Anglia Farmer September 2023

September 2023

Anglia Farmer

News Stewardship deadline extended for farmers

Arable

First harvest wheat results unveiled

Crop establishment

How to gett best start for winter crops

Professional services

Nine-year high for farmland market

Water management £450k fenland project to grow new crops

Fen Tiger Unfair fight over farmland hedges

Serving the farming industry across East Anglia for over 40 years our best regional livestock producers

Lost access to prescription

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Anglia Farmer

EDITORIAL

Editor:

Johann Tasker | T: 07967 634971

E: johann@ruralcity.co.uk

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E: jade.soanes@micropress.co.uk

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E: mat.roffey@micropress.co.uk

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E: mark.tait@micropress.co.uk

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.

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OPINION Johann Tasker

Farmers and environment are losers from SFI delays

Frustration and anger – two emotions many farmers will be feeling this month following yet more delays to the government’s flagship agri-environment scheme.

Defra was supposed to launch the revised 2023 Sustainable Farming Incentive in August – having pulled the plug on the 2022 SFI and revised the scheme to make it more attractive to potential applicants this year.

Easier said than done

Doing so has proved easier said than done – despite the many promises made by government ministers that the new-look scheme will be more flexible and offer easier ways for farmers to be rewarded for looking after the environment.

New actions include payments for soil testing, the production of nutrient management plans and integrated pest management – as well as payments for companion cropping and avoiding the use of insecticide (see page 58).

The SFI has repeatedly been billed as a way farmers can recoup some of the income lost as the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) continues to be phased out – leaving a huge gap in revenue for many farm businesses.

The UK government has pledged that the £2.4 billion that was allocated to the BPS will still be spent on farming – including via environmental payments made through the SFI and Countryside Stewardship. And it wants 70% of farmers to joint the scheme.

‘Technical issues’

But it appears that “technical issues” similar to those experienced by Countryside Stewardship applicants (see page 4) have now engulfed the SFI too. And once again, it is farmers who are the losers –especially when it comes to cashflow.

As ever, many farmers are keen to do their bit for the environment. But they now face doing so at their own expense because the SFI is not ready. This uncertainty makes it difficult to plan a sustainable future for farm businesses.

For its part, Defra has said it is making final adjustments to ensure the scheme is as straightforward as possible. And it says applications will be accepted shortly. For the sake of farmers and the environment, that can’t be soon enough.

Johann Tasker, Editor

Extra time to apply for stewardship scheme

Deadline extended amid technical issues

Farmers have until the middle of this month to apply for 2024 Countryside Stewardship mid -tier agreements after the government extended the deadline.

The deadline was extended until Friday 15 September following glitches with the system. Defra says those technical issues have now been resolved and itwants to give people more time to submit applications.

Countryside Stewardship plays a significant role in the government's

Defra says

By extending the application win dow, Defra says more farmers can ap ply and be paid for environmental work alongside sustainable food production – ranging from restoring wildlife hab itats and managing woodlands to mit igating flood risks.

Popular scheme

The scheme has steadily evolved fol lowing farmer feedback. Some 32,000 agreements are already successfully in place across England for 2023. This

removal of the limit on the value of capital items in the water or air quality, hedgerow and boundary, or natural flood management priorities.

The government has also introduced what it describes as a broadened offer to support natural flood management, create more areas of scrub, and reduce nitrogen inputs in groundwater.

It has removed the need for farmers to request an application pack before starting their application. At the same time, automatic checks

an annual declaration.

Earlier this year, Defra said revenue payment rates had increased on average by 10%, capital payment rates increased by 48%. These options have both been made simpler and more workable.

Scheme administration has been made more efficient. Future improvements include greater flexibility over when farmers can can apply and how they manage their agreements, with improved access for tenant farmers.

cation window for Countryside Stew ardship.”

Improvements

The Rural Payment Agency says it has been working closely with affected applicants and agents to support applications, with actions taken to resolve issues as quickly as possible. It says systems are in place to assist farmers through the process.

RPA chief executive Paul Caldwell said further improvements to the online system were already in progress –including greater flexibility over when farmers can apply and how they manage their agreements.

Mr Caldwell said: “We’ve already had 3,900 applications successfully submitted. With this extension, we can make sure that others who have not fully submitted their application, or those who haven’t yet applied, have the time they need to do so.

“I would encourage anyone who has not yet fully submitted an application to do so. Should anyone have any difficulties with amending their land details then we have guidance available on this and applicants can contact us if they encounter any issues.”

Thérèse Coffey (right) says she is listening to farmers.

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Farmers scoop sustainable beef awards

Essex farmer Sam Squiers, of Humphreys Farm, near Chelmsford, has won a sustainable beef award – in recognition of his dedication to sustainable food production.

The Sustainable Beef Farm of the Year award from VetPartners recognises farmers' role in delivering quality food produced to high standards. Mr Squiers was nominated for the award by vet Mia Ellis.

The farm has 50 native Aberdeen Angus and Wagyu breeding females. Beef is sold direct to consumers online and through the farm shop. Cattle are rotationally grazed on long grass with herbal leys to improve soil quality, biodiversity and animal health.

Soil health

No anthelmintics have been used on the farm for the past seven years. Manufactured fertiliser and chemicals are also thing of the past – encouraging healthier soil and a threefold increase in worms.

"Sam is passionate about educating schoolchildren about the benefits of regenerative agriculture and is constantly seeking new ways to improve his system even further," says Ms Ellis, who works for Westpoint Farm Vets, Chelmsford.

Runner up was Jim Speirs, from

Pepsal End Farm, Luton. He runs a herd of 100 pedigree polled Hereford cattle integrated with the arable enterprise to reduce inputs on the 120ha mixed farm. Cattle graze extensively and are finished on grass too.

The high-health herd is regularly tested for disease and a robust vaccination programme is followed. This includes tag and testing for bovine vi-

Norfolk grower hosts miscanthus farm walk

Farmers are invited to a free farm walk this month to see how Norfolk grower Algy Garrod has benefited from miscanthus.

Co-hosted by the AF Group and Terravesta, the walk takes place on

About the farm walk

The Miscanthus farm walk will run from 9.30-11:30am. It will include a presentation from miscanthus specialist Terravesta about contracts available for growing, harvesting and selling the crop.

Lee Oxborough, head of crop inputs at the AF Group, will lead the crop tour with the chance to ask questions and enjoy some light refreshments.

To book a place on the walk, visit www.terravesta.com/events.

Thursday, 7 September. Mr Garrod has planted 10ha of miscanthus as a risk mitigation measure to help to future-proof his 405ha farm business at Bintree, near Fakenham.

"Miscanthus is planted in awkward corners of fields, in wet areas and on heavy lan – and on less productive fields to improve the soils. I've straightened these fields with GPS, taking out bits near hedgerows or curved field margins and edges.”.

Efficiency gains

Squaring off the fields makes them more manageable and efficient for conventional cropping, says Mr Garrod. The aim is to replace some of the lost subsidies with diversified income streams, he adds.

“I'm hoping it will give me some efficiency gains - my sprayer works better when it's driving in a straight

ral diarrhoea, with bull breeding examinations carried out on 20 breeding bulls sold annually.

"Jim is conscientious, forward thinking and hardworking, and has built a sustainable beef and arable enterprise that work in harmony," says vet tech Lois Honeywell, who is an approved tuberculin tester at Hampden Farm Vets.

line rather than going around corners, which causes inaccuracies in the application of our inputs.”

Other diversification projects include opening a farm shop, introducing more niche vegetable crops to supply the shop, pumpkin picking, Christmas trees. The miscanthus also provides game cover.

"I now have permanent cover, which means I don't have to establish it every year, which is a big advantage," adds Mr Garrod.

Algy Garrod has planted 10ha of miscanthus.

Runner-up Jim Spiers and his young family farm at Pepsal End Farm.

Autumn Farming Conference to focus on sustainability

Experts and farmers prepare to plan best way forward for agriculture

Sustainability, water management and environmental schemes will be key topics at a major regional farming event next month.

The 2023 Autumn Farming Conference takes place on Tuesday, 10 October, at Wherstead Park, Ipswich. It is being organised by regional accountancy firm Larking Gowen in conjunction with the Country Land and Business Association.

The conference will demonstrate the direction of travel for the farming industry and how the requirements of the environment and food production can be mutually compatible, says Bruce Masson, the Larking Gowen partner behind the event.

Business advice

“The emphasis will be on delivering practical information and advice which delegates can use in their own businesses. Farmers are having to deal with extremely volatile input and output prices, making it incredibly difficult to plan or budget accurately.

Mr Masson says the scale and speed of in terest rate increases following 15 years of

A top 40 accountancy firm, Larking Gowen has one of the UK's largest teams of agricultural specialists. It serves clients ranging from small family farms to large rural estates across East Anglia and beyond.

Mr Masson will be joined at the conference by fellow Larking Gowen partners Laurie Hill and Steven Rudd, head of the firm’s farms and landed estates division.

Farming roadmap

Conference speakers include farming experts who will provide an insight into the industry, the headwinds it faces and the opportunities which exist for farmers who are correctly positioned.

Chaired by CLA East director Cath Crowther, the event will include presentations by Matt Ryan, head of farmer relationships at Oxbury; Henry Welham, partnership manager at Yagro; farmer and rural policy advisor Emily Norton; and entrepreneur Ian Evans.

The conference will consider how change

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The conference is supported by YAGRO, Integrity Asset Finance and Impact Services.

Making the most of water

In the light of last year’s extreme drought and the last major water infrastructure in England being some 30 years ago, water management and how to make best use of water as an increasingly precious resource will be

A special session will be chaired by John Patrick of Sustainable Water Solutions, which provides a wide variety of integrated water treatment solutions which efficiently treat raw water, process waters and waste

Mr Patrick will be joined by Andrew Marriott, of the Country Land and Business Association; Charlie MacNicol, of the Stody Estate; and Norfolk farmer Sarah Kerkham, who chairs the abstraction and irrigation

All proceeds from the event will be divided between two charities: YANA (You Are Not Alone), which provides mental health support for the farming community; and the Farm Safety Foundation, known by many as ‘Yellow Wellies’ charity, which campaigns

Larking Gowan partners (l-r) Bruce Masson, Laurie Hill and Steven Rudd will represent the firm at the conference

Conference speakers

Matt Ryan

Head of farmer relationships, Oxbury Bank

Matt grew up on his family’s sheep and arable farm on the South Island of New Zealand. He says he has always enjoyed the physical ‘hands on’ side of farming, especially the technical aspects of plant and animal health.

After graduating from Lincoln University in New Zealand, Matt started his agricultural bank ing career in 2006 at ANZ Bank and Rabobank, progressing to managing client portfolios and ag ricultural banking teams, as well as offshore ag ricultural banking projects. He joined Oxbury Bank in February 2020.

In addition to his banking career, Matt has run his own successful livestock farming business and remains an independent trustee of a family-owned sheep and beef farming enterprise. His hobbies include rugby union, cricket, running and skiing.

Henry Welham

Partnership manager, Yagro

Brought up in the countryside, Henry gained a degree in agricultural business management at Newcastle University. He then joined crop protec tion manufacturer Certis UK where he gained his FACTS and BASIS qualifications.

Yagro exists to transform the food and farming industry through accessible, advanced data analytics. Founded in 2015, the firm joined the Frontier Agriculture group of companies in October 2021, although it remains independently managed.

Henry joined Yagro as partnership manager in 2022. He believes data enables growers and advisers to make better informed decisions on farming practises – and use evidence-based decision making rather than relying on gut feel or what they did last year.

Emily Norton Farmer and rural adviser

Emily is a farmer and an independent rural policy adviser with an interest in natural capital influences on land, food and farming. She has worked with major institutional and private landowners and farmers across the UK.

Retained as a policy adviser to Savills, Emily lives and works on a 150-acre Norfolk farm. Her presentation will cover the evolution of environmental and sustainability policy as it impacts on our customers and supply chains.

Emily will examine what this might mean for farms navigating the choppy waters ahead. Should you sign up for the Sustainable Farming Incentive, where are the markets for nature-based solutions, and who will pay for your farm data?

Ian Evans Entrepreneur

A journalist who spent two decades working for regional, national, and international media, Ian and his wife Diane opened Copdock Hall, their Grade II-listed Elizabethan barn in the beautiful Suffolk countryside, in April 2015.

The couple oversaw the renovation of the

barn to create and equip a modern venue which hosts weddings, exhibitions, and corporate events, as well as pop-up art exhibitions and charity fundraisers.

Ian and Diane also own Copdock Hall Vineyard on land facing Copdock Hall. Planted in 2013, it yielded its first harvest in 2015 and currently produces a rosé wine, a white wine blend called Foster’s Fate, a sparkling Tudor Rosé brut and gin.

CLA East director Cath Crowther will chair the event.

The event will deliver practical information and advice

(l-r): Matt Ryan, Henry Welham, Emily Norton and Ian Evans

Arable

Disappointing yields for trials of recommended winter wheats

• Initial yields below five-year average

•

Challenging season hampers yields

• More results will become available

Poor weather has resulted in disappointing yields for the first trials of recommended list winter wheats this harvest.

This season's first harvest results were published on 16 August by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. They included four fungicide-treated sites in Suffolk, Devon, Kent and Cheshire – and a fungicide-untreated trial in Devon.

The average yield of control varieties in the fungicide treated trials stood at 10.74 t/ha – some 0.34t/ha below the five-year average of 11.08t/ ha – although this is likely to change as more results become available.

Trials were drilled in good conditions, with crops doing well during the mild autumn – going into spring in good condition. But a wet April and May gave septoria a big boost, despite a robust spray programme.

Initial results

Group 4 hard varieties led on yield. SY Insitor achieved (107% of controls) Next were Champion and KWS Dawson (both 106%). Then came Group 4 soft RGT Bairstow (105%); and Group 4 hard Oxford (105%); followed by Group 4 soft LG Redwald (104%).

Group 3 varieties performed close to their five-year averages. Top were KWS Guium and RGT Rashid (101%), followed by KWS Brium and LG Prince (100%). RGT Wilkin son achieved 94%, well below its fiveyear average but more results are due.

Group 1 Skyfall performed well (100%) with other Group 1s close to their five-year averages. Group 2 va rieties also performed close to their five-year averages with KWS Ultima tum (101%) just ahead of KWS Ex tase (100%).

Specialist variety RGT Wolverine, with a specific recommendation for resistance to barley yellow dwarf vi rus (BYDV), yielded 101%. This vari ety performed well again at the Devon

site where it was equal second highest yielding.

Five-year average

The 2023 results show yields based on one season. The five-year average is a better measure of variety performance over seasons (2019 to 2023). With few trials in yet these results largely reflect the recommended list.

Current good performers include Group 4 hard variety Champion (106%), Group 4 soft LG Redwald (106%), Group 4 hard KWS Dawsum and SY Insitor (both on 104%). Next were Group 4 hard Oxford, and Group 4 soft varieties Gleam and RGT Bairstow (all 103%).

Group 3s

For Group 3s, KWS Guium (101%) led the way ahead of KWS Brium, RGT Wilkinson and LG Prince (all 100%). Highest Group 2s were KWS Extase and KWS Ultimatum (101%) with the highest Group 1 being KWS Zyatt (98%) followed by Skyfall (96%).

The AHDB said data could only be

About the trials

The AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) trials test varieties under optimum conditions – so care should be taken when making comparisons with commercial yields.

Results from individual trial sites should not be used to make conclusions on variety performance. The RL publications are based on information from trials across the UK over several seasons.

As more information becomes available from the current harvest, this will contribute to the over-trials averages –which comprise four years for oilseeds and five years for cereals. These averages provide better information for comparison between varieties.

Performance variation is not the responsibility of AHDB. Since the focus is to test new varieties, not all RL varieties are presented. Yields for well-established varieties are published at ahdb.org.uk/rl

sessing the potential of the candidates over multiple seasons, it added.

Potential bread making varieties are KWS Dragum (102%) and SY Cheer (98%). Potential Group 3 biscuit varieties are Bamford (105%), LG Arkle (102%) LG Grendal (101%) and Almara (99%).

Hard feed candidates LG Beowulf (106%), Bolinder and LG Redrum (104%) performed well on yield, followed by soft Group 4 Blackstone (103%). A clearer pattern of candidate performance will develop as the

Take care when comparing trial results with commercial yields, says the AHDB.

Results will change as the season progresses

Resilient varieties you can depend on whatever the season

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Arable

New ambassador for Green Tractor Scheme

Origin Fertilisers is the latest farm supplier to join the Green Tractor Scheme – helping farmers dispose of plastic waste sustainably and efficiently.

Founded in 2020, the schene aims to ensure all agricultural plastic waste is recycled by 2030. A growing group of environmentally focused agricultural businesses have joined the collective to encourage farm plastic recycling at over 80 locations.

presentation of plastic waste. It also encourages the industry to remove unnecessary plastics from the supply chain.

'Significant steps'

Origin Fertilisers has already made significant steps to reduce the plastic content in its fertiliser bags. By working with its suppliers, all Origin 600kg and 1000kg bags now contain 30% recycled material.

“We want to be a leader in mak ing a positive change regarding plas tic recycling and supporting farmers and the wider industry.

Origin is now developing innova tive products that are more environ mentally friendly while meeting mod ern farming needs by – improving soil fertility and nutrient use efficiency.

Reducing waste

“Joining the scheme shows our com mitment to environmental change within agriculture and is a way of keeping us accountable to reduce our plastic use, alongside our other sus tainability targets across our fertil iser range.”

Other fertiliser companies have also joined the Green Tractor scheme. They include Yara, which joined the initiative earlier this summer. It said the scheme chimed with the compa ny's sustainable ambitions.

“We joined the scheme to demon strate a desire to support rural recy cling and promote trade within the farming community,” said Yara's Mark Tucker.

How scientists aim to ramp up domestic chickpea production

he potential for UK farmers to ramp up homegrown chickpea production is the subject of a new research project led by crop

Scientists behind a two-year feasibility study have received £500,000 from Defra's farming futures research and development fund. They believe chickpeas could become an

A cool-season legume, chickpeas have the potential to reduce on-farm fertiliser requirements and help curtail greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and applica-

Current UK legume production is mainly restricted to field beans and combinable peas. But a large proportion of these crops are destined for animal feed and are not optimised for

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In contrast, chickpeas are used in the UK food industry but rarely grown here. This is largely due to the scarcity of adapted varieties and the lack of knowledge both growers and advisors have of the crop.

UK food companies annually import 60,000 tonnes of chickpeas for products including stand-alone tins, pouches of cooked chickpeas and packets of dried pulses – and as a key ingredient in ready-meals and bakery products.

Variety trials and agronomy testing will be carried out by NIAB and specialist seed company Premium Crops, ranging from small plots up to field-scale evaluation, says NIAB head of breeding Phil Howell.

End-use quality assessments will be undertaken by Norfolk-based grower Place UK, which has successfully grown chickpea crops to sell through its vertically-integrated food ingredients business.

Defra has confirmed a marked reduction in fertiliser usage by farmers last year – driven by high costs as gas prices spiked.

Fertiliser prices tripled from an average of £233/tonne in 2020 to £766/ tonne in 2022, according to recent analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. The price increase meant farmers spent an extra £1bn on fertiliser in 2022 than in 2020.

But the price hike also saw a 20% drop in fertiliser usage across five key arable crops. And when potatoes are excluded from the calculation as farmers fought to deal with last year’s drought, fertiliser use was down by over a quarter.

Against this reduction, yields rose by an average of 2.4%, again excluding potatoes. Oilseed rape yields ros e by 6.5% with winter wheat up by 7%.

With yields up and fertiliser usage down, the Nature Friendly Farming Network said the figures suggested farmers had scope to reduce fertiliser usage without reducing their overall food production.

STEEL ROLLER SHUTTER DOORS

Wet summer sees increase in potato blight outbreaks

• Big rise in incidence this summer

• Growers urged to remain vigilant

• Still a risk, so don't be complacent

Late blight outbreaks are springing up in potato crops after the wet summer continued into August following a dismal July.

The UK had 170% of its usual July rainfall, making it the wettest July since 2009 and the sixth wettest on record, said the Met Office. Predictably, this has led to a significant rise in blight outbreaks nationwide.

'No respite'

The Fight Against Blight monitoring service – run by the James Hutton Institute – reported 120 crop outbreaks to the middle of August. This puts 2023 on track to be a high-pressure year alongside 2019, 2012 and 2007.

Outbreaks are spread around all regions, with no respite for drier areas such as East Anglia. James Hutton research leader David Cooke said: “It has been a challenge to keep on top of the samples coming into the lab.”

Dr Cooke isolates and characterises each sample as it arrives, also undertaking a DNA analysis. The aim is to spot any changes in the blight population as the season progresses so spray programmes can be adapted based on the present genotypes.

Big concern

The big concern is the EU-43-A1 genotype, which is resistant to the carboxylic acid amide (CAA) group of fungicides, including mandipropamid. So far this season, it has not been found so far this season – but there is no cause for complacency.

That does not mean blight risk is low because on of the dominant strains is 36-A2.

Present for a number of years, it is extremely aggressive and can pose a serious challenge if it takes hold in a crop.

“Trying to firefight blight is very difficult – but the chemistry must continue to be used wisely, especially concerning the longer-term risk of resistant genotypes,” explains Dr Cooke.

“We do not want other actives struggling under high pressure being misused. It is tempting for growers to keep using the products that will give them the best control, but they must use a range of fungicides.

Good news

“The good news is that the canopy has finished growing, so at least when a fungicide is applied, it protects all leaves for a time. I would encourage growers to keep an eye on the lower canopy to ensure there is no residual amount of blight there.”

an eye on the lower canopy

This could be the case following frequent heavy rainfall, which will spread the disease down the canopy. The worry is that the conditions have also suited tuber infection from any foliar blight in the crop.

Lower temperatures will encourage the production of zoospores, and combined with soil moisture, there is a high risk that if foliar blight remains unchecked, it will quickly become an issue in the soil, says Dr Cooke.

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Keep

The priority is to stop outbreaks spreading, says Geoff Hailstone.

By now, most crops are at or beyond the “canopy complete” stage, says UPL potato technical expert Geoff Hailstone.

“When outbreaks are found in the field, the priority must be to clear these up and stop them spreading as soon as possible.”

Where this is the case, Mr Hailstone says a tank mix should include Proxanil (cymoxanil + propamocarb).

Controlling outbreaks

“Cymoxanil is known to be one of the few actives with kickback activity and has a very low risk of developing resistance.

Propamocarb has strong anti-sporulant activity, good movement in the plant and is only active in the carbamate resistance group, says Mr Hailstone.

“When tank-mixed with a protectant fungicide such as cyazofamid, Proxanil strengthens the activity and gives excellent resistance management. Where blight appears in the crop, there should ideally be two closely timed sprays, while adhering to label intervals.”

If foliar blight is active in the canopy, especially if conditions are favourable, then the risk of resistance can be high. Mr Hailstone recommends mancozeb for resistance management and to protect uninfected leaves.

Controlling outbreaks

Although mancozeb only has protectant activity, it still has a role in controlling outbreaks when mixed with curative products. Mancozeb is sold as a straight product in Manzate 75WG or formulated with cymoxanil in Nautile DG (cymoxanil + mancozeb).

“Hopefully, the weather turns more settled until harvest and growers can keep on top of disease in their potato crops – but they must maintain blight programmes until the foliage and stems are dead.

“Where a grower knows that foliar blight has been present in the crop, they should study the susceptibility to tuber blight of the variety they are growing and prioritise harvest accordingly,” concludes Mr Hailstone.

DART from DSV – Right on target

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How better genetics are improving oilseed rape

• Disease resistance delivers results

• Higher yields and stronger growth

• Benefits throughout whole season

Genetic improvements are bringing better disease resistance to oilseed rape varities – helping to make the crop easier to grow.

Improved genetics are focusing on keeping rape stems healthy – creating varieties with better resistance to phoma, light leaf spot and verticillium, says Chris Guest, managing director of LS Plant Breeding (LSPB).

“Phoma resistance has taken a major step forward,” says Mr Guest.

Progress includes the launch of RlmS – a new genetic trait by LSPB – in 2021. Four LSPB varieties with the RlmS trait – Murray, Vegas, Flemming and Respect – are on the AHDB Recommended List (RL) with seed available to growers now.

Different background

“They provide an important complementary resistance to Rlm7, which has been the mainstay for some years,” explains Mr Guest. “RlmS has a different genetic background – an adult stem-based resistance – unlike Rlm7, which acts on the cotyledons.

RlmS resistance is also associated with strong overall plant health, adds Mr Guest. The gene has good stem resistance – an additional benefit against late season disease, he says.

“We will bring further varieties with RlmS resistance – some already in trials and others in the pipeline –to complement Rlm7 and give longevity of phoma resistance to growers.”

Autumn trash

Light leaf spot infection comes from autumn trash. After a latent period of two to three months, it is most damaging in the spring, producing stem and pod infection with most sources quoting a significant potential yield loss of about 1t/ha.

There are three major gene resistances. Each has a different mechanism to stop initial infections, to stop conidial production and cycling and to reduce overall growth.

Recommended list ratings have shown a steady upward trend with LSPB Turing at the top of the RL for the UK in both East/West and North regions.

Turing scores 7 for light leaf spot, closely followed by Vegas (8) and Murray in the East/West region (7), explains Mr Guest.

“There is a strong correlation between yield and light leaf spot resistance – and as such this should be a key focus for growers thinking of oilseed rape for harvest 2024.”

Significant impact

Verticillium also has a significant impact on yield with loss figures of 1224% quoted in one AHDB study. But LSPB trials suggest yield losses may

Phoma resistance has taken a major step forward, says Chris Guest.

Results from a single location should be viewed with caution. But they suggest Turing, Murray and

regional table when it was added to the AHDB Recommended List last autumn.

“As on-farm yields start to come in from Murray growers, we are hearing reports from merchants and from growers that confirm its RL rating,” says Chris Guest.

Murray is one of four LSPB varieties with the RlmS gene for improved phoma resistance, a strong rating for light leaf spot and excellent verticillium resistance – giving a head start in the yield contest.”

Frontier Agriculture regional seed manager Chris Piggott points to results from one grower in south-east England. Murray yielded 4.7t/ ha compared to a farm average of 3.5t/ha – and

“At £400/t, including bonuses, that’s £480/ ha increase in gross margin,” says Mr Piggott. “Across his total Murray crop of 20.20ha, he has almost £10,000 extra in the bank.”

Another grower says Murray proved to be the best of his three recommended list varieties. Weights from the merchant made Murray’s average 3.85 t/ha, compared to the farm's other winter oilseed rape varieties of 3.4 t/ha and 3.25 t/ha.

Choosing Murray for the largest area of his oilseed rape was a good decision. Although it some crop shed across all three varieties due to high winds and a very wet July, Murray still delivered the most.

More varieties are in the pipeline

Better margins mean more money in the bank from Murray.

'Excellent' winter barley yields impress grower

• Variety has consistent reputation

• Suitable for range of conditions

• In rotation for foreseeable future

ALincolnshire grower says winter barley will remain firmly in his rotation after successfully returning to the crop with two-row feed variety Bolton.

Tim Booth, who achieved an average yield of 9.4t/ha, says Bolton is living up to its reputation as a consistent, high-yielding and straightforward variety at JN Booth & Sons, near Swineshead.

Mr Booth grows 404ha of arable crops – including winter wheat, oilseed rape and winter barley – on a range of soil types. He had given up growing winter barley but started again two years ago when widening his rotation to include a good entry for early drilled oilseed rape.

A positive experience with two-row Lightning in 2022 saw Mr Booth try Bolton for 2023. Both varieties are by Elsoms and Mr Booth now plans to keep winter barley in the rotation for the foreseeable future, drilling Bolton again this autumn.

No-brainer

“Having achieved a very high yield with Lightning last year, the decision to go with Bolton seemed a no-brainer. We drilled 16ha of the crop on 1 October across three fields of mainly Grade 2 land varying from light silt to heavy clay soils.”

As with Lightning, Bolton showed excellent early vigour, competing and tillering well to smother blackgrass. With no major weather issues or hard frosts to knock it back, the crop was already at the 4-5 tiller stage as it went into winter.

Following a mild winter, Mr Booth applied 300kg/ha of fertiliser in two splits, one on 24 February and the next on 27 March – the same application date as a T1 spray in a four-spray fun-

gicide program.

Taking a belt and braces approach, he built the spray programme mainly around pyraclostrobin + fluxapyroxad, chlormequat and prothioconazole with trinexapac-ethyl applied as a growth regulator.

Low-pressure year

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Bolton has the added protection of built-in resistance to barley yellow mosaic virus (BYMV), says Mr Goodwin. “With an untreated yield of 86%, it’s also

en that Bolton was very easy to manage. As we went through the spring and into early summer we saw no disease signs.

“A small amount of brown rust in winter wheat didn’t appear in the Bolton crop at all. The only negative I recall was a slight yellowing of the crop after heavy rain in March and April – but that sorted itself out once we got into May.”

The Bolton was harvested on 26 July. Average yields were over 9t/ha with grain samples looking very good, says Mr Booth –although he concedes that the variety wasn’t really tested when it came to disease resistance this year.

“It looks robust, certainly standing well during heavy rain and windy conditions prior to harvest, giving the impression that it’s resistant to lodging.

“It produced lots of stiff straw

reports on Bolton over the last two years, it’s certainly realistic to view the variety as one of the most consistent performers on the current recommended list.”

Peak performance from rape variety Pinnacle

Seed breeder Grainseed says small amounts of new conventional oilseed rape Pi Pinnacle are available for planting this autumn.

Yielded 103% of controls, Pinnacle – or Pi 41.7 – is the highest yielding conventional variety selected as a candidate for the Agriculture and Horticulture Deveopment Board's 2024 Recommended List.

Grainseed general manager Neil Groom says: “A variety such as Pinnacle offers growers peak yields and peak profits. We have a small amount of seed for this autumn if growers would like to try it. We have high hopes for this variety in the future.”

Pinnacle was bred by independent breeder Mike Pickford, who focused on keeping the plant green and building yield at the end of the season. He increased yield by selecting a high number of pods per plant, a high number of seeds in a pod and larger seeds.

Top performer

Bred in the Cotswolds, Pinnacle is fully adapted to UK conditions. It has good agronomic characteristics with similar vigour and biomass to many hybrids. It also shows rapid growth during the stem elongation phase, helped by seed treatments.

The variety scores 9 for lodging resistance, 8 for stem stiffness, 7 for light leaf spot and 6 for phoma. It has good verticillium resistance and maintains clean green stems when ripening – encouraging efficient photosynthesis during the ripening grain filling process.

Medium to late flowering reduces the risk of flower loss due to late frosts

but Pinnacle is still medium when it comes to grain maturity, allowing crops to be harvested before the first wheats are ready to cut.

“If growers are looking to reduce costs as much as possible, growing a high performing conventional variety can enable you to do this,” says Neil Groom, general manager for Grainseed.

Harvest timing

The top hybrid in 2023 is Turing which has a yield of 106%.

With a good hybrid costing £230 per 1.5 million seeds, equivalent to 3ha sown at 50 seeds/m², a grower can by 2.2 bags of Pinnacle for the same price, which is equivalent to 5.5ha at 80 seeds/m², explains Mr Groom.

“There is plenty of moisture in the ground at the moment, so drilling rape will surely have a positive outcome. Most farms are now clearing all their wheat crops and the balers are tight behind the combine allowing rape to be drilled now.

“I am advising growers to drill companion plants with their rape and use placement fertiliser to aid early

We have high hopes for this variety

Positive outlook for hybrid rye grown as energy crop

• Wholecrop for anaerobic digester

• Good performer across soil types

• Early to drill and early to harvest

Awinter hybrid rye is performing well for a Norfolk seeking higher gas yields to supply an anaerobic digestor.

Tom Pearson says wholecrop hybrid rye is key to energy production on the Raynham Estate, near Fakenham. Mr Pearson manages 1500ha of the estate and the farm has a feedstock agreement to supply a 3.5-megawatt AD plant.

Wholecrop for biogas production is the biggest single market for hybrid rye in the UK. It accounts for about half of the 50,000ha crop area, according to bioenergy business consultants NNFCC.

The farm grew 140ha of winter hybrid rye SU Arvid this year. Supplied by Elsoms, it was drilled at 205 seeds/ m² on 16 September 2022. The variety performed well with good early autumn vigour on both lighter sandy soils and heavier silty clay loam.

Rotational benefits

“We grow winter hybrid rye as part of a seven-year crop rotation,” says Mr Pearson, who also grows winter wheat, forage maize, sugar beet, spring barley, spring beans and winter oilseed rape.

“Given the importance of our feedstock supply agreement, we are always looking for new high gas yielding types. The arrival of SU Arvid on the 2021/22 Descriptive list gave us an excellent opportunity to trial a prom-

ising new variety two years ago.

Hybrid rye is early to drill and ear ly to harvest in late June. “We don’t grow any second wheats on farm and see winter hybrid rye as a great fit in the rotation as a following crop to our first wheats – and as an entry into oil seed rape the following year.”

SU Arvid also has good standing ability, although Mr Pearson says he would always recommend a robust plant growth regulator programme as insurance, given that gathering lodged rye with a whole crop header can be challenging.

Nitrogen for the crop totalled 150kg/ha in two splits. It comprised 70kg/ha of liquid digestate applied in February followed by 80kg/ha of liq uid nitrogen in late March.

Spray strategy

Mr Pearson chose a basic three-spray fungicide programme consisting of a strobilurin, then a tebuconazole fol lowed by an SDHI-based spray. The hybrid rye responded well with just some early signs of yellow rust which the strobilurin kept at bay.

“Beyond that, there were no disease issues – and, at less than £90/ha for our fungicide treatments, it’s worth noting that hybrid rye is about half the cost of what we’d normally spend on a first wheat.”

The crop achieved overall fresh weight yields of 45t/ha adjusted to 35% dry matter – although on a cou-

Hybrid rye is reliable and makes excellent wholecrop, says Tom Pearson.

weight yields of over 50t/ha equating to our best rye yields in over four years.

“Handling the majority of the farm’s agronomy myself, and having assessed other hybrid rye varieties in trials, I don’t see anything agronomically or economically better than SU Arvid as a wholecrop variety for biogas production right now.”

Farms have key role for anaerobic digestors

A stable and secure feedstock supply is fundamental for anaerobic digesters, says Lucy Hopwood (right), of strategic business consultants NNFCC.

As the development of larger plants continues, quality feedstock is becoming harder to secure, so a mixed diet of food waste, agri-waste or sustainable crops offers a practical, technical, and economically viable solution,” she explains.

This helps mitigate risks and maximise returns – but the key to

growing crops for AD is to ensure they are sustainable, so minimising inputs while maximising yields is vital, says Ms Hopwood.

“I always advise growers to do what they do best, and to grow the crop that works best for their location, soil type and farming system.

“In an increasing number of cases now this is hybrid rye, which can be drilled and harvested early. This helps to spread the workload on farm, while requiring fewer inputs. It also achieves more consistently high yields than many other crops.”

Farm-sourced feedstock helps AD plants maintain their operational stability and improve performance, says Ms Hopwood.

“I can see the cropping area for high energy crops such as hybrid rye and maize continuing to expand as AD capacity continues to grow.”

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How genetic diversity can add value to cereal crops

• Niche markets can be lucrative

• Varieties boost farm resilience

• Cereal sector working together

More genetically diverse cere al varieties could help grow ers tap into a growing niche market – and make their businesses more resilient.

Growers have a commercial and eco nomic imperative to identify new mar kets for heterogeneous grains, listen ers were told at the National Organic Conference. The event took place ear lier this summer at Green Acres Farm, near Shifnal, Shropshire.

Higher appreciation

“In the artisan bakery sector there’s a much higher appreciation of flavour and provenance,” said Steven Jacobs, business development manager at or ganic certification body Organic Farm ers and Growers and co-founder of the UK Grain Lab.

In the quest for profit and pro ductivity, many farmers still favour high-yielding mass market varieties. This has its advantages, but Mr Jacobs said it was also contributing to lower genetic diversity in cereals.

The UK Grain Lab is a group of scientists,plant breeders, millers, bakers and farmers who grow more diverse “low impact” grains which rely less on external inputs than conventional commodity-based varieties.

Mr Jacobs said: “Although the yields may not match those of some of the varieties at the top of the AHDB Recommended List, genetically diverse crops require fewer synthetic inputs resulting in comparable profit margins.”

“Collaboration is vital to increasing understanding of which low impact varieties perform best, said Mr Jacobs. “We want people to support a much more biology-based and more diverse food and farming system.”

Above: Delegates inspect trial plots at Green Acres Farm, near Shifnal, Shropshire.

Plant breeder Edward Dickin, a lecturer at Harper Adams University, believes there is a strong incentive to develop non-commodity varieties.

“From a scientific perspective, the problem with the single variety wheats that dominate the market is the selection pressure for disease is increased,” Dr Dickin told the conference.

Higher appreciation

“Popular varieties can breakdown very quickly as their uniformity makes them quite vulnerable.

"So although high yielding, they’re more susceptible to new pathogens as those evolve, which puts the wheats at a major disadvantage.”

Below: Steven Jacobs speaking at the conference. Continued overleaf

Continued from previous page

“In seed breeding trials here and elsewhere, our objective is to have crops that simultaneously evolve with the pathogens. Ultimately, it’s all about maintaining balance.”

There are thousands of wheat varie ties worldwide – but only about 50 are grown commercially in the UK. The push for output has meant crops have lost three-quarters of their genetic di versity since 1900, said Dr Dickin.

Crop resilience

This has affected crop resilience. It has only been in the last two decades that a small number of people have start ed to pioneer Composite Cross Popu lations and re-establish genetically di verse plant varieties.

This work has been carried out in the EU under a special arrangement granting permission for organic grow ers to swap heterogenous cereal seed. The UK Grain Lab has been working behind the scenes so UK growers can also swap seed.

It has submitted an advocacy paper asking Defra to adopt a more progressive stance with heterogeneous plant material to ensure UK seed breeders

tive approach and a totally scalable model. Its a growing community in every sense.”

Dr Dickin believes a key advantage of HetroGen is that it enables farmers to make informed decisions. Grow-

ers can work with the seed breeders to find what works best on their land, he added.

“The wide range of differences found in genetically diverse seed allows farmers to adapt their crops to thrive in their local climate and provide natural protection against disease or pest outbreak,” he said.

John Turner has been growing genetically diverse wheat since 2017.

Britain's oldest wheats have 'key role to play'

The role of genetic diversity in arable farming was a key focus at this year’s National Organic Conference, which took place

Organised by Organic Farmers and Growers (OF&G) the event was hosted by Mark and Liz Lea at Green Acres Farm, near Shifnal, Shropshire. This summer, their diverse cropping

Crops include some of the oldest wheats recorded in Britain. They include the ORC Wakelyns Population, a project led by Professor Martin Wolfe and the team from the Organic says: “I’m genuinely proud to be organic and pleased to have moved away from commodity food production and instead developed relationships with people who value our products and the way in which we

“Everything is grown with the end user in mind and sold directly to millers or bakers. As a result, we’ve added value to

Fewer inputs can generate similar profits

Anglia

MyField app makes agronomy easier

Better blight forecasts are now readily available for potato growers thanks to the new Syngenta MyField app.

The app provides growers with instant access to weather information and agronomy decision support tools in a single easy-to-use digital platform tailored to each field.

How it works

It includes Syngenta’s BlightCast facility for potato growers, which works alongside the Quantis Heat Stress Alert tool – helping farmers and agronomists optimise the timing of biostimulant applications in potatoes, sugar beet and maize crops.

Growers and agronomists with Android or Apple smartphones can download and register the app for free. Doing so opens access to detailed local weather information and warning risks linked to aid agronomy decisions.

“By adding in individual fields or cropping blocks, using the integrated Google maps tool, all the information received will be tailored precise-

ly to the specific location and crops,” says system developer Ed Flint.

Potato growers and agronomists can receive the latest BlightCast in formation with up to 14 days warn ing of conditions that are conducive to disease infection and development – helping to fine-tune in-season blight protection to specific pressures.

New for the 2023 season, the BlightCast App now enables users to personalise the parameters that trig ger a near miss threshold, to tailor the system’s sensitivity to specific situa tions and their own risk requirements.

Traffic light system

The full Hutton period warning remains fixed at nationally recognised humidity and temperature conditions. “Risks are clearly defined with an easy to interpret green, amber or red alert to aid decision-making,” says Mr Flint.

A heat stress alert tool notifies growers when heat events are forecast to damage crops – in time to take preventative action. Quantis application

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prior to heat events in potatoes, sugar beet and maize can protect crops, adds Mr Flint.

As well as live on-screen updates, growers and agronomists can receive email alerts of impending blight risk or impending heat event periods. Growers should use the alerts in conjunction with Syngenta Spray Assist to optimise application timings.

The MyField platform can be tailored to individual fields.

Crop establishment

Early oilseed rape drillers braced for slug pressure

Wet weather and chopped straw provide 'ideal haven' for slugs

The wet summer has provided good conditions for oilseed rape establishment – but growers who drilled early should prepare for high slug pressure.

That's the message from independent agronomist Steve Cook who advises growers to put out slug traps at the time of drilling – and be primed to apply pellets if there is any evidence of slug activity.

For most situations, regular sized pellets should give good control levels. But where pressure is particularly high, an initial application of a mini ferric phosphate pellet product – such as Menorexx – could be beneficial.

High pressure

Smaller pellets provide a higher number of baiting points. But they are less durable in the wettest conditions, so growers should be prepared to follow up with another application shortly afterwards if required.

Seed rates also effect successful crop establishment. Anyone establishing crops in early August should use no more than 30 seeds/m2 for hybrids and 40-50 seeds/m2 for conventional varieties, says Mr Cook.

Independent crop consultant advisor Andrew Wells says he is expecting “scary” levels of slug pressure in early planted oilseed rape crops, especially where cereal straw was chopped rath-

Accurate spread

Met Office figures show that the UK had 140.1mm of rain in July – the sixth highest total since records began in 1836. A succession of low pressure systems saw long periods of damp and windy weather.

For those who did drill early, getting on top of slugs as soon as the crop is established iscrucial. Alongside trapping to gauge pressure, it could

Grey field slugs are a common sight in some rape fields.

“Regular pellets should give good control

Accurate application is essential, which means using a good quality, durable pellet, such as Sluxx HP, and an applicator capable of spreading evenly to the chosen spreading width.

“Every year I see gaps in the crop that are caused by inaccurate spreading, so it’s important to make sure that applicators are actually spreading pellets to the desired distance, rather than just going off the settings in the book,” says Mr Wells.

Cultivating resilience at autumn CropTec Show

Resilient farming systems will be a key topic for this autumn’s CropTec Show, which takes place on 29-30 November at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

Now in its 11th year, CropTec combines an in-depth seminar programme alongside stands with industry exhibitors and the opportunity to try out some of the latest equipment in arable farming.

Opportunities for learning include the chance to earn BASIS and NRoSO points. Visitors will also have the opportunity to test drive sprayers.

Event director Verity Hyland said: “We are busy curating a seminar programme which will address the current opportunities and challenges for UK arable production and specifically how to navigate change to cultivate resilience.

“This is an exciting opportunity for visitors to CropTec being able to jump in the hot seat and try a range of cutting-edge sprayers in one venue. Visitors wishing to take part simply need to speak with the individual manufacturers on the day to organise a time-slot.”

Tickets are free and available now at croptecshow.com.

[Photo: Certis]

Growers choose plough to 'reset' grassweeds

• Bromes and ryegrass increasing problem

• Weather is among key influences

• Mix of control strategies useful

Grassweeds are again a big talking point for arable growers –with some fields under significant pressure before autumn drilling.

Blackgrass remains the dominant issue in many eastern counties – with Italian ryegrass and brome increasing nationally. This has prompted more growers to reach for the 'reset' button and plough-in stubble this autumn.

Some growers blame the shift to direct drilling and minimal tillage systems for rising grassweed pressure. And it is true that ploughing has long been an effective tool in the armoury alongside herbicides.

But experts at agronomy company Hutchinsons say the reasons are often far more complex. They include a combination of factors – from inappropriate cultivation choice and timing to poor herbicide strategy and unpredictable weather.

There are three important reasons

why some growers have seen disappointing grassweed control this year, says Hutchinsons technical director Dick Neale (see panel). Understanding these reasons is key to moving forward, he adds.

Increasing concerns

Bromes and Italian ryegrass are also increasing concerns in many areas. Great brome has been particularly noticeable in some areas, with a rise in meadow and soft brome perhaps an unintended consequence of cultural blackgrass control measures

Meadow and soft brome need ultraviolet light for up to a month to become viable, so growers who have used stale seedbeds for blackgrass control may have unintentionally buried brome seed, enforcing dormancy.

port manager Cam Murray says cul tivation timing – rather than the specific type of cultivation itself – in fluences how certain bromes survive.

shouldn't be overlooked, with Italian ryegrass is one of the biggest threats given its “mon

Factors affecting grassweed control

1. Poor stale seedbed chitting

Weather is a key factor when it comes to grassweeds, says Dick Neale.

Below: Blackgrass has been more prevalent in many fields this year.

In 2021 and 2022, dry conditions in summer and early autumn reduced the germination of volunteer grassweeds before drilling. This resulted in less effective stale seedbed control two years running.

In 2023, soil moisture is generally much higher, so stale seedbeds should be more effective this autumn. With sufficient moisture, rolling stubbles twice can encourage weed seed germination – and avoids the risk of creating an over-fine seedbed.

2. Poor residual herbicide performance

Dry seedbeds restricted the performance of residual herbicides in the last two seasons. Residuals need sufficient moisture to keep the active dissolved in solution and taken up by emerging weeds.

Again, more soil moisture this year should allow for better performance, but pay attention to seedbed quality, moisture/post-application rainfall, pre-emergence timing – within 2448 hours of drilling – and application coverage to maximise efficacy.

3. Lack of application sequencing

Where the focus has been on stacking pre-emergence chemistry, this has generally meant fewer spring residuals to catch spring-germinating grassweeds.

The impact of this has particularly noticeable where germination is protracted, due to the weather, or natural characteristics, such as Italian ryegrass.

All three factors were compounded in 2022, when stronger wheat prices encouraged a higher proportion of wheat plantings last autumn. This meant more growers started drilling earlier, when conditions were still dry, with insufficient opportunity for stale seedbeds.

Crop establishment

Continued from p32

strous potential” to rob yield.

“With just one plant per square metre relating to a 1% yield loss, it places itself as one of the premier grassweed in relation to yield loss.”

Italian ryegrass germinates allyear-round apart from July. Ryegrass too will be a challenge for some growers this year because the wet and mild winter and spring favoured protracted germination and growth.

Cultural control

Early-sown winter cereals are under particularly high ryegrass pressure given the narrow weather window for cultural controls between harvest and drilling – and few opportunities for applying herbicides beyond the pre-emergence residual.

Control strategies are further complicated further by the rise of herbicide-resistant ryegrass to post-emergence chemistry. The focus should be on pre-emergence residuals and cultural control, including stale seedbeds and delayed drilling.

This isn’t always possible in areas where field conditions can deteriorate as autumn progresses. Later-sown crops also need higher seed rates to avoid establishing thin plant stands that are more likely to favour grassweeds.

Numbers game

Managing weeds is a numbers game, says Mr Neale. That's because even just a few surviving plants can soon have a dramatic impact on seed return and weed pressure in subsequent years, he explains.

“If a blackgrass head population is even noticeable in the field, it will generally be at around 100 heads/m2, so has the ability to deliver 10,000 seeds/ m2 back to the soil. That amounts to one hundred million seeds/ha - the numbers are phenomenal.”

Trials clearly show that 90% control of plants in the autumn only equates to 57% control of heads in the following May, because surviv-

Brome is an increasingly serious challenge in many fields.

ing plants are genetically stronger, with the ability to resist herbicides, and produce more tillers.

Seed return

“Single plants carrying 25 tillers are now becoming commonplace, compared to 9-10 tillers per plant 20 years ago. The goal posts are continually moving.”

Preventing seed return is the ultimate aim, but this requires an understanding of the types and species of weeds present in individual fields, their ecology, and resistance status, in order to determine the most effective control strategies.

This is particularly evident for brome, as the maturity profile or innate dormancy of barren brome is different to rye or soft brome, and shallow tillage timing will have totally different outcomes for either species, explains Mr Neale.

Placing soft brome into darkness at shallow depth immediately post-com-

bining will lengthen seed dormancy and prevent any growth for control before autumn establishment.

In contrast, barren brome will be “ready to go” straight after the combine. It will grow for spraying off prior to autumn drilling. Soft brome also has an in-built delay, so a spring germination period must be built into control strategies.

Effective ploughing

Ploughing buries seed beyond germination depth, so can be an effective “reset button” for many grassweeds. But it must be done well, and growers should recognise that what is ploughed down now, will be ploughed back up in subsequent years.

That means ploughing is only part of the answer. Sequencing residual herbicides is important to counter protracted germination of ryegrass, so growers should consider how cultivations may affect field access in late autumn and early spring.

New option to combat flax flea beetle in linseed

Growers looking to protect winter and spring linseed from flax flea beetle can now use Lambdastar, which has been granted an approval extension.

Lamdastar contains 100g per litre of lambda-cyhalothrin. It is a reverse-engineered version of Hallmark Zeon and it is a contact and ingested pyrethroid insecticide to control a range of pests.

Linseed crops are generally most at risk from flax flea beetle once cotyledons appear to when the crop is about 5cm tall. Symptoms include holes or notches in the cotyledons or first true leaves.

Premium Crops agronomist Hannah Foxall said: “Approval increases the range of products containing the active lambda cyhalothrin available to growers and helps

broaden the spectrum of insecticides to reduce resistance risk.”

Lambdastar manufacturer Life Scientific says best results are seen from 75mls of the product in 200 litres of water to ensure good plant coverage. If using Lambdastar with no other products in the tank, a non-ionic wetter can improve application.

Managing weeds is a numbers game

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Downward facing upper blade does not hook grass weed seed up from below stale seed bed and field surface

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Opportunity to fix nitrogen at autumn drilling

• Special seed treatment available

• Includes nutrient-fixing bacteria

• Supplements traditional fertiliser

Preparation for drilling wheat and barley crops this autumn could include decisions about nitrogen efficiency – not just crop emergence and establishment.

With growers focused on using fertiliser more efficiently, modern endophyte seed treatment technology means plants can obtain some of their spring nitrogen from the air, says Syngenta field technical manager Jonathan Ronksley..

Crucial elements

“Factors such as cultivations, seed rate, drilling date and protecting against establishment diseases with a fungicide seed treatment remain crucial elements in establishment decisions,” says Dr Ronksley.

“But farmers are also looking to use nitrogen fertiliser more efficiently and farm more sustainably – and for the first time this autumn we have nitrogen-fixing endophyte seed treatment Nuello iN available for winter wheat and winter barley seed.”

Nuello iN contains two nitrogen-fixing bacteria – Pseudomonas siliginis and Curtobacterium salicaceae. These enter the plant via the developing root before colonising plant shoots and fixing atmospheric nitrogen.

Yield benefits

“They provide the plant with organic nitrogen and ammonium and are ‘always on’ throughout the whole season,” says Dr Ronksley. “This has the potential to supplement traditional fertiliser.”

Nuello iN seed treatment delivered a yield benefit equivalent to applying up to an extra 30 kg N/ha in four UK replicated field studies examining nitrogen fertiliser dose response curves in winter wheat last season, says Dr Ronksley.

This was echoed in 14 Adas split-field farm trials across the UK. Winter wheat treated with Nuello iN received a 30 kg/ha reduction in its standard nitrogen dose – but still maintained a similar yield to winter wheat receiving its full dose.

With yields averaging about 10.8t/ha, says this equated to Nuello iN giving a 3:1 return on investment. On light or shallow land sites, Dr Ronksley says using Nuello iN with a 30kg/ha nitrogen reduction gave an even bigger 5:1 return on investment.

Residual nitrogen

“This makes sense as these types of soils are often associated with lower availability of soil residual nitrogen,” explains Dr Ronksley.

Bigger average yield gains from Nuello iN were found on light or shallow land sites or second cereal sites in replicated trials where a standard 100% nitrogen dose was applied. Yield benefits were also found in hybrid winter feed barley.

“It’s always important to consult a FACTS qualified adviser for advice and guidance on nitrogen applications. But there are sever-

al scenarios where we see a role for Nuello iN as part of an integrated fertiliser strategy.

“These include winter feed wheat and winter feed barley where a decision has been made to reduce in-season synthetic nitrogen, and in winter wheat and winter barley where no reduction in synthetic nitrogen will take place but growers are looking to enhance yields.

Nutrient deficiency

Nuello iN may be particularly relevant on sites where soil nitrogen is limited. This could include light, shallow or nutrient-deficient soils; a second cereal position; or where nitrogen is applied late or in dry conditions.

“Farming is all about risk mitigation and this can help growers with that,” says Dr Ronksley. But it is not recommended to reduce nitrogen on milling wheat or malting barley, he adds.

“It is still important when using Nuello iN that it is co-applied with a suitable fungicide seed treatment, such as Vibrance Duo, to maintain protection against establishment diseases. Much of our trial work has been with Nuello iN co-applied with Vibrance Duo.”

In addition, Nuello iN has been observed to enhance early rooting, with an increase of 20% across three winter wheat and winter barley trials. Enhanced root development is associated with improved nutrient scavenging from the soil.

Hybrid barley without Nuello iN (left) and with Nuello iN (right).

Crop establishment

Late-drilled oilseed rape can still be successful

Oilseed rape can be still be drilled into September – leading to successful establishment and a decent crop, says plant breeder Limagrain UK.

Although most rape is drilled in the first two weeks of August, the window for establishing the crop is far wider than often thought, says Limagrain oilseed rape product manager Liam Wilkinson.

“With this year’s later harvest comes the reminder that there is no need to panic and rush to get rape in. Many farms now have drills that cover large areas quickly, so it is possible to get drilling done in a shorter time frame than several years ago.”

Milder autumns have meant warmer soils in recent years, adds Mr Wilkinson. “As long as there is sufficient moisture, we have seen crops do well on farm when drilled at this later period.”

“Most breeder and Recommended List trials are drilled later than they

would ‘on-farm’ – which could be anytime from the August Bank Holiday – as seed becomes available. What we see the following year in trials plots, are often slightly later drilled crops.”

Less risk

Mr Wilkinson refers to work undertaken by Sacha White at ADAS. This shows that later drilled crops tend to be at less risk from cabbage stem flea beetle because there is less time for the adults to lay their eggs in the autumn crop.

“If you can get the crop up and away from the adults as quickly as possible, the crop has a fighting chance against the pest. Drilling later can also help with blackgrass control as it creates time to create a stale seed bed.”

Mr Wilkinson adds: “By drilling later, the smaller crop can also make better use of autumn nitrogen, as opposed to a plant established in mid-August that is much larger and has to spread the nitrogen out.”

Companion cropping to protect oilseed rape

More growers are establishing oilseed rape alongside a companion crop to protect vulnerable young plants.

The first few weeks of rape establishment are probably the most important in the crop’s life, says Lucy Smith-Reeve of Grainseed, who has been researching the impact of growing a companion crop to protect rape early in its establishment.

Rapid establishment

The aim of a companion crop for oilseed rape is to grow something that has rapid establishment and is sensitive to frosts – or chemical application – and either attracts beneficial insects or deters cabbage stem flea neetle.

“In other words, it acts as a sacrificial plant,” says Ms Smith-Reeve. “Species and variety choice in the mix are key to ensure that the companion crop dies back to enable the oilseed rape to reach its full potential. “

Suitable frost-sensitive cover crop mixes which will die back when hit by cold weather include Tabor single cut berseem clover, Lifago buckwheat and fenugreek, adds Ms Smith-Reeves.

Companion crop mixes can be formulated to reduce flea beetle activity by masking the attraction that rape has for the pests and acting as a sacrificial crop. This can include attracting beneficial insects or predators.

Berseem clover and fenugreek both fix nitrogen. The mixes help create more diverse soil micro bial activity condition the soil through their extensive rooting systems. They also release nutri ents back into the soil.

Pigeons are less likely to graze rape crops when bare soil is covered and landing space is limited. All this helps to improve soil health, soil structure and field drainage.

work, the extra cost of the companion crop seed and extra chemical application if sowing a mix which isn't frost sensitive.

But overall the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

New arable products manager for RAGT Seeds

RAGT Seeds UK has appointed Jack Holgate as arable products manager to further raise the profile of the com pany’s combinable crops portfolio.

The seed breeder has launching a series of successful breakthrough varieties in re cent years – including Skyfall, a pioneering milling wheat with feed wheat yields, and RGT Planet spring barley, believed to be most widely grown cereal variety in the world.

Technical expertise

Recent developments include Europe’s first and only commercial wheat variety resistant to barley yellow dwarf virus.

Meanwhile, a relaunched oilseed rape pro gramme aims to deliver a range of robust, high yielding varieties.

“It’s a really exciting time to be joining a breeder like RAGT,” said Mr Holgate.

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Water £450k project to grow innovative wetland crops

• Wetland crops 'could secure future'

• Success will combat climate change

• Proposals are supported by farmers

Amajor project will investigate ways of growing new and unusual crops in the Fens while reducing greenhouse case emissions by maintaining water levels just below the soil surface.

The Fenland SOIL initative has secured funding from Natural Eng-

land, with a £450,000 grant to run until April 2025. It is open to projects that help to tackle barriers to grow commercially viable wetland crops on lowland peat soils in England.

Paludiculture – or farming on rewetted peat – is a system of agriculture which enables the profitable production of wetland crops, usually by raising the water table to achieve wetland conditions.

Maintaining water levels about 1030cm below the soil surface helps keep greenhouse gas emissions from peat to a minimum. This will help growers meet climate change targets while ensuring profitable production.

Suitable crops

A Defra review has already identified more than 80 suitable crops, although the current range of UK palu-

Case study: Bulrushes could be key crop for farmers

Crops suitable for wetland production include typha – better known as bulrushes or reeds. Farming reeds under re-wetted conditions can help restore wetlands, while creating an important source of fibre for the fashion industry.

Next-generation biomaterial manufacturer Saltyco creates textiles from reeds. It uses patent-pending fibre technology to transform Typa seed heads into an insulation material for the fashion sector.

Called BioPuff, this insulaation material is used in clothing to keep people warm. Lightweight and naturally water repellant, the cluster structure of BioPuff mimics the insulation qualities of goosedown.

Bulrushes can be used to provide fibre

The plan aims to protect and enhance important peatland soils.

(Picture: Peter Moulton / Shutterstock.com)

Left: Robert Caudwell: important first steps.

diculture crops is currently limited mostly to watercress, a range of berries and products such as mozzarella and meat from water buffalo.

A commercial scale paludiculture trial will now take place across a number of internal drainage boards cover a total area of 25,601ha – bringing the total area of opportunity to some 36,800ha by the end of the project.

Megan Hudson, general manager of the Fenland SOIL iniaitive, said: “This award gives us a real opportunity to explore the commercial opportunities for wet crops and if a viable commercial market can be created.”

Carbon storage

Peat soils contain over half the country’s terrestrial carbon stores and serve as a potent nature-based solution against climate change. But fenland drainage over the centuries means peat soils are drying out, release carbon into the atmosphere.

Lincolnshire farmer Robert Caudwell, who chairs the Lowland Agricultural Peat Task Force, said: “Reducing carbon emissions from lowland peat is vital as part of the government plan to tackle climate change.”

The government’s response was a big first step to achieving that goal, he added. “I am confident that the work that is already underway will give farmers opportunities to develop their businesses and contribute to the challenge of net zero.”

This award is a real opportunity

Pond restoration project helps resurrect wildlife

Landscape recovery boosts habitats

Water management for wildlife will be a key topic when farmers and conservationists meet for a special conference next month in Norfolk.

Sustainable agriculture, landscape recovery and pond restoration will topic the agenda when the North Norfolk Coastal Group (NNCG) Farming and Nature Conference takes place on Friday, 22 September, on the Sandringham estate.

Speakers from the Norfolk Coast Partnership’s landscape recovery project will outline their plans for chalk river restoration and species recovery via its North Norfolk: Wilder, Wetter, Better for Nature initiative..

Water for Wildlife

Carl Sayer and Helen Greaves, from University College London, will give a talk to the Water for Wildlife iniaitive and the Norfolk Ponds Project, which aims to restore, resurrect and conserve the county's ponds.

Mapping what is one of the UK’s driest areas is key to work being done by farmers and conservationists. This will be covered in talks by Norfolk County Council’s Daniel Voicey and Dan Geerah of Land App.

They will show how to tap into past maps, predict future trends and identify appropriate areas on the farm for various land uses – highlighting how the value of high quality mapping is becoming increasingly recognised.

Speakers will include Paul Dolman, professor of conservation ecology at the University of East Anglia's School of Environmental Sciences. Professor Dolman works with James Gilroy and Liam Crowther to conduct biodiversity audits.

The audits quantify priority species and analyse their management needs to give clear guidance to farmers, conservation practitioners and land managers looking to support biodiversity in managed landscapes.

Becky Banks, andscape recovery officer at Norfolk Rivers Trust, leads on

area and developing the survey work and land management plans.

Carl Sayer, professor of limnology and freshwater ecology, leads the pond restoration group at University College London. A director of the Norfolk Ponds Project, he specialises in freshwater habitat restoration.

Research by freshwater ecologist Helen Greaves is currently focusing on the variability of greenhouse gas emissions from overgrown neglected ponds in comparison to restored ponds, for the EU-Horizon 2020 ‘Ponderful’ project.

Ms Greaves develops and implements projects that aim to engage landowners and the public with pond conservation and restoration. She is also secretary of the European Pond Conservation Network – which encorages policies that restore ponds. For further information or to book a place at the conference, visit

Electric mower is 'ultimate robot' for grassy slopes

An innovative all-electric remote-control slope mower has been launched by McConnel. Building upon the proven capabilities of the popular Robocut S300, the electric S300e offers the same level of performance but with the integration of electric power.

This means the S300e retains the features of the S300, including 55-degree slope operation and a 150m range, but with with zero emissions and much reduced noise.

The Robocut S300e is powered by two advanced Vanguard 48-volt lithium batteries, providing a run time of up to four hours for uninterrupted operation on a single charge. Re-

charging the batteries typically takes around eight hours. For added convenience, a fast-charging option is available, reducing the charging time to just four hours.

Engineered for maximum efficiency, the Robocut S300e features a new 1.1m rotary mulching deck that has been specifically designed for electric operation. Equipped with two powerful motors that directly drive the blades, the design ensures optimal efficiency and superior cutting performance, resulting in more effective mowing and a quieter experience.

The Robocut S300e made its public debut at Flood and Water Live, a working demonstration hosted by the

Association of Drainage Authorities (ADA) on the 5-6 July in Lincolnshire. The machine is set to enter full production later this year, with delivery expected in early 2024.

The all-electric mower was specially designed from the ground up.

Well-managed ponds are a haven

Farmers at forefront of plan for river Deben

Farmers face more inspections and tighter enforcement in a bid to improve water quality and the sustainability of the river Deben in Suffolk.

It follows a meeting with environment secretary Thérèse Coffey who met farmers and other stakeholders last month to discuss actions to clean up the river following publication of the government’s Plan for Water.

The river Deben flows through Debenham and Woodbridge before entering the North Sea at Felixstowe Ferry. As well as being environment secretary, Ms Coffey is MP for Suffolk Coastal, which includes much of the catchment.

The talks aim to bring increased investment, tougher enforcement and tighter regulation. Alongside farming representatives, they involved local community and environment groups, regulators, water company representatives and local councillors.

Farm visits

Action on the ground includes farm inspections, undertaken through the Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiative led by Natural England, to check compliance with all the relevant farming regulations.

Government funding for the programme has increased to £30m a year so all farms across the UK can access advice and support. Guidance is also being offered to local people to ensure waste water systems are legal and properly maintained.

Speaking after the meeting, Ms Coffey said: “As someone who enjoys spending time by the River Deben, I share the passion for protecting and enhancing its waters shown by our partners today.

Local concerns

“One of the key parts of our Plan for Water is tailored long-term catchment plans with new funding for catchment groups. For this to succeed, collaboration at a local level is vital so we can all work towards improving the water system together.”

Key areas of discussions included the designation of local bathing sites in the area; pollution resulting from storm overflows; wastewater treatment; agriculture and water resources.

Defra said the meeting was an opportunity for people to raise concerns and explore solutions to improve the river – and to discuss the Plan for Water. It will bring increased investment, tougher enforcement and tighter regulation to the water sector.

It covered how these issues may be addressed through catchment plans, actions where they deliver the greatest impact on water quality, flood management, and nature recovery.

Water quality

The talks also covered ongoing work by Defra, the Environment Agency and other partners to improve water quality along the river, and protect nationally significant saltmarsh habitats in the Deben estuary.

Water minister Rebecca Pow said it was clear the River Deben was a precious habitat but under pressure.

She added: “I look forward to greater collaboration from all parties locally as this is also vital if water quality is to imrove.

What is the Plan for Water?

The government published its Plan for Water in April – marking a step-change in how it wants the country's water system to be managed.

As part of the plan, the government will introduce tailored long-term river catchment plans that cover all water bodies.

These catchment plans will set out the key issues and priorities for action, including priorities identified in Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

Defra has aalso increased the number of storm overflows monitored across the network to 91% from 7% in 2010. It says this and other actions will

“River water quality must improve and our new Plan for Water sets out how increased investment, tougher enforcement and tighter regulation is helping tackle every source of river pollution.”

Local conversations

The meeting is part of a series of local conversations to improve water quality and increase water supply at rivers across England. Other rivers face similar challenges, so it is not the case that the Deben is being singled out.

Roundtable attendees included representatives from local councils, Essex & Suffolk Rivers Trust, the NFU, Natural England, the River Deben Association, and Anglian Water.

The past decade has seen significant improvements to bathing water quality at existing sites, thanks to regulation and investment.

Some 93% of bathing waters in England met the highest standards of good or excellent status in 2022, up from 76% in 2010.

deliver a safe, reliable, resilient supply of clean and plentiful water for people, businesses and wildlife.

To hold water companies to account, the government has set new targets for water companies designed to frontload action in particularly important areas, like bathing waters and protected sites.

It says a Storm Overflows Reduction Plan will require the largest infrastructure programme in water company history – some £56bn over 25 years.

Water minister Rebecca Pow will continue to engage with Anglian Water to drive further improvements in this area.

Defra has pledged more investment – and more farm inspections.

Inset: Thérèse Coffey.

Collaboration at a local level is vital

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Grass Pickups in stock today

Water companies start taking cover crop benefits seriously

• Catch-crops protect watercourses

• Significant savings made on nitrogen

• Important role in smart-farming

Agrowing number of water com panies are paying farmers to protect river catchments from run-off by planting cover crops to re duce nutrient leaching.

Anglian Water has been working with the Lincoln Institute for AgriFood Technology and local farmers to look at catch crops in the arable ro tation. Supported by the Innovative Farmers project, the trial has assessed the benefits of cover over bare land.

Other companies – including Cambridge Water and Affinity Wa ter – have also introduced cover crop schemes, recognising that healthy soil, leads to a healthy crop which requires fewer inputs, leading to better water quality.

Independent soil and carbon specialist Neil Fuller says there are numerous benefits associated with multi-species cover crops – both in terms of improved farm productivity and reduced environmental risks.

Nitrogen contribution

"Many water authorities are beginning to reap the reward of sponsoring farmers to grow cover crops, not just in sensitive catchments but across the broader agricultural landscape,” says Mr Fuller.

Early indications are that cover crops significantly reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus that leaves arable fields over winter, actively preventing these nutrients from working their way into watercourses.

"There are also indications that the way cover crops can re-structure soil has a positive impact on root development and biological activity, which in turn alters the way water is held within the soil profile.”

Planting cover crops can improve infiltration, drainage and tolerance to drought, while holding on to some of our more mobile nutrients and pesticide residues.

to a degree when grown between winter wheat or oilseed rape and a following winter barley. But the biggest benefits result from when they are grown between winter and spring crops, explaisn Mr Fuller.

"Trials suggest a good cover crop mix will produce 20-50t/ha of fresh matter above ground. This could contain more than 80kgN/ha, with a similar amount of potash and about a third of this amount as phosphate.”

As synthetic itrogen accounts for roughly 75% of the carbon footprint of current combinable crop production, cover crops could be delivering a big reduction in emissions at farm level that would travel all the way from soil to supermarket, says Mr Fuller.

Yield uplift

Farmers who are growing cover crops supplied by water companies are reporting increases in spring cereal yield that would be equivalent to applying an additional 20kgN/ha.

"On shallow and sandy soils, some of this yield uplift is coming from increased water holding, but tissue testing shows plants are also picking up more nutrition.

"That's great for most arable crops but our work has also shown that simple

Smaller carbon footprint

Cover crops also draw down atmospheric carbon. This can help decarbonise the production emissions of agricultural feedstocks such as cereals, oilseeds, grain legumes and potatoes.

"There are biodiversity benefits too, with cover crops creating respite habitat for pollinators and predators which can help in the suppression of aphids and take growers further on their journey to being insecticide-free."

The governmnent's Sustainable Farming Incentive will contribute £129/ha for cover crops to be grown and that more than covers the cost of the seed and the management of the crop, adds Mr Fuller.

With growing interest in cover crops as part of sustainable agricultural practices for the future, KWS is launching a range of multi-species mixes designed to deliver specific benefits in a range of situations.

“The Fit4Next is a range of cover crops specifically tailored to complement following crops and add real benefit to the rotation,” says the company's Kate Cobbold. Catch crops have also been shown to bind carbon in the soil with a far-reaching benefit to future sustainability.

Healthier crops require fewer inputs

Multi-species cover crops can offer many benefits, says Neil Fuller (below).

Livestock

'Severe shortages' of forage expected this winter

• Make most of available fodder

• Take action sooner rather than later

• Look for alternatives feedstuffs

Livestock producers are being advised to assess their forage stocks ahead of an expected se vere shortage this winter.

A wet spring followed by a mixed summer has left many experts fore casting a shortfall of forage stocks on many farms. Farmers should take steps now to secure any much-need ed supplies, says Lisa Hambly of Mole Valley Farmers.

“There is a window of opportunity right now that farmers can take to ad dress any forage shortages. Have those conversations and think about opti mising what you are doing and do it now rather than wait until the winter when everyone else will be looking.”

Shortages are likely to follow the second poor growing year in many areas, says livestock nutritionist Kerensa Hawkey. “Stocks are tight anyway and people fed more from their reserves across the winter, so there’s just not the spare forage on farms.”

Challenging weather

The wet spring and an extremely dry start to the summer before the wet July took its toll. Maize, in many areas, had a difficult start, with experts predicting yields could be down by as much as 30% on some farms.

Both advisers stress the importance of farmers accurately measuring their clamps and forage stocks, the amount of stock that needs feeding and calculating a realistic view of how long forage will last.

Farmers can take various options to overcome shortages. But Dr Hawkey says: “This must take into account all stock from dry cows, milking cows, youngstock, any sheep or other animals that eat forage, too.”

Strategies include looking for opportunities by walking the fields. Ms Hambly says: “Warm soils and moisture provide good growing conditions, so it could provide an ideal opportunity to establish grass or a brassica. Be prepared to put a grass crop in after maize. You can just drive through with the seed – you don’t need to plough.”

Outwintering youngstock

Farmers could also consider outwintering to feed youngstock enough to maintain growth rates and reduce any metabolic diseases at calving. “Youngstock are the future of your herd, so you need to look after them.”

Feeding youngstock straw with a protein supplement, such as high protein molasses, instead of feeding grass silage. Dr Hawkey adds: “Protein is important for youngstock to grow frame.

“Farmers also need to feed enough physically effective fibre, ensuring an adequate forage to concentrate ratio. If you don’t feed enough forage, then the rumen won’t work properly and can lead to acidosis.”

Stocks are tight already this season

Supplementary feed

Producers should also consider feeding forage extenders. Examples include blends, nuts and moist feeds.

Dr Hawkey says: “One kilo of concentrate can replace 3kgs of silage. If you add that up across a 200-cow herd over a month, you can save a lot of forage.”

Other options include optimising grass by overseeding and taking extra grass silage cuts this autumn if conditions allow.

A good quality silage additive can help minimise dry matter (DM) losses in the clamp, helping to retain quality. A grain treatment can also increase the protein content of wholecrop.

Dr Hawkey says: “Stable treated wholecrop could balance out poorer maize. It can also reduce the need for bought-in protein and is easy to handle on farm.”

She adds: “Caustic-treated wheat can also improve digestion by creating a higher pH and providing a high-energy feed for early lactation cows. However, both must be fed as part of a balanced diet.”

Silage will be short on many farms this winter, say experts.

Short-term leys can mask longer term grass issues

• Tired swards need urgent attention

• Full reseeds deliver bigger return

• High resilience mixes are best option

Challenging conditions in recent years have seen an increase in sales of rapidly growing oneyear leys as a quick fix to boost forage stocks – but these could mask deeper grassland problems.

Short-term solutions such as overseeding have played a key role in helping dairy and livestock producers alleviate the worst forage shortfalls. But they could create a false sense of security, says Jim Juby, of forage specialists Horizon Seeds.

"We've seen a significant increase in sales of Westerwold grasses and tetraploid-based grass mixes for overseeding in recent years and there is no doubt they have played a vital role for many producers.

Damaged swards

"But this last spring also saw a 25% drop in sales of mainstream mixes for full reseeds and so there is a real concern that producers have cut back on investment in longer-term pasture management and this could be storing up problems for the future."

On farms where waterlogging in the winter has damaged swards or the lack of rainfall in early summer has effectively killed off the most productive species, producers really need to bite the bullet this autumn and focus on full reseeds, says Mr Juby.

"It's not an easy decision when cashflow is tight, but home-grown forage remains the most cost-effective feed you can produce and investment in grassland management to build resilience into long-term production is never a false economy.

Production boost

"Delaying the decision to reseed at least the worst-hit parts of your grassland this autumn could have signif-

icant implications with inevitably higher costs to remedy the situation later and increased reliance on increas ingly expensive bought-in feeds in the meantime."

Carried out properly, reseeding has the potential to deliver a 20:1 return on investment but at a cost of £400 to £500/ha, growers need to make sure they are making the right decisions to stack the cards in their favour.

“One of the biggest improvements comes from greater Nitrogen utilisa tion efficiency,” says Mr Juby.

“A modern perennial ryegrass will give a 50% better response to Nitro gen than something like Yorkshire Fog or most of the other weed grass es that thrive when reseeding is de layed or swards are damaged.

Reducing risk

“If you don’t address your grassland issues in the short term, you’ll effec tively be wasting half the nitrogen you apply and that’s a cost few business es can live with, especially with the high fertiliser costs of recent years."

Building the highest levels of risk mitigation into leys and ensuring pro ducers get the most out of inputs puts the focus on the grass mixes used, ex plains Mr Juby.

“It depends on what you want to get out of your grassland. But regardless of your intended use, some basic ques

Why high quality grass mixes deliver benefits

A good starting point is to make sure all the varieties in a grass mix are on the current AHDB Recommended List, says Jim Juby, of Horizon Seeds.

"A lot of advances have been made in recent years especially in critical areas such as performance consistency and response to nitrogen inputs.

“Understanding what is in your mix will also help you establish what the likely milk yield you can expect from your grass and allow comparison of different options to be made.

“A good quality silage ley should be capable of producing 18 – 20t DM/ha and a grazing ley should be not too far behind this. At current price levels this is worth around £2000/ha with 25 -30% DM silage worth £110/t DM and a yield of 18t/ha.

"Many of the worn-out and damaged leys now prevalent on UK dairy farms would only be capable of producing 30 - 50% of this, so the economics of delaying a reseed simply do not stack up."

Achieving all the benefits of a full reseed means investing in good quality seed, he points out. “Your grassland is the heart of your production system so it is pointless taking short cuts and opting for lower quality seed or mixes.

“You may save some money in the first year, but you’re likely to lose out on many of the advantages that come in subsequent years.

"Short-term leys are a great strategic option in difficult conditions, particularly when a full reseed is not possible due to weather or ground conditions, but they are not an alternative to a longer-term reseed."

It's not easy when cashflow is tight

Professional services

Nine-year high for eastern region farmland values

Big demand for prime arable land

Prime arable farmland value in the east of England are at their highest point since the end of 2014, suggests the latest research.

Top-quality arable land remains the most valuable farmland asset –but poorer quality pasture land is still in high demand among buyers looking for environmental opportunities, according to rural property agents Savills.

Nationally, prime arable land traded at an average £10,242/acre in the three months to the end of June – an annual rise of 8.7%. But values were even higher in eastern England, where prime arable land changed hands for an average of £10,758/acre.

This is a rise of 1.8% compared to the end of March and 13.3% more compared to the same period in 2022. It is the highest value for eastern region prime arable land since the end of 2014 when prices exceeded £11,000 an acre.

Eastern analysis

The average price for ‘all types’ of eastern region farmland– pasture and arable – sits at £9,890 an acre. This is the highest average price in the UK and a rise of 1.5% compared to the end of March and 14.1% up on June 2022.

Only the north of England has a higher average price for prime arable – topping out at £11,272/acre. In the south of England, prime arable land averaged £10,605/acre, while in the south west it worth £10,351.

Oliver Carr, associate director in the Savills rural agency team for West Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, said there had been cases where eastern region prices were even higher.

“Well-equipped commercial farms and significant acreages of bare arable land are often being bought in competition by buyers with capital gains rollover funds who have a time sensi-

tive window for investment.”

Lower grade grassland was also proving popular with buyers, added Mr Carr. “Driven by buyers looking for environmental solutions and op portunities, values for poorer qual ity pasture land have also in creased.”

Some 85,400 acres of farmland were publicly mar keted across Great Britain in the first half of 2023 – 16% more than the same period in 2022. So far this year, 12,053 acres of eastern region land have been marketed – against 21,420 acres during all of 2022.

Will Radbourne, of Sav ills rural agency team in Es sex, said: “A primary mo tivator for current farm sales is retirement – ei

ther where there is no successor or where the next generation does not want to farm.”

Debt is also creeping in as a reason for a sale – a factor which may become stronger if interest rates continued to rise, said Mr Radbourne. “Farms with a significant value allocated to residential assets were also being affected by rising interest rates.

Price of arable land still rising

The value of arable land in England climbed to a new high during the first half of 2023, suggest the latest estimates.

Strutt & Parker’s Farmland Database, which records details of farms, estates and blocks of publicly marketed farmland over 100 acres, shows the average arable land values rose by 2% to £11,100/acre during the first six months of the year .

It is the first time average arable values have exceeded £11,000/acre, said Strutt & Parker head of farm agency Matthew Sudlow. It follows a 15% rise in 2022 – although average value of pasture dropped back on 2022 levels.

Strong demand

“The headline is that the price of arable land has continued to climb,” said Mr Sudlow. “Record prices reflect the strong demand we have

seen for farmland from a wide range of buyers, coupled with a shortage in farms and estates for sale.”

Mr Sudlow said rising interest rates and squeezed farm profitability had since made farmer buyers more cautious – especially where they were reliant on the proceeds of their farming activities, rather than rollover money.

Despite the slight cooling from farmer buyers, the market is expected to remain active and buoyant throughout 2023, said Mr Sudlow. “Demand overall is robust with the proportion of farms selling at or above their guide price at historically high levels.”

“Interest from non-farmer buyers – comprising a diverse mix of private investors, lifestyle buyers, environmental buyers and institutional investors – remains strong. It is these buyers which are currently driving the market and underpinning average values.”

Farmland values in eastern England are continuing to rise after reaching record-breaking levels. Will Radbourne: debt is a factor in sales.

Revised SFI 'worth studying in detail'

• Scheme options more flexible

• Some options not as lucrative

• Goal to increase applications

The government's revamped Sustainable Farming Incen tive is easier to fit around some farming activities – but less lucrative in some situations.

Changes to the SFI for 2023 were unveiled by the government earlier this year. Defra said it wanted to encourage more growers and livestock producers to join the scheme, which was originally launched last year.

Payment rates for 2023 SFI actions largely mirror those of the equivalent Countryside Stewardship options –but deciding which scheme to opt for will depend on individual farm circumstances, says farm consultant Chloe Timberlake, of Ceres Rural.

“The similarities between the schemes make it hard to choose, but the SFI nudges ahead on flexibility,” she says. “One of the biggest criticisms of mid-tier stewardship has always been that the agreements are fixed for five years, with no way of changing them.

“That’s very different with the SFI. You can add in actions each year, make alterations and vary the area of rotational actions by 50% in the second year – if need be.”

Rolling applications

A rolling application window means that SFI agreements can start at any time of the year, while mid-tier Countryside Stewardship has a fixed application deadline. This flexibility will appeal to many farmers.

New actions exclusive to SFI include payments for soil testing (£5.80/ ha and £95/agreement); the produc tion of a nutrient management plan £589/year); and the production of an integrated pest management plan (£989/year).

Other payments include companion cropping (£55/ha); and no use of in secticide (£45/ha). There is also a wel come return of the grassy field corners and blocks action, AHL3, which pays £590/ha, as well as two new hedge row actions.

Restrictions on their management attached to some Countryside Stew ardship options have been removed

with parallel SFI actions. These include cutting dates, supplementary feeding and rest periods, and minimum and maximum areas.

Fewer restrictions

Good examples of this include herbal leys and rotational legume fallows, known as GS4 and AB15 in Countryside Stewardship. In the SFI, herbal leys are called SAM3, but there is no written requirement to rest them and fertiliser can be applied.

Similarly, AB15 is called NUM3 in the SFI – but it becomes a static option which must be maintained at the same area each year of the SFI agreement.

“If there’s a need to control blackgrass, you can cut it with less restriction,” says Ms Timberlake.

“Within mid-tier, topping to control black-grass is only allowed between defined dates within the first and second years.”

Meanwhile, farms with grazing livestock that have low input grassland will welcome that supplementary feeding is allowed in the SFI, with the action LIG1, which pays the same rate as GS2 at £151/ha.

Flower-rich margins and blocks –known as IPM2 in the SFI – have become rotational, giving a choice be-

whereas the equivalent AB8 in stewardship is non-rotational.

“Grassy field corners and blocks in SFI, AHL3, is a good action for delivering environmental gain and requires little management,” says Ms Timberlake.

Stewardship advantage

But mid-tier stewardship has an advantage when it comes to higher value environmental habitats, such as those on the priority habitats inventory. GS9 and GS10 – wet grassland management for waders and wildfowl – are woth £353/ha and £217/ha.

“The nearest equivalent in SFI would be LIG1 at £151/ha, which would not give the same level of environmental protection.”

In addition, popular options such as AB6 (enhanced over-winter stubbles); AB14 (supplementary winter feeding for birds); and AB12 (low input cereal) remain available in Countryside Stewardship, but are absent from the SFI.

Otherwise, if historic features are present on the farm, the revenue options HS2 and HS3 only exist in Countryside Stewardship, paying £476/ha if taken out of cultivation and £92/ha for reduced depth cultivations.

Where existing stewardship agreements are already in place, the decision on introducing the SFI is different. Farmers should also remember that the SFI is still in its infancy, cautions Ms Timberlake.

“There’s probably still an SFI scheme suitable which will bring in some additional income, although cherry-picking from both will involve two agreements of different lengths, which will add to the paperwork burden.”

“We can’t rule out further changes – recent events have confirmed that Defra is learning from feedback and some things remain fluid.”

The revamped SFI is very different

Flower-rich margins are now rotational.

Below: Many growers will find the relaunched SFI attractive, says Chloe Timberlake.

Farmers believe soil and science go hand-in-hand

Almost nine out of 10 farmers believe regenerative agricultural practices can go in handin-hand with the latest agri-technology, reveals a survey.

Carried out by the Institute of Agricultural Management (IAgrM), the survey found 86% of farmers and agricultural industry professionals believe cost is the biggest barrier to the use of technology on-farm.

When asked what they believe will cause the biggest disruption to agricultural and environmental management in the years ahead, 49% cited economic uncertainty, and 46% said climate change.

Most respondents said they were already using regenerative practices, with 61% using minimal or notill, 48% using diverse cropping rotations, 44% integrating livestock into arable systems, and 29% providing constant soil cover through stubble or cover crops.

Technology uptake

It was a similar picture for the uptake of technology, with 63% using farm management planning and recording software, 45% using telematics and GPS tracking, 42% using livestock technology, and 41% using precision agronomic support systems.

The survey was carried out ahead of the annual National Farm Management Conference in November. The re-

sults were positive – but show that a debate is needed about the best way forward, says IAgrM chairman Carl Atkin-House.

“At this year’s National Farm Management Conference, we’re planning to explore the relationship between regenerative agriculture – which often encompasses a return to the less-used traditional aspects of farming practices and technology.

“It’s clear that these two could go very much hand-in-hand, as demonstrated by the vast majority of

Conference to discuss future of farming

The National Farm Management Conference takes placeon 7 November at the QEII Centre, Westminster, London. Called “What is the farm for? Technology v Tradition”, the conference will examine the future of agricultural and environmental management, says Carl Atkin-House, chairman of the Institute of Agricultural Management (IAgrM). The opening session focuses on to the two biggest challenges facing humanity: climate change and biodiversity loss – which are compounded by an increasingly economically uncertain environment.

High-profile speakers will include Oxford University’s Professor Sir Charles Godfray; Sam Hall, from the Conservative Environment Network; and Will Jennings, chief executive of Rabobank in the UK.

The varied programme will also include Martin Davies, chief executive of Nuveen Natural Capital, the world’s largest

'Prepare to pay high tax bills with less income'

Cereal yields are likely to be 20% down this harvest – with lower prices also taking their toll on farm profits, says an agricultural accountant.

Mark Chatterton, head of agriculture at accountancy group Duncan & Toplis, says arable farmers should prepare for a challenging difficult season ahead. The firm supports 800 agricultural businesses, covering 200,000ha of farmland.

Several reasons are behind the drop in income this year, says Mr Chatterton. They include volatility in commodity markets due to the war in Ukraine, weather instability and a significant lack of sunshine.

Wheat yields suffer

“The quality of wheat crops in the field is suffering significantly,” he says. Yields will not be as good as 2022 due to a severe lack of sunshine in July. Clients are reporting that

wheat yields are likely to average closer to eight tonnes per hectare, whereas in 2022, they were nearer to 10t/ha.

“Prices have also fallen, with feed wheat trading at £180 per tonne at the beginning of August, down from a peak of £350 per tonne in July 2022 or £240 per tonne this time last year – a sizable decrease.

“Input costs have also risen, especially fer tiliser, with the price peaking at 800/tonne in Summer 2022. Fuel and electricity pric es have also seen a huge increase during the 2022/23 crop year.

At the same time, farmers have the added pressure of managing input purchases and crop selling, says Mr Chatterton.

In addition, higher profits from harvest 2022 mean higher tax bills. Many of these bills will be due for payment in January 2024, when bank balances are likely to be dwindling due to cashflow fluctuations.

Delegates will debate the future for agriculture.

Book in advance online and get exclusive discounts on your tickets

Forestry & Woodland

More trees on farms are vital for agriculture

Agroforestry can bring huge benefits

Trees could be the key to making food production more resilient amid climate change and biodiversity loss, say scientists.

Agroforestry – combining trees with livestocks or crops – can protect animals during heat waves, boost yields and reduce river and air pollution, say researchers.

Climate resilience

The findings will be presented at the UK's first Agroforestry Show – alongside new discoveries by farmers who are already incorporating trees on their farms as tools for climate resil ience while producing food.

Organised by the Soil Association and Woodland Trust, the two-day event is being held on 6-7 September at Eastbrook Farm, near Swindon, Wilt shire. It aims to show farmers how to introduce agroforestry on their land.

The event programme will feature more than 100 speakers on all aspects of agroforestry – including how trees can prevent river pollution and reduce ammonia emission, plus insights into the benefits of tree shade to reduce heat impacts on livestock.

Critical concern'

Farmers already practising agrofor estry will share their experiences –both what has worked and what hasn’t with tree planting – and the impacts it has on nature, with new updates on farm research supported by the event organisers.

The need to adapt to a rapidly changing climate has becoe a critical concern for farmers. Speakers will reveal how adopting agroforestry can serve as an important buffer in heatwaves as well as in cold and wet conditions.

Drier and hotter summers can have devastating effects on both arable and livestock farms

But shade from trees can prevent

Farmed landscape

“Agroforestry can deliver resilience

come from tree products and build biodiversity into their land.

Modelling by Cranfield University suggests that establishing agroforestry on 30% of England's grasslands could help pastoral livestock systems reach by 2051.

Helen Chesshire, lead farming advocate at the Woodland Trust said:

“We know that bringing more trees into the UK farmed landscapes is essential if we are to meet nature and climate goals.

“Agroforestry does this while supporting farmers to produce agricultural outputs – a win-win scenario. But with less than 5% the UK agricultural area under agroforestry this show is needed to give farmers and foresters the confidence to implement it

Host farm has seven-year agroforestry project

Show – is managed by Soil Association chief executive Helen Browning. She will give guided tours of her seven-year agroforestry project which has been supported by the Woodland Trust.

Key sessions at the event include trees, climate change and resilience. This will focus on ways agroforestry can help adapt to more erratic weather and extreme climatic event – as well as tree species aspects best suited to agroforestry.

Other sessions include hedges, edges and farmland trees. This session will look at the practical management of farm native woodlands,

hedges, shelter belts and in-field trees to support livestock, crops, nature and future generations.

The importance of trees in resilient livestock systems will examine the potential for trees to support good welfare for farmed animals –including protection against extreme weather patterns while optimising the use and value of home-grown feedstuffs.

A session on silvopasture will look at how tree planting best be designed to shade and shelter cattle. Speakers will include farmers and experts from the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group. For full details, www.agroforestryshow.com

Above and below: Integrating trees within arable fields can be good for business and the environment.

Restoring ancient woodlands in the Stour Valley

• Scheme helps to protect landscapes

• More funding is available for farmers

• Invitation open for grant applications

Aproject to restore an ancient woodland in Essex boosting biodiversity and conserving the character of the local environment.

Some £22,636 has been awarded under the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme for ancient woodland restoration to the Rivers Hall Farm Estate at Boxted, near Colchester. The funding will cover the second and third years of the project.

Ancient woodlands are some of the UK's richest and most diverse habitats, encompassing soils, fungi, plants, and animals.

But many ancient woodlands are in decline due to a historic lack of appropriate management or neglect.

Invasive species

At Rivers Hall, rhododendron and bamboo were introduced at one time as game shooting cover. Both species had become invasive and dominated the ancient woodland understorey.

As part of the project, the first year will see the invasive species physically removed to create space and light to encourage natural tree regeneration. In year two, 1,000 young native trees and shrubs will be planted.

Children from the local primary school, which already uses the farm and woods for its forest school classes, will help plant the new trees.

The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme is funded by Defra and managed locally by the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team, which welcomed the participation of local school children in the project.

Next generation

Nigel Chapman, chairman of the Farming in Protected Landscapes decision-making panel, said: “It is vital that the next generation is closely involved in this restorative work today and become the proud guardians of these incredibly special places in the future.”

Woodland after removing invasive species allows natural regeneration.

How to apply

Due to its success, the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme has been extended until March 2025, and the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team is inviting applications from farmers.

£183,463 is available for 2023/24. For more details or to discuss a potential project, contact Farming in Protected Landscapes officer Alex Dinsdale on 01502 674630 or email AONBFarmGrants@suffolk. gov.uk.

Tree-planting falling behind in race to net zero

Slow progress to decarbonise farming and land use is threatens to leave the sector lagging behind in the race to net zero by 2050, suggests new research by analysts.

Recently published provisional woodland creation figures show only 3130ha of woodland created in England in 2023, against a target of 7500ha by 2025, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).

Uptake of low carbon farming practices is in reverse, claims the think tank. It says 53% of farmers are taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 – some 17 percentage points away from the target of 70% by 2025.

Lacking credibility

ECIU land analyst Tom Lancaster said: “The government’s plans to decarbonise farming and land use lack both substance and credibility.

“In many areas – such as peatland restoration and woodland creation – progress is too slow and policies are not capable of operating at the scale needed to meet recently published targets in the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan.

“In other areas, including reducing methane emissions from livestock, reducing emissions from lowland peat and increasing the production of energy crops, there is very little progress at all, and in some cases no policies in place to get it started.”

Mr Lancaster said farming was perhaps more exposed to climate change than any other sector. Reducing emissions is key to mitigating these impacts – and could benefit the industry, he suggested.

“Many of these measures, such as agro-forestry, will also help farmers adapt and build resilience, but urgent progress is needed to get farming and land use back on track to net zero.”

Many ancient woodlands are in decline

It's bigger and better

Confor Woodland Show returns on 21-22 September at the Bath & West Showground

Tickets are selling fast for this autumn's Confor Woodland Show – a two-day extravaganza for the forestry and timber industry, including the latest innovations in machinery and opportunities for business growth.

The show is the place for everyone interested in trees and wood to hear about the latest products and services, receive practical advice, network with peers – while enjoying the demonstrations and seminars.

Held this year at the Bath & West Showground on 21-22 September, the event promises a valuable snapshot of the industry, whether you’re a part of it already or are looking to find out more.

The show's central hub will be the Confor tent, bringing together big names and influencers to discuss topics like agroforestry, bi-

oplastics, trends in the forestry marketplace and woodland management.

Visitors can expect to see machine demonstrations, chainsaw carving and archery showcases and enjoy the food and drink.

Additionally, the Forest Workers Zone will be a key feature of the Confor Woodland Show this year, acting as a 'one stop' hive of activity for people working in the practical side of the industry to come for information, advice and networking.

Experts will be holding practical demonstrations on skills such as chainsaw maintenance and tips for safe use, as well as being on hand to answer your questions or discuss any issues you are facing.

tickets purchased

special discounts are available for students and Confor members.

the gate

FINAL SAY Fen Tiger

Hedge wars

When it comes to cutting down hedges, it's one rule for farmers and another for everyone else, says Fen Tiger

News is seldom good when the phone keeps ringing. It often means there's a big problem –especially when it happens at a busy time, such as harvest or autumn cultivations.

With new houses springing up, our village is attracting new homeowners. Some of them have been here less than a year. But they have already discovered my phone numer and mistakenly assume – somehow – that they are countryside experts.

The latest voicemail asked me why I was cutting down a hedge when it was bird nesting season. The anonymous caller kindly informed me I had been reported to the local council. In fact, it was a new homeowner who cut down the hedge to improve his view.

Yet residents decided it was my doing. The anonymous phone calls were followed by anonymous letters. The writers and senders were in no doubt I was the culprit. After all, that's what farmers do, right?

From memory, when we were in stewardship, cutting down a hedge before Septem-

ber was a big no-no. Stewardship certainly meant no hedgecutting during the main breeding season for nesting birds – usually March to August.

Enforcement officer

It's an offence to intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird. So it wasn't long before I received a visit from a local council official – accompanied by the tree enforcement officer.

Any landowner – and many farmers –reading this will appreciate how difficult it can be to establish who owns a roadside hedge. But the local parish council quickly decided it was my hedge and therefore the fault was definitely mine too.

After much discussion and boundary checking on my part, the parish council then reluctantly agreed that the hedge was most likely jointly owned by the council and myself – and that further inquiries should be directed at the new homeowner.

The tree enforcement officer made a number of other conclusions too. These included

a distinct lack of evidence of any bird nests in the felled hedge – despite nests being present in the uncut hedge either side.

The species of toppled hedge was – in the opinion of the enforcement officer – not a protected species. Some mature hedgerows are indeed protected by law – but this would not normally apply to garden hedges.

Roots attached

The hedge had been cut down to ground level. Despite this, the stumps remained. This meant the roots were still attached and the hedge would grow back. And because the hedge was outside the new-build development, no action could be taken.

So to recap, farmers should be prepared to have the book thrown at them when it comes to cutting down hedges. But the contractor who cut down the hedge for the landowner wasn't even reprimanded – despite failing to check on ownership.

The homeowner escaped without retribution too. Yet had I contacted the police to complain about the hedge being destroyed, they would have laughed at me for getting upset over a bit of greenery and a few clippings.

As farmers, we spend years and years and a considerable amount of money planting and restoring hedges. And for what exactly? Not much, it seems – and certainly very little thanks or appreciation.

The parish council – initially so keen to point the finger – are not going to take any further action against the tree surgeon or the homeowner. And in future it seems I will escape action too when cutting down hedges –so long as the roots are still attached.

Local residents decided I was the culprit

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