Arable Farming articles from June 2002

Arable Farming archives from June 2002

T3 now!(fungicides)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... If you've planned to apply a T3 spray, it's probably on already. If not, the time to do it is now. T3 fungicides are likely to give a small but nevertheless important yield increase as well as a quality enhancement effect this season, says...

Final preparations for Sprays & Sprayers.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... No, not an early maturing crop! Just final preparations for the forthcoming spraying event - Sprays & Sprayers - which takes place at Whittlesford, Cambridgeshire on 25 & 26 June. Iain Hamilton of Syngenta shows the event's `Total...

Protecting water from pesticides.('Every Drop Counts: Keeping Water Clean')(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Comprehensive new advice is available from the Voluntary Initiative to help farmers and growers keep pesticide contamination of water to a minimum. Water protection is one of the two major areas of concern being tackled by the Voluntary...

NIAB's new potato test.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... NIAB has developed a new test, using leaf samples, to detect differences in the genetic composition of potato varieties. The test is available to growers for the first time this season. NIAB Laboratory Manager Huw Jones comments: "We...

Going for gold.(Simba International's Solo cultivator)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... British cultivations and drill manufacturer, Simba International has picked up the RASE's Gold Medal award for its Solo cultivator. The Solo was launched in 1999 in 4.5 and 6m working widths. In November 2000 the 3m model completed the range....

Grain contract.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... The NFU has launched a new grain contract designed to secure a better deal for UK cereal growers by increasing their selling rights and providing greater transparency. The contract, part of the NFU's Arable Action campaign, aims to strike...

Jubilee spud.(Elizabeth, new salad potato)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... A new variety of salad potato has gone on sale in limited quantities in Sainsbury's stores for the Queen's Jubilee. Agrico and Solanum have bred the new variety, named Elizabeth, for the UK market. Growers will also benefit from its...

Learn the law.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... The NFU is running a series of employment law seminars to help businesses avoid costly action such as unfair dismissal claims. Four regional seminars are planned in June and July, targeted specifically at agricultural and rural sectors. ...

Eye in sky on spuds.(Geographical Information System)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... BPC has adopted a Geographical Information System (GIS) to allow crop areas on statutory planting returns to be compared directly to field areas. Based on computerised mapping technology, the system links accurate field area information to...

Slime on-line.(slug control)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... The importance of slug control in potato crops has been highlighted by the launch of www.nomoreslugs.com - a slug information web site from De Sangosse UK. The site shows key factors influencing slug activity in the potato crop and...

Saaten-Union to buy hybrid business.(wheat)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Hanover-based breeding firm, Saaten-Union has announced its intention to buy part, or all of DuPont's hybrid wheat business. The company, which has been active in hybrid wheat for over 40 years, acquired Monsanto's portfolio of hybrid wheat...

Cereal Benchmarker.(Cerealcheque)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... NIAB and the Rural Business Unit (RBU) of Cambridge University announce the development of Cerealcheque, a DEFRA-funded web-based system that compares cereal variety production on a variety-by-variety and field-by- field basis. ...

High disease resistance.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Cebeco wheat breeder Stephen Smith checks a crop of Goodwood - a higher- yielding potential Consort/Claire replacement. A soft endosperm biscuit type, Goodwood comes up for Recommendation this autumn. In NIAB NL1 (2000) and NL2 (2001)...

Second class farmers.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... My thanks go to a sharp-eyed reader who has been dutifully ploughing through that fun read from DEFRA, Arable Area Payments Scheme, Part II. He notes that on page 26 it reads: "You must not cultivate set-aside land before July. Cultivation...

Otter nonsense.(protection of otters)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Recently I took the kids to The Otter Trust headquarters near Bungay in Suffolk, and very good it was to. But, as usual, old misery guts Dad found something to moan about just like when he took the family to the Dome, and just like when he took...

Winner takes all?(winter oilseed rape)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Alison Lea visits Saaten-Union's Suffolk field station to find out more about its high yielding hope for the winter oilseed rape market. High yield potential winter rape variety Winner was recently officially launched by sole UK agent...

Saaten who?(Saaten Union)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Saaten Union is not a well-known name to most British farmers as the company markets seed through established UK businesses, such as Banks Cargill in the case of OSR Winner. It is, however, much better known to farmers in its home country...

Market outlook: Rape has good prospects.(rape seed forecast)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Charlie Whitmarsh, Banks Cargill seeds director sees a bright future for rape. "We reached the bottom of a cycle on price last year, since when prices have picked up. Price is driven, to some extent, by availability of other oil crops,...

Northern focus for OSR breeder.(seeds)(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... OSR varieties should be specially bred for northern conditions. One breeder is doing exactly that. Believing that breeding efforts have become overtly focussed on the demands of growers in the south, Nickerson has been deliberately looking...

Apex offspring continues consistency tradition.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Jo Baker reports on a non-Listed variety with very repsectable performance data Growers of oilseed rape now have another variety to consider before drilling next season's crop, with the launch of the conventional winter OSR variety Pollen...

New barleys respond to early drilling.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Early drilling is becoming the normal thing for first wheats. Will the same approach work for winter barleys? According to one plant breeder, bringing forward drilling by two weeks into early September can boost yields by 1-2t/ha. And,...

Hybrid barley's big future ?(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Alison Lea updates on a breeding programme brimming with confidence. With news of the demise of the latest cereal hybridising project hardly dry on the page, one could be forgiven for being circumspect as another seeks to gain the...

In the meantime.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... NFC has conventional varieties as candidates for the Recommended List this autumn. New 6-row conventionally-bred feed variety Sequel is seen as 'plugging the gap' by its breeder, New Farm Crops, until the planned commercialisation of the...

Pedigree malting performer?(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Though it's too early to know the Institute of Brewing's final opinion of malting candidate, Pedigree, NFC is optimistic about its chances of a thumbs up. "It has a 4-litre degree improvement in hot water extract over Regina, and is...

Winter barley complementary duo.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Alison Lea went to the launch of two new winter barley varieties at a brewery in converted cowsheds. Why so appropriate? Read on. Two new winter barley varieties; one to make beer, and the other for livestock feed, have been launched by...

WANTED! Spaghetti Eastern.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... If you farm in the south east or East Anglia, take another look at the economics of growing durum wheat, says Alison Lea. From microwave-ready meals of cannelloni to Carluccio's fresh fettuccini, the British are eating more pasta. The...

Rock solid Group 2.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Alison Lea reports on a new wheat that is already favoured by millers and merchants. But what will farmers think of its field characteristics? Growers are constantly urged to grow more Group 2s, yet the acreage has been in steady decline...

Oilseed rape variety selection.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Oilseed rape growers should ask themselves three questions to select a shortlist of varieties from the Recommended List: * What is my strategy for levels of input and output? * What is the risk of lodging in my growing area? *...

Where we're going with wheat breeding.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... Monsanto's focus on the future for wheat. Alison Lea reports The numbers are startling: 1200 crosses each year produce 2.5 million progeny which, after 5 years, have been filtered down to less than 10 hopefuls entering NL trials. Of these,...

A 5-year market view.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... John Howie, European wheat product manager, volunteers a five-year view. "There's still a high number of farmers hoping that prices will rise. But I'm afraid that there's little sign that this will happen, based on global production projections...

Rounding up rhizo.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... With a change in the UK disease status, Advanta Seeds hosted a conference entitled `Living with Rhizomania', looking at all aspects of the disease and how to work around it. Dominic Kilburn reports from Norwich. With two sites in the UK...

Resistant rise.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... By 2005, 71% of sugar beet varieties on the market in Europe will be rhizomania-resistant, says Advanta's German-based plant-breeding partner, which will equate to 40% of the UK crop. Trials in the UK between 1999-2001 have shown that the...

Talking Arable with our South Devon based farmer David Pearson.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... MAY 27TH 2002 My recent attendance at a weed control course in arable crops for organic farmers did leave me with the overriding impression that it was more to do with art than science. Our host for the day, with many years experience of...

Beet to bank on for 2003.(sugar beets)
June 8, 2002... Fifteen new varieties were considered for addition to the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO)-funded NIAB Recommended List of sugar beet varieties for 2003. Of the fifteen new varieties considered for addition to the NIAB Recommended...

Assurance premium - at last!(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 8, 2002... All that extra paper work and expense associated with assurance schemes may actually raise a premium - if you delve into soya. Dominic Kilburn reports. These are exciting times in the world of soya. There are opportunities for new growers...

Early days for soya trials.(Brief Article)
June 8, 2002... NIAB ADMITS that it is early days yet for recommending soya variety choice since only two years worth of trials data has been collected - and this in two extremely variable seasons. However NIAB's Simon Kightley puts Gentleman as the best...

Strictly for the committed.(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
June 22, 2002... Producing high quality potatoes involves high levels of investment, making it a business strictly for those with an eye for detail, says Ken Shipley, Velcourt Group Plc's Farms Director for the East Midlands and Yorkshire. If one looks at...

End of the line for pod shatter?(rape seed breeding and harvesting)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... John Blackbeard reports on a project aiming to reduce rape seed lost at harvest. Pod shatter/seed loss, as oilseed rape producers well know to their cost, is one of the biggest problems facing growers of the crop today. Industry estimates...

Agco has big plans for Challenger.(AGCO Corp. Challenger MT 700 tractor)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 22, 2002... The Challenger brand of tractor has been re-branded and re-launched. Steven Vale reports. Agco has just used a British venue as the European launchpad for a number of machines from the newest brand to be added to its portfolio. Called...

A modular mix.(Vaderstad UK cultivators and drills)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 22, 2002... Vaderstad's latest range of cultivators and drills can be more easily adapted to suit working practices and field conditions. Arable Farming reports. With the aim of increasing the versatility of its range of cultivation equipment and...

Harvest in control.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... There are some extremely heavy oilseed rape crops, with enormous yield potential, this year. Too often growers have seen the great hope dashed whilst waiting for the crop to naturally mature. Desiccation is necessary to achieve an even ripeness...

Arable gear at Grassland.(Grassland 2002 trade show)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Not traditionally a show for arable farmers, Grassland 2002 provided the UK launch pad for some interesting bits of arable kit. Steven Vale reports. With 17 UK dealers and 66 outlets, McCormick estimates that it has already captured an...

Colin Myram's CROP TALK.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... 9TH JUNE 2002 Former technical director of Crop Care, Colin Myram is an East Anglian- based consultant to the agricultural industry, including farmers and suppliers. Driving around East Anglia during the last couple of weeks one can...

Disease data use.(control options for plant disease)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Identifying areas at risk from disease may help decision control options, says the Central Science Laboratory. CSL has taken the last ten years of data from the DEFRA National Cereal Disease Surveys and has meaned and mapped them to provide...

Tracking the sulphur decline.(Mike Carver speaks on use of sulphur fertilisers)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Arable Research Centres monitoring of sulphur deficiency indicates that it can be difficult to detect and can take effect relatively quickly. But growers are coming under pressure to apply sulphur and some of that pressure is unnecessary, said...

Pests beware of website.(British Potato Council's website)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... QUICK and simple on-line identification of around 50 potato pests, diseases and disorders is now possible using the British Potato Council's (BPC) website (www.potato.org.uk). Users can access pictures that clearly illustrate the visual effects...

Bayer CropScience is launched.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The new Bayer CropScience subgroup, formed through the merger of Bayer's Crop Protection Business Group with Aventis CropScience SA, began operating on June 4, 2002. The industry's second largest ag-chem company has been given the green light...

New Glyphosate.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... A new formulation of Touchdown offers improvements in speed of activity and reliabilty of control, says Syngenta. Touchdown Quattro is a 360 g/l SL formulation of glyphosate, containing in addition the patented System 4 adjuvant technology....

Reducing rodent risk.(HGCA launches guide)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... A new guide from HGCA aims to help growers cope with the rodent menace. The 20-page guide, `Rodent control in agriculture' aims to bring together advice on how to spot rodent menaces, proof against rodent access and bring infestations...

Harvest strategy.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Tractor and harvest equipment company, McCormick Tractors International has launched upon a big campaign to increase its presence in the Uk harvest equipment market. As well as recently appointing a dedicated harvest specialist to run its...

Cereals challenge.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... UK cereals producers must meet the challenge of marketing their cereal crops more effectively, says NFU cereals chairman Richard Butler. Speaking at an NFU-organised meeting prior to the recently-held Cereals event, Mr Butler said there...

Backing the buzz habitat.(research project aims to improve biodiversity on farms)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Bellamy's Britain buzzes! Professor David Bellamy recently launched the Buzz Project - a research initiative designed to create innovative ideas for enhancing biodiversity on farmland. According to Professor Bellamy the basis for wildlife...

Beer and barley.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 22, 2002... I had an obscene phone call the other day. It was a grain merchant with news of a malting barley production contract for harvest 2003. The price?...#65 per tonne. When I expressed my contempt for such a low price, he assured me it was very fair...

Complacency in high places.(government aid to farmers)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The fashionable panacea amongst government-appointed think tanks for our present ills at the moment is "reconnecting with our markets". Sir Don Curry says I am "disconnected" from my market and with a bit of effort I could reconnect. This, says...

Blight and black scurf top the bill.(British Potato Council Summer Workshops)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... British Potato Council summer workshops taking place around the country are providing growers with an opportunity to catch up with the latest agronomy and R&D developments in potatoes. Teresa Rush reports from Kent. Growers attending the...

Computer modelling and decision support tested.(management advisory package for potatoes is tested)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Growing potatoes represents a considerable investment. According to British Potato Council figures it costs around #3500/hectare. With that in mind and the increasing demands of the end user, being able to test management decisions first should...

Coping with the road ahead.(survey of farmers)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... More farmers are concerned about UK competitiveness on a global stage than last year, and around two thirds of growers lack optimism in the future of farming. This pessimistic outlook came from Cereals 2002 sponsor Lloyds TSB's annual...

SAFFIE brings them together for biodiversity.(Sustainable Arable Farming for an Improved Environment)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... If the number of organisations involved in a project could count towards biodiversity, this one would be a SSSI! 'Sustainable Arable Farming for an Improved Environment' (SAFFIE) is a new project that, for the Crop Protection Association,...

HGCA assures RL change for the better.(recommended list system for cereals growers)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... HGCA was keen to explain the current overhaul of the Recommended List system to Cereals visitors. Rather than being compiled by NIAB, SAC and DARD, the List is now run by an HGCA subsidiary. Crop Evaluations Ltd (CEL) which promises to...

Taking the marketing game seriously.(HGCA offers CD-ROM to help famers develop selling skills)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Selling is a skill, so it pays to understand the system and to practice. It's never been more important than now, when a few extra #s/tonne can make the difference between profit and loss. Many growers however, lack confidence in marketing...

First major demo of 04H project.(new herbicide from Aventis)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... However, the event provided the first major opportunity for growers to assess the activity of the new herbicide active ingredients - mesosulfuron-methyl and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium-contained within 04H. Aventis was demonstrating 04H's...

Making money at #50 a tonne.(breaking even wheat farming)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 22, 2002... "Could you still make money with wheat at #50/tonne?" That was the question fertiliser manufacturer Hydro posed to three experts at Cereals 2002. Francis Mordaunt, head of research at farm business consultants Andersons, suggested that...

Managing for change in the arable sector.(Velcourt's James Townshend speaks at Cereals 2002)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Hope for an improvement in market conditions but don't plan for them. That's the advice of Velcourt chief executive James Townshend. Speaking at Cereals 2002 Mr. Townshend said that the challenge facing the industry is to make farming...

Satellite solutions to wheat management decisions.(Velcourt is partner in European project)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Velcourt is the UK partner in a high tech EU project to develop satellite-based crop monitoring services. The EC 5th Framework project - ISO Crop - is investigating the use of superspectral optical product and synthetic aperture radar on...

Band drilling benefits.(Cereals 2002; Velcourt drilling demonstration)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Band drilled seed has produced more ears/sq.m in the Velcourt drilling demonstration plots at the Arable Event at Cereals 2002. The demonstration aims to compare results achieved with a Horsch CO band drill and a conventional in-line drill....

Big machines for powerful tractors.(new equipment displayed at Cereals 2002)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... All the biggest names and machines in the arable equipment sector were on display at the Cereals event, organised by RASE and the East of England Agricultural Society, earlier this month. Rubber-tracked tractors featured prominently and...

CONTRACTOR: Trikes improve precision drilling quality.
June 22, 2002... If your contracting business provides a precision drilling service for crops such as peas, beans and onions, then you might like to know that a simple tractor conversion could lead to more even germination. The work involves removing the...

CONTRACTOR: Extra wide tractor works with GPS accuracy.(Fendt 916 Vario with Geo-Tec Agro-Nav system)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Farm businesses go to great lengths to ensure that they have the right kit for the job. Dutch organic farmer/contractor Jaap Korteweg probably goes further than most. For example, he has just extended the axles and fitted rubber tracks to a...

CONTRACTOR: Contracting Comment.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... From our Norfolk-based farmer/contractor Kit Papworth A week is a long time in any profession, not just politics. We drilled all of our sugar beet (with exception of one field) in 7 days over Easter, thanks to favourable conditions and some...

CONTRACTOR: Nine-row sugar beet harvesters - the future?(Moreau Agriculture, Vervaet and Agrifac WKM)(Product Announcement)
June 22, 2002... The six-row self-propelled sugar beet harvester is about to be superseded by a huge 9-row variant. That is the only conclusion we can draw from the launch of three machines towards the end of last year. French firm Moreau Agriculture was the...

CONTRACTOR: Sugar beet harvester cuts compaction by 40%.(Kleine)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 22, 2002... Self-propelled sugar beet harvesters are causing compaction damage. That is the view of managing director Dr Angelika Westerwelle of German- firm Kleine, who believes that a lot of questions will be raised about these big machines in the...

CONTRACTOR: New sugar beet harvester in the making.(Grimme)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... News from Germany suggests that Grimme is already at an advanced stage of development with its very first sugar beet harvester. Earlier last year, the firm purchased the six-row manufacturing rights from Stoll. We can now confirm that...

CONTRACTOR: Dedicated trailer leads to improved in-field cleaning.(Kleine's BigSub)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
June 22, 2002... Too much valuable topsoil is accompanying sugar beet to the processors. That is the view of German company Kleine, which says that contractors need to look hard at ways to reduce the amount of soil accompanying sugar beet to the factory. ...

CONTRACTOR: Ares ll arrives.(Renault introduces Ares II tractor)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Fans of Renault's Ares range of tractors will be pleased to see, amongst several upgrades, the introduction of a new transmission system. Dominic Kilburn sees the unveiling of Ares ll. Since its launch in 1997, the Ares range of tractors...

CONTRACTOR: Buoyant UK market.(Renault UK plans to double European tractor market share)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Renault UK's managing director, Bob Humphrey says that despite difficult times over the last 18 months with the company's retail branches (all but the East Anglian branch have now closed), this current year has been the best for Renault since...

CONTRACTOR: T3 test for specialist nozzle.(Syngenta develops new nozzle)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Despite the fact that spraying technology has developed rapidly over the last ten years and spraying speeds have almost doubled, it is surprising that, until now, nozzle technology hasn't been developed to take into account of the change in...

CONTRACTOR: Go large, go multifunctional.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... The low profile, multi-purpose tyre is taking over. Dominic Kilburn reports on the latest 70 series tyre to hit the market from Kleber. The solution for modern farmers is to go large and multifunctional, says Kleber, with reference to its...

CONTRACTOR: Specialist is ideal solution.(specialist sprayer Philip Clarke services farms in coastal Suffolk)
June 22, 2002... In our quarterly series focusing on contractor operations around the country, Dominic Kilburn heads for East Anglia to catch up with a specialist spraying operator in Suffolk. It's all about offering quality, reliability and value for...

Mildewicide added to sugar beet fungicide armoury.(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Control of foliar disease produced a welcome yield boost for many sugar beet growers after last season's planting delays; just over 60% of the crop area received a fungicide spray. This season fungicide options will be extended, following PSD's...

Broad spectrum disease control.(product tested at six regional sites)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Punch C (flusilazole) was approved for use in sugar beet in 1999 and since then has established a good track record for yield boosting effects as a result of its broad spectrum fungicidal activity plus its ability to keep leaf greener for...

Consider a mix and match approach.(to fight sugar beet diseases)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... Quinoxyfen is another fungicide tool to consider and may well deliver benefits when used in the right situation, says Morley Research Centre sugar beet specialist Martin Lainsbury. MRC has yet to assess quinoxyfen in its own trials programme...

Don't be caught out by take-all threat.
June 22, 2002... With a record amount of second wheat due to be drilled this autumn everything must be done to ensure yields are maximised so reasonable margins and profits can be achieved. This was a key message to visitors to Kent merchant, T. Denne & Sons'...

Seed treatment solution to Wessex pest.(Wessex, England)(Brief Article)
June 22, 2002... A 'new' beetle pest could be costing combinable crop growers dear in terms of lost yield. Psylliodes luteola or the cereal flea beetle was first detected in Arable Research Centres early sown wheat trials in Hampshire back in 1997 and since...

Use of take-all seed treatments increases.(British cereal industry)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 22, 2002... Cereal growers increased their usage of take-all seed treatments last season, according to figures released by Aventis. Usage of the root protection system Jockey (fluquinconazole+ prochloraz) increased by 45% in 2001, compared to 2000. Around...