active ingredient of Fortress - will remain...

New-look for the Silver Lapwing.
April 26, 2004... The UK's longest-running farm conservation competition, the Farmcare FWAG Silver Lapwing Awards, has been launched with a new look in this, its 26th year: Firstly, the Awards have been devolved into four separate country competitions for...

Voluntary Initiative must keep up momentum.
April 26, 2004... With the completion of the first year of VI targets in March, it is time to move on to the next phase. "It has been a successful first year in reaching farmer targets for the VI. We are therefore very pleased by the deserved recognition...

Interrogate the RL with interactive service.
April 26, 2004... GROWERS can now investigate Recommended List trials data through a new interactive service to see which varieties best suit their farm and market requirements. The new HGCA interactive tool 'RL Plus' provides full data from the HGCA...

GM-free passport.
April 26, 2004... The Agricultural Industries Confederation has issued a revised version of the post-harvest pesticide declaration form, or 'grain passport' in order to satisfy crushers demands that growers declare their OSR is GM- free. The new passports...

Not yet for Thiamethoxam.
April 26, 2004... Syngenta's Thiamethoxam will not gain approval in time for sales this autumn. The company says that it is hopeful, however, for spring 2005. Trials have shown very promising control of flea beetles and fungal pathogens in oilseed rape, and...

Concern for eyespot risk.
April 26, 2004... Don't be complacent with eyespot risk in winter wheat this season, growers are being warned. April showers have provided ideal conditions for the stem-based fungus to thrive. But the yield response from an eyespot fungicide could be as...

Buying in to groups.
April 26, 2004... 27% of all farmers, covering over a quarter of the total farming area, are members of a farmer buying group. This is a rise of 2% of farmers, and 5% in area since 2001. The trend is more pronounced on larger arable farms, particularly in the...

LEAF learning.
April 26, 2004... In-field demonstrations to help farmers improve their efficiency, cost effectiveness and environmental protection and enhancement of arable and grassland enterprises are the topics at a forthcoming LEAF event at one of its Innovation Centres....

Confidence for organic farming.
April 26, 2004... The UK Government has asked the European Commission to approve proposals for a new agri-environment scheme. Proposals for the Environmental Stewardship Scheme include an organic strand that will pay organic farmers #30/ha for carrying out...

More grain.
April 26, 2004... Contrary to a report in AF April 5 edition (p8), Grainfarmers wishes it to be known that it is the largest farmer-owned grain marketing company in the UK with an annual total volume of 3.75 million tonnes grain marketed.. Copyright: CMP...

Concerns over big bag safety.
April 26, 2004... Concerns for operator safety have prompted the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) to issue a definitive eight-point industry guide for handling big fertiliser bags, available on its website, www.agindustries.org.uk. More...

Smith's Soapbox: Blown Away.
April 26, 2004... I was very taken with the media reaction to the arrest of nine Al-Qaida suspects and the discovery of half a tonne of ammonium nitrate in a west London lock-up in the last few days of March. A subsequent interview with an explosives expert on...

Smith's Soapbox: GM is pants.
April 26, 2004... Now Bayer has changed its mind and withdrawn its GM maize it would seem Britain will remain proudly GM-free for the foreseeable future. Of course when we say Britain is GM-free what we actually mean is that we will carry on importing and...

Smith's Soapbox: Get writing.
April 26, 2004... A couple of years ago I wrote a piece despairing of how disinterested farmers can appear when it comes to lobbying. The Curry Commission was a classic example. Although groups like the Wellington Llama Group, Camden Council and Bath Womens...

Soil gives up its secrets.
April 26, 2004... A major UK project to advance our understanding of life in soil is drawing to a close. Alison Lea finds out about soil biodiversity and its relevance to farming. Soil is as important to a farmer as canvas to a painter. But how much do we...

FARM SURVEY: Reader drilling survey results.
April 26, 2004... Arable Farming, in conjunction with Swedish drill and cultivation equipment manufacturer, Vaderstad, ran a survey asking growers to respond on establishment matters. Agricultural consultant Colin Stride of Stride Forward, provides an overview...

POTATOES: QOIs - no more than six sprays in potatoes.
April 26, 2004... New FRAG guidelines on Q0I use in potatoes and the changing UK blight pathogen population were among the topics covered at a Bayer CropScience technical briefing in Cambridge. Teresa Rush reports. The Fungicide Resistance Action Group (FRAG...

New blight fungicide.
April 26, 2004... Bayer CropScience has introduced a second blight fungicide containing the active ingredient fenamidone. Consento combines protectant, translaminar and systemic activity for all-round crop protection during the rapid growth phase of potato...

POTATOES: Building confidence in decision support.
April 26, 2004... Decision support systems are akin to the latest in-car gadgets; cruise control can avoid you going too fast and picking up speeding points, reversing sensors ensure you don't hit the car behind when parking - but you still don't take your hands...

POTATOES: Questions on oospore effects.
April 26, 2004... Surveys of the blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans indicate that the A1 strain remains predominant in the UK but plant pathologists must continue to search for the A2 strain, says a blight expert. The A2 blight strain has been found in...

POTATO HERBICIDES: Options for residuals.
April 26, 2004... Potato growers face a new challenge with weed control this season after the withdrawal of Bullet, Batallion and Opogard from the market last year. Joanna Baker takes a look at other options for weed control in this season's crop. After...

OILSEED RAPE: Don't close the gate on oilseed rape.
April 26, 2004... With oilseed rape prices strong for harvest 2004 there's good reason to pay close attention to crops this spring. Teresa Rush catches up with the latest agronomy news for the mid-season period. For oilseed rape growers, it's been a season...

FARM SAFETY: Safety is a serious business.
April 26, 2004... A new company can help you sleep easy at night over health and safety. Alison Lea visits a Cambridgeshire farm where expert advice has sorted out the issue. Farming recently overtook the construction industry in the grim number one slot...

CONTRACTOR: Less water, greater effect.
April 26, 2004... Vegetable crops pose a vast array of difficult targets through the season. A series of Syngenta Spray Application Clinics have been providing contractors and spray operators with practical tips to achieve optimum results. Cutting water...

CONTRACTOR: A heavy draught workhorse.
April 26, 2004... Norfolk farmer and contractor John Orford bought one of the first JCB Fastracs off the production line more than 10 years ago and was involved in trialling one of the prototypes for JCB. He has eight Fastracs at his farm near Diss. Giselle...

NEW Member Services Pack.
April 26, 2004... Over recent months, the portfolio of NAAC member benefits has been constantly increasing, and everything has now been brought within easy reach within a brand new NAAC Member Services folder. The pack contains a comprehensive reference to...

Transport Helpline.
April 26, 2004... The NAAC Member Services folder also contains full details of a brand new transport helpline. We are all aware that legislation on transport issues gets more and more onerous by the day. It is so easy to break the law and incur substantial...

Pesticides notifications nightmare.
April 26, 2004... Our thanks must go to members of the NAAC acid register who have assisted in putting together a detailed set of statistics which we have presented to the minister and the Pesticides Safety Directorate in our continuing lobby against the...

Good Budget news for VI.
April 26, 2004... The NAAC is delighted that the efforts of contractors and the industry in meeting targets for the Voluntary Initiative have finally gained formal government backing, as set out in the recent Budget statement: `The government continues to...

Talking Arable with our Cambridgeshire grower David Felce.
April 26, 2004... Judging by the increasing use of `new language' by Defra and the EU, we may soon need vocational training to enable us to use these phrases in our work. For example:- * Having taken on more land, I need additional `combinality'. * The...

Talking Arable - Kit Papworth of L F Papworth Ltd.
April 26, 2004... From our North Norfolk-based farmer Kit Papworth of L. F. Papworth Ltd, Lower Farm, Tuttington, Norwich. As I write in the week before Easter, we are still dodging the showers in order to finish drilling sugar beet and spring beans. By the...

Baler sales set to drop.
April 26, 2004... Sales of new round and big square balers are unlikely to remain at the high levels (round 1,400/big square 270) of the past two seasons. That is the view of a number of suppliers who predict a drop in sales for the remainder of this year. Even...

The big business of scaring birds.
April 26, 2004... If you are in the market for a new bird scaring device, you are probably already aware that the days are gone when home-made scarecrows and gas guns were the only options. Today's arsenal of weapons includes sophisticated sonic wailers,...

COLIN MYRAM'S CROP TALK: Nitrogen levels low.
April 26, 2004... East Anglian-based Colin Myram is a consultant to the agricultural industry, including farmers and suppliers. A friend has just shown me some soil nitrogen reserve figures for the end of the winter and it is interesting that the level for...