Crops articles from October 2006

Crops archives from October 2006

Picking apart the Atlantis partners: how should growers go about choosing the right tank-mix partner for Atlantis this autumn? Liz Robinson explores the options.(TECHNICAL)
October 14, 2006... HAWK (clodinafop-propargyl + trifluralin) Distribution: Widely available Cost: [pounds sterling]12.50-15/ha @2.5 litres/ha A 35% price reduction of Hawk this autumn, bringing it in line with the cost of a pendimethalin tank...

German lesson not the best guide: can oilseed rape autumn disease control and growth regulation both be achieved without compromising performance? Liz Robinson finds out.(OILSEED RAPE)
October 14, 2006... Disease control or growth regulation? There is no doubt the role of autumn oilseed rape fungicides has been blurred in the past couple of seasons as the use of certain triazole fungicides for autumn growth management, based particularly on...

Back to barley basics: could applying a fungicide to barley in the autumn improve yield and increase profits, as new research suggests? Sarah Henly investigates.(FUNGICIDES)
October 14, 2006... LAST year's HGCA barley growth guide gives you all the facts you need to produce a decent crop. Almost. The word "disease" hardly features in it at all. That's because there's a barley disease management guide on the way containing...

Grain chain event: lessons to learn; The grain to flour and feed event next month promises to bring the whole supply chain together, from grower to final customer. It's an event that could help shape your plans. Seminar speaker Neil Cameron from Bidwells looks at what might be learned from the experience of the fresh produce sector.(GRAIN TO FLOUR AND FEED EVENT)
October 14, 2006... The introduction of the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) to British agriculture should by now have awoken the industry to the fact that we are facing the future with declining market support for agriculture. For the grain industry, this means it is...

Satellite guided steering eases the driving burden: driving a tractor that steers itself is no longer a novelty, it is more a useful piece of practical technology to improve productivity and reduce costs. Peter Hill reports.(MACHINERY: GPS TRACTORS)
October 14, 2006... Ask John Deere's Mark James how long it takes to recoup the cost of a [pounds sterling]20,000 package of satellite-guided automatic steering for a combine and tractor on an 800ha farm and he's quick with an answer: "12 months." It sounds...

Plough takes centre stage at Tillage: a host of new cultivation tools and seed drills were put through their paces at the Tillage 2006 event in Suffolk but it was a high-tech plough promising improved performance from a semi-mounted configuration that stole the limelight. Geoff Ashcroft and Peter Hill report.(MACHINERY: TILLAGE)
October 14, 2006... For all its advantages, the biggest drawback of a semi-mounted plough is the lack of weight transfer to the tractor's rear wheels. And on soils where traction is an issue, having to use a bigger tractor than is necessary for the draft load...

Timing is critical when it comes to successful OSR disease control: oilseed rape growers must put the fungicide strategy higher up the list of priorities if they are to meet the increasing gross margin potential of the crop from bigger yields and in better oil percentage.(Oilseed rape)
October 14, 2006... The demand for bio fuels is growing dramatically, driven by the requirements of the Road Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and this is having a major impact on crop demand and market values. ProCam national technical coordinator Nick Myers...

Early phoma dentification aided by diagnostic testing.(Oilseed rape)
October 14, 2006... The high levels of phoma expected this autumn due to warm and dry weather means growers must be extra vigilant when walking oilseed rape crops and, if phoma is identified, to implement fungicide programmes as soon as possible to avoid financial...

Reliable disease control--an OSR growers No1 priority this autumn: with OSR prices possibly going to exceed [pounds sterling]180/t by Christmas protecting yield through early control of diseases such as phoma will be critical this autumn.(Oilseed rape)
October 14, 2006... Ignoring agronomic advice regarding appropriate fungicide spray programmes could see gross output being slashed, warns DuPont fungicide product manager Mike Ashworth. "Disease reports suggest phoma risk is high so growers must be more...

Early applied oilseed rape fungicides keep disease in check: last year saw some of the highest recorded levels of disease in oilseed rape crops due to a combination of excessive focus on crop canopy manipulation and a heavy carryover of disease from the previous year's crop.(Oilseed rape)
October 14, 2006... There is a risk that an early harvest this year, trashy stubbles being left longer and a mindset following on from last year, could see disease levels increase further warns Masstock technical manager Phillip Marr. "Too many growers lost...

Disease control improves rooting: manipulating oilseed rape taproot growth by applying an appropriate fungicide in the autumn is giving arable farmers an opportunity to boost yield. Coupled to its primary function of taking out phoma, yields can be increased to the tune of 0.7 t/ha.(Oilseed rape)
October 14, 2006... No wonder that some agronomists are advocating early applications of flusilazole to the crop in anticipation of higher yields, essential in today's economic climate. Modern varieties should be producing between 4.5-5t/ha. Nigel Jennings of...

Tracks help avoid compaction costs.(MACHINERY: COMBINES)
October 14, 2006... An independent investigation into the amount of soil compaction left by combine harvesters suggests the damage left by rubber tracks is shallower and less costly to remedy than after rubber tyres. Combine tracks were pioneered by Claas and...

Rich pickings for bargain hunters: there's little sympathy for casualties as the industry restructures, reflects Stephen Carr.(CARR'S CORNER)
October 14, 2006... "Vultures first scent a potential meal by scanning the horizon for signs of distress. "Genuine dispersal sale of farm machinery" in the local press is just the sign they are looking for. As they read a description of what is included they...

Positive news for pollution: the Voluntary Initiative is on a roll, says Barry Dent.(Podium Barry Dent)
October 14, 2006... "Farmers are working harder than ever to reduce the possible impact of pesticides on the environment, as shown by the very positive results in this year's Voluntary Initiative annual report. What's more, as the political agenda moves forward,...

New team player.(BRIEFING)
October 14, 2006... Robert Harris is the new deputy editor of Crops, following the appointment of the title's former deputy editor Julian Gairdner to the role of Farmers Weekly Group on-line editor. Robert's promotion includes responsibility for all arable...

Competition winner.(BRIEFING)
October 14, 2006... Suffolk grower Pip Partridge (front left), who grows 335ha of wheat, barley and beans at Witnesham near Ipswich, was the winner of 100ha-worth of Nickerson Original cereal seed plus the use of an Accord CT Line multi-purpose drill to plant it...

GM cropping a step closer.(VIEWPOINT)
October 14, 2006... GM crops are coming. After so many years of procrastination, fear-mongering and political posturing the true benefits of genetically modified crops are finally being deployed across Europe. This autumn almost 70,000ha of GM crops are being...

Time to put our industry back on the front foot: there's an opportunity not to be missed to make agriculture important to the nation again and become marketeers not sellers, argues Hertfordshire grower Michael Johnson.(PERSPECTIVE)
October 14, 2006... Last fortnight I received my invoice for the National Farmers' Union 2006/07 subscription. It very nearly equated to a lorry load of feed wheat during the years 2001 to 2005. The one hope in the back of all our minds over these dismal years...

Upbeat mood--but not because of high salaries.(JUSTIN MCDONALD'S DIARY)
October 14, 2006... MONDAY Not being a livestock farmer I had never really thought about how much the head of the Meat and Livestock Commission, Kevin Roberts, might earn until I read about it in The Daily Telegraph. Apparently his salary of [pounds...

Resistance fight can be won: azole fungicide performance against septoria is slipping. But ADAS plant pathologist Bill Clark explains why it is not all doom and gloom.(PERSPECTIVE)
October 14, 2006... HGCA experiments over the past decade demonstrate that the activity of all azole fungicides against septoria is sliding--much higher doses are needed now to achieve adequate disease control. So where do we go from here? Can we slow or even...

Farming in tandem for food and fuel: there's enough productive land in Europe to farm food and fuel, according to experts at the Biofuels Forum earlier this month in Newcastle. Debbie Beaton reports.(YOUR BUSINESS)
October 14, 2006... There's a misconception about the amount of land available for fuel production, according to NFU president, Peter Kendall. "The current exportable surplus of wheat is sufficient to produce enough biodiesel to replace 5% of estimated future...

Prospects looking good for biofuels: UK growers are being urged to act now if they want to take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by biofuels, writes Johann Tasker.(BIOFUELS)
October 14, 2006... Biofuels won't be the whole solution to our climate change problem, admits Rupert Furness, policy adviser at the Department for Transport. "But they can certainly play a significant part in reducing C[O.sub.2] emissions from road transport."...