Arable Farming articles from June 2003

Arable Farming archives from June 2003

Gout fly on rise again.
June 10, 2003... Adult gout flies have been active in high numbers across southern and eastern England and egg-laying is underway on spring crops in high-risk areas. The warning comes from ADAS entomologist John Young who is monitoring winter and spring...

Win:win for farmer and wildlife.
June 10, 2003... Partners in PROBE: Peter Redfern, soil policy adviser for Environment Agency, Stephen Cane of DEFRA, Darren Moorcroft, agricultural policy officer for RSPB, and David Gardner of Farmcare, on whose estate at Stoughton in Leicestershire PROBE's...

Cleavers top culprit list.
June 10, 2003... A farmer survey by the National Farm Research Unit (NFRU) has revealed that cleavers are still the most widespread weed in winter wheat, winter barley and spring barley and that they are the most widely targeted broad-leaved weed when it comes...

Service to spuds.
June 10, 2003... The British Potato Council (BPC) is seeking nominations for this year's British Potato Industry Award. Awarded to an individual recognised for their outstanding contribution to the GB potato industry, the winner receives a sterling silver...

THE INVOLUNTARY INITIATIVE: Our survey says.
June 10, 2003... Thanks to all those who took part in our Voluntary Initiative survey on the agriCentre website: Your answers indicate that there is still a mountain to climb to fulfil VI targets. 70% of respondents had not had their sprayer tested yet. Of...

Research in action.
June 10, 2003... HGCA is running a series of open days, aimed particularly at growers, in June to give a flavour of some of the work it is funding at ARC, SAC and ADAS on winter and spring barley. 1. ARC open days at Andover, Kettering and Cirencester will...

Reform talks.
June 10, 2003... Crunch meetings on CAP reform take place in Luxembourg on June 11 and 12. Key issues still to be resolved are decoupling - replacing commodity-based subsidies with a single farm payment, and modulation/degressivity - shifting payments from...

Anti-resistance safeguards.
June 10, 2003... New results from ALS testing show a similar level of resistance to the sulphonylurea group of herbicides to last year. Cereal growers and advisors must remain vigilant and carefully consider their herbicide strategies this season, says DuPont's...

Biotech debate.
June 10, 2003... Former European Parliament president Lord Plumb has welcomed the US decision to launch a WTO case against the EU's ban on new GM crops. Lord Plumb, one of 38 agricultural leaders from industrialised, developing and least-developed countries...

Thorough clean up.
June 10, 2003... Crop sprayer manufacturer Hardi Ltd. has introduced a new cleaning agent, Hardi Clean, that is designed for use both on the inside and outside of the sprayer. Added to the clean water tank at a rate of 500ml per 100 litres, the agent is...

SMITH'S SOAPBOX: Highs and lows.
June 10, 2003... To sell or not to sell, that is the question. With markets now springing to life after two years in the doldrums the decision as to when to market one's crops is a nervy one. Riding a market roller coaster can be very stressful. It is food for...

SMITH'S SOAPBOX: June is bursting out all over.
June 10, 2003... Yes, I thought the photo would grab your attention. This is a little reminder that although June can be a slack month on arable farms this does not make it a good time to put the hedge-cutter on the tractor and knock back a hedge or two. Hedges...

SMITH'S SOAPBOX: Time-wasting tick boxes and mindless twaddle.
June 10, 2003... My thanks go to a reader who sent in a contribution for my occasional section "Claptrap Corner". It comes from a leader column in The Times newspaper. The final paragraph reads along the lines of: "So if you want to help the impoverished third...

MILLING WHEAT: Less nitrogen, more protein?
June 10, 2003... The struggle to hit 13% grain protein isn't going to get any easier. In the second part of our report from HGCA's Milling Wheat Conference, Alison Lea gets the expert view on this critical issue. Maintaining proteins and pushing the yield...

WHEAT: Breeding wheat down quality street.
June 10, 2003... Quality is critical for future grain prices. That's why it's the focus of breeding investment at a company visited by Giselle Young. There is about 20% too much Group 3 wheat in the ground, according to seed breeders Advanta. "We believe...

Talking Arable with our North Lincolnshire farmer Ambrose Fowler.
June 10, 2003... 20th May 2003 My last Talking Arable article was in mid-February. So, since then, the landscape has changed quite significantly. The recent rains came just in time, although not before we had been forced into early irrigation of the...

VARIETY CHOICE: What value reliability?
June 10, 2003... Do you weigh up the hidden costs of a poor disease rating when choosing a variety? It's time for a fresh look at what's really important. Alison Lea reports. There is a mindset amongst growers that yield is still the driving force for...

Breeder's 'holy grail' helped by modern techniques.
June 10, 2003... Technological advances in breeding now enable early identification of many of the bedrock characteristics that make a variety reliable, according to Monsanto wheat breeder Richard Summers. Techniques such as gene marking have speeded up the...

SEED SELECTION: Have you got an identity crisis?
June 10, 2003... Farm-saved seed can rapidly lose genetic identity - and the quality and agronomic traits for which you chose the variety. Alison Lea reports. Through farm saving, how many generations down the line are you from the certified seed you...

Talking Arable with our Shropshire-based farmer Arthur Hill.
June 10, 2003... 19th May 2003 Well, the weather has finally broken good and proper in our part of the world and, looking at the forecast, I am not sure it knows when we are going to return to some summer weather. Three inches in three weeks is plenty for...

THE BUSINESS QUARTER - INTERNET TRADING: Is IT time to trade online?
June 10, 2003... Farmers are being urged to join the internet revolution and start trading online with some of the country's biggest agricultural companies. Alistair Driver reports. First 4 Farming (www.First4farming.com) claims it can help improve...

Mid-term messages explained.
June 10, 2003... Lloyds TSB Agriculture is offering growers a free practical guide to help them understand the proposals in the Mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). "The Mid-term Review could herald the biggest changes to farming in the...

Euro gains.
June 10, 2003... With a euro currently worth in the region of 71p, farm business consultants Strutt & Parker anticipate that the Arable Area Payments (AAP) for the 2003 harvest will be approximately 11% higher than those in 2002 and 17.5% higher than in 2001....

PRECISION FARMING: Practical precision farming.
June 10, 2003... A new service looks set to boost wheat gross margins by between #15/ha and #20/ha. Using aerial and satellite digital imagery of the growing crop, the Farmstar service provides growers with the information that helps to fully exploit the power...

Arable Farming - Precision Farming Initiative.
June 10, 2003... Used correctly, precision agriculture is one of the few routes left open to UK farmers that can help make significant improvements to farm profits. But, despite its potential, there is still a general reluctance among the majority of farms to...

PRECISION FARMING: Farmstar remote sensing.
June 10, 2003... Remote sensing of crops works on the basis that green vegetation displays a distinctive spectral response curve in the visible and near infra-red spectrum, including a unique combination of low reflectance at red wavelengths and high...

SUGAR BEET: Character is key in variety choice.
June 10, 2003... Three new additions have been approved for the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO)-funded NIAB Recommended List of sugar beet varieties for 2004. NIAB's Simon Kerr provides this comprehensive round up. A total of 16 varieties were...

Second's best for Wizard wheat.
June 10, 2003... With very stiff straw and the best eyespot resistance on the HGCA RL, Group 3 winter wheat, Wizard will suit any slot in the rotation. But its real strengths come as a second wheat, where, on the RL, this Consort derivative, has out-yielded...

POTATO BLIGHT: New angle on blight sprays.
June 10, 2003... Performance of potato blight fungicides and other potato agrochemical treatments can be improved with a new angled spray nozzle, claims Syngenta Crop Protection. The Syngenta Potato Nozzle angles spray rearwards at 120 degrees from...

POTATO BLIGHT: Resistance concern - but risk is minimised.
June 10, 2003... Around 70% of potato growers and advisers are "very concerned or concerned" about blight resistance, according to the latest results from a survey conducted on behalf of Interfarm. But this was much less than a similar survey the previous year...

POTATO BLIGHT: Blight confirmed.
June 10, 2003... POTATO blight has been confirmed in south Lincolnshire. The blight infection was identified by a British Potato Council 'blight scout' on a potato dump close to Holbeach. BPC has advised growers in the area to intensify their crop...

POTATO BLIGHT: Blighted relationships?
June 10, 2003... The increasing acreage of organic potatoes is good news for the industry as a whole. But it's bad news for blight control in conventional crops, according to some technical experts. Latest figures indicate that the organic potato area more...

POTATO BLIGHT: New product.
June 10, 2003... Belchim Crop Protection has launched a new blight fungicide combining metalaxyl-M and fluazinam. PSD approval for Epok covers up to five applications but Belchim is recommending a maximum of three for resistance management purposes. Epok...

Global Report: It is time to rewrite the rules of sowing.
June 10, 2003... From our Australian farmer columnist Neil Unger Our doubled cropping area to over 8000 acres has already proved a challenge to handle to my satisfaction. The old rule that must always be abided by to successfully farm in Australia, simply...

Managing strobilurins in 2003: T3 - the key to yield and quality.
June 10, 2003... T3 is the final opportunity for growers to protect investment in their cereal crop. Over the last few seasons this timing has established itself as the key yield and quality promoter for class 1 and 2 wheats. For 2003 BASF are launching a...

Fertiliser quality mark extension.
June 30, 2003... The fertiliser quality mark, SP5, which indicates spread pattern quality and is used on nitrogen products, is to be extended to all other fertiliser types. Farmers in the arable sector especially, have begun to appreciate the SP5 mark in the...

Fischler puts `final offer' for CAP reform.
June 30, 2003... As Arable Farming went to press, agriculture commissioner Franz Fischler put forward a compromise deal for CAP reform to EU ministers in Luxembourg in time for the EU summit starting on Thursday 19 June. "It's the final compromise. There must...

Field to forecourt rapeseed contract.
June 30, 2003... A new contract, offering farmers the opportunity to grow rapeseed for biodiesel, was launched at Cereals 2003. The deal, from the green fuel company Greenergy, is branded as a "Field to Forecourt" contract to reflect that full traceability...

Specificity a key issue in molluscicide choice.
June 30, 2003... Specificity is a key issue for farmers when it comes to slug control products, according to the results of a survey of arable farmers. When questioned about the importance of whether their slug control product targets slugs specifically...

Support for the Voluntary Initiative.
June 30, 2003... With Peter Sanguinetti from the Crop Protection Association, NFU President Ben Gill and Cereals Chairman Peter Kendall flag up their support for the Voluntary Initiative on the opening day of Cereals 2003. Their businesses are signed up to the...

Fungicides up.
June 30, 2003... UK sales of crop protection products in the year ending December 31 2002, were slightly ahead of the previous year as a result of unusually high demand for fungicides in the agricultural sector, says the CPA. Use of active ingredients for...

Alternative award.
June 30, 2003... Two companies, one producing eco-friendly resin and the other specialising in wheat eco-packaging have won HGCA's What's The Alternative? Enterprise Awards. Cambridge Biopolymers was awarded #50,000 funding for its project to produce a...

Planted area fall.
June 30, 2003... The total British area sown to cereals fell 6% last year to 3m ha according to planting survey figures from HGCA. Both wheat and oats fell in terms of planted area, with only spring barley showing an increase. This is partly the result...

Spud boost.
June 30, 2003... Potatoes are low in fat and salt, and rich in Vitamin C and complex carbohydrate. The British Potato Council (BPC) is running a campaign to draw consumers' attention to these health benefits of eating spuds. The campaign is running until...

Organics get more support.
June 30, 2003... Government has announced extended support for organic farming. The new Organic Farming scheme announced in June, is designed to bring the UK into line with the rest of Europe. Measures include the introduction of on-going maintenance...

Smith's Soapbox: The Miller's thumb.
June 30, 2003... It have always thought it very reassuring that when a lorry full of my grain goes to a miller, maltster or compounder I can rest assured that it will be weighed accurately. Weights and Measures legislation and the accompanying independent...

Smith's Soapbox: Organic and good?
June 30, 2003... If you believed some of the newspapers and the BBC you would think British farming is mainly organic nowadays. It is true that large tracts of rough pasture are now being certified as organic but then again they were nearly organic in the first...

BREEDING: Variety choice is the industry's lifeblood.
June 30, 2003... British breeding programmes are facing a financial crisis. Alison Lea reports. Pay up royalties due to plant breeders or suffer the consequences. This was the stark message from Chris Green, vice-chairman of the British Society of Plant...

A magical miller that will catch the boat.
June 30, 2003... The best biscuit wheat bred to date? Only time will tell, but based on early tests, new winter wheat Wizard has one of the best range of biscuit-making quality characteristics the industry has ever seen. According to CPB Twyford commercial...

Grain quality.
June 30, 2003... In NABIM tests, Wizard demonstrates dough extensibility characteristics that are above those recorded for Consort and Claire. Wizard also has the advantage of export specifications needed to ensure it a wide range of cargoes. With a Chopin...

Strawberries and cream set the standard.
June 30, 2003... Midsummer, sweltering heat, strawberries and.... a new consumer standard. Alison Lea reports. LEAF formally launched the LEAF Marque at the start of Wimbledon fortnight dishing out strawberries and cream to the consumer Press. The new logo...

POTATOES: Irrigation efficiency required.
June 30, 2003... Pressure is increasing to improve irrigation efficiency in potato crops for environmental as well as economic reasons. Teresa Rush reports. Efficient use of water is essential if maximum returns are to be obtained from investment in...

POTATOES: Fogging and fry colour: early ventilation vital?
June 30, 2003... Deterioration in fry colour associated with CIPC fog applications had been a concern of the industry for some time, said Adrian Cunnington, Sutton Bridge Experimental Unit manager. "There is a lot of ongoing work taking place at Sutton Bridge...

POTATOES: Seed management for end markets.
June 30, 2003... New seed management research aims to provide more options for growers in terms of getting the stem density of potato crops right. "For a long time we have known about how physiological age is used in the early potato industry," said BPC...

OILSEED RAPE: Plan for cost control at harvest.
June 30, 2003... Now is the time to finalise harvest management plans for oilseed rape. Teresa Rush reports. Management at harvest and during the weeks leading up to it can make a significant difference to returns from oilseed rape. Poor management and...

OILSEED RAPE: High inputs are not necessary for hybrids.
June 30, 2003... Hybrid technology is enabling oilseed rape growers to take strides forward in yield - yields of well over 6t/ha have been achieved. However, that technology is young and growers are still learning how to fully exploit hybrid yield potential. To...

OILSEED RAPE: High reliability focus.
June 30, 2003... PBIC Seeds has made high reliability its top priority in its breeding programme. Topping current UK National List trials in output, as well as being rated in either first or second place in official trials in five other European countries, is...

OILSEED RAPE: Don't underestimate disease threat in 'low risk' areas.
June 30, 2003... First reports of phoma infection in oilseed rape should be a warning to all growers, whichever part of the country they are in. That's one of the key conclusions drawn from the disease sampling scheme undertaken by DuPont and NIAB in...

CONTRACTOR: Transport - Road legal.
June 30, 2003... Keep a close eye on your brakes, lights, weights and dimensions if you want to stay on the right side of the law this harvest, writes Michael Bird. Regulations governing the use of farm vehicles on the public highway can be a veritable...

CONTRACTOR: Quality not quantity in harvester market.
June 30, 2003... Potato growers will need no reminding that margins are tight and any expenditure on new machinery has to be well scrutinised. Several years of indifferent prices mean grower confidence is relatively low. This outlook is reflected in sales of...

CONTRACTOR: Landini breaks into 200+ hp bracket.
June 30, 2003... Arable farmers and contractors are now being offered tractors in excess of 200hp from the Landini range. The Italian manufacturer is unlikely to hide the fact that the new Starland is a tried and tested design which has already found favour on...

CONTRACTOR: Growing the direct dealership and parts stock network.
June 30, 2003... The Argo Group, of which Landini is a part, formed its own direct distribution business in Britain last October for Landini. The Italian manufacturer has 38 active dealerships in the UK - and that number is increasing. Some of those...

CONTRACTOR: Voluntary Initiative - Invest in a test.
June 30, 2003... Lincolnshire-based manufacturers of self-propelled crop sprayers Househam Sprayers is actively involved in the campaign to increase awareness and adoption of the NSTS (National Sprayer Testing Scheme) initiative. The NSTS replaces the previous...

CONTRACTOR: New products - New CVX range launched.
June 30, 2003... Tractor manufacturer Case IH kicked off Cereals 2003 with the launch of a new CVX Series range of machines with a power range from 137-192hp. Five new models supersede four of the existing range and all are fitted with Case's...

CONTRACTOR: New products - Disc harrow choice.
June 30, 2003... Kverneland's single centre framed disc harrow is offered in widths from 4.05-6.3m in its DXG form, and 6.3-8.1 in DXH. A choice of 610 and 710mm disc sizes are available in plain or scalloped. Other features include manual or independent...

CONTRACTOR: NAAC supports Image Agriculture campaign.
June 30, 2003... The NAAC has offered its support to the Image of Agriculture Campaign, believing that it is important to educate the public on the many benefits of UK Agriculture. The Association will shortly be sending all its members stickers to help promote...

CONTRACTOR: Cereals success.
June 30, 2003... Enjoying the sunshine at the recent Cereals Event, contractors were equally bright as they reflected on their current and future position in the market. NAAC staff were delighted to welcome a number of new members at the show, all...

CONTRACTOR: New contractor employment site.
June 30, 2003... This month the NAAC has launched a new area on the NAAC website for jobs in contracting. The new site will offer members the opportunity to advertise jobs on- line at low cost, The NAAC will then promote the site outside the association to...

CONTRACTOR: New partnership.
June 30, 2003... The NAAC is pleased to announce the formation of a partnership with NEBS, a leading supplier of forms and business stationery to small companies. NEBS manufactures a wide range of printed stationery for contractors and NAAC-branded forms are...

CONTRACTOR: Verified seed breaks barrier.
June 30, 2003... Over 50,000 tonnes of farm saved seed were processed last season by mobile seed processing companies operating under the NAAC Verified Seed Scheme. The scheme has now been joined by 85% of all NAAC seed processing member companies, and...

CONTRACTOR: GM: 'Peaceful coexistence'.
June 30, 2003... NAAC mobile seed members have made representation to the current national GM debate, supporting peaceful coexistence with the GM seed industry, provided effective separation distances are rigorously enforced to minimise the risk of...

CEREALS 2003: Chicken feed for better profits.
June 30, 2003... Along the ranks of HGCA-supported projects on display was Afeno - shorthand for Avian Feed Efficiency From Naked Oats. Murdo Macleod has studied the nutritional value of naked oats at the Roslin Institute, Edinburgh. He discovered that this...

CEREALS 2003: Pointing to the future for peas?
June 30, 2003... It has been hinted that protein crops may receive additional support under a reformed CAP. If so, Cebeco's commitment to peas, beans and lupins could find itself 'in the right place at the right time'. Cebeco MD Gerry Cook is particularly...

CEREALS 2003: Wildlife and shoppers SAFE with us.
June 30, 2003... Banks Cargill, RSPB and Asda have just embarked on a tripartite project linking wildlife-friendly wheat growing with the supermarket shopper. Ten Yorkshire wheat growers have volunteered to co-operate with the project partners to explore...

CEREALS 2003: HOG-ging the knowledge.
June 30, 2003... Which Roundup product to use on rotational set-aside and when? What's the latest sowing date for Option? The answer to these questions and more can now be found in Monsanto's Hands on Guide (HOG). The guide provides an easy-to-use reference on...

CEREALS 2003: Pre-emergence hopeful.
June 30, 2003... As the battle with grass weeds continues, increasing attention is being paid to the role of pre-emergence and early post-emergence herbicide treatments in managing resistant populations. Syngenta took the opportunity at Cereals to demonstrate a...

CEREALS 2003: Ear blight warning.
June 30, 2003... A high incidence of Fusarium stem base disease has increased the potential for ear blight problems in winter wheat crops this season. That was the warning to visitors to Cereals 2003 from Dr Judith Turner of the Central Science Laboratory...

CEREALS 2003: Sell straight to the crusher.
June 30, 2003... A new joint marketing initiative between ADM Erith and United Oilseeds is giving oilseed rape growers the opportunity to deal direct with their customer. ADM Erith, the UK's largest rapeseed crusher, currently has direct contact with 600...

CEREALS 2003: Targeting regional potential.
June 30, 2003... 'Scoping studies' undertaken by the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) are examining the potential for development of novel crop (and animal) enterprises in specific areas of the UK. The aim is to help stimulate rural regeneration. The first...

CEREALS 2003: Simple plants hold clues to improve crops.
June 30, 2003... Scientists at the John Innes Centre (JIC) have gone back to basics to search for clues about how to improve crop plants. By studying simpler plants, researchers have begun to identify novel genes that help plants survive disease and stress or...

CEREALS 2003: Grain - Call for modern thinking.
June 30, 2003... Outdated grain trading practices "as old as the Corn Laws" are preventing Britain's cereals industry from achieving its full potential, says the NFU. In a series of meetings with traders and millers at Cereals 2003 NFU president Ben Gill called...

CEREALS 2003: Assisted steering system.
June 30, 2003... Following on from the launch of its AutoTrac assisted steering system now fitted to its wheeled tractors, John Deere provided a glimpse of the system fitted to its STS combine harvesters. Speaking at the event, Deere's product manager for...

CEREALS 2003: Trailed drills.
June 30, 2003... KRM launched the high capacity, high speed Maxidrill RW range of trailed drills in 6, 8 and 9m widths. Featuring a 4000 litre hopper on each of the models, the Maxidrill has power requirements from 110hp for the 6m model. KRM's established...

CEREALS 2003: 442: `The cultivation tool for all growers'.
June 30, 2003... Vaderstad has launched what it describes as the cultivation tool for all growers. "Every farmer has different requirements when it comes to cultivations and the `442' (no model name has been chosen yet) should be suitable for everyone," says...