Arable
Looking ahead to spring cropping options Spring husbandry can provide both value and diversity within a rotation, often demonstrate lower yield variability and can show a better return than their autumn counterparts per £1 spent – although they often struggle to match the best gross margins. But which spring cropping option to choose? Rachel Hicks writes. As well as helping to spread workloads during the peak of the season, allowing growers to prioritise the higher earning crops, spring cropping is becoming more popular in areas of high blackgrass burden – especially when weather makes it difficult to hold off drilling winter wheat until the later drilling window. So what are the key options?
Spring barley For many with black-grass problems, spring barley is the grain of choice, being more competitive than most spring wheats and higher yielding than winter barley. Increasing seed rates and ensuring a good dose of nitrogen early on will help in black-grass suppression, by creating a denser barley crop. However, if growing barley for a malting contract, beware of increasing seed rates too much as this can cause it to fail the required specification. Aiming for 350–400 established plants/m2 is the ideal number where black-grass control is a priority. As such, growers should always check the specification details early on in the season, in order to ensure the correct input programme is in place.
Oilseed rape Spring oilseed rape could well have a resurgence as a break crop this year, following significantly
higher prices this year which, combined with its usual high gross margin in comparison to many of the alternative specialist crops and the significantly lower pest threat in spring cropping, could well make it a more popular option this spring. Of course, this increase in demand could have an impact on seed availability, especially given the high commodity price right now. Improvements in spring OSR varieties mean there are more choices when it comes to varieties offering high vigour – key in the shorter growing window – and modern hybrids usually offer higher oil content and seed yield versus the older conventional varieties. With spring drilling, successful establishment is vital. BASF’s top tips to ensure spring OSR is a success are: • Choose a vigorous hybrid that can get away quickly to out-compete spring weeds. Likewise, selecting a variety with high oil content can help maximise income from oil. • Get your seedbed conditions right. A stale seedbed at the start is key, then you want a good, even seedbed and some moisture to help the seed get up and away. Drill at the right time, resisting the temptation to drill too early. Late March or early April are best, when soil temperatures are warm enough to give the crop a quick start. The soil should be
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warm, around 9–10°C, with a minimum soil pH of 6–6.5. Use a higher seed rate than for WOSR. Drill at around 80 to 90 seeds/m2, aiming to achieve a plant population of around 70 plants/m2. Use a residual herbicide to remove early weed competition. Apply split doses of N between 100kg/ha and 150kg/ha at sowing time and at emergence. Watch out for pests. Monitor and be prepared to treat if necessary for slugs, pigeons and cabbage flea beetle as the crop emerges, and pollen beetle at the green bud stage.
Pulses – nature’s fertiliser One topic that cannot be overlooked when considering spring cropping options is the spike in nitrogen fertiliser prices and availability. When asked for comment, PGRO CEO Roger Vickers (right) responded: “The cost of fertiliser sky-rocketing has, understandably, drawn attention to beans because of their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. This displacement of artificial fertiliser is obviously good news for the environment, but the reality is that beans have a fantastic profile even without these major swings in input prices. “Pulses are flowering plants and therefore attractive to pollinators, and you’re also encouraging insects and bird life. When you look at what the government says it wants to achieve with UK farmland and the environment, pulse continued over…
10 www.farmersguide.co.uk December 2021
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