Crops articles from December 2008

Crops archives from December 2008

Controversy surrounds latest recommended list decisions: some details within the latest HGCA and PGRO recommended lists took the seed industry by surprise, Louise lmpey learns.(TECHNICAL)
December 13, 2008... WINTER WHEAT News that the National Association of British and Irish Millers has classed potential biscuit wheat Viscount as Group 4, traditionally home of feed wheats, has drawn plenty of industry reaction. "This is going to hurt the...

Consumer benefits could drive change in GM opinion: will a switch in the emphasis towards consumer rather than farmer benefit be enough to swing public opinion in favour of genetically modified crops? Mike Abram investigates.(GENETICALLY MS CROPS)
December 13, 2008... Could a purple tomato and soya beans that pro duce oil with a higher content of omega-3 oil be the turning point for GM crops in the UK and Europe? They are among the first of a sec ond generation of GM crops that concentrate more on...

Stick to lanes and slash farm establishment costs: a Yorkshire grower is among those pioneering controlled-traffic farming on his land. Mike Abram reports.(CONTROLLED TRAFFIC FARMING)
December 13, 2008... 70% reduction in the time taken to establish his crops this autumn, and the cost approximately halved, is a good start in convincing Andrew Man-field of the benefits of controlled-traffic farming. A visit in February from Tim Chamen, who...

Keeping habitats sustainable after set-aside: research is helping to pinpoint ways to increase farmland birds and beneficial insects without a cost to conventional cropping. Sarah Henly reports.(BIODIVERSITY)
December 13, 2008... In recent years, set-aside has arguably helped to counteract the decline in bird and beetle numbers blamed on intensive arable farming. But its now non-compulsory status threatens to reverse this trend, warns Jim Orson of TAG. DEFRA is...

Heated interest in cost-efficient kit for cooling down: cost-efficient grain cooling was among the hot topics at the UK Grain event, where exhibitors were kept busy fielding enquiries about new installation and upgrade options. Peter Hill reports.(UK GRAIN)
December 13, 2008... Using a digital control system to turn cooling fans on and off--an operator's finger on the power switch, in other words--can be effective at getting the temperature of grain low enough to prevent insect infestation during long-term storage....

State-of-the-art facility makes a timely arrival: the impact of the new grain store installed at a buckinghamshire farm this year will go a lot further than the difference it made to coping with its debut harvest. Peter Hill reports.(GRAIN STORAGE)
December 13, 2008... I fever there was a good year to have a new grain store up and running in time for harvest, this was surely it. And if ever a store was geared to coping with a big influx of wet grain, the new installation at Creslow Manor Farm certainly fits...

Experts to help in the tough times: Scotland's arable farmers have a major arable conference in February to help them tackle the challenges ahead.(SCOTLAND CONFERENCE)(Conference news)
December 13, 2008... There is no doubt that 2008 will remain long in the memory of Scottish arable farmers as the most difficult harvest and drilling campaign in the past 50 years. The winter crop area has suffered massively from bad drilling conditions caused...

Learning to cope with decoupling: a change in policy is needed to survive our volatile markets, says Stephen Carr.(CARR'S CORNER)
December 13, 2008... "For decades any arable farmer with a half a grain of sense has looked on in wonder at colleagues who persisted with the high stakes business of potato growing. Who in their right mind, we thought to ourselves, would take the annual plunge...

Don't sow and hope: securing a malting barley contract is vital.(Podium)
December 13, 2008... "Would-be growers of spring malting barley should think very carefully before ordering seed in the next few weeks. Many more growers than usual may be tempted by the crop after the difficult autumn, but "beware" should be the order of the day....

Cereals events hosts wanted.(BRIEFING)
December 13, 2008... * Ever wondered what it's like to host the Cereals Event? Here's your chance to find out--organiser Hay-market Exhibitions is seeking new sites on working farms. The field-based event, which runs for two days in June, is the leading...

FWi hit parade.(BRIEFING)
December 13, 2008... * Videos of eight direct drills filmed during a Controlled Traffic Farming growers group meeting last month has proved to be the most popular arable article on FWi this year. The article features a short clip of each drill in action plus some...

Double whammy for pesticides.(VIEWPOINT)
December 13, 2008... It has been a torrid six months for pesticides. Campaigner Georgina Downs' court case victory against DEFRA has only added to the pressure being applied by the EU's ongoing arguments over how these products should be approved and used at...

Here's to a grain bull market. Cheers ...!(DIARY)
December 13, 2008... MONDAY * Spent the morning showing my bank manager around the farm for my annual review. When we got back to the office he asked: "Have you considered going back to the good old days when you just sowed your seed, said your prayers, and...

Time for action on soil management: a dwindling science base is putting the productivity of the UK's soils at risk, says Dick Godwin, lead author of a hard-hitting report.(PERSPECTIVE)
December 13, 2008... Farmers face a stiff challenge over the next couple of decades, having to increase yields with reduced inputs, while improving soil health and enhancing the environment. Are they--or, more accurately, their soils--up to it? Perhaps, but...

How to turn a negative into a positive: arable prospects for 2009 appear to be alarming. Francis Mordaunt examines how farmers might react.(YOUR BUSINESS)
December 13, 2008... The past six months have proved to be a long time in terms of arable farming profit. Since presenting budgets for Andersons Loam Farm at Cereals 2008, adjustments have had to be made because of the weather, collapsing commodity prices and...

Is all the tinkering with inputs really worth it?(ARABLE OUTLOOK)
December 13, 2008... What about cutting back on fertiliser and spray inputs? The table below shows fertiliser has become a more significant cost, rising from 13% in 2008 to 26% in 2009. There may be some savings to be made, but there is a need for caution, as...

Planning will be crucial to obtain best finance: Growers need to think ahead to secure the best borrowing deals, as Suzie Horne discovers.(BORROWING ADVICE)
December 13, 2008... The traditional August-October borrowing peak is likely to be higher than usual next year because of tax payments on profits earned from the 2007 harvested crop and higher input and energy costs for the 2009 crop. While base rates are...

Group aims to improve supply chain: a new grain storage company promises to improve supply chain efficiency and expand added-value cereal markets. Paul Spackman finds out how.(GRAIN STORAGE)
December 13, 2008... For years, farmers have been told to collaborate to drive out inefficiency and spread cost. It's a strategy that has often worked well and one that is at the heart of NetworkGrain UK, a new firm bringing together 10 farmer-owned central stores...