Crops articles from August 2008

Crops archives from August 2008

Attention to detail is winning formula: a Cambridgeshire potato business had used a strong family partnership to grow a hugely successful and award-winning business.(POTATOES)
August 16, 2008... From small acorns do big trees grow. And A L Lee, a family-owned and run arable business near Little-port in Cambridgeshire, certainly qualifies as a big tree in the potato sector. Yet 50 years ago when Tony Lee started farming it was on a...

Treat pellets as you would pesticides: the news that metaldehyde has been found in water means that growers must take extra care with the use of slug pellets this autumn.(SLUGS)
August 16, 2008... Apply the same principles to slug pellets as you would with any other pesticide application. That's the message from the Metaldehyde Stewardship Group, which consists of the seven companies which supply and manufacture metaldehyde-based...

Controlling OSR weeds: like to know what options are available for oilseed rape weed control? It's all here in the crops guide.(OILSEED RAPE HERBICIDES)
August 16, 2008... Controlling OSR weeds Like to know what options are available for oilseed rape weed control? It's all here in the Crops guide. PRODUCT LERAP Alpha Trifluralin ...

High yields bring rush for Viscount: Viscount and Battalion are two of the newer varieties attracting interest from growers for this season and next. Mike Abram finds out how to grow them.(SEEDS FOCUS)
August 16, 2008... It hasn't even been recommended yet, but such was the clamour for new Group 3 variety, Viscount, that the breeder decided to make enough seed for it to take 5% of the wheat market in the coming autumn. It appears growers have snapped KWS'...

Battalion strength as second wheat.(SEEDS FOCUS)
August 16, 2008... It is as a second wheat that Battalion will likely gain a following, probably more in the east than the north. Prior to the current season's HGCA Recommended List trials, it ranked equal second in yield as a second wheat, at 107% of the...

Early-drill trials will put wheats to test: the decision to include early-drilling trials in the HGCA's Recommended List system will help growers balance the risks. Louise Impey finds out more, while on page 26 Andrew Blake profiles a grower for whom early drilling is a production cornerstone.(SEEDS FOCUS)
August 16, 2008... Carrying out early September-sown winter wheat trials will be a new approach for Crop Evaluation Ltd, the company which runs the Recommended Lists, says manager Jim McVittie. "We are prepared to test around 30 varieties," he says. "The...

As much as 50% sown by first half of September.
August 16, 2008... The farming system at Salle Farms in Norfolk relies on having as much as half the wheat crop sown in the first half of September. So manager Poul Hovesen is particularly looking forward to the results of new early-drilling trials for the HGCA...

Hybrids away strongest when the going is dry: grower survey suggests hybrid oilseed rape varieties establish better.(SEEDS FOCUS)
August 16, 2008... Hybrid oilseed rape varieties appeared to cope better with low moisture conditions last autumn, according to the results of a national winter oilseed rape establishment study. The survey, conducted by Mass-tock as part of its Best of...

Big biofuel facility on course to open: more than 1m tonnes of wheat will be processed into bioethanol every year, reports Johann Tasker.(SEEDS FOCUS)
August 16, 2008... Europe's biggest bioethanol refinery is on course to open in north-east England next year, despite a recent government report which called into question the environmental credentials of biofuels. The [pounds sterling]300m Ensus facility on...

Supplier will source wheat from UK.(GLENCORE GRAIN)
August 16, 2008... * All wheat for Ensus will be supplied by Glencore Grain. But contracts will not be available for farmers seeking to grow wheat specifically for the plant, says Keith Davies, Glencore's managing director. "Until the plant is up and running...

High-tech cleaning plant offers 'cheap insurance': costing [pounds sterling] 2m, Grainfarmers' seed plant is the most modern in Europe. Nick Fone takes a look at the process that transforms grain to certified seed.(SEEDS FOCUS)
August 16, 2008... There's no doubt about it--buying certified seed is more expensive than home-saving. But with germination rates greater than 95%, assured stocks have a far greater chance of getting established successfully and can offer a good chance to cut...

Time to plan changes and upgrades: harvest may be in full swing, but the drilling season will soon be here, so it's time to look at crop establishment machinery and make plans for changes or upgrades. Peter Hill rounds up some of the contenders for the coming sowing campaign.(MACHINERY: DRILLS)
August 16, 2008... Norway's Kverneland has joined the big-drill club with a three-model range of seeders designed for high output work into ready-made seed-beds. The Accord "DG" follows the now-familiar configuration of a trailed seed cart carrying a big...

Disc coulters offer further options.(MACHINERY: DRILLS)
August 16, 2008... The Caddy 5 System trailed seeder built by Weaving Machinery has been developed with a disc coulter set-up giving growers another option for sowing into conventional and trash-laden min-till seed-beds. When the seeder was unveiled last...

OptiDisc adds seed depth consistency.(MACHINERY: DRILLS)
August 16, 2008... A consistent working angle, increased penetration pressure and easier adjustment are claimed for the OptiDisc coulter system introduced for the Compact-Solitair 9 plus trailed drills in the Lemken range. In place of a single coulter arm,...

Kuhn introduces a lighter Speedliner.(MACHINERY: DRILLS)
August 16, 2008... The Speedliner 3000 EC from Kuhn Farm Machinery is a more compact, lighter-weight version of the existing minimum tillage drill of the same name aimed at growers for whom a 3m wide working width is sufficient. The rigid-frame machine sports...

Power harrow combi still has lots of fans.(MACHINERY: DRILLS)
August 16, 2008... Disc and tine trailed drills may be all the rage, but there are still plenty of growers who like the one-pass cultivate-and-sow simplicity of an outfit that combines a power harrow with a seed drill. The latest option from Pottinger's...

Bigger hopper for fewer refill stops.(MACHINERY: DRILLS)
August 16, 2008... Increased automation, improved monitoring and a larger hopper should reinforce the TerraCast's popularity for min-till seeding. A bigger capacity hopper that reduces the frequency of stops for refills is among the changes to Techneat...

New Holland tops harvesting table.(MACHINERY: COMBINES)
August 16, 2008... The top spot in the league table for combine harvester work rates is claimed by New Holland for its new CR9090 Elevation model with rotary separation and a 591hp engine. It is aimed at the exclusive top end of the combine market, where...

Two new launches heat up utility vehicle market.(MACHINERY: ATVS)
August 16, 2008... The launch of new models from JCB and John Deere are a reminder that lightweight load carriers or utility vehicles have become the fastest-growing sector of the ATV market in the UK. Although the traditional quad bikes still dominate ATV...

Price spikes bring sharp rent reviews: landlords' agents have seen a chance to share in the commodity price rises.(CARR'S CORNER)
August 16, 2008... "With prices for new crop weakening like a Gordon Brown popularity poll, margins for arable farmers are now well below that of 12 months ago. But there is an unfortunate lasting consequence for growers from last season's commodity price...

Can't face straw sale nightmare: chopping straw may be easier option, says Charlie Flindt.(Podium)
August 16, 2008... "Spare a thought for Daisy, my aged New Holland TC56. She's only done 80 acres so far this harvest, but she's feeling a bit knackered. Why? Because she's chopping all the straw. Is it to return vital goodness and organic matter to the...

Check out how harvest's going.(ONLINE BRIEFING)
August 16, 2008... * Wondering how harvest is going? What progress combines are making in your area, and elsewhere? To find out, why not visit www.fwi.co.uk/harvesthighlights08 where you can keep up to date with all the latest harvest news. You can also...

Fwi hit parade.(ONLINE BRIEFING)
August 16, 2008... * Harvest proved popular yet again at fwi.co.uk, the UK's leading agricultural website, which attracts almost 200,000 unique users a month. Our Harvest Highlights gallery (see above) attracted the biggest number of arable visitors in the...

Sugar offer far from tempting.(VIEWPOINT)
August 16, 2008... British Sugar's best and final offer for the 2009 contract is disappointing, to say the least. Growers who fancy a flutter can take [pounds sterling]24 per adjusted tonne plus a currency and wheat price escalator. Those not of a gambling...

Keep quiet about big Russian yields or life might become 'interesting'.(DIARY)
August 16, 2008... MONDAY * My grandfather used to say that if you ever move into a new area and want to learn how to farm to suit local climate and land it's easy--you just look over the fence to see what your new neighbours are doing. Apparently, that does...

Let's kick this legislation into touch: help us in our campaign to save sprays and keep British farming productive.(SAVE OUR SPRAYS)
August 16, 2008... Crops' sister magazine Farmers Weekly has kicked off a major campaign to keep farming productive. Called Save our Sprays--or SOS for short--the campaign aims to counter impending EU legislation that could wipe out more than 80% of the...

Expenditure plan can save money: the loss of Agricultural Buildings Allowances and other changes in the 2007 Budget make it crucial that farm expenditure is properly planned and claimed.(YOUR BUSINESS)
August 16, 2008... Too many businesses are losing out by not planning capital and other expenditure carefully enough and far enough in advance, says accountant Nick Holmes of Chavereys, Kent. Sometimes the chance to claim allowances is overlooked, sometimes...

Agms are not just for companies.(FAMILY MEETINGS)
August 16, 2008... All businesses should hold a family annual meeting to take stock and to plan ahead, says Gary Markham, agricultural partner with Grant Thornton. "Agms are not just for companies, it is important to make time to talk about issues affecting...