Arable Farming articles from March 2003

Arable Farming archives from March 2003

The `earthy' smell gene.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Scientists at the John Innes Centre (JIC), Norwich have discovered the gene that gives freshly turned soil its distinctive smell. The `earthy' smell is caused by geosmin, a chemical produced by a common bacterium, Streptomyces coelicolor that...

Entry Level Scheme pilot launch.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Government minister Michael Meacher recently launched the pilot Entry Level Scheme at Great Park Farm, near Mortimer in Berkshire, which is in one of the pilot areas. The scheme will be tested in four pilot areas - chosen to represent...

MTR causing `chaos' with restructuring.(Mid-term Review)
March 11, 2003... Whilst few would disagree that CAP reform is inevitable and necessary, the phrase 'the devil's in the detail' has never been more appropriate. Policies that directly affect farmers are felt right through rural economies and communities....

Don't be a wallflower: Speak up for your industry!(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Have you ever wanted to defend farming but felt lost for words? Now you can untie your tongue and tell the public about the industry you are proud to be part of. Speak Out is a new initiative, co-ordinated by LEAF, to help farmers and...

The tractor with the Aston Martin link.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... What does a tractor have in common with an Aston Martin? The answer is Zagato. McCormick unveiled, at the Paris machinery showcase SIMA, a concept model of its very first 200-plus hp tractor, the exterior styling of which is the result of...

Fubol goes granular.(fungicide Fubol Gold)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Systemic blight fungicide Fubol Gold has been formulated as dust-free granules. The Pepite formulation, developed by Syngenta, is designed to achieve the best results from both metalaxyl-M and mancozeb in the field, along with improved operator...

Agronomy on-line.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... UAP has launched what it claims is the most comprehensive web-based agronomy support package in the UK. Called Web ASSET (Agronomy Support Service by Electronic Transfer), the service provides growers with information on 20,000 legal...

Lower temperatures draw out wheat bulb fly threat.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Don't drop your guard against wheat bulb fly yet - recent frosts and cold temperatures have made this year's egg hatch far more protracted. Data from the Dow AgroSciences Pestwatch system, supplied by ADAS, suggests that growers should...

Ag-chem Guide.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... The new 2003 editions of The UK Pesticide Guide and The e-UK Pesticide Guide contain information on 1,400 pesticide products, 500 active ingredients and mixtures and over 120 adjuvants. Products which have extant approval but, for various...

Blue fields to return?(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... The cool blue haze of a linseed crop in flower has all but disappeared from the arable landscape after its heyday in the late '80s and early '90s. With increasing demand for linseed oil and whole seed for a range of different uses,...

Distillers want more Decanter.(Diageo PLC seeks more spring barley)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Scottish distiller Diageo is urging farmers to grow more dual-purpose Decanter spring barley this year because it suits its operations so well. "We like the flexibility that Decanter gives us, and it never gives us any problems. "We...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
March 11, 2003... The spring cropping article in our January issue contained incorrect information about the crops with which Robin Appel is involved. It does not offer contracts for linseed straw, but is very involved in both soya and linseed, including...

Hefted, Me?(Prince Charles' agricultural views)
March 11, 2003... Some unkind souls have suggested that now I have blagged my way on to NFU Council I will lose my edge. I stand accused of joining the establishment and thereby allowing myself to be neutered. What nonsense. How could anyone sensibly suggest I...

Whirly-gigg.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Being a simple soul I have always liked windmills. When I saw the above device for scaring pigeons it became a bit of a "must have". Marketed by Grain Box Agricultural supplies of Royston, Herts., to date it seems to have kept forty acres of...

Barmy nights.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... I note "Image for Agriculture Campaign" is planning a series of summer picnics based around food derived from British Farm Produce. What a splendid idea. My wife was most excited on hearing this as she has always enjoyed the outdoor...

Talking Arable with our Shropshire-based farmer Arthur Hill.
March 11, 2003... Having just returned from the new style NFU AGM I must admit that I was pleased, in the main, with what I saw and heard. What other organisation has the ability to attract the secretary of state, the commissioner, and Sir Don Curry on the same...

Seeking ways to save strobs.(fungicide development for strobilurin-resistant Septoria )
March 11, 2003... Manufacturers and agronomists have responded to the discovery of strobilurin-resistant Septoria isolates with advice on disease control strategies and risk management for the coming season. Teresa Rush reports. In the few weeks that have...

Separating standing power ratings.(winter wheat)
March 11, 2003... Ways of measuring root and stem standing power in Recommended List trials are being developed so that growers can select and manage winter wheat more accurately to avoid lodging. Alison Lea reports. The yield potential of winter wheat is...

What's involved with the Entry Level Scheme?(environmentally friendly farms)
March 11, 2003... At a recent conference, delegates heard details of how the arable pilot Entry Level Scheme will work. Alison Lea reports. Having spent the past year giving his time to DEFRA to thrash out the nuts and bolts of the pilot Entry Level scheme,...

New move to develop the organic grain supply chain.(Organic Grain Link Ltd.)
March 11, 2003... A new initiative aimed at promoting closer co-operation between all levels of the organic grain supply chain has announced its first major contract. Teresa Rush reports. Organic Grain Link Ltd. is the result of collaboration between...

Defeating the midge menace.(orange wheat blossom midge; resistant crops)
March 11, 2003... A LINK project is discovering ways of combating the threat posed by orange wheat blossom midge. Alison Lea reports. It's a balmy evening in early summer. But a stroll around crops at dusk reveals a less than idyllic picture: Wheat ears...

Potato sector: restructuring and opportunities.(British Potato Council seminars)
March 11, 2003... Feedback from last year's technology transfer activities revealed that potato growers wanted more business and financial information, so keynote speakers at BPC's spring knowledge transfer workshops were drawn from these two sectors. Teresa...

TRACTOR: French warm to bigger tractors.(SIMA agricultural show)
March 11, 2003... The French SIMA show was the first major event in recent years to be dominated by new tractor developments. As the French tractor market is the biggest in Europe (38,192 units last year), it is not surprising that manufacturers saved most of...

TRACTOR: Plenty of choice at the top end.
March 11, 2003... When the time comes to part-exchange a tractor, it's more than likely to be replaced by a more powerful version in an attempt to raise work outputs. With this in mind, the number of wheeled tractors in excess of 160hp continues to increase,...

TRACTOR: Claas/Renault deal confirmed at Sima.(Claas KGaA mbH to acquire Renault Agriculture S.A.)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... As expected, confirmation of Claas' take over of Renault Agriculture was announced at the Sima show in Paris. Claas is initially going to take a 51% stake in the company with a view to making that 80% in 2-3 years' time - given the approval of...

TRACTOR: Customer call centre.(Case IH)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Case IH's new centralised Customer Response Centre is focused on dealing with inquiries quickly and efficiently, says the company. Using a Freephone number, Case IH-trained customer service staff at a London-based centre can be contacted...

TRACTOR: Multidrive's latest range.(mechanical drive tractors)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Multidrive's latest range of mechanical drive tractors comprises a 6 tonne capacity, 4 cylinder, 140hp (4140) machine; a 170hp, 6 cylinder (6170) and a 10 tonne capacity, 185hp (6185) model. In its traditional role, demountable sprayers are...

TRACTOR: Deere figures up.(Deere and Co. earnings)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Deere & Company reported net income of $68 million, or $0.28 per share, for the first quarter ended January 31, compared with a net loss of $38.1 million, or $0.16 per share, last year. Worldwide net sales and revenues for the first quarter...

TRACTOR: McCormick expansion.(McCormick Tractors; dealership contracts)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... McCormick Tractors has appointed four new dealerships for East Anglia and Lincolnshire. All four will handle McCormick's tractor ranges as well as harvest products of balers and combines. Stalham Engineering will represent the company...

TRACTOR: Upgrade offer: last chance.(New Holland N.V.)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... New Holland is offering a free upgrade on selected Series TM models and Series TS Classic tractors until March 31, 2003. Up to 15 extra horsepower is available free to purchasers of the Series TM models, while all Series TS Classics include the...

Talking Arable with our North Lincolnshire farmer Ambrose Fowler.
March 11, 2003... Our last field of sugar beet was finally lifted in late January after having received a derogation from DEFRA as we were past the January 15 January cut-off deadline. This and the remaining clamp have now all been delivered to York and we wait...

Put it to the test.(avoiding pesticide tax through National Sprayer Test Scheme )
March 11, 2003... You may think we're banging on incessantly about the Voluntary Initiative or you may feel completely in the dark on the matter. Either way, it's time to take action if there is to be any hope of avoiding a pesticide tax in the future -...

Making the most of agchem inputs.(Syngenta AG's Product Plus package)
March 11, 2003... Syngenta is aiming to help arable farmers get more back from its investment in crop protection products with the launch of an integrated package of products, advice and developments. Called Product Plus, the package is designed to help...

Reducing resistance risk with herbicides.(sugar beet)
March 11, 2003... The opportunities provided by sugar beet weed control programmes in reducing the risk of herbicide resistance came under the spotlight at Broom's Barn recently. Teresa Rush reports. Sugar beet herbicide programmes can provide options for...

GM beet savings are critical to the future.(genetically modified sugar beet)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... The first analysis to be carried out into the potential economic benefit deriving from commercial production of a GM herbicide tolerant sugar beet crop suggests that growers could make savings of up to #150/ha/year. The analysis, conducted...

New weapon to fight grass weeds.(Syngenta AG's improved Fusilade Max )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... A new formulation of Fusilade Max will enable sugar beet growers to achieve faster and more reliable control of competitive volunteer cereals and grass weeds this spring, claims manufacturer Syngenta. The improved formulation has been...

Developing a precision service.(Precision Farming Alliance meeting)
March 11, 2003... The Precision Farming Alliance, a group of pioneering farmers and industry personnel, gathered to hear updates in precision farming technology at an open meeting near Peterborough, from where Dominic Kilburn reports. You get the feeling...

EMI provides precision base.(Dalgety's electro-magnetic soil scanning service)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2003... Electro-magnetic (EMI) soil scanning is the base point of a precision farming service, says Dalgety's Alastair Taylor. "However, it should be combined with yield mapping and aerial imagery for the grower to get the full picture of what is going...

Lessons in min-till.
March 11, 2003... No one ever said it would be easy! Changing from a traditional plough- based cultivation system to one of minimum tillage had its pitfalls for one Herefordshire farmer, who gives Arable Farming an honest appraisal of progress to date. Michael...

Letter: Yield can be lost if beans are too thick.(Letter to the Editor)
March 11, 2003... When reading "Smith's Soapbox", Arable Farming, January 20, 2003, I had the distinct feeling that Guy had me in mind for the physical violence that he said should be meted out to the person suggesting that GM free, home-grown pulses would be in...

Letter: Saltmarsh irony.(Letter to the Editor)
March 11, 2003... It is ironic that Guy Smith should belittle coastal realignment in the same month as the anniversary of the terrible floods of 1953. Over 300 people (as Mr Smith himself points out) were killed when the sea breached coastal defences on the East...

Letter: Trading grain in a world monopoly.(Letter to the Editor)
March 11, 2003... Having read Arthur Hill's article (AF January 20, 2003) I am left wondering if he (or anyone else) really believes that the Ukranians, either the farmers or the government, had any say in what price they received for their wheat? I would like...

PROPERTY PORTFOLIO: Eastern caution.(agricultural real estate)
March 11, 2003... In the first of our Property Portfolio series dovetailing with Arable Farming's new Classified section overpage, Brown & Co's Jim Major gives an overview of property prices and movements in the east of England. In common with most other...

Dealing with reduced driver hours.
March 21, 2003... From March 23, 2005, HGV drivers will have to comply with EU legislation restricting them to a 48-hour working week. Unlike for other workers, there is no opt-out. The agricultural supply industry is heavily reliant on an efficient road...

ELS marks shift towards 'providing public goods'.
March 21, 2003... The Entry Level component of the new Environmental Stewardship scheme has been launched, providing farmers with an opportunity to clawback #30/ha of money lost through modulation in return for conservation measures on their land. The...

Four join the fight against fungal diseases.
March 21, 2003... Four new fungicides for use on peas and beans have gained approval from the Pesticides Safety Directorate. Caramba (60 g/l metconazole) and Sunorg Pro (90 g/l metconazole) offer broad-spectrum disease control of Mycosphaerella pinodes,...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Healthier oils from UK fields.
March 21, 2003... Initiatives have been announced in Germany and France based on Natreon - the special oil produced from Nexera oilseed rape. Natreon has high levels of oleic acid and low levels of linolenic acid compared with conventional double low oilseed...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Colossus unbundled.
March 21, 2003... Syngenta is abandoning its `modular' approach to marketing seed of its hybrid barley variety Colossus. A new, streamlined version of the Colossus Hybrid Barley System (HBS) is to be launched to growers for autumn 2005. The relaunched...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Cold snap halts potato planting.
March 21, 2003... Potato plantings up to March 4 were estimated at 1,300ha, compared with 2,240ha in 2004, says the British Potato Council. Planting, despite cold weather is still ahead of 2004 in the south west, but in other regions a later start has meant...

Pollen beetle threat in backward OSR crops.
March 21, 2003... The poor state of many oilseed rape crops coming out of winter makes them particularly vulnerable to attack by pollen beetle in March, ADAS entomologist John Oakley has warned. "With late or patchy crops you need every pod you can grow to...

ARABLE BRIEFS: OSR input advice.
March 21, 2003... Rape growers must take care when selecting fungicides with a PGR effect as they could compromise yield on struggling and backward crops, warns DuPont's Andy Selley. He says that spraying with a growth regulator before green bud can reduce the...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Understanding options.
March 21, 2003... HGCA is running a series of grower-focused options workshops in association with a number of trade partners. The courses are aimed at encouraging a greater uptake of price risk management tools by the grain and oilseeds industry. 22 March...

5-year future assured for BPC.
March 21, 2003... The future of the British Potato Council (BPC) is assured for the next five years after Defra announced that it will continue support for another term following a review of BPC's activities. However, there is a view that BPC needs to change to...

Smith's Soapbox: The simple life?
March 21, 2003... Farming opinion from Essex-based Guy Smith One of the main strengths of the new look CAP, we are told, is that it will make our lives simpler and more market focused. Now we simply respond to the market. Our CAP payments are "de-coupled"...

MANAGEMENT: Opportunities and obstacles.
March 21, 2003... The introduction of the Single Payment Scheme should trigger an objective look at your farm and your future. Alison Lea gets an expert view, and finds out what life is like for one farmer who left the tractor cab 10 years ago. When the air...

Talking Arable with our North Lincolnshire farmer Ambrose Fowler.
March 21, 2003... March 5, 2005 To sell or not to sell, that was the question. Apologies to Shakespeare, who had higher literary issues to contemplate, than the sugar beet quota selling opportunity offered by British Sugar last month. My brother and I...

COMMENT: Changes - in perspective.
March 21, 2003... Arable farmers are experiencing change on a very regular basis. These include; market changes, regulatory change and, the most daunting experience for some of us, re-learning to farm by the many books (according to Defra). All of these...

CEREAL DISEASE: Yellow rust epidemic.
March 21, 2003... A damaging yellow rust epidemic is almost inevitable if wheat growers fail to keep up their guard against the disease. It may not be this season or even next but the risk is growing inexorably. That is the warning from NIAB plant...

PESTS: Virus yellows forecast high for all regions.
March 21, 2003... With relatively mild weather since the beginning of the year virus yellows incidence in 2005 is forecast to be very high for all regions in the absence of any pest management treatments. Seed sales indicate that approximately 72 per cent of...

What next with WOBM?
March 21, 2003... There was a full house at the HGCA-organised wheat orange blossom midge workshop at Peterborough. Teresa Rush reports. A large hatch of wheat orange blossom midge is possible this summer - if certain conditions prevail. These include a warm...

STEM-BASED DISEASES: Base attack.
March 21, 2003... Stem-based diseases are big potential yield robbers. What's the best way of ensuring that crops are not under attack? Alison Lea reports. EYESPOT - UNDERESTIMATED AND OVERLOOKED Many growers lose yield and quality because of eyespot,...

AGRONOMY: Yield gains through nozzle choice.
March 21, 2003... You choose different crop protection products for different spray tasks. So how much more could you gain if you were similarly selective with nozzles? Listen to spray application specialist Tom Robinson and you'll often hear that while...

WHEAT: Be a Gene genie.
March 21, 2003... Robigus' genetic potential provides opportunities for savings on inputs as well as higher yields. How to unlock that potential? Alison Lea gets expert advice. With one field in five now drilled with Robigus, growers will be keen to know...

PRECISION FARMING: Automated steering systems.
March 21, 2003... It's new, it's novel and, compared with most other automated steering systems, it's also relatively cheap. The EZ-Steer Assisted Steering system from Trimble employs an electric motor to turn the steering wheel in response to instructions...

PRECISION FARMING: Uses for N-Sensor expanded.
March 21, 2003... Uses for Yara's N-Sensor are being expanded beyond its original task of recognising a crop's nitrogen demands in respect of the colour and density of the crop, something that is claimed to provide a 3% cost advantage on conventional fertiliser...

PRECISION FARMING: Seed flow sensor.
March 21, 2003... A blocked coulter nozzle is every drill operator's nightmare. Farm-Tec is now marketing a system, which provides a warning should the seed flow down a coulter tube stop for any reason. A sensor unit - two electrodes are pushed into the side...

PRECISION FARMING: Accurate speed sensing.
March 21, 2003... Whitby-based Farm-Tec is now marketing the Dicky-john speed sensor, which has no moving parts and simply clips onto the side of a sprayer or other machines where its travelling speed needs to be known. Dependent on GPS, the unit continually...

PRECISION FARMING: SmartPad field map.
March 21, 2003... Latest introduction from LH Agro is the #1400 SmartPad 11 which is used in conjunction with the company's Swath XL parallel guidance system, is designed to produce a field map complete with all its hazards marked on it - such as telegraph poles...

PRECISION FARMING: Computer controlled hydraulic drive.
March 21, 2003... More than a few fertiliser spreaders use land-wheel drives for their metering systems - they are, in the main simple, reliable and accurate. However, with the trend towards variable rate application of fertiliser there is a need to be able...

PRECISION FARMING: Chemical injection system.
March 21, 2003... There are occasions when just part of a field needs to receive a specific chemical such as the headlands for an infestation of black- grass or there may be a need for spot spraying. J and S Industries is now marketing the Raven Sidekick, a...

PRECISION FARMING: Soil sampling.
March 21, 2003... One of the strangest machines at the Precision Farming event was the pH and EC Mobile Sensor Platform now used, and marketed by Market Rasen- based TCS Spraying. Sourced from the USA the machine - the only one in the UK - is towed behind a...

MARKETING: The art of marketing.
March 21, 2003... Alison Lea attended the first of HGCA's series of regional markets workshops, and picks out some of the main points. THE BEST DEAL, NOT PRICE The venue may have been Northampton, and the farmer delegates from the Northants region, but...

Talking Arable with our Cambridgeshire grower David Felce.
March 21, 2003... This could be the summary hanging on the clipboard at the foot of the bed of UK farmer-patient under the care of Defra Community Health Trust: "The patient is lying on the operating table; there is a very faint pulse, but the doctors are...

SIMA SHOW: XTX tractor range by McCormick.
March 21, 2003... McCormick used SIMA to unveil its new three-model range of XTX tractors. Called the XTX185, XTX200 and XTX215, and replacing the three top MTX tractors, a feature of the newcomers is the new four-post cab design, and a brand new...

SIMA SHOW: Landini showcases new Powermaster.
March 21, 2003... Landini's Powermaster tractor was easily the most striking tractor on display at the Paris show. Available in three models producing maximum outputs from 175 to 213hp, they are not only the biggest tractors to come out of the Italian plant,...

SIMA SHOW: Dynashift's new transmission.
March 21, 2003... Massey-Ferguson revealed a brand new transmission option for 6400 series tractors. Called Dyna-6, it is said to combine the proven features of Dynashift with the performance characteristics of Dyna-VT. Providing 24f x 24r speeds using four...

SIMA SHOW: Turbofarmer telehandlers.
March 21, 2003... A new cab, hydraulic system, and engine cover are not the only new features on Merlo's new range of Turbofarmer telehandlers as the Perkins engines have been replaced with Deutz versions! Previously, the most powerful Perkins engine included in...

SIMA SHOW: Deutz-Fahr Agrovector.
March 21, 2003... Same Deutz Fahr makes no secret of the fact that it intends to keep Deutz-Fahr as the full liner, and Same, Lamborghini and Hurlimann as specialist tractor brands. In an attempt to supply its dealers with a broad range of equipment, Deutz-Fahr...

SIMA SHOW: Prototype sprayer unveiled.
March 21, 2003... John Deere used SIMA to reveal a prototype of its very first European- built self-propelled sprayer, which is the result of joint development work between John Deere's Dutch and US spray facilities. Powered by a 200hp 6.8-litre engine, fitted...

SIMA SHOW: Mounted power harrow for Kuhn 6m drill.
March 21, 2003... A feature of Kuhn's latest 6m drill is that it is the first mounted power harrow version from the company. The design incorporates two dual support wheels fitted with an integral hydraulic braking construction. The rear wheels are designed to...

SIMA SHOW: Strain relief from Manitou.
March 21, 2003... Operators spending many hours in the seat of a telehandler tend to suffer from wrist strain as a result of operating all of today's joysticks. That is the view of Manitou, which enlisted the help of an ergonomics specialist to develop a new...

SIMA SHOW: Moreau releases new 6-row beet harvester.
March 21, 2003... Moreau says that there is no market for a nine-row self-propelled sugar beet harvester. Instead, it is looking to focus on the six-row market with a brand new machine. Known as the Lexxis, and powered by a 345hp Volvo engine, it is fitted with...

SIMA SHOW: SPLM single wheel plough.
March 21, 2003... The use of a new cranked beam has allowed Gregoire Besson to develop a semi-mounted on-land, in-furrow plough fitted with a large single wheel. Known as the SPLM range, and available from 5-8 furrows, benefits include improved manoeuvrability...

SIMA SHOW: Large scale drill aimed at Eastern European market.
March 21, 2003... This has to rate as one of the most unusual drills we have ever come across, and one that we are unlikely to see in the UK. Called the Metro, and made by Gaspardo, even when the two outer wings fold to the front for transport the width is still...