Crops articles from September 2006

Crops archives from September 2006

Aim for long-term pre-em strategy: the practice of tackling weeds in winter cereals before they have even emerged has caught on strongly in recent years. And resistance to post-em herbicides looks set to encourage it further, Andrew Blake hears.(TECHNICAL)
September 2, 2006... Pre-emergence herbicide use has nearly doubled since 2002 especially on second wheats, figures from ProCam's 4cast management advice tool suggest. The firm's David Ellerton believes that's due to relatively poor blackgrass and ryegrass...

Pre-emergence use avoids grassweed resistance risk.(PRE-EMERGENCE TREATMENTS)
September 2, 2006... According to TAG's Jim Orson conditions last autumn were ideal for pre-emergence herbicides. "It's a great pity that more acres were not treated." Weed scientists are increasingly worried by growers' reliance on Atlantis for...

Useful options.(TRIALS)
September 2, 2006... ADAS trials suggest that Syngenta's new pre-em herbicide Defy is set to become a useful option for growers as part of a treatment sequence. At ADAS Boxworth comparisons on a site with known target-site resistance and high blackgrass...

Cereals: right control for weeds.(HERBICIDES)
September 2, 2006... Whether it's blackgrass, meadowgrass or broadleaved weeds, our guide, compiled by Mike Abram, will provide the answers for controlling key cereal weeds NOTE: This table is a guide, not a recommendation, Prices are an estimate based on...

Alternative gives skin spot control.(AGRONOMY UPDATE)
September 2, 2006... Scottish Agricultural Colleges will almost certainly seek a specific off-label approval for using Signum (boscalid + pyraclostrobin) as an alternative skin-spot control measure, if the derogation for using 2-aminobutane is not extended. ...

Treatment is lift for tubers.(AGRONOMY UPDATE)
September 2, 2006... Greenvale hoped to treat an extra 1000t of seed potatoes with its Accumulator treatment, which helps growers manipulate the quantity and size of tubers in ware crops, next season, the firm's Paul Coleman said. Part of the increase would...

Taking stock of rape harvest: all sorts of explanations for this year's generally less then sparkling winter oilseed rape yields have been touted. Andrew Blake examines them and wonders what, if any, lessons have been learned.(OSR HARVEST LESSONS)(Cover story)
September 2, 2006... Poor rooting, overthick crops, too much early nitrogen, an unusually short flowering season and less than satisfactory disease control. All have been put forward as reasons for many UK oilseed crops performing below expectations in 2006...

Control black-grass early for best results: "waiting until the spring is usually too late because weed to crop competition is a real problem and yield will already have been lost," says ProCam technical director David Ellerton. "The key is to go early with a robust mix and then only go in the spring if absolutely necessary".(EARLY BLACK-GRASS CONTROL)
September 2, 2006... It is vital that for successful black-grass control this autumn her bicides programmes should start at either the pre or peri-emergence stage of the crop when weeds are small and actively growing, using robust tried and tested residual and...

Herbicide application timing beats troublesome black-grass.(EARLY BLACK-GRASS CONTROL)
September 2, 2006... Achieving the highest levels of black-grass control in first wheat is more down to the timing of application rather than the money that is thrown at the herbicide programme. According to Gloucestershire cereal farmer Richard Harvey, who...

Early autumn herbicide programmes critical.(EARLY BLACK-GRASS CONTROL)
September 2, 2006... Early harvest and quick turn around of autumn cultivations and drilling could exacerbate a Broad-leaved weed and grassweed problem this autumn, says TAG Consulting technical director Peter Riley. Pressure on autumn workloads and soaring...

Barley pre-emergence black-grass strategies key to long term control: vass agronomist Andy Scott says if there ever was a year for making sure pre-emergence herbicides were included in the herbicide programme this is the one. A true black-grass resistance management programme must include a pre-emergence option.(EARLY BLACK-GRASS CONTROL)
September 2, 2006... With the cereal harvest likely to finish early this year, earlier drilling opportunities are more likely. But, this will only exacerbate a burgeoning black-grass problem by inhibiting stale seedbed strategies and encouraging early onset of this...

Effective drying maintains quality: drying your grain speedily should prevent rejections due to storage mycotoxin ochratoxin A. Sarah Henly explains how.(STORAGE)
September 2, 2006... You may consider that once your wheat hits the combine tank you're home and dry. But dry it is not, and that means fungi can wreck your chances of having a quality product to sell, warns Dave Armitage of CSL. He's been devising new grain...

Ploughs take centre stage at tillage events: minimum tillage is firmly in the spotlight, but the hosts of this year's tillage events in England and Scotland still find ploughing is an integral part of their approach. Peter Hill reports.(TILLAGE EVENT)
September 2, 2006... The best characteristics of ploughing and non-plough minimum tillage are exploited on the farms providing land for the Tillage 2006 crop establishment extravaganzas in England and Scotland this autumn. On the chalky loams that James...

Newcomers raise combine selection: combine developments from New Holland and Claas promise much for the 2007 season. Mike Williams reports.(MACHINERY: COMBINES)
September 2, 2006... The addition of a brand new series of combines, plus updates for existing models, means the 2007 New Holland range offers customers more choice than ever. The new CSX series combines are mid-range machines suitable for customers with up to...

I've a horrible feeling of zugzwang: chess master Stephen Carr discovers a grand strategy for the coming season.(CARR'S CORNER)
September 2, 2006... "To anyone who has read this column before it will come as little surprise to learn that I am, besides being an exceptional farmer, also a Grand Master at chess. Indeed, who other than a chess Grand Master could have devised such an effective...

Let's show them what works: the industry must engage with its legislators, says Guy Gagen.(Podium Guy Gagen)
September 2, 2006... "Recently the NFU organised an on-farm visit for the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Why? So it could see the potential impact of new food safety regulations on growers. Too often there is a lack of understanding of the practical...

BASF applies for GM spud trials.(BRIEFING)
September 2, 2006... BASF's application to trial GM potatoes in the UK next season is significant at a time when many of the major biotech companies have withdrawn from GM in the UK due to relentless opposition in some quarters. But could it be more...

Have milling wheats had their day?(BRIEFING)
September 2, 2006... How many Crops readers will be growing as much quality milling wheat next season as this? With premiums only about [pounds sterling]6-8/t, recent feedback to FWi's Harvest Highlights suggests a number of you could be thinking of jacking it in....

How sweet is the future?(VIEWPOINT)
September 2, 2006... On the face of it, few growers will be excited about the results of negotiations between British Sugar and the NFU. Beet prices will continue to fall, and by 2009, anyone staying in the game will have needed to pare production costs to...

What do you do with waste? When is agricultural waste not a waste? When it's a resource of course. Waste expert Dave Baldwin lists his top ten tips for managing farm waste.(PERSPECTIVE)
September 2, 2006... The Agricultural Waste Regulations introduced on 15 May 2006 demanded three immediate actions from farmers--to stop burying waste in the farm tip; to stop uncontrolled burning of waste in the open; and to start having a "duty of care" for what...

When to sell the wheat? Bank may decide for me.(JUSTIN MCDONALD'S DIARY)
September 2, 2006... MONDAY Harvest in. Quality up. I am trying to stick with the positives and not think about my oilseed rape yields or crop values in general. Still, a harvest price of [pounds sterling]76/t for wheat is better than I have seen in recent...

Warm welcome for whole farm approach in Oxfordshire: the government's whole farm approach was launched last March to address farmers' concerns over growing 'red tape' burdens. Andrew Blake wonders whether it is succeeding in its aims.(YOUR BUSINESS)
September 2, 2006... If the experience of Farmers Weekly Farmer Focus writer David Greasby is anything to go by, DEFRA's computer-based WFA idea to ease the regulatory burden on English farmers and growers is encouraging. However it clearly has a long way to...

Be aware of tax implications: the single payment scheme has already brought changes for contract farming terms. But many still need to examine the day-to-day workings of agreements from a tax perspective. Suzie Horne finds out why.(CONTRACT FARMING)
September 2, 2006... Many contract farming agreements (CFAs) need to be reviewed to ensure that practical measures have been put in place to protect the working farmer status of the farmer (in many cases the landowner) and to protect inheritance tax (IHT) relief,...

Get to grips with finances: Suzie Horne explores some top advice to set you off on the right footing this autumn.(MANAGEMENT)
September 2, 2006... SINGLE PAYMENT Prudent combinable crop budgets for harvest 2007 should include the English single payment at about [pounds sterling]184/ha on farms with a full combinable crop history, says Andersons' Francis Mordaunt. The figure accounts...

Atlantis isn't the only control option: post-emergence grassweed control is all about Atlantis. Or is it? Mike Abram and Paul Spackman find out.(TECHNICAL)
September 16, 2006... There is little doubt that Atlantis is, and will remain, the number one option for post-emergence grassweed control for many growers this season. It has quickly proved itself an extremely effective grassweed killer since its approval in...

Research to minimise resistance: was grassweed control from Atlantis disappointing in some fields last spring due to late application or resistance? Sarah Henly finds out how to minimise the risk of herbicide resistance development.(HERBICIDES)
September 16, 2006... Blackgrass control using pre-emergence herbicides is expected to be excellent this autumn, provided there is sufficient soil moisture. The hot, dry summer is likely to have reduced seed dormancy, meaning most will emerge without delay. ...

Getting the choice right for OSR: tailoring oilseed rape fungicides to specific situations is essentail. Our guide, compiled by Paul Spackman, highlights the main autumn and spring options.(FUNGICIDES)
September 16, 2006... NOTE: This table is a guide, not a recommendation. Cost is an estimated value per hectare only Product LERAP Use it for AUTUMN BARCLAY EYETAK (Barclay) N/A Autumn, spring and...

Fungicide selection for oilseed rape is crucial.(FUNGICIDES)
September 16, 2006... Oilseed rape growers are being urged to do more to target fungicide choice to individual crop characteristics this season. Crop size, disease pressure and variety susceptibility, will all influence product choice, in what could be a tricky...

Competition heats up for high performance tractors.(MACHINERY: TRACTOR DEVELOPMENTS)
September 16, 2006... As growers increasingly turn to the versatility and performance capabilities of modern six-cylinder tractors with 180-220hp beneath their bonnets, manufacturers are pitching in with fresh levels of technology and sophistication. Peter Hill...

Eyespot hampers harvest yields: what might have been a bumper year for UK wheat yields was curtailed by the drought and eyespot. Louise Impey reports.(WHEAT HARVEST)
September 16, 2006... Results from The Arable Group's 21 trials sites show that winter wheat yields held up well this year, being slightly better on average than 2005. The organisation's lowest-yielding site was at Trerulefoot, Cornwall, where the average yield...

Understanding mutations for fungicide selection.(AGRONOMY UPDATE)
September 16, 2006... Detailed molecular studies have shown that different azole fungicides could select preferentially for specific Septoria tritici mutations that can cause the fungicide to be less effective. Research by Rothamsted Research's Hans Cools has...

And in at number one ... Subsidies are now public property thanks to the RPA's website, as Stephen Carr discovers.(CARR'S CORNER)
September 16, 2006... "Yes, folks, it's the time of the year you've all been waiting for. Click on to www.rpa.gov.uk for this year's climbers and this year's fallers. Scroll down the list of farming's greats of 2004/05 and see who got their snouts most firmly in...

Backing the best biofuels: duty on renewables needs a rethink, says Dominic Goodwin.(Podium)
September 16, 2006... "In February this year I successfully challenged Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, forcing them into a U-turn to allow straight rapeseed oil to be eligible for the 20p/litre duty reduction given to biodiesel under UK legislation. Most diesel...

The Brown agenda.(BRIEFING)
September 16, 2006... Tony Blair will not be Prime Minister this time next year and, barring a huge upset, Gordon Brown will take up the reins at Number 10. What will that mean for farming? In the past, Mr Brown has said little to make the UK industry think it...

Joined-up thinking.(BRIEFING)
September 16, 2006... Joining up the entire UK grain supply chain from grower to end user is the aim of a significant new event drawing from key elements throughout the industry for two days of serious business on 1 and 2 November at the East of England Showground,...

Research is the key.(VIEWPOINT)
September 16, 2006... What will your rotation be like in the next few years? The chances are that for most growers there'll be more oilseed rape, while in the east of the country there'll be fewer growers each in control of larger acreages of sugar beet. So why...

It's time for conventional farming PR: as Organic Fortnight draws to a close, Fresh Produce Journal's Tommy Leighton wonders if the organic versus conventional debate hasn't spun out of control.(PERSPECTIVE)
September 16, 2006... So there we have it. Two more weeks of pesticide-free mud-slinging and conventional farmers have yet more work to do to defend themselves from the latest round of claims from the organic lobby about the merits of its products. Don't get me...

GM potatoes move could be a boon for 'conventional'.(JUSTIN MCDONALD'S DIARY)
September 16, 2006... MONDAY I had to admire the sheer courage of plant science company BASF in seeking permission for field trials of GM potatoes in the UK next year. As I munched on my GM-free eggs, toast and bacon, it occurred to me that they must be...

React to consumer thinking trends: British potato consumption will decline sharply unless the industry succeeds in matching its products and promotions to consumer trends. British Potato Council chief executive Helen Priestley looks at the issues for the sector, revealing lessons that could be learned across the arable spectrum.(YOUR BUSINESS)
September 16, 2006... Potatoes are a great product. They should have a great future. But we can't sit back and assume consumers see it that way. British consumers yearn for convenience and are increasingly concerned about health. Consumer research shows they...

Benefit from growing niche market products: with the growing trend towards organic and healthy foods, there are increasing opportunities for farmers to supply niche, high value markets. But there's nothing new about one niche crop--spelt wheat--as its lineage traces back over 7000 years. Olivia Cooper finds out more.(SPELT WHEAT)
September 16, 2006... In the UK, less than 1000ha of spelt wheat is grown--all of it organically. But it is increasing in popularity in both Europe and the USA, being used as a healthy substitute for wheat flour in breads, pasta, pizzas, biscuits and cakes. It has a...

Arable farmer of the year: judging in the Farmers Weekly awards has reached the shortlist stage in the arable section. Charles Abel profiles three contenders battling to be the Farmers Weekly/Terra Arable Farmer of the Year.
September 16, 2006... EDWARD DAVEY Marker Rasen, Lincolnshire Edward Davey is a man with a vision--and it is a vision of a bright and profitable future. Not content to run the family farm as a mixed roots and combinable crops operation in North...