Midland Farmer - October 2022

EDITORIAL

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OPINION Johann Tasker

‘Shock and awe’ is high risk strategy

It has been a turbulent few weeks since Liz Truss became Prime Minister. Inflation has risen, interest rates have increased and the value of sterling has plummeted – all of which have a huge impact on businesses.

The cost of borrowing is more expensive. So too are farm input costs, which were already eye-wateringly high. They include the price of imported feed, fertiliser and fuel –all putting a squeeze on farm profitability.

The Bank of England and the government are pulling in different directions. Tasked with controlling inflation, the Bank is trying to take the heat of out of the economy by increasing interest rates.

rapidly reviewing farm support. A series of meetings with stakeholders to discuss the implementation of the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMs) was cancelled last month with no explanation.

Little wonder then that farmers – as well as the money markets – are nervous. How high will interests go? How low will sterling sink? Where will it all end? Does the government know what it is doing?

One thing is clear – Liz Truss has ripped up the rule book when it comes to Tory fiscal management. She has embarked on a high risk strategy which even at this early stage could come to define her premiership.

Midland Farmer is a controlled circulation magazine published monthly for farmers and growers in the Midlands (Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire) or companies supplying goods and services to the sector. 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.

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But the Bank’s work is being undone by the government’s determination to cut taxes – giving people more money to spend and pledging more tax cuts to come.

The situation is clearly untenable. Something has to give. Despite Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng pledging that the Bank of England’s independence is ‘sacrosanct’, things cannot continue as they are. Markets, like farmers, need certainty.

On top of that, the government says it is

Many respected economists say slashing tax and funding public investment through staggering amounts of longterm borrowing is doomed to failure. The markets too have made up their minds that it is likely to fail.

When it comes to agriculture, ministers have signalled that they want to prioritise food security and productivity. But we need action and clarity – not words. British farmers deserve much, much better.

Johann Tasker Editor

England

Call to 'back British farming' amid fears for support

• Concern over size of Defra budget

• Review of environmental scheme

• Payments remain vital, say leaders

MPs and government ministers will be urged to 'back British farming' this month – and show their support for growers and livestock producers.

The cost of living crisis means the government is under pressure to re view how it spends taxpayers' money. And the election of Liz Truss as Prime Minister has fuelled concern that De fra's budget could be reduced.

Industry leaders fear newly ap pointed Defra secretary Janil Jaya wardena is already planning to scale back farm support by ordering a re view of the government's Environmen tal Land Management scheme.

Food production

The NFU's seventh annual “Back Brit ish Farming” day will take place on 2 November. It usually takes place after MPs return to the House of Commons in September. But this year's event was postponed following the death of the Queen.

Politicians will be asked to wear wheatsheaf and wool lapel badges to show their support for British farming. Previous years have seen them worn by the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition during parliamentary questions and debates enant Farmers.

Dunn said it was vital to maintain cur rent levels of public support so farmers could provide environmental benefits as well as correcting market failures within supply chains.

sure that tenant farmers had access to new schemes and were not sacri ficed so that their landlords could be rewarded with public money by recov ering possession and removing land from the let sector.

Political football

The Country Land and Business Asso ciation was more positive. CLA spokes man Jonathan Roberts: “It seems likely that the Environmental Land Man agement (ELM) rollout will continue on its current trajectory.”

Mr Roberts said he feared that the transition towards ELM would be come a political football during the Tory lead ership race, forcing the candidates to backtrack from recent progress. But this had not come to pass.

The NFU believes war in Ukraine and the energy crisis reinforces the im portance of food security – and oth er benefits brought by farmers. NFU president Minette Batters said: “Brit ish farmers and growers are often pil

The contribution of farmers must be recognised, says Minette Batters

“Whether it’s maintaining land scapes people love to visit, helping neighbours in times of extreme weath er or fundraising for local charities, NFU members often go the extra mile. With the help of MPs we're recognis ing and celebrating their invaluable contributions.”

Farm minister Mark Spencersaid he was delighted to be joining Defra – and looking looking forward to sup porting food production, the environ ment and rural communities.

Defra said it had legislated through the Environment Act and would con tinue to improve wildlife laws.

More details needed on energy relief package

An emergency package to ease spiral ling energy costs is too little too late – and leaves many questions unan swered, say industry leaders.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will see reduced energy prices for non-domestic en ergy customers – including farm businesses. The government says it will support growth, prevent unnecessary insolvencies and pro tect jobs.

But the NFU says urgent clarity is need

ed on support for food businesses after the initial six month period. NFU president Mi nette Batters said: “We simply can’t produce the food the nation needs without afforda ble energy.

"Energy played a core role in food pro duction – and throughout the food supply chain – from fertiliser production and heat ing glasshouses and livestock buildings to baking bread and keeping facilities clean.

“Because of this close link between ener

gy and food, the government must prioritise access to affordable energy for food produc tion and the food supply chain. Continued support will be key for curtailing food price inflation going forward.”

Country Land and Business Association president Mark Tufnell said: “A six-month cap is too short a time span for most busi nesses. They need certainty of their cost base if confidence is to return in the me dium term."

September saw us polish up and break out the 15:15 as harvest had finished and the drainage had started. What a start it was as well. Our first job was just up the road from the office.

The old drains on this field were just about past their best, hence we are replacing them.

Some days we are just blessed with the weather for late summer early Autumn. It could not have been more perfect.

Although some angry skies kept us on our toes!

Mind you, he did want us off the field as soon as possible as he was chasing us around with his Case Quad Trac and Sumo, clearing up the wheel marks!

This was the 3rd consecutive year we had carried out drainage for this client. A former drainage contractor himself, so we must be doing something right. A good indicator is when the client turns up in the field with coffee and cake.

SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST DRAINAGE

Local speakers take to stage at farm management conference

Event will tackle urgent questions around food and environmental security

Representatives from across the Midlands will take centre stage at a national farm management conference next month.

With the theme ‘Agriculture’s defining decade: Balancing food and environmental security, the Institute of Agricultural Management (IAgrM) farm management conference takes place on Tuesday, 1 November, at the QE2 centre, Westminster, London.

High-profile speakers at this year’s one-day event include the Right Honourable Lord Taylor of Holbeach and Phil Jarvis, chair of Albanwise Farming and Environment.

The event promises to leave no stone unturned when it comes to tackling questions around food and environmental security.

Sessions will cover the value of natural capital, how we can undo the plateauing of agricultural productivity growth and the role vertical farming, alternative proteins and cultured food could play in strengthening food security.

Changing policies

Speaking ahead of the conference, Mr Jarvis stressed the importance of adaption and flexibility to reap the rewards of a changing agricultural landscape.

“All those involved in agriculture need to be clear on what natural capital is. When it was seen as having little financial value, the discussion around who owned it was limited.

Mr Jarvis will lead a session called: “Who owns natural capital and how should it be monetised?”

The goal posts are moving, he said, so those involved in land tenure need to recognise how to maximise future opportunities. “Finding monetary solutions for natural capital will help businesses financially, but it’s equally important that these solutions benefit the environment in which our food is produced.”

Other speakers will continue the discussion on this topical area presenting on stacking and bundling and providing a land manager’s viewpoint on farming natural capital.

Emily Norton, of Savills (pictured above), will lead a session looking

is how mechanisms such as stacking and bundling can ensure profitable ecosystem service needs of society are met in harmony with demands for plentiful and affordable food.”

The conference will end with the prestigious John Alliston Memorial Lecture, held in memory of IAGrM founder Professor John Alliston, who died in 2017. Mr Gemmill will reflect on Prof Alliston’s legacy and the impact

of his work on future leaders.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach will be sum up and close this year’s conference. “I have the honour of being president of IAgrM and there has never been a time when the expertise and skills of the profession have greater relevance than now. I’m looking forward to the conference which will truly be a focus on the opportunities presented by agriculture’s defining decade.”

For more details, and to secure your ticket, visit www.iagrm.com/ conference.

76-year-old beef farmer finishes

Great North Run for charity

AShropshire beef farmer completed last month’s Great North Run – raising money for the Royal Agricultural Benebolent Institution.

NFU member Mervin Mullard, 76, of Main stone, Bishop’s Castle, said his training regime included a diet based on great British food – in cluding dairy, eggs and beef.

“I didn’t run at all during Covid, so training is harder now than I thought,” he said.

The Great North Run was his third half mara thon – although his passion for running has seen him complete a marathon, two triathlons and at

least four 10km runs over the years.

The grandfather currently sits on the county charity’s committee and over the years he has raised thousands of pounds for RABI.

Last time out, during the 35-mile Montgom ery Canal Triathlon, Mr Mullard crashed his bi cycle but still managed to complete the course despite being injured.

This year he said he was hoping for a smooth race – running the 13-mile course alongside his neice Lynsey. He said he just hoped to post a good time and raise some money for a very worthwhile cause – his target was £500.

faces key policy challenges

Regenerative farming conference at Midlands Machinery Show

• Soil health is key action point

• Technology can reduce inputs

• Impact on farming profitability

The NFU will hold a half-day conference on regenerative farming at the Midlands Machinery Show on 16 November.

The ‘mini conference’ is aimed at farmers who want to find out more about regenerative farming. It will in clude sessions on regenerative farming practices, their impact on farm prof itabilty, and talks from regenerative farmers.

Conference organiser Simon Fish er said: “Soil health is under the mi croscope at the moment, and that’s the foundation of regenerative agri culture – Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy focused on it, as does the NFU’s own Foundation of Our Food report.

“We also know that Defra is putting together a soil health action plan, and there is generally a lot of interest in regenerative farming amongst farm ers themselves – this conference will therefore help them make a bit more sense of it all.

“We know a lot of soils are deplet

ed, and if we’re going to be a more sus tainable industry going forward then we’ve got to start putting some of these things right – if nothing else for the next generation of farmers.”

Precision technology to minimise inputs and no-till drills can help with more sustainable farming. This will be a focus at the show itself, including farm business consultants offering ad vice on the various environmental and grant schemes available.

The NFU is also hoping to use the conference to run a survey about what regenerative farming practices farm ers are already using in the region, says Mr Fisher.The study aims to paint a picture of regenerative farming in the region.

“There are five regenerative farm ing principles, and a lot of farmers are probably already doing at least some of these, like cover cropping and mintill which plenty of people have been doing for about five to seven years now.

Nature recovery

Local councils will soon start to lead nature recovery strategies, so it will be important to have some hard data to help inform these.“It will be interest ing to see who is doing what, and how many are engaged in the full regener ative farming spectrum.”

This is the third time the NFU has held a mini conference at the Midlands Machinery Show – always with a focus on the environment. Previous topics

have included carbon and farming for public goods.

The conference will be chaired by NFU vice president David Exwood. He said: “The growth in interest about regenerative farming is clear. Our role is to help members understand the principles and how it might fit into their businesses as food producers.”

The Midlands Machinery Show will be held on 16-17 November at Newark Showground, with numerous companies exhibiting machinery which those looking to farm more sustainably and reduce their inputs may be interested in.

For tickets and information visit www.midlandsmachineryshow.com

The Midlands Machinery Show takes place next month

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Hold your nerve to beat blackgrass, growers told

• Avoid temptation to drill sooner

• Delayed sowing is good strategy

• October crops often yield better

Growers with a known black grass burden shouldn’t be lured into bringing winter wheat drilling dates forwards, say experts.

Much of the region has seen im proved soil moisture levels follow ing the dry, early harvest. But farm ers should hold their nerve and delay drilling for as long as is practicably pos sible, says Mike Thornton, head of crop production for agronomy firm ProCam.

“Rushing out to drill just because we’ve seen some decent rainfall events in the last few weeks would be counterproductive,” says Mr Thornton.

“Instead, delaying drilling until mid-October – or even into Novem ber where weather conditions allow – provides a fantastic opportunity to create some really good stale seedbeds after this year’s early harvest.”

While a significant proportion of wheat growers with a severe blackgrass problem might aspire to delay their drilling date for as long as pos sible, it remains to be seen how many will actually hold their nerve.

“There’s a lot of talk about how this year might mirror the historic sum mer drought and infamously wet au tumn of 1976,” Mr Thornton says. “We could be heading into another wet end to the year – but the truth is no-one re ally knows.”

Yield impact

“Delaying drilling so weeds can germi nate and be controlled before the next crop is planted is still the best tactic on high-risk land. It therefore makes sense to play the long game and to keep the brakes on the drill until the first flush of weeds is eliminated.”

ProCam recently undertook a se

ries of multi-year trials at its Stock bridge Technology Centre to demon strate how delaying drilling can affect yield. The results confirmed that de layed drilling is a good strategy, says Mr Thornton.

Different winter wheat varieties sown at monthly intervals from Sep tember onwards sought to demon strate how drilling date can affect yield. Crops sown in October produced the best yields, rather than those sown in October.

“That might sound illogical but it actually makes a lot of sense. That’s because, compared with September, there’s likely to be more soil moisture for germination in October and seed beds should be more weathered down to aid crop establishment.

More grass weed seeds should also have germinated by October there fore allowing for better control before planting commences. Residual herbi cides should also be more effective and persist for longer in October’s cooler, moist soils,

“This will benefit later-drilled crops

Autumn conditions are ideal for stale seedbeds, says Mike Thornton.

where there may only be time to make a single treatment compared to earli er-sown crops which might need both pre- and peri-emergence applications.”

For both strategies, drilling cere al seed to the correct depth is crucial from a crop safety perspective, so it pays to scrutinise herbicide product labels before drilling commences, adds Mr Thornton.

Added benefits

Later-drilled crops might also face a re duced threat from barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) infection – due to lower air temperatures reducing the activi ty of disease-vectoring aphids – with later-drilled second wheats also less likely to be affected by take-all.

“In both cases there’s no guaran tee later drilling will reduce the level of risk, especially as it’s unlikely tem peratures will suddenly drop off a cliff over the next few weeks, so both risks will still need to be monitored.

“But these are added potential benefits for growers whose resolve to delay drilling might be wavering.”

Farmers should hold their nerve “

Resurgence of interest in Merit winter wheat

Breeder Elsoms is reporting renewed interest in Group 3 soft wheat Merit.

Strong on resistance to both Septo ria tritici and yellow rust, Merit has multiple end markets. And its popular ity is no surprise to Lincolnshire farm er Tim Booth, of JM Booth and Sons.

Based in Swineshead, near Boston, and managing a total cropping area of 404ha, Mr Booth has been growing Group 3 wheats for several years. The variety offers more flexibility of end markets – and is easy to meet milling specification, he says.

“As a business we tend to concen trate on feed wheats, staying away from milling wheats and the complex ities of meeting full milling specifica tions. However, I do grow Group 3 va rieties if they yield consistently and are easy to manage.”

Mr Booth grew Merit for the third year last season. He drilled 34.7ha on 13 October into a high Grade 2 silt as a

good first wheat entry after peas.

“It established very well through the early autumn, competing well against our main weed burden of black gras. With the help of a mild winter, it pushed on nicely into the spring, fol lowing 250kg/ha of nitrogen applied across two splits in early March and early April. ”

Spray programme

No T0 was applied, with a fairly stand ard fungicide programme of Fluxapy roxad + Pyraclostrobin for Septoria and rust control at T1, along with a PGR of 0.75l/ha of Chlormequat. At T2, Mr Booth applied Fenpicoxamid at 1.2l/ha – again for Septoria – with 0.4l/ha of Prothioconazole as an ear spray at T3.

“Although we did have yellow rust pressure in our area this year, Merit has always been strong on its resist ance to yellow rust and the crop re mained very clean right through till

harvest. We cut on 31 July and were re warded with an average yield of 10.7t/ ha at 13.6% moisture, ahead of our two previous yields for the variety.

The specific weight was 80kg/hl with a Hagberg falling number of 258 and Merit produced a nice bold grain with the overall quality in the shed looking extremely good.

More growers are showing interest in Group 3 wheat Merit

Drought underlines case for resilient varieties

Unpredictable weather – highlighted by this summer’s drought – emphasises the case for resilient winter wheat varieties in different conditions.

Good root growth in particular is associated with improved scavenging for soil moisture and nutrients –useful when conditions are drier, says Syngenta wheat seeds technical expert Matthew Bull. Other characteristics also improve resilience.

“Although grain prices are healthy, high fertiliser costs mean there is very little slack in the system to gamble with yield,” says Mr Bull. “Unpredictable weather only adds to the argument for choosing varieties that perform reliably.”

Characteristics to consider include choosing varieties that have five years of solid yield data on the AHDB Recommended List (RL) – and which have maintained good yields over this timescale, adds Mr Bull.

“Consider how the variety has performed on light soil, which is likely to dry out sooner if rainfall is lacking. And consider varieties which maintain a good specific weight, which have good tiller retention, and offer drilling date flexibility.”

Increased interest

In addition, Mr Bull says the rooting ability of varieties is attracting increased interest. Hybrid barley is known for its vigorous rooting, but there is also emerging evidence of strong root growth in the winter feed wheat variety SY Insitor.

“Independent seedling rooting assessment revealed that SY Insitor produced 13% more total root length than a leading alternative variety.”

This is in addition to other independent measurements where SY Insitor was found to have very strong root anchorage. SY Insitor also has the highest light land yield figure on the AHDB winter wheat recommended list for 2022-23.

“We believe its good rooting is due to SY Insitor being a fast-growing variety. Rapid-developing roots also help to facilitate a variety’s performance when drilled later.”

Different crop characteristics help improve resilience, says Matthew Bull.

Where November-drilled SY Insitor was protected with the seed treatment Vibrance Duo in trial work last season, its root length was increased by 85% over an alternative seed treatment, says Mr Bull.

Early yield data suggests that several earlier-maturing varieties, such as Graham, outperformed their five-year average yield during the drought-hit 2022 season, according to Syngenta.

“Other important variety characteristics to look at include disease resistance and orange wheat blossom midge resistance, if this is a concern.”

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Three key decisions for autumn cereal establishment

Rainfall last month has thankfully ended fears of a prolonged drought. But skyrocketing input costs – including fertiliser – mean a challenging autumn for crop establishment.

This means growers must balance the need to get crops in the ground with long-term term weed problems. A consequence of this is difficult decisions ahead – but three considerations can help farmers achieve the desired outcome.

1 Drilling date

Drilling wheat from mid-October typically reduces blackgrass and Italian ryegrass numbers .It also provides better conditions for residual herbicides to protect crops. But the downsides are the possibility of lower yields and the risk of a repeat of 2019 where crops simply couldn’t be drilled.

This season, we expect financial drivers will push people to get drilled up earlier than when market conditions were more stable and farmers could focus on cleaning up weed problems. Without knowing what the weather will be in mid-October, there is no right answer, it’s just about balancing the risks.

Growers should prioritise fields so those with major weed problems get drilled last and can be switched to a spring crop if the weather turns. Whatever date crops are drilled, apply any pre-emergence herbicides at the true preemergence timing for the most reliable control of weeds.

2 Winter barley

Barley is an alternative to wheat for farmers who want to drill early but who are wary of weeds. It is

generally more competitive and the lower nutrient requirements could be helpful this season.

Establishment is vital in winter barley to get the benefit of crop competition. Make sure there is enough moisture in the seedbed for consistent germination at the typical drilling date in late September.

This season, growers have the option of using Proclus (aclonifen) with Liberator (flufenacet + diflufenican) in winter barley. The last two autumns has shown it is an effective combination against grass weeds in wheat.

Aclonifen also retains efficacy in drier conditions which may be a factor if dry weather returns.

3 Glyphosate

result, autumn workloads may be quite tight. One option to simplify workloads is to apply glyphosate in the pre-em tank mix rather than as a separate spray pre-drilling.

There are two scenarios where this might help. The first is where there is limited germination and farmers are keen to start drilling. The second is where there is a gap of a week or so between spray off and drilling.

It's just about balancing the risks“

There can be lots of germination in this gap particularly in early October when we start to see the main flush of black-grass and ryegrass.

Any tank mix with glyphosate must go on at the true pre-em timing, within 48 hours of drilling. But provided all precautions are taken, it may solve some workload difficulties.

Getting value for money from costly farm inputs is vital, says Tom Chillcott of Bayer.

Difficult decisions can be overcome, says Tom Chillcott (below).

Lack of moisture delayed plans for cultivation and subsequent germination of weeds. As a

Seedbed moisture is important for consistent germination

Study highlights grassweed successes – and concerns

• Autumn pre-emergence strategy works

• Mix of measures are yielding results

• Ryegrass and wild oats are challenge

East Anglia growers are finding success against black-grass – but more problems with ryegrass and wild oats.

What’s more, many farms appear to be missing a valuable trick by concentrating their wild oat control on the spring rather than making the most of the excellent opportunity they have with their autumn pre-ems.

These are among the key findings of the latest national grassweed management study undertaken this summer by Gowan Crop Protection. The survey included more than 50 growers from the eastern counties.

In total, some 260 farmers across the country participated in the study. Together, they manage almost 90,000ha of cropping, with a range of enterprises, establishment regimes and weed management practices.

The study shows black-grass, ryegrass, brome and wild oat infestations continue to be widespread across the region. Fully 94% of growers are having problems with black-grass, for

instance, 88% with wild oats, 68% with bromes and 48% with ryegrass.

More growers are still reporting an increase than a decrease in problems in most cases. However, the proportion seeing increasing blackgrass problems

FIGURE 1 PROBLEMS

is much lower than it was in the similarly comprehensive national survey conducted by Bayer in 2016 (Figure 1).

“This clearly suggests the integrated approaches growers have been taking to deal with black-grass in recent years are having the desired effect,” says study co-ordinator, Hank King of Gowan.

“Some slight improvement also seems to be evident as far as bromes are concerned. Unfortunately, the

>>

Below: More growers are reporting challenges with grassweeds

same cannot be said for ryegrass and wild oats, though. In both cases, the proportion of growers seeing increasing problems with these weeds over the past four seasons has risen noticeably.

“Equally concerning is the fact that problems with mixed grassweeds rather than just single species are being reported by around a quarter of eastern growers; especially so since control measures that work well with one species may not be the most appropriate for others.”

Key challenges

The 2022 study shows black-grass remains the most significant grassweed issue for most Eastern growers, with nearly a third reporting problems across half or more of their winter cereals area, and almost two thirds across more than 10%.

Wild oats are the second most problematic grassweed with bromes and ryegrass both somewhat less significant in their scale.

Black-grass with wild oats and black-grass with bromes are the most widely encountered grassweed combinations, with wild oats proving problematic in combination with other species for more than half the growers.

“Grassweed problems continue to be most significant under reduced tillage regimes and less so in ploughbased establishment systems,” notes Mr King.

“At the same time, noticeably higher proportions of growers than average with both shallow min till and no till regimes are reporting increases in blackgrass, brome and ryegrass problems.”

Herbicide resistant black-grass is continuing to cause issues for large numbers of East Anglian growers, reveals the study, almost 70% reporting serious or very serious problems with resistance.

Around 15% are seeing similar-

ly concerning resistance problems in ryegrass, with 7% finding issues that may be resistance-related in bromes.

Underlining the generally improving black-grass control position, rather fewer growers than in 2016 say they are encountering particular resistance problems. In contrast, greater proportions now are finding resistance problems with ryegrass.

Herbicide programmes

Chemical black-grass, brome and ryegrass control efforts in winter cereals continue to be concentrated on preplanting stubble and pre-emergence treatments, with noticeably greater reliance on pre-ems than in the past.

In all three cases, however, around a third of growers are using a spring herbicide as part of their treatment programme. This increases to over 40% and two thirds respectively where mixed grassweeds and wild oats are the targets.

The winter wheat grassweed herbicide bill averaged just over £85/ha last season, with nearly a third of eastern region growers spending more than £100/ha (Figure 2)

The highest winter wheat grassweed herbicide bills are clearly associated with greater use of shallow or mintilling; more widespread black-grass problems; particular issues with resistant black-grass, ryegrass and bromes; and mixed grassweed populations.

Just over half of growers are currently using Avadex (tri-allate) as part of their pre-em programmes. Usage is closely related to the scale and severity of black-grass, brome or ryegrass problems. Interestingly, though, this is not the case with wild oats.

“Growers and their agronomists are missing a valuable trick here,” says Mr King. “Avadex was introduced way back in 1961 as a wild oat killer, and long-standing trial and commercial ex-

FIGURE 2 SCALE OF GRASSWEED PROBLEMS

perience shows it is highly effective at controlling spring-emerging wild oats from autumn pre-em application.

“The data shows the vast majority of Avadex users value the herbicide for adding extra grassweed control beyond just black-grass to their pre-em programmes, while large numbers also appreciate it for the protection it gives other herbicides against resistance development.

“Sadly, though, around two-thirds of growers are failing to appreciate triallate’s value in wild oat control. This is a great shame since employing Avadex in the autumn for its additional blackgrass, brome and ryegrass control will, in many cases, make spring wild oat treatment unnecessary.

“What’s more, our liquid formulation, Avadex Factor which is compatible with the vast majority of pre-em herbicides eliminates the need for specialist application equipment and or an extra pass.”

Cultural controls

Alongside their herbicide programmes, growers are currently employing an average of 9.7 of 12 main cultural techniques to manage grassweeds. This is an encouraging increase on the average of 6.3 of the same techniques identified in the 2016 survey.

The six most widely used cultural grassweed controls – each employed by 85% or more of growers – continue to be spring cropping, delayed autumn drilling, stale seedbeds, competi-

Percentage of Eastern & East Anglian winter cereals area affected

[Source: National Grassweed Management Study 2022 – Gowan]

The plough still has a place in weed control, says Hank King

Integrated approaches are having the desired effect “

Arable

tive varieties, rotational ploughing and increased seed rates.

“Underlining their value, all these most widely used cultural techniques scored relatively highly for their effectiveness on our 1-5 scale,” says Mr King. Of the 12 main techniques, only cover cropping, grass breaks, fallowing, spraying-off infested crops and hand roguing scored less than 3.0 (Figure 3)

Paying dividends

“We must never be complacent, of course, but the increasing use of integrated weed management programmes utilising the best chemical and cultural controls seems to be paying dividends in allowing growers to combat even the most problematic black-grass.

“The key challenge is to maintain this progress while bearing down on the increasing threat from wild oats and ryegrass as well as bromes – often in combination – which can be even more damaging to crop performance.

“To do so while responding to growing economic and environmental pressures to reduce tillage as far as possible.”

FIGURE 3 SPENDING

Percentage of eastern region growers spending on herbicides [Source: National Grassweed Management Study 2022 – Gowan]

Post-harvest Review

Growers to have say on digital grain passports

• Webinars explain plan to growers

• Data-sharing challenge 'resolved'

• Benefits across the supply chain

Cereal growers are being given the chance to decide whether to do away with paper grain pass ports and move to a digital system.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board says the move will provide a two-way data flow for all com binable crop supply chains across the UK. It says the benefits include a uni versal system of returning weight and quality data back to growers.

The key proposal is to replace the existing paper passport with a digi tal solution. A similar plan ended up being shelved when it was proposed five years ago after farmers and pro cessors failed to reach agreement on data-sharing.

But the AHDB believes that chal lenge can now be overcome. It is hold ing a series of webinars throughout October to explain the proposal to

growers, storekeepers, merchants, pro cessors, hauliers – and anyone else in volved in grain logistics.

Prototype system

The webinar will introduce growers to the Digital Grain Passport – taking farmers through a demonstration of a prototype system so they can see how it

Benefits at a glance

The AHDB says a digital system would make everyone's life easier

will work in practice. The AHDB says there will be time for growers to give feedback and ask questions.

“While it might sound like a daunt ing change at first, switching to digi tal will mean you will no longer have to keep a stock of paper passports or worry about not having the right stick ers. Everything you need will be avail able at the touch of a button.”

The AHDB emphasises that a deci sion on the passport has not yet been made. It says growers will be given their say following a full consultation process with the industry,which in cludes the October webinars.

In terms of data protection, only those parties involved in each load of grain will be able to access data relat ing to that load. For more complex ar rangements such as string trades, the AHDB said it would ensure a solution acceptable to all parties.

How best to manage risk

Managing risk during a challenging eco nomic climate will be the theme of the AHDB’s annual grain marketing con ference next month.

The Grain Market Outlook Conference will take place on 22 November at the Belton Woods Hotel, Grantham, Lincolnshire. Speakers will include market analysts and experts in eco nomic forecasting.

This year has brought some of the most chal lenging circumstances the domestic grain sup ply chain has seen for decades, says the AHDB. Rising energy costs, and the impact on fertilis er cost, poses a threat to domestic grain and oil seed production.

“With the outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine, price volatility in global grain and oilseed markets has heightened. While costs

remain high, making decisions in the domes tic grain supply chain remain very difficult.”

The conference aims to prepare growers and the wider UK grain and oilseed supply chain for another season of challenges by providing insight into the direction of domestic grain and rapeseed prices.

Usually held in London, this year’s confer ence is being held in Lincolnshire to make it easier for farmers to attend. The AHDB said it hoped the event would be a useful tool against the challenging situation faced by the sector.

Discussion will include a debate about new demand for combinable crops within the in dustry – as well as a discussion around ways to manage risk in a volatile marketplace, in cluding when best to sell grain.

For full details, visit ahdb.org.uk

Exploratory work

The proposals have been years in the making. Discussions between key industry trade associations, in cluding the NFU, AIC and UK Flour Millers, led to the AHDB being ap proached to undertake exploratory work in 2020.

The key objectives were to review the work done during the earlier 20122017 pilot project. This was then built on – answering key questions such as how much it would cost to build and implement, and how could it be owned and funded

If the industry decides to go ahead with a digital passport, the new sys tem will be introduced over the com ing year. Paper passports would then start to be phased out over a two-year period from September 2023.

Don’t waste money storing rotten potatoes, growers warned

High disease risk and astronomical energy prices mean seed potato growers should apply a fungicide to tubers to avoid storing waste that will be thrown away next spring.

That is the advice of independent potato consultant Paul Overton, who added that tubers would likely spend extra time in store due to uncertainty surrounding next year’s cropping plans.

This will push growers to make lastminute decisions on seed and force a larger proportion of grading and delivery of domestic orders into March, rather than February.

This extra month’s storage will only increase the already high risk of tubers breaking down to disease following a harvest where conditions have been very conducive for pathogens like Fusarium.

Dry rot

The Fusarium species that infect tubers and cause dry rot are most prevalent when tuber damage at harvest is high, allowing the fungus to get under the skin and develop in store.

Despite conditions starting to cool and rain arriving to wet soils, the disease risk of dry rot is still very present, says Mr Overton. So too is the risk of pink rot (Phytophthora erythroseptica) and watery wound rot (Pythium spp)

“Tuber temperatures are still 20C, or higher in some areas, which makes crops incredibly difficult to manage. It will be a slow process getting wounds to heal and crops down to cold store holding temperatures. The relatively warm nights aren’t helping either.”

At today’s energy prices, this will also be a costly process, and likewise keeping crops in store until spring.

Tuber treatment

A good strategy in a high-risk year like this is to apply a “base coat” of a fungicide tuber treatment like Gavel (imazalil) as soon as possible after harvest, says Mr Overton.

This will help protect open wounds and prevent disease ingress, leading to fewer losses at grading. “Storing tubers just to throw them out is very expensive – perhaps more than people realise – and the treatments will comfortably pay for themselves.

Treatments are often best applied using a nozzle over a roller table.

“Many varieties we grow are susceptible now and in very high-risk stocks, it might also be wise to consider mixing or sequencing Gavel with Storite Excel (thiabendazole) for additional protection.”

SAC Consulting and Certis Belchim’s Tubercare website both provide good reference material for carrying out storage disease risk assessments and how to apply storage fungicides effectively, says Mr Overton.

“Good coverage through sound application is key – they are best applied using a hooded sprayer with twin rotating nozzle over a roller table,” he concludes.

How to choose the most suitable grain dryer

EXPERT VIEW

Growers should take steps now update ageing grain drying systems, says John McArthur.

Like many UK businesses, farm ing is having a bumpy ride. Ris ing inflation saw input prices increase by 33.1% in the year to June – largely driven by the spiralling cost of feed, fertiliser and fuel, according to the latest Defra figures.

One month later, farm business con sultants Andersons calculated a 23.5% increase in ag-inflation for the year to July – outweighing the consumer price

index which stood at 10.1% during the same month.

The prolonged dry spell this har vest provided some respite from the economic doom and gloom for arable growers. But the drought continued to curtail the potential of many crops, in cluding potatoes and sugar beet.

Many cereal growers were able to finish harvest in record time with rea sonable yields. But while lack of rain meant there was no need to dry grain, crops going into store required rapid cooling, limiting savings on fuel.

It is of course, impossible to predict the weather we can expect for harvest 2023. But a repeat of this year so soon is perhaps unlikely. And there is a good chance that grain driers will once again be called into action.

Now is a good time to consider up dating ageing grain drying systems –

Top: McArthur-Mecmar S 45 F with Skandia elevator grain hanlding equipment in East Midlands Above: McArthur-BDC SVEGMA SV5-4 27tph continous flow drier in the Scottish Borders

or taking steps to increase grain drying capacity to help ensure harvest 2023 goes as smoothly and profitably as possible.

A grain drier will cost more to run over its service life than the initial capital investment so with the current economic landscape, it has seldom been so important to think very carefully about which drier will meet your individual requirements.

A drier that optimises energy usage will help increase the return on investment.

Budget

It would also be prudent to take some time to discuss what you think you need – and your budget – with a grain equipment specialist, who is willing to share their expertise with you. This advice will help you to carefully and knowledgably consider the grain drier options available.

If you have existing grain drying storage but need to increase your drying capacity, then you should consider a mobile grain dryer.

Mecmar mobile dryers are simple and easy to use and offer unique ener-

Continued overleaf

Boo Parkes of Weelsby Estates, near Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire, took the decision to invest in two 3607 Sukup drying silos, providing approximately 1,000 tonnes of storage.

“The new equipment replaced an ageing silo system and hugely simplified our harvest operations” says Boo Parkes.

“The Sukup drying silos are a great fit for our system and delivered the extra storage and drying capacity the farm needed. They easily meet the additional demands of the larger combine. In a word they are brilliant.”

David Casswell based near South Kyme, on the other side of the Lincolnshire Wolds to Boo Parkes, chose a single 4207 Sukup drying silo to provide approximately 700 tonnes of additional storage for his spring barley.

“From first contact, both McArthur Agriculture and Sukup did an outstanding job”, says Mr Casswell.

“The silo was erected in a very short space of time by a passionate and dedicated team.

Importantly, support has been readily available as required during our first harvest with the new system.”

Post-harvest Review

from

gy saving and performance enhancing features. Their full-length stainlesssteel furnace, plenum air distribution systems and high open space perfo rated screens are designed to deliver more airflow and greater drying ca pacity with less energy.

Development work to further re duce the Mecmar’s energy usage while maintaining grain drying performance is currently underway. The accurate collection of fuel and power data will deliver a comprehensive view of run ning costs.

This visibility will enable the op timisation of the Mecmar to deliver greater economy or more performance.

The Mecmar mobile grain dryer is a good solution should you need flexi bility from your investment in a grain dryer. For example, if you are supple menting existing grain drying infra structure, the Mecmar adds another string to the bow. Or as a tenant or contract farmer you may need grain drying capacity without investing in fixed equipment.

Good solution

Another option is the Sukup grain dry

ing silo which has long been the drier of choice across northern Europe and Scandinavia and is now building up a following in the British market.

The Sukup silos combine the capa bility to dry, cool and store combinable crops, requiring little labour and elim inating the need for re-handling grain.

This all-in-one solution works per fectly for farming enterprises with no existing drying and storage facilities or looking to add to existing capacity. Those looking for a drier with a high daily throughput should consider a Svegma Continuous Flow drier.

Available from BDC Systems, part of McArthur Agriculture, Sveg ma driers have an industry leading reputation for outstanding quality and efficiency. Originally developed to withstand the harsh drying conditions in Scandinavia, Svegma driers are ro bust and reliable - manufactured from heavy gauge galvanised steel sheet they deliver long life and durability.

Track record

Suitable for all free-flowing crops the Svegma drier has the ability to handle 100 tonnes per hour, at the same time as delivering low energy consumption.

With a lateral fixing system that has no fastenings or ledges inside the grain column to hinder grain flow, the Sveg ma is able to handle wet grain.

“We chose a Svegma drier, not only because of its proven track record, but as we have to finish harvest as quickly as possible it is likely that we will need to combine grain with a high moisture content,” says Robert Huddlestone of Huddlestone Produce, East Yorkshire.

Harvest of his wheat, grown as a break crop, cannot hold up work around the main crop of swedes grown for wholesale markets.

To be sure that you select the right drier for you, don’t miss the opportu nity to take advice from the experts in all things grain handling on 8, 9, 10 No vember 2022, when the McArthur Ag riculture team will be hosting its annu al Open Days at its Scunthorpe depot.

The Open Days will also give you the chance see McArthur Agriculture’s extensive range of grain drying, pro cessing and storage equipment.

John McArthur is managing director of grain experts McArthur Agriculture. For more details, visit www.mcarthuragriculture.co.uk

Take advice from the experts at open days “

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'Super-rats' unwittingly bred on farms says study

• Rats resistant to rodenticides

• Traditional poisons don't work

• New product is now available

Most farmers don't know if their farm is in an area of known rodenticide resistance, reveals a survey by pest control solutions company BASF.

The research – which looked at onfarm rodent control measures and rodenticide usage – found that an overwhelming 88% of those surveyed were unsure if resistance to certain baits had been reported in their region.

When asked, one third of farmers were not aware that rodenticide resistance was even an issue to consider when selecting which bait to use on their land, despite over 90% of farmers having used rodenticides on their farm in the past 12 months.

In fact, farmers could be unknowingly contributing to the spread of “super rats,” which are resistant to baits containing first generation anticoagulants – as well as those containing second-generation anticoagulants difenacoum and bromadiolone.

BASF key account manager Helen Hall said: “The issue of rodenticide resistance is problematic for many farmers, who may be unknowingly contributing to the pest problems on their farms.”

Heavy cost

Although traditional difenacoum and bromadiolone baits should control nonresistant rodents, resistant rats could spread disease, destroy equipment, and contaminate animal feed – ultimately costing farmers a lot of money.

“Growing populations of “superrats” will be unaffected by these traditional poisons and will continue to reproduce, thus breeding more rats with the mutated gene and creating an even wider issue of resistant rodents throughout the area.”

The findings come as BASF launches its new “resistance breaking” roden-

ticide Selontra, into the rural market. It features the active ingredient cholecalciferol, used to break the cycle of resistance and control infestations in as few as seven days.

Cholecalciferol, the active ingredient in Selontra, causes death by depositing too much calcium in the blood. It has a stop feed effect, causing rodents to cease feeding approximately 24 hours after a lethal dose has been achieved

Ms Hall said: “It also stops them moving around, minimising any further cost or risk impact such as the spread of disease, reducing damage to property, and preventing additional bio-security contamination.”

To help raise awareness of roden-

Rodenticide resistance is problematic “

ticide resistance and encourage best practice across UK farms, BASF has launched a new digital portal offering farmers an interactive rodent control training programme.

Developed by rodent infestation expert Oliver Madge, the Real Results Virtual Farm CPD portal, explains different areas of rodent control. It then asks users to complete a CRRU-recognised exam for the Safe Use of Rodenticides.

Ms Hall said three quarters of farmers said they are keen to learn more about rodent control on farms. “We hope this new platform will enable many to gain more knowledge and understanding of biology, behaviour and best practice.”

New rodenticide available this autumn

Aprofessional-use cholecalciferol rodenticide is now available for use in open areas and burrows.

It follows a partnership between Bayer and Lodi UK. Bayer national account manager Ken Black said this is the first new product on the market with extensive label usage for a very long time.

Mr Black said: “Harmonix Rodent Paste marks a new era in pest control, and we’re really excited to bring it to the market, at a time when anticoagulants resistance and labels on

other products are becoming more restrictive.”

The new product is not persistent or bioaccumulative in the environment. It also has a stop feeding effect. “Initial research shows that 50% less bait is consumed during a rodent campaign, when using this solution,” said Mr Black.

“The stop feeding effect means rodents lose their appetite after a few days, reducing bait intake while offering successful control. This option also has environmental advantages as there’s less rodenticides entering the environment.”

Remapping boosts power from combine harvester

Taking on extra land can mean expensive outlays on bigger equipment. But increasing the power of existing machines can be a cost-effective alternative.

When it comes to farm machinery, Bedfordshire farmer Nigel Barnes prefers to invest in good quality second-hand equipment rather than buying new.

It’s a policy which Mr Barnes says means he retains full control over the machines he runs – including a be spoke engine remap to release some extra output from his 2015 Claas Lex ion 770 combine harvester.

Clayhill Farm is an 800ha setup with owned land and contract farm ing agreements for different customers near its base in Westoning, on the out skirts of Bedford. It relies on a variety of front-line machines up to two dec ades old to help cover the arable area.

The Lexion 770 was purchased after Mr Barnes took on extra land last year – although the move to Claas came with the inevitable learning curve af ter running New Holland combines for 20 years.

During the first season, Mr Barnes felt the Claas was lacking torque when presented with some heavy crops and required some extra power to maintain a consistent forward speed.

“The biggest issue was in heavy crops; the combine’s engine would become bogged down and reach 100 percent load too quickly. This meant I’d need to pull the lever back to re duce forward speed to allow the feed mechanisms to catch up. The result was lumpy crop flow and compromised rotary performance due to the lack of power.”

Extra capacity

As well as having Claas dealer Olivers on his doorstep, Mr Barnes researched the make and model, alongside talking to fellow Lexion owners, before com mitting to the purchase.

The 40ft 770 replaced a 30ft New Holland CR9080 to allow him to keep his contract customers happy dur ing the busy period, he says. “We buy equipment that is right for the farm and Olivers had the machine when we were looking to change.

“We’ve never been afraid to own ma chinery outside of a warranty period and maintain it ourselves. For what I paid for the 770, I would be look ing at the range below if I spent the same money on a new combine, which means we wouldn’t be able to handle the acreage.”

However, to increase the power and avoid a costly decision to trade his re cent acquisition for a bigger machine after only one season, Mr Barnes con tacted Avon Tuning about its profes sional engine remapping service as a cost-effective alternative for increas ing work efficiencies.

Testing the remap is key part of a successful installation

“I went to see Avon Tuning at Lam ma, who said that uprating combine engine capacity was becoming popu lar and increasing power to the next model up in the range was possible if the running gear and cooling system were compatible.

“The Lexion 770 is almost identical to its bigger sibling, the 780. There are a few changes such as a bigger grain tank and different concaves, but the en gine, transmission and cooling pack ages are identical. Avon Tuning ad vised me that matching the power of the 780 model on my machine would be safe and they had experience of do ing it already.”

Installation

Increasing power and torque of an en gine is fundamental for boosting per formance. The install is carried out on farm but making sure the machine can

handle the increase before the works is more important, as Gareth Jones, from Avon Tuning explains.

“We run checks on the machine we are installing a remap onto to know if it is running the drivetrain and ancil laries to match the increase in power. We will always advise the customer if we think their machine isn’t able to handle a boost in performance.”

An install is carried out in around two hours and involves downloading the original maps from the machine’s ECU, which are saved if the custom er requires them to be uploaded back onto the machine later.

“The new map, in this instance from a Lexion 780, is then downloaded from the secure website portal and up loaded via our hardware onto the ma chine. We can tweak maps depending on what the individual customer re quires, with the majority tailored to specific needs.

“For tractor upgrades we dyno test the output to ensure the changes we have made are having the required ef fect, while for combines we monitor the engine characterises over several hours to check the new software has changed the output as intended and within the engine’s verified toleranc es,” adds Mr Jones.

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Technology designed to save energy and labour

Drying grain precisely is complex – but doing it correctly achieves the best grain quality for the best price. Future-proofed and automated dryer control – the sophistication of Tornum’s market leading application can make this a reality.

Relying on manual drying can risk either not attaining the desired moisture content or over drying the grain which is a costly exercise – by over drying to 13% instead of 14% can typically add up to 20% to your energy bill.

The Tornum Intelligent Dryer Control (IDC) is a software-based control system which continuously monitors incoming moisture content. It also controls dryer speed to ensure precise average moisture content – irrespective of outside weather conditions

Remote data includes the number of discharges per hour, chosen moisture content, drying air temperature and

a moisture tolerance. The latter is a reaction to fluctuations with incoming moisture content and is a reference to the intelligent control.

This lets the IDC counter any effect of over-drying grain caused by sudden moisture content fluctuations and is achieved by automatically releasing grain with a slightly higher moisture content, to average out in-store variations.

Labour hours are greatly reduced by not having to rely on basic monitoring systems and crucially over drying is always kept to an absolute minimum – thus having a huge impact on costs.

A recent installation of the IDC software at Laurence Kirkby Farms, Lincolnshire, has received positive feedback from George Strawson of Active Business Partnerships, who manages the 800ha estate.

“Drying grain is now a very easy process that no longer needs a member of staff permanently watching what’s going on,” says Mr Strawson.

every time there is an issue.

“Although relying on one manufacturer and buying new machines every few years has its benefits, I believe you end up paying about the same in warranty as you do in depreciation to own older machines in the long run.”

The difference is more options when it comes to breakdowns, whereas with newer machines you are tied to the main dealer, adds Mr Barnes.

“For our tillage work, we run a 2001 Claas Challenger 95E, a 2008 Case Quadtrac 485 and a 2014 Fendt 936, which all offer reliable horsepower purchased for a fraction of the price of an equivalent new machine.

“We’ve reconditioned the Quadtrac’s gearbox and fitted two new tracks during our ownership, which would be like a regular finance payment on a new machine over the same period.

“It is a similar story when we want to increase engine power by remapping. There is no need for us to contact the dealer or do the remapping work behind their backs as we own the machines and won’t be invalidating any warranties. We maintain good relationships with dealers for backup, but the extra output from remapping will increase our work efficiencies.”

JWI UK director Charles White says: “All of our current and upcoming projects incorporate the IDC system –so it won’t be long before our customers are reaping the benefits of this market leading application.”

Nigel Barnes believes in getting value for money from his machinery

The dryer can be monitored via smartphone

Winter livestock

Drought-stressed maize is more likely to present mycotoxin risk

• Difficult conditions for forage maize

• Keep watch for mycotoxin problem

Dairy farmers are being warned of a heightened mycotoxin risk when feeding maize forage this autumn and winter.

Hot summer weather means many maize forage crops were grown under drought stressed conditions – increas ing the likelihood of in-field mycotox ins developing, says Wynnstay dairy specialist Beth Parry.

“With potentially limited forage stocks following a difficult growing sea son, farmers are going to need to max imise feed utilisation and digestion to ensure performance isn’t impacted too greatly this winter,” she says.

“In-field mycotoxins are more like ly to be present in silages if the crop experienced any kind of stress, such as growing in drought conditions, be cause moulds and fungi will have had more opportunity to take hold and pro duce mycotoxins.”

Mould and fungi

Ms Parry recommends farmers con sider the impact of extreme weather during the growing season on their maize crops. “If a maize plant was un der stress while it was tasseling, that will have added to the risk of in-field mycotoxins developing.

“Unfortunately, there’s no way to overcome the fact that stressful grow ing conditions increase the likelihood of moulds and fungi moving in and produc ing mycotoxins, which then remain pre sent in the forage once it’s in the clamp.”

Feeding mycotoxins to cows can trigger a range of herd health prob lems, including loose muck, poor fertil ity, swollen hocks, elevated cell counts, impaired rumen function and a reduc tion in daily milk production.

“Essentially, any unexplained signs of poor health or performance can po tentially be caused by presence of my cotoxins in forage,” says Ms Parry.

“If you’re aware there’s a risk of my

er to prevent the negative impacts on your herd.”

There are more than 400 mycotoxin types which can cause health issues in dairy cows. But a broad-spectrum my cotoxin binder will lock up most myco toxins before they are absorbed by the cow, allowing them to pass out in the muck without causing harm.

“There are some mycotoxins which

“Restore5+ contains yeast extracts which trigger these bio-transforma tions, enabling key mycotoxins to be bound and excreted. It can also prevent oxidative stress, restore liver function and stimulate an immune response, improving resilience to disease.”.

Including a mycotoxin binder into the ration costs about 10p per cow per day, says Mrs Parry.

High quality rations will help to maximise feed utilisation

For more on for age maize and winter fodder, see pages 33-39.

Crop trials to diversify winter fodder

Livestock farmers are leading research into diverse winter grazing crops to cut feed and input costs while boosting soil health and biodiversity.

The Innovative Farmers field lab project is comparing their usual winter forage of a single species brassica mono-culture with a diverse, 16 species fodder crop mix – includ ing clovers, hairy vetch, ryegrass, spring oats, kale and linseed.

The aim is to provide a nutritional crop that maintains animal health and performance, while at the same time reducing soil erosion and create habitats for nature during winter grazing, said triallist George Greed.

Mr Greed milks 280 cows on a 230ha or

ganic farm in Devon. Soils are a mix of aluvi al with some deep loamy areas. “I am interest ed to find out what benefits diverse fodder can provide,” he said.

This trial is testing whether the higher bi omass of a diverse crop can boost farm resil ience by protecting the soil structure. It is hoped benefits will include reduced erosion and run off, and higher worm counts, infiltration rates, and water holding capacity.

The field lab’s findings could be particularly significant as keeping soils covered over win ter is set to be rewarded in the new Sustaina ble Farming Incentive.

For more details about the trial, visit www. innovativefarmers.org.

Maize variety selection for the 2023 growing season

Growers have a choice of maize varieties for next spring

Nine new varieties have been officially approved for 2023 growing season by the British Society of Plant Breeders.

The 2023 Forage Maize Descriptive Lists includes new entrants Saxon and Dignity, both from Limagrain; alongside KWS Anastasio and KWS Pasco, both from KWS; as favourable first choices for growers.

Debalto (KWS) and ES Myrdal (Grainseed) have been added to the favourable second choice list. Dignity, Saxon and KWS Pasco also feature on the less favourable first choice list; with Debalto added to the less favourable second choice list.

Cranberri CS (Grainseed), Smoothi CS and Abrisse, both from Lidea France; have been added to the very favourable descriptive list.

The very favourable list is based on trials where breeders test later maturing varieties with the highest yield potential. It for producers looking to maximise yields for anaerobic digesters where sites have a long growing season and very favourable conditions.

The favourable list uses trial data

favourable list is based on the performance of varieties in shorter, cooler growing seasons.

Challenges

Forage maize has faced significant challenges over the past few years.

Cold spring have delayed sowing and tested early vigour. Prolonged drought conditions and high temperatures have challenged growth, with some high levels of lodging and some very wet conditions delaying harvest.

Of the new varieties, Saxon has the highest yielding on the favourable descriptive list, says NIAB forage crop specialist Ellie Sweetman. It yields 19.8t/ha dry matter, has a metabolisable energy (ME) yield of 231 kMJ/ha and starch yield of 6.50 t/ha.

But Saxon also has with some susceptibility to eyespot so is less suitable in damper growing conditions. KWS Anastasio is the next highest yielder at 19.6t/ha dry matter, an ME yield of 226 kMJ/ha and starch yield of 6.26t/ha.

It also has good standing power and eyespot resistance. Meanwhile, KWS Pasco has the highest starch yield across the entire descriptive list at 6.66t/ha, a dry matter yield of 19.3t/ ha, good standing power and eyespot resistance.

Less Favourable sites

Of the Less Favourable DL varieties, KWS Pasco sits just behind Resolute with a yield of 19.0 t DM/ha at 33.4% DM, starch at 34.6% and very good re-

Standing tall: Varieties are trialled on their suitability for different

Dr Sweetman. >>

“Dignity and Saxon both yield well at 18.7 and 18.9 t DM/ha respectively, and starch levels at 33.6% and 33.4%, but both have some susceptibility to eyespot. Dignity is the earlier matur ing with 35.1% dry matter at time of harvest, Saxon at 34.0%.

“Both have good early vigour so would be suitable for good quality si lage in more challenging growing con ditions where fungicides are used to control eyespot,” says Dr Sweetman.

Very Favourable sites

Of the three varieties added to the Very Favourable DL Smoothi CS is the high est yielding at 19.5 t DM/ha with a good ME yield, good early vigour and good standing power.

Abrisse is the earlier maturing at 35.5% at harvest with a yield of 18.6 t DM/ha. Cranberri CS achieved 19.2 t DM/ha at 34.4% dry mat ter. The ME yield is an important factor for achieving high biogas yields.

The BSPB 2023 Forage Maize Descriptive Lists are available to download from the BSPB and NIAB websites.

New varieties promise quality silage

Two new varieties from LG Seeds for 2023 will appeal to growers looking to fill clamps with high quality forage to help offset higher purchased feed costs.

“This year’s forage season has highlight ed the need to focus on forage quality along side agronomic attributes when selecting vari eties,” says LG Seeds maize product manager Tim Richmond.

“For 25 years our breeding programme has been developing varieties that deliver superi or feed, and Dignity and Saxon are the latest varieties to become available.”

Dignity is a top quali ty, high yielding varie ty which, being very early maturing (FAO 170) with good early vigour means it is ready for an early har vest, easing the establishment of successor crops.

Mr Richmond says it combines ex ceptional yield with ex

cellent ME content and high Cell Wall Digest ibility to ensure clamps will be full of high quality feed.

Producing high starch yields it is a perfect complement for grass silage in mixed forage diets and compares very well on yield with later maturing varieties, meaning farmers won’t have to compromise yield for superior feed quality.

Also new for 2023 is Saxon which is the high est yielding variety on the new list, making it ideal for all uses including anaerobic digestion.

Saxon combines superb early vigour with good standing power making it perfectly suit ed for all mainstream maize sites. Improved cell wall digestibility combined with a high starch yield means you are assured of an ex ceptionally high energy field.

Add this to excellent dry matter yields and Saxon is a variety that will deliver an excel lent return on investment, says Mr Richmond.

“LGAN has long been the watchword for maize varieties that deliver what really counts, high yields of high-quality feeds that sustain excellent milk yields. Dignity and Saxon are the latest examples of the benefit of breeding varieties that deliver in the clamp.”

Good strategy in place is vital to ensure better maize crops

Maize 2022: Variable quality but decent energy

Hot and dry summer weath er took its toll on UK forage crops with eastern region maize showing a range of yield and feeding quality this harvest.

“Maize growers in the east have been severely affected by drought con ditions this summer,” says Neil Groom of forage specialists Grainseed. “It’s been one of the worst years many can remember, not just for maize but for all forage crops.

“But it’s worth remembering that whilst many fields of grass just died after first or second cut was taken, by and large maize has survived and kept going. Even in the parts of the coun try hit hardest by the drought most growers have something harvestable.”

Yielding 20-42t/ha (8-17t/acre), the first harvests in East Anglia were around two weeks earlier than nor mal. With cutting now moving west and north, crops away from the real drought regions look reasonable for the main part.

“Many crops were severely scorched and stunted with some only 3ft or so tall. For those growers it has been a sal vage job really with cuts taken largely similar to grass silage as cobs, where the concentration of energy is, have

just not developed.

“Others have been less affected and although less bulky than usual, good cobs have been produced.

“Where these have been cut to the maturity of the grain, some energy dense forage has resulted because with less stalk and leaf produced, the cob has formed a higher proportion of the silage than usual.”

“For many, there’s no reason why maize crops should not be as good as any other year, but it’s worth bearing in mind some of the lessons learned so far this year. For a start in less than optimum years using an oxygen scav enging silage additive in the clamp is a good idea.

Winter forage

“Some leaves which died early from scorch or desiccation will have yeasts and moulds due to decay. These could increase in the clamp. The objective has got to be get clamps acidic and an aerobic as quickly.

In these circumstances, Silosolve FC is an ideal choice, says Mr Groom. “It’s a dual-action product with Lacto bacillus buchneri strains to promote rapid fermentation to stop any path ogens developing.”

Most growers have something harvestable “

Producers should also be thinking about what they can do to boost homegrown feed usage to address the inev itable forage shortfalls without turn ing to bought-in feeds, adds Mr Groom.

“Winter forage stocks can be built up by drilling stubble turnips and for age rape a soon as possible to allow youngstock, heifers and dry cows to graze them over the winter, he advises.

“These could be fed after 12 weeks if soil temperatures remain good through the autumn, however we would favour forage rape as getting stubble turnips to bulk up from a late sowing is more weather dependent.

“Rye, Westerwolds and Italian ryegrass can also be drilled to pro vide winter grazing and an early bite for the following season.” Looking to the future, dairy and livestock produc ers have to realise that years like 2022 will become more frequent in the fu ture, says Mr Groom.

Above left to right: Neil Groom, Above right: The first maize harvested was two weeks early

“Drilling drought resistant varie ties such as Marco, Crosbey and Cathy can help the situation to a certain ex tent, but building real resilience into a production system relies on making the right management decisions.

“There is no doubt that those grow ers who drill cover crops, manage their

FYM in an optimum manner and prepare seedbeds to minimise moisture loss do much better than others not following these basic practices.”

Risk management

Jon Myhill, of the Maize Growers Association (MGA), agrees saying whilst nothing can completely eradicate the scorching affects of a really hot and prolonged drought, basic precautions can help.

“The biggest priority now is to consider drilling a cover crop as these should be drilled as early as possible to avoid soil moisture losses after combining.

“These are not only valuable from an environmental perspective, they also help condition the soil ahead of the maize and, depending on the mix of species used, following crops can also benefit from higher nitrogen availability to build long-term resilience.”

Looking to next year’s crop, good cultivations and rolling immediately after drilling will help conserve soil moisture, says Mr Groom. If you are in an area that traditionally has low rainfall, opt for varieties that have proven higher levels of drought tolerance.

On really droughty soils is it worth keeping seed rates down to 85,00095,000 seeds/ha. A rough seed-bed may be best early on in a colder season. Looser, rougher soil will warm up more quickly when temperatures do start to rise.

Later in the season, when temperatures are higher, a finer tilth will enable better moisture retention and absorption of heat units for speedier germination. Correct use of organic manure is now essential in building a future production strategy for maize, he adds.

“Maize is a hungry crop and needs lots of good nutrition – specifically, potash and fresh phosphate to kickstart germination But as well as providing optimum crop nutrition, organic manure can also benefit soil structure and moisture retention which helps mitigate against drought.

For best results, manures should be incorporated into the soil within 24 hours of application to minimise losses. All these factors help build valuable resilience into a system and give plants the best opportunity of standing up to abiotic stresses such as heat and drought.”

Take steps to avoid moisture losses, says Jon Myhill

Good maize silage to ease forage shortfalls

Attention to detail this autumn will get the best from winter feed

Ensiled maize could be particularly important this year –helping to offset low grass silage stocks caused by the summer drought and early opening of clamps.

The need for buffer feeding ahead of winter could make it important to employ extra vigilance to safeguard maize silage against losses this year, helping to stave off forage shortfalls, says Volac silage expert Peter Smith (right).

Other reasons are because of the high costs of supplementing low silage stocks with bought-in feeds, he says, and to capitalise on buoyant milk prices, with maize providing a cost-effective and high-energy homegrown forage.

In some areas, the drought has also

impacted maize yields, says Mr Smith. At the same time, high fuel and fertiliser costs mean maize has cost more to grow this year, so protecting the crop in the clamp will be important to cover this extra investment

Avoiding losses

“In a normal year it may be possible to tolerate a few losses in maize silage. But with grass growth halted in many areas during the summer drought, any significant in-clamp losses in maize could be disastrous for overall winter silage stocks.

Even average losses in maize clamps equate to about one in every 10 trailer loads of dey matter being lost. Poor conservation can see this loss in-

crease. “When spoilage occurs around the vulnerable top and shoulders of clamps, losses here can reach 50%.

“It’s not just the least nutritious parts of the dry matter that the microbes that cause maize silage losses feed on. It’s the nutritious sugars and starches. So not only is there less dry matter, anything remaining is lower in energy.”

Certain microbes can also reduce silage palatability and cause mycotoxins, adds Mr Smith. To help conserve maximum maize quality and nutrients, Mr Smith suggests some key dos and don’ts panel, right). (see

01508 473607

07748 500611 Fax 01508

sales@ellisirrigation.co.uk

Do not leave maize harvest too late

It is easy to miss the ideal 30-33% DM content for harvesting maize, says Mr Smith, often because contractors cannot get to the farm in time. However, harvesting maize too dry makes it less digestible to the animal and more difficult to consolidate. Check your crop regularly so you can get your contractor onfarm at the ideal time, and remember modern maize varieties are often still green when ready to harvest.

Do chop maize to the correct length

With maize so vulnerable to heating, chopping it to the correct length to aid squeezing out air from the clamp is crucial. Shorter chop lengths aid consolidation, especially if maize is dry, so consider chopping to 1.52.0cm, or down to 1.2cm if needed.

Resist the temptation to cut crops too low

Although it might be tempting to cut maize crops closer to the ground this year in search of extra bulk, do not do this. The stem base is low in digestibility and contains high numbers of undesirable microbes from soil, which interfere with preservation in the clamp.

Ensile with the correct type of additive

Although maize silage is prone to heating, this is not the only way DM and nutrients are lost.

Invisible losses from poor quality fermentations,

caused by naturally-occurring inefficient fermentation bacteria on the crop, can account for half the overall DM losses, so it is important to target both problems with a dual-acting additive.

Dual-action additive Ecocool, containing the bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1 and Lactobacillus buchneri PJB/1 enhances fermentation and can keep maize silage cool and stable for more than 10 days after removal from the clamp.

Consolidate and seal the clamp properly At 30% DM, it typically requires about 25% of its weight arriving at the clamp per hour to consolidate it, so 100 tonnes per hour requires constant rolling by 25 tonnes, for example by a loading shovel plus a good-sized tractor.

Fill clamps in horizontal layers at no more than a 20 degree angle, and at most 10-15cm deep, for maximum benefit from compaction machinery. Filling in a wedge shape makes consolidation more difficult.

To minimise air ingress, clamp walls should be lined with polythene side sheets, and an oxygen barrier film which is sucked into the surface contours placed on top of the maize to create a good seal.

Pull side sheets over this with a minimum 1-2 metre overlap all around, followed by a polythene top sheet, then a protective woven sheet well-weighted with silage mats, touching tyres or bales. Finally, protect from rodents and birds.

new enterprises Next generation,

A Shropshire family farm is embracing change to safeguard its future

Since 2016, South Shropshire beef, sheep, poultry, and arable farmer, Ian Alderson, has been working alongside his son, Jim, to diversify the family’s livestock enterprise with a focus on maintaining high herd and flock health. In addition to lambing indoors during February, they have made the decision to introduce an additional batch, lambing outdoors, in April.

This new initiative was Jim’s idea after helping a neighbouring farm with their New Zealand style lambing setup earlier this year.

“Jim lent a hand for about a month which he really enjoyed,” says Mr Alderson. “Lambing outdoors is less labour intensive as you’re monitoring the flock and only intervening when there’s an issue. We’d already been discussing reducing the amount of arable and this new venture plays to the farm’s strengths.”

With these factors in mind, they bought 100 ewes from their neigh-

bour’s surplus, as well purchasing a few extra hogs and lambs, increasing the flock to 680.

Minimising disease risk

Buying in livestock always comes with a risk. As a long-standing Disease? Not On My Farm! ambassador, Mr Alderson works hard to reduce the chance of introducing infection and takes a preventative health approach.

“We only buy from trusted sources and also quarantine all our stock that’s bought in. The new ewes were all given a drench and vaccinated for orf, to tie in with our existing flock health plan. Having a proactive vet relationship makes a big difference,” says Mr Alderson.

Health is a priority

This year they had started to see a few lameness issues but were quick to respond to the challenge by giving the sheep an additional vaccination boost-

New venture plays to farm’s strengths “

er in March.

“The results from vaccinating for lameness in November and March have been tremendous,” Mr Alderson explains. “When I first started vaccinating sheep for lameness about 25 years ago, the difference was amazing. I know it’s an extra cost, but it’s so much better than having to treat lame sheep.”

Like many farmers, Mr Alderson is thankful for the introduction of effective vaccinations during his farming career.

“I honestly wouldn’t keep sheep on this farm if we couldn’t vaccinate for abortion, orf and footrot,” he says. “Not only do vaccines result in healthier, more productive animals, but as farmers, whatever you can do to make your life easier on the farm is better for your own mental health. Looking after sick animals is just a massive drain.”

Happy families

Family dynamics are well known to im-

Ian and Jim Alderson continue to diversify with a focus on livestock

Winter livestock

pact farm businesses and Mr Alderson was keen to ensure that his son was happy to get involved.

“Running a farm is a big commit ment and I wanted Jim to have enough life experience to be sure that this was what he really wanted to do. I encour aged him to travel and see a bit more of the world before making his decision.”

His father’s approach has paid divi dends as Jim observes, noting that be ing given autonomy over the plans for the farm has given him a real opportu nity to learn and take on responsibility.

“When I first came back from trav elling, it was my idea to introduce the suckler herd. Like dad, I prefer work ing with livestock and it seemed like a logical way to diversify the business and give me something to get my teeth into,” he says.

Jim Alderson bought a mixed age group of 23 cows and a Limousin bull, having fine tuned their Spring calv ing system in advance of increasing herd size.

“At the moment we’re working on increasing the capacity of the cow shed to make the management of our live stock as straightforward as possible,” he explains.

step, giving the business a new lease of life while also transferring knowl edge gleaned from years of experience.

“I’m so glad that Jim wants to con tinue. It’s given me the chance to in stil the values that I believe matter –such as importance of having a high herd and flock health status,” says Mr Alderson.

chance to evolve the business. He’s al ready making his mark with cattle and outdoor lambing.

“We’re always open to trying new things. It helps to keep you on your toes and makes farming more enjoyable. If my family and our animals are hap py and healthy, then I’m happy too.”

The Aldersons routinely vaccinate their flock for orf, arbortion and footrot

Professional services

Defra to offer five-year stewardship extensions

Five-year extensions will be offered to farmers with higherlevel environmental stewardship agreements, Defra has announced.

The move aims to give agreement holders greater certainty and clarity – and remove the burden of having to apply for an annual extension every 12 months. Five-year agreements are al ready offered to existing countryside stewardship holders.

“We recently wrote to everyone with Environmental Stewardship agree ments to outline some changes that we plan to introduce in 2023,” said De fra. “Rather than offering an extension of a single year, we're offering exten sions of five years.”

The decision could benefit some 8,500 higher-level stewardship hold ers. Defra says the scheme continues to deliver important environmental ben efits on some of England's most valua ble habitats, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

“Under European Union rules we could only offer annual extensions for HLS agreements,” said Defra. “Those in Environmental Stewardship told us that although annual extensions are welcome, longer extensions offer great er flexibility and certainty.”

The government said the move would reduce bureaucracy – and help ensure the continued delivery of environmental benefits as Defra rolled out its new environmental land management schemes (ELMs).

Helping transition

“For that reason, from 2023 onwards, we will offer existing agreement hold ers extensions of five years, it said. “In exceptional circumstances, agree ments could be extended for fewer than five years.”

To aid the transition to ELMs, all countryside stewardship and high er-level stewardship scheme holders will be able to leave their agreements early, without penalty, if they are of fered a place on another environmen tal scheme.

Defra said this would include high er-level stewardship agreement hold ers offered a place on countryside stewardship in 2024, as well as stew ardship agreement holders offered a place on the new Local Nature Recov ery scheme.

“We plan to roll Local Nature Re covery out gradually,” said Defra. “It will be offered, in full, from the end of 2024. This flexibility gives continued stability up until then. It has no im pact on our roll-out plans.”

New approach

It added: “We are able to bring all exist ing higher level stewardship and coun tryside stewardship agreements on to these new domestic terms. This means our new flexible, supportive approach to controls will apply to all agreements from 1 January 2023.

For holders of environmental stewardship agreements beyond

Higher-level stewardship continues to bring benefits, says Defra

2023, Defra said it would set out your options for extensions later in 2023 or 2024. “We'll also share more details for the extension arrangements for your agreement.”

The new ELMs scheme is expect ed to be fully rolled out by the end of 2024. Defra has pledged to make it as smooth as possible for farmers in ex isting agreements to transfer to the new schemes – if they want to.

“Anyone in an existing agreement can also enter into the new environ mental land management schemes – so long as the actions are compati ble and we’re not paying twice for the same actions.”

Tickets on sale for agri-business conference

Industry leaders and experts will discuss ways to manage shocks within the agrifood supply chain this autumn.

Taking place in Peterborough on 16 No vember, this year’s AIC Agribusiness Confer ence will bring together agricultural stake holders for a day of insight, networking and discussion at the Holiday Inn hotel, west Peterborough.

The return to an in-person conference format is an opportunity for delegates to meet face-to-face after three years. An on line-only option is available for stakehold

ers unable to attend in person.

The conference will be chaired by journal ist and BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today pre senter Anna Hill. It will feature speakers from business, science and political back grounds, sparking thought and debate throughout the day.

Alongside politics, industry will be strongly represented by NFU deputy pres ident Tom Bradshaw. He farms combina ble crops across some 950ha on contracted land and the home farm at Fordham, north of Colchester.

HSBC head of agri-foods Allan Wilkin son will also be speaking. Having held his current role for seven years, Mr Wilkinson sits on numerous industry bodies – includ ing the Food & Drink Sector Council’s ex port forum.

Addington Fund chief executive Bill Young will be the keynote speaker at the pre-conference supper. The fund provides housing and disaster relief in the form of animal feed or services to farmers in need across England and Wales.

www.agindustries.org.uk

Lack of business plans pose risk for farmers

• Plan to cope with end of payments

• Farmers need to manage transition

• Innovate to overcome uncertainty

Farmers without a business plan could struggle to cope with the withdrawal of the Basic Pay ment Scheme, say experts.

Most farmers lack formal business planning and fail to seek external pro fessional advice, suggests a survey of rural businesses conducted by the Na tional Innovation Centre for Rural En terprise (NICRE).

More than six out of 10 farms sur veyed said they did not have a formal written business plan. And almost 80% of respondents said they had not ac cessed external support from any ad visory service.

Regulations and red tape were the most commonly-cited obstacles to farm business success with 71% of farms identifying them as a key concern, com pared to less than half of other rural businesses.

“This is a period of monumental change for farmers,” said NICRE codirector Janet Dwyer.

“While our findings showed that farms fared better than rural busi nesses in respect of the negative im pacts of Covid-19, this doesn’t mean that they are better placed to cope with ongoing and future challenges for the rural economy.”

Potential risk

Farms were less likely than other rural businesses to engage in formal busi ness planning, said Professor Dwyer. This was a potential risk as farms sought to cope with big policy chang es and the slow roll-out of new envi ronmental schemes.

“Careful medium-term planning and building in headroom to innovate, remain essential tactics for farms’ sur vival just as much as for other rural businesses, in these challenging times.”

Prof Dwyer said the government should deliver its new policies in ways that were truly accessible. This would help more farms deliver a high-qual ity environment alongside excellence

'Big changes will have a huge impact'

usiness consultants have welcome the NICRE study –saying changes in agricultur al policy will have a huge impact on

Changes include the removal of 75 years of publicly-funded sup port for farming activities, massive changes in input and output prices, and the need for different approach es to land management.

Jonathan Armitage, head of farm ing at Strutt and Parker (pictured said this makes it even more important for farmers to plan ahead

“The most successful businesses are driven by people who have a clear plan with focused objectives and who welcome engagement with all of their partners – including staff, customers, plus technical and business advisors.

“In these most challenging of times for UK farming, NICRE’s re port is extremely timely. While it demonstrates the concern over reg ulation, our experience has shown a really encouraging level of enthusi asm and innovation to address the

(54%) of all farms took advantage of Covid support, compared to 70% of ru ral businesses.

The survey suggests farms were more likely instead to draw on family support to reduce their pandemic-re lated costs, typically family members working longer hours, or family mon ey being used to support the business.

Defra farm minister Victoria Prent is said: “Our new farming schemes will be simpler, fairer, more proportion ate, more accessible and more effec tive, supporting the choices that indi viduals make for their own holdings.

“That’s why we’re working with thousands of farmers across the sector to co-design them to ensure they work for them. Engaging in formal business planning is important as farms pre pare for future challenges.”

Defra’s Future Farming Resilience Fund provides free business advice to farmers across England. Over 9,000 businesses have already benefitted from the service, with help available for a further 32,000 farmers and land managers.

The National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) puts combines research with practical in novation to find new ways of unlock ing potential and supporting rural businesses and communities.

It brings together a number of uni

This is a period of monumental change “

Storing soil can can boost income

Providing a home for soil from development sites could offer farmers an opportunity to generate revenue and help the environment.

With ever-more residential and commercial development under way, significant amounts of soil will need to be shifted from such sites – and farm ers could be ideally placed to take it, says CLM land consultant Matthew Berryman.

“Construction projects often gener ate big quantities of soil and, although many licensed tips take such commer cial waste, this can involve moving it large distances. It cuts diesel use and reduces road congestion if it’s able to head to a more local farm.”

As well as benefiting the environ ment, it can represent a ‘win-win’ for the farmer, providing a much-needed source of income, along with a material that can potentially be used in a host of landscaping and building projects.

Soil can be useful when construct

ing a bund to shield property from the noise of a road, railway track or even a busy yard,”says Mr Berryman. “Bunds can also used to reduce the visual im pact of battery storage and other en ergy-related developments.

“I’ve seen it used for a fishing di versification where a particular type of soil was needed to create the lakes. It could also be used in landscaping projects designed to provide habitats for biodiversity or recreational spac es for visitors.”

Farmers could receive between £40 and £70 per lorry load, depending the distance it has to be transported and access arrangements. Suitable loca tions can offer fantastic opportuni ties for land-raising – mounding soil above ground-level, says Mr Berry man. “Obviously it depends on where you are and how much material you can responsibly take, but some farm ers have been able to add hundreds of thousands of pounds to their bottom line in this way,” he explains.

It’s important to keep neighbours informed “

“Getting planning need not always be a lengthy process. Indeed, some small-scale projects can be done un der the permitted development rights process, which is quick and low-cost compared to submitting a full planning application.”

Farmers are no strangers to nav igating the planning system and Mr Berryman says it is vital to ensure all the right permissions and paperwork are in place before bringing a single bucketful of new soil on to farmland.”

“You certainly don’t want to risk tak ing what you think is ‘inert, uncontam inated’ soil only to later discover it’s not, and to be faced with a bill for mov ing it to licenced landfill that could be many times greater than the sum you received.

“Local residents may, understand ably, also have questions so it’s impor tant to keep your neighbours informed,” adds Mr Berryman. “But carefully planned and site-sensitive projects can bring benefits for all involved.”

Help ‘cultivate’ new skills and careers service

The new professional body for agriculture and horticulture has renewed its request for volunteers to help develop its online services.

The Institute for Agriculture and Horti culture (TIAH) will launch its online plat form next year. It will offer a range of per sonalised skills and careers resources for people working at every level of farming and growing.

TIAH is recruiting volunteers who work

in the industry to test and review various ele ments of the platform. These ‘TIAH Cultiva tors’ will help ensure it is intuitive to use and offers the most useful and relevant content.

Valuable feedback

TIAH head of digital Luke Harmer said: “Our existing Cultivators are giving us hugely valuable feedback – telling us about problems they often experience in accessing training so we can design ways to solve them.

“But everyone is different, so we are seeking more people to join our Cultiva tors scheme to help us discover what works, what doesn't, and where there are gaps. We’d particularly love to hear from employees of farming and horticultural businesses.”

TIAH asks its Cultivators to give just 20 minutes a month. In return, they will be en tered into a monthly prize draw.

For more information, visit the TIAH website at www.tiah.org/tiah-cultivators.

Soil can be used for landscaping and building projects

East of England Farming Conference

'Leaner and greener' to increase farm profit

• Change can be good for farming

• Fewer inputs can drive revenue

• How to strip costs from business

Atop line-up of speakers has been announced for this year’s East of Eng land Farming Conference, which takes place next month in Peter borough.

Organised by the East of Eng land Agricultural Society, the oneday event is aimed at growers, livestock producers and the ancil lary industries. It will take place on 17 November at the East of England Showground.

The conference theme is “Greener & Leaner”. It will fo cus on ways of optimising farm inputs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing profit

ability – challenges faced by all farms in the current economic climate.

Overcoming challenges

As well as high agri-inflation, farmers are also striving to meet the challenges of climate change and huge changes in farm poli cy. These include the phasing out of basic payments and the intro duction of Defra’s environmental land management scheme.

Conference chairman Tom Martin said: “We have seen many changes in the agricultural and political landscape since last year and we hope you can join us in

November to further explore and help resolve these issues for your business.”

The first session will welcome agricultural decision-makers, in dustry leaders and policymak ers to discuss the the main top ics surrounding the agricultural sector. This year’s keynote speak er is peer and farmer Lord Curry of Kirkharle.

Jen Butcher from AB Agri will give her supply chain insight into the requirements of major food businesses in adapting for a sus tainable and resilient future – in cluding the importance of ensur ing farm practice meet consumer expectations

Fewer inputs

The second session will see Amer ican farmer Rick Clark speaking from his home in Indiana. He will

Leicestershire mixed farmer Will Oliver explain how he increased his use of organic manures and cover crops – investing in a largescale intensive poultry unit to uti lise the litter and reduce his syn thetic nitrogen usage.

Hugh Martineau from Map of Ag will speak about data the com pany has on improving nitrogen use efficiency and reducing syn thetic inputs on-farm – and the potential scope of soil carbon se questration.

Finally, Christine Baxter of ADAS will speak about the YEN Zero project and how it can sign post input reductions across the board – helping farmers to help profitability and reduce their emissions.

For full details, and to book your ticket, please visit www.eastofengland.org.uk.

Lively debate is at the heart of the conference

FINAL SAY Clodhopper

Be warned: winter is coming

trap as Sri Lanka. But there are clear similarities between the decisions made there and the pledges made by our political leaders here in the UK.

Can you remember why you came into farming? I guess somewhere your answer involves the phrase “food production”.

Unfortunately, our political leaders don’t seem to recognise the importance of food production. Agriculture appears seems of little interest. Yet soaring inflation means things are rapidly in danger of getting out of control.

If you look at the mess the party in power has made over the election of a new prime minister – and reflect on the promises of the final two candidates – you may begin to understand my concerns.

Liz Truss became prime minister on the back of promising tax cuts. Those cuts are now being made. But look what happened in Sri Lanka when a change in prime minister heralded the introduction of sweeping tax cuts and reduced VAT from 15% to 8%.

Tax revenues dramatically declined. It was good for some of the people you might think but not for the country as a whole. And Sri Lanka is much worse off financially than we

are – but like us it is also still recovering from the covid pandemic.

What happened in Sri Lanka was a catastrophe for farmers. The new government banned imports of chemical fertilisers, telling farmers they should use locally sourced organic fertilisers instead.

Crop failures

The results led to widespread crop failures and a 39% fall in food production, mostly rice. The monetary system became unstable and the currency shortage worsened, leading to spiralling food prices, fuel shortages and long queues at filling stations.

Does this ring any bells? I don’t suggest for a minute that we may fall into the same

Ongoing concern about rising farm input costs – and the decision by CF Fertilisers to temporarily halt production of ammonia at their Billingham site in north-east England – only serves to illustrate the fragile nature of supply chains.

There is constant talk too from this new government about the importance of food production and food security – but there is little real action. Meanwhile, continued problems with Mr Putin will mean an uncomfortable winter for us all.

Talk is cheap. The commitment to reaching net zero, reducing our carbon footprint and lowering greenhouse gas emissions have eliminated much of our ability to maximise UK food ouput.

Tricky balance

Balancing environmental needs while feeding the nation is at a crossroads. Add in further environmental constraints and it means the farming industry faces mounting challenges over the next few years.

Like all industries at the moment, farmers also face soaring inflation. Reducing inputs such as nitrogen fertiliser is not the answer. Whether cost cutting measures will work is also questionable.

Although the livestock sector is suffering, many arable farms have had a decent harvest and seem content with current high prices, albeit unfortunately on the back of other people’s misfortune. They are prepared to continue investing in their crops.

We may not see severe food shortages in the UK. But it is clear that food will continue to become more expensive for a while yet. Whether those the price increases are passed back to the farmers pockets remains to be seen.

It is clear too that large farms will continue to expand with ever increasing overheads – leaving smaller farms to fight among themselves over the best second hand machinery and worry about cashflow pressures.

Farming fortunes are mixed at the moment –with some doing better than others. But that could all change, says Clodhopper.

There is talk but little real action