Arable Farming articles from June 2006

Arable Farming archives from June 2006

CROP COMMENT: BYDV compromise.
June 5, 2006... The widespread switch to Atlantis (iodosulfuron+ mesosulfuron) for autumn grass weed control is compromising the timing of insecticide sprays applied to control barley yellow dwarf virus, growers and agronomists are being warned. With...

Comment: `An industry to be proud of'.
June 5, 2006... Guy Smith's observations about the image of UK farmers as spongers on the State makes uncomfortable readingfor all of us directly or indirectly working in agriculture. Dealing with this has to be a priority. We are a small part of the UK...

BASF buys into more biotech.
June 5, 2006... BASF has announced the acquisition of Belgian biotechnology company CropDesign. The Belgian biotech enterprise will become part of BASF Plant Science, BASF's plant biotechnology company. In a statement BASF said that the acquisition...

Profiting from functional foods.
June 5, 2006... The scope for growers to profit from nutraceuticals - otherwise known as functional foods - has been brought a step closer to home with a four-year Defra LINK-funded project on selenium `biofortification' of wheat. The mineral selenium is a...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Club root threat.
June 5, 2006... Club root is causing severe problems in oilseed rape crops throughout the UK. Worst affected fields are being written off and experts admit they are surprised at the extent of the problem. UAP regional technical advisor, Barrie Florendine...

ARABLE BRIEFS: FORUM speaker changes.
June 5, 2006... Following the Government's recent ministerial reshuffle, Lord Bach, the former secretary for sustainable farming and food, who was to address farmers at the `HSBC Farming for Profit Forum' at Cereals 2006 on the Thursday has now been replaced...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Scottish alert.
June 5, 2006... Several cases of yellow rust have been identified in winter wheat crops in Fife so far this season with Scottish growers now being warned to be vigilant for the disease. "Yellow rust has been found over the last couple of weeks on crops of...

Cost cutting in OSR investigated.
June 5, 2006... Early indications from a Cambridge Arable Technologies (CAT) oilseed rape establishment trial suggest it may be possible to cut costs without compromising yield potential. Twenty varieties, including commercially available and yet-to-be...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Blight fight.
June 5, 2006... Taking a zero tolerance approach to controlling blight in potato dumps is key this season. That is the message from the BPC as the `Fight Against Blight 2006' campaign takes pace. Before commencing spray programmes this season growers...

Smith's Soapbox...May va va voom.
June 5, 2006... Farming opinion from Essex-based Guy Smith May has proven a month of unprecedented growth. With some much-awaited rain and high temperatures in early May the crops have roared away at remarkable speed. If I have got my wheat monitoring...

`What not to plant' with Trinny and Susannah.
June 5, 2006... I am in the throws of drawing up an HLS application. Firstly it should be said that I think it is a good scheme that rewards farmers financially for delivering environmental goods. Personally, it suits my farming philosophy in as much as I get...

Sugar beet: Sugar highs.
June 5, 2006... On a visit to a farming family-owned breeding company in Germany, Alison Lea gets an insight into the past and future of farming on the former GDR border in addition to sugar beet breeding technology. It is ironic that, in the very year...

Soil management: Feed the life beneath your feet.
June 5, 2006... The rewards from raising levels of organic matter in the soil are many and varied. At an event for organic farmers, Alison Lea picked out information of interest to all growers. Roots of ordinary plants, through association with soil-living...

Soil management: Green manures - an organic grower's perspective.
June 5, 2006... Running an organic salad and vegetable box scheme supplying 500 households is no mean feat from 17 acres of Grade 3 soils. But Iain Tolhurst, of Tolhurst Organics near Reading said that over 90% of fresh produce going into the boxes is supplied...

Soil management: Trace elements and health.
June 5, 2006... Every indication is that many trace elements have declined dramatically in our soils, said Martin Lane, whose company Field Science tests soils for deficiencies and supplies them if necessary. "MAFF data from the 1950s showed that the...

Storage: Grain storage: A central issue?
June 5, 2006... Farmers will need a lot more grain storage over the next few years. Investing in central storage, not building new capacity on farm, is the answer, reckons one farmer-owned grain marketing outfit. Chris Lyddon reports. UK on-farm storage...

Agronomy centre: `Clock is ticking' on mycotoxin MPLs.
June 5, 2006... Milling wheat growers must be alert to the potential dangers of allowing fusarium to affect crops and mycotoxins to develop on grain, a leading agronomist is warning. Edward Long reports. Until now, the only limits for mycotoxins have been...

Agronomy centre: Breeding for OWBM resistance.
June 5, 2006... The prospects for varietal resistance and the latest advice on control with insecticides were among the topics discussed at a Rothamsted Research Association/HGCA orange wheat blossom midge workshop at Crowmarsh Battle Farm in Oxfordshire....

Agronomy centre: Activity on aphids goes to extra time.
June 5, 2006... A range of new insecticidal seed treatments will provide extended control of autumn aphid vectors of BYDV, together with activity against slugs and wireworm. Teresa Rush reports. Approval has been granted for the co-formulated seed...

Agronomy centre: Alternative N application to reduce the costs.
June 5, 2006... Cost savings through alternative forms of nitrogen was one of the themes at a Cambridge Arable Technologies' Summer Event at its trials site at Great Wilbraham Hall Farm, Cambridge. Edward Long reports. Wheat growers might be able to cut...

Cereals 2006: Cost effective solutions for your grass weed control.
June 5, 2006... To kick off AF's second preview to this month's Cereals event John Parry reports on Velcourt's exhibit. "We aim to show a range of cost effective technical solutions," says Keith Norman, Velcourt's technical director, commenting on what...

Farm Saved Seed - a false economy?
June 5, 2006... Putting a shovel in to the pile and swapping planting certified seed for Farm Saved Seed (FSS) oilseed rape appears to be an obvious cost saving solution. However these benefits are likely to be short lived, if at all, with real false economies...

Comment: Sponsor's comment.
June 5, 2006... John Colley, senior agriculture banking manager, Lincolnshire. Over the past two or three years phrases like "it isn't the industry it used to be" or "all the fun has gone out of farming" have become increasingly common while talking to...

Finance: Justify your investments.
June 5, 2006... In the run up to the Cereals event, Philip Wynn, head of Agribusiness at Savills provides growers with some much-needed practical advice on planning repayments and investments. Arable farmers' cash flow has been tight since November of...

Cereals 2006: Electronic rural maps.
June 5, 2006... For the first time, farmers can now receive a CD showing their Rural Land Register (RLR) maps in electronic form, together with aerial photography and Ordnance Survey mapping of their farm; a wealth of data held about their land by public...

Cereals 2006: Buying together.
June 5, 2006... Visiting Anglia Farmers at Cereals 2006 Stand 118 - immediately on left through main entrance - can give growers the chance to see how joining forces with one of the UK's largest buying groups can significantly reduce input costs. Feedback...

Cereals 2006: Plant nutrition and prizes with Potash.
June 5, 2006... Potash Limited will bring you up to date with the latest in plant nutrition, but you will also be able to enter a competition to win some high tech precision farming equipment.The company has created a display to raise the awareness of...

Cereals 2006: Advanced breeding in action.
June 5, 2006... Some of the country's most advanced cereals breeding technology will be shown in action in a major Cereals demonstration by robust wheat breeding company, RAGT Seeds. The demonstration will feature a working high tech robot used in RAGT's...

Cereals 2006: A top notch knapsack sprayer.
June 5, 2006... Achieving consistent weed control under today's challenging conditions will come under the Cereals spotlight in a special demonstration and competition on the Monsanto stand. The demonstration will focus on the latest Roundup research...

Cereals 2006: Going direct?
June 5, 2006... ADM Direct will be highlighting new opportunities for farmers to deal directly with the primary processor at Cereals 2006. Farmers located near ADM processing facilities can now benefit from a shorter supply chain by growing specific...

Precision: Cost savings with precision farming tool.
June 5, 2006... Having the ability to operate variable rate controllers for precise application of product in the field has benefited one Nottinghamshire grower to the extent of 10% savings in seed cost. On his 2200 acre farm in Newark, Nottinghamshire...

MACHINES: Varying track width on-the-move.
June 5, 2006... Sprays and Sprayers will be the first public showing for the new Hardi Alpha Varitrack self-propelled sprayer launched earlier this year. Its Varitrack hydraulic track width adjustment system enables the user to quickly and easily change...

MACHINES: Mid-spec trailed sprayer.
June 5, 2006... John Deere's new 700 Series trailed sprayers will be demonstrated for the first time at Cereals. Designed for medium sized arable farms, these new mid-specification sprayers complement the existing 800 Premium Series, and include the 724,...

MACHINES: Straw harrow launch.
June 5, 2006... Opico will launch a new straw harrow at the event. Designed for use after the combine, the harrow uses the basic contour- following grass harrow frame but with a reduced number of straighter heavy-duty sprung steel 12mm tines. The result is...

MACHINES: Tyre talk.
June 5, 2006... Firestone will be offering visitors to their stand at Cereals a free extended tyre warranty when they specify Firestone tyres on four Massey Ferguson models. As part of an on-going educational campaign, Firestone will also be offering...

MACHINES: Ploughs from Pottinger.
June 5, 2006... The Servo 45S, 4 to 6-furrow plough from Landmec Pottinger, designed for tractors up to 270hp, will be introduced. There is a choice of body spacings of 95cm or 102cm, depending on the ploughing application - the larger gap being recommended...

MACHINES: French range extended.
June 5, 2006... Tecnoma has now extended its range of sprayers for the UK market to include self-propelled sprayers under the brand name Laser. Imported by Landmec Pottinger, the range consists of five models with tank capacities of 1800, 2500, 3000, 4000...

MACHINES: Cover crop seeding unit.
June 5, 2006... A cover crop seeding unit for use in combination with Kuhn's stubble cultivator range is to be launched. The SH comprises a seed hopper, metering roller and an electrically- driven pneumatic seed distribution system with eight outlet...

Talking Arable with our South Devon-based organic farmer David Pearson.
June 5, 2006... May 18, 2006 Eventually the forms arrived leaving precious little time for accurate completion, anyway with the help of a friend we got them sorted and into Exeter just before D day. Shortly afterwards as we all know the deadline was...

Direct drilling: Taking a direct route from min-till.
June 5, 2006... With no more than 4% of UK's combinable crops presently being direct drilled it is unlikely that we will see a major swing to the system. However Shropshire farmer and min-till expert Jim Bullock reckons that with the combination of the right...

Tractors: Guidance from above.
June 5, 2006... Tractor guidance is the future for serious arable units. That was the main message to come out of a John Deere press meeting in Germany. Steven Vale reports. Accuracy is addictive. That is the view of AMS product line manager Mark James of...

GERMANY: EU spring barley area declines.
June 5, 2006... Spring barley popularity continues to decline across much of the EU and in particular Germany. That is the only conclusion following the release of 2005 figures from the German ZMP marketing organisation. The figures reveal that the 7.5million...

AUSTRIA: Government bans OSR variety.
June 5, 2006... The Austrian Government has banned the use of Monsanto's GT73 GMO OSR variety and will not allow it to be transported through the country. It feels that not enough is known on the `potential toxic and allergic effects' of the GMO variety and...

GREECE: Beet area falls after reformation.
June 5, 2006... The reformation of the sugar beet sector is cited as the main reason for a 25% drop in the Greek sugar beet area this season to 31,000 hectares. It appears that the Greek sugar sector is divided as to which year to use as the reference point...

SWEDEN: Bio-ethanol solution to surplus.
June 5, 2006... A solution to the continued Swedish grain surplus appears to be in the making following the news that a second bio-ethanol plant is about to be constructed by the Lantamenen grain merchant. Costing close to #80million, the new plant will need...

THE NETHERLANDS: Bakers help raise organic prices.
June 5, 2006... Organic bread is becoming big business for Dutch bakers - and the country's arable farmers. According to organic organisation Biologica, sales of organic bread increased by #2.59million to #20.3million last year. Farm prices for organic wheat...

Contract hire: No North/South divide in combine sharing set up.
June 5, 2006... A select group of large-scale cereal growers is pioneering the long- distance sharing of contract hire combines in a bid to make significant inroads in to the cost of harvesting. John Parry reports. The key to a Claas-brokered scheme of...

Talking Arable with our Borders-based farmer Guy Lee.
June 5, 2006... May 22, 2006 The deadline for completion of options selected under the 2005 Land Management Contract scheme was May 15 this year. One of the most popular choices is Option 15 - Improving Access - and as with all these schemes it is very...

Tractors: Upgrade for MF 6400 and 7400 tractors.
June 5, 2006... In keeping with the latest EU requirements regarding engine emission standards, Massey Ferguson has unveiled its latest updates to two of its Sisu-powered tractors. Mervyn Bailey writes. The roll out of the latest emission...

Tractors: Balers get upgrade too.
June 5, 2006... The variable and fixed chamber Massey Ferguson balers have been upgraded for the coming season.Product manager Martin Hamer says that modern variable chamber balers are capable of dealing with straw and silage, even wet stuff. The key to...

Machines: Parts company expands its implement range.
June 5, 2006... Spaldings is increasing its implement line-up with rotary flail mowers and tined weeders. Mervyn Bailey reports. Manufactured in Italy, the company's new flail toppers are built with a double skin chassis that makes them more rigid,...

WHAT'S NEW in Tractors: K series equivalents.
June 5, 2006... The Deutz-Fahr Agrotron K series is now joined by Same Iron and Lamborghini R6 equivalents. With power outputs between 100 and 120hp there will be two versions of these models - the standard models and the higher specification models with...

WHAT'S NEW in Tractors: SDF's 185hp fills the gap.
June 5, 2006... Filling a gap in the Same Deutz-Fahr line up is the new 185hp heavy weight that falls between the 165.7 and 200 model. Using the larger cab from the 200hp plus Agrotrons and 42 inch rear wheels Rob Edwards, product manager for SDF UK says it is...

Global view: Rising wheat consumption in Nigeria.
June 5, 2006... America's biggest export market for wheat next year is a country most of us might not think of. Yet one country is set to buy 3.8 million tonnes of US wheat next year. Rising consumption and new mills make Nigeria, with 132 million inhabitants...

Crop Comment: Who's SFP is it anyway?
June 19, 2006... A pleasant surprise a few weeks ago was the arrival of my SFP cheque. More so because it was bigger than it should have been. Nor am I alone in this. A number of farmers have received bumper payments - swollen by money that really should have...

Crunch time for the beet industry.
June 19, 2006... Last week's Cereals event saw the NFU together with sugar beet growers rallying against proposed price reductions - price reductions that British Sugar believes will be sustainable for the industry in the future. Despite what lies ahead with...

Crop Comment: Managing Waste.
June 19, 2006... A wide-ranging new Waste Management Plan created by the National Farmers Waste Service, operated by Solway Recycling, will ensure farmers manage farm waste safely, cost effectively and in complete compliance with legislative demands. ...

Crop Comment: Cross compliance solutions.
June 19, 2006... A series of free Defra-funded farm events are now underway across the country - with many more throughout the summer - to help land managers and advisers clarify their obligations under cross compliance. With many farmers concerned about the...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Keep botrytis at bay in OSR crops.
June 19, 2006... Botrytis is taking hold in oilseed rape crops at unusually high levels this season, according to ADAS oilseed rape disease specialist, Dr Peter Gladders. Growers who didn't apply a sclerotinia spray at flowering should be watching crops...

More power to your elbow.
June 19, 2006... More power to your elbow: JCB has given the top two 3000 series Fastrac a heart transplant that sees power go up and more low-end torque. The stage IIIa compliant Cummins QSB6 engine is found in the 3200 and 3230 machines that replace the...

ARABLE BRIEFS: New nozzle.
June 19, 2006... A new Syngenta potato sprayer nozzle, designed specifically to improve performance of mid-season blight and crop desiccation applications, is now available for growers and contractors. The new, larger orifice 05 version of the nozzle is...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Potato growers beware.
June 19, 2006... Growers of potato ware crop varieties particularly susceptible to the effects of Potato Virus Yellows (PVY) and Potato Leaf Roll Virus (PLRV), including Nadine and Russett Burbank, must be vigilant for aphid build up and ready to take quick...

French are flying with OSR.
June 19, 2006... The French oilseed rape hectarage is predicted to almost double by the year 2010, from 1.3m hectares to 2m hectares. The French Government is particularly committed to bio-diesel - mostly from home-grown oilseed rape - as a means of...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Asulox answers - win a sprayer.
June 19, 2006... Bayer CropScience and Micron Sprayers are offering readers of Arable Farming the opportunity of winning one of 10 Micron PrecisDos spray applicators. The PrecisDos delivers a measured 1ml dose of spray liquid directly to the target plant....

One-year NRoSO extension.
June 19, 2006... A one-year extension has been granted from the National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO) to give early members the chance to register for extra points and qualify for renewed membership status. This one-off extension only applies to...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Keep a watch on problem thistles.
June 19, 2006... Marking out patches of thistles now could reduce sugar beet yield losses later in the season growers are being advised. "Spot treating thistles with DowShield (clopyralid) is common practice, usually over two applications but growers can...

Smith's Soapbox... Strange to relate, but true.
June 19, 2006... Farming opinion from Essex-based Guy Smith It was good to see so many friendly faces at Cereals. It really is the best place to meet one's fellow arable farmers to chew the fat. One question I am often asked is "how do you come up with...

Environment: Research shows more work needed on nitrate impact targets.
June 19, 2006... ADAS' recently-published conclusion that nitrate pollution problems in the east of England could only be solved by taking much of the region's countryside out of agriculture came across as alarmist. But, say the experts, what ADAS has really...

Talking Arable... with our Shropshire-based farmer Arthur Hill.
June 19, 2006... Farmers are always accused of moaning about the weather, even if we have had in excess of five inches of rain to help fill the grain in May. The weather though this time is only part of the general malaise that farmers find themselves in. The...

Oilseed rape: First HOLL winter rapeseed contracts available.
June 19, 2006... A further sign that oilseed rape growers will have the opportunity to focus on producing oil for industrial use or for food use comes with the launch of a second high oleic, low linolenic oilseed rape variety and accompanying production...

Oilseed rape: Splendor HOLL oilseed rape.
June 19, 2006... * Seed package cost - #45/ha to include seed, seed treatments, delivery, production advice and identity preservation. * Agronomy, quality assurance and logistics support, including testing in store and pre-crushing are part of the package....

Oilseed rape: Variety with `top-notch' disease resistance.
June 19, 2006... Alison Lea reports back from the launch of an oilseed rape variety that can't wait to get onto the market. What value would you put on a stem canker rating of 8? Geoff Williams, seed producer, farmer and chairman of PRISM reckons it could...

Oilseed rape: Unlocking the potential of UK OSR.
June 19, 2006... An initiative to raise the levels of productivity in the UK oilseed rape crop has been established. John Parry looks at its key areas of focus. Five key agronomic weaknesses that need to be addressed to raise yields of oilseed rape from...

Oilseed rape: Who's involved in project Energise.
June 19, 2006... Grainfarmers and UAP have combined with industry partners CPB Twyford, Monsanto, NK, Terra, BASF, Bayer CropScience, NRM Laboratories and Greenergy to role out Project Energise which aims to match the best genetic material with innovative crop...

Oilseed rape: Performance `gap' closing.
June 19, 2006... The gap between better and poorer performing oilseed rape growers closed noticeably last season, according to the annual OSR performance study conducted by Procam Agronomy with its 4cast crop management service. Even so, top 25% growers are...

Oilseed rape: The root to high yields.
June 19, 2006... Oilseed rape yields languishing? Try the German approach. The most important day in the life of a crop is the day on which it is put in the ground. This affects it for the rest of the year. It is this philosophy and the belief that there is...

Oilseed rape: Demonstrating a way out of OSR doldrums.
June 19, 2006... Static oilseed rape yields will soon be a thing of the past, according to Dalgety Masstock. Alison Lea reports. The dictionary defines a vicious circle as; `a situation in which an attempt to resolve one problem creates new problems that...

Oilseed rape: Bobo FACTBOX.
June 19, 2006... Best of British Oilseeds (Bobo) is an initiative started in autumn 2005 that aims to pin down some of the reasons for yield variance in UK crops. Inspired by the success of German growers, whose yields average more than 1t/ha more than in...

Talking Arable... From our North Norfolk-based farmer Kit Papworth.
June 19, 2006... I was obviously not specific enough in my last `Talking Arable' when I said that the spring had gone well and we were hoping for some rain. I had been hoping for a gentle 20mm each Saturday night through May, but it seems to have rained almost...

Global Report: The guiding hand of GPS.
June 19, 2006... Our Australian farmer/columnist Neil Unger reports on yet another dry start to the year causing, in particular, visual problems from the tractor cab. Luckily GPS guidance is close at hand to help, but, as Neil explains, nothing is that...

Agronomy centre: New focus on weed control.
June 19, 2006... Growers and agronomists are being urged to revisit the fundamentals of good weed control as part of an initiative aimed at developing and encouraging the adoption of best practice methods. Teresa Rush reports. A new `Weed Focus' initiative...

Agronomy centre: Two new six-row hybrid winter barleys to choose from.
June 19, 2006... Two six-row winter barley hybrid varieties have been launched and will be available to growers this autumn. Joanna Baker reports. Added to the HGCA Recommended List in November, the variety Boost is nationally slightly lower yielding than...

Agronomy centre: Important role in the rotation.
June 19, 2006... With 3,825 hectares of arable cropping, technical director, Philip Huxtable, JSR Farms, East Yorkshire, says that winter barley has an important rotational role to play in both spreading harvest workloads and easing spring labour requirements....

Agronomy centre: Latest herbicide offers flexibility and crop safety.
June 19, 2006... A new pre-emergence grass weed killer for use in cereals has been introduced. Edward Long reports. The prosulfocarb-based Defy represents brand new chemistry in the fight against highly aggressive black-grass and ryegrass. It also gives...