Arable Farming articles from May 2006

Arable Farming archives from May 2006

Nitrate pollution threat to eastern arable land use.
May 2, 2006... Half of East Anglia's arable land must be taken out of production if the UK is to comply with the EU's Water Framework Directive, ADAS scientists warned as AF went to press. It is because nitrogen leaching from crops is currently double...

Wheat for energy source.
May 2, 2006... A low nitrogen, high-energy wheat for biofuels, varieties with improved resistance to Septoria and fusarium ear blight, and research that has already delivered results on fighting orange wheat blossom midge, were amongst the topics reviewed at...

Green light for part-payments.
May 2, 2006... As AF went to press, Defra Secretary Margaret Beckett authorised a system of partial Single Payments that will be deployed `as soon as operationally possible'. No timescale has been announced but the aim is to begin making part payments of...

Wanted: Farmers with attitude.
May 2, 2006... CEH (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) is leading a consortium funded by the RELU (Rural Economy and Land Use) programme which aims to investigate the effects of farmer attitude and training on the delivery of environmental enhancement under...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Grain flood.
May 2, 2006... Despite recent flooding of more than 260,000-hectares, the Hungarian arable sector is confident of record production levels of more than 16 million tonnes of grain and maize this season. Grain levels are already at an all time high as the...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Wrong footed.
May 2, 2006... Paragraph 3.7.4 of the Code of Practice for using Plant Protection Products, which concerns public rights of way, contains incorrect information and should not be relied upon, the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) has announced. This...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Cold and bold.
May 2, 2006... Australian scientists have discovered antifreeze genes in a grass from Antarctica that could help improve frost tolerance in some crop and pasture species. Scientists in the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) scientists based at the...

Red letter day for Red Tractor.
May 2, 2006... The first official Red Tractor Day was launched in April with a call from the Prime Minister for shoppers to actively look out for the Red Tractor logo on UK-produced food and for UK food businesses to join in with the scheme. Tony Blair paid...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Back in black.
May 2, 2006... Amac potato harvester fans might like to know that they could soon be able to buy new machines once again as the company is back in business! Initially the company is looking to focus on repairs and spare parts for existing machines, and...

Appropriate fungicide use.
May 2, 2006... HGCA has updated its Appropriate Fungicide Dose Tool to help growers determine product choice and effective dose to combat high levels of disease predicted for the coming season. "We are expecting this season to show a high incidence of...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Big onions.
May 2, 2006... Continued expansion of the area looks set to lead to yet another record harvest for the Ukrainian onion sector this season. The area has increased by 60% since 1999, and this season's production is tipped to shatter last year's record...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Field bean use.
May 2, 2006... Approval for Walabi (pyrimethanil+chlorothalonil) has been extended to include use on field beans for the protectant control of chocolate spot and early control of rust. Walabi was introduced in 2005 for use in combining peas for the...

New recommendation to tackle OWBM.
May 2, 2006... A new label recommendation for the insecticide Hallmark Zeon (lambda- cyhalothrin) provides wheat growers with a fully-approved alternative to Dursban (chlorpyrifos) to tackle orange wheat blossom midge (OWBM) this summer. However, experts are...

ARABLE BRIEFS: Growers face high risk of brown rust.
May 2, 2006... Wheat growers may escape serious yellow rust problems this year, but NIAB plant pathologist Dr Rosemary Bayles says it is a slightly different story with brown rust. "This season could be a higher risk one for brown rust. Last year we saw...

Smith's Soapbox: Beyond zero time?
May 2, 2006... Farming opinion from Essex-based Guy Smith When it comes to wheat fungicide decisions I tend to be stuck in the 1980s. In those days there was a Government funded, independent advisory service called ADAS. If I remember it correctly their...

Smith's Soapbox: When to throw the towel in.
May 2, 2006... It interests me to wonder what is the last straw that prompts farmers to take the momentous decision that this harvest will be their last. Is it when they decide not to replace the knackered combine? Is it when the bank manager suggests they...

Regulation: More to come in pesticides strategy.
May 2, 2006... The national pesticides strategy was published in March 2006. An innocuous document it may be, but there is more - probably significantly more - to come. Alison Lea explains why. "A framework for reducing the impact of pesticides on the...

Talking Arable...from our North Nofolk-based farmer Kit Papworth.
May 2, 2006... I am writing over the Easter weekend, with all our sugar beet in the ground and almost all emerged. Most has been drilled into good seedbeds following good winter frosts, which have broken down our winter ploughed land extremely well. By...

Cereals: The List that comes highly Recommended.
May 2, 2006... The Recommended List of cereal varieties has served the Industry well for over 75 years. Here, in the first of a two-part article, independent variety consultant, Richard Fenwick looks at the history of Recommended Lists and how they have...

Continental column: Czech growers record harvest.
May 2, 2006... Czech potato growers harvested a record one million tonnes last season. Figures recently published by the country's agriculture ministry point to average production levels of 28 tonnes per ha - the highest level since records began in 1918....

Continental column: Dutch arable units drop by 2%.
May 2, 2006... The number of Dutch arable units fell by 2% last year to 12,360. Furthermore, the country's LEI economic institute reckons that the arable area also dropped by 1% to 576,000 hectares. The three main crops are wheat (116,000ha), sugar beet...

Continental column: Polish sugar production falls.
May 2, 2006... It is not just sugar beet growers and contractors that are currently preparing for lean times ahead. So too are sugar beet factories. In Poland, for example, earlier this year, Pfeifer & Langen announced plans to close one of its sugar...

Continental column: European grain harvest on the up.
May 2, 2006... The French Onis grain bureau forecasts that the European grain harvest for 2006 is likely to top 267.65 million tonnes. The expected production output is 5% higher than that recorded last year. What is more, this year's wheat production...

Continental column: Germany confirms disease results.
May 2, 2006... German authorities have just confirmed 20 cases of ring rot and a single case of brown rot during extensive potato tests carried out from 2004/2005. The ring rot results come from 17,856 samples, of which 11,000 were for seed potatoes. In...

Potato blight: Pink rot reduction opportunity with blight spray.
May 2, 2006... Using a fungicide for blight protection in potatoes during rapid canopy phase of crop development this spring could also help reduce the increasing incidence of pink rot on affected farms. Pink rot (Phytophthora erythroseptica) causes...

Potato blight: Potato blight challenges.
May 2, 2006... Potato blight remains a challenging disease with serious penalties for poor control. Many varieties are very susceptible to disease infection, including several traditional types and those favoured for processing outlets. Dr David Nelson, field...

Potato blight: Expanding team at Branston.
May 2, 2006... Branston has announced that it is expanding its team based in Lincolnshire and Somerset. Ian Wait has been appointed general manager at the company's factory near Ilminster, Somerset, which produces around 1300 tonnes a week for Tesco and...

Cereal disease: GAP and varieties key to cereal mosaic virus control.
May 2, 2006... Soil-borne cereal mosaic virus was regarded as a significant threat when it was first identified in the UK in 1999 but its spread has been slower than expected. Teresa Rush provides an update. Statutory notices placed on soil-borne cereal...

Cereal disease: Study highlights nation-wide impact of yield losses.
May 2, 2006... As well as confirming the potential scale of take-all yield losses, a recent study shows infections and disease losses can be a serious risk anywhere. Take-all disease tracking at all 10 HGCA second cereal Recommended List trial sites last...

Cereal disease: Spotting the problem.
May 2, 2006... Eyespot can be doing more damage than you think, and you might wrongly be accusing take-all as the culprit. Alison Lea gets an expert view on the disease. Watch out this year for eyespot to return to the levels of damage it caused in the...

Potato disease: Brown rot results are inconclusive.
May 2, 2006... Teresa Rush reports on Defra's investigation into the possible causes of the most recent outbreak of potato brown rot in the UK. The outbreak on a Nottinghamshire farm in December 2005 was the first in a UK-grown potato crop for five years....

Potato disease: Amended irrigation and spraying controls.
May 2, 2006... Amended irrigation and spraying controls came into effect this month following completion of Defra's 2005 watercourse survey for Ralstonia solanacearum, the bacterium that cause potato brown rot. Restrictions affecting the Rivers Avon...

Pests: Going undercover against slugs.
May 2, 2006... A Shropshire grower has been waging war against slugs for 25 years and reckons to be finding more evidence of the pest than ever. However, the recent launch of a seed treatment may now provide him with the right management tool to protect his...

Pests: Redigo Deter.
May 2, 2006... * A flowable concentrate formulation for seed treatment containing 50 g/l prothioconazole and 250 g/l clothianidin. * Seed treatment for winter crops of barley and wheat for the control of the principal seed-borne diseases and soil-borne...

Regulation: Regulation roll out: Quarterly update.
May 2, 2006... In January we gave you a summary of new regulations and legislation expected to affect arable farms over the next year. Alison Lea updates the calendar. Agricultural waste May 15: Farm tips and burying waste is now banned under new...

Management: The benchmark of success.
May 2, 2006... Rethinking your work strategies is key for keeping motivation high and ensuring you are making the most of your business. Tia Rund visits a Sentry farm which has shown how regular benchmarking can work. What have you done today to make you...

Talking Arable...with our Shropshire-based farmer Arthur Hill.
May 2, 2006... April 18, 2006 I cannot remember a more depressing month for a long while. Weather wise it has been trying, and the sum outcome was that we did not manage to sow any beet until the first week of April and finished on Good Friday. We...

Machinery: Long lasting harvest gives `just-lifted' look.
May 2, 2006... Colin Sephton starts lifting potatoes in August and the harvester keeps going until May the following year. John Parry discovers how he keeps the harvester going during this marathon lifting period. A 10-month lifting period is made...

WHAT'S NEW in arable: Three-row harvester gets lift-off.
May 2, 2006... Standen Engineering has announced details of its all new trailed 3-row potato harvester, the Standen-Pearson T3. With a 60% output increase when compared with a 2-row trailed harvester, the newcomer can harvest 3-rows in different formats, says...

Global view: Winter kill hardship in Russia and Ukraine.
May 2, 2006... Wheat producers in Russia and Ukraine got a sharp reminder of the power of the weather last winter as sharp frost killed off millions of hectares of their crop. Two new reports from American officials in Moscow and Kiev show just how badly they...

SPS sense...at last!
May 15, 2006... As AF went to press the deadline for the submission of farmers' 2006 Single Payment Scheme applications had been put back from May 15 to May 31. This means farmers submitting their 2006 single payments scheme applications late will not...

Waste regs come sweeping in.
May 15, 2006... Designed to meet the `environmental needs of a greener Britain', May 15 is the day new agricultural waste regulations come into force. Carolyn Milburn of north east-based independent chartered surveyors George F. White provides some timely...

Smallest area for UK beet crop.
May 15, 2006... This season's sugar beet crop will be grown on the smallest area of UK farmland since the formation of the old British Sugar Corporation in the mid-1930s. Following the recent 6.8% temporary quota cut only between 125,000 and 126,000...

Enterprise award for potato supplier.
May 15, 2006... Potato supplier Greenvale AP has been awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise.The company was given the award in recognition of its innovation in its `Restrain System'. Nick Gilford, general manager of the Restrain Company within Greenvale...

ARABLE BRIEF: Midge alert.
May 15, 2006... Wheat growers will this summer receive the most accurate advance warning of orange wheat blossom midge attacks yet, according to Dow AgroSciences. The company has revised its Pestwatch pest alert and advice service to deliver a more...

ARABLE BRIEF: BYDV update.
May 15, 2006... Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) infection has become visible in some winter wheat and winter barley crops in the East Midlands and in parts of Yorkshire during recent days. In some cases, symptoms have been seen even where early-drilled...

Support available for on-farm composting.
May 15, 2006... A major on-farm composting scheme has been highlighted as an example of solid and sustainable investment during Composting Awareness Week (May 7-13). Grass clippings and garden waste collected from over 20,000 households in Selby, North...

ARABLE BRIEF: Beckett moves on.
May 15, 2006... Stop Press Comment: The mind boggles. For presiding over one of the Government's most monumental cock-ups in recent history - the SFP debacle - and making life a misery for thousands of farmers in this country, Margaret Beckett has left her job...

It's expensive over there too.
May 15, 2006... A new report shows US farmers who plant row crops face fuel prices 113% higher than they paid four years ago, and that's expected to rise at least 10% this year, says Lori Wilcox, University of Missouri energy economist. Fertiliser prices,...

ARABLE BRIEF: Rape approval.
May 15, 2006... The Pesticides Safety Directorate has granted United Oilseeds a specific off-label approval (SOLA) for use of the herbicide Galera (picloram + clopyralid) on spring oilseed rape. With few reliable herbicides available for spring rape,...

ARABLE BRIEF: SOLA availability.
May 15, 2006... Results from a two-year project to compile a list of minor crops and pesticides for which SOLAs (Specific Off-Label Approvals) are required to replace existing LTAEUs (Long-Term Arrangements for the Extension of Use) are now available. The...

Spaldings expand range.
May 15, 2006... Having introduced the 2.8m rotary flail mower last year Spaldings has decided to expand the range to include a 2.2m version suitable for set- aside and grassland margins. There is also a 1.9m version that can be fully offset and the flail head...

First gangmasters' licence issued.
May 15, 2006... The first gangmasters' licence to be issued under the new regulations has been received. Issued by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority the new licences are now mandatory, with the maximum penalty for operating without one from October 1, being...

ARABLE BRIEF: Approval granted for Shirlan increase.
May 15, 2006... Approval has been granted for use of an increased rate of the potato blight fungicide Shirlan (fluazinam). The new approved rate of 0.4 l/ha represents a 33% increase over the original 0.3 l/ha rate. Independent Agrisearch trials with...

Smith's Soapbox: The longest running farce in the West End.
May 15, 2006... Farming opinion from Essex-based Guy Smith At the time of writing the media pack has the scent of blood in their nostrils. The hunt is on to force either Hewitt, Clarke or Prescott to resign. Their misdemeanours vary. One wants job-cuts in...

Back to the future.
May 15, 2006... Browsing through a book shop the other day my eye was caught by a book called `Rural rides'. To my surprise it turned out to be a travelogue of a series of long horse rides penned by social reformer and farmer William Cobbett in the 1820s. It...

Politics: Kendall and Blair - face to face.
May 15, 2006... The first meeting between Prime Minister Tony Blair and new NFU president Peter Kendall, which took place at the end of last month, was useful and positive according to Mr Kendall, and allowed the two men to take a broad look at the role of...

Disease control: Testing times for tiazoles.
May 15, 2006... The spotlight is on triazole chemistry as concern grows over the reduced sensitivity of Septoria tritici to these mainline fungicides. John Parry looks at the latest developments. All triazole active ingredients approved for use against...

Sugar beet: Fungicide strategy - a recipe for beet success?
May 15, 2006... Hitting the `magical' 70 tonnes per hectare yield target for your beet crop may, or may not be within your reach at the moment but, either way, the key is to ensure fungicides are given the same importance as nitrogen fertiliser as a staple...

Agronomy: Keep T1 to T2 interval tight.
May 15, 2006... There were practical disease control tips on offer at a recent Syngenta/Nickerson cereal disease control briefing. Teresa Rush reports. Keep the T1 to T2 interval short to keep disease under control and make the best use of fungicide...

Agronomy: Best responses from careful targeting of strobilurins.
May 15, 2006... Careful targeting will deliver better responses from strobilurin fungicides, Syngenta trials conducted over two years have shown. Results collected from over 80 fungicide trials show an average yield response of 0.4 tonne per hectare in...

Agronomy: Integrate varietal resistance and chemical control.
May 15, 2006... Speaking with a plant breeder's perspective, Nickerson wheat breeder Bill Angus expressed the view that "chemistry will protect genetics, genetics will protect chemistry." Better integration of varietal disease resistance characteristics...

Soil management: Plumbing the depths.
May 15, 2006... Earthworms have an important role in reducing soil erosion and flooding, Alison Lea discovers. Is your field plumbing in good shape - able to cope with the most severe sudden downpour? Heavy rain percolates down through soil...

Soil management: SOWAP (Soil and Water Protection).
May 15, 2006... A three-year, 4m euro, Europe-wide project, which aims to show how farming influences the way water infiltrates the soil, and look at ways of improving infiltration through farming techniques. The Game Conservancy Trust is involved through its...

Talking Arable with our Cambridgeshire grower David Felce.
May 15, 2006... May 1, 2006 Following a spell of ideal spring weather, we have been able to catch up with some of the many jobs on my list; T1's have been applied to all but the later wheats, which should require treatment in this coming week. Rightly or...

Varieties: List evolves to suit today's grower.
May 15, 2006... Following on from the first part of our look back at the origins of the Recommended Lists (AF May 2), in this, the second part, Richard Fenwick brings us up to the modern day, including the major changes to the List that began in the 90s. ...

Cereals 2006: Advice and debate in changing times.
May 15, 2006... At a time of change and uncertainty, the UK's cereal sector is facing one of its most challenging eras in decades. In the light of this period of flux the Cereals event, which takes place on June 14 and 15 at Nocton Estate in Lincolnshire,...

Host farm/Sponsor: Second time around for host farm.
May 15, 2006... Cereals 2006 will be held at Nocton Estate in Lincolnshire. This is the second time owners Paul and Anne Clarke have been hosts, the first time was back in 2000. The Cereals event host estate's cropping is based around first wheats and...

Host farm/Sponsor: Farming for profit.
May 15, 2006... This year's HSBC Cereals Survey `Farming For Profit' focuses on areas where farmers could potentially grow their businesses or make cost savings, says John Barker, senior agriculture manager, HSBC Bank. Issues covered include collaboration,...

HGCA: HGCA crop plots - what's in store?
May 15, 2006... This year's HGCA plots demonstrate the latest research projects in the following areas:n Appropriate fungicide doses and mixtures. * Resistance to triazoles. * Spraying at reduced volumes. * Oats - naked v conventional varieties...

Management: ELS management guidance.
May 15, 2006... Not sure about which Entry Level Stewardship Option to sign-up for? Not sure where to put your existing options to make the very most of them in practice? Or even, not sure how best to avoid their main agronomic pitfalls? Be sure to...

Management: Emphasis on the Grey.
May 15, 2006... The Game Conservancy Trust will show different seed mixtures in the ground to demonstrate to growers what they can sow (autumn and spring) and how to manage biodiversity and game crops to comply with ELS and HLS requirements. ...

Varieties/pests: Speciality food oil.
May 15, 2006... The first-ever contracts for added-value speciality food oil production from winter oilseed rape will be introduced under the Vistive banner at this year's event. The first Vistive contracts, promising fixed premiums and complete...

Varieties/pests: Know your bugs.
May 15, 2006... How confident are you of your pest identification skills? Dow AgroSciences is giving farmers and advisors an opportunity to test those skills at Cereals 2006. Following its success at last year's event, Dow will again run the `Know your...

Energy/machines: Fields of energy.
May 15, 2006... SW Seeds will be promoting the concept of `Fields of Energy' at the show including biomass, biodiesel and bioethanol components, says the company. Its biomass display will demonstrate the opportunities for willow short rotation coppice and...

Energy/machines: Tine assembly.
May 15, 2006... A new tine assembly from John Dale uses a parallel linkage so that the tine is always at the same depth in relation to the following depth control press wheel - regardless of ground contours. A hydraulic ram provides an adjustable pressure for...

Energy/machines: First appearance for Dowdeswell TDC3 cultivator.
May 15, 2006... Dowdeswell's TDC3 cultivator will have its first appearance at a working event in the UK. This machine is designed to work a complete bed of soil in a one-pass system as a primary cultivator or as a secondary cultivator following a plough. The...

Machines: Seed distribution is a breeze.
May 15, 2006... Garford Farm Machinery has launched the `air transfer system' to improve seed spacing accuracy especially for lighter seed such as raw parsnip and carrots. In existing systems the seed is made to part from the perforated disc by providing...

Machines: Keeping track of things.
May 15, 2006... TraKKa - a system that provides complete remote management and security of plant and equipment - is being offered at Cereals 2006 by Equipment Supply Services. TraKKa enables real-time activity and status reports to be obtained from remote...

Machines: High capacity sprayers.
May 15, 2006... High-capacity high-specification trailed and self-propelled sprayers will be the main feature of Knight Farm Machinery's stand at the Cereals show this year. Visitors will be able to see two self-propelled models with tank capacities from...

Machines: Auger on the outside.
May 15, 2006... BDC Systems will have a new mobile grain drier on display, made by Italian firm Agrex. Differing to the other models on the market which have a central auger, this drier features hydraulic loading and recycling augers, with the recycling auger...

Machines: Going Solo with Sulky?
May 15, 2006... The latest Sulky seed drills will be featuring on the Rustons Engineering stand at the Cereals event along with a selection of power harrows and other cultivation equipment. New solo machines are the 3m Tramline SE with a 450 or 700 litre...

MACHINERY MATTERS: Argentine tractor.
May 15, 2006... Dutch-firm Beukeveld Exports is looking for a dealer to bring the Argentine-made articulated Pauny Zanello tractors to the UK. Designed to appeal to those farms prepared to sacrifice a bit on comfort, but save a lot on price, the first five...

MACHINERY MATTERS: Tractor figures.
May 15, 2006... New Holland and John Deere headed the list of new tractor sales in Western Europe last year. That is the conclusion of a detailed roundup of last year's figures by both Belgian and German magazines. Listing detailed sales figures for 19...