Anglia Farmer - September 2022

FarmerAnglia September 2022 Serving the farming industry across East Anglia for over 40 years firefighters join forces to tackle field fires Harvest report: Decent yields despite heatwave and drought News New PM must 'take farmers seriously' Arable Rapid test for light leaf spot now available Crop establishment Patience needed before drilling this autumn Livestock Keep heat stress at forefront of mind Professional services Fire danger prompts insurance discount offer Woodlands £25m available for farmers to plant trees Tel: 01480 495956 www.flr-cropdrying.com

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Support is a two-way street

Johann Tasker Editor

Visit latestforwebsiteourallthefarmingnews SPACE?STORAGESHORTSPACE?STORAGESHORTSPACE?STORAGESHORTLOCKWOODBOWIE02476459000sales@bowielockwood.co.ukOFOFOF RIDBA Rural & Industrial Design & Building Association Competitive prices for all Competitiveagriculturalyour&industrialrequirementspricesforallyouragricultural&industrialrequirementsCompetitivepricesforallyouragricultural&industrialrequirements CONTACT US NOW! 67639

Anglia Farmer is a controlled circulation magazine published monthly for farmers and growers in the eastern counties. To be included on the circulation list, a farmer must have a minimum of 70 acres of land, or 50 dairy/beef stock, or 50 breeding sows/250 growing stock, or 15,000 laying hens/broiler chickens. Intensive horticulture units are required to have a minimum of two hectares. Subscription is £18 a year (including postage). No responsibility can be accepted by the publishers for the opinions expressed by contributors. If you no longer wish to receive this magazine, please email your name, address and postcode as it appears on the wrapper T:PrintedT:ReydonReydonPublications,Published©adam.gunton@micropress.co.uktoCountrywidePublications2022byCountrywideFountainWay,BusinessPark,SuffolkIP186DH01502725800byMicropressLtd,Suffolk.01502725800 EDITORIAL Editor: Johann Tasker | T: 07967 634971 E: johann@ruralcity.co.uk Design: Mark Shreeve | T: 01502 725839 E: mark.shreeve@micropress.co.uk Advertisement production: Polly Coleman | T: 01502 725841 E: polly.coleman@micropress.co.uk ADVERTISING SALES Chloe Miller | T: 01502 725844 E: E:DanielE:Dannychloe.miller@micropress.co.ukLewis|T:01502725862danny.lewis@micropress.co.ukRice|T:01502725858daniel.rice@micropress.co.uk FarmerAnglia Vol 42 • No 9 • September 2022Contents SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 3 OPINION Johann Tasker News .................................................................... 4 Arable .................................................................. 9 Crop establishment ..................................... 23 Water & irrigation .......................................... 35 Livestock ........................................................... 45 Forestry ............................................................. 47 Professional Services .................................. 55 Endpiece .......................................................... 58 T his month will see the UK's third prime minister in little more than three years – but any major changes in farming fortunes are unlikely. Agriculture has been low on this government's list of priorities. Just remember the way Boris Johnson dismissed the plight of farmers faced with culling thousands of pigs due by saying the animals would have been slaughtered for food anyway. The incoming prime minister might be less arrogant and patronising to growers and livestock producers. But any major changes to farming policy shouldn't be expected –whoever wins what has been a bitter Conservative leadership race. Why? Because Tory cabinet ministers seem to believe farmers will vote Conservative no matter how badly they are treated. It's almost as if the Conservative Party in Westminster has given up wanting to be the Party of the Countryside. As well as a new prime minister, this month will see farmers asking MPs of all political parties to demonstrate their support for food producers. Organised by the NFU, Back British Farming Day on 14 September will highlight all that is great about UKMPsagriculture.willbeasked to wear wheatsheaf lapel pin badges to show their support for British farming. Previous years have seen the prime minister, leader of the opposition and other MPs wear the badges during debates and Prime Minister’s Questions. In previous years, politicians of all persuasions have enthusiastically posed for the cameras as they signed pledges to Back British Farming. But all too often this support has been short-lived – a fleeting photo-opportunity all too soon forgotten. If our politicians really want our vote, they should remember that support goes both ways. It would be folly for the incoming prime minister to sell farmers down the river and then expect their vote at the next general election.

F arm leaders have set out the pri orities for UK agriculture which must be addressed by the in coming Prime Minister following the Conservative leadership election.

Rural Payments Agency chief executive Paul Caldwell said: “These twice-yearly in stalments are a permanent change to bring BPS in line with what will be a more regu lar payment system under the new environ ment land management schemes.”

In a letter sent last month to lead ership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, NFU president Minette Bat ters said farming was central to a thriv ing UK rural economy, as well as to the country’s net zero ambitions.

New government 'must take food production seriously'

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss farmersBritish can deliver even more “

As basic payments to farmers are phased out, there should also be a fur ther refocusing of funding towards sus M ost farmers should have now re ceived a 50% advance of their an nual basic payment, although the government says a small number of claims will require additional checks. The advance payment seeks to help ease cashflow pressures caused by spiralling farm input costs. Estimates from farm business consultants Andersons suggest input costs rose by 23.5% in the year to July, more than double the 10.1% rise in the value of agricul tural outputs over the same period. The Rural Payments Agency started making Basic Payment Scheme advance payments to farmers earlier this summer. It said the most farmers would receive their BPS advance in the coming weeks, with a minority of claims taking longer to process.

With the right ingredients and in partnership with government, British farmers could deliver even more in the future, she said. “Both the pandemic and the situation in Ukraine has high lighted just how important domestic food production is.”

News 4 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022

Advance BPS payments made to farmers

matched with honesty and certainty about the Georgefuture.Dunn, of the Tenant Farm ers Association, said the agricultural industry was at a critical time – both in terms of new support schemes and unprecedented supply chain pressures which threatened to paralyse many farm businesses.

Right policies Warning that spiralling input costs and uncertainty about future support schemes mean farmers' confidence is how, the NFU is calling for incentives for growers and livestock producers to invest in their businesses and con tribute to UK food security. Ms Batters said: “I am confident that with the right policies and by working together, farmers can achieve so much for our country – not just by providing high quality and climate-friendly food, but also protecting and enhancing our environment.

Defra said Lump Sum Exit Scheme appli cants preparing to leave the industry would receive an advance payment if they had sub mitted a BPS claim in 2022. ment will be sent to explain how the 2022 payments were calculated.

Self-sufficiency

In an battle to decide the next Prime Minister, both Tory leadership candi dates pledged to back British farming. But their promises were long on rhet

tainable food production within the government's Agricultural Transition Plan, said Ms Batters.This should be underpinned by a multi-annual fund ing commitment, she wrote.

The government’s Food Strategy recog nised that food production was a core part of our nation’s resilience, said Ms Batters. To deliver on its ambitions, the government must ensure food produc tion is taken seriously across White hall, she added. This included a statutory under pinning of UK food production that looked to maintain current levels of self-sufficiency and food production –and ensured that all government de partments gave due regard to the im pact of policies on the country’s ability to produce food.

Advance payments will be approximate ly 50% of the total due to be paid in 2022.

'Unprecedented pressure' Mr Dunn said: “We need a government which is able to focus on the day-today needs of running the country rath er than dealing with day-to-day crises which has been undermining its cred ibility over recent weeks and months.”

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Mr Williams said: “As a buying group, we were ideally placed to source these parts for about one third of the cost if members had to do it directly themselves. Having the guidance from the NFU to ensure the part was the cor rect one has been absolutely key and it’s great to see the connector being used.”

"We talked about their fittings on fire appli ances and spent about half an hour in a store shed before I grabbed one of the fittings and said: ‘I’m taking this home.'” Mr Burrows went straight to see James Wil liams at North Herts Farmers to work out what

Farming response

portive, wanting to work with us, it seemed like a golden opportunity.”

6 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022 NewsThe development of the connector came after a meeting between NFU members and the fire service to review recent inci dents and to discuss how they could work more closely

One of the farmers who attended the demonstration was NFU mem ber Tom Parkins. Also a police volun teer, Mr Parkins has been coordinat ing the farming response when field firesNFUoccur.County Chair Gordon Paice said: “Tom contacted Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service when we start ed harvesting in July and he’s been the link between the whole of the farming community and the fire service.

“Icounty.thinkthe league of extraordinary farmers is an apt description. As Hert fordshire farmers, we should be very proud of how we have responded and worked together on this fire issue.”

"When there have been multiple fires across Hertfordshire, he has en gaged with them, using the existing rural crime WhatsApp groups. This has ensured the farming community has responded in a positive way, help ing to protect lives and property across the

Wayne Gibbons, East Herts & Broxbourne group commander for Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service, said: “With the unprecedented weath er that we’ve had, everything is so dry, and we’ve had a massive spike in crop and field fires.

Rapid refill The new connector was put through its paces at a farm at Much Hadham, How the connector came about Hertfordshire. It allows fire fighters to rapidly refill their engine’s 1,600 litre tank from a water bowser.

James Williams, Wayne firestacklingParkinsandGordonGibbons,PaiceTomarefieldtogether

“We carry a limited supply of water on fire appliances, so we can have an in itial strike into a fire, which we would supplement using fire hydrants, but these hydrants aren’t available in ru ral areas. To have water readily avail able for use is essential.

“We don’t need large amounts, but we do need a steady supply. We can use lakes or ponds. But it can be time-con suming to get that water, so this new connector is another step forward in how farmers can assist us so we can help them protect their property.”

NFUtogether.regional crops board chair Jamie Bur rows said: “The consensus was that the fires we’ve seen during the heatwave are not a one off and we wanted to be better prepared for fu ture“Weevents.asked the fire service what they want ed from us and they mentioned telehandlers to get access to gateways, tractors and cultivators for putting in fire breaks, and water.

Farmers and firefighters make connection to tackle field fires

Simple device helps make water readily available F armers in Hertfordshire are stepping up efforts to help fire fighters tackle field fires that have been breaking out across the county during the heatwave. Dubbed “the league of extraordi nary farmers” by fire control room staff, farmers have helped protect crops, res idential property and the environment at scores of incidents, including put ting in fire breaks and getting water to fireOneengines.ofthemajor obstacles encoun tered has been water availability, as there was no way of getting water from farmers’ bowsers and sprays direct to the fire engines due to differences in connectors.Butafter work by NFU Hertford shire – led by regional crops board chair Jamie Burrows and buying group North Herts Farmers – 60 connectors have been delivered to farms across theThesecounty.will allow firefighters direct access to water supplies from bowsers and water tanks, gaining precious time and additional water resources to bring fast-moving field fires under control.

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“As a farmer, I understand some of the frustrations regarding crop assurance and inspection and I really want to hear your views.”

Decent enough cereal harvest –despite heatwave and drought

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 9

T his year's wheat harvest is expected to be slightly higher on the year – despite hot, dry conditions and questions overYieldsyields.are variable this season with crops grown on heavier soil performing better than those grown on lighter land due to lack of moisture retention, according to the latest Cereal Market Outlook published by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.

It forecasts an average wheat yield of 7.93t/ ha for harvest 2022. With the latest survey results pegging the UK wheat area at 1.807 million hectares – up 1% on 2021 – it puts wheat production at 14.328 million tonnes for 2022.

Red Tractor role for Kit Papworth chain,” says Mr Papworth. “I look forward to working with customers to understand their requirements both now and in the future. I am keen to discuss the issues around equivalence to imported grains and to explore how inspection can be made less challenging for Ongrowers.”hishome farm and as an agricultural contractor, Mr Papworth grows feed and seed wheat, malting barley, sugar beet, oilseed rape, vining peas and potatoes. He has previously held numerous roles at board and chair level within British agriculture. He also acknowledges “the strong views” among growers around farm assurance schemes and auditing.

'Plentiful wheat' Taken as a whole, wheat supplies are said to be plentiful at the start of the 2022/23 season.

Barley exports

Considering a squeeze on the EU barley balance, the AHDB expects higher exports to the EU during 2022/23. Oat exports are anticipated to be lower than last season with an increase in domestic demand, including from the Oatly processing plant opening in Peterborough. The oat area for harvest 2022 is down about 9% on last year, though yields look good in some areas. For the latest cereal market reports, visit www.ahdb.org.uk

orfolk farmer Kit Papworth (pictured) says he is ready to listen to growers following his appointment as chairman of Red Tractor’s combinable crops and sugar beet sector. Farming at Felmingham, near North Walsham, Mr Papworth takes up the role this month. He succeeds Essex farmer and former NFU deputy president Guy Smith, who stepped down as Red Tractor combinable crops chairman earlier this year. “Crop assurance is vital to the entire food

“This season, with a healthy supply of total wheat anticipated, the UK is likely to be trading nearer export parity during the first part of the season. However, as we move through the season, we are likely to move to trading at import parity.”

This is due to an increased wheat carry-over stock from last season, higher imports over the year and a larger crop this harvest.

The domestic barley balance begins the season tighter, with rebounding demand from the brewing, malting and distilling sector (BMD). The AHDB says it expects demand for barley to remain strong for barley, with increased distilling capacity in Scotland.

The AHDB says winter barley yields have averaged well, although spring barley yields have been lower than last year due to adverse conditions. Combined with a lower total UK barley area, production is estimated to be lower than in 2021 at 6.746Mt.

In terms of the quality of this year’s crop, early indications show strong specific weights, though proteins are reportedly lower. “As with every season, we will likely look to Germany and Canada to fulfil needs for high specification milling wheat,” says the outlook report. This season overall, the UK is anticipated to be a net importer of wheat. With high temperatures and dry conditions also impacting on the wider northern hemisphere harvest, global wheat prices remain at historically elevated prices.

NArable

The UK looks to remain a net exporter of barley for the 2022/23 season – although imports are currently forecast near 2021/22 levels to meet malting barley demand. There has been some downgrading of malting barley to feed, with ergot detected in some wheat and barley. Barley exports are expected to remain strong this season – although perhaps not quite to the levels seen in 2018/19 or 2019/20.

incolnshire grower David Hoyles reports pleasing yields with a late-September drilled seed crop of biscuit wheat LG Astronomer. Mr Hoyles (right), of GH Hoyles Ltd in Long Sutton, saw two fields yield 13.2-13.4 t/ha – well above the farm's five-year average of 11.6 t/ha. The crop was harvested at 13.3-13.6% moisture on 27-28 July.

“We had very little disease at the beginning of the season, so skipped the T0. It was wet in April so the T1 was more robust, containing Revystar (47.5 g/l fluxapyroxad and 100 g/l mefentrifluconazole), Arizona (folpet) and a good dose of PGR.” It was dry again by the T2 timing, so only Firefly (10g/l prothioconazole and 45g/l fluoxastrobin) and boron were applied. An earlier than normal T3 at the end of May consisted of Uinvoq (50g/L fenpicoxamid &100 g/l prothioconazole) & boron.

“We were disappointed that we didn’t have as much soil nitrogen after the vining peas as we had hoped for, which meant the crop received a total of 160kg N/ha which was applied in the seedbed, and three follow up applications.”LGAstronomer is a high-yielding soft milling wheat, with a very high specific weight and quality that meets distilling market specifications. It is rated 8 for both yellow and brown rust, and 6.8 for Septoria tritici.

The seed crop of Astronomer yielded about 13.3t/ha

“We didn’t have any issues with Septoria, which we know was a concern with some of the Group 3 wheat varieties last year. As Astronomer is tall, we ensured the PGR programme was robust, and consequently had no problems with lodging.

“This does include two lower yielding seasons where we had very wet autumns and lower levels of radiation in the spring,” says Mr Hoyles. Both fields this year followed vining peas and were min-tilled and drilled in late September.

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Rapid test for light leaf spot is now available disease slot growers save time and money

Once signs of light leaf spot are visible, sprays don't work as well, says Mr Steele. “SwiftDetect will provide farmers with the means to identify the golden window of opportunity when fungicides are at their most effective.

Disease forecast Rainfall is currently used by many as a way of predicting the likelihood of light leaf spot occurring. But trials in Scotland and England suggest that this isn’t always a reliable means of forecasting, says Mr Steele. “The trials revealed a positive link between rainfall and light leaf spot detection. But none was found in one variety, Dart, despite high levels of rain. Favourable environmental conditions do not guarantee disease presence.

manager for seed breeders DSV, says using SwiftDetect to identify when disease is not present is as valuable as when it is. “The hardest decision in agriculture is always not to do something,” says Mr Hartley. “Many farmers, myself included, have been guilty of spraying crops on a predetermined particular calendar date, with sometimes little knowledge of whether or not disease is in the plant.

A simple, rapid test to identify the most economically damaging disease in the UK for oilseed rape will be available to buy fromLightSeptember.leafspot can cause losses in yield of up to 30% in rape – equivalent to £80 million in lost returns, says Microgenetics. The company has now created what it claims is the fastest and most accurate test for the disease.

“If you have information that definitely tells you there’s no disease, then the likelihood is you wouldn’t spray for that disease, which would save you time and money, and would be better for the environment.”

• Helps

Andrew Hartley, arable technical

“It will optimise fungicide efficacy, delay costly fungicide applications in low detection fields and target applications to specific fields with high and early pathogen detection. This can potentially reduce overall cost and minimise crop protection use.”

Mr Hartley adds: “I think farmers will have to justify why they’ve sprayed something in the future and what they’ve sprayed for. One day, it’s very likely that conducting these tests will become part of general farming practice.”

The test will effifungicideoptimisehelpcacy

• Early warning of damaging

• Results identify best application

Mr Steele says this suggests SwiftDetect could be used to assess variety resistance more accurately, helping growers make informed and up-to-date decisions. The test is being adapted for other diseases, including phoma.

“

Fungicides are less spotwheneffectivelightleafisvisible

“SwiftDetect could help farmers and agronomists select varieties more accurately. Despite the resistance score of Crossfit and Duplo both being 5, a significant difference in pathogen load was evident between the two.”

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Called SwiftDetect, the test will be available from 12 September with a one business-day turnaround, says the company's Chris Steele. Testing will help identify the best time to apply fungicide, he adds.

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 13

RogerchiefsaysproteinrisingdemandDomesticisforcropsPGROexecutiveVickers (right) smashed the £500/t barrier but there is now considerable volatility and al though prices have fallen, they contin ue to PGROfluctuate.”senior technical officer Chris Judge says pulse varieties have per formed reasonably well this year. “I’m expecting yields to be higher than the last two. They won’t be breaking any records, but are likely to be closer to the long-term averages. With a few exceptions, it’s been a low disease pressure year, says Mr Judge. But there has been substan tially more downy mildew than in pre vious years both in bean and vining pea trial plots. The amount and tim ing of rainfall has made the difference,

Winter pulse yields better than expected, says SmookerAndrewBASF's(above)

PGRO chief executive Roger Vickers says domestic demand is rising for pro tein crops. Volatile markets “There are a combination of factors continuing to affect markets,” explains Roger. “The war in Ukraine is affect ing everything, the pandemic influence lingers and shipping prices are contin

Arable

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Either you can blanket spray, assuming your crop is infected but potentially wasting precious fungicide. Or, you can nd out just how much Light Leaf Spot is latent in your crop. That way, you can be con dent that your fungicide dose rate and product type are justi ed, protecting your crop and maybe even saving you money.

Swi Detect is the fastest, most accurate way for you to quantify the level of latent disease in your crop. In fact, the rapid test has pharmaceutical grade sensitivity and a 1 business day turnaround, so you can make informed decisions in real time, regarding what to spray, when to spray and where you should prioritise.

Be confident in your Light Leaf Spot treatment:

SwiftDetect latent testing

Every year, you spend thousands on fungicides to protect your oilseed rape from Light Leaf Spot. A disease that’s only becoming harder to control as resistance rises, fungicide costs climb, and its geographical spread broadens.Oneofthe issues with Light Leaf Spot is, like most foliar diseases, it has a long latent period. In fact, it can be as long as 7 to 30 days. This means that, just when the disease is most treatable, you can’t see it’s there.

So, what are your options?

Swi Detect

See how much Light Leaf Spot is in your crop Order online at www.swi detect.co.uk or call me on 07508 605589. It costs £70 per test.

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Simply post a sample of 10 leaves to Swi Detect, collected by walking a W-shaped pattern in your eld. Within 1 business day, you’ll receive your results by email. Your results will show a tra c light measure, so you can see at-a-glance if Light Leaf Spot is present and if so, how much. You’ll also have a Swi Detect Score, to give you a quantitative measure of your disease levels. This information will help you or your Agronomist optimise fungicide e cacy.

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Surely the better option – but impossible to do if you rely on visible signs of disease to determine your treatment. How can you reveal latent Light Leaf Spot?

Swi Detect has already helped Farmers and Agronomists manage wheat and barley disease, making headlines by saving some of you thousands on fungicides at no compromise to yield. Swi Detect for Light Leaf Spot will launch in September, following extensive trials on several varieties with the Ad4pt Group. How does it work?

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SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 15

Scientists from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology spent 10 years intensively monitoring the impacts of a large-scale Defra-funded experiment at Hillesden, a 1,000-hectare commer cial arable farm in Buckinghamshire.

UK’s largest Longest running study of its kind Schemes reverse wildlife decline Pollinators and predators benefit A gri-environment schemes can benefit wildlife without dam aging food production, a longterm research project has found.

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Comparable Researchers recorded a significant ly increase in local bird and butter fly populations – helping to reverse declines in species that are essential for food production, such as pollinators and predators of crop pests.

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The experiment assessed the effec tiveness of these agri-environmental measures and their ability to reduce biodiversity losses caused by the in tensification of UK farming practices after the Second World War.

The findings were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Study au thor John Redhead said he believed the benefits of agri-environment schemes could be replicated on other farms too.

16 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022

In the longest-running monitor ing study of its kind, scientists found numbers of the majority of species did better at Hillesden than in other comparable farmed landscapes with out agri-environment measures over the same timeframes.

Beginning in 2005, the study in volved creating several wildlife hab itats – including seed-bearing plants for birds, wildflowers for pollinators and tussocky grass margins – to sup port a range of birds, insects and small mammals.

“Investigating changes in pop ulations over a significant period of time, and comparing these with other sites, means we can be confident that agri-environment options can bring long-term benefits for bird and but terfly“Hillesdenpopulations.isa typical, large ara ble farm with conventional agricul tural practices, in an ordinary land scape with no large patches of natural habitat.“Therefore, it is likely that the re sults of our long-term study indicate Linnet numbers more doubledthan credit: Andy Hay]

•

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 17 what can be achieved on other com mercial farms with good planning, implementation and management of agri-environment measures.”

Populations Bird species increased by one third across all populations between 2006 and 2016 . compared to an average of just under 13% at other monitored sites. Butterfiles increased by 40% be tween 2009 and 2017 compared to 21% elsewhere.Thestudy was carried out by UK CEH and the Wildlife Farming Com pany. The British Trust for Ornitholo gy (BTO) and Butterfly Conservation provided data from other farmed land scapes for comparison.

Areas of land taken out of food pro duction for the experiment were cho sen because they were unprofitable or difficult to farm. The new habitats en couraged pollination and natural pest control, boosting crop yield in those parts of the farm. Marek Nowakowski, of the Wildlife Farming Company, said: “The Hilles den study shows that it is possible to balance wildlife conservation with ef ficient food production. am confident

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Butterflies that did particularly well included the gatekeeper, which feeds on grasses and the green-veined white, which feeds on wildflowers in field margins. Numbers of both species doubled over the period studied.

Other farmers could Nowakowskisayssimilarachieveresults,Marek

The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology was formed in 2000 through the merger of four Natural Environment Research Council land and water research institutes. The merger brought together the Institute of Hydrology, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Institute of Freshwater Ecology and the Institute of Virology and EnvironmentalScientistsMicrobiology.fromthese institutes have monitored and modelled environmental change for more than 60 years. By doing so, they hope to uncover science-led evidence-driven solutions to complex environmental Inchallenges.2019,the Centre became independent from the Natural Environment Research Council and its parent organisation UK Research and Innovation, and was re-named the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

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Arable other farmers could achieve similar results with the right training and advice.”A previous UKCEH study of six years’ harvesting data found overall yields at Hillesden were maintained – and enhanced for some crops – despite the loss of agricultural land for habitat creation.

Species Researchers monitored populations of 12 widespread bird species and nine butterfly species. The only species that did significantly worse compared to other sites was the small white butterfly – a pest that feeds mostly on cultivated brassicas like oilseed rape. Common linnet numbers more than doubled. Seed-eating birds such as the yellowhammer and chaffinch also fared better than elsewhere. Insect feeding birds benefited from hedges and grass margins, including the great tit (up 88%) and blue tit (up 73%).

Mr Faccenda said: “Balancing profitable farming with increased wildlife delivery has never been more important. My advice to anyone wishing to improve farmland wildlife is to get good advice and create a range of appropriate quality habitats.”

The experimental site has been incorporated into a Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Hillesden estate owner Robin Faccenda is now exploring how in-field strips could boost populations of pest-controlling insects and reduce the need for pesticides.

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Workers are needed to harvest crops across the fruit and sectorsvegetable It’s travestyshortnothingofa “

At the same time, Mr Bradshaw said prolonged dry weather and re cord temperatures had created fur ther challenges for the fruit and veg sector. “Every crop is valuable – to the farm business and to the people whose plates they fill. We simply can’t afford to be leaving food unpicked.”

shortage of workers means

production • On average, businesses are

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With demand on the Seasonal Workers Scheme expected to increase again next year, Mr Bradshaw said it was vital that scheme had the capacity to facilitate the people the sector needs to pick, pack and process the country’s fruit and vegetables. This meant increasing the number of visas available to a minimum of a five-year rolling scheme. This would give growers confidence to invest in their businesses – particularly given growth in the horticultural sector is a government ambition set out in the National Food Strategy.

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Wasted food NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw said: “It’s nothing short of a travesty that quality, nutritious food is being wasted at a time when families across the country are already struggling to make ends meet because of soaring living costs.”

ticulture

contract early Source: NFU Survey findings

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20 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022

AArable£22m of been lost because there aren’t enough people to pick the crops. NFU workforce survey repre about one third of the UK hor sector prompting the un estimate that as much as £60m of food could be left unharvested this

The bespoke design of the curved welded mesh interior, ensures that no surface of the potato is any more than 75mm from the light, giving the tubers a head start, encouraging faster growth.

sents

not turn up • 9% of

“This survey has demonstrated just how crucial it is for fruit and veg grow ers to have access to the workforce they need. Expanding the Seasonal Work ers Scheme will play a vital role in ena bling that access and ensuring we don’t see this devastating level of food waste next year.”

The Blackburn Crate, saves time and labour, with minimum damage. The crate allows for easier inspection and control of your potatoes. Each crate holds 500kg Crates can be stacked up to 5 meters high, with movement.penetrationpassageunobstructedforlightandair

The Blackburn Crate, saves time and labour, with minimum damage. The crate allows for easier inspection and control of your potatoes. Each crate holds 500kg Crates can be stacked up to 5 meters high, with movement.penetrationpassageunobstructedforlightandair

The

Blackburn Potato Chitting Crate

The bespoke design of the curved welded mesh interior, ensures that no surface of the potato is any more than 75mm from the light, giving the tubers a head start, encouraging faster growth.

ion to

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are

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fruit and vegetables has

The bespoke design of the curved welded mesh interior, ensures that no surface of the potato is any more than 75mm from the light, giving the tubers a head start, encouraging faster growth. Crates can be stacked up to 5 airpenetrationforpassageunobstructedhigh,metreswithlightandmovement.

The Blackburn Crate, saves time and labour, with minimum damage. The crate allows for easier inspection and control of your potatoes. Each crate holds 500kg Crates can be stacked up to 5 meters high, with movement.penetrationpassageunobstructedforlightandair

–

Labour shortage leaves £22m fruit and veg left to waste in the field respondents suffering crop losses to labour of respondents reported an average 19% fall in experiencing a 14% worker of recruited workers did workers left their year due to lack of labour. It said the results highlighted the devastating impact workforce short ages are having on the food and farm ing sector – resulting in significant crop losses at a time when the country is ex periencing the worst cost-of-living cri sis in generations.

Blackburn Potato Chitting Crate

The curved welded mesh fasterstart,thethethanpotatosurfaceensuresinteriorthatnooftheisanymore75mmfromlight,givingtubersaheadencouraginggrowth.

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“I need between 25 and 50 millilitres of rainfall before I can confidently drill oilseed rape,” says Michael Wilton, farm manager at the Stody Estate in north “MoistureNorfolk.isthe most important aspect of establishing the crop – it’s as important as all the other factors – cultivations, varietal selection, early nutrition – put together. Not only do we need some moisture for seeds to chit, we need enough to keep seedlings growing.”

Still time to drill rape summerfollowingdrought

Well-established

Lack of any rain delays planting

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 23

• Moisture vital for establishment

if they delay drilling until mid-September, say Earlieragronomists.thisyear,United Oilseeds forecast a 30% increase in the amount of rape planted this summer. But the area hangs in the balance after the heatwave and summer drought left soils parched and dusty.

Varietal choice also plays a key role. This year, Mr Wilton is growing DK Expansion, LG Ambassador and V367OL (HOLL). He says he looks for good genetics, strong autumn vigour and big seed. “I won’t accept seed with less than a 5g thousand seed weight. Quite simply we’ve found that the bigger the seed, the bigger the cotyledons and the more energy the young plants have, making them more re- >>

Crop establishment

•

The early crop got away last year and was well-established by the time there was any activity from cabbage stem flea beetle. There were more larvae come spring, but by then the plants were big enough to withstand the damage.“The later drilled crops didn’t come under flea beetle pressure, but the really important on Mr Wilton's farm: It is critical that rape roots are unimpeded, he says. A big tap root needs to go down for anchorage, as well as to access water and nutrition.

“Despite having had 100 million gallons of water from the reservoirs and bole holes, it’s likely that I’ll have run out of water by the time any rape is in the ground.”

Getting rape off to a good start brings benefits Moisturelater is more important than drilling date, says Mike Wilton (left)

G

• Still time to get crops in ground

LAYER

CROP GERMINATION

Uneven spray distribution Even spray distribution + Crop HerbicideWeedseedseed absorptionIncreasedsoilReducedspraydrift

Herbicide alone

“If you are drilling in September, the focus should be on speed of autumn growth and vigour, so hybrids are a first choice because they are quick to get going and they accumulate biomass very quickly,” says Mr Wilkinson. Putting down roots Vigour is also important to get the crop established and putting roots down. But the speed of development for reaching over wintering biomass as quickly as possible is key. A variety in >>

Up and away Mr Keane agrees: “Effective seed treatments help plants get up and away.

24 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022 Crop establishment 01480 810137 www.eco-fp.com office@eco-fp.com

Helps to prevent phytotoxicity effects on sensitive crop roots.

Ground Force is a soil adjuvant formulated to be applied with residual soil applied pesticides.

Holding off drilling until conditions improve doesn’t compromise yield. Growers should be guided by seedbed conditions rather than calendar dates, suggests Mr Wilkinson.

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“It is possible to get good yields from later drilled rape, when sown into the right conditions. In fact, they often outperform some of the earlier drilled crops – and many later-drilled crops have been silient to CSFB damage. A good seed treatment is important too.”

Mode of HerbicideAction:alone

Providing maximum efficiency of residual soil herbicides even in adverse weather conditions.

Herbicide moves off soil particles with moisture and leaches out of active zone. Herbicide remains in top zone of soil profile. Even spray distribution + Crop HerbicideWeedseedseed absorptionIncreasedsoilReducedspraydrift

Providing maximum efficiency of residual soil herbicides even in adverse weather conditions such as heavy rain.

Ground Force helps to get the pesticide into the target area of the soil and then also helps to keep it there to maximise control and prevent unwanted damage to crops.

P atience is a virtue when drilling rape, says Liam Wilkinson, arable development officer for Limagrain UK.

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Increases the protective period of herbicides within the soil

Uneven spray distribution

“While some areas have seen some rain recently, many have not had enough,” says Mr Wilkinson. “Even where it has rained, it needs to be a serious amount to restore moisture levels to where they need to be to sustain a rapidly emerging rape crop.”

At drilling, Mr Wilton uses a starter fertiliser. He also recommends good soil to seed contact and early weed control is preferable.

Integral Pro, for example, is a bio-fungicide based on the bacteria Bacillus Amyloquefaciens and activates plant’s natural defence systems. It colonises the roots, protecting the plants from various attacks, acting as a barrier against fungi.”

Wait for moisture before planting rape says to drilled award-winners.”“Lastyearwe saw crops of LG Antigua drilled mid-September up in the Lincolnshire Wolds achieve yields of over 6t/ha, so there is definitely high yield potential for crops drilled into September in the right conditions.”

Improves coverage of treated surface by limiting fine spray Movesdroplets.herbicide quickly into the soil to prevent volatilisation or photoFixesdegradation.theherbicide in the top 5cm of the soil layer.

Ground Force gets the herbicide to where it needs to be and keeps it there.

Improves coverage of treated surface by limiting fine spray droplets Moves herbicide quickly into the soil to prevent volatilisation or photo-degradation Fixes the herbicide in the top 5cm of the soil layer, which is where majority of weeds grow out from, so that the weeds encounter maximum active material and efficacy is increased.

WEED GERMINATION LAYER HERBICIDE + GROUND FORCE

“In 2020, we did a pre-emergence application of clomazone to clear up various weeds. “In 2021, it was drier and we weren’t sure how successful the crop was going to be so we decided not to apply any pre-em herbicides. I felt that was a mistake.“Weedcontrol is a real challenge,” he admits. “We’re upping the pre-establishment spend and increasing the risk early on. However, we need to set ourselves up to succeed so we need to do what’s necessary.”

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Reduces the negative environmental impact of soil applied pesticide

GroundDescriptionForceisasoilconditioner adjuvant formulated to be applied with residual and pre-emergent soil applied pesticides.

Choosing the correct variety for this drilling window is key to success.

Ground Force helps to prevent phytotoxicity effects on sensitive crop roots by limiting the herbicide that penetrates below the 5cm ‘active’ herbicide layer of soil and into the main root zone.

Delaying drilling until there is sufficient soil moisture will increase the need for good seedling vigour, adds Mr Adamson. In these situations, hybrid rape varieties can prove their worth.

Growth rate “Hybrid vigour can help to mitigate the delayed start. The improved growth rate of hybrids means they can still reach a size where they stand a chance against cabbage stem flea beetles when the migration begins.”

Consider hybrid varieties when drilling later

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Biostimulants can further encourage rapid growth of a crop drilled later into sufficient moisture can also aid successful establishment. With seed and foliar-applied biostimulants available, these treatments can be a worthwhile

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 25

ilseed rape seeds need to take up 40% of their own weight in moisture before germination begins. There is then a second moisture requirement to allow the seed to produce an embryonic root.

As well as income from the crop, Mr Adamson says the benefits of rape for maximising first wheat in the rotation cannot be ignored. But rushing to drill before adequate moisture could result in disappointment.

“From a practical perspective, this means crops need to go into moist seedbeds and have more moisture on the way,” says ProCam technical development manager Rob Adamson. “Drilling before this is unlikely to be successful.”

“Whileinvestmentinsecticides face resistance, it is possible to reduce the effect of adult cabbage stem flea beetle by ensuring the crop’s growth rate exceeds the feeding rate of the adult pest.” says Mr“MaximisingAdamson. this growth rate is critical whether growing conventional or hybrid varieties. But the vigour of hybrid varieties can potentially be used as an extra method to maximise growth when time is of the essence.”

well, says WilkinsonLiam (left) Aviron, LG Auckland and LG Antigua – strengthen the options available. With vigorous varieties, seed rates should target 25-30 plants/m², which is normally around 50 seeds/m². Growers should assess seedbed conditions and adjust seed rates accordingly to account for field losses, particularly if conditions deteriorate.

This supports crop >>

• Don't rush in to cultivate fields

G rowers who need to leave cultivated fields before drilling should consider growing a catch crop of cover crop to prevent soilsOver-cultivatingslumping. seedbeds – or cultivating them too soon after harvest –risks damaging soil structure and impairing crop establishment, says Dick Neale (right), technical manager for agronomy firm Hutchinsons. There is a particular risk where shallow or minimal cultivations are carried out too early, leaving soils exposed to weathering for several weeks before drilling, and potentially leading to seedbeds slumping, capping and less able to infiltrate water.

26 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022

Where ground must be cultivated earlier, he recommends establishing a fast-growing multi-species catch or cover crop to stabilise aggregates, build natural structure, retain nutrients and add organic matter.

Cover crops can improve soil matter.andretainstructure,nutrientsaddorganic

“Poor water infiltration is a fundamental problem on many UK farms,” says Mr Hutchinson, who says patience is a virtue when deciding when to go in with the cultivator after harvest.

“One of the best ways to stop soils slumping is to keep growing roots in the ground at all times and let soil biology do the work for you.”

•

•

“It is often exacerbated where seed-

But Mr Neale also acknowledges that workloads and time constraints at such a busy time of year, together with uncertainty about the weather as autumn approached, often make it difficult to reach such a decision.

When to cultivate If possible, growers should tailor cultivation timing more closely to the type of machine used, soil type and time required for weathering or further cultivations before drilling.

Patience needed to prevent soils slumping this autumn

Poor water infiltration is a problem “ beds are over-cultivated or where shallow tillage is done too early in the season, leaving the same weathering time as would be allowed for deep-tilled seedbeds.“Alltoo often soils then breakdown too much and growers find seedbeds have slumped by the time they get to drilling in September or October.”

A constant supply of organic material – including from crop residues or catch and cover crops – is essential for encouraging the aggregation of soil parImproving the natural

Match timing to type of machine Consider a catch or cover crop

Organic material

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A team of researchers led by Professor Harris is proposing a whole system approach to assess soil health, based soil organisms, soil components, the extent to which soils process materials and the extent to which they recover from stress.

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A new approach to assessing soil health will help farmers meet the challenges posed by a changing climate, say “Althoughscientists.‘soilhealth’ as a term is quite widely used now, it is problematic as it means different things to different people – and there is no single agreed way to measure the overall health of this

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>> other soil biology, and improves nutrient flow and crop uptake. Tight for time Where time is tight between harvest and drilling, two catch crop mixes from Hutchinsons – MaxiCover and MaxiCatchCrop – have been designed to rapidly put down substantial root growth in just two to three weeks.

MaxiCover contains eight species of legumes, forbs and brassicas, offering a diversity of rooting depths and a varied food source for soil microbes. MaxiCatchCrop contains three fast-growing species of buckwheat, mustard and berseemGrowersclover,looking to sow a cover or catch crop to choose a multi-species mix containing a range of different rooting types and depths, says Mr Neale. This will help get living roots into the soil in the narrow gap between cashAnycrops.cover or catch crop should be tailored to deliver the functions required from it in individual situations and soil types, such as soil conditioning, alleviation of compacted layers, nutrient capture, nitrogen fixation and/or building organic matter.

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'We need to change how we think about soil' system,” says Jim Harris, of Cranfield University. and whether soil is getting better, or worse.

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30 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022 Crop establishment

Building in resilience when establishing winter crops are key to a good start for crops, says Simon Fox Fertilisation accounts for about a third of the operating costs in arable farming. That’s why the technology used is all the more important to minimise losses and increase both efficacy and precision. Our fertiliser spreaders meet the most stringent demands: they spread highly precisely, save fertiliser in the process and are easy to set up – and above all they support your success!

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T he long, hot summer makes it easy to forget just how harsh winter can be for autumn-sown cereal crops. In previous seasons, there has usu ally been the fallback of playing catchup in the spring. But with nitrogen sup plies limited and prices at sky-high levels, this option is unviable for many growers going into 2023. That said, there will be considerable nutrientsleft in the soil from the pre vious crop. And with soils still warm in the autumn, we must maximise the use of these reserves rather than let ting them leach out over winter. One strategy is to achieve maxi mum germination and the establish ment of strong, healthy, resilient plants going into winter. To achieve the best results with autumn planted crops, the to-do list can be broken down into the following action points:

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Simon Fox is director and founder of Emerald Research. For details, visit www.emeraldresearchltd.com. ing through the soil. It allows them to travel further, enabling them to make Oilseed rape can be direct drilled paction isn’t an issue – both systems which have the additional advantage of preserving valuable soil moisture Using minimum tillage techniques, also helps to maintain or improve soil bon into the atmosphere and reducing High germination rates can be achieved with lower seed rates in crops tober. Typically, wheat crops require 150 day degrees celsius from sowing This can be as little as 11 days in Farm, T: www.ragibson.co.uk

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Throughout the season, there is a tendency to focus on the crop above ground. But the reality is that post germination and throughout early au tumn, we should focus on establishing a strong, numerous root system. Good root systems will encourage a consistent and uninhibited flow of nu trients to the crop in the coming spring – maximising the utilisation of any nu trient reserves in the soil left from the previous crop before they are leached out over winter. The vigour and quality of germina tion, establishment and root formation can be influenced by using biostimu lant products at, or soon after, sowing. Specific combinations of organic acids can promote root growth – and aid nu trient uptake.

Increased root formation

As crops descend into dormancy over the winter months, roots then continue to thrive and develop, creat ing an extensive nutrient transport system. This puts the crop in a good state for further growth and nutrient uptake when day length and temper atures increase. Stronger healthier plants After germination and before winter dormancy, it is important that crops should be evaluated for minor and mi cronutrient deficiencies. Depending on soil type, the most common deficien cies are magnesium, manganese, sul phur, copper and zinc. At a time when input costs are at an all-time high, establishing a healthy, hardy crop has the advantage of max imising input efficiency and building in resilience to whatever extremes the winter months deliver.

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 31 September and around 25 days for No vember sown crops. Those that emerge in early autumn have time to become established with good root systems before the harsher winter weather sets in.

Taking the first steps towards a re silient winter crop starts with know ing your soil – and post-harvest is the ideal time undertake an extensive soil analysis and start your OptiYield jour ney to better crop performance, more profit and greater sustainability.

32 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022 Crop establishment

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Carbon recycling “The first dedicated, peer reviewed study into miscanthus life cycles shows that the above ground biomass grows annually and recycles all the carbon that’s been produced through plant ing, harvesting, and burning the crop for renewable electricity.”

34 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022

rhizomes below ground and decaying leaf litter fixes and stores 2.35 tonnes of carbon dioxide equiva lent per hectare annually as the grows, says Terravesta science and technolo gy director Michael Squance.

planting processes is an exciting part of the project, where agri-tech will be used to plant more crops in a shorter space of time.”

Monitoring establishment of the crop will help improve its overall per formance, says Dr Kam.

Crop establishment M ore than £3m has been awarded to encourage plant ing of the perennial bioener gy crop miscanthus – and help the UK meet net zero targets. The funding was awarded to mis canthus specialist Terravesta through the government’s Biomass Feedstocks Innovation Programme. Terravesta hopes to improve crop establishment –including field preparation, new plant ing techniques and monitoring growth in theMiscanthusfield.

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runs until 2025, will develop innova tive techniques to improve miscanthus planting and Terravestaestablishment.headofresearch and de velopment Jason Kam says the first area of focus is improving the quali ty of miscanthus rhizomes when they come out of the nursery, This will in clude seed development, and biologi moisture, reducing tillage and improv ing soil “Streamlininghealth.

Defra secretary George Eustice said: ”We are better prepared than ever before for these unprecedented dry conditions, but many farmers are concerned about wa ter supplies and the impact on their crops and livestock.

Drier soils Water UK policy director Stuart Col ville said water companies were work ing closely with the government and regulators to minimise the need for any restrictions and ensure rivers con tinue to flow. Soil moisture deficits have con tinued to worsen as soils became dri er across the country. Although this is expected during the summer, end of July deficits were greater than the long term average for the time of year. Soils were drier than would be typically expected for July through out England. Rainfall helped reduce soil moisture deficits in parts of north ern England but across other regions were close to those at the end of July 1976.The Met Office says there is an in creased chance of warm conditions this autumn. Any rainfall is likely to follow the typical pattern of wetter conditions in the north-west and drier conditions in the south-east, it added.

• Driest July since records began Only one third of rainfall received Rules relaxed to feed livestock ture to recover to normal levels.

S oil moisture deficits have fallen to levels last seen at the end of the 1976 drought due to the sum mer heatwave and lack of rain.

The south and east were especially dry, with southern England reporting its driest July since records began in 1836 – with just 10.5mm of rain, 17% of its averageDespiterainfall.recent rain, hydrologists said the impact of the drought would continue to be felt as they urged peo

Water & Irrigation SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 35

The British Growers Association said growers could lose 50% of crops in cluding cauliflowers, cabbages, carrots, onions and potatoes. A big increase in farmgate prices was needed to cover the impact of the drought and rising input costs, it warned.

Soils 'could take months' to recover from drought

came as the Environment Agen cy declared drought status for large parts of the coun try, including East Anglia, the East Midlands, central England, the south-west and south-east.

The knock-on effects of the driest July for England since 1935 – and the driest July on record for East Anglia, southeast and southern England – con tinues to pose serious challenges for crops and Englandlivestock.hadjust 35% (23.1mm) of its average rainfall for the month.

•

Drought group chairman and En vironment Agency executive director Harvey Bradshaw said: “We are work ing very closely with water companies, farmers and other water users to man age the current situation.”

“We are therefore introducing temporary easements on agri-environment schemes to give them the flexibil ity to Therespond.”announcement

The Environment Agency said it es and other abstractors to manage water availability – and ensure they get the water they need to be resilient while protecting the environment.

Stewardship scheme rules relaxed

•

Restrictions Calling for more widespread hosepipe bans last month, NFU deputy pres ident Tom Bradshaw said: “We can't believe we aren't allowed to grow the fruit and vegetables the country needs but there is no ban on excessive con sumerTheuse.”National Drought Group – in cluding senior decision makers from the Environment Agency, government, water companies and the the NFU –has agreed actions to protect water re sources in the weeks ahead.

Special measures allow countryside stewardship or environmental stewardship agreement holders to take steps such as cutting or grazing additional areas of land – including AB15 – to ease shortages of bedding, fodder, grazing or forage crops. The changes will last until the end of 2022. They aim to ease the pressure on silage stocks with farmers feed ing winter supplies to livestock now, instead of saving them for the coming months.

The government has relaxed agri-environment scheme rules to make it easier for farmers facing lack of rain to provide feed for livestock.

Irrigated farming is facing unprecedented threat It isn't all doom gloomand “

In East Anglia alone, the agri food industry contributes some £34 billion annually to UK Gross Valued Added (GVA), sustaining 150,000 jobs and providing some 18% of national farm gate output.

36 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022

A strategy would be the next step towards recognising the im portance of irrigation to sustaining the rural economy and the farmed landscape – as well as helping to feed the UK and countries further afield too. was to stop the crop – even though this would mean low yields.

Growers may have to target lifting and irrigation to crops most sensitive to bruising. Where water is available, pre-harvest irrigation can help keep more soil on the web and cushion pota toes to reduce bruising – despite hav ing no real effect on dry matter.

Careful lifting will ShailessaysgreatunlikelyYieldsseasonbruisingminimisehelpthisaretobethisyear,Darryl (below). he UK Irrigation Associa tion has called on the gov ernment to introduce a water strategy for agriculture, warning that farmers must receive a fair share of supplies if they are to feed the Althoughnation.theUK is perceived to be a wet country, rainfall varies sig nificantly from region to region –both seasonally and annually, said the UKIA. This means irrigation is vital to increase crop yields in some areas, it added.

Water & Irrigation

Reducing bruising “Single handling and correct settings of harvesters and elevators will be even more important than normal to reduce the exposure to bruising as much as possible,” says Mr Shailes.

“Some well irrigated crops are still bulking and have good haulm and in an ideal world soil moisture deficit should be maintained at around 30mm until flailing and or burn down to reduce the risk of “Normallybruising.”blight control would need to be continued until all the haulm is dead but with this season with hardly any reports of blight some growers may decide not to treat during the haulm destruction process espe cially on crop not intended for storage.”

“Thischange.may act as a disincentive or constraint on future growth and investment. A strategy is needed to ensure irrigated agriculture re ceives a fair share of the nation's water resources and uses it in a sus tainable and efficient way.”

Even crops grown in the perfect silt that were planted in great conditions are struggling under the prolonged hot and dry weather, says Hutchin sons root crop technical manager Dar ryl Shailes. So too have some irrigat ed crops, he adds. During the July heat wave, many crops ceased bulking and only put on dry matter, and were just about kept alive. By early August, most irrigation reservoirs were getting very low, with restrictions are being put on some oth er licences. Dry matter “This rapid increase in dry matter means that many crops especially those that are unirrigated or short of water are already in excess of 24% dry matter and will be highly prone to bruising,” says Mr Shailes.

The best decision for many growers Lack of water prompts rethink for potato crops

“For some crops even if rain were forecast, their ability to increase yield and tuber size significantly will al ready be compromised with very poor haulm and will probably cause issues with secondary growth. “

Water Tagricultureneededstrategyfor

Irrigated farming faced an un precedented threat from water scarecity, competition from other water users, and over abstraction and over-licensing in some catch ments. There was also the chal lenge of over-regulation and cli mate

“A relatively small unbruised crop should be easier to market than a slightly larger but heavily bruised crop.”But it isn't all doom and gloom.

“To leave the haulm alive under the current conditions will only increase dry matter and yield is unlikely to be significantly improved.

G rowers have faced a start choice when it comes to managing po tatoes this season – often hav ing to choose between keeping the crop alive with water or making a more challenging strategic decision.

“There is significant potential for growth and opportunities for improving the rural economy,” says UKIA secretary Melvyn Kay. “But uncertainty over future water sup plies has important consequences for irrigated agriculture.”

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38 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022 Water & Irrigation

Farmers often suffer the impacts of drought, crop loss and reduced value, for months, if not years, after the meteorological event is long forgotten. Apathy constrains drought mitigation planning and investment, particularly when there are 101 other things to worry Englandabout.isamong the few countries with a National Drought Plan and a formal National Drought Group. But both documents are mainly concerned with domestic water supply and environmental drought – not agricultural drought.

An agricultural water plan would go a long way to mitigating agricultural drought imthe UK Irrigation Association. For details, visit www.ukia.org

Water supplies will take months to replenish after the drought (picture Laurence Berger / Shutterstock.com)

fter some 12 weeks without and significant rainfall, thunder storms and ly, its impacts are worsening rather than attenuating with age.

Agriculture needs a water management plan Agriculture needs a drought plan, but first, it needs a water management plan, similar to those produced by water companies. Currently, there is no specific water allocation for agriculture in national water planning. Decisions to invest in and grow irrigate crops is a commercial one taken by individual farmers who must then bear the risks of drought restrictions.

Drought: apathy is EXPERTgreatestagriculture'senemyVIEW

The US National Drought Mitigation Centre in Nebraska famously identified the disease in 2012 when they published their "hydro-illogical cycle" – a world away from the traditional water cycle of rainfall, runoff infiltration, evaporation and water eventually returning to the sea.

We minds,inremainsforget:mustn't1976searedfarmers'says

Melvyn Kay remains seared

A

The hydro-illogical cycle of drought apathy begins slowly and then builds up as awareness grows over the lack of rain, leading to concern, followed by panic. Rainfall eventually returns, and then apathy sets in – until the next drought begins.

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To a meteorologist, drought is usually de fined as a period of significantly below-aver age rainfall. However, low rainfall even over a whole season does not necessarily mean the water supply will run low, or that industry or agriculture will suffer, since there could be lots of water already stored in reservoirs andOfgroundwater.course,such reserves are little help for grassland, cereals and other crops that are en tirely rain-fed and are badly impacted when we get a dry spring and summer. The past 12 months have been particularly dry over much of the UK and since May 2021, only Oc tober and February have recorded above-av erageThingsrainfall.are even worse if combined with the high temperatures and plentiful sunshine we have seen this year, which increases evap oration and depletes soils of the water re quired for plant growth – a so-called “agri cultural drought”. Soil moisture deficit We have evaluated the combined impact of the low rainfall and hot, sunny weather us ing potential soil moisture deficit (PSMD), which is a cumulative measure (in millime tres) of the balance between rainfall input to the soil and potential losses through evapo ration and plant transpiration. When evaporation exceeds rainfall, the soils become drier and the PSMD increases. When it rains, it reduces. Usually, the PSMD starts to increase from late March or early April, peaking in August or September when the soils are at their driest. A high PSMD means that rain-fed crops like cereals and grass, as well as our gardens, will suffer. Using data from weather stations in Cam bridge, we estimate the PSMD in 2022 has (so far) behaved very similarly to 1976. The defi cit started to increase in early March and has continued to grow through to the end of July. This is in contrast to the last drought in 2018, when the spring was wetter and the soil drying was delayed. PSMD currently stands at about 350mm, which is around 50% high er than the average peak between 1981 and 2010. So for farmers that rely solely on rain fall, 2022 looks like it could be as severe an agricultural drought as 1976. Restricted irrigation Most grassland and broadacre crops like ce reals and oilseeds are grown in the UK with out irrigation. It is not that they don’t need the water, but it is financially unattractive to invest in irrigation equipment. But to ensure yield and particularly crop quality, much of the UK’s potato, vegetable and fruit crops are given extra water from irrigation during dry periods. Dry soil also means that demand for water for irrigated crops will be higher, competing with reduced available water resources for other sectors.

Water & Irrigation

Potatoes account for more than half of the UK’s irrigated area and volume of irrigation water used. In a dry year, we estimate that a hectare of potatoes (just over half a football pitch) needs more than 2 million litres of ir rigation water to maintain yield and quali ty. That is more than 40 litres for every kg of potatoes.AsUKirrigated agriculture and horticul ture needs lots of water but is regarded as a non-essential user, irrigated farmers are at risk of mandatory restrictions during a drought, with potentially severe financial implications. Infrastructure investment Here we see a difference between 1976 –which followed a very dry 1975 – and 2022. The Met Office described rainfall in 2021 as “unremarkable”. This, together with better water metering and investment in infrastruc ture to move water from areas of availabil ity to need, means water resources are in a better condition now than they were in 1976.

UK drought: Are growers facing the sort of crop failures seen in 1976?

Lack of rain this year has meant a challenging summer (picture: David Calvert / Shutterstock.com) T his summer saw the driest July in England since 1935. Combined with record breaking temperatures, it sparked talk of a drought comparable to the great drought of 1976. We have seen fears of disruptions to public water supply and poor crop yields, especially for fruit and vegetables. But not all droughts are the same and not all farmers are affect ed by the same type of drought.

So while this year’s dry and hot weather has been similar to 1976 with similar effects on our gardens and farming, last winter fin ished with water resources that were mostly around normal for the time of year. This means we don’t expect widespread mandatory irrigation restrictions, although some restrictions may be imposed to protect supplies in certain catchments. Even so, de mand needs to be managed to prevent a se vere hydrological drought..

About the authors Tim Hess is a professor of water and food systems at Cranfield University. Ian Holman is a professor of integrated land and water management. He is also head of the Centre for Water, Environment and Development at Cranfield University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. For details, visit www.theconversation.com.

To the water resources manager, a “hydro logical drought” is when the water available in rivers, reservoirs and groundwater is insuffi cient to meet demand – including demand to maintain a healthy aquatic ecosystem.

Water must be managed carefully to reduce the risk of irrigation restrictions next year, say Tim Hess and Ian Holman

In

ConSept converts your

P rolonged drought conditions mean sugar beet growers should try to extend the growing season for roots to bulk up and add sugar, says experts. British Sugar agronomists have reported healthy crops can put on an additional 25% of adjusted yield from mid-September, with sugar content increasing by 0.2-0.4% a week through to November.“Maintaining green leaf area for as long as possible will be paramount in growers’ decisions for fungicide programmes this season,” says Syngenta technical manager Andy Cunningham. Powdery mildew has been at high risk for some time, favoured by hot dry conditions. “But as day length now shortens and leaves remain wet with dew for prolonged periods overnight, there’s also increased risk of rust developing very quickly.”

That would be further exacerbat-

treatment

Also marketed by Syngenta as Angle, Priori Gold combines difenoconazole and azoxystrobin for protection against rust, powdery mildew, ramularia and cercospora – as well as the renowned green leaf retention of the strobilurinAlthoughactive.thehot, dry summer has reduced the risk of ramularia, the disease can still hit later in the season.

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Growers should be aware of the need for persistent fungicides or a later application to prevent early defoliation, says Mr Cunningham. In previous seasons, a two- or threespray strategy has consistently shown the highest yields and best returns. This season, Mr Cunningham says for most growers a two-spray programme will still pay dividends.

42 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022

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Extending the season will help bulk up crops, says CunninghamAndy ed by irrigation of crops during the dry weather, or any isolated rain showers that occur. But Mr Cunningham says Priori Gold provides effective disease protection and the physiological advantage of green leaf retention.

“If you do opt for a single treatment, it’s crucial that it is as timely as possible and you seek to get both the disease control and green leaf retention offered by Priori Gold. Retaining healthy green leaf will prove a positive bonus for ease of harvesting.”

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D airy farmers are being urged to keep heat stress front of mind following two extreme heat waves this summer.

Lower performance and fertility Feed during cooler temperatures

Wynnstay dairy specialist Beth Parry says this means a change of tack when it comes to ventilation and minimising heat stress in dairy herds. “High temperatures will see cows struggle and performance and fertility may be affected,” she warns. Conception rates, days open and an estrus, will all be impacted when the 24-hour daily average THI (temper ature humidity index) is 65 or more. This is easily achieved when the tem perature hits 21°C at 60% humidity. “This can affect not only cows be ing served on the day, but also those Monitoring water intake and manure consistency can help identify whether livestock are heat stressed.“Likehumans, cows increase their water intake in the heat, drinking 90-150 litres on a normal day, so we need to offer plentiful, clean water. Outdoors, check any natural sources as the lack of rainfall is impacting water levels,” says Mrs Parry. “Also watch out for manure consistency,” she adds.“Decreased gut motility and rumen fermentation occurs when the cow is experiencing heat stress, leading to loose muck and lost nutrients. Reformulating the ration can help achieve optimum nutrition potential during phases when dry matter intake drops.

“Alongside this, we want to reduce cow standing time. Consider making milking groups smaller throughout the summer, so less time in the collecting yard. This can help cow flow in the parlour, and competition to feed and water troughs in the“Managingshed. extreme heat isn’t going away, so ensure it stays top of your priority list and use the cooler winter months to plan ahead for prevention next year.”

“This results in excreting vital elec trolytes required for health. These re serves would otherwise be partitioned for maintenance, production and fer tility.”Mrs Parry recommends offering a buffer feed during the cooler morning and evening periods to help to allevi ate the problem. But higher fibre buff ers such as hay or older silage take longer to digest, and the cow will pro duce more heat as a result. Better forage “Supplementing higher-quality forage with a molasses product will help to improve fibre digestibility and stimu late dry matter intakes. This will ben efit milk quality and butterfat levels.

Met Office predictions suggest ex treme weather events are likely to be come the norm. This summer saw a re cord-breaking 40.3°C heatwave in July – followed by a 35°C heatwave three weeks later in August.

–

Stay vigilant for signs of stress served up to three weeks ago, and those to be served in the next three weeks.”

•

“Research has shown that supple mentation with potassium can coun ter some of the yield losses experienced through heat stress, particularly if a sodium source, such as rock salt is also provided.”

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 45

•

Good Bethstress,canmanagementlivestockreduceheatsaysParry normwillheatFrequentwavesbethe “

KeepLivestockheatstress front of mind whatever the weather

“Molasses has also been shown to produce a greater amount of butyrate in the rumen, the volatile fatty acid re sponsible for gut tissue growth, thus promoting a healthier and more effi cientMolasses-basedrumen.” products are natu rally high in potassium, helping to re place electrolytes lost in the greatest amounts through the increased sweat and saliva production of heat-stressed cows, says Mrs Parry.

Cows struggle in hot conditions

The UK is experiencing more fre quent heat waves each summer, with temperatures reaching the highs of 30°C in the day, say meteorologists, while evening in-shed temperatures are staying above 20°C.

Ventilation While farmers can look to invest in ventilation systems and fans within the shed for long-term solutions, Mrs Parry says there are a few manage ment techniques which can help more immediately.“Cowssuffering from heat stress of ten see a drop in milk production and quality which is linked to the cow’s in nate instinct to utilise her glucose re serves to reduce her core body tem perature through panting, saliva and sweating,” she explains.

•

week weaning • 100% within

Forage is key to the enterprise’s low input management strategy, says livestock manager Jon Smith. The Cheviot and Scotch Halfbred ewes are stocked at 10 ewes with lambs per hectare and thrive without concentrate.

The Klou UK KPD1 is a high-performance vibrating post-driver, built to drive posts in the most demanding ground conditions. The specialist technology used ensures that the post driver can install posts exceedingly rapidly, while minimising stresses caused to the post. The KPD1 is particularly useful when working in conditions where access to the working area is limited, due to the longreach capabilities that it provides.

•

•

As the Klou Vibrating Post Driver has no exposed moving parts, and the risk of a post shattering is negligible, it is exceedingly safe to operate. In fact, the low weight and compact dimensions of the unit ensure that it does not impact carrier stability, even at full reach, while also easing transport.

SLivestock

“We’re finding the Abermax cross lambs are thrifty and quick growing purely from grazed leys; the majority are reaching 21kg to 22kg tar get weight within six to seven months and grad ing within the specification.” scan 165-170% achieve 21.5kg target weight 16 R4L 65 manager Jon Smith

within

Using an Abermax meat sire from Innovis on the Scotch Halfbred flock has introduced real man agement benefits, adds Mr Smith. They are for age bred and reared, and leave lively lambs which are up and sucking without any help.

•

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•

reared • 50-60% lambs

“We are now into our third year of legume mixes, we currently have 150ha in the ground, and whilst they don’t bring the same revenue as a high-value arable crop, they generate in come from environment payments and from the sheep themselves.”

•

46 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022

The herbal leys follow high value potatoes grown a new six-course rotation. The estate’s in-hand farming operation encompasses some 3,500ha, explains farm manager James Beamish. Low input system “Rotation is synonymous with Holkham and soil health is our mantra, so it was back to the future in some ways after decades of successive arable cropping. Seven generations on and the 8th Earl of Leicester agreed to reintroduce an holistic approach to soil management and roll out the six-course rotation.

•

•

specification • Ratio: 1 ram per

ewes Holkham flock performance Livestock

Estate re-introduces sheep to rotation • 183%

heep have returned to play an integral role at the Holkham Estate in Norfolk – two centuries after a flock featured in Thomas Coke’s pioneering four course rotation. Today, the 600-ewe flock is grazing two-year clover rich herbal leys – a new break crop which itself has been introduced to replace oilseed rape. The flock has expanded almost 10-fold in the last three years, primarily to improve soil health.

Forage bred and reared

Carbon guarantee The government launched its Woodland Carbon Guarantee in 2019. The scheme offered £50m to land managers who planted trees to sequester carbon and then sell woodland carbon units back to the Farmersgovernment.hadraisedconcerns about the investment needed to plant saplings. Government support has also been offered by the England Woodland Creation Offer, alongside grants

F armers who supply supermarket chain Morrisons are being given free woodland management advice – so they plant trees to the best environmental effect while generating additional farm income.

oil Association Certification has appointed Meriel Robson (pictured) to replace Kevin Jones as its new forestry director of forestry. Ms Robson brings with her a wealth of experience in the forest management sector. She has been instrumental in the accreditation and delivery of the Soil Association's forestry certification schemes.

Advisors to help UK farmers meet treeplanting targets tainably. They can store carbon, limit soil erosion, prevent flooding, control erosion on watercourses and help provide habitats for wildlife. Morrisons head of agriculture Sophie Throup said: “As British farming’s biggest customer, we have a responsibility to help our farmers overcome the challenges of working more sustainably.“Many farmers, while recognising the value of trees in their landscape, are worried that tree planting initiatives will mean that valuable land is taken from food production – even when funded by the government.

The appointment follows the retirement of Kevin Jones after 25 years at the helm of Soil Association Certification’s forestry business. During that time, the team has grown to more than 50 staff and provides training worldwide. Soil Association Certification says it now certifies more than 26 million hectares of forest worldwide.

Morrisons tree advisors will offer expert advice to farmers on a case-bycase basis and will work with farmers to create individual woodland planting and management plans. They will identify which trees are best in which place, how tree planting can complement farming business activity and what environmental benefit they will bring. They will also advise how to unlock government and grant funding to finance the planting of trees, as well as how to secure income from their projects.

The tree advisors are working with the retailer's network of 3,000 farmers to plant the right tree species in the right place for right reasons – gaining government and grant funding to cover their costs and create an additional revenue stream.

Farmers at 50 farms will be the first to be offered access to the scheme. The plan is then to roll the scheme out more widely in the coming months. Agriculture currently accounts for 10% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions. New government targets have outlined that approximately 7,000 hectares of woodlands should be planted by 2024 to help offset emissions.

Advice will be offered

SForestry

Soil Association Certification Forestry has seen a significant amount of growth in recent years, with certificate numbers doubling since 2016. The team is also involved in the rapidly growing carbon sequestration and avoided emissions sector.

Sophiefarmers,individualtosaysThroup We need the right trees in the placesright “

Soil Association Certification chief executive Dominic Robinson said: “Meriel will lead a well-established and growing certification business, as well as develop and innovate in the growing climate, ecosystem services and forest risk commodity sectors.”

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 47

The initiative – in partnership with Natural England and the Forestry Commission – forms part of Morrisons plan to ensure that its network of British farmer suppliers is net zero by 2030 and net zero for emissions by 2040.

Sustainable farming Trees and woodlands are increasingly seen as a key part of farming sus-

“We want to take this worry away and help farmers identify what trees work for them on their farm, in the right places and for the right reasons.”

New director of forestry at Soil Association carbon emissions the and

It is currently offering validation and verification to two schemes in the UK dedicated to the responsible and transparent monitoring of carbon sequestration – the Woodland Carbon Code and the Peatland

Guide helps woodlands adapt to climate change

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The guide recommends that landowners consider encouraging more natural regeneration. Naturally regenerated areas may reduce wind, drought, frost, pest and disease risk where indi-

A new Forestry Commission guide sets out how landowners and farmers can adapt woodlands in the face of climate change.

Called Adapting forest and woodland management to the changing climate, the UK guide outlines steps that can be taken to help woodlands content with drought, changing weather patterns and more frequent, severe weather.Itsuggests a range of measures, including diversifying the different types of trees planted across a landscape –such as changing the dominant species – to increase biodiversity. It also advises choosing varieties able to cope with frost, and pests and diseases.

Natural regeneration

Forestry Commission chairman Sir William Worsley said: “The woodlands of the future need to be planted and managed differently if they are to be resilient to our changing climate. He added: “By planting a more diverse range of tree species in the right place and in accordance with the UK forestry standard, we can foster healthy and thriving treescapes across the Publicationcountry.”ofthe guide follows the launch of the Forest Research Holt Laboratory and the Centre for Forest Protection, both of which will conduct research into tree pests and diseases, as well as ways to manage emerging threats from climate change. Woodland creation is an important part of the wider adaptation of society to climate change, as forests and woodlands can provide shade and shelter, give flood protection, and reduce both air pollution and soil erosion.

woodlandsWorsley:William of the future viduals are better adapted to changing local site conditions, it says.

The Forestry Commission says implementing these steps will support the delivery of the England Trees Action Plan, which sets out the government’s long-term plan for the nation’s trees, woodlands and forests. It says doing so will also underpin wider government efforts to plant 30,000ha of trees across the UK every year by 2025.

Forestry 48 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022

Collins Farming & ServicesForestryLtd TURN POPLAR AND ASH INTO CASH Don’t let timber quality deteriorateSafely harvest while it has value! • ash and poplar dismantling and purchase • hedge and woodland coppicing • site clearance • felling licence applications • contract chipping • supplier of dried and screened woodchip m: 07850 988808 e: info@collinsfarmingandforestry.co.uk w: www.collinsfarmingandforestry.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 49

Bronwin & Abbey has worked with land owners for more than 26 years, offering wood land management and creation to maximise profitability, and in recent years more specif ic projects designed around carbon capture andBronwintrading.timber harvesting director Robert South said: “Land management is increasing ly about forestry and farming working togeth er and complementing each other for the best outcome, financially and environmentally.

The UK timber market is a key source of income rations for tree planting alongside its agen da for UK agriculture would inevitably re sult in considerable change and necessitate experienced and technically proficient lead ership within the sector.

arm management and advisory busi

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Mr Townsend said the government's aspi New roots for Velcourt with forestry acquisitionfirm

Velcourt chairman James Townshend said: “Opportunities exist to realise the po tential of established woodland in addition to plant new land areas which hitherto have been marginal farming land.

“Many farms and estates are looking to forestry to deliver on the biodiversity and nat ural capital agendas with an eye on the op portunities from sequestering carbon in ad dition to supplying the UK’s timber markets.”

“Velcourt has a strong reputation of inno vation and delivery in the farming sector as do the Bronwin & Abbey team in the forestry world. Against this backdrop it’s an incredi bly exciting time for [us] to work together to deliver for farmers, forest and landowners.”

“It is not, and should not be, farm vs wood land. Forestry, existing and new, needs joined up professional management, and there is great potential to support many of the farm ing businesses Velcourt manages, and advis es for, to maximise on this.”

50 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022

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ness

Velcourt has acquired the timber and forestry management firm Bron win & VelcourtAbbey.says the development further extends the scope of its advisory services to include specialist forestry management – complementing its existing agricultural and environmental businesses.

Mr Stanford said: “Given the recent hot dry weather it’s vital our farmers and land managers plan for the future to build in resilience to climate change and take advantage of the woodland creation incentives available today.”

Mr Shearer said: “With Elsoms’ strong heritage working with seeds and Proven Plant’s knowledge and experience of the woodland and forestry industries, I know Elsoms Trees will become the goto supplier for trees where provenance matters.”

A new company aims to increase the supply of broadleaf seedlings to the UK market – boosting the supply of in-demand tree species. Independent seed breeder Elsoms Seeds has invested in Proven Plants to create Elsoms Trees –a jointly-owned business with the Shearer family.

Farmers could be confident that they can grow trees under the EWCO, safe in the knowledge that they will be able to transition into the Local Nature Recovery scheme –without the wor ry that future schemes will be signif icantlyMostdifferent.newapplications for woodland creation payments from 2025 will be made through the Local Nature Recov ery scheme. Existing England Wood land Creation Offer agreement holders will be able to transition their mainte nance payments from 2026. Industry reaction Country Land and Business Associ ation president Mark Tufnell said he was pleased to learn that the England Woodland Creation Offer would contin ue as part of the Environmental Land Management scheme. But he added: “Moving this ini tiative to be incorporated into ELM seems to be the sensible approach. It will, however, be vital that the scheme receives the proper funding required to be“Aseffective.the£500m Nature for Climate allocation for trees recognises, the costs of planting and management on the scale the government is seeking will require sustained resources, especially when cumulative management costs are“Theseconsidered.measures should not be at the expense of equally important pri orities and targets under the Environ ment Act, so the CLA is calling on the government to maintain a separate funding stream for trees.”

targets

It's a UKplatformglobalforbreeders “

£25m available for farmers to create new woodlands well-designed for funding needed for

proposals • More money available

The company brings together the knowledge of Proven Plants with the support and structure of Elsoms.Under the direction of managing director Rodney Shearer, Elsoms Trees will produce seedlings of harder-to-grow tree species –contributing to the government's ambitious goal to plant 30,000ha of new woodlands and forests annually by 2025.

planting • Proper

The woodland industry has increased its focus on the tree provenance in recent years – including the challenges arising from the determination of successive governments to increase native woodland planting. As demand for native trees with UK provenance increases, so does pressure on the supply chain. Elsoms Trees says it will ease this pressure by increasing the quantity of broadleaf trees and increasing the range of UK provenances.

Elsoms Trees to unlock woodland potential

Building resilience Woodlands also support biodiverse eco systems through habitat creation and can benefit animal welfare by provid ing shelter in adverse weather and ad ditional fodder for livestock, as well as diversification opportunities through firewood and timber.

2025.annuallyofwantsgovernmentThe30,000hatreesplantedby

F armers and landowners are being encouraged to apply for a share of £25m in funding to support woodland creation and tree planting.Themoney is available in the year ahead after it was announced the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) will become part of Defra's Local Nature Recovery scheme – one of the new environmental land man agement schemes – from 2025. More than £25m is available in 2022/23 as continued funding to sup port well-designed woodland crea tion proposals through the England Woodland Creation Offer. This builds upon the £15m which was available last year.

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 51

Payment rates This means farmers could get a one-off payment of £8,500/ha followed by an nual maintenance payments of £300/ ha for 10 years. Higher payment rates are available offering more money for schemes that provide additional pub lic benefits.Thedesign of Local Nature Re covery – part of Defra's Environmen tal Land Management scheme – and payment rates for planting trees will largely mirror those within the Eng

• Grants for

Some 90,000 trees have been planted on the Estate.WimpolePicture: Nigel Jarvis Shutterstock.com/ The show will equipmentofsomefeature£80mworking

A team of scientists led from Rothamsted Research found that populations have more than halved in broadleaf woodland, compared to average losses of 34% across the rest of the country.

The Woodland Trust was one of sev eral partners working with the Nation al Trust to provide expertise in the de sign and management of the scheme on the estate – one of its most popu lar visitor destinations in the East of England.Fourteen different species of native trees included oak, hornbeam, wild cherry, field maple and birch. Wood land Trust outreach adviser Stuart Woodland and forestry event returns after covid coppice resource, winching safety dem os, and discussions on training for for est workers. For more information and tickets, visit www.apfexhibition.co.uk

fromdisappearasMysterymothswoods

52 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022 Forestry

The show features some £80m of equipment, much of it designed for use on farms, small woodlands, estates and individual trees – enabling farmers to maximise the value of trees and tim ber on their land. Advice will be available on new rules for producing and selling fire wood, the new Forestry Commission funded project for mapping the UK’s

Holm said: “Some areas from the orig inal plan were not planted to allow for species such as corn buntings.”

The authors – who also looked at the possibility that over-grazing by deer and less woodland manage ment might be responsible – say the reasons for the declines are still unknown, but climate change may play a Leadrole.author, Dr Dan Blumgart said: “It is likely that this has driv en at least part of the decline ob served in woodlands. But this can’t explain why the declines have been worse in broadleaf woodland com pared to other habitats.”

To find out more about the Woodland Trust’s Platinum Jubilee Woods in itiative, email landtrust.org.uk.QGCWoods@wood

M ore than 90,000 trees have been planted on a working farm in Cambridgeshire –including a new wood celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Experts from the Woodland Trust helped the National Trust plant more than 120ha of trees on the 1000ha Wimpole Estate. They include 2,000 apple trees on arable fields to create shelter for the estate’s rare barbastelle batApopulation.newwoodland of more than 70 acres was also planted as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy – a tree-plant ing initiative which invited people from across the UK to Plant a Tree for the Jubilee in 2022. Agroforestry The rows of apple trees link two are as of well-established woodland to en courage the barbastelle bat population to travel safely, with cereal crops grow ing in between – an example of how F armers will be among the crowds of visitors set to attend the UK’s largest forestry, wood land, arboriculture, fencing and bio mass show this month. Woodland and tree management advice for farmers will be just one fea ture of the 2022 APF Exhibition, which is being held on 22-24 September at the Ragley Estate, Warwickshire. The show is of significant interest to the farming industry with a dedicat ed fencing village and a lot of machin ery and equipment designed for small woodlands and adding value to small parcels of timber and individual trees. More than 320 exhibitors and 22,000 visitors, 90% of whom are trade professionals, are expected to attend. Producing and utilising tim ber as woodfuel – whether as firewood or woodchips – will feature strongly. So too will biomass boilers.

Thousands of trees planted on Wimpole Estate agroforestry can benefit agriculture. Wimpole farm manager David Has sall said: “The apple trees will provide food for pollinators, particularly bees when blossom emerges in the spring and the wildflower rich strips the trees are planted in will support a range of wildlife.”Oneof the biggest challenges fac ing the estate is climate change and how to manage the land to help miti gate its effects, while increasing bene fits for nature, and still running a prof itable and productive business.

M oth numbers have de clined more in UK wood lands over the last half century than in any other habitat, according to a new study.

The ambitious project, which took less than 15 months to complete, was funded by £1.3 million investment and funding from the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund and HSBC bank.

Climate change

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 53 The Exeter Retort is available to order. Produces high quality barbeque charcoal/biochar in a fraction of the time taken by traditional ring kilns. 07515 admin@carboncompost.co.ukwww.carboncompost.co.uk683908 carbonstoreuk.com tilhill.com Tap into trees and see how your farm business could benefit. Just give Simon a call to discuss your options. Simon Marrington on 07825 193278. Email: simon.marrington @tilhill.com A Great Opportunity for Farmers 01245 806333 Mon-Fri sales@ncdequipment.comwww.ncdequipment.com8am-4:30pm TMK Tree Shear: Variable Tree Shears for 1 - 30 T Machines TMK MultiGrab: The TMK MultiGrab is an excellent solutimultipurposeonforboth heavy-duty clearing and work requiring more precision. MultiGrab’s available for 6 - 25T machines. Auger Torque: Range of earth drills available for excavators 0.8 -50T telehandlers, skid steers, truck cranes backhoes & mini loaders, along with a range of variable mulchers suitable for excavators and skid steer loaders.

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practical Foradvice.full details of the speakers and to book your ticket go to www.larking-gowen.co.uk/AFC or scan the QR code. In partnership with Headline sponsor

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Fire prevention Fire suppression kits could stop a fire in its tracks, said Ms van Gestel. “We’re urging farmers to use our fire prevention checklist and to maintain regular cleaning and maintenance of machinery to avoid destructive fires.

Farmers are advised to fit a suppression system that meets P-mark status to contain, ex tinguish and prevent fire. They should also regularly clean out dust and chaff from hot spots and check machines over at the end of each day. An air compressor can be used to regularly blow away de bris from the machine – but only when the exit pressure is reduced to 2.1 bar (30psi) and the operator wears eye and respiratory protec tive gear for protection. Farmers are urged to keep a bowser filled with water on hand when conducting fieldwork. Em ployees should be able to access this water supply – and be pre pared to create a fire break in the event of a crop fire.

Ban on sky lanterns 'must follow barbecues' lanterns landing in fields of crops or grassland. Some 200,000 lan terns are released in the UK every year – posing a risk to prop erty, livestock and wildlife.

“Now is the time for Defra to take action. While the possibili ty of fire is great in the summer months, they can also harm ani mals and wildlife all year round. “If an animal eats a fallen lan tern it could lead to horrible inju ries or even death.”

“As we continue to experience very dry weather in many plac es, alongside some of the high est temperatures on record over the past few weeks, this has in creased the risk of fires being started by sky lanterns.

The summer heatwave has seen a spike in field fires

countryside.Morethan

Farm leaders have stepped up calls for sky lantern ban – warning that they pose a devastating fire threat to the 50,000 members of the public have backed the NFU’s calls for a total ban on sky lan terns in England and Wales, signing a petition calling on the government to follow the lead of supermarkets, who halted sales of disposable barbecues. The drought and heatwave have brought into sharp focus the threat of fires posed by sky

Another spike of claims expected Rural insurer seeks to reduce risk Suppression kits stop fire spread

•

Fire danger prompts offer of insurance discount

•

amid renewed fears that the summer drought and also seen a number of high-pro file fires – including blazes which have made national headlines.

NFU Mutual, which insures three-quarters of all UK farms, says fires on farms typically tel. These claims are estimated to have cost over £37m last year, with a 35% increase in the num ber of combine fire claims during the 2021 harvest.

•

N FU Mutual is offering cheaper insurance pre miums for farmers and contractors who fit approved fire suppression kits to agricultural machinery.Itcomes

Professional services SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 55

So far, 185 councils out of 333 local authoritiees across Eng land and Wales have voluntari ly banned sky lanterns. This covers land owned by these councils – but the NFU says the Government can do more. NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw said: “This huge amount of public support demon strates the urgent need for a ban on sky lanterns.

Farm and agricultural ma chinery fires can put lives at risk, damage valuable crops and ma chinery and disrupt vital harvest, said NFU Mutual. Premium dis of electrical wiring and a tank full of diesel provide everything that is needed to turn a spark into a violent“Notfire.only can this result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of agricultural ma chinery, but it can also damage or destroy nearby crops and build ings and disrupt harvest at a time when farmers can least afford it.”

You should

EXPERT VIEW Farmers should the small print when services,environmentalconsideringsay Jeremy Moody and SandersRichardBewary naturalcapitalisingaboutoncapital

Although there are likely to be some profitable options, dis advantages to trading natural capital can include long-term agreements – and farmers can sometimes face punitive meas ures should the terms and con ditions not be met. It is no more or less a transac tion than any other, and should be treated as such. also think about whether the manage

So, while selling carbon credits to other people for fixing organic matter into the farm’s soil may look like a win-win, what happens when a retailer then insists on the farm itself being carbon neutral? The value in selling carbon credits right now is trivial – it is far more valuable to retain the

ncome from natural capi tal and carbon are hailed by some as a sustainable rev enue stream for farmers – but growers and livestock produc ers should be careful.

Creating habitat areas can generate income – but can also be costly. ment fits in with other farming activities and consider the effect of any agreement on tax and ten ancy terms. It is also vital to consider emerging demands from con sumers and commodity buyers.

RURAL ADVISORYBUSINESSTEAM STEPHEN HOLLOCK srh@brooksleney co.uk 07960 055003 BETH DUCHESNE bhd@brooksleney co.uk 07399 293665 YOUR BUSINESS AND THE FUTURE” brooksleney.co.ukChartered Surveyors, Land, Property and Planning Consultants JOINT VENTURES & CONTRACT FARMING | FARM MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP | ELMS BUDGETING | GRANTS & SUBSIDIES | BUSINESS CONSULTING

Professional services 56 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022 I

Some agreements are for at least 30 years “

If you have a tourism venture then some well-planned habitat creation could add value. Plant ing wildflower meadows might work underneath a solar farm or complement a change to re generative farming and selling premium meat. But be careful of tax implica tions – check that the land will still be in agricultural use or it could affect Inheritance Tax re liefs. We are pressing for agri cultural property relief to apply to land in environmental agree ments, giving farmers the confi dence they need.

ismanagementmeaningfulofwaterrisinguptheagenda

By 2050, total UK demand for water is projected to increase by up to nine per cent, while the amount of available water is expected to have declined by between six and 11 per cent. Water will be the ultimate limiting factor on the otherwise unlimited potential of urban growth.

Jeremy Moody and Richard Sanders form the secretariat of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, the professional body for farm advisers.

Analysis of full planning applications and prior notifications since 2013 shows the importance of government grants in catalysing investment in reservoirs – previous support led to a significant uptick in the number of reservoirs constructed in 2018 and 2019.

Dan daniel.murphy@savills.comSavillsMurphy-NorwichFood&Farming01603229212

As I write, the East of England has been officially moved into drought status and our farmers and growers are under incredible strain.

Arguably, the UK has more than enough water, but it’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. Flood management, water storage and controlled irrigation of crops are key factors in ensuring this precious resource is used wisely.

It’s critical funding for reservoir creation is delivered with adequate timescales to allow collaboration, planning and construction to take place to ensure this commitment to safeguarding one of our most precious resources continues.

But there are times when selling environmental services is mutu ally beneficial. And some agree ments might be ‘stacked’ to gar ner greater income for differing benefits yielded from manage ment

Some have already been revoked and the Environment Agency is being challenged for not doing enough to protect wetland habitats. For farmers, there are significant merits in being able to access water on-farm for irrigation including increasing productivity, enhancing business resilience and the potential uplift in value for land where water is available and irrigation infrastructure is in place.

For farmers – particularly in counties like Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire – the expectation that abstraction licences will be available for agricultural activity can no longer be assumed.

The introduction of meaningful management of water resources has now climbed the agenda and earlier this year the Farming Transformation Fund’s Water Management Grant was launched. The grant can pay up to 40 per cent of the costs for constructing water storage reservoirs, abstraction points, pumps and pipework to fill a reservoir.

As a cautionary note, although capital and revenue returns are improved by reservoir creation, the long payback means many businesses are not able to consider them and the tenanted sector in particular is excluded from switching to more sustainable water sources. Reservoir construction needs to align with planning processes and contractor availability, as well as landlord’s consent.

Compared to the average income from farming in 2020 of £389/ha that could be attractive. But you also need to look at how the man agement fits in with the existing business, as there may be addi tional benefits.

The last six months have been the driest in England since 1975/1976, when standpipes were provided in the street for householders to use and some parts of the UK came perilously close to running out of water.

The opportunities opened up by irrigation to grow highervalue produce including field scale horticulture can result in material uplifts in land value of as much as £1,000 per acre as well as having a predictable impact on potential rental values.

Current estimates for biodi versity net gain incomes range from £260 to £670/ha per year.

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ANGLIA FARMER 57 carbon on your farm. Why? Be cause helping another business become net zero will not help the farmCommercialitself. forestry is also more profitable than planting trees for carbon sequestration.

Rewettingpractices.peatland might en courage greater biodiversity, se quester carbon, and provide clean water, each of possible value to different buyers.

Why the

There is significant commercial demand for forestry and prices for both timber and woodland have risenGivensharply.the risk-reward ratio, it’s better business to trade the timber. If you sell the carbon and the trees fail or burn down, what happens then?

Stacking services

All developers will soon have to deliver a 10% biodiversity net gain as well as the development. Where this is better achieved offsite, that would generate demand for environmental services from farms.Different habitats will car ry different values. Those which are rarer, quick to recreate, and closest to the development will be worth more than slower op tions – like tree planting - or are further afield. The habitat type and condition of the land will also be taken into account. If you’re losing high-val ue grassland then it should be re placed with grassland; the better its condition the greater its value. Nature and biodiversity Land which is in a Local Nature Recovery Strategy or Biodiversi ty Action Plan, for example, will also be of higher value. If you’re keen on delivering biodiversity net gain then try to get your land allocated to a local strategy by en gaging with local environmental groups and those preparing the strategies.Netgain agreements are for at least 30 years, and will be tied to the land, so landowners need to be sure that the offer is worth while, he warns. It’s also impor tant to be clear about obligations; is the landowner delivering the management or is the land to be leased to a third party like the Habitat Bank or environmental charity to deliver the measures?

Michał Stachlewski is sales director for FHU Kisiel, a farm machinery dealer in Niedrzwica, Poland.

WENDPIECE

“ Shutterstock.com/SidhePicture: 58 ANGLIA FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022

e have been supplying farm machinery since 1992. We are machinery dealers for the Case IH and Steyr tractor brands. Our business is based in eastern and southeast Poland, so the war isn't very far away at all – our nearest branches are about 50 miles from the Ukraine border. Like everyone, we are feeling the impact of the Russian invasion – the financial effects linked to energy prices, inflation and the rising cost of borrowing. But we can still help our neighbours, show them they are not alone and there is hope for a better tomorrow. The situation has had a huge impact on attitudes to investment in farm machinery. Do farmers buy now? Or do they save money and prepare for the worst? We're all aware that we could all go into a state of emergency overnight.Ourotherbrands include Joskin. As a dealer, we don't sell machines direct to Ukraine. But Ukrainian customers do buy parts from

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is affecting farm businesses across the continent, says Michał Stachlewski. The invasion has changed everything us when their local supplier is out of stock. We cannot tell ourselves "this is not my business, it is not my problem".

Supporting freedom Customers are not only buying on price – they are also looking at the manufacturers’ policies and attitudes towards Ukraine. Do they support freedom – and not just in words – or are they only interested in making money? We fly the Ukrainian flag at our branches, as a show of solidarity so people don’t feel alone. But we are also thinking long-term. Each of our employees has contributed to helping refugees and we are also ready to help. The invasion has affected everything. We have 80 employees. Housing has been provided to Ukrainian families. We believe that once the war has ended, those families will return to their homeland and rebuild it. We haven’t employed anyone because our business requires specific product knowledge – a good knowledge of the language and customers. It means we can't hire everybody. But a large number of our customers are hiring people from Ukraine. Our core business is machinery sales in Poland. We specialise in selling machines to farmers who – even if they use modern production methods – still make relatively traditional choices.

Bigger threat The way we see it, the war is a bigger threat than volatile prices and inflation. It is better to have higher prices and higher salaries than having a war that threatens to destroy everythingEverythingcompletely.haschanged in Poland since the Russian invasion – not only in the big cities but also in our smaller villages. We hear Ukrainian in the media, we have Ukrainian customers and information is given in both languages. In the streets, we see lots of cars with Ukrainian number plates. Churches are making themselves available so people can pray according to their own denomination.Polandis an EU country and a NATO member so we feel safe. But we are still trying to see an exit from this situation. You would have to be blind not to see the human tragedy that is taking place in Ukraine.

Farmers across Europe stand united with Ukraine

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