Swan engineering

UK manufacturer of root crop handling and processing equipment for the farm and factory BUILT LIKE THEY USED TO BE

IPL Inchture have worked with Swan Engineering on a number of site projects over the past 5 years. Swan offer innovative solutions where an off the shelf solution isn’t available. All projects have been completed to a very high standard, from initial concept through to installation and aftercare with build quality being exceptional. We look forward working with Dale and his team on future projects.

Kirsty Reid Senior Manager

I have worked with Swan Engineering, in my capacity as Head of Engineering in 3 different companies over a period of 13 years. They have always exceeded my expectations with quality, delivery and service. They are always my first choice for bespoke fabrication and problem jobs.

Matt Dunmore Head of Engineering at Taylors Snacks Ltd

Respected UK root crop equipment manufacturers join forces

Two well-known UK manufacturers of high-end root crop processing and packing equipment have joined forces to provide complete turnkey solutions to customers on an international scale.

Agrimech Ltd was founded in 2009 and is leading the way in weighing, bagging, palletising and advanced robotic systems. Agrimech already has a growing worldwide customer base, with equipment sold in North America, Canada, Europe and Asia.

“We were looking for a reliable, like-minded company who build equipment to the same high standard as Agrimech, to partner with and expand our range to the full production line,” said Agrimech managing director Darren Smith.

Swan Engineering, founded in 2010, has developed and manufactured a full range of root crop processing equipment, from tipping through to grading, washing, drying, inspection, bulk storage and box lling.

“We build the whole production line right up to the weigher which is where Agrimech’s machinery takes over for the complete end of line solution. It’s a perfect partnership. We have already taken orders from as far a eld as Canada for potato washing equipment so we are excited about what the future holds,” said Swan Engineering managing director Dale Swan.

Both companies are experiencing rapid growth and have exciting expansion plans in place for their manufacturing facilities, personnel and new top of the range equipment, all coming soon. FG

Plan ahead for big savings on seed costs

Farm-processed seed o ers the combined bene ts of top-quality seed and big savings in costs, says NAAC. It is preferable to select seed from your best land or where you will get a bold sample. Try to select seed from a eld that does not have a history of other kinds of cereals in the rotation in the previous couple of years. Big seed is higher in germination and vigour. Be prepared to take seed from another eld if your seed crop ends up being a thin sample.

It is best to pay particular attention to controlling problem weeds such as wild oats, brome grasses and cleavers. Black-grass is easily cleaned out of seed, so its presence in a sample is not a reason to reject your seed crop.

It is best practice, but not essential, to get your seed tested for germination. Try to store your seed where you can get easy access to it when the seed processor turns up on your farm. Some farmers tip their seed in the back of the barn and some tip the seed at the front of the heap. Some farmers store their seed in trailers or bins and some in 0.5t or 1t bags. If storage is a problem, then please speak to your NAAC Mobile Seed Processor who will try to arrange their visit to carefully t in with your needs.

For more information visit: www.naac.co.uk FG

Monitoring pea moth thresholds vital for pea growers

PGRO research and development manager Becky Howard spoke to Farmers Guide editor Rachel Hicks to discuss the importance of monitoring pea moth traps.

Late spring- ying pea moth is the most common non-aphid pest in peas, appearing from mid-May onwards. While the pea moth doesn’t really cause a yield issue, it does lead to a quality issue for both combining and vining peas as the caterpillars feed on the peas inside the pods, causing chewing damage which has a quality impact on peas for human consumption. Ideally, everyone who grows peas should be monitoring for pea moth, as it can tell growers exactly when they need to spray. Traps should be ordered and ready to go out at the beginning of May, in time for monitoring. Once the traps are out, growers should try to monitor them three times a week if they can. Camera monitoring traps which go o once a day in the morning are available which automatically provide a daily cumulative number of adult pea moths caught in the traps. However, with standard pheromone-based Delta traps, farmers should check on them every two or three days, count the number of moths on the card, and record the number each time they visit.

For combining peas, the threshold for adult pea moths is 10 moths in the trap on two consecutive occasions.

For vining peas destined for the frozen market, this threshold is di erent as the tolerance of damage is much lower. In this case, traps would be used as a guide to when the pea moth has started ying, and growers then calculate the spray date from when they rst start to see moths.

Once the number of moths has reached the threshold, growers can go to the PGRO’s website (www.pgro. org) to nd a predicted spray date which is calculated based on their threshold date.

The eggs are laid on the foliage when the moths y into the crop, then it takes between 10–20 days for those to hatch. This hatching time is what the tool is predicting, using both actual and forecast MET data, which gets more accurate the closer it gets to the spray date.

Once growers have a predicted spray date, crops that have reached the rst pod stage, or that are owering, should be sprayed. If the crops have not reached those stages yet, spraying should be delayed. Any crop with green pods is susceptible to damage, but it’s important not to apply the pyrethroid too early as this can leave crops open to later caterpillar damage. Harvest intervals also need to be considered, especially in vining peas.

LS Plant Breeding (LSPB) is o ering a limited number of free Delta pea moth traps to help growers optimise control/non control timings, and the company would also like to use this as an opportunity to learn more about the pea moth and growers’ approach towards it. As such, LSPB has set up a growers’ group on its website, with the aim being to get pulse growers together so that the company can help to grow these crops more widely and more consistently while ensuring that its breeding aims are always focused on the requirements of growers as well as end users. Visit https://lspb.eu/growers-club/ to register. FG