FarmerMidland September 2022 Serving the farming industry across the Midlands Sustainability award balance of “people, profit and the planet” Labour: Shortage sees fruit and veg left to waste News New PM must 'take farmers seriously' Arable Rapid test for light leaf spot Crop establishment Patience needed before drilling this autumn Livestock Keep heat stress at forefront of mind Professional services Fire danger prompts insurance discount offer Woodlands £25m available for farmers to plant trees Tel: 01480 495956 www.flr-cropdrying.com
Why? Because Tory cabinet ministers seem to believe farmers will vote Conservative no matter how badly they are treated. It’s almost as if the Conservative Party in Westminster has given up wanting to be the Party of the Countryside.
As well as a new prime minister, this month will see farmers asking MPs of all political parties to demonstrate their support for food producers. Organised by the NFU, Back British Farming Day on 14 September will highlight all that is great about UKMPsagriculture.willbeasked to wear wheatsheaf lapel pin badges to show their support for British farming. Previous years have seen the prime minister, leader of the opposition and other MPs wear the badges during debates and Prime Minister’s Questions. In previous years, politicians of all persuasions have enthusiastically posed for the cameras as they signed pledges to Back British Farming. But all too often this support has been short-lived – a fleeting photo-opportunity all too soon forgotten.
Support is a two-way street
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SEPTEMBER 2022 • MIDLAND FARMER 3 Midland Farmer is a controlled circulation magazine published monthly for farmers and growers in the Midlands (Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, PrintersPrintedT:ReydonReydonFountainPublished©adam.gunton@micropress.co.ukonaddressmagazine,Ifminimumhorticulturelayingsows/250orminimumcirculationtocompaniesWestShropshire,Northamptonshire,Lincolnshire,Nottinghamshire,Staffordshire,Warwickshire,MidlandsandWorcestershire)orsupplyinggoodsandservicesthesector.Tobeincludedonthelist,afarmermusthaveaof70acresofland,50dairy/beefstock,or50breedinggrowingstock,or15,000hens/broilerchickens.Intensiveunitsarerequiredtohaveaoftwohectares.younolongerwishtoreceivethispleaseemailyourname,andpostcodeasitappearsthewrappertoCountrywidePublications2022byCountrywidePublications,Way,BusinessPark,SuffolkIP186DH01502725800byMicropressLtdT:01502725800 EDITORIAL Editor: Johann Tasker | T: 07967 634971 E: johann@ruralcity.co.uk Design: Mark Shreeve | T: 01502 725839 E: mark.shreeve@micropress.co.uk Advertisement production: Polly Coleman | T: 01502 725841 E: polly.coleman@micropress.co.uk ADVERTISING SALES Chloe Miller | T: 01502 725844 E: E:DanielE:Dannychloe.miller@micropress.co.ukLewis|T:01502725862danny.lewis@micropress.co.ukRice|T:01502725858daniel.rice@micropress.co.uk FarmerMidland Contents Vol 11 • No 9 • September 2022 OPINION Johann Tasker News .................................................................... 4 Arable .................................................................. 8 Crop establishment ...................................... 19 Livestock ........................................................... 29 Water & irrigation ........................................... 31 Forestry ............................................................. 36 Professional Services .................................. 43 Endpiece .......................................................... 46 T his month will see the UK’s third prime minister in little more than three years – but any major changes in farming fortunes are unlikely. Agriculture has been low on this government’s list of priorities. Just remember the way Boris Johnson dismissed the plight of farmers faced with culling thousands of pigs due by saying the animals would have been slaughtered for food anyway. The incoming prime minister might be less arrogant and patronising to growers and livestock producers. But any major changes to farming policy shouldn’t be expected –whoever wins what has been a bitter Conservative leadership race.
If our politicians really want our vote, they should remember that support goes both ways. It would be folly for the incoming prime minister to sell farmers down the river and then expect their vote at the next general election.
Johann Tasker Editor
With the right ingredients and in partnership with government, British farmers could deliver even more in the future, she said. “Both the pandemic and the situation in Ukraine has high lighted just how important domestic food production is.”
As basic payments to farmers are phased out, there should also be a fur ther refocusing of funding towards sus M ost farmers should have now re ceived a 50% advance of their an nual basic payment, although the government says a small number of claims will require additional checks. The advance payment seeks to help ease cashflow pressures caused by spiralling farm input costs. Estimates from farm business consultants Andersons suggest input costs rose by 23.5% in the year to July, more than double the 10.1% rise in the value of agricul tural outputs over the same period. The Rural Payments Agency started making Basic Payment Scheme advance payments to farmers earlier this summer. It said the most farmers would receive their BPS advance in the coming weeks, with a minority of claims taking longer to process.
The government’s Food Strategy recog nised that food production was a core part of our nation’s resilience, said Ms Batters. To deliver on its ambitions, the government must ensure food produc tion is taken seriously across White hall, she added. This included a statutory under pinning of UK food production that looked to maintain current levels of self-sufficiency and food production –and ensured that all government de partments gave due regard to the im pact of policies on the country’s ability to produce food.
Right policies Warning that spiralling input costs and uncertainty about future support schemes mean farmers’ confidence is how, the NFU is calling for incentives for growers and livestock producers to invest in their businesses and con tribute to UK food security. Ms Batters said: “I am confident that with the right policies and by working together, farmers can achieve so much for our country – not just by providing high quality and climatefriendly food, but also protecting and enhancing our environment.
Rishi Sunak farmersBritish can deliver even more “
Advance payments will be approximate ly 50% of the total due to be paid in 2022.
In a letter sent last month to lead ership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, NFU president Minette Bat ters said farming was central to a thriv ing UK rural economy, as well as to the country’s net zero ambitions.
Self-sufficiency
4 MIDLAND FARMER SEPTEMBER 2022 FNews arm leaders have set out the pri orities for UK agriculture which must be addressed by the incom ing Prime Minister following the Con servative leadership election.
New government must take 'food production seriously'
tainable food production within the government’s Agricultural Transition Plan, said Ms Batters.This should be underpinned by a multi-annual fund ing commitment, she wrote.
matched with honesty and certainty about the Georgefuture.Dunn, of the Tenant Farm ers Association, said the agricultural industry was at a critical time – both in terms of new support schemes and unprecedented supply chain pressures which threatened to paralyse many farm businesses.
Advance BPS payments made to farmers
‘Unprecedented pressure’ Mr Dunn said: “We need a government which is able to focus on the day-today needs of running the country rath er than dealing with day-to-day crises which has been undermining its cred ibility over recent weeks and months.”
Rural Payments Agency chief executive Paul Caldwell said: “These twice-yearly in stalments are a permanent change to bring BPS in line with what will be a more regu lar payment system under the new environ ment land management schemes.”
Defra said Lump Sum Exit Scheme appli cants preparing to leave the industry would receive an advance payment if they had sub mitted a BPS claim in 2022. ment will be sent to explain how the 2022 payments were calculated.
In an battle to decide the next Prime Minister, both Tory leadership candi dates pledged to back British farming. But their promises were long on rhet
SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST DRAINAGE
The hot weather has, as last month, highlighted the ever increasing need for a good water supply and the need for stopping leaks. We received another call asking if we would carry out investigation works on a leaking pipe. This turned into one of those jobs that took everyone by surprise and was a bit more than just a simple leak!
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As with a lot of farming folk, August was pretty much harvest time. The extremely warm weather helped to ready the crops sooner than usual which meant starting before the sun was truly up and out of bed and finishing long after it had retired for the day.
The old pipe was replaced with a new 32mm MDPE water pipe, compacted type 1 roadstone was used to fill the voids left by the leaking pipe and the driveway resurfaced. Should all be good for another 40 years. Our initial investigations showed there was more than one leak along the pipe route. The driveway was our main concern though, in one particular spot the leak was so bad that it had washed away the subbase and soils! A good job we found it when we did as the road had no support and was close to becoming a mini sinkhole!
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With a total prize fund of £50,000, the com petition will award cash prizes of between £5,000 and £20,000 to fund scalable systems or processes which will help farmers to man age their businesses in a sustainable way.
livering the training and research needed for a just transition to support all UK farmers. This included reducing methane emis sions of ruminant livestock, improving soil health, or realising biodiversity improvement in mixed cropping systems.
Announcingindustry.thecompetition, Harper dep uty vice-chancellor Michael Lee said: “The School of Sustainable Food and Farming at Harper Adams University is delighted to launch this competition to help our farm ing community realise this vital transition.”
“We are working with some of the UK’s brightest and most innovative farmers and we really look forward to expanding this net work through the competition. We realise that the greatest take up of technology and inter ventions is through seeing these implemented on real farms, hence the excitement around thisHarrietcompetition.”Wilson, agriculture and sustain able sourcing manager for McDonald’s, said: “Farmers are well-known for being entrepre neurial inventors, often driven by the need to adapt to situations on-farm.
Professor Lee said the School of Sustaina ble Food and Farming was committed to de A Lincolnshire farmer has won a spe cial sustainability award for his work to farm profitabily while looking af ter the Colinenvironment.Chappellof Gander Farm, North Lincolnshire, won the inaugural Rawcliffe Bridge Award for sustainability, coinciding with a 20-year celebration of biodiversity and advocacy work at Rawcliffe Bridge, in part nership with BASF and the Hinchliffe family. The award is aimed at celebrating farm £50k fund to encourage sustainable farming
6 MIDLAND FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022 ANews
“Net zero and the climate challenge is prob ably the biggest driver of necessity to change that we will face over the next 10 years and the inventive farming mind is well-placed to come up with some of the solutions.”
£50,000 competition aims to help farmers become net zero by managing their businesses more sustainably.
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“I am unusually lost for words,” said Mr Chappell. “I know some of the people who ap plied for this award and to have pipped them all is just incredulous.
Commenting on his farming, Mr Chappell said: “We need to have a conversation about sustainably producing food, whilst also car ing for the environment, the water and the people around us – that is what it is all about. That is true sustainability.”
Michael Lee: Fund will help farmers make a vital transition
“It was an honour to have been in the final two with Guy and as soon as harvest is over, I want to go and see his farm and see what I can learn from him.” Mr Chappell runs an arable unit on the banks of the river Ancholme. He impressed judges with his engagement with carbon and soil monitoring; implementation of wildlife schemes; his approach to nitrogen reduction and dedication to the local community.
The School of Sustainable Food and Farm ing is the first of its type in the UK. Its courses encourage regenerative methods of farming – for livestock, soil health and biodiversity –to help produce the nation’s food in an even more sustainable and climate-friendly way.
ers who strike a balance between supporting “people, profit and the planet”. Judges had a tough job choosing a winner, with the runner-up award going to Guy Pru dom of Northfields Farm, North Yorkshire.
The Journey to Net Zero competition has been launched by the School of Sustainable Food and Farming at Harper Adams Univer sity. It is supported by Bradford Estates, Mc Donald’s, Morrisons, the NFU and Trinity Ag Tech and Trinity Global Farm Pioneers.
Award winner Colin Chappell (left) and runner-up Guy Prudom We’re delighted to launch this competition “
•
Colin Chappell lifts sustainabilityawardinauguralfor
Winners will be announced at the end of this year and their progress will then be tracked and publicised by Farmers Guardi an throughout 2023 to spread their learning across the
Competition open to all UK farmers Goal to help meet Net Zero targets Transition for crops and livestock
In the UK, agricultural production is cur rently responsible for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Harper Adams says the school will play a huge part in realising the govern ment’s objectives for agriculture and the en vironment.Courses are designed using the work on sustainable farming and food production by the university. The school is a collaboration between Harper, the NFU, supermarket chain Morrisons and McDonald’s UK. For details about the competition, fginsight.com/NetZeroCompetitionvisit
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tonic Technologies, said: “Better invertebrate pest and plant disease monitoring technol ogies will significantly help cut crop losses.
Oat exports are anticipated to be lower than last season with an increase in domestic de mand, including from the Oatly processing plant opening in Peterborough. The oat area for harvest 2022 is down about 9% on last year, though yields look good in some areas. For the latest cereal market reports, visit www.ahdb.org.uk
In terms of the quality of this year’s crop, early indications show strong specif ic weights, though proteins are reportedly lower. “As with every season, we will likely look to Germany and Canada to fulfil needs for high specification milling wheat,” says the outlook report. This season overall, the UK is anticipat ed to be a net importer of wheat. With high temperatures and dry conditions also im pacting on the wider northern hemisphere harvest, global wheat prices remain at his torically elevated prices.
“This season, with a healthy supply of total wheat anticipated, the UK is likely to be trading nearer export parity during the first part of the season. However, as we move through the season, we are likely to move to trading at import parity.”
The 12-month project is to receive £200,000 from the Biotechnology and Biological Scienc es Research Council and the Natural Envi ronment Research Council.
David Webb, of the Aston Institute of Pho
his year’s wheat harvest is expected to be slightly higher on the year – de spite hot, dry conditions and questions overYieldsyields.are variable this season with crops grown on heavier soil performing better than those grown on lighter land due to lack of mois ture retention, according to the latest Cere al Market Outlook published by the Agricul ture and Horticulture Development Board. It forecasts an average wheat yield of 7.93t/ ha for harvest 2022. With the latest survey re sults pegging the UK wheat area at 1.807 mil lion hectares – up 1% on 2021 – it puts wheat production at 14.328 million tonnes for 2022.
The UK looks to remain a net exporter of bar ley for the 2022/23 season – although imports are currently forecast near 2021/22 levels to meet malting barley demand. There has been some downgrading of malting barley to feed, with ergot detected in some wheat and barley. Barley exports are expected to remain strong this season – although perhaps not quite to the levels seen in 2018/19 or 2019/20. Considering a squeeze on the EU barley bal ance, the AHDB expects higher exports to the EU during 2022/23.
8 MIDLAND FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022
“However most electronic noses use elec trochemical sensors, which suffer from sen sitivity issues, sensor drift/aging effects and lack specificity. We intend to address this by building on the fast-moving technology of pho tonics - the science of light - whilst collabo rating with scientists in other disciplines.”
The domestic barley balance begins the season tighter, with rebounding demand from the brewing, malting and distilling sector (BMD). The AHDB says it expects de mand for barley to remain strong for barley, with increased distilling capacity in Scotland.
This is due to an increased wheat carryover stock from last season, higher imports over the year and a larger crop this harvest.
Harper Adams University is collaborat ing with Aston University to research and de velop technology using light to monitor crop health. Currently crops are treated with pes ticides, but there’s increasing pressure to find
The AHDB says winter barley yields have averaged well, although spring barley yields have been lower than last year due to adverse conditions. Combined with a lower total UK barley area, production is estimated to be low er than in 2021 at 6.746Mt.
‘Plentiful wheat’ Taken as a whole, wheat supplies are said to be plentiful at the start of the 2022/23 season.
The Midlands-based research will be using strawberries to test the new technology. The fruit is worth £350 million to the UK econo my but it is vulnerable to potato aphid which can wipe out an annual harvest.
alternatives due to the environmental impact. One method is to use integrated pest man agement to create an early warning system. It monitors plants for build-up of insects and diseases rather than spraying plants with chemicals, but so far it’s proven unreliable andTheexpensive.project uses photonics technology that can analyse low levels of volatile or ganic compounds emitted by plants, which indicate their health. This is coupled with machine learning hardware to use artificial intelligence in commercial settings.
Universities collaborate to combat pests and disease
E xperts at two Midlands universities are starting a new project to develop a photonic ‘nose’ to monitor crops for pest infestations and plant disease.
Barley exports
TArable
Decent enough cereal harvest –despite heatwave and drought
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“We didn’t have any issues with Septoria, which we know was a concern with some of the Group 3 wheat varieties last year. As Astronomer is tall, we ensured the PGR programme was robust, and consequently had no problems with lodging.
onperformsAstronomerwheatwelltheFensL
“We were disappointed that we didn’t have as much soil nitrogen after the vining peas as we had hoped for, which meant the crop received a total of 160kg N/ha which was applied in the seedbed, and three follow up applications.”LGAstronomer is a high-yielding soft milling wheat, with a very high specific weight and quality that meets distilling market specifications. It is rated 8 for both yellow and brown rust, and 6.8 for Septoria tritici. of The seed crop of Astronomer yielded about 13.3t/ha Manufacturers of centrifugal, low volume and portable fans, air tunnels, drive over floors, grain stirrers and gas burners.
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“This does include two lower yielding seasons where we had very wet autumns and lower levels of radiation in the spring,” says Mr Hoyles. Both fields this year followed vining peas and were min-tilled and drilled in late September.
incolnshire grower David Hoyles reports pleasing yields with a late-September drilled seed crop of biscuit wheat LG Astronomer. Mr Hoyles (right), of GH Hoyles Ltd in Long Sutton, saw two fields yield 13.2-13.4 t/ha – well above the farm’s five-year average of 11.6 t/ha. The crop was harvested at 13.3-13.6% moisture on 27-28 July.
10 MIDLAND FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022 BiscuitArable
“We had very little disease at the beginning of the season, so skipped the T0. It was wet in April so the T1 was more robust, containing Revystar (47.5 g/l fluxapyroxad and 100 g/l mefentrifluconazole), Arizona (folpet) and a good dose of PGR.” It was dry again by the T2 timing, so only Firefly (10g/l prothioconazole and 45g/l fluoxastrobin) and boron were applied. An earlier than normal T3 at the end of May consisted of Uinvoq (50g/L fenpicoxamid &100 g/l prothioconazole) & boron.
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• Helps
• Early
Fungicides are less spotwheneffectivelightleafisvisible
Mr Steele says this suggests Swift
Called SwiftDetect, the test will be available from 12 September with a one business-day turnaround, says the company’s Chris Steele. Testing will help identify the best time to apply fungicide, he adds.
Rapid test for light leaf spot is now available warning of damaging disease identify best application slot growers save time and money
• Results
The test will fungicideoptimisehelp
Arable
manager for seed breeders DSV, says using SwiftDetect to identify when disease is not present is as valuable as when it is. “The hardest decision in agriculture is always not to do some thing,” says Mr Hartley. “Many farmers, myself included, have been guilty of spraying crops on a predetermined particular calendar date, with sometimes little knowledge of whether or not disease is in the plant.
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“SwiftDetect could help farmers and agronomists select varieties more accurately. Despite the resistance score of Crossfit and Duplo both being 5, a significant difference in pathogen load was evident between the two.”
“It will optimise fungicide efficacy, delay costly fungicide applications in low detection fields and target appli
“If you have information that defi nitely tells you there’s no disease, then the likelihood is you wouldn’t spray for that disease, which would save you time and money, and would be better for the environment.” Mr Hartley adds: “I think farm ers will have to justify why they’ve sprayed something in the future and what they’ve sprayed for. One day, it’s very likely that conducting these tests will become part of general farming practice.”
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A simple, rapid test to identify the most economically damag ing disease in the UK for oil seed rape will be available to buy from September.Lightleaf spot can cause losses in yield of up to 30% in rape – equivalent to £80 million in lost returns, says Mi crogenetics. The company has now cre ated what it claims is the fastest and most accurate test for the disease.
Once signs of light leaf spot are vis ible, sprays don’t work as well, says Mr Steele. “SwiftDetect will provide farm ers with the means to identify the gold en window of opportunity when fungi cides are at their most effective.
Disease forecast casting, says Mr Steele. “The trials revealed a positive link between rainfall and light leaf spot de tection. But none was found in one va riety, Dart, despite high levels of rain. Favourable environmental conditions do not guarantee disease presence.
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14 MIDLAND FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022
Winter pulse yields better than expected, says SmookerAndrewBASF's Roger. “The war in Ukraine is affect ing everything, the pandemic influence lingers and shipping prices are contin uing to rise but domestic demand, on the whole, is improving.
Positivity grows around pulses vicine, larger seed size and rust resist ance to name a few.
inter pulse yields are better than expected – with many parched crops appearing to have overcome the twin challenges of heatwave and drought.
WArable
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“The best white and the best blue peas are yielding 115% or more rela tive to the control yield and several others are around 110%. Any grow ers that haven’t reviewed their vari ety choice for a while, I’d recommend that they take a look at the new list in November.”
“Growers are reporting winter bean yields have held up well,” says BASF eastern region agronomy manager An drew Smooker, although spring beans look to have suffered more. “Crops haven’t senesced natural ly – they’ve run out of moisture and died. It is likely to effect yield. While it hasn’t been a high-pressure year for disease, anything that has helped keep plants greener for longer, like Signum, will have helped crops cope with the droughtWhileconditions.”pulseprices may be volatile, PGRO chief executive Roger Vickers says domestic demand is rising for pro tein“Therecrops.are a combination of factors continuing to affect markets,” explains
SEPTEMBER 2022 • MIDLAND FARMER 15
“The vast majority of trade for crop 2021 is finished. Feed beans peaked at £340/t ex farm and marrowfat peas smashed the £500/t barrier but there is now considerable volatility and al though prices have fallen, they contin ue to PGROfluctuate.”senior technical officer Chris Judge says pulse varieties have per formed reasonably well this year. “I’m expecting yields to be higher than the last two. They won’t be breaking any records, but are likely to be closer to the long-term averages. With a few exceptions, it’s been a low disease pressure year, says Mr Judge. But there has been substan tially more downy mildew than in pre vious years both in bean and vining
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With demand on the Seasonal Workers Scheme expected to increase again next year, Mr Bradshaw said it was vital that scheme had the capacity to facilitate the people the sector needs to pick, pack and process the country’s fruit and vegetables. This meant increasing the number of visas available to a minimum of a five-year rolling scheme. This would give growers confidence to invest in their businesses – particularly given growth in the horticultural sector is a government ambition set out in the National Food Strategy.
Labour shortage leaves £22m fruit and veg left to waste in the field • 40% of respondents are suffering crop losses due to labour shortages • 56% of respondents reported an average 19% fall in production • On average, businesses are experiencing a 14% worker shortage • 17% of recruited workers did not turn up • 9% of workers left their contract early Source: NFU Survey findings
“Every crop is valuable – to the farm business and to the people whose plates they fill. We simply can’t afford to be leaving food unpicked.”
16 MIDLAND FARMER SEPTEMBER 2022 AArableshortage of workers means £22m of fruit and vegetables has been lost because there aren’t enough people to pick the crops.
The NFU workforce survey represents about one third of the UK horticulture sector – prompting the union to estimate that as much as £60m of food could be left unharvested this year due to lack of labour.
Wasted food NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw said: “It’s nothing short of a travesty that quality, nutritious food is being wasted at a time when families across the country are already struggling to make ends meet because of soaring living costs.”
It said the results highlighted the devastating impact workforce shortages are having on the food and farming sector – resulting in significant crop losses at a time when the country is experiencing the worst cost-of-living crisis in generations.
At the same time, Mr Bradshaw said prolonged dry weather and record temperatures had created further challenges for the fruit and veg sector.
“This survey has demonstrated just how crucial it is for fruit and veg growers to have access to the workforce they need. Expanding the Seasonal Workers Scheme will play a vital role in enabling that access and ensuring we don’t see this devastating level of food waste next year.”
Workers are needed to harvest crops across the fruit and sectorsvegetable It’s travestyshortnothingofa
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GreenArable schemes 'good for farming and environment'
A gri-environment schemes can benefit wildlife without damaging food production, a long-term research project has found.Scientists from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology spent 10 years intensively monitoring the impacts of a large-scale Defra-funded experiment at Hillesden, a 1,000-hectare commercial arable farm in Buckinghamshire.
Beginning in 2005, the study involved creating several wildlife habitats – including seed-bearing plants for birds, wildflowers for pollinators and tussocky grass margins – to support a range of birds, insects and small mammals. The experiment assessed the effectiveness of these agri-environmental measures and their ability to reduce biodiversity losses caused by the intensification of UK farming practices after the Second World War.
Comparable Researchers recorded a significantly increase in local bird and butterfly populations – helping to reverse declines in species that are essential for food production, such as pollinators and predators of crop pests. kind, scientists found numbers of the majority of species did better at Hillesden than in other comparable farmed landscapes without agri-environment measures over the same timeframes.
Applied Ecology. The study’s author John Redhead said he believed the benefits of agri-environment schemes could be replicated on other farms too. significant period of time, and comparing these with other sites, means we can be confident that agri-environment options can bring long-term benefits for bird and butterfly populations. conventional agricultural practices, in an ordinary landscape with no large patches of natural long-termhabitat.study indicate what can be achieved on other commercial farms with good planning, implementation and management of agri-environment measures.”
18 MIDLAND FARMER SEPTEMBER 2022
Linnet numbers more doubledthan [photo credit: Andy Hay]
>>
“The later drilled crops didn’t come under flea beetle pressure, but the middrillings went in when it was drier and
Moisturelater is more important than drilling date, says Mike Wilton (left)
• Still time to get crops in ground
“I need between 25 and 50 millilitres of rainfall before I can confidently drill oilseed rape,” says Michael Wilton, farm manager at the Stody Estate in north “MoistureNorfolk.isthe most important aspect of establishing the crop – it’s as important as all the other factors – cultivations, varietal selection, early nutrition – put together. Not only do we need some moisture for seeds to chit, we need enough to keep seedlings growing.”
• Moisture vital for establishment
Getting rape off to a good start brings benefits
Crop establishment
Still time to drill rape summerfollowingdrought
G
Well-established The early crop last year and was wellestablished by the time there was activity from cabbage stem flea beetle. There were more larvae come spring, but by then the plants were big enough to withstand the damage.
• Lack of any rain delays planting
Varietal choice also plays a key role. This year, Mr Wilton is growing DK Expansion, LG Ambassador and V367OL (HOLL). He says he looks for good genetics, strong autumn vigour and big seed. “I won’t accept seed with less than a 5g thousand seed weight. Quite simply we’ve found that the bigger the seed, the bigger the cotyledons and the more energy the young plants have, making them more resilient to CSFB damage. A good seed treatment is important too.”
if they delay drilling until mid-September, say Earlieragronomists.thisyear,United Oilseeds forecast a 30% increase in the amount of rape planted this summer. But the area hangs in the balance after the heatwave and summer drought left soils parched and dusty.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • MIDLAND FARMER 19
lons of water from the reservoirs and bole holes, it’s likely that I’ll have run out of water by the time any rape is in the ground.”
Mr Keane agrees: “Seed treatments help plants get up and away.
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Delaying drilling until there is sufficient soil moisture will increase the need for good seedling vigour, adds Mr Adamson. In these situations, hybrid rape varieties can prove their worth.
Growth rate “Hybrid vigour can help to mitigate the delayed start. The improved growth rate of hybrids means they can still reach a size where they stand a chance against cabbage stem flea beetles when the migration begins.”
ber of years. Newer varieties – such as LG Aviron, LG Auckland and LG Antigua – strengthen the options available. With vigorous varieties, seed rates should target 25-30 plants/m², which is normally around 50 seeds/m². Growers should assess seedbed conditions and adjust seed rates accordingly to account for field losses, particularly if conditions deteriorate.
“Last year we saw crops of LG Antigua drilled mid-September up in the Lincolnshire Wolds achieve yields of over 6t/ha, so there is definitely high yield potential for crops drilled into September in the right conditions.”
>>
Wait for moisture before planting rape sustain crop.”
Consider hybrid varieties when drilling later
As well as income from the crop, Mr Adamson says the benefits of rape for maximising first wheats in the rotation can also not be ignored. But rushing to drill the crop before adequate moisture could result in disappointment.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • MIDLAND FARMER 21 Crop establishment
Holding off drilling until conditions improve doesn’t compromise yield. Growers should be guided by seedbed conditions rather than calendar dates, suggests Mr Wilkinson.
At drilling, Mr Wilton uses a starter fertiliser. He also recommends good soil to seed contact and early weed control is preferable.
Choosing the correct variety for this drilling window is key to success. “If you are drilling in September, the focus should be on speed of autumn growth and vigour, so hybrids are a first choice because they are quick to get going and they accumulate biomass very quickly,” says Mr Wilkinson.
“While some areas have seen some rain recently, many have not had enough,” says Mr Wilkinson. “Even where it has rained, it needs to be a serious amount to restore moisture levels to where they need to be to sustain a rapidly emerging rape crop.”
“It is possible to get good yields from later drilled rape, when sown into the right conditions. In fact, they often outperform some of the earlier drilled crops – and many later-drilled crops have been award-winners.”
“In 2020, we did a pre-emergence application of clomazone to clear up various weeds. “In 2021, it was drier and we weren’t sure how successful the crop was going to be so we decided not to apply any pre-em herbicides. I felt that was a “Weedmistake.control is a real challenge,” he admits. “We’re upping the pre-establishment spend and increasing the risk early “However,on. we need to set ourselves up to succeed so we need to do what’s necessary.”
“Integral Pro, for example, is a biofungicide based on the bacteria Bacillus Amyloquefaciens and activates plant’s natural defence systems. It colonises the roots, protecting the plants from various attacks, acting as a barrier against fungi.”
Putting down roots Vigour is also important to get the crop established and putting roots down. But the speed of development for reaching over wintering biomass as quickly as possible is key. A variety in this situation will also benOilseed rape seeds need to take up 40% of their own weight in moisture before germination begins. There is then a second moisture requirement to allow the seed to produce an embryonic root.
Biostimulants can further encourage rapid growth of a crop drilled later into sufficient moisture can also aid successful establishment. With seed and foliar-applied biostimulants available, these treatments can be a worthwhile investment“While insecticides face resistance, it is possible to reduce the effect of adult cabbage stem flea beetle by ensuring the crop’s growth rate exceeds the feeding rate of the adult pest.” says Mr“MaximisingAdamson. this growth rate is critical whether growing conventional or hybrid varieties. But the vigour of hybrid varieties can potentially be used as an extra method to maximise growth when time is of the essence.”
“From a practical perspective, this means crops need to go into moist seedbeds and have more moisture on the way,” says ProCam technical development manager Rob Adamson. “Drilling before this is unlikely to be successful.”
Crop establishment 22 MIDLAND FARMER SEPTEMBER 2022 sales@haith.co.uk+44 (0) 1302 831911 www.haith.co.uk Strategic Partner TURNKEY SOLUTIONS INNOVATION COMBINED WASHERS & DESTONERS POLISHERSBOX TIPPLERSIN-TAKE OPTICAL SORTERSGRADERS From single machines through to complete turnkey installations, Haith has unrivalled experience and expertise in designing and installing vegetable handling solutions. IN-FIELD
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24 MIDLAND FARMER • SEPTEMBER 2022 Fertilisation accounts for about a third of the operating costs in arable farming. That’s why the technology used is all the more important to minimise losses and increase both efficacy and precision. Our fertiliser spreaders meet the most stringent demands: they spread highly precisely, save fertiliser in the process and are easy to set up – and above all they support your success! Experience Spica, Tauri and Polaris – fertilising precision in LEMKEN lemken.comBlue. SPREADING SUCCESS.SpicaTauri Polaris BEST PRICES FOR BREAKING FOR SPARES Forage Harvester Spares (all makes) Rake, Tedder & Mower Parts (all makes) Maize Header Parts Kemper, Claas RU/Orbis Filter Kits for SPFH & Tractors (all makes) Claas 492, JD7000 Series, Krone BigX 700, Plus NH FX60 feed roller assemblies & chopping units 01380 850001 sales@agrispares.co.uk www.agrispares.co.uk AGRISPARES Agricultural Replacement Parts & Accessories 01480 810137 www.eco-fp.com office@eco-fp.com Ground Force is a soil conditioner adjuvant formulated to be applied with residual soil applied pesticides. A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT IMPACT PRODUCT SOIL CONDITIONER ADJUVANT WEED GERMINATION LAYER HERBICIDE + GROUND FORCE
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HerbicideWeedseedseed
Ground Force is a soil adjuvant formulated to be applied with residual soil applied pesticides.
Providing maximum efficiency of residual soil herbicides even in adverse weather conditions.
Uneven spray distribution
Reduces the negative environmental impact of soil applied pesticide
LAYER
GroundDescriptionForceisasoilconditioner adjuvant formulated to be applied with residual and pre-emergent soil applied pesticides.
Increases the protective period of herbicides within the soil Improves coverage of treated surface by limiting fine spray droplets Moves herbicide quickly into the soil to prevent volatilisation or photo-degradation Fixes the herbicide in the top 5cm of the soil layer, which is where majority of weeds grow out from, so that the weeds encounter maximum active material and efficacy is increased.
Mode of
Improves coverage of treated surface by limiting fine spray Movesdroplets.herbicide quickly into the soil to prevent volatilisation or photoFixesdegradation.theherbicide in the top 5cm of the soil layer.
Combination of paraffinic hydrocarbons, non-ionic surfactants, oils and sticking agents.
Ground Force helps to get the pesticide into the target area of the soil and then also helps to keep it there to maximise control and prevent unwanted damage to crops.
absorptionIncreasedsoilReducedspraydrift
Ground Force helps to prevent phytotoxicity effects on sensitive crop roots by limiting the herbicide that penetrates below the 5cm ‘active’ herbicide layer of soil and into the main root zone.
Ground Force gets the herbicide to where it needs to be and keeps it there.
CROP GERMINATION
Thenew
Carbon recycling “The first dedicated, peer reviewed study into miscanthus life cycles shows that the above ground biomass grows annually and recycles all the carbon that’s been produced through plant ing, harvesting, and burning the crop for renewable electricity.”
£3.3m funding for miscanthus project runs until 2025, will develop innova tive techniques to improve miscanthus planting and Terravestaestablishment.headofresearch and de velopment Jason Kam says the first area of focus is improving the quali ty of miscanthus rhizomes when they come out of the nursery, This will in clude seed development, and biologi ing moisture, reducing tillage and im proving soil “Streamlininghealth.planting processes is an exciting part of the project, where agri-tech will be used to plant more crops in a shorter space of time.” Monitoring establishment of the crop will help improve its overall per formance, says Dr Kam.
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CarrierXTcaneitherbedelivered asatrailedormountedversion. Theworkingwidthis4.25,5.25or 6.25m.AllCarrierXTmodelscan beequippedwitharangeofboth singleanddoublepackeroptions.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • MIDLAND FARMER 25
CarrierXThastheabilitytooptimise thediscanglestoitsworkingdepth. Thiscreatesafullcut-outata shallowerworkingdepthorreduced soilflowatadeeperworkingdepth. Bothofthesefactorscontributetoa lowerdieselconsumption.
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The funding was awarded to mis canthus specialist Terravesta through the government’s Biomass Feedstocks Innovation Programme. Terravesta hopes to improve crop establishment –including field preparation, new plant ing techniques and monitoring growth in theMiscanthusfield. rhizomes below ground and decaying leaf litter fixes and stores 2.35 tonnes of carbon dioxide equiva lent per hectare annually as the grows, says Terravesta science and technolo gy director Michael Squance.
Crop establishment M ore than £3m has been awarded to encourage plant ing of the perennial bioener gy crop miscanthus – and help the UK meet net zero targets.
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T he long, hot summer makes it easy to forget just how harsh winter can be for autumn-sown cereal crops. In previous seasons, there has usually been the fallback of playing catch-up in the spring.
Soil sampling This season, soaring farm input costs should make soil sampling a no-brainer. When you’re looking to maximise the financial and envi ronmental efficiency of your inputs, it is im portant to understand nutrient availability of theThissoilis both in terms of what is there in crop-available formulations, and what is locked up in the soil and unavailable. This baseline information can then be coupled with yield and quality forecasts to devise a plan for the crop. It is possible to produce a plan to bridge the nutrient gap to ensure the crop has all it needs to achieve optimum growth in terms of a growth stage strategy for micro and mac ro nutrients, biostimulants and fertilisers.
But with nitrogen supplies limited and pric es at sky-high levels, this option is unviable for many growers going into 2023. That said, there will be considerable nu trientsleft in the soil from the previous crop.
Soil preparation For winter cereals and oilseed rape, this gives roots less resistance moving through the soil. It allows them to travel further, enabling them to make use of soil-stored nutrients and help ing to rectify possible compaction issues from previousOilseedseasons.rapecan be direct drilled and win ter cereals planted using minimum tillage operations where compaction isn’t an issue – both systems which have the additional ad vantage of preserving valuable soil moisture after the dry summer. Using minimum tillage techniques, also helps to maintain or improve soil structure, reducing the release of carbon into the at mosphere and reducing the chances of soil compaction. Germination rates High germination rates can be achieved with lower seed rates in crops drilled during Sep tember and early October. Typically, wheat crops require 150 day degrees celsius from sowing to emergence. This can be as little as 11 days in Sep tember and around 25 days for November sown crops. Those that emerge in early au tumn have time to become established with good root systems before the harsher winter weather sets in. Increased root formation
Simon Fox is director and founder of Emer
As crops descend into dormancy over the winter months, roots then continue to thrive and develop, creating an extensive nutrient transport system. This puts the crop in a good state for fur ther growth and nutrient uptake when day length and temperatures increase. Stronger healthier plants After germination and before winter dorman cy, it is important that crops should be evalu ated for minor and micronutrient deficiencies.
And with soils still warm in the autumn, we must maximise the use of these reserves rath er than letting them leach out over winter. One strategy is to achieve maximum ger mination and the establishment of strong, healthy, resilient plants going into winter. To achieve the best results with autumn plant ed crops, the to-do list can be broken down into the following action points:
Depending on soil type, the most common de ficiencies are magnesium, manganese, sul phur, copper and zinc. At a time when input costs are at an alltime high, establishing a healthy, hardy crop has the advantage of maximising input effi ciency and building in resilience to whatever extremes the winter months deliver.
EXPERT VIEW Soil health and nutrient availability are key to a good start for crops, says Simon Fox
Building in resilience when establishing winter crops
Crop establishment
The vigour and quality of germination, es tablishment and root formation can be influ enced by using biostimulant products at, or soon after, sowing. Specific combinations of organic acids can promote root growth – and aid nutrient uptake.
Taking the first steps towards a resilient winter crop starts with knowing your soil –and post-harvest is the ideal time undertake an extensive soil analysis and start your Op tiYield journey to better crop performance, more profit and greater sustainability.
Throughout the season, there is a tendency to focus on the crop above ground. But the real ity is that post germination and throughout early autumn, we should focus on establish ing a strong, numerous root system.
the crop in the coming spring – maximising the utilisation of any nutrient reserves in the soil left from the previous crop before they are leached out over winter.
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Stay vigilant for signs of stress served up to three weeks ago, and those to be served in the next three weeks.”
•
The UK is experiencing more fre quent heat waves each summer, with temperatures reaching the highs of 30°C in the day, say meteorologists, while evening in-shed temperatures are staying above 20°C.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • MIDLAND FARMER 29
“Molasses has also been shown to produce a greater amount of butyrate in the rumen, the volatile fatty acid re sponsible for gut tissue growth, thus promoting a healthier and more effi cientMolasses-basedrumen.” products are natu rally high in potassium, helping to re place electrolytes lost in the greatest amounts through the increased sweat and saliva production of heat-stressed cows, says Mrs Parry.
Wynnstay dairy specialist Beth Parry says this means a change of tack when it comes to ventilation and minimising heat stress in dairy herds. “High temperatures will see cows struggle and performance and fertility may be affected,” she warns. Conception rates, days open and an estrus, will all be impacted when the 24-hour daily average THI (temper ature humidity index) is 65 or more. This is easily achieved when the tem perature hits 21°C at 60% humidity. “This can affect not only cows be ing served on the day, but also those Monitoring water intake and manure consistency can help identify whether livestock are heat stressed.“Likehumans, cows increase their water intake in the heat, drinking 90-150 litres on a normal day, so we need to offer plentiful, clean water. Outdoors, check any natural sources as the lack of rainfall is impacting water levels,” says Mrs Parry. “Also watch out for manure consistency,” she adds.“Decreased gut motility and rumen fermentation occurs when the cow is experiencing heat stress, leading to loose muck and lost nutrients. Reformulating the ration can help achieve optimum nutrition potential during phases when dry matter intake drops.
•
KeepLivestockheatstress front of mind – whatever the weather Cows struggle in hot conditions Lower performance and fertility during cooler temperatures
“This results in excreting vital elec trolytes required for health. These re serves would otherwise be partitioned for maintenance, production and fer tility.”Mrs Parry recommends offering a buffer feed during the cooler morning and evening periods to help to alleviate the problem. But higher fibre buffers such as hay or older silage take long er to digest, and the cow will produce more heat as a result. Better forage “Supplementing higher-quality forage with a molasses product will help to improve fibre digestibility and stimu late dry matter intakes. This will ben efit milk quality and butterfat levels.
“Alongside this, we want to reduce cow standing time. Consider making milking groups smaller throughout the summer, so less time in the collecting yard. This can help cow flow in the parlour, and competition to feed and water troughs in the“Managingshed. extreme heat isn’t going away, so ensure it stays top of your priority list and use the cooler winter months to plan ahead for prevention next year.”
• Feed
Met Office predictions suggest ex treme weather events are likely to be come the norm. This summer saw a re cord-breaking 40.3°C heatwave in July – followed by a 35°C heatwave three weeks later in August.
Bethstress,canmanagementGoodreduceheatsaysParry normwillheatFrequentwavesbethe “
D airy farmers are being urged to keep heat stress front of mind following two extreme heat waves this summer.
“Research has shown that supple mentation with potassium can coun ter some of the yield losses experienced through heat stress, particularly if a sodium source, such as rock salt is also provided.”
Ventilation While farmers can look to invest in ventilation systems and fans within the shed for long-term solutions, Mrs Parry says there are a few manage ment techniques which can help more immediately.“Cowssuffering from heat stress of ten see a drop in milk production and quality which is linked to the cow’s in nate instinct to utilise her glucose re serves to reduce her core body tem perature through panting, saliva and sweating,” she explains.
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The knock-on effects of the driest July for England since 1935 – and the driest July on record for East Anglia, southeast and southern England – con tinues to pose serious challenges for crops and Englandlivestock.hadjust 35% (23.1mm) of its average rainfall for the month.
The government has relaxed agri-environment scheme rules to make it easier for farmers facing lack of rain to provide feed for livestock.
came as the Environment Agen cy declared drought status for large parts of the coun try, including East Anglia, the East Midlands, central England, the south-west and south-east.
Restrictions Calling for more widespread hosepipe bans last month, NFU deputy presi dent Tom Bradshaw said: “We can’t believe we aren’t allowed to grow the fruit and vegetables the country needs but there is no ban on excessive con sumerTheuse.”National Drought Group – in cluding senior decision makers from the Environment Agency, government, water companies and the the NFU –has agreed actions to protect water re sources in the weeks ahead.
Stewardship scheme rules relaxed
•
The Environment Agency said it and other abstractors to manage water availability – and ensure they get the water they need to be resilient while protecting the environment.
Defra secretary George Eustice said: ”We are better prepared than ever before for these unprecedented dry conditions, but many farmers are concerned about wa ter supplies and the impact on their crops and livestock.
Drought group chairman and En vironment Agency executive director Harvey Bradshaw said: “We are work ing very closely with water companies, farmers and other water users to man age the current situation.”
SEPTEMBER 2022 • MIDLAND FARMER 31
Water & Irrigation
The British Growers Association said growers could lose 50% of crops in cluding cauliflowers, cabbages, carrots, onions and potatoes. A big increase in farmgate prices was needed to cover the impact of the drought and rising input costs, it warned.
The south and east were especially dry, with southern England reporting its driest July since records began in 1836 – with just 10.5mm of rain, 17% of its averageDespiterainfall.recent rain, hydrologists said the impact of the drought would continue to be felt as they urged people
•
Special measures allow countryside stewardship or environmental stewardship agreement holders to take steps such as cutting or grazing additional areas of land – including AB15 – to ease shortages of bedding, fodder, grazing or forage crops. The changes will last until the end of 2022. They aim to ease the pressure on silage stocks with farmers feed ing winter supplies to livestock now, instead of saving them for the coming months.
•
“We are therefore introducing temporary easements on agri-environment schemes to give them the flexibil ity to Therespond.”announcement
Drier soils Water UK policy director Stuart Col ville said water companies were work ing closely with the government and regulators to minimise the need for any restrictions and ensure rivers con tinue to flow. Soil moisture deficits have con tinued to worsen as soils became dri er across the country. Although this is expected during the summer, end of July deficits were greater than the long term average for the time of year. Soils were drier than would be typically expected for July through out England. Rainfall helped reduce soil moisture deficits in parts of north ern England but across other regions were close to those at the end of July 1976.The Met Office says there is an in creased chance of warm conditions this autumn. Any rainfall is likely to follow the typical pattern of wetter conditions in the north-west and drier conditions in the south-east, it added.
S oil moisture deficits have fallen to levels last seen at the end of the 1976 drought due to the sum mer heatwave and lack of rain.
Soils 'will take months' to recover from drought Driest July since records began Only one third of rainfall received Rules relaxed to feed livestock to recover to normal levels.
rolonged drought conditions mean sugar beet growers should try to extend the grow ing season for roots to bulk up and add sugar, says experts. British Sugar agronomists have reported healthy crops can put on an additional 25% of adjusted yield from mid-September, with sugar content in creasing by 0.2-0.4% a week through to November.“Maintaining green leaf area for as long as possible will be paramount in growers’ decisions for fungicide pro grammes this season,” says Syngenta technical manager Andy Cunningham. Powdery mildew has been at high risk for some time, favoured by hot dry conditions. “But as day length now shortens and leaves remain wet with dew for prolonged periods overnight, there’s also increased risk of rust de veloping very quickly.”
&
“If you do opt for a single treatment, it’s crucial that it is as timely as pos sible and you seek to get both the dis ease control and green leaf retention of fered by Priori Gold. Retaining healthy green leaf will prove a positive bonus for ease of harvesting.”
Extending the season will help bulk up crops, says CunninghamAndy ed by irrigation of crops during the dry weather, or any isolated rain showers that occur. But Mr Cunningham says Priori Gold provides effective disease protection and the physiological ad vantage of green leaf retention. Also marketed by Syngenta as An gle, Priori Gold combines difenocona zole and azoxystrobin for protection against rust, powdery mildew, ramu laria and renownedcercosporagreenleaf retention of the strobilurinAlthoughactive.thehot, dry summer has reduced the risk of ramularia, the dis ease can still hit later in the season. Growers should be aware of the need for persistent fungicides or a later ap plication to prevent early defoliation, says Mr Cunningham. In previous seasons, a two- or threespray strategy has consistently shown the highest yields and best returns. This season, Mr Cunningham says for most growers a two-spray programme will still pay dividends.
Green leaf protection to boost late season sugar
Water Irrigation
32 MIDLAND FARMER SEPTEMBER 2022
That would be further exacerbat
P
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“To leave the haulm alive under the current conditions will only increase dry matter and yield is unlikely to be significantly improved.
“A relatively small unbruised crop should be easier to market than a slightly larger but heavily bruised crop.”But it isn’t all doom and gloom.
Careful lifting will ShailessaysgreatunlikelyYieldsseasonbruisingminimisehelpthisaretobethisyear,Darryl (below).
“Some well irrigated crops are still bulking and have good haulm and in an ideal world soil moisture deficit should be maintained at around 30mm until flailing and or burn down to reduce the risk of “Normallybruising.”blight control would need to be continued until all the haulm is dead but with this season with hardly any reports of blight some growers may decide not to treat during the haulm destruction process espe cially on crop not intended for storage.”
“There is significant potential for growth and opportunities for improving the rural economy,” says UKIA secretary Melvyn Kay. “But uncertainty over future water sup plies has important consequences for irrigated agriculture.”
“Thischange.may act as a disincentive or constraint on future growth and investment. A strategy is needed to ensure irrigated agriculture re ceives a fair share of the nation’s water resources and uses it in a sus tainable and efficient way.”
G rowers have faced a start choice when it comes to managing po tatoes this season – often hav ing to choose between keeping the crop alive with water or making a more challenging strategic decision.
Lack of water prompts rethink for potato crops
A strategy would be the next step towards recognising the im portance of irrigation to sustaining the rural economy and the farmed landscape – as well as helping to feed the UK and countries further afield too. was to stop the crop – even though this would mean low yields.
Water Tagricultureneededstrategyfor he UK Irrigation Associa tion has called on the gov ernment to introduce a water strategy for agriculture, warning that farmers must receive a fair share of supplies if they are to feed the Althoughnation.theUK is perceived to be a wet country, rainfall varies sig nificantly from region to region –both seasonally and annually, said the UKIA. This means irrigation is vital to increase crop yields in some areas, it added. In East Anglia alone, the ag rifood industry contributes some £34 billion annually to UK Gross Valued Added (GVA), sustaining 150,000 jobs and providing some 18% of national farm gate output.
34 MIDLAND FARMER SEPTEMBER 2022
Reducing bruising “Single handling and correct settings of harvesters and elevators will be even more important than normal to reduce the exposure to bruising as much as possible,” says Mr Shailes.
Growers may have to target lifting and irrigation to crops most sensitive to bruising. Where water is available, pre-harvest irrigation can help keep more soil on the web and cushion pota toes to reduce bruising – despite hav ing no real effect on dry matter.
Irrigated farming faced an un precedented threat from water scarecity, competition from other water users, and over abstraction and over-licensing in some catch ments. There was also the chal lenge of over-regulation and cli mate
Water & Irrigation
Irrigated farming is facing unprecedented threat It isn't all doom gloomand “
“For some crops even if rain were forecast, their ability to increase yield and tuber size significantly will al ready be compromised with very poor haulm and will probably cause issues with secondary growth. “
Even crops grown in the perfect silt that were planted in great conditions are struggling under the prolonged hot and dry weather, says Hutchin sons root crop technical manager Dar ryl Shailes. So too have some irrigat ed crops, he adds. During the July heat wave, many crops ceased bulking and only put on dry matter, and were just about kept alive. By early August, most irrigation reservoirs were getting very low, with restrictions are being put on some oth er licences. Dry matter “This rapid increase in dry matter means that many crops especially those that are unirrigated or short of water are already in excess of 24% dry matter and will be highly prone to bruising,” says Mr Shailes.
The best decision for many growers
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36 MIDLAND FARMER SEPTEMBER 2022
Soil Association Certification chief executive Dominic Robinson said: “Meriel will lead a well-established and growing certification business, as well as develop and innovate in the growing climate, ecosystem services and forest risk commodity sectors.”
The tree advisors are working with the retailer’s network of 3,000 farmers to plant the right tree species in the right place for right reasons – gaining government and grant funding to cover their costs and create an additional revenue stream.
It is currently offering validation and verification to two schemes in the UK dedicated to the responsible and transparent monitoring of carbon sequestration – the Woodland Carbon Code and the Peatland
Farmers at 50 farms will be the first to be offered access to the scheme. The plan is then to roll the scheme out more widely in the coming months.
Carbon guarantee The government launched its Woodland Carbon Guarantee in 2019. The scheme offered £50m to land managers who planted trees to sequester carbon and then sell woodland carbon units back to the Farmersgovernment.hadraisedconcerns about the investment needed to plant saplings. Government support has also been offered by the England Woodland Creation Offer, alongside grants
The initiative – in partnership with Natural England and the Forestry Commission – forms part of Morrisons plan to ensure that its network of British farmer suppliers is net zero by 2030 and net zero for emissions by 2040.
Sustainable farming Trees and woodlands are increasingly seen as a key part of farming sus-
Advisors to help UK farmers meet treeplanting targets tainably. They can store carbon, limit soil erosion, prevent flooding, control erosion on watercourses and help provide habitats for wildlife.
New director of forestry at Soil Association in
Agriculture currently accounts for 10% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions. New government targets have outlined that approximately 7,000 hectares of woodlands should be planted by 2024 to help offset emissions.
Soil Association Certification Forestry has seen a significant amount of growth in recent years, with certificate numbers doubling since 2016. The team is also involved in the rapidly growing carbon sequestration and avoided emissions sector.
The appointment follows the retirement of Kevin Jones after 25 years at the helm of Soil Association Certification’s forestry business. During that time, the team has grown to more than 50 staff and provides training worldwide.
Morrisons head of agriculture Sophie Throup said: “As British farming’s biggest customer, we have a responsibility to help our farmers overcome the challenges of working more sustainably.“Many farmers, while recognising the value of trees in their landscape, are worried that tree planting initiatives will mean that valuable land is taken from food production – even when funded by the government.
“We want to take this worry away and help farmers identify what trees work for them on their farm, in the right places and for the right reasons.”
oil Association Certification has appointed Meriel Robson (pictured) to replace Kevin Jones as its new forestry director of forestry.
Morrisons tree advisors will offer expert advice to farmers on a case-bycase basis and will work with farmers to create individual woodland planting and management plans. They will identify which trees are best in which place, how tree planting can complement farming business activity and what environmental benefit they will bring. They will also advise how to unlock government and grant funding to finance the planting of trees, as well as how to secure income from their projects.
Advice will be offered Sophiefarmers,individualtosaysThroup We need the right trees in the placesright “
F armers who supply supermarket chain Morrisons are being given free woodland management advice – so they plant trees to the best environmental effect while generating additional farm income.
Soil Association Certification says it now certifies more than 26 million hectares of forest worldwide.
Ms Robson brings with her a wealth of experience in the forest management sector. She has been instrumental in the accreditation and delivery of the Soil Association’s forestry certification schemes.
SForestry
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• More money available
ForestryF
Farmers could be confident that they can grow trees under the EWCO, safe in the knowledge that they will be able to transition into the Local Nature Recovery scheme –without the wor ry that future schemes will be signif icantlyMostdifferent.newapplications for woodland creation payments from 2025 will be made through the Local Nature Recov ery scheme. Existing England Wood land Creation Offer agreement holders will be able to transition their mainte nance payments from 2026. Industry reaction Country Land and Business Associ ation president Mark Tufnell said he was pleased to learn that the England Woodland Creation Offer would contin ue as part of the Environmental Land Management scheme. But he added: “Moving this ini tiative to be incorporated into ELM seems to be the sensible approach. It will, however, be vital that the scheme receives the proper funding required to be“Aseffective.the£500m Nature for Climate allocation for trees recognises, the costs of planting and management on the scale the government is seeking will require sustained resources, especially when cumulative management costs are“Theseconsidered.measures should not be at the expense of equally important pri orities and targets under the Environ ment Act, so the CLA is calling on the government to maintain a separate funding stream for trees.”
The woodland industry has increased its focus on the tree provenance in recent years – including the challenges arising from the determination of successive governments to increase native woodland planting. As demand for native trees with UK provenance increases, so does pressure on the supply chain. Elsoms Trees says it will ease this pressure by increasing the quantity of broadleaf trees and increasing the range of UK provenances.
The company brings together the knowledge of Proven Plants with the support and structure of Elsoms.Under the direction of managing director Rodney Shearer, Elsoms Trees will produce seedlings of harder-to-grow tree species –contributing to the government's ambitious goal to plant 30,000ha of new woodlands and forests annually by 2025.
Mr Shearer said: “With Elsoms’ strong heritage working with seeds and Proven Plant’s knowledge and experience of the woodland and forestry industries, I know Elsoms Trees will become the goto supplier for trees where provenance matters.”
planting • Proper
Mr Stanford said: “Given the recent hot dry weather it’s vital our farmers and land managers plan for the future to build in resilience to climate change and take advantage of the woodland creation incentives available today.”
armers and landowners are being encouraged to apply for a share of £25m in funding to support woodland creation and tree planting.Themoney is available in the year ahead after it was announced the Eng land Woodland Creation Offer will become part of Defra's Local Nature Recovery scheme – one of the new envi ronmental land management schemes – fromMore2025.than £25m is available in 2022/23 as continued funding to sup port well-designed woodland crea tion proposals through the England Woodland Creation Offer. This builds upon the £15m which was available last year.
A new company aims to increase the supply of broadleaf seedlings to the UK market – boosting the supply of in-demand tree species. Independent seed breeder Elsoms Seeds has invested in Proven Plants to create Elsoms Trees –a jointly-owned business with the Shearer family.
It's a UKplatformglobalforbreeders “
Payment rates This means farmers could get a one-off payment of £8,500/ha followed by an nual maintenance payments of £300/ ha for 10 years. Higher payment rates are available offering more money for schemes that provide additional pub lic benefits.Thedesign of Local Nature Re covery – part of Defra's Environmen tal Land Management scheme – and payment rates for planting trees will largely mirror those within the Eng
SEPTEMBER 2022 • MIDLAND FARMER 39
2025.annuallyofwantsgovernmentThe30,000hatreesplantedby
Building resilience Woodlands also support biodiverse eco systems through habitat creation and can benefit animal welfare by provid ing shelter in adverse weather and ad ditional fodder for livestock, as well as diversification opportunities through firewood and timber.
Elsoms Trees to unlock woodland potential
• Grants for
£25m available for farmers to create new woodlands well-designed proposals for funding needed for targets
F armers will be among the crowds of visi tors set to attend the UK’s largest forest ry, woodland, arboriculture, fencing and biomass show this month.
ducing and selling firewood, the new Forestry Commission funded project for mapping the UK’s coppice resource, winching safety demos, and dis cussions on training for forest workers.
Simon
Mystery as moths disappear woodlandsfrom Forestry carbonstoreuk.com tilhill.com Tap into trees and see how your farm business could benefit. Just give Simon a call to discuss your options.
A team of scientists led from Rothamsted Research found that populations have more than halved in broadleaf woodland, compared to average losses of 34% across the rest of theThecountry.authors – who also looked at the possibility that over-grazing by deer and less woodland management might be responsible – say the reasons for the declines are still unknown, but climate change may play a role.
Woodland and forestry event returns after covid
For details, visit www.apfexhibition.co.uk
Marrington on 07825 193278. Email: simon.marrington @tilhill.com A Great Opportunity for Farmers
The show features some £80m of equipment, much of it designed for use on farms, small wood lands, estates and individual trees – enabling farmers to maximise the value of trees and tim ber on their land. Advice will be available on new rules for pro The show will feature some £80m of working equipment
Lead author, Dr Dan Blumgart said: “It is likely that this has driven at least part of the decline observed in woodlands. But this can’t explain why the declines have been worse in broadleaf woodland compared to oth er habitats.”
Woodland and tree management advice for farmers will be just one feature of the 2022 APF Exhibition, which is being held on 22-24 Septem ber at the Ragley Estate, Warwickshire.
40 MIDLAND FARMER SEPTEMBER 2022
The show is of significant interest to the farm ing industry with a dedicated fencing village and a lot of machinery and equipment designed for small woodlands and adding value to small par cels of timber and individual trees. More than 320 exhibitors and 22,000 visitors, 90% of whom are trade professionals, are expect ed to attend. Producing and utilising timber as woodfuel – whether as firewood or woodchips –will feature strongly. So too will biomass boilers.
M oth numbers have declined more in UK woodlands over the last half century than in any other habitat, according to a new study.
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The guide recommends that landown ers consider encouraging more natu ral regeneration. Naturally regener ated areas may reduce wind, drought, frost, pest and disease risk where indi
new Forestry Commission guide sets out how landowners and farmers can adapt wood lands in the face of climate change.
AForestry
The Forestry Commission says im plementing these steps will support the delivery of the England Trees Ac tion Plan, which sets out the govern ment’s long-term plan for the nation’s trees, woodlands and forests. It says doing so will also underpin wider government efforts to plant 30,000ha of trees across the UK eve ry year by 2025.
Called Adapting forest and wood land management to the changing cli mate, the UK guide outlines steps that can be taken to help woodlands con tent with drought, changing weath er patterns and more frequent, severe weather.Itsuggests a range of measures, in cluding diversifying the different types of trees planted across a landscape –such as changing the dominant species – to increase biodiversity. It also advis es choosing varieties able to cope with frost, and pests and diseases.
Guide helps woodlands adapt to climate change
42 MIDLAND FARMER SEPTEMBER 2022
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woodlandsWorsley:William of the future viduals are better adapted to changing local site conditions, it says. Forestry Commission chairman Sir William Worsley said: “The wood lands of the future need to be planted and managed differently if they are to be resilient to our changing climate. He added: “By planting a more diverse range of tree species in the right place and in accordance with the UK forestry standard, we can fos ter healthy and thriving treescapes across the Publicationcountry.”ofthe guide follows the launch of the Forest Research Holt Laboratory and the Centre for Forest Protection, both of which will conduct research into tree pests and diseases, as well as ways to manage emerging threats from climate change. Woodland creation is an important part of the wider adaptation of society to climate change, as forests and wood lands can provide shade and shelter, give flood protection, and reduce both air pollution and soil erosion.
Natural regeneration
Fire prevention Fire suppression kits could stop a fire in its tracks, said Ms van Gestel. “We’re urging farmers to use our fire prevention checklist and to maintain regular cleaning and maintenance of machinery to avoid destructive fires.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • MIDLAND FARMER 43 Professional services
lanterns landing in fields of crops or grassland. Some 200,000 lan terns are released in the UK eve ry year – posing a risk to proper ty, livestock and wildlife.
Another spike of claims expected Rural insurer seeks to reduce risk Suppression kits stop fire spread
“As we continue to experience very dry weather in many plac es, alongside some of the high est temperatures on record over the past few weeks, this has in creased the risk of fires being started by sky lanterns.
The summer heatwave has seen a spike in field fires
amid renewed fears that the summer drought and also seen a number of high-pro file fires – including blazes which have made national headlines.
Farm and agricultural ma chinery fires can put lives at risk, damage valuable crops and ma chinery and disrupt vital harvest, said NFU Mutual. Premium dis of electrical wiring and a tank full of diesel provide everything that is needed to turn a spark into a violent“Notfire.only can this result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of agricultural ma chinery, but it can also damage or destroy nearby crops and build ings and disrupt harvest at a time when farmers can least afford it.”
“Now is the time for Defra to take action. While the possibili ty of fire is great in the summer months, they can also harm ani mals and wildlife all year round. “If an animal eats a fallen lan tern it could lead to horrible inju ries or even death.”
So far, 185 councils out of 333 local authoritiees across Eng land and Wales have voluntari ly banned sky lanterns. This covers land owned by these councils – but the NFU says the Government can do more. NFU deputy president Tom Bradshaw said: “This huge amount of public support demon strates the urgent need for a ban on sky lanterns.
Fire danger prompts offer of insurance discount
Farmers are advised to fit a suppression system that meets P-mark status to contain, ex tinguish and prevent fire. They should also regularly clean out dust and chaff from hot spots and check machines over at the end of each day. An air compressor can be used to regularly blow away de bris from the machine – but only when the exit pressure is reduced to 2.1 bar (30psi) and the operator wears eye and respiratory protec tive gear for protection. Farmers are urged to keep a bowser filled with water on hand when conducting fieldwork. Em ployees should be able to access this water supply – and be pre pared to create a fire break in the event of a crop fire.
F arm leaders have stepped up calls for sky lantern ban – warning that they pose a devastating fire threat to the countryside.Morethan 50,000 members of the public have backed the NFU’s calls for a total ban on sky lan terns in England and Wales, signing a petition calling on the government to follow the lead of supermarkets, who halted sales of disposable barbecues. The drought and heatwave have brought into sharp focus the threat of fires posed by sky
NFU Mutual, which insures three-quarters of all UK farms, says fires on farms typically tel. These claims are estimated to have cost over £37m last year, with a 35% increase in the num ber of combine fire claims during the 2021 harvest.
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Ban on sky lanterns ‘must follow barbecues’
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N FU Mutual is offering cheaper insurance pre miums for farmers and contractors who fit approved fire suppression kits to agricultural machinery.Itcomes
EXPERT VIEW Farmers should the small print when services,environmentalconsideringsay Jeremy Moody and SandersRichardBewary naturalcapitalisingaboutoncapital
44 MIDLAND FARMER SEPTEMBER 2022 Professional servicesI
Creating habitat areas can generate income – but can also be costly. activities and consider the effect of any agreement on tax and tenancy terms. It is also vital to consider emerging demands from consumers and commodity buyers.
So, while selling carbon credits to other people for fixing organic matter into the farm’s soil may look like a win-win, what happens when a retailer then insists on the farm itself being carbon neutral? The value in selling carbon credits right now is trivial – it is far more valuable to retain the carbon on your farm. Why? Be-
ncome from natural capital and carbon are hailed by some as a sustainable revenue stream for farmers – but growers and livestock producers should be careful.
Although there are likely to be some profitable options, disadvantages to trading natural capital can include long-term agreements – and farmers can sometimes face punitive measures should the terms and conditions not be met. It is no more or less a transaction than any other, and should be treated as such. You should also think about whether the management fits in with other farming
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Current estimates for biodi versity net gain incomes range from £260 to £670/ha per year.
Jeremy Moody and Richard Sanders form the secretariat of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, the professional body for farm advisers.
Some agreements are for at least 30 years “
There is significant commercial demand for forestry and prices for both timber and woodland have risenGivensharply.the risk-reward ratio, it’s better business to trade the timber. If you sell the carbon and the trees fail or burn down, what happens then? Stacking services But there are times when selling environmental services is mutu ally beneficial. And some agree ments might be ‘stacked’ to gar ner greater income for differing benefits yielded from manage ment
Nature and biodiversity Land which is in a Local Nature Recovery Strategy or Biodiversi ty Action Plan, for example, will also be of higher value. If you’re keen on delivering biodiversity net gain then try to get your land allocated to a local strategy by en gaging with local environmental groups and those preparing the strategies.Netgain agreements are for at least 30 years, and will be tied to the land, so landowners need to be sure that the offer is worth while, he warns. It’s also impor tant to be clear about obligations; is the landowner delivering the management or is the land to be leased to a third party like the Habitat Bank or environmental charity to deliver the measures?
Compared to the average income from farming in 2020 of £389/ha that could be attractive. But you also need to look at how the man agement fits in with the existing business, as there may be addi tional benefits.
If you have a tourism venture then some well-planned habitat creation could add value. Plant ing wildflower meadows might work underneath a solar farm or complement a change to re generative farming and selling premium meat. But be careful of tax implica tions – check that the land will still be in agricultural use or it could affect Inheritance Tax re liefs. We are pressing for agri cultural property relief to apply to land in environmental agree ments, giving farmers the confi dence they need.
Rewettingpractices.peatland might en courage greater biodiversity, se quester carbon, and provide clean water, each of possible value to different buyers. All developers will soon have to deliver a 10% biodiversity net gain as well as the development. Where this is better achieved offsite, that would generate demand for environmental services from farms.Different habitats will car ry different values. Those which are rarer, quick to recreate, and closest to the development will be worth more than slower op tions – like tree planting - or are further afield. The habitat type and condition of the land will also be taken into account. If you’re losing high-val ue grassland then it should be re placed with grassland; the better its condition the greater its value.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • MIDLAND FARMER 45 cause helping another business become net zero will not help the farmCommercialitself. forestry is also more profitable than planting trees for carbon sequestration.
www.ascensotyresuk.co.uk aims
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is affecting farm businesses across Europe, says Michał Stachlewski. The invasion has changed everything us when their local supplier is out of stock. We cannot tell ourselves “this is not my business, it is not my problem”.
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Michał Stachlewski is sales director for FHU Kisiel, a farm machinery dealer in Niedrzwica, Poland.
Supporting freedom Customers are not only buying on price – they are also looking at the manufacturers’ policies and attitudes towards Ukraine. Do they support freedom – and not just in words – or are they only interested in making money? We fly the Ukrainian flag at our branches, as a show of solidarity so people don’t feel alone. But we are also thinking long-term. Each of our employees has contributed to helping refugees and we are also ready to help. The invasion has affected everything. We have 80 employees. Housing has been provided to Ukrainian families. We believe that once the war has ended, those families will return to their homeland and rebuild it. We haven’t employed anyone because our business requires specific product knowledge – a good knowledge of the language and customers. It means we can’t hire everybody. But a large number of our customers are hiring people from Ukraine. Our core business is machinery sales in Poland. We specialise in selling machines to farmers who – even if they use modern production methods – still make relatively traditional choices. Bigger threat The way we see it, the war is a bigger threat than volatile prices and inflation. It is better to have higher prices and higher salaries than having a war that threatens to destroy everythingEverythingcompletely.haschanged in Poland since the Russian invasion – not only in the big cities but also in our smaller villages. We hear Ukrainian in the media, we have Ukrainian customers and information is given in both languages. In the streets, we see lots of cars with Ukrainian number plates. Churches are making themselves available so people can pray according to their own denomination.Polandis an EU country and a NATO member so we feel safe. But we are still trying to see an exit from this situation. You would have to be blind not to see the human tragedy that is taking place in Ukraine.
e have been supplying farm machinery since 1992. We are machinery dealers for the Case IH and Steyr tractor brands. Our business is based in eastern and southeast Poland, so the war isn’t very far away at all – our nearest branches are about 50 miles from the Ukraine border. Like everyone, we are feeling the impact of the Russian invasion – the financial effects linked to energy prices, inflation and the rising cost of borrowing. But we can still help our neighbours, show them they are not alone and there is hope for a better tomorrow. The situation has had a huge impact on attitudes to investment in farm machinery. Do farmers buy now? Or do they save money and prepare for the worst? We’re all aware that we could all go into a state of emergency overnight.Ourotherbrands include Joskin. As a dealer, we don’t sell machines direct to Ukraine. But Ukrainian customers do buy parts from
ENDPIECEW
Farmers across Europe stand united with Ukraine
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