Kings catalogue 2018 by Frontier Agriculture

Turn to Kings to improve your farmland habitat and soil vitality

Specialist Crops • Conservation • Game Cover • Green Cover • Forage

Conservation Crops p12-21 Seed and advice to benefit both your business and the environment

Game Cover Crops p22-35 Successfully integrate your sporting interests with stewardship requirements

Green Cover Crops p36-43 Essential advice on varieties to boost your soil’s health and vitality

Forage Crops p44-49

2018

A comprehensive range of seed for all your cutting, grazing and stewardship needs

To place orders or for more information:

Tel: 0800 587 9797 or visit www.kingscrops.co.uk

Contents Welcome to the 2018 Kings catalogue

Why Turn To Kings?

Crop Production

Delivering innovation

Case Study: MyCompliance

Making a difference with our partners

Working in partnership

Stewardship update for England and Scotland

Conservation Crops

Case study: GWCT Scottish Demonstration Farm

Pollen and nectar mixtures

Conservation grass mixtures

Wild flowers

Wild bird seed mixtures - autumn sown

Supplementary feeding

Game and wild bird seed mixtures

Game cover crops

Case study: Le Strange Shoot

Maize

Millet

Sorghum

Talk to our team for expert advice on specialist crops

From left to right:

Meehal Grint

Neil Harris

Mob: 07919 013520 meehal.grint@frontierag.co.uk

Mob: 07342 055216 neil.harris@frontierag.co.uk

Lee Ward

Matt Willmott

Mob: 07967 553010 lee.ward@frontierag.co.uk

Mob: 07776 464066 matt.willmott@frontierag.co.uk

Ashley Huntly-Rugg

Rebecca Page

Tel: 01522 860021 Mob: 07557 812872 ashley.huntlyrugg@frontierag.co.uk

Tel: 01379 658109 rebecca.page@frontierag.co.uk

Clive Wood

Eastern Technical Advisor

Central Senior Technical Advisor

Western Technical Advisor

National Technical Development Advisor

Western Technical Advisor

West Midlands Technical Advisor

Customer Service Team Leader

Paul Brown

Kale

Business Development Manager/Northern Technical Advisor

Straights

Mob: 07970 097523 clive.wood@frontierag.co.uk

Summer sown crops

Claire Colchester

Perennials

Tel: 01379 658129 claire.colchester@frontierag.co.uk

Green cover crops

Case study: HR Bourn & Sons

Green cover crop innovation

Green cover straights

Green cover mixtures

Keep in touch

Forage grass

Case study: Orcop Texels

Forage straights

General grass mixtures

Trees, shrubs and hedging plants

Regional offices and advisors

Easy ways to order

Customer Service Administrator

Richard Barnes

Manager/Southern Technical Advisor Mob: 07834 098784 richard.barnes@frontierag.co.uk

Mob: 07970 220761 paul.brown@frontierag.co.uk

Daisy Havers

Customer Service Administrator Tel: 01379 658127 daisy.havers@frontierag.co.uk

Alan Johnson

Scotland Technical Advisor Mob: 07827 842107 alan.johnson@frontierag.co.uk

Charlotte Helliwell

Eastern Technical Advisor

(Currently on maternity leave)

Mob: 07825 193953 charlotte.helliwell@frontierag.co.uk

Look for these symbols Eligible for selected ELS, CFE, EFA and CS options. Contact Kings for more details N Suitable for use in northern England and Scotland

Welcome to the 2018 Kings catalogue With the increasing focus from Government on soil, water and biodiversity, along with an ongoing need to deliver the best sporting and forage requirements, there has never been a more important time to turn to Kings. Our industry leading expertise, combined with a comprehensive product range, means you are working with a partner which truly understands your requirements. New products for 2018 are designed to support changes driven by government policy, with exciting new concepts delivered through our innovation pipeline. Align these with the breadth of knowledge combined from agri-environment, sporting and farming sectors and you have an unrivalled platform to support your business development over what is certain to be a challenging yet exciting year.

What to look out for in 2018 The latest product development

••EFA Fallow Mix (page 15) – ideal for areas of land earmarked for the Ecological Focus Area (EFA) fallow option.

••Supplementary Feeding Book (page 19) – a unique management tool for those providing supplementary feed for farmland birds.

This herbicide tolerant wild bird seed mixture is in final trials on our Buckinghamshire Demonstration Farm

••Brassica Mix (page 21) – a versatile wild bird seed mix designed to support both pre and post emergence herbicide applications.

••Early Cob Maize (page 25) – complements our existing

maize portfolio by offering an early maturing maize variety to those looking for crops to deliver feed at the start of the shooting season.

••Poacher Clubroot Blend (page 29) – formulated to meet the needs of game crop sites where Clubroot is suspected or known to be a problem.

••EFA Power Mixtures - a new range to meet EFA Cover Crop options (page 43).

Kings continues to develop our online platforms to provide you with the latest technology, advice and product support. Twitter

@Kingscrops

This is a great place to see what the Kings team is up to in terms of industry events, updates from the field and the latest crop husbandry advice.

Blog

Visit www.frontierag.co.uk/blog/

categories/kings and enter your

regular blog posts with product updates,

name and email address.

technical advice and interesting case studies - direct into your Inbox!

Website - www.kingscrops.co.uk Our website provides you with topical articles, case studies and our online shopping platform. The simple ordering system allows you to purchase our range of products using your debit or credit card or, if you are a Frontier account customer, costs can be allocated directly to your account. Online orders benefit from a 5% discount.

Why Turn To Kings?

Alan Johnson and Clive Wood advising at Potatoes in Practice, Dundee, August 2017

Turn to Kings for: ••Investment – our commitment to innovation in conservation,

••Quality – a NIAB accredited on-site seed laboratory ensures we

••Research and development – we evaluate a range of products

••Customer services – excellent support from our dedicated in

game management and agriculture is demonstrated by our investment in new technology, products and trials

and management techniques through our extensive, nationwide trials and demonstration programme

••Technical advice – regional advisors across the UK support your specific requirements

only accept, process and supply the finest quality seed in terms of purity, germination and vigour levels

house administration team

••Production and logistics – whether it is an off the shelf or bespoke blend, products are all packed, despatched and delivered with care and attention

••Collaboration – we work closely with strategic partners

••Ongoing support – to ensure you get the best from your seed

••Product range – cutting edge new products alongside tried

••A fully integrated offer – supply of crop protection, fertiliser,

across all our sectors to bring you relevant, well informed and pertinent industry perspective

and tested products, and progressive seed treatments

products we provide Grower Guidelines, a dedicated technical helpline and ongoing advice through the year

lime and seed, with specialist expertise from Frontier and SOYL.

You can find us at the following events throughout 2018: DISCOVERY, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION

Open Days

••5th-7th June - Wansford, Cambridgeshire

••7th June – Birch, Essex ••11th June – Blandford, Dorset ••19th June- Stokesley, North Yorkshire ••20th June – Morpeth, Northumberland ••20th June – Wingham, Kent ••20th -21st June – Walsham-Le-

••22nd June – Ashbourne, Derbyshire ••26th-27th June – Ledbury, Herefordshire

••27th June – Coldstream, Scottish Borders

••28th June – Ormskirk, West Lancashire ••28th June – Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire

Groundswell 27th-28th June Lannock Manor Farm, Weston, Hitchin, SG4 7EE www.groundswellag.com

Scottish Game Fair 29th June–1st July Scone Palace Parklands, Perth, PH2 6BD www.scottishfair.com Potatoes in Practice 9th August

••28th June – Newport, Wales

Balruddery Farm, Fowlis DD2 5LJ

••21st June – Ruddington,

••4th-5th July (evenings) – Honingham,

http://pip.hutton.ac.uk/

••22nd June – Haywold, East Yorkshire

••5th July – Muir of Ord, Highland

Willows, Suffolk

Norfolk

Nottinghamshire

For further information visit www.kingscrops.co.uk/news-events/events

Crop Production Key products include: Algifol – formulated from seaweed extracts and approved for organic use, this has been one of our most popular broad spectrum treatments. Gro-Plan P - a liquid NPK fertiliser solution, based on phosphites to aid establishment and growth of roots and stems in a range of crops including cereals, brassicas and maize Matt Willmott and George Eaton, our host farmer, at our Buckinghamshire Demonstration Farm

TAKING THE CROP PRODUCTION APPROACH The Kings team is committed to providing you with the advice, products and resource to ensure the seed you plant delivers its maximum potential. Working with colleagues across Frontier we are able to provide expert advice and supply products across a wide range of areas.

ProGrAm - by increasing the plant’s photosynthetic capability and maximising its metabolic processes, this reduces the effect of crop stress (drought, waterlogging and cold).

Soil We offer a range of services, from basic soil testing through to a comprehensive assessment with Frontier Soil Life. Our Basic Soil Test measures pH and provides analysis of the key nutrients at £15.50 per sample. This is ideal to gain an overview of soil status plot by plot and should be undertaken every four years. Our Broad Spectrum Soil Test builds on the basic test by adding a complete analysis of nutrients and trace elements. At £28 per sample, this is recommended for sites or areas of a field/plot which continue to cause concern.

Working with Frontier’s crop nutrition team we advise on, and supply, the most appropriate fertiliser to meet your soil type and crop requirements.

Crop Protection Working with 140 agronomists and an extensive crop protection distribution network across the UK, Kings offers growers full support in terms of advice, formal recommendations and product supply.

For a full biological, physical and chemical overview of your soil, our Soil Life service is available.

Agronomy plans can be built across our product range ensuring crops get off to the best possible start and that they continue to develop to their full potential.

Lime and Fertiliser

Foliar Feeds

Your Kings advisor will work with you to identify and plan improvement activity based on the results of your soil tests. Where acidity has been identified, we can provide granular lime in both 25kg bags and 500kg bags as required.

As many game and conservation crops are grown on difficult sites and often in poor conditions, giving them a helping hand during the key growth periods can make a considerable difference.

These soil tests are supplied as a kit with bags, an order form and full instructions on how to take the sample. Please contact us for further details or to order your sample kits.

For further details of our comprehensive range of Crop Production services or to discuss your individual requirements please call us on 0800 587 9797.

Delivering innovation

Research and innovation across the country Kings is focused on delivering innovation across all our sectors and this starts with our comprehensive trials programme. Our work ranges from full scale formal, replicated trials through to the investigation of new management concepts on farms and estates across the UK. Our three year trial with the James Hutton Institute in Dundee comes to fruition this year. This fully replicated, field scale trial investigates the benefits of green cover crops on the following spring barley crop. Results from the first two years of this trial are being used to support our advice on farm, not just in Scotland but across the UK.

Expert advice tailored to your location and the challenges you face.

Kings has plots at all 21 Frontier 3D (Discovery, Development and Demonstration) sites across the UK, from Muir of Ord in Inverness-shire to Malshanger in Hampshire. Each site has a range of Kings crops on display to demonstrate the specific interests of each region, including green cover, game cover, greening and forage crop options.

DISCOVERY, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION

Key Discovery site

Muir of Ord

Ruddington

Development site

Oldmeldrum

Honingham

Demonstration site

Coldstream

Wansford

Morpeth

Walsham le Willows

Stokesley

Ledbury

Haywold

Birch

Aldbrough

Wingham

Ormskirk

Malshanger

Wickenby

Blandford Forum

Staunton in the Vale

Newport

Ashbourne

3 4 5 6 8 21

10 12 14

IN ACTION

15 17

DISCOVERY, DEVELOPMENT

7 9

AND DEMONSTRATION

For further details and to arrange a visit to your local 3D site please speak to your local contact or Kings advisor. Alternatively, visit www.frontierag.co.uk/news-event/events

Field Scale Trials Working with key growers in a number of sites over the long term, we continue to develop our collective understanding of green cover crops throughout the rotation using field scale trials. Areas of focus across the regions include strip-tillage, direct drilling, crop destruction timing, nutrient capture and cultivation techniques. In addition, we support a comprehensive nationwide network of green cover trials, which provides the platform for winter field meetings with a range of partners including the GWCT, Natural England, Catchment Sensitive Farming, the Soil Association, Campaign for the Farmed Environment and the regional network of water companies.

Demonstration Farms

Our replicated green cover trial at The James Hutton institute, Dundee

With such an extensive platform of detailed research at the trials and development level it is critical to bring this to life on farm. We work closely with key sites in Fife, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Buckinghamshire, to reflect the regional and political challenges and variations experienced by our customers.

MyCompliance

Moir Mix at the Mynde Estate

CASE STUDY Growers are obliged to protect our landscapes by farming responsibly. The Kings team is able to advise on and submit Countryside Stewardship applications and subsequently offer the seed and management advice required to deliver a successful agreement. The benefits of this end to end service are illustrated below. The Mynde Estate in Much Dewchurch, Herefordshire, is a mixed farming enterprise, growing winter wheat, oilseed rape, potatoes and herbage seed. When Richard Burt took over the estate, the land had been farmed hard and was not in the best condition. He recognised the environmental potential of the land and its suitability for shooting. The estate has diverse habitats including arable, wetland, forestry, parkland and pasture. Mr Burt discussed the options with his Frontier Farm Trader, William Fox, and Neil Harris, My Compliance Technical Advisor at Kings, and it was agreed that applying for a Mid Tier Countryside Stewardship agreement would be the most appropriate course of action for the estate. In the parkland, old pastures were put into very low input options. On the arable land cover crops were used to address soil health and structure issues whilst wider biodiversity was supported with wildflower margins, nectar mixes and wild bird seed mixes being options of choice.

COMPLIANCE

FARM MANAGEMENT SERVICES

The wild bird seed mixes fit in with the estateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ethos of providing resources for both game and farmland birds. There are 20 hectares of game cover on the farm, mostly along woodland edges, but the land is often exposed to high winds, putting stands of maize at risk. Carefully formulated wild bird seed mixes provided a less risky strategy for holding game birds, whilst providing an abundance of feed for the flocks of linnets, chaffinch and yellowhammer that frequent the farm. Adding the supplementary winter feeding option into the mix has enabled the gamekeeper to feed the wild birds whilst doing the rounds for the pheasant and partridge. One year into the scheme, the wild bird mixes are looking well. The flower margins are coming along nicely and farmland birds have proliferated over the winter months in response to the seed resources being provided. The options have been established with the same care and attention to detail that the commercial crops receive and this is paying dividends.

For more information on MyCompliance and to discuss how it can help your business, or to arrange a visit, please contact 0333 0044555 or email mycompliancehelpline@frontierag.co.uk.

Wherever possible, wildflower margins were sited alongside streams and ditches so that they not only offered a valuable nectar source, but also contributed towards water quality.

Making a difference with our partners

Autumn sown brood rearing mix at Loddington

Loddington and Interreg Our commitment to the Game and Wildife Conservation Trust continues, with three projects receiving support from Kings: The Allerton Project, Loddington; the Auchnerran Demonstration Farm in Aberdeenshire and the Balgonie grey partridge project in Fife. Projects Both Balgonie and Loddington are seeing specific developments within their role as Interreg North Sea Region PARTRIDGE demonstration sites. PARTRIDGE (Protecting the Area’s Resources Through Researched Innovative Demonstration of Good Examples) is one of 11 new projects which were approved recently by the Interreg North Sea Region. The programme aims to make the region more innovative, resilient and sustainable, demonstrating how new management solutions can improve biodiversity and ecosystem services by up to 30% between 2014-2020.

Game and wildlife habitat Previous work at Loddington, which utilised Kings Autumn Sown Wild Bird Seed mixtures, had delivered many benefits for both game and farmland wildlife, through brood rearing habitat, pollinator services and winter feed/ cover. Austin Weldon, Game and Wildlife Advisor, Central England, is shoot manager at Loddington and commented, “We are very grateful of the support Kings provide to the Allerton Project. The quality of their products, combined with their after sales care and advice

has enabled The Allerton Trust to deliver multipurpose habitats which boost biodiversity on the farm.” Dr Dave Parish also praised the collaborative work with Kings: “We are extremely grateful to Alan Johnson of Kings for his input to our project at Balgonie to date. With his help, we developed a great new grey partridge mix for the PARTRIDGE project. Although it is still early days, this seems to have already been well used by the birds through the summer. With some minor tweaks, we think it will be even better in 2018.” With input from the GWCT and Interreg team, a range of additional species such as perennial rye and sweet fennel have been introduced to enable the investigation of their long term performance.

Overwinter establishment has been very succesful at both locations, so we collectively look forward to seeing the crops develop this year.

Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) At Loddington, additional work has been undertaken to demonstrate best practice for the selection and ongoing wealth of options that meet the Ecological Focus Area (EFA) fallow option. A whole field has been allocated for the trial, with wild bird seed, green cover and pollinator options being compared against a ‘control’ area of uncultivated stubble. This has already provided great interest at a range of open days and we will collectively continue to monitor developments from both a soil/water perspective and outcomes for wider farmland wildlife.

To read the full story online visit www.kingscrops.co.uk/ case-studies/Loddington

The Allerton Project, Loddington leads the way in terms of on farm demonstration and delivery of best practice.

Working in partnership While our research and development work is key to delivering products and services to meet your requirements, we also take great pride in working alongside key industry partners. This enables the sharing of knowledge and expertise to provide a wider delivery of best practice and gives us the opportunity to collaborate with and support organisations that do so much for others. Here we highlight examples from two of our partners. Gamekeepers Welfare Trust Kings and Syngenta have been working together for the last six years to deliver improved farmland habitats. This partnership continues to provide innovation through options such as wild bird seed, pollen and nectar and green cover, all of which can count towards EFA requirements and are great examples of delivering against habitat improvement, resource protection and compliance needs. Farmer interest in this area continues to grow, with some very positive feedback received in relation to the visual and wildlife benefits experienced.

Operation Pollinator Bees ‘n’ Seeds Mix

The Gamekeepers Welfare Trust provides a much valued helpline and offers support for gamekeepers, ghillies and stalkers across essential elements such as health, housing, redundancy and employment issues. The Trust celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2017, which Kings championed by donating £1 for every bag sold of the ever popular Winter Wildlife Holding Cover game cover/wild bird seed mixture. As a result, we were pleased to present a cheque to the Trust at the July Game Fair for £1,256. Helen Benson of the GWT said “It was such a great privilege and pleasure to receive the cheque from Kings. Thank you, not only for this, but for your support at our spring conferences which we held across the UK to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We were delighted that Kings were part of the events and look forward to working with you again this year.” Kings is delighted to announce a repeat of this initiative in 2018 – for further details of Winter Wildlife Holding Cover please see page 21.

The Operation Pollinator Annual Wild Flower Mix is designed to be planted adjacent to oilseed rape crops, to provide early spring flowering and act as a bridge after the rape crop has ended its peak flowering. The Operation Pollinator Bees ‘n’ Seeds Mix offers a prolonged source of late season pollen and nectar for insects, followed by an ample food supply and shelter for birds through the winter. The Operation Pollinator Green Headland Mix is available for producers who supply the IPL group. Designed to be planted on the headlands of root and vegetable crops in the summer months, it helps to intercept irrigation runoff and retain soil structure and nutrients, whilst providing beneficial pollinator habitat. Belinda Bailey, Environmental Initiatives Manager with Syngenta comments “Working in partnership with Kings and IPL has allowed the development of bespoke mixes for the IPL producers, specifically targeting resource protection but also encouraging wider biodiversity”. Belinda continues “During recent assessments of these margins, an expert entomologist identified 188 different insect species, 56 of which are considered to play some role in pollination and at least 53 are known to be predators of pest species. Syngenta is now receiving very positive feedback from growers on the benefits they have experienced first-hand in their fields – both in the practical sense of capturing soil runoff ...from irrigation (improved following crop establishment) to comments from the public on the welcome appearance of vibrant margins.”

Brian Mitchell, Ian Grindy, Helen Benson and David Clark of the GWT receive Kings donation at The Game Fair

To learn more of the work of the Gamekeepers Welfare Trust and future events please visit www.thegamekeeperswelfaretrust.co.uk

To read the full story online visit www.kingscrops.co.uk/ partnership-work

Stewardship update for England & Scotland by Neil Harris,

Neil Harris

Matt Willmott

Alan Johnson

Cross Compliance

Countryside Stewardship (CS)

Cross Compliance remains the key set of rules that all growers must adhere to in order to receive their farm payments. Elements of particular significance to those with an interest in game and farmland conservation include the need to maintain a two metre boundary from the centre of hedges and a one metre boundary from the top of ditch banks to the worked area of land.

Historically, the CS scheme has been split into two tiers. The Mid Tier element applies to the broadest range of growers and is open to anyone for application. For this tier, we recommend that applicants consider the ‘Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package’ where several management options are put together to benefit pollinators, arable plants and wildlife such as farmland birds and the brown hare. The Higher Tier alternative is mostly targeted at designated sites such as SSSIs and meets specific habitat or regional requirements. Generally, those taking part in this tier have been directly invited to do so by Natural England.

These specific and important requirements are vital as this boundary protects the hedge, keeping the cultivator out of the base of hedgerows that provide the all important areas of overhead cover so critical for nesting and general sanctuary.

Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) EFAs are a mandatory requirement for conventional farmers with over 15 hectares of arable land. There are five options to choose from: hedgerows (which can also include a line of trees), buffer strips adjacent to watercourses and field margins, catch and cover crops, nitrogen fixing crops and fallow land.

Both of these tiers are competitive and application does not necessarily guarantee that an agreement will be made. This, coupled with ongoing complexities and administrative issues, has meant that the scheme has been undersubscribed. To address this, DEFRA and Natural England have now made efforts to streamline the scheme and make it more attractive to growers.

Plant Protection Products (PPPs) can no longer be applied to in-field options like fallow, catch and cover crops, and nitrogenfixing crops. For nitrogen-fixing crops in particular, the ban applies from the point of sowing to the point of harvest, which will make them unsuitable for EFAs for the majority of growers. Fallow The fallow option will be of particular interest for land managers as it allows the establishment of wild bird seed mixes and nectar flower mixtures. As well as meeting EFA requirements and delivering for farm wildlife, this option can be an excellent asset to a farm shoot by improving habitat to hold more game and even creating new drives. Although the PPP ban applies from the 1st January to the 30th June in England and 14th July in Scotland (the fallow option window), with the right advice and expertise, mixtures can be designed and a suitable herbicide regime adopted that will not be impacted by the change in rules. Catch and cover crops Catch and cover crops are also an excellent way to achieve the EFA requirement without taking land out of production. Crops such as oil radish and oats are sown after harvest and destroyed before winter planting in the case of catch crops, or before spring planting in the case of cover crops. Both varieties can retain nutrients, improve soil structure and boost soil vitality.

Soil, water and the wider landscape are all considered within EFAs

The Simplified Offers From this year, there are now four ‘simplified offers’ within MidTier, with an easier application process and clearer evidence requirements. The options are differentiated by farm type and include an arable, pastoral, mixed farm or upland offer. Crucially, if a grower can deliver the requirements asked for by Natural England, an agreement will always be offered. Within all of the different tiers of CS, the options available can fulfil all the requirements for creating excellent wild and reared game habitats while also receiving very attractive payments. With application numbers now likely to substantially increase, seeking expert advice before applying and having ongoing technical support is more important than ever, to maximise your chances of success and deliver top quality habitats across your farm.

Matt Willmott and Alan Johnson

EFA option product guide Fallow option

Page

Wild bird seed

Basic Wild Bird Seed Mix or Campaign Mix

Nectar flower

Annual Nectar Flower Mix or Basic Pollen and Nectar Mix

Fallow

EFA Fallow Mix

15 Buffer Strip option

Field corners/margins

Basic Stewardship Grass Mix

Catch and Cover Crops option

Green cover

EFA catch and cover crop mixtures

42-43

Countryside Stewardship - Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package Option Summary Option (option code)

Payment/ha

Kings product suggestion

Page

Summer Insects £511/ha

Grass Free Pollen and Nectar Mix

Legume and Herb Rich Swards (GS4)

Nectar flower mix (AB1)

£309/ha

Legume and Herb Rich Sward Mix

Flower rich margins and plots (AB8)

£539/ha

Species Rich and Wildflower Grass Mix

15 & 17

Winter bird food (AB9)

£640/ha

Campaign Mix/Moir Mix

£632/t

Kings Supplementary Feed Options

£550/ha

Autumn Sown Bumblebird Mix

Winter Feed and Cover Supplementary bird feed in winter (AB12) Autumn Sown Bumblebird Mix (AB16)

Agri-environment in Scotland We continue to see a significant level of interest in the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS). This initiative promotes land management practices which protect and enhance Scotland’s natural heritage, improve water quality, manage flood risk and mitigate climate change. We have seen particular interest in the farmland habitat options including wild bird seed mixtures, buffer strips with wild flowers and overwintered stubbles followed by a

summer fallow. With careful planning, the options can be integrated to benefit sporting, farmland habitat, resource protection and agronomic requirements. The chart below illustrates these key options and the suggested mixtures that we offer. Should you require further details on the scheme itself or specific options and their associated mixtures, please contact us.

Key options that benefit farmland wildlife and improve water quality include: Option

Payment/ha

Kings product suggestion

Page

Arable options Wild bird seed for farmland birds/Creation of wild bird seed for farmland birds

£322.63 & £232.24

Highland Mix/Alba Mix

Grass strips in arable fields/Creation of grass strips in arable fields

£495.62 & £333.51

Call Kings for details of mixture options

Stubbles followed by a green manure in an arable rotation/Creation of green manure

£498.49 & £278.16

Rye and Vetch Mix/Soil Vitality Mix

Excellent habitats can be created within EFA and stewardship options

Turn to Neil Harris, Matt Willmott & Alan Johnson for Conservation Crops advice

Neil Harris

Matt Willmott

Alan Johnson

Mob: 07342 055216 neil.harris@frontierag.co.uk

Mob: 07776 464066 matt.willmott@frontierag.co.uk

Mob: 07827 842107 alan.johnson@frontierag.co.uk

Western Technical Advisor

West Midlands Technical Advisor

Scotland Technical Advisor

With an increasing focus on the farmed environmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution to biodiversity, pollinators, soil health and water quality, conservation crops grown to a high quality have a key role to play. Wildflower plots and margins, nectar mixes and wild bird seed mixes, can help satisfy a number of legislative requirements associated with modern British farming. They can form a key part of Ecological Focus Areas, facilitate successful agri-environment scheme applications in England and Scotland, contribute to voluntary measures for The Campaign for the Farmed Environment and form part of other conservation projects such as those associated with Farm Assurance Schemes. In an ever-changing and volatile farming sector, particularly leading up to and post-Brexit, conservation crops incorporated through stewardship schemes can provide a reliable, regular income stream as well as enhance sporting interests. Grown well, conservation crops also provide the nesting and feeding habitats required by many farmland birds, as well as dramatically increase the number of pollinating invertebrates on farm. As a result, there is the potential for positive yield returns for many commercial crops too. In addition, flower-rich plots and strips sown in visible locations such as those adjacent to footpaths and roads, provide huge benefits to ecosystem services and do a great job in highlighting the stewardship practices involved in farming to benefit the wider landscape.

New, simplified Countryside Stewardship schemes in England and the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme in Scotland, provide significantly enhanced payment rates for conservation crops, compared with previous schemes. This means the opportunity to integrate these crops into the farming system has never been more attractive. Selecting the most appropriate conservation crops to meet scheme requirements is essential. Kings provides expert technical advice on seed selection and ongoing crop management, including nutrition and agronomy, so that crops can achieve their full potential. We work closely with growers to maximise the benefit of conservation crops both to the environment and for the farm business.

Kingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; key conservation partners

www.rspb.org.uk/farming

www.operationturtledove.org

www.naturalengland.org.uk

www.gwct.org.uk

www.fwag.org.uk

www.suffolkfwag.co.uk

CONSERVATION CASE STUDY For the last four years, Kings have worked with the team managing the Game and Wildlife Scottish Demonstration Farm (GWSDF) at Auchnerran, Aberdeenshire. This support, in the form of technical advice and seed provision, has been targeted at the creation of habitat for farmland birds and has a specific focus on the provision of winter feed and cover.

Merlin Becker (GWCT Advisor), Marlies Nicolai (Research Assistant) , Allan Wright (Shepherd Manager) and Alan Johnson (Kings Scottish Advisor).

The Game and Wildlife Scottish

insects and grain seed crops for farmland

to further develop crop management

Demonstration Farm (GWSDF)

birds. These elements are key objectives

systems on GWSDF Auchnerran and

at Auchnerran is a hill-edge farm

of the farm and GWCT as a whole.

to work alongside farmers and game

which aims to inspire, inform and

With a high population of rabbits and

managers alike, for the challengingly

influence land managers, conservation

previously neglected soils with pH values

uncertain times ahead”.

often below 4.7, the seven plots have

Alan Johnson, Kings Regional Advisor

made successful crop establishment

comments “It has been a pleasure

challenging. It was not until 2017 that

working alongside the GWCT at

the first Highland Cereal Mix game crops

Auchnerran. Although the past two years

were successfully grown on Auchnerran.

have been difficult due to the initially

Through a dedicated team effort to

poor soils and prolific rabbit numbers,

rabbit-fence half the crops and keep a

the hard work has finally paid off. A

The GWSDF team and Alan Johnson,

forensic eye on emerging plants, the farm

targeted lime programme and rabbit

Regional Advisor for Kings, have been

has seen a big increase in passerines,

proofed fencing has meant the crops

working together since the projects

especially with the onset of the cold

have been successful. Situations like this

inception in 2014. The work has comprised

winter months. Species recorded by

can be challenging, but are a fantastic

trialling crop management techniques

the research team on the farm also

way to gain experience and improve

in challenging upland environments and

include greenfinches, linnets, siskins and

the understanding of growing crops in

helping to improve our understanding of

chaffinches. During the summer months,

challenging situations.”

conservation crop choices for future agri-

the likes of red admiral, small tortoiseshell

environmental schemes.

and peacock butterflies were spotted

The driving force behind growing wild

amongst the blue linseed flowers and

organisations and government agencies. The main ethos of the site is to demonstrate how integrated land management - notably upland agriculture and sporting - can deliver a diverse range of ecosystem services to the whole of the United Kingdom.

bird seed mixtures on the farm is the wild

colonies of bumble and honeybees were

bird shoot on Auchnerran. However, as

seen buzzing along the crop margins.

with countless other game bird shoots up

“We would like to thank Kings for their

and down the country, the wild bird seed

continued support and patient hard

mixtures also help deliver a multitude

work over the past three years. GWCT

of other biodiversity benefits. This can

Scotland is looking forward to continuing

include nectar rich plants for pollinating

to strengthen our relationship with Kings,

To read the full story online visit www.kingscrops.co.uk/ index.php/gwct/gwct-inscotland

CONSERVATION CROPS

The decline of many key pollinator species has been well documented. It is therefore vital that all involved with land management consider the opportunities that well-sited and managed nectar flower areas can bring. The EFA Fallow option is a great platform to introduce these mixtures onto farm and Countryside Stewardship options can provide welcome income whilst supporting pollinators. Our range of pollen and nectar mixtures cover a number of applications from short term, high impact delivery to longer term mixtures which can, when managed correctly, deliver in excess of five years vital habitat. CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

KWM2gf

Grass Free Pollen and Nectar Mix

8-10kg/acre

1 acre (10kg)

£78.50

KWM2bs

Basic Pollen and Nectar Mix

6kg/acre

1 acre (6kg)

£65.50

KWM2an

Annual Pollen and Nectar Mix

4kg/acre

2 hectare (20kg)

£105.00

KBB1

Butterfly and Bumblebee Mix

4.5kg/acre

1 acre (4.5kg)

£49.75

KHERB

Herb Rich Sward Mix

20kg/ha

1 hectare (20kg)

£134.00

Where you have a specific prescription for an HLS, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier or AECS agreement, please contact us and we will produce a bespoke mixture designed to meet your individual requirements. Grass free pollen and nectar mix

CONSERVATION CROPS

Conservation grass mixtures have a multitude of applications, particularly when giving consideration to protecting watercourses or hedgerows. This may be through an EFA requirement, to protect slopes from the risk of soil erosion or to meet a specific Countryside Stewardship or AECS agreement option. Our range of grass mixtures are designed to support numerous applications, having been tried and tested over many years.

CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

KSAN1

Kings Sanctuary Mix

6kg/acre

1 acre (6kg)

£78.50

KSR1

Kings Species Rich Grass Mix

20kg/hectare

1 hectare (20kg)

£88.00

KBG1

Kings Basic Stewardship Grass Mix

20kg/hectare

1 hectare (20kg)

£79.75

KLEG2

Two Year Ryegrass Legume Mix

12kg/acre

1 acre (12kg)

£64.00

K26

Nesting Cover/Beetle Bank Mix

10kg/acre

1 acre (10kg)

£49.50

KFALL1

EFA Fallow Mix

20kg/hectare

1 hectare (20kg)

£69.75 Sanctuary mix

POLLEN AND NECTAR MIXTURES Grass Free Pollen and Nectar Mix

Annual Pollen and Nectar Mix

••Our most popular nectar flower mix ••Grass weeds can be simply controlled

••An economical solution to supporting

••Meets the needs of the AB1 nectar

••Potential to last for a couple of years

to help extend the life span of this mix flower mix option of Countryside Stewardship

••Contains: sainfoin, winter vetch,

lucerne, birdsfoot trefoil, alsike clover, red clover, fenugreek, black medick, yellow blossom clover, phacelia, black knapweed, red campion and white campion.

Basic Pollen and Nectar Mix

both pollinators and meeting EFA Fallow requirements if required

••Contains: crimson clover, berseem

clover, white clover and red clover.

Butterfly and Bumblebee Mix ••Designed to provide season long

pollen and nectar for a wide range of insect species

••Potential to last for up to three years ••Easy to establish and delivers results

••Great for use where general habitat

••Contains: birdsfoot trefoil, borage, crimson clover, phacelia and red clover.

improvement is required, for example within the fallow option of an EFA

which provides a vigorous sward that can be grazed by cattle and sheep

••Improves soil structure and creates a beneficial habitat for pollinators

••Meets the needs of Countryside

Stewardship option GS4 - Legume and Herb Rich Swards ryegrass, intermediate perennial ryegrass, timothy, meadow fescue, smooth stalked meadow grass, rough stalked meadow grass, birdsfoot trefoil, alsike clover, yarrow, ribwort plantain, sheeps burnet, ox-eye daisy and chicory.

in year one

••Contains: winter vetch, sainfoin, red

clover, alsike clover, birdsfoot trefoil, black medick, black knapweed, red campion and ox-eye daisy.

••A general purpose grass and herbal ley

••Contains: red clover, early perennial

••A short to medium term mixture

providing an economical choice for challenging sites

Herb Rich Sward Mix

Matt’s advice . . . Take care at planting time! Nectar flower, grass and wild flower mixtures need be drilled on the surface into well prepared seedbeds.

Kings offers a range of organic wild bird seed and nectar flower mixtures. Please contact us for further details.

CONSERVATION GRASS MIXTURES Sanctuary Mix

Basic Stewardship Grass Mix

••A grass and wild flower mixture

••Fine and tussocky grasses that benefit

designed to provide overhead protection for ground-nesting birds

••Can be used to meet EFA fallow requirements, whether they be field corners, grass margins and nectar flower areas ••Creates valuable insect rich habitat

••Contains: black knapweed, birdsfoot trefoil, red fescue, lucerne, ox-eye daisy, perennial chicory, reed canary grass, sainfoin, teasel, timothy and yarrow.

Species Rich Grass Mix ••A blend of finer grass species where a

tussocky type structure is not required

••Consider adding our Basic Wild

Flower Mix (page 16) to create a floristically enhanced grass margin

••Contains: chewing fescue, bent, red

fescue, crested dogstail, hard fescue and smooth stalked meadow grass.

a wide range of farmland species

••The ideal mix for all simple buffer strip and field corner requirements

••Contains: cocksfoot, hard fescue,

smooth stalked meadow grass, red fescue, tall fescue and timothy.

Two Year Ryegrass Legume Mix

Nesting Cover/Beetle Bank Mix ••A blend of tussock forming grasses,

suitable for beetle banks or two metre margins against watercourses or hedgerows

••The tall structure of these grass

species will help to limit ingress of inputs into watercourses/hedges

••Contains: cocksfoot, red fescue and timothy.

••Designed to meet the AB15 option

EFA Fallow Mix

••Can help manage black-grass

••Economical mix of Italian ryegrass and

within Countryside Stewardship

populations by putting land into fallow for two years

••The species within the mix are

easy to manage and will benefit pollinator species

••Contains: intermediate perennial

ryegrass, red clover, common vetch, birdsfoot trefoil and black knapweed.

red clover for areas to be left as fallow for 1-5 years

••Simple to establish and low maintenance

••Benefits pollinators, improves soils and reduces erosion risk on slopes

••Contains: Italian ryegrass, vetch, birdsfoot trefoil and red clover.

CONSERVATION CROPS

Success from a wild flower project begins with careful consideration of your requirements, alongside planning of the necessary work to deliver optimum results over many years. Kings can support you through the process by bringing the highest quality, native wild flower seed together with our extensive practical guidance, to meet your specific needs. CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

KBW1

Kings Basic Wild Flower Mix

1kg per hectare of a suitable grass mix or 4g/square metre when planted on its own

1 kg

£46.00 (inc. vat)

K55

Kings Legacy

4g/square metre

1 kg

£56.50 (inc. vat)

K54a

Kings Cornfield Annuals

1g/square metre

1 kg

£74.00 (inc. vat)

K54

Kings Wild Flower Meadow Mix

4g/square metre

1 kg

£42.00 (inc. vat)

KFRGMIX Flower Rich Grass Mix

20kg/ha

PACK SIZE

1 ha (20 kg)

PRICE

£152.00

In addition to our native seed we also supply seed of local provenance as specified for certain options within Higher Level, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and AECS agreements. For information on our site specific mixtures or for advice on bespoke mixtures formulated specifically for your individual requirements, please contact us on 0800 587 9797.

Bespoke grass and wildflower mix

WILD FLOWERS Basic Wild Flower Mix

Cornfield Annuals

Flower Rich Grass Mix

••A mix of native wild flower species

••A blend of native annual wild flowers ••Provides a striking display of colour

••Designed for use in EFA fallow

and agricultural legumes which particularly suited to adding into grass mixtures or for over-seeding existing margins

from late spring to early autumn

••Has the potential to deliver more than a year’s colour with simple management

••Creates additional diversity and

nectar/flower benefit with minimum cost in grass margins or field corners

••Contains: common poppy, corn

chamomile, corn cockle, corn marigold, cornflower, white campion and scentless mayweed.

••Contains: sainfoin, birdsfoot trefoil, black medick, red clover, yarrow, black knapweed, self heal, ox-eye daisy, night flowering catchfly, ladys bedstraw, red campion and white campion.

Legacy ••This popular perennial mixture

contains a blend of 28 native wild flower species (20%) with a selection of non-competitive companion grasses (80%)

Wild Flower Meadow Mix ••An economical perennial wild flower and grass mixture

••Contains: 16 native wild flower

species (20%) and a selection of non-competitive companion grasses (80%)

areas as well as the Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier option AB8 (flower rich margins and plots) and AECS agreements

••A versatile wild flower and grass mix ••90% grass and 10% native flowers/ agricultural legumes

••Contains: red fescue, hard fescue,

smooth stalked meadow grass, chewings fescue, rough stalk meadow grass, sainfoin, crested dogs tail, birdsfoot trefoil, bent, black medick, red clover, yarrow, black knapweed, self heal, ox-eye daisy, red campion, night flowering catchfly, ladys bedstraw and white campion.

••A flexible mixture suitable

••Ideal for amenity areas, field corners

for many applications.

Alan’s advice . . .

or margins.

Kings is listed within the supplier directory of

A common mistake in perennial wildflower/grass mixture establishment is not to cut them hard in the first year. Regular cuts suppress annual weeds and result in a tight sward. Look to remove the cuttings if you can.

www.floralocale.org

‘Promoting the restoration of wild plants and habitats for biodiversity, landscape and people.’

Kings Cornfield Annuals

CONSERVATION CROPS

Autumn sown wild bird seed mixtures offer an excellent opportunity to provide seed for farmland birds during winter, as well as a source of insect rich habitat in the summer months. Sown from late August to mid September, they can also help to overcome the challenges associated with spring planting such as weed control and availability of machinery. For further details of how autumn sown wild bird seed mixtures can fit into your system, please contact us. CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

KAUT1

Basic Autumn Sown Wild Bird Seed Mix (Seed-Life™ treated)

25kg/acre

1 acre (25kg)

£56.00

KEAUT1

Enhanced Autumn Sown Wild Bird Seed Mix (Seed-Life™ treated)

20kg/acre

1 acre (20kg) £72.50

KBUMB

Autumn Sown Bumblebird Mix

12kg/acre

1 acre (12kg)

£79.00

We are able to supply species-specific mixes (including grey patridge, tree sparrow, corn bunting and finch) as required for the enhanced wild bird seed option within individual Higher Level or Countryside Stewardship agreements. For further details please contact us on 0800 587 9797. Autumn Sown Bumblebird mix

AUTUMN SOWN GAME AND WILD BIRD SEED MIXTURES

Supplementary Feeding For Farmland Birds

Producing the best possible wild bird seed mixtures for farmland birds is critical. Now, the practice of supplementary feeding to extend the provision of seed into April, is a common stewardship option. Implemented alongside wild bird seed options, supplementary feeding sees the combination of wheat and oilseed rape fed with small seeds such as sunflower hearts and millet. To support agreement holders with these options, we provide the following.

••Supplementary feeding diaries to help you meet your agreement obligations. As well as ensuring compliance, there are enough entry pages for a feeding ‘year’, a handy farmland bird identification page and they are weatherproof too.

••Seed mixtures or straights of the highest quality to meet agreement needs. These can be supplied as a whole mix or as a pre-mix to go with home saved cereals/oilseeds. Available in 25kg or bulk bags to meet your requirements.

••Perdix feed buckets – whilst most of the food needs to be ground-fed, these vermin-proof buckets are ideal for key locations where a more targeted approach is required. Buckets can be simply mounted or hung out of reach of game birds.

For Game Birds Holding game birds from summer through to the end of a shoot season can be challenging. To help hold partridges and pheasants where and when they are needed, Kings has created two special holding mixtures. Fed on the ground or in hoppers, these mixtures have been formulated to provide superior nutritional content and entertainment for game birds. Kibbled maize, with or without aniseed, is also available. Seed is available in bulk bags and 20-25kg bags, both at competitive prices and mixes can be adapted to suit individual needs.

Basic Autumn Sown Wild Bird Seed Mix

Enhanced Autumn Sown Wild Bird Seed Mix

Autumn Sown Bumblebird Mix

••Suitable for locations where spring

••Designed to provide increased cover

••Meets the prescription of option

planting is either impractical or has previously been unsuccessful

••Autumn planting offers a potentially higher seed yield and a stronger crop structure

••Provides valuable brood rearing cover for game through the summer

••Contains: barley, fodder radish,

Kings kale rape (treated with Seed-Life™), oilseed rape, triticale and wheat.

benefits in addition to a food source from an autumn planting for game and farmland birds

••Has potential to provide several years’ cover where appropriate

••Contains: barley, Coleor kale (treated with Seed-Life™), fodder radish, forage rape, Gold of Pleasure, Kings kale rape (treated with Seed-Life™), linseed, phacelia, Stand and Deliver (perennial chicory), Vittasso brown mustard and triticale.

AB16 within the Countryside Stewardship scheme

••Provides a supply of small seeds

through the winter months along with a range of pollen and nectar rich plants between early and late summer

••Contains: triticale, winter barley,

fodder radish, crimson clover, birdsfoot trefoil, gold of pleasure, phacelia, Coleor kale (treated with Seed-Life™), vetch, black knapweed, wild carrot, oxeye daisy and red clover.

CONSERVATION CROPS

Wild bird seed and game cover mixtures are often used within the Ecological Focus Area Fallow option to support sporting requirements, or to meet the needs of an existing Environmental Stewardship or Countryside Stewardship agreement. All the mixtures listed fulfil the requirements of the AB9 Winter Bird Food option within Mid Tier Countryside Stewardship. For mixtures that meet the AB9 option within Higher Tier, please contact us.

To give the best possible start, all our kale and kale rape varieties are treated with Seed-Life™ growth promoter. This exclusive treatment provides a significant boost to the establishment and overall performance of brassicas. CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

KBS1

Basic Wild Bird Seed Mix

8kg/acre

1 acre (8kg)

£31.00

K27FB

New Kingmix (Seed-Life™ and flea beetle treated)

2.5kg/acre

1 acre (2.5kg) £39.00

KWM1FB

WM1 Wild Bird Seed Mix (Seed-Life™ and flea beetle treated)

20kg/acre

1 acre (20kg) £59.75

KALB1

Kings Alba Mix (Seed-Life™ treated)

20kg/acre

1 acre (20kg) £46.00

K51

Wild Songbird Seed

10kg/acre

1 acre (10kg)

£45.00

K53FB

Wildlife Winter Holding Cover (Seed-Life™ and flea beetle treated)

10kg/acre

1 acre (10kg)

£50.00

KCAM1

Campaign Mix

20kg/acre

1 acre (20kg) £44.00

KCAM2

Campaign Mix South

20kg/acre

1 acre (20kg) £47.00

KHIGH

Highland Mix

25-35kg/acre

1 acre (25kg)

£46.00

KMOIR1FB Moir Mix (Seed-Life™ and flea beetle treated)

8kg/acre

1 acre (8kg)

£57.50

KBRASS1

3kg/acre

1 acre (3kg)

£52.00

Brassica Mix

We are able to supply species-specific mixes (including grey patridge, tree sparrow, corn bunting and finch) as required for the enhanced wild bird seed option within individual Higher Level Stewardship and Countryside Stewardship agreements. For further details please contact us on 0800 587 9797.

Campaign Mix South

SPRING SOWN GAME AND WILD BIRD SEED MIXTURES Basic Wild Bird Seed Mix ••A popular wild bird seed and

game mixture that is easy to plant and establish

••This one-year mix produces a winter

hardy canopy enabling the seed element to remain viable through the winter months

••Contains: fodder radish, white

mustard, reed millet, Sandoval Quinoa and white millet.

WM1 Wild Bird Seed Mix ••Has the potential to provide two

years of feed and cover for game and farmland birds

••Contains: Coleor kale (with Seed-Life™ and flea beetle treatment), Sandoval Quinoa, triticale and wheat.

Alba Mix ••This mix meets the needs of the

Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) Wild Bird Seed For Farmland Birds option

••Combines a range of small seed-

bearing crops that perform well on poor soils

••Can be used for game and stewardship needs

••Contains triticale, barley, fodder radish, Kings kale rape (Seed-Life™ treated), Vittasso brown mustard, Utopia and phacelia.

Wild Songbird Seed ••A wild bird seed mix that meets the

Wildlife Winter Holding Cover ••A very popular choice with the

potential for cover over two years

••Contains: buckwheat, Coleor Kale (with Seed-Life™ and flea beetle treatment), white mustard, phacelia, Sandoval Quinoa, Stand and Deliver (perennial chicory), sunflowers, Utopia and white millet ••For each acre pack sold we will donate £1 to the Gamekeepers Welfare Trust. For further details of our donation in 2017 please see page 9.

needs of a wide range of farmland birds

••Ideal where a source of varied seed is required for a range of farmland birds ••Contains: buckwheat, Gold of

Pleasure, Sandoval Quinoa, triticale, wheat, sunflowers, fodder radish* and white millet.

Neil’s advice . . . Consider your common weeds before selecting a mixture! We are seeing great results from crops managed alongside an agronomy plan.

Kings also offers organic wild bird seed mixtures. Contact us to discuss your needs.

Looking for weed control opportunities?

The following mixtures are specifically designed to work alongside herbicide plans to ensure your crop gets off to the best possible start. Campaign Mix

Highland Mix

New Kingmix

••The market-leading annual wild

••For upland regions or where there is

••Our blend of Coleor kale (treated with

bird seed mix that can be used for sporting or stewardship wild bird seed requirements

••Can be used within a rotation of kale based mixtures to provide a break crop with effective weed control

••Contains: barley, red, white and

reed millet, triticale, linseed , fodder radish* and wheat.

Campaign Mix South ••Suitable for sowing south of the Humber

••Contains: dwarf and intermediate

grain sorghum along with barley, red, white and reed millet, triticale, linseed, fodder radish* and wheat.

For further advice on how these mixtures can help you manage weed control problems, please contact Kings on 0800 587 9797.

a high perennial weed burden

••Can be sown from April through to the end of May

Seed-Life™ for growth promotion and flea beetle treatment and Sandoval Quinoa has been further improved with the addition of Gold Of Pleasure

••Ideal nurse to reed canary grass ••Complies with AECS wild bird seed

••Creates a winter hardy canopy with

••Contains: triticale, barley, oats, wheat,

Brassica Mix

for farmland birds option in Scotland rye, fodder radish* and linseed.

Moir Mix

feed and cover for up to two years.

••New for 2018 this mix has proved

hugely successful across the UK during its trial and evaluation period

••Supplies winter hardy cover with

••Very flexible sowing date ranging

••Pre and post emergence herbicide

••Provides both pre and post

feed for game and farmland birds control options available. The pre emergence application is critical for effective weed control

••Contains: Coleor kale, Goldeneye kale,

Camaro marrow stem kale (all treated with Seed-Life™and flea beetle treatment), Kings kale rape (SeedLife™ treated), linseed, fodder radish, Gold of Pleasure, white mustard, phacelia, Sandoval Quinoa and Utopia.

from May through to early August emergence weed opportunities for grass (particularly rogue millets) and broad leaved weeds

••Contains Coleor kale, 1000 Head

kale, Goldeneye kale (all treated with Seed-Life™ and Synergy flea beetle/nutrient treatment), Kings kale rape (treated with Seed-Life™), fodder radish, brown mustard, white mustard and Utopia.

*Due to seed legislation, we are bound to add a small proportion of forage crop to this mix. For specific management advice please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Turn to Meehal Grint for Game Cover Crops

Meehal Grint

Central Senior Technical Advisor Mob: 07919 013520 meehal.grint@frontierag.co.uk

With the ever-growing pressure on UK farming to ensure all areas are at full production, shoot managers are required to produce shoot days later in the season from smaller areas of traditional game cover crops such as maize and straight kale. Therefore, we are seeing more reliance on cover provided through stewardship. In addition, Ecological Focus Areas are increasing and these need to be able to perform to the required standard. It’s important to remember, however, that this does not detract from the importance of maize and kale. These are always going to be vital but there is a need to understand how the selection of wild bird seed mixtures is essential to compliance. These areas not only benefit from habitat but, from an agronomical point of view, also add value to the business. Our team of advisors across the UK are able to supply an extensive range of game cover straights and mixtures, along with expert knowledge and advice to suit your individual sporting and stewardship needs. “Kings provide bespoke advice to meet your needs. This can be for straight game cover or when looking at how to combine cover with stewardship options, helping you create the right habitat with a range of annual, biannual and perennial crops alongside a full agronomic programme.”

Kings’ key game management partners www.gwct.org.uk

www.basc.org.uk

www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk

www.thegamekeeperswelfaretrust.com

www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk

For our full range of game cover and wild bird seed mixtures please see pages 20 and 21.

GAME COVER CASE STUDY The Le Strange shoot in Norfolk is unique, with open partridge ground around the village of Ringstead and pheasant shooting in the historic parkland at Hunstanton. The shoot turned to Kings Regional Advisor, Meehal Grint, to optimise their game cover and implement areas of perennial cover. The aim was to aid the establishment of cover strips by providing a wind break, thus creating nesting and brood cover for the good population of grey partridge found on the estate, which are not part of the shoot. Doing this has since reduced the amount of yearly establishment required in the busy spring period, therefore benefiting the shoot by allowing the keeping team more time to concentrate on the vermin control necessary for the grey partridge to breed successfully. The Le Strange shoot is over 3000 acres and provides in the region of 30 days each year. The shoot is managed by Head Keeper, Gareth Maund, with his Beat Keeper, Michael Inwood. Gareth has now been working with Meehal and Kings for six years. Prior to the collaboration, the estate had been using a mixture of sorghum and millet which, although worked well, had an ingress of weeds which was becoming increasingly problematic. This weed burden, namely rogue millet, was the first thing Kings focused on before looking at soil testing and areas of compaction. Meehal worked closely with Matt Taylor, Frontier Agronomist, to

create a simple agronomy programme which focused on controlling the weed population and improving the health of the soil. Once those problems were addressed, they were then able to look at implementing some mixture changes. “The reason I turned to Meehal and Kings was due to the technical knowledge and support they provide. Not only is this with mixture selection, establishment and agronomy, but also the practical knowledge to get the best out of what we are doing. Kings provide excellent support when things don’t quite go as originally planned too, which with our unpredictable British weather, does happen.” states Gareth. Working with Gareth, Kings have used Poacher Maize treated with Synergy, which provides a direct nutrient source to aid rooting. This variety provides reliable driving/ holding cover and enables the use of a robust herbicide programme to control the rogue millets. To provide cover throughout the season and mitigate the removal of cover at the end of the season, perennial headlands have also been established on all covers. This mixture of chicory, vetch, and phacelia with Kings kale rape and Utopia provides a nurse crop in the first year and cover for

several seasons. This caters for the use of an effective pre and post emergence herbicide programme. Moving forward, it is hopeful that areas of kale can be incorporated on the shoot with a view to further reducing the yearly establishment requirement. Used alongside a mixture of Poacher Maize and Kings Early Cob Maize, this allows the selection of the appropriate varieties depending on maturity dates and crop height. This ensures the cover is in the right place for earlier partridge drives, but still available come the late season pheasant drives. Speaking of the project, Meehal states, “The shoot has a very clear vision. Gareth and Michael are passionate about providing a fantastic shooting experience and producing high quality birds. They are willing to experiment to achieve this.”

To read the full story online visit www.kingscrops.co.uk/ case-studies/lestrange

GAME COVER CROPS

With maize now increasingly significant in the game shooting arena, we will continue to bring customers the most innovative range of products possible. Poacher Maize, with the Synergy seed treatment, has been a stand-out product for many years now, delivering excellent vigour and standing power. This year, we now also see the addition of an Early Cob variety to the Kings’ portfolio. Designed to support those looking to release game earlier in the summer, this product provides good cover and early food availability. Our maize range is further complemented by the expertise to support your crop selection, as well as develop your agronomy planning through key products such as Campaign Mix and Campaign Mix South (page 25). Thanks to the ease of weed control and their significant appeal to game and farmland birds, these options are great partners to maize. New for 2018, we have added the FAO (maturity rating) number to each maize product, to help you choose the variety most suited to your needs. The higher the FAO number, the later the maturity date. For example, you will see that our Late Cob Maize has a much higher FAO number than Poacher Maize.

CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

K20aSYN

Poacher Maize (Synergy treated)

45,000 seeds/acre

1 acre

£58.50

K20a

Poacher Maize

50,000 seeds/acre

1 acre

£54.00

K20b

Poacher Maize Blend

50,000 seeds/acre

1 acre

£54.50

K20c

Kings Early Cob Maize

50,000 seeds/acre

1 acre

£58.00

K20d

Kings Maize

50,000 seeds/acre

1 acre

£46.50

K20e

Kings Late Cob Maize

50,000 seeds/acre

1 acre

£55.50

Poacher Maize and Campaign Mix

MAIZE Poacher Maize with Synergy seed treatment

Kings Maize FAO 245-50

FAO 180-190

FAO 230-240

••A popular choice for many

••New for 2018, suited to those

••The first choice maize variety

partnered with an innovative seed treatment to encourage and promote early growth

••Gives your crop the best possible start ••Combines Mesurol®, N, P, Zn and Seed-Life™ in one seed treatment

••Consistently performs well throughout the winter months.

Kings Early Cob Maize

maize growers, especially those who have large areas to plant

••Supplies large volumes of food ••Treated with Mesurol®.

Poacher Maize Blend FAO 180-90/230-40/245-50

••Contains Kings Early Cob Maize,

needing early, highly nutritious feed

••Good standing power with abundant cobs

••Treated with Mesurol®.

Kings Late Cob Maize FAO 620

••Ideal for sites where badgers, deer, rooks or rats cause problems with standard maize varieties

Poacher Maize and Kings Maize

Poacher Maize

••Creates a spread of feed provision

••Produces relatively immature cobs

••Treated with Mesurol®.

••For early season feed value, consider under-sowing with millet or triticale

due to a range of maturity dates

FAO 230-240

••A leading variety with a great all-round performance

when sown from mid-June onwards

••Treated with Mesurol®.

••Recommended for northern England and the Scottish Borders

••Consistently performs well throughout the winter months

••Renowned for its excellent vigour and reliable establishment

••Treated with Mesurol®.

Kale

Meehal’s advice . . . Maize will deliver food and cover but does need care and consideration to get the best results. Soil structure, cultivations, nutrition, drilling date and agronomy options are all equally important.

Where wireworm is a concern the only option to support establishment is to consider seed treated with Sonido™. This is an insecticide treatment which can provide protection during the early stages of establishment - for further details please contact us.

Kings Early Cob Maize

Maize

Synergy – our market leading treatment

Kings’ exclusive and unique maize seed treatment, Synergy, continues to be a great success in helping the maize crop through the critical early establishment period. Those who used the treatment over the last two years have seen improved results with their maize establishment.

This carefully formulated application contains:

• Seed-Life™ • Nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc • Mesurol® This targeted approach gives the plant an ideal start, providing a reserve of nutrients to draw upon.

The Synergy treatment is available exclusively on Poacher Maize - order early to secure your supply.

www.kingscrops.co.uk 0800 587 9797

GAME COVER CROPS

Often overlooked for the more notable cover elements of kale and maize, millet provides a low cost but highly beneficial food source for game and farmland birds. Our range of millets are sourced from professional growers who know how important seed quality and purity levels are to us and our customers. In addition, our own quality assurance systems are designed to minimise the exposure to rogue millet and other potentially challenging invasive seed species. For further details on how to manage plots with grass weed or other pernicious species please contact us on 0800 587 9797.

N N

CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

K21a

Poacher Millet Mix

5kg/acre

1 acre (5kg)

£14.50 (inc. vat)

K21b

Poacher Red Millet

5kg/acre

1 acre (5kg)

£14.50 (inc. vat)

K21c

Poacher White Millet

5kg/acre

1 acre (5kg)

£14.50 (inc. vat)

K21d

Tanka Millet Mix

5kg/acre

1 acre (5kg)

£29.50 (inc. vat) Poacher Millet mix

GAME COVER CROPS

For the southern regions of the UK, sorghum continues to be a reliable and robust game cover crop. More specifically, in areas where there are challenges to maize by deer or badgers which make it an unviable option, we have seen an increased uptake of sorghum, which looks set to continue. While a useful cover, we also find that its value to game and farmland birds can be greatly increased by the inclusion of red/white millet or linseed. These combinations can be kept free of weeds and will bring added value to the wider farmed environment.

CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

K42e

Kings Sorghum Mix

10kg/acre

1 acre (10kg)

£40.00

K42a

Giant Sorghum

10kg/acre

1 acre (10kg)

£40.00

K42b

Kings Milo

10kg/acre

1 acre (10kg)

£42.00 Kings Sorghum mix

MILLET Tanka Millet Mix ••Provides a good combination of food

and cover and is a valuable alternative to sorghum

••Performs well in cooler growing conditions

••Red and white millet feeds game and farmland birds through the winter

••Japanese reed millet supplies winter hardy cover

••Provides an opportunity for weed control.

Poacher Millet Mix Tanka Millet Mix

••Contains red and white millet ••Provides copious amounts of seed through the winter months

••Also available in 25kg bags for larger

areas, please contact Kings for further details and prices.

Poacher White Millet

Poacher Red Millet

••Reliable source of nutritious seed ••Well worth planting on its own as an

••A visually striking feed producing crop ••Not as prolific as white millet but

••Excellent food source for partridges in late summer and early autumn

••A good choice for northern England and Scottish Borders due to its early maturity

early season holding crop

Meehal’s advice . . . If you are looking for an early source of feed for game or farmland birds red or white millet is a good choice.

••Also available in 25kg bags for larger

areas, please contact Kings for further details and prices.

matures earlier

••Also available in 25kg bags for larger

areas, please contact Kings for further details and prices.

SORGHUM Kings Sorghum Mix

Kings Milo

••A blend of dwarf and intermediate

••Our ever popular dwarf grain

••Creates a winter hardy holding and

••Quickly creates an even stand of

••Particularly valuable where deer, badgers, rats or corvids have created problems with maize

••Makes an excellent low level windbreak when planted adjacent to other crops.

height sorghum varieties driving cover

sorghum variety

winter hardy cover

Meehal’s advice . . . Don’t rush to plant sorghum! We see great results in Southern England when it is sown in earl-mid June when seedbeds have fully warmed up.

••Consider adding Poacher Millet Mix which will provide feed.

Giant Sorghum ••Provides a good screen and windbreak around plots on exposed sites

••Tends to break down as the season progresses but will still supply good cover ••An ideal choice for later season

sowing due to its quick growth.

Kings Milo and Kings Kale Blend

GAME COVER CROPS

2017 was a stand out year in terms of the successful establishment of kale and kale-based crops. This has predominantly been down to favourable weather alongside our detailed agronomy guidance, helping to keep weeds at bay and providing ongoing attention to detail throughout the establishment period. As a result, we have seen many excellent crops in various locations across the UK and Europe. With a wide range of varieties and progressive management techniques available, Kings offers the seed and support to make your crops a success. Kale seed continues to be available with a flea beetle treatment which, as part of an integrated management plan, can help keep this challenging plant pest at bay.

CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

K7SYN

Coleor Kale (Synergy treated)*

1.49kg/acre (3.7kg/ha)*

5kg

£115.00

K9SYN

1000 Head Kale (Synergy™ treated)*

1.49kg/acre (3.7kg/ha)*

5kg

£98.00

K6SYN

Caledonian Kale (Synergy™ treated)*

1.49kg/acre (3.7kg/ha)*

5kg

£125.00

KGE1SYN

Goldeneye Kale (Synergy™ treated)*

1.49kg/acre (3.7kg/ha)*

5kg

£105.00

K10SYN

Kings Kale Blend (Synergy™ treated)*

1.49kg/acre (3.7kg/ha)*

5kg

£115.00

KKR1

Kings Kale Rape (Seed-Life™ treated)

3kg/acre

1 acre (3kg)

£21.00

K57FB

Up N Away (Seed-Life™ and Flea beetle treated) 2kg/acre

1 acre (2kg)

£46.00

K11

Poacher Clubroot Blend (Synergy™ treated)* 2.5kg/acre

2.5kg

£38.00

We are able to offer untreated, re-cleaned only Coleor kale for organic use (derogation required). *Please note the Chemicals Regulation Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive authorisation for use specifies a maximum sowing rate of 3.7kg/ha (1.49kg/acre) for Cruiser SB treated kale. Cruiser SB is covered by an EAMU for use on kale as game cover and non food use. EAMU details are available on request

Kings Kale Blend.

KALE

Up N Away.

Coleor Kale

Kings Kale Blend

Caledonian Kale

••Exclusive to Kings, this is the go-to

••A three way blend of kale varieties

••Resistant to clubroot disease (ideal

variety for those looking for great early vigour and winter hardy cover

- Coleor, Goldeneye and Camaro marrow stem Kale

••A good selection for poorer, upland or

••A good choice for difficult

••Recognised for its second year

••Supplied with Synergy kale treatment.

••Can be sown from May through to

Kings Kale Rape

exposed sites

performance and potential to run into a third year in certain situations September, bringing great flexibility in its application

••Supplied with Synergy kale treatment.

1000 Head Kale ••A trusted variety renowned for its

growing conditions

••A trusted annual cover provider ••Can be planted from May to

September so provides a versatile, winter hardy choice

••Treated with Seed-Life™ to promote early root growth and plant development.

winter hardiness

••Combines a clear stem with leafy

Poacher Clubroot Blend

••Ideal for where second year crops

••New for 2018 this blend of Caledonian

top growth

are required

••Supplied with Synergy kale treatment.

Up ‘n’ Away ••A blend of Coleor kale and Kings kale

rape that is well suited to upland sites with the potential to provide cover for two seasons

and Goldeneye kale with Sparta forage rape and fodder radish is designed specifically for where clubroot may be a concern

••Suited to all locations but particularly valuable a robust driving/holding cover is required

••Treated with Synergy kale treatment (kale only)

••Treated with Seed-Life™ for growth promotion and flea beetle treatment (kale only)

where a break crop is inappropriate)

••Creates a large leafed, winter hardy canopy

••Supplied with Synergy kale treatment

Kale

Synergy – our market leading treatment

We are able to supply Coleor, Goldeneye, 1000 Head, Camaro and Caledonian kales with a unique combination to provide the best possible start for your kale crops. This carefully formulated application contains: • Seed-Life™ • Nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc • Cruiser SB® for flea beetle control This targeted approach gives the plant an ideal start, providing a reserve of nutrients to draw upon.

••Subject to conditions can be sown

as late as early August for cover the same year.

Goldeneye Kale •• Highly tolerant to clubroot •• Combines a leafy canopy with a clear

stem providing good winter hardy cover

••Supplied with Synergy kale treatment.

Meehal’s advice . . . Concerned about Clubroot? Our new Poacher Clubroot Blend has been designed to be used where Clubroot is a risk and performed very well in trials in 2017.

GAME COVER CROPS

Straight crops provide a great deal of flexibility and can be planted alone or mixed with other components as required. The Kings team is able to offer support on how best to manage individual or crop combinations in terms of seed rates and potential herbicide treatments.

CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

K41

Sandoval Quinoa

4kg/acre

0.5 acre (2kg)

£27.00

Buckwheat

50kg/acre

0.5 acre (25kg)

£59.75

K44a

Dwarf Sunflowers

5kg/acre

1 acre (5kg)

£38.50 (inc. vat)

KGOP1

Gold of Pleasure

5kg/acre

1 acre (5kg)

£30.00

K19

Linseed

50kg/acre

0.5 acre (25kg)

£58.00

K30

Phacelia

2.5kg/acre

1 acre (2.5kg)

£30.00

K44

Sunflowers

5kg/acre

2 acres (10kg)

£40.00 (inc. vat)

K45

Sweet Clover

5kg/acre

1 acre (5kg)

£38.50

K47

Tic Beans

100kg/acre

0.25 acre (25kg)

£36.00

K48a

Spring Triticale

50kg/acre

0.5 acre (25kg)

£27.50

K48

Winter Triticale

50kg/acre

0.5 acre (25kg)

£35.00

We are also able to supply varieties of spring barley, oats, wheat, triticale and tic beans in both 25kg and 500kg bags. Please call our team on 0800 587 9797 for further details. Sandoval Quinoa

STRAIGHTS

Sunflowers

Sandoval Quinoa

Linseed

Tic Beans

••Sandoval Quinoa provides a prolific

••Combines a strong, wiry stem with a

••The unique blend of six quinoa

••Ideal for poor or exposed sites where

••Can be sown from mid April ••A great crop for holding game early

source of nutritious seed

varieties provides a striking visual display in the autumn whilst delivering a wide window of seed provisions.

Buckwheat ••A good choice where early feed is

required or for later planting up to the end of July

••Works well with summer sown partner crops such as Summer Blend or Universal Mix.

Dwarf Sunflowers ••Excellent standing ability ••Creates additional structure and cover when planted with other crops.

Gold of Pleasure ••A prolific crop that produces large

volumes of nutritious seed that is of interest to game and farmland birds

••An excellent choice for poor soils or challenging locations.

supply of nutritious seed

it can be a god partner to triticale and gold of pleasure

••Linseed is susceptible to flea beetle attack so be prepared to manage accordingly.

Phacelia ••A prolific crop that grows well

in most locations - very attractive to pollinators

••A worthwhile partner to brassica

crops as it can help discourage flea beetle challenge.

Sunflowers ••A great source of colour and interest throughout the summer

••Seed is attractive to both game and

in the season

••Improves soil structure and increases soil fertility ••Also available in 500kg bulk bags for larger areas, please contact us for further details.

Triticale ••An economical and flexible food and cover option

••Tolerant of poor growing conditions ••Unpalatable to deer, rabbits and hares ••Available as a spring variety for planting from April onwards and as a winter variety, for planting from September to April

••Also available in 500kg bulk bags,

please contact us for further details.

farmland birds

••Can be challenging to establish

but once away they are well worth the effort.

Sweet Clover ••Provides limited cover in the first year, but develops into a tangled canopy in the second year

Meehal’s advice . . . Straights give you the opportunity to try different crops on their own or as a mix. Sunflowers for example added to maize can brighten up the crop and help feed farmland birds too.

••The flowering crop in year two is a

huge draw to many beneficial insects

••Good for poor soils where it can help both soil fertility and structure.

GAME COVER CROPS

Game crops sown in July and August can deliver excellent cover and provide a welcome alternative to earlier sown crops such as kale and maize. With milder winters, we are seeing many crops delivering cover throughout the season. Crops sown in July can benefit from the addition of buckwheat to provide valuable additional feed.

CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

KSUM1

Summer Blend (Seed-Life™ and flea beetle treated)

2.5kg/acre

1 acre (2.5kg)

£42.50

K50FB

Universal Mix (Seed-Life™ and flea beetle treated)

5kg/acre

1 acre (5kg)

£45.00

KWC1

Winter Cover Mix

4kg/acre

1 acre (4kg)

£34.00

K14

Fodder Radish

3kg/acre

1 acre (3kg)

£20.00

K15

Forage Rape

3kg/acre

1 acre (3kg)

£18.00

KKR1

Kings Kale Rape (Seed-Life™ treated)

3kg/acre

1 acre (3kg)

£21.00

K23

Mustard

Drill at 2kg/acre Broadcast at 4kg/acre

10kg

£29.75

K43

Stubble Turnips

3kg/acre

1 acre (3kg)

£17.50

KUT1

Utopia

2kg/acre

1 acre (2kg)

£29.95

KVITT1

Vittasso Brown Mustard

2kg/acre

1 hectare (5kg)

£55.00

Winter Cover Mix

SUMMER SOWN CROPS

White mustard

Summer Blend

Universal Mix

Winter Cover Mix

••Combines the quick growing Ethiopian mustard varieties Utopia and Carbon with Coleor kale

••A mid summer planting option

••Ideal for creating new areas of cover

••Provides a varied, winter hardy

canopy from a summer sowing

••Consider adding buckwheat for additional feed value

••Coleor kale supplied with Seed-Life™ and flea beetle treatment

••Will tolerate a pre and post emergence herbicide plan.

••Delivers cover and feed to make it an ideal choice for areas where a wild bird seed mix needs planting or re-establishing

••Contains Coleor kale (with Seed-Life™ and flea beetle treatment), Gold of Pleasure, Carbon, brown mustard, fodder radish, Kings kale rape, white mustard and Utopia

or patching up existing plots during the summer

••Utopia provides additional winter

hardiness along with fodder radish, Kings kale rape (treated with SeedLife™), white mustard, turnip rape and Vitasso brown mustard

••Has the potential to provide cover

until the end of the shooting season.

••Will tolerate a pre and post emergence herbicide plan.

Fodder Radish

Mustard

Vittasso Brown Mustard

••Provides a leafy canopy and a

••An economical cover crop ••Also available in 25kg bags for

••Quick growing and can withstand

valuable pollen and nectar source, along with robust seed pods that can supply seed throughout the winter

••Suitable for situations where a late sowing is required.

Forage Rape

larger areas, please contact us for further details.

leafy canopy for game birds.

••A low cost cover option that is ideal for large planting areas

••Also available in 25kg bags for

Kings Kale Rape

Utopia

••Produces rapid, winter hardy growth

••A quick growing winter hardy brassica,

••Treated with Seed-Life™.

••Good, leafy canopy with a strong stem.

in good growing conditions

••Sown from mid July to create a strong

Stubble Turnips

••An economical cover option ••Can provide late season forage after shooting.

prolonged periods of cold weather

larger areas, please contact us for further details.

Meehal’s advice . . . If you are looking to add another dimension to your covers then summer sown options are well worth considering. Universal Mix is great if you need feed and cover!

perfect for late season planting

GAME COVER CROPS

With the ongoing need to manage costs, reduce risk and ensure habitat is in place, all year-round perennial crops are an excellent option to consider. Our general guidance is aim for at least 30% of the cover area on the shoot to be allocated to crops that last more than two years. Perennial crops can be used on challenging sites where other crops may struggle, or in exposed locations where a wind break would be of benefit to other crops.

CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

KPL1FB

Poacher Leave-it (Seed-Life™ and flea beetle treated)

4.5kg/acre

1 acre (4.5kg)

£66.50

Artichokes

500kg/acre

25kg

£16.75

K40

Reed Canary Grass

2.5kg/acre

1 acre (2.5kg)

£55.00(inc. vat)

K58

Stand and Deliver

2kg/acre

1 acre (2kg)

£47.00 Artichokes

PERENNIALS

Poacher Leave It

Poacher Leave-it

Reed Canary Grass

••An excellent choice where cover and

••A long term and reliable winter

feed are required in year one, whilst establishing a perennial crop for future years

••Particularly suitable for EFA

Fallow use where a long term cover is required

••Food provision from Gold of Pleasure

complements the Coleor kale, lucerne, phacelia, reed canary grass, Stand and Deliver, sweet clover and Utopia

••Coleor kale treated with Seed-Life™

for growth promotion and flea beetle treatment as standard.

Artichokes ••Provides a beneficial canopy in year one

••Other than waterlogged sites, it will suit all locations

••Our professionally grown tubers are supplied ready for immediate planting. Stocks are limited, so order early to secure yours ••Minimum order size of 0.5 acre (250kg/10 packs)

••Please note that due to the bulky nature of this product, haulage will be charged at cost.

When to sow For a useful table showing sowing times and period of use for each of Kings’ varieties, please visit www.kingscrops.co.uk.

hardy cover that is good for weed-prone locations

••Can be included within the EFA Fallow option where long term cover is required

••Planting in wide (36”) rows is important to allow continued access to game

••Campaign Mix/Campaign Mix South or Highland Mix (see page 22) are excellent nurse crop options whilst the plants establish in year one.

When to Sow Chart Crops

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Maize Maize (except Poacher Maize) Poacher Maize

Kale Coleor Kale* Kale/Kale Blends* Kings Kale Rape Up N Away*

Millet Poacher Millet Tanka Millet Mix

Sorghum Sorghum and Sorghum Mixes

Straights Buckwheat Gold of Pleasure Linseed Phacelia Sandoval Quinoa Spring Triticale Sunflowers/Dwarf Sunflowers Sweet Clover* Tic Beans Winter Triticale

Perennials

Stand and Deliver ••A persistent chicory variety that

performs for several years from a tangled canopy full of blue flowers from the summer of the second year onwards

••Planting in wide (36”) rows is strongly recommended to allow continued access to game

••Excellent winter hardy cover

providing essential sanctuary from overhead predation

Artichokes (year 2 onwards) Poacher Leave It (year 2 onwards) Reed Canary Grass (year 2 onwards) Stand and Deliver (year 2 onwards)

Game Cover Mixtures Campaign Mix Campaign Mix South Coveys Delight* New Kingmix* Kings Partridge Mix Moir Mix* Poacher Sun Maize Wild Songbird Seed Wildlife Winter Holding Cover*

Summer Sown Crops Fodder Radish Forage Rape Kings Kale Rape Mustard Summer Blend* Stubble Turnips Stubbles Mixture Universal Mixture Utopia Vittasso Brown Mustard Winter Cover Mixture

Conservation Mixtures All Conservation Grass Mixtures (year 2 onwards) Enhanced and Basic Autumn Sown Wild Bird Seed Mixtures (following year) Basic Wild Bird Seed Mix Brassica Mix Organic Wild Bird Seed Mix WM1 Wild Bird Seed Mix* All Pollen and Nectar Mixtures (year 2 onwards) Wild Flowers (year 2 onwards) Sow

Period of Use

*may last more than 1 season

••Can be included within the EFA Fallow option where long term cover is required

••Consider using Summer Blend (page 32) as a nurse crop in the first year.

Meehal’s advice . . . Looking for first year weed control options? We can provide advice and seed mixtures that will provide herbicide solutions for broad leaved or grass weed challenges.

Turn to Clive Wood & Paul Brown for Green Cover Crops advice

Clive Wood

Business Development Manager and Northern Technical Advisor

Paul Brown

Mob: 07970 097523 clive.wood@frontierag.co.uk

Mob: 07970 220761 paul.brown@frontierag.co.uk

Eastern Technical Advisor

The use of cover cropping is now on the minds of many farmers as an important way to improve the output of differing rotations and cropping plans. The need to understand the issues taking place with our soils, in virtually every field we farm, has become an important starting point to address what we all realise is a yield and quality plateau. As we have seen with a number of growers who started to integrate soil improvement plans over the last ten years, the increase in output and a reduction in fixed and variable costs is starting to deliver healthy returns. It is not an overnight solution, but some of the changes are starting to show returns much quicker than first expected.

Yield improvements:

Meeting EFA and stewardship scheme requirements:

Grazing opportunities:

Our legislation and stewardship schemes are starting to evolve, with further emphasis on protecting soil and water. Used wisely and with careful planning to integrate both greening and stewardship into farming systems, this allows valuable opportunities to repair various blocks of land.

Grazing potential varies subject to soil type, but can be a valuable bonus in addition to the soil benefits. With a wide range of cover crop species available, it is vital to be clear about the target benefits in any field.

Improving soil structure, drainage and soil organic matter levels: This is often seen as our primary goal with the use of cover cropping and the need to stabilise organic matter content and retain carbon. Soils with low organic matter seem more prone to any other problems found within that soil system, which in turn contributes to a reduction in yield and farm performance.

Soil-borne pest and disease issues appear to be more prevalent within many soil types and geographic locations. Many soil fungal disease issues are contributing to quality and yield problems within several soil systems and are often more visible in high value root crops.

Expert advice is essential when choosing the right crop for your needs. As well as advising on variety selection, establishment and management, Kings is heavily involved in on farm testing and the evaluation of green cover crops. We produce all our own mixtures in the UK and have a wealth of experience and trials data to support you when growing green cover to benefit your business.

Reduction of soil pests, diseases and weeds: Soil pests, such as nematodes and soil-borne diseases, are common in some rotations and have the potential to be reduced by cover crops. Combining the right species with herbicides can be useful in some weed control programmes too.

Green cover crops have a vast range of benefits

Meehal Grint and Andrew Harker inspecting oil radish roots.

GREEN COVER CASE STUDY Farm Manager at HR Bourn & Sons, Andrew Harker, turned to Meehal Grint, Regional Advisor at Kings, for advice on green cover to improve long term soil health, give wider work windows and provide more competitive crops to help tackle black-grass. HR Bourn & Sons in Lincolnshire is a

“We have been looking into cover

large, progressive business farming

cropping for a couple of years now,

over 4,000 hectares of mainly arable

experimenting to see what fits best

combinable crops and sugar beet,

with ourselves. For example, in our

more sustainably moving forward. Our

together with a beef cattle enterprise.

second year of cropping we decided to

2017 results are pleasing, with spring

The soil types and conditions vary

experiment with drilling on wider rows

beans after cover crop averaging 4.7t/

to encourage natural weathering, in

ha. Spring beans without a cover crop

order to help the soil dry out between

averaged 4.35 t/ha.”

the rows after desiccation. This made a

This year, Bourn have moved into a

dramatically across the farm and unfortunately, the Bourn enterprise is not immune to the high levels of black-grass that have plagued much of England in the last few years. Andrew’s efforts have focused on improving the health of the soil and implementing cultural techniques to try and significantly reduce the levels of black-grass across the farm, whilst also reducing costs. The move to spring cropping came from conversations with Mark Whitaker, Bourn’s long term Frontier agronomist on the farm. Following the move, Meehal proposed growing a simple cover crop mixture to avoid leaving the land bare over winter.

big difference on heavy clay soils in 2017, whereas in 2016 the same fields were left as fallow following a cover crop sown on conventional row spacings, because the land didn’t dry out until late April! We have done this again in 2018, as we need to find consistency in the system year on year to prove its success.”

Andrew Harker, Farm Manager, H R Bourn & Sons

bespoke soil structure mixture. They have gone a step further by introducing sheep onto the farm to graze some of the cover crops. Hopefully this will aid drilling, as less trash will be present and there will be quicker recycling of nutrients available to the cash crop.

Andrew continues “I believe the true benefit of cover crops will only be realised over the next ten to fifteen years. But, the cover crops are only one

To read the full story online visit

part of our plan and work in conjunction with our CTF system and the use of organic manures. The ultimate aim is to give us more resilient soils to farm

/www.kingscrops.co.uk/ index.php/case-studies/ hr-bourn

Turn To Kings for green cover crops innovation

Enhancing Soil Fungi a There is much interest in how soil fungi and bacteria contribute to healthy soils. Some farming practices can reduce the soil biota activity, but how might we add more soil organisms to improve the situation?

Innovative Termination of Cover Crops Most cover crops within conventional systems continue to be terminated with glyphosatebased herbicides. However, there is some concern that application may be reduced in future years. It is essential that research and development is undertaken to look at non-chemical means of cover crop termination. Kings, in conjunction with farmers linked by the ‘Innovative Farmers’ group, have a series of on farm large scale trials looking in detail at the alternatives on two Kings cover crop mixtures. We are comparing glyphosate with various methods, including a crimper roller, rolling in a frost, grazing, flailing and ploughing. We look forward to the results through the spring and taking this project forward with our partners. For further details see www.innovativefarmers.org/groups

At Kings we know some cover crops can help, but we think that by inoculating cover crop seed with appropriate fresh soil organisms, we may be able to ‘reset’ soil microbiology. Professor Jonathan Leake, of the Department of Plant and Animal Sciences at the University of Sheffield, commented on the interaction of soil biota with arable crops. “Cover crops, through the growth of their roots and root exudates, can help support more active populations of soil microorganisms, which are beneficial to crops and improve soil health.” Kings is working with a specialist Biotechnology company to consider how plant growth can be promoted by rhizobacteria (PGPR) and mycorrizhal fungi, which enhance nitrogen, phosphorous and water uptake. Many cover crops form symbiotic associations with mycorrhizal soil fungi. These fungi grow into the roots of the plants and extend into the soil to take up nutrients, especially phosphorus, whilst at the same time improve soil aggregation. Mycorrhizal fungi can have additional benefits for the plants

by inducing increased resistance to pathogens and can stimulate populations of plant growth, promoting soil rhizobacteria. In legume cover crops, such as vetch and clovers, beneficial interactions occur between bacterial and fungal partners inside their roots, with both nitrogen-fixing bacteria in nodules and mycorrhizas. Not all cover crops or main crops form mycorrhizas and some of the brassicas such as oil radish (if grown as monocultures) may be suppressive of mycorrhiza in a following crop. However, studies of cover crop mixtures in which oil radish is accompanied by mycorrhiza-forming species, such as cereals and legumes, have found mycorrhiza can be increased in a spring sown cereal crop, compared to when preceded by winter fallowing.

Oil radish

nd Bacteria

Kings became the Groundswell event ‘Cover Crop Partner’ in 2017 and is looking forward to another successful event in June this year. Alex Cherry, Groundswell Event Director sets the scene. “The three basic tenets of Conservation Agriculture are: minimal soil disturbance, continuous

27-28th June 2018

ground cover and use of rotations. At last year’s event we put emphasis on a further fourth tenet - livestock in the arable rotation. With these four principles, Groundswell will continue to curate relevant information for farmers, scientists and politicians, as the farming industry sees a shift towards a more regenerative way of producing food from our finite land”. Kings mycorrhizal fungi trials in East Yorkshire

“Direct drilling is not a new concept. However, more farmers than ever before are now realising the benefits of planting seed into the ground with minimal disturbance so as to avoid the erosion of their most precious asset - soil. It has

The methods used in the establishment of spring crops after winter cover crops, can affect the extent to which the benefits of helpful soil microorganisms are passed on to the main crop. Intensive soil cultivation with inversion ploughing and harrowing, destroys a high proportion of mycorrhizal inoculum, whereas less intensive tillage methods, such as shallow disking and especially direct drilling, result in higher mycorrhiza. In 2017, Kings’ controlled trials gave encouraging results. We will continue to further evaluate the effects of direct drilling spring cereals on the same plots.

been calculated the ‘good’ bugs in soil outnumber the ‘bad’ bugs by a factor of 1,700:1. With that in mind, it’s important to start understanding how your soil functions and look to work with nature rather than against it.”

Groundswell 2018 takes place on 27th and 28th June on the Cherry family farm near Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Tickets go on sale 11th March at www.groundswellag.com. We look forward to seeing you there. Working machinery demonstration at Groundswell 2017

GREEN COVER CROPS

Soil Vitality Mix

Oil Radish Oil radish has rapid growth and is excellent at catching nitrogen. It produces high levels of organic matter and its strong, deep roots will penetrate and work through compaction to improve soil structure. It is not a clubroot host, making it valuable in a rape rotation and is approved for use within a mix with a cereal in Ecological Focus Areas in England and Scotland. Kings oil radish varieties include:

••Siletta Nova – Our most popular

classical oil radish variety. It has a medium flowering date and produces high biomass levels with deep roots. It is useful in a potato rotation as it reduces corky ring spot and the transmission of tobacco rattle virus carried by the Trichodorus nematode.

••Baracuda - Combines a high early

vigour with very late flowering and beet-cyst nematode resistance (Level 2). It covers the soil with crop canopy very quickly, making it an ideal choice as a cover crop.

••Bokito - Produces a large amount of

biomass. When increase of organic matter is your goal, Bokito is the answer. In addition, it is resistant to beet-cyst nematodes (Level 2). It has a very good ability to re-grow after cutting so is a good option where grazing is required.

••Defender – Classified as a multi-

resistant, medium flowering oil radish. It can reduce both cyst and free living nematodes. Has good Beet Cyst Nematode reduction and is efficient at reducing free living nematodes such as root knot, stubby root and root lesion types. Valuable within potato rotations. Offers good bio-fumigation opportunity with the correct management.

••Bento - Bento is a sister variety

to Siletta Nova and has the same nematode activity characteristics. Similar in growth habit to Siletta Nova but may start flowering a little earlier.

••Stinger – A tillage (Daikon type) oil

radish with very deep powerful roots. Especially useful to improve soil structure either alone or in mixtures with other radish varieties.

We have a wide range of other oil radish varieties for different purposes, such as beet cyst nematode reduction only varieties (Level 1 and 2), along with alternative multi-resistant types that can tackle other free-living nematodes. Using the incorrect brassica variety may encourage some nematodes. It is important when tackling nematode problems with brassica cover crops, that laboratory tests have been carried out to indicate which nematode species are present.

Mustard An economical option with rapid growth and high biomass, mustard has a long growing season and is suitable for late drilling. It is an efficient nitrogen catcher but not always winter hardy. Careful variety selection can provide biofumigant properties and proven reduction of Beet Cyst Nematode, but mustard can exacerbate clubroot and nematode issues, so be sure to take expert advice. Kings varieties include basic white mustard, nematode resistant mustard, brown mustard and Ethiopian mustard.

Biofumigation crops Biofumigation needs crops that mulch easily and have a high glucosinolate content that rapidly breaks down to produce biofumigant gas Isothiocyanates. Working closely with specialist breeders, Kings mixtures of mustards and radish are formulated to give high biofumigant gas production.

Clive’s advice . . . Oil radish has a multitude of applications - consideration should be given to the one that meets your specific needs. Kings has the expertise and range of varieties to meet your requirements.

STRAIGHTS

Defender Oil radish and Stinger Tillage Radish - 10 weeks after planting

Vetch Vetch is a large seeded legume which fixes large volumes of atmospheric nitrogen. Available as winter and spring varieties, vetch can provide winter hardiness, deep roots and fast growth. Kings varieties include common vetch and hairy vetch. Vetch is also a common partner in mixtures.

Clover Clovers have a wide range of growth characteristics and levels of productivity, but all of Kings’ varieties are effective at fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Options include berseem clover, crimson clover and red clover.

Cereals Cereals are easy to establish with high biomass production and good nutrient catching ability. Depending on variety selection, other benefits include fast growth and reduction of black-grass and free living nematodes. Kings’ cereal options include forage rye, strigosa oats and common oats.

Grass Kings offers a number of grass based options designed to provide green cover benefits. These can range from short term Westerwolds to three year high output grass blends that will improve soils and deliver high volumes of biomass for AD units.

Catch crops and cover crops for EFAs With the withdrawal of the use of Plant Protection Products on all EFA areas and in particular on the nitrogen fixing crops (peas and beans), in 2018 cover and catch crops will attract greater interest as a means of meeting Ecological Focus Area (EFA) requirements of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). Cover crops and catch crops as an EFA option must be selected and managed to meet key requirements around mixtures, species, dates and areas. They need to be a mix of at least two different types and within specified periods, as highlighted below. The 2018 English EFA rules are as follows: • Catch Crops must be established by 20th August 2018 and retained until at least 14th October 2018

• Cover Crops must be established by 1st October 2018 and retained until at least 15th January 2019.

Cereal Species

Non-Cereal Species

Oats, Rye and Barley

Radish, Mustard, Vetch, Phacelia and Lucerne

Each mix needs at least 1

The percentage of crops contained in the mix is flexible, as long as there is a visible mix of at least one cereal and one non-cereal from the list above. Inclusion of other species will mean that the mix will not count as an EFA. Kings has a range of standard mixtures that suit the EFA option and can also tailor-make mixtures to individual needs. Taking advice is highly recommended to ensure compliance with the rules while also meeting the needs of the farm.

To learn more about how growing cover crops can benefit your business and the options available, speak to your local advisor or call Kings on 0800 587 9797.

Other species Other species with benefits in a green cover situation include winter linseed, Gold of Pleasure, phacelia, sticky nightshade and buckwheat. These crops can provide nitrogen catching, soil health improvement, fast growth, good rooting and nematode reduction; take expert advice to select the best crop for your specific needs.

GREEN COVER MIXTURES

Bespoke catch crop mix

Carefully formulated green cover mixtures can provide multiple benefits. They often combine a deep rooting crop to retain fertility, with a legume crop to trap atmospheric nitrogen. With careful selection, mixtures can provide increased organic matter and soil biodiversity, a rich improvement in soil humus, improved soil structure and a reduction in soil pests and diseases. Kings’ range of standard mixtures suits most situations. Where you have more specific needs or require organic seed, we can provide advice and guidance on creating individual mixtures to suit your soil type and cropping rotation. We produce all our own mixtures from a wide range of raw materials at our specialist plant and offer a range of bag sizes to suit individual needs. Should you be using home-saved cereals as a base for your green cover crop, Kings also advises on and supplies, specific pre-mixes in a range of pack sizes. Please be aware that any home-saved cereal seed is applicable for farm-saved seed royalty payments, even if the seed is used straight from the barn. It can only be from crops grown within your own business.

Kings Soil Vitality Mix

Kings Soil Structure Mix

Vetch and Forage Rye Mix

••Designed to enhance the soil biota with a selected range of species

••Adds large volumes of organic matter

••Sown in late summer, vetch will

••Strigosa oats and berseem clover are fast-growing and complement radish and vetch

••Vetch and berseem clover fix valuable amounts of nitrogen

••Oats and radish are both very efficient at catching nitrogen

••A beet cyst nematode (BCN) reducing version of this mix is also available

••EFA suitable version available on request

••Contains oil radish, common oat,

strigosa oat, berseem clover, vetch and phacelia.

••Has deep rooting species that help soil structure; Tillage radish is especially useful in difficult, compacted soils

••Frost hardy and will continue to

improve soil throughout the winter

••BCN reducing version of this mix also available

••Suitable as an EFA cover crop within the BPS greening scheme

••Contains oil radish, Tillage Radish,

common oat, forage rye and phacelia.

establish quickly and fix nitrogen at lower temperatures than clovers

••This mix will root at different levels, improving soil and catching and fixing nitrogen

••Rye is one of the most effective

crops for catching nitrogen left by a previous crop

••Vetch and rye mix is a popular autumn sown cover crop before maize or spring root crops, such as sugar beet

••Suitable as an EFA cover crop within the BPS greening scheme

••Contains vetch and forage rye.

GREEN COVER MIXTURES

Summer Sown Catch Crop ••An EFA catch crop which quickly

produces significant rooting and crop biomass. Ideal before later sown winter wheat

••Contains oil radish, black oat and phacelia

Summer Sown Catch Crop (non EFA) ••Designed to be planted from May

to August, creates excellent soil structure and improves vitality for following crop.

••Contains no brassica species ••Contains buckwheat, phacelia, linseed and Berseem clover.

Mechanical destruction of Soil Vitality Mix.

EFA Basic Mix

EFA Nematode Reducer

••For those looking to meet the basic

••Specifically targeting soil borne pests,

needs of EFA Cover Crops this provides an economical yet compliant option.

••Contains 94% winter oats, 5% white mustard and 1% Siletina oil radish

EFA Power Mix 1 ••Our most popular EFA blend ••Contains 60% winter oats and 40% Siletina oil radish

EFA Power Mix 2 ••High in oil radish with a low level oat

content where the rooting and nutrient capture benefits of radish are required.

••Contains 90% Siletina oil radish and 10% winter oats

EFA Power Mix 3 ••Designed for those looking for an EFA

mix with a late flowering radish variety. Barracuda also brings Beet Cyst Nematode reduction to the mix.

••Contains 60% winter oats and 40% Barracuda oil radish

this combination combines the best in radish and black oat whilst remaining EFA compliant.

Cover Crop Options For Maize We offer a range of companion and cover crops that are suitable to use in a maize crop or planted after a maize harvest.

••Contains 95% Defender oil radish and

Custom mixtures

Super 10 Mix

Kings can provide advice and guidance on creating specific mixtures to suit soil type and cropping rotation.

5% black oat

••For those keen to embrace the

multi species/crop family blend this diverse mix will deliver significant soil improvement benefits in addition to a diverse above-ground canopy benefiting a wide range of pollinators. Can be sown during the summer or in the early autumn.

We produce all our own mixtures from a wide range of raw materials at our specialist plant and offer a range of bag sizes to suit individual needs.

Speak to your local contact or call 0800 587 9797 to discuss your requirements.

••Contains quinoa, winter oat, oil

radish, berseem clover, common vetch, linseed, buckwheat, phacelia, sunflower and rye

Kings Summer BioFum ••A specialist mix for biofumigation which produces a highly potent fumigation gas

••Provides a range of glucosinolates with myrosinase enzyme

Soil Vitality Mix

••Requires specific growing conditions and dedicated agronomy

••Correct mechanical flailing and

incorporation into the soil is critical to success.

Paul’s advice . . . The changes in EFA rules mean Catch and Cover Crop options may become a more attractive way to help you meet compliance needs and improve soil structure and health.

••Contains Ethiopian mustard, radish and white mustard. EFA compliant version available.

Turn to Lee Ward for Forage Crops advice UK agriculture faces change and uncertainty over the next few years. Too many variables can affect your business and its profitability. At Kings we offer a range of forage options to suit the ever changing economic environment and farming system that our customers operate within. Chosen with an emphasis on high productivity and yield, our range of forage grass, forage crops and maize varieties, are at the forefront of plant breeding and selection.

Lee Ward

Western Technical Advisor Mob: 07967 553010 lee.ward@frontierag.co.uk

Our team of FACTS and BASIS qualified agronomists recognise the flexibility needed in your business and advise on everything you require to maximise yield and profitability. Proven seed treatments such as Growmax, ProNitro and seed-life, give your crops the best possible start. From AD plants to a grazing system as part of an Agri- environment scheme, we have the right solution for your business.

Westerwolds

Short term cutting and grazing (6 months) 15-20kg/acre – 37-50kg/hectare

••Quick growing grass species ••In production 8 – 10 weeks from sowing, suitable for cutting and grazing.

Extra Cut 29% Itarzi 21% Alamo 21% Citeliac 18% Perun 11% Tetragraze

Conservation (1-2 years) 14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare Italian Ryegrass (T) Italian Ryegrass Hybrid Ryegrass (T) Advanced Italian Ryegrass™ Hybrid Ryegrass (T)

••Approximate date at 67D 16th May - will reach 67D approximately 6 weeks after cutting

••Highly productive blend of Italian, hybrid and Advanced Italian Ryegrass™

••High sugar content for rapid fermentation ••Rapid recovery after defoliation ensures reliable subsequent cuts - suitable for high nitrogen input systems.

Catch Crop

Cutting, grazing and conservation (1-2 years) 15kg/acre or 37kg/hectare

50% Italian Ryegrass 50% Italian Ryegrass (T)

••Approximate date at 67D 12th/13th May ••Formulated to provide high yields in both years of production

••Rapid recovery after defoliation ensures reliable subsequent cuts.

Meat and Milk Cutting and grazing (5 years plus)

14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare

18% Nifty Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass 12% Seagoe Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass (T) 12% Diwan Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass (T) 24% Toddington Late Perennial Ryegrass 20% Twymax Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) 8% Promesse Timothy 6% Dual Purpose White Clover Blend

••Hardy and persistent for reliable production over several years

••Timothy included for winter hardiness, early spring growth and good tolerance to wet and cold

••A good inclusion level of high fibre digestibility varieties helping to ensure good production levels from forage

••No clover option available.

Advanced Protein Plus 40% 25% 20% 15%

Cutting (3-4 years) 14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare

Lofa Advanced Hybrid Ryegrass™ Perun Advanced Italian Ryegrass™ Red Clover Blend Perseus Advanced Italian Ryegrass™

••Stress tolerant species will thrive in all soil types ••High quality multi cut mixture.

CASE STUDY Dave and Linda Jones run 450 Pedigree texel ewes on the Welsh border near Hereford. Orcop Texels are based around quality pedigree breeding, selling high specification ram lambs through breed and private sales. The shearling rams are bred to appeal to sheep producers looking to provide the top grade livestock demanded by the modern marketplace. They turned to Lee Ward, Kings Western Technical Advisor and Frontier Agronomist, to help ensure high quality grass and forage.

Linda and Dave Jones

Running over 40 hectares of grazing leys, David and Linda see high output from grass as a major factor in the success of the flock. “High quality grass and forage is paramount in achieving our goal of high growth rates and healthy stock to sell” Mr Jones explains.” On the advice of Lee, we use Kings Flexicrop. It is a high output quality forage, suited to this part of the world. With its components of high energy grasses and white clover we have seen a marked difference in the daily live weight gain from the sheep running on this type of ley, compared to the grass ley we have previously used.” “All new leys are preceded by a crop of Maris Kestrel Kale, which is used for valuable winter grazing. This helps to

Flexicrop

freshen up the ground and gives us an opportunity to clean the ground of grass and perennial weeds prior to planting the new ley in the spring.” Mr Jones added “We burn the older grass ley off with glyphosate in early summer and establish the kale in June/July. The variety stands well and, in the likely event of snow in this part of the world, the feed is ‘top of ground’ out of the wet and mud, which only helps the flock health”. With pressure coming on all aspects of livestock production, it is important to make every detail count. Forage production is the basis for profit and success - working with Kings has ensured this farm business has optimised a valuable opportunity.

Cutting and grazing (5 years plus) 14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare

21% Lofa Advanced Hybrid Ryegrass™ 14% Citeliac Hybrid Ryegrass (T) 14% Solomon Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass 14% Diwan Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass (T) 15% Romark Late Perennial Ryegrass 17% Aspect Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) 5% Dual Purpose White Clover Blend

••Lofa Advanced Hybrid Ryegrass™ included for persistency of yield and quality; an excellent stress tolerant variety

••Solomon intermediate perennial ryegrass included for increased ground cover and longevity

••High annual yield under both cutting and grazing ••Good sward density, disease resistance, winter hardiness and persistence

••No clover option available.

Intensive Grazing

To read the full story online visit www.kingscrops.co.uk/ case-studies/dave-jones

Grazing (5 years plus) 14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare

21% Solomon Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass 21% Cancan Late Perennial Ryegrass 20% Romark Late Perennial Ryegrass 16% Nifty Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass 16% Aspect Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) 6% Grazing White Clover Blend

••Consistent growth and rapid recovery throughout the grazing season

••Proven UK late heading varieties combine persistence and yield

••Tetraploid and white clover content will improve palatability and stock performance

••Good, dense varieties which will minimise poaching and weed encroachment

••No clover option available.

FORAGE CROPS

Permanent Pasture Grass Mix

Permanent Pasture

Cutting and grazing (permanent)

DroughtMax Dual Purpose

14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare 16% Solomon Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass 16% Nifty Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass 16% Diwan Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass (T) 12% Toddington Late Perennial Ryegrass 10% Glenveagh Late Perennial Ryegrass 14% Aspect Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) 10% Dolina Timothy 6% Dual Purpose White Clover Blend

••A proven, hardwearing, long term mixture ••Combines high yields, good winter hardiness and continuous production throughout the growing season

••Suitable for grazing with cattle or sheep plus the option for cutting if required

••Excellent early spring growth allows early turnout ••No clover option available.

All Stock

Cutting and grazing (5 years) 14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare

25% Aspect Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) 22% Glenveagh Late Perennial Ryegrass 16% Soloman Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass 14% Alfonso Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) 12% Boyne Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass 7% Winnetou Timothy 4% Dual Purpose clover Blend

••A versatile yet economical mixture ••Good springtime production for grazing animals ••Timothy gives early bite and yield while tolerating cold, wet soils

••Suitable for overseeding during its later years of service ••No clover option available.

Cutting and grazing (3-5 years)

14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare 28% Lofa Advanced Hybrid Ryegrass 17% Alfonso Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) 16% Perun Advanced Italian Ryegrass 16% Romark Late Perennial Ryegrass 12% Perseus Advanced Italian Ryegrass 6% Dual Purpose White Clover Blend 5% Red Clover Blend

••Advanced Grasses™ are deep rooted and stress tolerant ••White clover adds protein, minerals and palatability ••Rapid regrowth and response to fertiliser ••Withstands dry summers.

HayMax Short Term 42% Alamo 29% Perseus 29% Perun

Cutting (2 years) 14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare

Italian Ryegrass Advanced Italian Ryegrass™ Advanced Italian Ryegrass™

••Will provide high yield of hay or haylage with potential for multi-cuts

••Advanced Grasses™ give excellent stress tolerance ••Very good rapid regrowth with good response to fertiliser inputs

••Diploids to aid drying process.

HayMax Full Term 32% Boyne 25% Genesis 15% Solomon 14% Glenveagh 14% Promesse

Cutting (3-5 years) 14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare

Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass Early Perennial Ryegrass Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass Late Perennial Ryegrass Timothy

••Excellent resistance to foliar diseases ••Outstanding yields for both hay and haylage with late season grazing

••Timothy improves summer palatability and colour of the mown sward.

FORAGE CROPS OrganoMax 70% Short Term Cutting (2-3 years)

GrassMax Dual Purpose Overseeding mixture

35% Perun Advanced Italian Ryegrass™ Organic 35% Danergo Italian Ryegrass (T) Organic 20% Red Clover Blend 10% Lofa Advanced Hybrid Ryegrass™

30% Citeliac Hybrid Ryegrass (T) 30% Diwan Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass (T) 30% Aspect Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) 10% Dual Purpose White Clover Blend

••70% organically produced seed ••Excellent disease resistance provides good forage quality ••Improved yield, quality and stress tolerance with Perun

••Treated with Pro-Nitro™ as standard ••Extends the cutting and grazing opportunity for existing

••Optimum date for first cut 16th – 19th May, depending on

MeadowMax Farmland conservation/grazing mix

14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare

Advanced Italian Ryegrass™ site and situation.

OrganoMax 70% Cutting and grazing (4-6 years) Dual Purpose 14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare 16% Polim Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) Organic 15% Pastour Late Perennial Ryegrass Organic 11% Premium Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass Organic 10% Solid Hybrid Ryegrass (T) Organic 10% Magician Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass (T) Organic 10% Glenveagh Late Perennial Ryegrass 9% Solomon Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass 8% Dolina Timothy Organic 8% Dual Purpose White Clover Blend 3% Red Clover Blend

••70% organically produced seed ••Excellent disease resistance ••Good spring growth with impressive yields at 67D ••White clover for protein and assisted crop fertility ••Late varieties that exhibit low stem formation for maximum forage quality.

GrassMax Cut

Overseeding mixture Sow at 10kg/acre – 25kg/hectare

40% Citeliac Hybrid Ryegrass (T) 30% Lofa Advanced Hybrid Ryegrass 20% Diwan Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass (T) 10% Cutting White Clover Blend

Sow at 10kg/acre – 25kg/hectare

grass leys.

Sow at 14kg/acre – 35kg/hectare

40% Meadow Fescue 21% Timothy 11% Smooth Stalked Meadow Grass 10% Creeping Red Fescue 10% Rough Stalked Meadow Grass 7% Crested Dogstail 1% Meadow Foxtail

••Meets conservation requirements and productivity for grazing ••Compatible with herb mixtures – ask for details.

HorseMax Paddock

Sow at 15-20kg/acre or 37-50kg/hectare 35% Glenveagh Late Perennial Ryegrass 25% Soloman Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass 15% Boyne Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass 15% Maxima Creeping Red Fescue 10% Promesse Timothy ••A long term mixture designed with sward density in mind to support the demands horses place on grass Suitable for production of both hay and haylage •• ••No tetraploids as high sugar content can cause laminitis ••Perennial ryegrass combined with creeping red fescue and Timothy ••Easy to maintain.

••High output blend designed to extend the productivity of a

Pr Nitro

conservation ley

••Treated with Pro-Nitro™ as standard.

GrassMax Cut Red Clover

Overseeding mixture Sow at 10kg/acre – 25kg/hectare

40% Citeliac Hybrid Ryegrass (T) 35% Lofa Advanced Hybrid Ryegrass 25% Red Clover Blend

••Treated with Pro-Nitro™ as standard ••All the benefits of GrassMax Cut with an additional red clover blend.

GrassMax Graze

Overseeding mixture Sow at 10kg/acre – 25kg/hectare

25% Aspect Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) 25% Solas Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) 20% Diwan Intermediate Perennial Ryegrass (T) 20% Alfonso Late Perennial Ryegrass (T) 10% Grazing White Clover Blend

••Treated with Pro-Nitro™ as standard ••Designed to maintain the output and productivity of grazing leys.

Specialist equestrian mixture 10kg pack size

Biostimulants assist the seedling’s ability to take advantage of the soil’s own nutrient reserves. This is done by stimulating the soil’s microflora, resulting in improved root growth and establishment. All Kings forage grass mixtures, except the organic range, have GrowMax™ applied as standard and at no extra cost. Achieve significantly stronger, faster establishment of your forage crops with ProNitro™. This nitrogen seed coating has the following benefits:

• Feeds the seed, not

• Enhanced early growth

• Faster establishment

• Root growth increased

surrounding grass – ideal for overseeding due to reduced risk of pest damage

and improved stress tolerance

by up to 30% for rapid development of a strong crop.

Pro-Nitro™ is supplied as standard across our range of over-seeding mixtures.

FORAGE CROPS Kale rape The result of hybrid breeding between kale and forage rape, kale rape is quick growing and winter hardy, ideal for summer sowing and grazing through autumn and winter. Dry matter yields are often 10%/20% above traditional forage rapes.

••Interval - Great leaf to stem ratio.

Can be grazed within 10-12 weeks of planting. The top yields.

••Swift – High yielding. Can provide

notable regrowth after initial grazing period. Suits later sowings.

Forage rape Forage rape is a quick growing, leafy brassica generally planted in the summer months to provide a complete grazing crop during late autumn and early winter. With fleshy growth, most of the plant is consumed, including leaf and stem, so there is little waste. Often sown in mixtures with stubble turnips to provide a balanced autumn/winter feed

••Sparta -

Top dry matter yield potential. Importantly with clubroot resistance.

••Hobson – Excellent for finishing lambs. Good resistance to powdery mildew and with top winter hardiness scores.

••Emerald – Very palatable. Can be

grazed within 12–14 weeks of planting.

Beretta Fodder Beet

Stubble turnips

Kale

Stubble turnips are the most common forage crop, either broadcast into a standing cereal crop prior to harvest or drilled into the stubble immediately after the combine. Economical to grow, they provide a flexible late autumn and early winter forage opportunity.

Kale can provide an abundant feed supply for grazing from mid summer to late winter. A versatile crop offering the highest dry matter utilisation of all forage brassicas. The following key varieties are available treated as standard with Seed-Life™ nutrient treatment and Cruiser SB™ for flea beetle control where marked (*).

••Samson –

A fast growing sweet tetraploid that encourage significant intake by livestock. Produces large purple ‘tankard’ roots with the top yields.

••Delilah – Notably the best resistance to mildew, creates large white roots with plenty of grazing potential.

••Barkant – Traditional stubble turnip.

High yielding. High leaf to root ratio.

••Tyfon – Leafy type with a small bulb.

Winter hardy. Can be summer sown but also useful for late spring planting to provide grazing during dry periods, when other forage opportunities may be limited.

••Caledonian* – The top yielding variety, with clubroot resistance. Usually the highest yielding variety in trials. Ideal for cattle and very winter hardy.

••Coleor* - High yielding, leafy, diploid

Kale of short to medium height. Renowned for high leaf to stem ratio. Notable winter hardiness. Distinctive purple colouration.

••Marrow stem types * – Various

varieties. Winter hardy. Long stems and leafy canopy of high ‘D’ value with high yields.

••Maris Kestrel - Excellent leaf to stem

ratio. Long grazing utilisation period. Top digestibility rating and available with Cruiser SB™ alone.

Fodder beet Fodder beet is grown to harvest the mature root for feeding during winter. It will notably out-yield turnip and swede crops. It requires a precision drill for sowing and specialist harvesting equipment. Energy beet varieties for biogas use are also available.

••Tarine – Produces the top dry matter yields. It has a high dry matter percentage. Pink flesh with low bolting risk.

••Barents – Very high yields of clean

well shaped roots that allow easy harvesting with a high % in the ground. Very large tops and suitable for late harvesting. Low disease risk.

••Magnum – Can produce substantial

yields. Notably good frost tolerance.

••Beretta – High dry matter. Good

disease resistance. Ideal for late lifting.

••Splendide – Excellent all round variety. Good dry matter content. High beet yield. High root to leaf ratio.

FORAGE CROPS Turnip rape Turnip rape provides a useful alternative to traditional forage brassicas, combining a leafy top with a small root.

••Jupiter - Quick growing and winter

hardy, particularly suited to northern regions. Flexible sowing window, ideal for planting until end of September.

Main crop turnips Main crop turnips provide a robust forage crop when planted in early summer and can provide a flexible grazing opportunity from late summer to the end of winter. Often mixed with a stubble turnip to spread the period of feed availability.

••Green Globe – Late maturing variety

that can be grazed from between 90120 days of planting. Combines a leafy top with a substantial root.

Swedes Swedes provide a high energy winter feed that can be grazed or lifted as required. Where grazed they should be strip grazed to avoid wastage.

••Gowrie – Top yielding variety

for pre or post Christmas use. Good resistance to clubroot and powdery mildew.

••Invitation – Ideal for late winter use.

Very hardy with large leaves . Useful for sheep or cattle.

Maize Forage maize is grown to make silage from the immature plant. Best results come from harvesting when most grain sites have converted soluble sugars to starch. The target for harvest is to achieve 27-35% dry matter silage. Available varieties include:

••Augustus – FAO 160- Maturity rating

11. Ultra early variety with yield potential 4-5% over Kentaurus. No1 in the Ultra early class.

••Autens – FAO 170-Maturity rating 9.

A new variety with Outstanding yield in an early variety. High early plant vigour. Suits Forage, AD and Grain.

••Ambrosini – FAO 220 - Maturity rating 6. Later maturing but unbeatable yields. Suitable for high yielding sites in favourable locations. Ideal for AD.

Varieties available for AD use - please enquire.

Arable silage Most commonly combining legumes and cereals, these mixtures are an excellent way to create a high volume

Harvesting wholecrop rye for anaerobic digestion use

forage crop containing both starch and protein. Sown from March onwards, they can provide fresh cut material fed directly or be ensiled for winter use. They also benefit following crops by helping to improve soil structure, retain nutrients and fix atmospheric nitrogen.

••Peas and oats – A simple combination of a legume and cereal.

••Peas, triticale and wheat – Provides a

blend of energy, palatability and yield.

••Bespoke mixtures – Contact Kings to

discuss mixtures to suit specific needs.

Forage rye Forage rye is excellent for early grazing where the window between other crops is short. It can be strip grazed for cattle or winter sheep and made into big bale silage as required. It is useful for Biogas with an early harvest date.

••Humbolt – Specially bred for forage production (not a grain type). Ideal for early ‘bite’ grazing as spring growth can be three weeks earlier than Italian ryegrass.

Lucerne Lucerne provides palatable high protein Forage from 3-4 cuts a year . Drought tolerant and it has five years potential. Seed requires an innoculant.

••Marshall – Well adapted to the UK. Highly suited to silage or hay. Thin stems giving a very palatable crop

••Daisy - Verticillium wilt resistance

avoids drying out of leaves and disappearance of plants. High protein content and high dry matter yields.

Forage peas, vetch, chicory and plantain also available.

Lee’s advice . . . Forage crops are an increasingly valuable element of farm rotations. Their use as a break crop within the wider rotation and a means of reducing the reliance on bought in feeds can not be underestimated.

••Protector – Grows quickly in low

temperatures. Provides good entry to a following forage maize crop.

••Ovid – a spring rye. Can be sown between January and May.

GENERAL GRASS MIXTURES Kings offers a portfolio of proven, high quality grass products designed to cover a wide range of situations. Our mixtures contain the latest grass varieties, selected to ensure the best possible results for your equine needs, landscaping around farm buildings or creating the perfect lawn. For more information on these products, please contact us on 0800 587 9797.

CODE

PRODUCT

SEED RATE

PACK SIZE

PRICE

K38

Rearing Pen Mix

13kg/acre

13kg (1 acre)

£65.00

KG3a/b*

KingsScape

25g-40g per square metre

10kg/20kg

£42.50/£83.00

KG2a/b*

KingsFine with Ryegrass

25g–50g per square metre

10kg/20kg

£46.50/£92.00

* For guidance on the amount of seed required for a particular area please call us on 0800 587 9797.

Rearing Pen Grass Mix

KingsScape

KingsFine with Ryegrass

••A dedicated rearing field mixture ••Hard wearing, suited to either laying

••Suitable as a domestic lawn mix or for

••A high quality yet robust lawn

••Contains: amenity perennial ryegrass

••Contains: chewings fescue, perennial

pens or rearing fields ••Formulated to be of interest to both poults and adult birds ••Can be grazed ••Contains: amenity perennial ryegrass, birdsfoot trefoil, red fescue, meadow fescue, late perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and white clover.

more extensive landscaped areas and strong creeping red fescue.

seed mixture

ryegrass, slender creeping red fescue and strong creeping red fescue.

TREES, SHRUBS & HEDGING

Woodland and hedgerow habitat improvement The Kings team offers guidance on the opportunities available through grant schemes and Countryside Stewardship as well as on species selection to meet your needs. We provide a wide range of hedge plants, trees and shrubs throughout the winter months. Whether you need to gap up an existing hedgerow or create a new area of woodland, we will be pleased to help.

With many years of practical experience in this area we can advise on the design and species selection as required. Once agreed on the makeup of your project, we can supply the nursery stock and required protection at very competitive prices.

For further details of our extensive range and how we can help you please contact us on 0800 587 9797

Kings Regional Advisors Paul Beazley

Claus Hansen

Ivor Ramage

Cornwall and Devon

Northern Ireland

T 01769 550223 M 07812 940064 F 01769 540844 E janebeazley@hotmail.com

Scandinavia T 0045 644 91918 M 0045 401 61918 F 0045 644 91916 E skyttecbh@gmail.com

David Cooper

Philip Kammer

Avril Egar

Derbyshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire

Scotland

Ireland

T 01302 851692 M 07951 662064 F 01302 851692 E d.a.cooper@btinternet.com

T 01466 751350 M 07836 593800 E kammer.philip@gmail.com

T 02820 768484 M 07836 356253 E ivor.ramage@nomixenviro.co.uk

T 00353 596 481122 M 00353 872 522947 F 00353 596 482432 E avril.egar@redmills.ie

Harold Critchlow Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands T 01889 500250 M 07738 219463 E haroldcritchlow@yahoo.co.uk

Frontier Agriculture Regional Offices Andover

Diss

The Grain Silos, Weyhill Road, Andover, Hampshire SP10 3NT

Sandy Lane, Diss, Norfolk IP22 4HY

T 01264 388000 F 01264 337642

Berwick-upon-Tweed

Sandy

T 01379 642936

F 01522 866573

Perth

Georgetown Road, A1 Trunk Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2UB T 01767 680351

F 01767 692412

Witham St Hughs

Windmill Way West, Ramparts Business Park, Berwick-upon-Tweed TD15 1TB

Jura Suite 3/1, King James VI Business Centre, Riverview Business Park, Friarton Road, Perth PH2 8DY

T 01289 330303 F 01289 308145

T 01738 500570

Cranswick

Ross-on-Wye

Beverley Road, Cranswick, Driffield, East Yorkshire YO25 9PF

Phocle Green, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire HR9 7XU

T 01377 270441 F 01377 271248

T 01989 780555

Delivery Details

Packaging

Terms and Conditions

Free delivery and handling on orders totalling £150 or more (mainland UK only Monday to Friday).

Kings uses top quality packaging. Multiple product orders may be consolidated into an outer bag to minimise the risk of loss or damage during transportation. Please check for internal bags before reporting losses to the administration team.

Seed returned will only be credited if the packs remain unopened and can be resold during the same season. Special mixtures cannot be returned. You are responsible for the safe return of goods to our distribution centre. You will receive a full refund less 15% handling charge.

Quality

The advice and recommendations contained in this catalogue have been provided to the best of our ability. No liability will be accepted for any actions taken by growers as a result of this information.

A £10 delivery and handling charge applies to orders totalling less than £150. Orders being delivered outside mainland UK will be charged at cost, based on total weight and final destination. Please contact us for more information. We aim to dispatch standard products within three working days. Special mixtures, mixed to order could take longer; please contact us for more information. You will be informed if we are experiencing any delays or are unable to fulfil your order for any reason. On receipt of your goods please check and report any concerns, damages or losses to the administration team on 0800 587 9797 within 24 hours. Failure to do so may affect our ability to process your claim or refund.

F 01522 866573

Camp Road, Witham St Hughs, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 9TN T 01522 860000

F 01522 868244

F 01989 780510

Kings only supplies the highest quality seed and related products, and will never compromise on quality, reliability or service. We make every effort to provide and supply products as stated. Availability may vary subject to season and peaks of high demand, so we recommend you order well in advance of when the goods are required.

Frontier Agriculture’s standard terms and conditions apply. For further details refer to www.frontierag.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @kingscrops or sign up to our blog. Visit www.frontierag.co.uk/blog/categories/kings and enter your name and email address.

Call us on 0800 587 9797 Visit us at www.kingscrops.co.uk

Easy Ways to Order Online: www.kingscrops.co.uk

We accept

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Freephone: 0800 587 9797 Tel: +44 (0)1379 658135 (suitable for international callers)

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Our customer service team is available Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5.00pm.

Fax: +44 (0)1522 866529 Post: Kings, Sandy Lane, Diss, Norfolk, IP22 4HY. Remember to include any remittance. Cheques to be made payable to Kings. Alternatively contact your local Kings or Frontier representative (see page 51).

Please let us know if you have an existing account with Frontier or SOYL

Your 2018 Specialist Crops

Catalogue GWENT 255

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