Crops articles from October 2007

Crops archives from October 2007

Two-spray strategy helps beat oilseed rape disease: the threat from phoma leaf spot is much increased this autumn. Sarah Henly discovers how best to protect oilseed rape crops.(TECHNICAL)
October 13, 2007... Phoma leaf spot will be the first disease target for many oilseed rape growers and higher prices mean the crop deserves priority treatment, Peter Gladders of ADAS believes. The disease infects stems faster when plants are small or backward,...

Paving the way for partridges: a project at Royston shows grey partridge numbers can be increased on arable farms. But will 0% set-aside hinder the recovery? Mike Abram reports.(CONSERVATION)
October 13, 2007... Reversing the decline in grey partridge numbers could be hindered by the decision to fix the set-aside rate at zero percent this year, according to the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust. Other wildlife, such as lapwings, barn owls and brown...

Are you ready for Atlantis? Evidence suggests Atlantis performance is becoming more variable. Mike Abram finds out how growers might be able to improve consistency.(POST-EMERGENCE HERBICIDES)
October 13, 2007... What did 28 November 2006 and 2 March 2007 have in common? It is a question that many of the growers and agronomists who visited Agrovista's Maidwell trials site last summer would like the answer to, because it might just help them avoid the...

Problem-solving makes advisers top of the crop: good advice is crucial to all arable businesses. Mike Abram profiles the three contenders in the running to win the first Crops Arable Adviser of the year award.(Arable Adviser of the Year)
October 13, 2007... Steve Portas Agonomist, Masstock Dalgety "There's nothing more satisfying than getting to the nub of a problem and providing a solution," Steve Portas, an agronomist from Masstock, says towards the end of our visit. And there's no...

Sharp thinking behind cut technology: harvest 2007 was a testing time for many combines and could well have provided the incentive for a change of machine. Peter Hill highlights the latest developments from three key manufacturers.(MACHINERY: COMBINES)
October 13, 2007... New Holland Some "back to basics" thinking about how a combine's cleaning system works and what it's trying to do, has given the biggest New Holland harvester a performance shot in the arm. Every one of the several stages involved in...

Time to invest in facilities? The latest advice on storage, handling, monitoring and marketing of all combinable crops will be on show at this year's UKgrain event in Nottinghamshire.(GRAIN STORAGE)
October 13, 2007... Setagainst a backdrop of firming commodity prices, lower-than-anticipated world supplies and increased confidence in the future, there has never been a better time to take stock of your grain storage, handling and marketing options. UKgrain,...

Pick of the crop from Tillage 2007: Peter Hill weighs up the pros and cons of individual implements on show.(TILLAGE EVENT)
October 13, 2007... VADERSTAD Getting down to detail--growers discuss point options, horsepower requirement--anything up to 300hp, depending on the soil--and how best to set-up the 3m version of Vaderstad's TopDown disc and tine cultivator. "It's always best...

Arable land prices ready to rocket: house prices may be falling but for farmers the market is hot, says Stephen Carr.(CARR'S CORNER)
October 13, 2007... "With feed wheat prices pushing [pounds sterling]170/t, what price now for an acre of arable land to buy or rent? The first part of that question seems to have been answered recently by a farmer four miles west of Lincoln who bid [pounds...

Keeping set-aside in perspective: the environmental benefits are questioned by Mark Little.(Podium)
October 13, 2007... "The adoption of zero set-aside announced at last month's EU Agricultural Council meeting is a major step forward for farmers and growers in providing choice and flexibility towards meeting the demands of world markets. But this is just...

Have your say on CPMP future.(BRIEFING)
October 13, 2007... The NFU is urging farmers and agronomists to have their say on the future of Crop Protection Management Plans by taking part in an online survey. The confidential survey, which runs throughout October, is designed to make sure CPMPs remain...

FWi hit parade.(BRIEFING)
October 13, 2007... Tillage 2007 proved a popular draw on our website (www.fwi.co.uk) since our last issue, with videos and pictures of the cultivation equipment capturing the interest of users. Here's the top five arable articles (not including picture...

Over the hedge.(BRIEFING)
October 13, 2007... Like knowing how your neighbour is getting on with cultivations, drilling and spraying? We at Crops do, too, which is why our Barometer farmers will be telling Andrew Blake over the next few months what they are up to on an online diary which...

Atlantis miracle begins to fade.(VIEWPOINT)
October 13, 2007... Every arable grower with blackgrass knows it is a [insert expletive here] to control. It was why successive weed-killers over the years were greeted with a mixture of relief and gratitude. The latest, Atlantis, launched five years ago this...

Not everyone gains from grain bonanza.(JUSTIN MCDONALD'S DIARY)
October 13, 2007... MONDAY * Grain prices are still rising but it's not suiting every farmer I meet. Peter, my neighbour, was looking a bit tense this morning. It turns out that he sold his entire malting barley tonnage for the 2007 harvest forward at...

Achieving output with minimum cost: what workrates are you achieving this autumn? Mark Lewis explains why he believes his system in Russia outperforms the Landkom approach Crops profiled in July 2007.(PERSPECTIVE)
October 13, 2007... It never ceases to amaze me how so many Western operators do not take full advantage of the economies of scale. In the Crops article on Landkom's farming in Ukraine it talks about huge fields, high horsepower tractors and wide implements. I...

Take more control to beat price volatility: grain prices may at last be back at profitable levels, but markets are volatile in the extreme. So how should you change your marketing strategy to suit this new climate? Olivia Cooper finds out.(GRAIN MARKETING)
October 13, 2007... Cereal prices have more than doubled over the past year, and values for the 2008 harvest make selling forward a profitable option. But with prices moving by up to [pounds sterling]20/t in a single day, how can you ensure you're making the most...

Getting power from pellet technology: Nottinghamshire schools are being heated using locally-grown short rotation coppice. Mike Abram finds out more.(BIOMASS)
October 13, 2007... It has finally happened. A fully up-and-running partnership supplying wood pellets--made from short rotation coppice--to heat schools. There has been plenty of talk about growers supplying biomass to heat local schools, hospitals or other...

Obligation: Getting to grips with director responsibilities; The new Companies Act puts the focus on good corporate practice, and company directors should take note. Suzie Horne explains.(COMPANIES ACT)
October 13, 2007... A director's conduct is likely to come under scrutiny when things go wrong from a financial, health and safety or environmental perspective. The new Companies Act sets out directors' duties in statutory form and much of this part of the...

Non-food crops: top of the agenda; The National Non-Food Crop Centre's Grasping the Green Agenda conferences, in conjunction with Crops, are a must for growers wanting to make the most of the huge opportunities offered by non-food crops.(NNFCC CONFERENCE)(Conference news)
October 13, 2007... Renewable fuels and materials derived from crops offer a tremendous opportunity to develop more sustainable resources. For such technologies to succeed we must integrate the full supply chain; from growers through research and manufacture right...