Arable Farming articles from August 2006

Arable Farming archives from August 2006

Securing your fertiliser.
August 14, 2006... Counter terrorism officials have launched a new website urging farmers to `secure their fertiliser'. The website www.secureyour fertiliser.gov.uk reflects growing concern that terrorists are targeting fertilisers on farms to use as...

Pesticide improvements.
August 14, 2006... Indicators used to measure responsible pesticide use were maintained or showed improvement during 2004, despite the fact that farmers used more pesticides, according to the latest indicators report from the Pesticides Forum. The increase...

Comment: Give us a break.
August 14, 2006... We have had some hot weather this summer; the temperatures have been in the upper 80s (in old English). In the garden are peacock butterflies, red admirals, tortoiseshells, painted ladies (of the Lepidopterous sort!), blues, browns from the...

ARABLE BRIEF: A win for Jim.
August 14, 2006... Congratulations to Shropshire farmer and min-till guru Jim Bullock who has won the European Landowner's Organisation `Environment and Soil Management Award', and with it E2500. The award recognised his `outstanding management practices...

ARABLE BRIEF: Back on track.
August 14, 2006... The Environment Agency has agreed to let farmers use discarded road tarmac to fill holes on their tracks and farm roads without facing extra costs or red tape, says the NFU. This tried and tested track and road repair method was caught up...

ARABLE BRIEF: On-line seed costing.
August 14, 2006... A new on-line seed cost calculator will help growers decide whether to use farm saved seed or to buy certified seed. The HGCA Seed Calculator, developed by The Anderson Centre, covers feed and milling wheat, feed and malting barley and...

ARABLE BRIEF: Set-aside changes.
August 14, 2006... Rules governing set-aside in England have been relaxed to reduce the risk of fires due to the exceptionally hot weather last month. The Rural Payments Agency has announced farmers can delay cutting set-aside land up to August 31 where a fire...

ARABLE BRIEF: Free tax guide for farm businesses.
August 14, 2006... The complexities of the tax system and its implications for farming and rural enterprises are fully explained in a new tax guide from Lloyds TSB Agriculture. This free guide gives a basic overview of farm business structures and tax planning to...

Grass research initiative.
August 14, 2006... A new research partnership between the Norwich-based John Innes Centre (JIC), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking to help the development of grasses into `superior energy crops'. By studying...

Computer displaces the spade.
August 14, 2006... Computer modelling has replaced hand-dug sampling as a means of obtaining early indicators of the likely performance of the UK sugar beet crop. For many years hand dug beet sampling has provided clues as to how the crop is likely to...

Smith's Soapbox: A bug's life.
August 14, 2006... Farming opinion from Essex-based Guy Smith Having been the target of the bird lobby for the last decade it is worrying to now see the insect lobby on our case. `National Butterfly week' in mid-July found our media full of worrying stories...

Smith's Soapbox: Fire break.
August 14, 2006... I had the pleasure of receiving a visit from an Austrailian, Professor Eric Armstrong from the University of Wagga Wagga (no I am not making that up and yes I do remember the Monty Python sketch about the Australian table wine called Chateau...

Smith's Soapbox: Glass half full.
August 14, 2006... First let me share the bad news of harvest 2006. Rape yields were disappointing at 26 cwt. My exposed over-thick crops lodged badly in the gales in May and lost their potential. Mercifully it was cheap to grow (variable costs of #52 an acre...

Finance: Budget with certainty?
August 14, 2006... Philip Wynn, head of Aubourn - the agribusiness division of Savills, says that the key to good budgeting begins with a detailed cropping plan and gross margin budget, but warns growers that a big slice of realism is needed as they try to plan...

Captured on camera: Top dog Robigus growers.
August 14, 2006... Scotland Keeping up the east of Scotland's reputation for formidable yields, Peter Chapman who farms in Aberdeenshire, says that Robigus achieved 12.3t/ha at 14% mc last year. "So I thought I might be in with a chance in this competition,"...

Talking Arable with our Shropshire-based farmer Arthur Hill.
August 14, 2006... Is this year any different to 1976? Yes, in many ways I think it is. For a start Suzanne was carrying Chris through all that hot summer, so that is one thing that is different!Another is the length of the dry spell which according to our...

Weed control: Still a role for IPU?
August 14, 2006... Isoproturon has a role this autumn and hopefully beyond, according to one of the UK's leading suppliers. Teresa Rush reports. The future of isoproturon use in the UK may be decided by the end of the year. IPU was listed on Annex 1 of The...

Weed control: Hopes still high for herbicide solutions.
August 14, 2006... A survey of leading farmers and agronomists has revealed that attitudes to weed control are changing - but perhaps not quickly enough? Teresa Rush reports. One of the key findings to emerge from an in-depth survey of farmers and...

Weed control: Boost to herbicide options.
August 14, 2006... There are four new herbicide options for use in oilseed rape and cereals, with first-time availability this autumn. Teresa Rush asked ProCam technical director Dr David Ellerton for his assessment of the new products and an indication of where...

Cultivations: Dig out the spade.
August 14, 2006... Autumn is a critical time of year for soil. Treat it well and you will increase yield potential and protect the environment. ADAS soil scientist Selwyn Richardson explains. When you are waiting for the dew to dry before getting on with the...

Cultivations: Size isn't everything.
August 14, 2006... Downsizing from a 4m to a 3m cereal drill has given a Norfolk arable farmer the flexibility and time to manage an expanding cereal enterprise without compromising the potato and sugar beet business. Hall Farm, Colby has grown by 1200 acres...

Cultivations: Cultivation preparations.
August 14, 2006... Ahead of this season's key autumn cultivations, Arable Farming and Farmers Guardian assembled four 3m stubble cultivators on a farm in Warwickshire and gave them a good work out. On this page Dominic Kilburn seeks min-till advice from a soil...

Cultivators on test: FARM FORCE.
August 14, 2006... The six legs on the Farm Force Ultra Tilth are mounted in a staggered formation across the toolbar. There is a choice of a 230mm or 430mm foot to suit different working depths and only one bolt releases the combined wing and point. Leg...

Cultivators on test: DOWDESWELL.
August 14, 2006... The Dowdeswell TDC3 differs from the other cultivators by only having five instead of six legs, it also relies on wavy shaped discs mounted on two axles. The steel packer roller is listed as optional equipment or a rubber roller can also be...

Cultivators on test: HE-VA.
August 14, 2006... The He-Va offering is a combination of two implements - the Combi Lift and the Disc Roller. The six soil loosening tines are mounted in a staggered formation on the back of the Combi Lift's toolbar so there is plenty of room when hitching up....

Cultivators on test: SUMO.
August 14, 2006... Now with four seasons under its belt the Sumo Trio is a proven machine. The six legs are staggered along the front of the frame and are fitted with a 225mm wide combined wing and point foot. Manufacturer SW Agriservices offers weld on...

Seed treatments: Every seed counts.
August 14, 2006... Reduced sowing rates, especially when combined with early drilling, means every seed must grow to achieve the optimum target plant population. Any failure in seed establishment means significant yield loss. So, in the second of a two-part...

Pests: Make a date for the BYDV spray.
August 14, 2006... Changing approaches to grass weed control have provided an opening for BYDV infections. Teresa Rush finds out more. "Put it in the diary. `Don't forget the BYDV spray'". That's the advice of ProCam technical director Dr David Ellerton, who...

Pests: Seed treatment route to early pest control.
August 14, 2006... Teresa Rush looks at the differences between Deter and Redigo in controlling pests. Evidence of effective control of a range of early season pests has been gathered from a number of trials and field-scale comparisons across the country...

Pests: Battle lines drawn against slugs.
August 14, 2006... Even if you can't see them, slugs are in the fields and ready to do their worst. One Somerset grower intends to be ready for when they surface. Keeping a close eye on the weather, and on resulting slug burden, will be crucial this year,...

EUROPEAN NEWS: World of potatoes at Europe event.
August 14, 2006... British potato growers can see all the latest technical developments at Germany's first PotatoEurope event, staged by German DLG. Forecast to attract 10,000 visitors, some 150 organisations from nine countries have been confirmed to take part...

EUROPEAN NEWS: Hot weather hits crop production.
August 14, 2006... The abnormally hot and dry conditions this summer look likely to reduce crop production levels. While the Spanish arable sector is no stranger to long periods of hot and dry weather, this season's elements, particularly during May and June were...

EUROPEAN NEWS: Lower wheat output is expected.
August 14, 2006... This year's persistent drought has forced the French ONIGC grain bureau to lower the country's expected winter wheat output by 1.6million tonnes. Earlier this season, the organisation forecast a production of 36.9million tonnes, an increase of...

EUROPEAN NEWS: Swedish arable sector `shake-up'.
August 14, 2006... Although there is no official explanation, the release of crop figures for 2005 clearly confirms that the Swedish arable sector is going through a bit of a shake-up. That is the only conclusion we can make following the release of crop figures...

EUROPEAN NEWS: #7m boost to GMO starch potato.
August 14, 2006... The introduction of a GMO starch potato variety is a step closer following the news that the Dutch Government is supporting work by the Avebe starch maker to the tune of #7million. Currently under development at the Research Centre at...

Track to the future for JD?
August 14, 2006... The need to put more power to the ground and increase operator comfort levels to maximise productivity are important criteria with today's powerful tractors. This suspended four-track design could possibly provide a few pointers for future John...

Talking Arable From our North Norfolk-based farmer Kit Papworth.
August 14, 2006... August 1, 2006 The Eastern Daily Press has `Norfolk to be the new Med' as its front- page headline today. I can't help feeling that this may be a dubious honour and that the county has some way to go before we become a holiday Mecca. But...

It's all in the balance.
August 14, 2006... GrowHow Advice self-auditing is helping us keep nitrogen applications in line with crop requirements so farmers can have confidence in the advice they receive, says GrowHow Adviser Dave Towse. Have you reached your targeted yield and...

Global Report: Hi-tech farming beyond any doubt!
August 14, 2006... The accuracy of Neil Unger's GPS system comes to the rescue in a recent court case resulting from the terrible bush fires experienced in his community in 2004. From our Australian farmer columnist Neil Unger If nothing breaks, the crop...

Combines: More power and separation.
August 14, 2006... Andy Collings takes a look at some new combine harvesters New Holland intends to market in 2007. A new combine harvester range, more power for the CX and an upgrade for the CR range - New Holland's line-up of combine harvesters for the...

Balers: Quadrant additions in baler line-up.
August 14, 2006... Claas has expanded its range of balers - both square and round. Andy Collings takes a look at the company's latest developments. Claas UK's line-up of big square balers just got bigger - the new Quadrant 3400 baler has a tandem axle, weighs...

Global view: High cereal yields still not enough.
August 14, 2006... Even though the world's cereal crop this year will be the third highest on record, it is still not enough. Tight markets and rising prices may be an encouraging prospect for farmers, but there are still many countries experiencing severe food...