Crops articles from April 2006

Crops archives from April 2006

Justifying expenditure on sprays: with T1 wheat fungicide spray decisions looming, Andrew Blake talks to an independent agronomist advising a Romney Marsh farm in kent.(TECHNICAL)
April 8, 2006... For Richard Cartwright, advising next door to the farm where UK strobilurin resistance in septoria was first pin-pointed, the disease remains the key driver of the T1 strategies he recommends at Dean Court Farm, Brookland. But faced with...

Model reduces septoria risk: development of disease through winter is the basis of a septoria warning system. Louise Impey finds out more.(T1 SPRAYS)
April 8, 2006... Until now, it has been an uphill struggle for cereal growers to match fungicide use to septoria risk. The UK's number one wheat disease can take hold very quickly when conditions are in its favour, prompting many to stick to a set fungicide...

Yield response is just as important: Proline, Tracker and Unix. All three control both strains of true eyespot. But are they any better than each other and should they be measured on their eyespot activity alone? Liz Robinson reports.(T1 SPRAYS)
April 8, 2006... The introduction of Tracker (boscalid + epoxiconazole) and Proline (prothioconazole) last season changed the way eyespot might be managed. Cost-effective responses to eyespot-specific treatments are difficult to predict, but now these...

Blight controls holding up well: the A2 blight strain is on the increase in England, according to the latest figures. But does this mean blight will be more difficult to control this season? Louise Impey reports.(POTATO BLIGHT)
April 8, 2006... The presence of the A2 blight mating type is a concern for growers because, in sufficient numbers, it increases the likelihood of sexual reproduction of the blight pathogen taking place. But the A2 type has to be present at a higher...

Flexible approach to spud fungicides: keeping blight programme costs under control isn't easy. Paul Spackman seeks some pointers on products and timings.(POTATO BLIGHT)
April 8, 2006... Potato growers need to focus on the cost effectiveness of blight fungicides and be more flexible when choosing products this season. That is the advice from independent agronomist, John Keer, who has been trialling a range of fungicide...

Changes create driver comfort: new models, new cabs, new controls--the telescopic handler keeps evolving as users are offered improved performance, greater versatility and machines that are easier to use. Peter Hill reports.(MACHINERY: TELEHANDLERS)
April 8, 2006... Take a look inside the cab of Manitou's latest telescopic handler--the MLT735--and the most striking new feature is the joystick. With operators spending long hours in the cab, Manitou decided it was time to take another look at control design...

Updated hydraulics improve usability.(MACHINERY: TELEHANDLERS)
April 8, 2006... With a selection of different build options, Merlo's latest TurboFarmer range is reckoned to have something to suit every agricultural application. The main changes in terms of design and specification over their predecessors are more...

Transmission tackles the tough jobs.(MACHINERY: TELEHANDLERS)
April 8, 2006... In terms of lift capacity, reach and overall appearance, the latest JCB Loadall telehandlers are little different from their predecessors. But at the heart of the new Agri models is JCB's own engine--a purpose-built off-highway diesel...

Do you need a lift? Need a big lifting telehandler? Whether it's a hefty load or a lofty height--or a combination of the two--these are the machines that lift the biggest loads highest. Peter Hill reports.(MACHINERY)
April 8, 2006... There's nothing like having plenty of hydraulic muscle to hand when it comes to loading large quantities of grain into a lorry or placing big square bales into high-rise stacks for space-efficient storage. Here we detail the essential...

Insecticides are just as important: sclerotinia protection may be uppermost in oilseed rape growers' minds as flowering sprays approach, but other treatments at that timing are well worth considering. Andrew Blake reports.(OILSEEDS FOCUS)
April 8, 2006... There's no denying that sclerotinia can slash oilseed rape output, says David Langton, who runs Masstock's Best of British Oilseeds initiative. "It's a serious consideration. Untreated it can take out a lot of yield--as much as 1t/ha with...

Correct politics is crucial to kick-start biofuel industry: the UK is on the cusp of large-scale biodiesel production, but how much it may improve the fortunes of oilseed rape growers here remains to be seen, Andrew Blake discovers.(OILSEEDS FOCUS)(Industry overview)
April 8, 2006... The potential for biofuels in Europe is enormous, according to the HGCA's director of crop marketing Alastair Dickie. Under EU proposals, the use of green fuel--bioethanol and biodiesel--in road vehicles could soar from 5.5m tonnes last year to...

HEAR contracts are secure option: better-performing high erucic acid rape varieties are proving a worthwhile earner for one Leicestershire business.(OILSEEDS FOCUS)
April 8, 2006... Growing added-value industrial oilseed rape on a fixed-premium contract provides valuable security in an increasingly uncertain farming world for the Boyes family at Moorbarns Farm near Lutterworth, Leics. But achieving the most from the crop...

OSR breeders take the healthy option: new market opportunities have emerged for oilseed rape. How will plant breeding help growers to meet them? Mike Abram finds out.(OILSEEDS FOCUS)
April 8, 2006... Successfully breeding new oil profiles is becoming almost as important for oilseed rape breeders as the more traditional yield, disease and lodging resistance targets as new opportunities emerge for the crop. It is a challenge Monsanto is...

Just exactly where is my SFP? Alan Sugar eat your heart out, there's a new boss on the block, writes Stephen Carr.(CARR'S CORNER)
April 8, 2006... "You will be familiar with the hit BBC TV Programme The Apprentice, in which a bunch of wannabees compete to impress business tycoon Sir Alan Sugar. So it came as small surprise when the BBC rang to ask if I could stand in for Sir Alan for a...

Proper sugar representation: non-NFU members are getting a bad sugar deal, Peter Howell argues.(Podium)
April 8, 2006... "I'm a fighter. I like to stand up for what I believe in and I hate seeing an important part of my business and that of many growers in eastern England bargained away. That's how I feel about the current sugar reform debacle. I'm not an...

Carbon trading.(BRIEFING)
April 8, 2006... Much hot air has been expended on the climate change debate, so it is nice when substance emerges to encourage people who could provide real solutions. Such is the case with greenhouse gas trading--the concept whereby organisations who...

Arable honours.(BRIEFING)
April 8, 2006... Could you join the growing hall of fame of Farmers Weekly Award winners--men and women championing best practice and flying the flag for the industry? This year fertiliser maker Terra is once again sponsoring the arable category, which...

New strategy for spray use.(VIEWPOINT)
April 8, 2006... Pesticides play a pivotal part in crop production. Without them most arable farms would be utterly unsustainable. So thank goodness DEFRA has struck an acceptable balance in its new Strategy for Pesticide Use. Clarion calls for a return to...

Handling of SFP is a 'shambles'.(DIARY)(Calendar)
April 8, 2006... MONDAY * Went to a local NFU meeting on SFP update and cross-compliance for 2006. As I listened, the presentation became more and more surreal. The first half an hour consisted of details of what a shambles DEFRA has become in the past two...

Independent spray research must not be allowed to drift away: where will independent research come from to help growers cope with new pressures to control spray drift? Crops investigates.(INSIGHT)
April 8, 2006... Crop spraying is under intense scrutiny, with drift coming in for particular attention. Watercourses, wildlife, bystanders and adjacent housing all need greater protection, campaigners claim. Indeed, changes to the rules on spraying near...

Finding profit from conventional crops: rock bottom prices make conventional crops look disappointing. So what can you do to add some value?(YOUR BUSINESS)
April 8, 2006... Farmers continue to face an uncertain future. The value of the single payment is set to fall year on year and input prices continue to rise while commodity prices remain unattractive. While farmers have, over the past few years, worked hard...

Let the software take the strain: it saves time, it could save you money ... and it's free. Could HGCA's GrainPlan improve your management of the grain store? Suzie Horne finds out.(MANAGEMENT)
April 8, 2006... Grain store management software is saving a Herts grower an estimated three days' management time a year and helped him develop grain cooling methods to become 20% more efficient. Martin Dingemans has been using GrainPlan for three years at...