R.S.A.B.I

Spotlight on spring cereal cropping options

After many growers got forced into spring cropping following wash-out autumns in 2019 and 2020, better conditions for establishing winter crops this autumn were a welcome relief.

While this will result in less dependence on spring crops in 2022, they remain important to the rotation on many farms, for agronomic, financial and logistical reasons.

For those still to decide which crops and/or varieties to sow next spring, Hutchinsons technical manager Dick Neale and national seeds manager David Bouch highlight some options to consider.

Spring barley Barley remains the leading spring cropping option in many regions, especially those supplying malting, distilling and animal feed sectors. In recent years spring barley has also become a go-to option in less traditional areas among growers tackling black-grass.

“That’s still the situation, especially as there will be some fields that have taken a backwards step for blackgrass control after the difficult conditions we’ve experienced in recent seasons,” Mr Neale says.

“If you’re growing spring barley for black-grass control on heavy clay soil, don’t rush out and get a malting contract then apply malting barley principles developed on predominantly light land. For black-grass control, focus on maximising yield and crop competition, which in turn will dilute grain

RSABI encourages people to reach out for support

By Chris McVey, RSABI Welfare Manager

RSABI’s Welfare Manager Chris McVey is encouraging anyone in the agricultural industry who needs some support to call the RSABI helpline to see how they may be able to help, recognising that this can be a difficult time of year for many people.

RSABI provides emotional, practical and financial support to people involved in Scottish agriculture, including farmers, crofters, farm workers and people working in associated industries.

Chris McVey, RSABI’s Welfare Manager explains: “January and February can be tough months. For many people the quiet time following the rush of Christmas and New Year can leave them feeling flat. Coupled with the shorter days and potentially bad weather it’s easy to feel fed up, low and unhappy. There could

Chris McVey RSABI Welfare Manager

be more time spent alone, and more time to worry about things.

“Our team of helpline staff and volunteers are here to listen if you’re feeling down, or something is on your mind. And you don’t need to wait until you’re in crisis to call us for support. We help people with all kinds of issues – so no matter how big or small you think the problem is we’re here to listen.

“All calls are answered in confidence, and our staff and volunteers are mental health first aid trained. If needed, we can help you to access private counselling and provide grants for this if you can’t afford the cost. Many of our clients have found counselling sessions incredibly helpful.

“A lot of our work involves providing practical support – helping people resolve employment issues, access benefits information and debt advice, for example.

“And we also offer financial grants if required, often for essential items such as heating or food.

“Whatever is on your mind, please don’t hesitate to give us a ring.”

RSABI’s helpline is open every day of the year from 7am to 11pm on 0300 111 4166. Visit www.rsabi.org.uk for more information on support provided.

nitrogen and can still make a good malting sample.”

Pushing for yield does not necessarily require a lot of nitrogen - typically around 120 kg N/ha - but it does mean early drilling at higher seed rates into good conditions and a robust programme of fungicides and growth regulators, he notes.

In terms of varieties, Mr Bouch says the main options are largely unchanged from last year, with Laureate, LG Diablo and RGT Planet leading the way on yield, quality and acceptance by end users. “Yield, specific weight and screenings are all pretty similar, although Laureate performed exceptionally well last year.” Mr Bouch adds: “We’ve seen several new varieties come through, but none add much in terms of yield and most still need end user backing.”

Newcomer Skyway is interesting given a 4-5% yield advantage over established favourites, however at the time of writing it was still being evaluated for brewing use. Likewise SY Splendor and SY Tungsten, which joined the Recommended List last year, also offer slightly higher yields, but still only have provisional MBC approval, he says.

Phacelia and oil radish uncovered as soil saviours

Growing phacelia or oil radish cover crops in vegetable rotations helps to build and stabilise soils - with a new trial revealing it could safeguard future productivity.

The trial – funded by Agri-Tech Cornwall with land provided by Duchy College - found that phacelia and oil radish outperformed 24 other species and varieties of cover crop, including legumes and oats.

Where a break from brassicas is required, phacelia proved to have the best results - whether sown in spring, summer, or autumn – for improving soil organic matter. In contrast, where a break from brassicas is not required, oil radish gave the greatest above ground biomass, improving carbon and nitrogen sequestration.

So what does this mean for growers?

“With increased industry pressure on sustainable food production and more frequent extremes of weather, growers are seeking more ways to preserve their soils,” says Ian Boase, vegetable specialist at Elsoms Seeds, and manager of the independently assessed trial.

“Soil Organic Matter (SOM) plays a crucial role in improving soil structure, health and capacity for carbon, nitrogen, and water storage. An incorporated residue from cover crop biomass is a very effective way of getting organic matter back into soils between cultivations.”

In the trial, both phacelia and oil radish produced a lot of biomass, with tangible improvements in terms of nitrogen and carbon sequestration, nutrients in green material, and feed for the following crop.

“At 61 days after March drilling, phacelia and oil radish produced 40t/ha and 35t/ha respectively of above ground biomass – each sequestering around 15t/ha of carbon and 500kg/ha of nitrogen,” explains Mr Boase.

Planning your nitrogen applications in light of fertiliser prices

The European gas market has been especially volatile recently. Prices increased from $6 to over $50 per MMBtu (Metric Million British Thermal Unit) in the past few weeks. This, naturally, has affected the production cost of fertiliser, as natural gas is part of the manufacturing process. In one week alone, production costs rose by a staggering €200/t.

What does this mean for growers? Natalie Wood, Agronomy Operations Manager at Yara, looks at the important factors. “The price you bought at will impact upon the optimum nitrogen (N) rate you should apply in terms of economics,” says Natalie. “If you bought earlier on in the year – at £280 for example – your economic optimum wouldn’t have changed. You’ll be ok to stick with, say, 220kg of N on winter wheat.”

“However, if you have bought the majority of your

nitrogen in the past few weeks (now around £700/t at the time of writing) you may need to adjust your rate.”

Natalie points to some of Yara’s own N dose trial data to illustrate her point. A response curve occurs as the rate of nitrogen increases and the yield follows accordingly. However, at a certain point, the curve plateaus. At particularly high rates, the curve begins to decrease. This perfectly demonstrates that there is a biologically optimum N rate and, from there, we can calculate the optimum N rate in terms of cost, taking both crop and fertiliser prices into account.

“Trials show that the first 100kg of N gives us the best response,” says Natalie. “This is therefore an excellent return on investment (ROI) – no matter how much the fertiliser costs. The next 60kg of N also gives us a good response and meets ROI. When we get to the final 50-60kgN/ha we must be more careful. ROI can vary depending on pricing, crop potential, weather conditions and more. All of this needs to be considered to make an application economically viable.”

In essence, this means growers who have had to buy at a high price may then need to reduce their fertiliser rates to establish a good ROI. For example, a rate of 160kgN/ha for wheat will deliver just that.

“We can re-evaluate whether the last 50-60kg of N is required when spring arrives,” says Natalie. “Considerations like pricing, crop potential, mineralisation and our use of effective tools will help make the call whether that’s the right thing to do in economic terms.”