EXTENSIVE MIN-TILL PARTS RANGE

UNIVERSAL DIRECT DRILLING SYSTEM

The Dutch Openers universal range provides the ultimate in versatility with a choice of tip options to meet your specific crop, land, season and fertiliser requirements.

BENEFIT FROM:

• Lower draft, Tungsten tipped – designed to last

• Reduces soil disturbance – conserve moisture

• Saves time in the field – easy-to-change tips

Dutch Openers manufactured with TUNGSTEN TILES for longer life

EXCLUSIVE UK DISTRIBUTOR FOR DUTCH OPENERS

Three new spring bean varieties added to DL after gaining National Listing

The Processors and Grower Research Organisation (PGRO) has added three new varieties to its 2023 Descriptive List.

The varieties were absent from the list at its o cial launch in November while the breeding companies waited for UK National List status to be granted. This has now happened, meaning growers have even more information on beans to sow this spring.

Genius, LG Stego, and Futura went through the same PGRO trials at the same time as the other varieties on the Descriptive List.

Genius, from LSPB, is now the top yielding variety on the DL, with a yield of 110%. It has the same maturity as Lynx (6) and a good standing ability (8).

LG Stego, from Limagrain, has a yield of 106%, which is the third highest on the DL. It has an earlier maturity (7) than

New venue, date and format for November annual conference

Genius and Lynx (both 6), and has a good standing ability, similarly to Genius (8).

Futura, from LSPB, has a good yield of 106% and is a new low vicine and low convicine variety (LVC) adding an extra LVC option to the list alongside Victus. It has the same maturity as LG Stego (7) and is a tall variety at 111cm with a good standing ability (8).

The 2023 Descriptive List can be found at www.pgro.org

Scottish sheep farmer presented with prestigious NSA award

Scottish sheep farmer Ian Duncan Millar has been presented with the NSA George Hedley Memorial Award for 2022 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the UK sheep industry.

Ian comments: “It is an enormous honour to be awarded the George Hedley Memorial Award. To think of all the folk who have been here before me is quite mind blowing. I have been very fortunate to have had a number of interesting ‘jobs’ through my career, and throughout that time I have always been in my 'day-job', a farmer, and sheep are a big part of what I do, so I suppose I have seen things through that prism, and if as a result I have helped our fantastic industry along the way, that has been an immeasurable bonus. Thank you.”

Ian is regarded by many as one of the most exemplary leaders within the UK sheep industry today. Through his support and early adoption of numerous programmes including performance recording in hill sheep, early co-operative breeding schemes and through his role as a highly valued adviser to researchers developing breeding indexes for UK hill sheep he has been instrumental in the multifaceted progression of the sector.

Scottish red meat sector celebrated at parliamentary event

Quality Meat Scotland

(QMS) highlighted its plans to support and protect the growth of Scotland’s red meat industry at its recent parliamentary reception.

The event, which took place on 17th January, was hosted by QMS and sponsored by Jim Fairlie (pictured), MSP for Perthshire and South Kinross-shire, and highlighted the role that the Scottish red meat supply chain plays in the nation’s economy, wider society and its sustainability objectives.

The reception welcomed 130 attendees from across the red meat supply chain and a number of MSPs from urban and rural constituencies and regions across Scotland. During the event, attendees learned about the work QMS has been doing to promote, protect, support and develop the Scottish red meat supply chain, with a focus on Scotland’s society, economy, environment, food security and public health.

Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns and Cabinet Secretary for Rural A airs, also gave an address to the audience.

For more information on Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI or Specially Selected Pork, visit www.qmscotland.co.uk.

The British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) has announced a major shake-up to its popular annual conference and industry dinner.

Sponsored by ForFarmers, Elanco and Newquip, the event will become a one-day a air, with the Free Range Awards dinner taking place on the evening of the conference, rather than the night before.

BFREPA has also selected a new location – the Telford International Centre – following many years of holding the event in Birmingham.

The move will allow for even more professional trade stand exhibitors at the 15th November event, and exhibitors will be able to utilise the on-site shell scheme framework to create more exible and attractive stands upon which to meet farmers. Nearly half of the stand space has already been sold.

Any businesses and individuals wanting to secure stand space or book dinner tables are advised to act quickly in order to guarantee attendance.

The show is open to all producers – members and nonmembers of BFREPA – and any businesses connected to the sector.

For more information and to book stands and tables, visit www.bfrepa.co.uk

UK agricultural tractor registrations –December 2022

The number of agricultural tractors registered in the UK in December dipped back below the level in the same month of 2021. A total of 628 machines was logged during the month, which was 29% fewer than a year before and was also below the seasonal average. December gures can be in ated by upcoming regulatory changes, though, and this year's monthly number was well within the range seen in recent years. The latest registrations brought the total for the whole of 2022 to 11,580 machines. That is 4% fewer than in 2021 but in line with the average for the previous ve years. Strong growth in the previous two months meant that registrations in the nal quarter of 2022 were higher than a year earlier.

Month: 628 units -28.9% change (compared with December 2021)

Year to date: 11,580 units -3.6% change (compared with January–December 2021) case, broadly speaking, ryegrass appears to be more vulnerable to post-ems but is more likely to develop pre-em resistance than black-grass.”

Di erent responses to cultural controls

Responses to cultural controls are also di erent for ryegrass, with delayed drilling and spring crops not achieving quite the same level of control as against black-grass. With this in mind, Mr Chillcott cautions against simply replicating the black-grass template when managing ryegrass.

“In poorly established spring cereals, we see ryegrass causing lots of problems, simply establishing a crop in spring doesn’t guarantee good control. Wait until conditions favour good establishment and rapid development and eliminate any overwintered weeds beforehand with Roundup (glyphosate).”

In autumn-sown crops, farmers can use ALSchemistry such as Atlantis Star (mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron + thiencarbazone) and Paci ca Plus (mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron + amidosulfuron) or they can use pinoxaden (Axial), depending on resistance status.

Tests on 197 ryegrass populations showed that post-em resistance is not as common as feared. Results from the Bayer/NIAB ryegrass survey found nearly half of samples are still susceptible to post-em chemistry; either ALS-inhibitors or pinoxaden.

“The results from the survey are supported by what we have found in our own testing,” says Bayer’s Tom Chilcott (right). “45.6% of samples in the survey were susceptible to ALS. In 2021 and 2022, Bayer tested a further 17 ryegrass samples for resistance; 10 of these were susceptible.” (see Table).

Mr Chillcott points out that in both situations, farmers and agronomists generally send in samples when they are having problems controlling ryegrass. So, the overall level of resistance across the whole country is probably a little lower than the results of these tests. Where farmers have a susceptible population, applying a post-em this spring is a good option to improve yield and reduce seed return.

Good opportunity

Agronomist Ian Johnson (right) of Agrovista sent in three samples to the ryegrass survey from farms in the North East. Two samples from elds near Sedge eld came back as ALS resistant and susceptible to pinoxaden. But another sample, from six miles away, showed 80% susceptibility to Atlantis and 35% to pinoxaden.

“The survey was a good opportunity to have samples resistance tested to see what some of the more challenging elds would show. I wasn’t surprised at the results showing some resistance, but the elds at Sedge eld showing almost total resistance to Atlantis was a surprise and a shame as the Atlantis-type products still do a good job on bromes which are also plentiful in this part of the world. The other result showing a di erent resistance pro le is a surprise being quite close to Sedge eld. It is very useful now knowing what works and what doesn’t.”

Where ALS-chemistry is still e ective, there are quite a few product options. According to Mr Chillcott, the best e cacy on all grass weeds is given by Atlantis Star because it contains three actives with grass weed activity, with a good broad-leaf weed spectrum. Paci ca Plus is also a good option and has a di erent broadleaf weed spectrum so will suit some situations better.

“Many farmers have struggled with postem ryegrass control, even where there is no resistance. The most likely explanation for this is application timing and conditions. Irrespective of which product you use, there are some fundamentals that have to be right to get good control.” a di erent resistance pro le is a surprise

Surprised by results

East Midlands agronomist Ian Holmes (right) of Strawson was also surprised by the results from the ve samples he sent in. “Ryegrass samples all came back with ratings of susceptible to the contact herbicides Atlantis and Axial. This suggests we should still be able to get control of these populations with a contact herbicide with good application conditions.

“We have generally moved away from applying contact herbicides for grass weed control due to variable performance as we felt we were selecting for resistance. It looks as though some of our performance issues have potentially been more related to conditions and timing rather than true resistance.” job on bromes which are also plentiful in this conditions and timing rather than

Tom Chillcott comments: “There is an expectation that the patterns of resistance we face in ryegrass are the same as black-grass. But that isn’t the

Mr Chillcott highlights three key things; active growth, drying time and spray quality. Without active growth, the herbicide will not be taken in by the plant, so it won’t provide any control. Likewise, if there is not enough time to dry it will be washed o the leaf by rain or dew. Apply post-ems in a ne–medium spray quality which allows the active to land and settle on the target leaf. FG

Without active growth, the herbicide will to land and settle on the target leaf.