7 minute read
Talking Agronomy
BEN Boothman
Well, what can I say? It looks like my 4am rain dances earlier in the month served their purpose. Like Johnny’s drop goal in the 2003 World Cup, the rain came just in time. To date in Ryedale, North Yorkshire, we have had a total of 57.2mm of rain this month and without sounding ungrateful, it is sufficient, for now.
The low temperatures accompanying the first cloud breaks meant crops broke into a slow canter rather than a final furlong sprint. This posed a few minor headaches for plant growth regulation programmes in some crops, namely winter barleys.
Delayed applications of trinexapac and chlormequat meant a close follow up with a second growth regulator on too drought-stressed crops was not advisable. However, the arrival of rain has provided an about turn for some crops and started a race against time to get PGRs applied before the ears emerge. A slight rise in temperatures into the mid-teens spurred crops to take up the previously applied nitrogen and with this boost they soon kicked into gear, crops now look fantastic and full of potential. This, coupled with the increased commodity price can only mean smiley faces all round surely?
Oilseed rape continues to flower in a duller yellow rather than the characteristic bright yellow we are accustomed to. Crops are at various stages, however despite the recent rain I will be favouring a late flowering one hit sclerotinia spray based around prothioconazole.
Winter wheats by now should all have had their T1 fungicide applications, with later sown stragglers being the exception. Yellow rust has been the focus of attention in varieties such as Skyfall, Zyatt and Kerrin. The inclusion of a triazole in the mix has proven valuable in burning out the fungus. Alongside SDHI chemistry, this should help keep crops clean and protected until the T2 timing.
My latest crop inspections have revealed that leaf 2 is already having a sneaky peak into spring, while the earlier-drilled crops have flag leaf just starting to emerge. In my experience, dry springs leave canopies open and seemingly dead weeds coupled with new weed flushes mean another round of close inspections. May is a beautiful month in the UK as crops start to flourish and the countryside truly is a verdant green. Sadly, June usually reveals all the problems as a canopy of weeds head for the sky making you wonder how it happened.
Spring crops are also showing signs of life after receiving a well awaited drink. Patchy conventionally-drilled crops are starting to even up with weed flushes following suit. Dependent on weed populations and target weeds, I like to advise a three-quarter rate sulphonylurea and herbicide partner alongside a low dose fungicide to keep on top of mildew. Manganese will routinely be applied on all crops as this is vital in keeping the plant healthy in its early stages.
Fodder beets
My early-drilled fodder beets on kind land are now rowed up and ready for their first herbicide application. Anyone who read my previous publications will know I prefer the two spray broadacre programme. Both applications are made up of low doses of several actives applied within a short sequence of each other. Timing is key with this programme, however some product rates can be altered to allow for marginal flexibility.
Winter linseeds are growing day by day and will soon be receiving their final nitrogen dose, while spring linseed is establishing well and, in most cases, is now away from any flax flea beetle threat.
Winter beans have first flowers opening and although being a hay fever-suffering agronomist, it is a welcome smell I always look forward to. Crops remain reasonably clean, so an early flowering tebuconazole-based fungicide will be my preferred approach. This will hopefully keep the crop clean up to later flowering where the need for chocolate spot-specific treatments can be considered.
Agronomist facts
JBen Boothman is an independent agronomist and member of the Arable Advisor Group and the Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC), covering Yorkshire and the North East. He is BASIS, FACTS and BETA qualified and studied for a degree in agriculture and crop management at Harper Adams University.
JO Bell
Good early May rain means we are in a better place than we were this time last year with our spring crops in particular. The winter cereals are also appreciating the earlier end to another dry spring. But the cold, wet winter means the potential of many is clearly limited by less tillering than we would like. Even with the promise of strong harvest prices, we are managing our spend with this reality to the fore.
All our wheats had their early disease protection nicely ahead of the Bank Holiday downpour at leaf 3 emerged timing. This, along with the development they are bound to make up now they have moisture and much-needed warmth, should give us the threeweek maximum T1-T2 interval to maintain the best defences.
The combination of bixafen or solatenol with prothioconazole, or triazole and folpet in lower septoria pressure scenarios, used at T1 should stand crops in good stead with the inevitable upturn in septoria and rust infections.
Although they come at a cost, it looks like this season’s need may justify one of the new septoria actives at T2, alongside a second SDHI or prothioconazole. This should be on by the time you read this. After all, the last thing we want is the sort of late septoria surge we know can be so damaging.
Protection
The arrival of the rain well ahead of T2 leaves us very glad we stuck to our low temperature-active PGRs at T1. They aren’t cheap, but we know they will protect us from any bounce back with rapid catch up growth supported by plenty of nitrogen in the ground.
Effective plant growth regulation is even more of a priority in our barleys which have also started romping away. Winter crops had a final PGR with their T2 fungicide in the first week of May. Spring crops will be getting their second at T1 well before the end of month. The third PGR is due along with the folpet we favour pre-awns emerged for ramularia, avoiding any temptation to do our T2s until the awns are fully out.
As I write in mid-May, spring barleys are unsurprisingly patchy after the cold, dry April. However, they are still only at very early tillering. So, unlike last season, they have the conditions they need to fill out nicely. This should make for much more even ripening, fewer harvest management uncertainties and far less grain on the floor as a result.
Oilseed rape flowering has been all over the place and the late frosts have definitely hit pod set. This isn’t a worry though, as our canopies are generally well-branched with great compensating abilities. In fact, any main raceme losses could well have a positive effect on canopy architecture.
All the OSR has had its mid-flowering/early petal fall spray, giving good protection from the sclerotinia pressure that is bound to be ramping up in the warm, unsettled conditions. I think our crops are every bit as promising as they were at the same stage last season. And they have received a good drink about three weeks earlier. Only time will tell of course, but this should stand their pod filling in much better stead.
While our April tissue testing showed low levels of many nutrients in most crops this season, we have only been responding with those that we know. Lancrop curves show they are actually needed at this stage of the season. For the OSR, this means boron and magnesium in particular, with extra magnesium and copper prioritised for the cereals.
Finally, sugar beet. The good news is that it is all there and looking reasonable. The cold weather has kept early aphid pressures well below where they were last season and emergency authorisations mean we have an extra spray in the armoury. But there’s a lot of risk period to go until the 12-leaf stage.
Agronomist facts
JJo Bell is an Agrii agronomist covering Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. She has been an agronomist for 30 years and advises on all combinable crops and some root crops. She is BASIS and FACTS qualified, and studied at Bishop Burton College.
