20 minute read
farming therapy
NFU Vice President Tom Bradshaw recently told a cross-party parliamentary committee looking into the future of farm subsidies that, despite cuts to the BPS this year, farm gate commodity prices were currently so good that farmers were riding a “wave of optimism”. With all due respect to Mr Bradshaw, has the man completely taken leave of his senses? If there is one thing British farmers rightly pride themselves on it is a front of unrelenting pessimism, no matter how much money they are making. This professional discipline of consistent moaning and complaining is important for a whole variety of reasons. Firstly, on a ‘macro-economic’ scale, UK agriculture is fundamentally vulnerable to cheap food imports. This is due to our high labour costs, small scale farms, unpredictable climate and A FRONT OF UNRELENTING PESSIMISM a relatively strong and stable currency (compared to many less-economically-developed countries, which can export their large discount on new machinery. production cheaply because their currencies constantly devalue). So, Mr Bradshaw, can you please tighten up your act and learn to provide a
This means that, in order for British agriculture to survive, it needs a tough truly depressing picture of the British farmer’s lot. As any farmer should know, food import levy regime and a generous farm subsidy system. For those two anything but a declaration of gloomy pessimism is disastrous for any farmer’s things to remain in place, farmers have to retain public sympathy, and to do that prospects. And next year it’ll all go pear-shaped anyway… they have to look and sound downtrodden and on their last uppers.
What tax-payer is going to give an “optimistic” farmer a subsidy? What politician is going to impose a food import tariff that makes food more expensive for consumers, if farmers are full of the joys of spring due to the profi ts they declare they are raking in?
But the need for farmers to maintain an unrelentingly miserable façade is also driven by important, local ‘micro-economic’ considerations. Every day, farmers have to negotiate with the likes of grain merchants, fertiliser manufacturers, agri-chemical suppliers, agricultural engineers, supermarkets and landlords or their beady-eyed land agents looking for any sign of prosperity in order to jack up the rent. How on earth can we be expected to drive a hard bargain if someone carelessly gives the game away that – for once – we are coining it?
One of my great farming heroes was a neighbour of my paternal grandfather, who was so determined to maintain the impression that he was teetering on the edge of farming insolvency that, although he bought a new car every year, he kept the old number plate and insisted on purchasing the same model in the same colour. That way, his landlord, grain merchant and machinery dealer were kept under the false impression that he could only aff ord an old banger. This made it a lot easier to keep his rent down, squeeze the last shilling out of the grain merchant and plead poverty with the agricultural engineer when it came to insisting on a IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF YOUR SOIL
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Omnia E-Seed is the fi rst standalone variable rate drill conversion kit that fi ts to any standard drill and does exactly what it says on the box – enables a standard land metered drill to be converted simply and effi ciently into a variable rate drill.
“We know that growers are increasingly looking to variable rate drilling to lift crop performance as well as improve the effi ciency of their seed and nutrition inputs. However, the cost of investing in a new variable rate drill which can cost around £40,000 upwards has been a barrier to many growers moving over to a variable approach,” said Oliver Wood, precision technology manager for Hutchinsons.
“If there’s a perfectly good drill in the shed but it just doesn’t off er a variable rate option, it can be diffi cult to justify the cost of replacing a good machine.
“But with Omnia E-Seed, we are now able to off er an aff ordable way of moving over to variable rate drilling without investing large amounts of money; we have calculated that it is possible to recoup the costs of Omnia E-Seed in just 48ha, working on a 0.6t/ha improvement using a variable approach.” Mr Wood acknowledged that over the previous two very wet and challenging autumns, conditions had hampered drilling, particularly if using one of the newer, larger variable rate drills. “However, there may be an older, smaller and lighter drill on the farm that could be used but doesn’t have variable rate capacity.
“This no longer needs to be an issue as the Omnia E-Seed box can be easily fi tted to the land metered wheel of the old drill and drilling can continue.”
Mr Wood pointed out that the box could be fi tted to any seed drill, irrespective of age.
“The kit comprises a motor which bolts on and replaces the land wheel; the sensors fi t virtually into the same holes of the original drill. All control is via an iPad which talks to the box, so once variable rate
VARIABLE RATE DRILLING
MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN EVER
Converting a standard land metered drill into a variable rate drill has never been easier or more aff ordable with the launch this spring of a new variable drill conversion kit, Omnia E-Seed.
plans are uploaded onto the iPad, they can be sent wirelessly to the box.”
He added that Omnia E-Seed is a system that can be used by everyone, whether or not they are an Omnia Precision user. “In a similar way that Omnia Connect is available to use if you are not already an Omnia customer, it is not necessary to generate variable rate plans in Omnia to use Omnia E-Seed. Any variable rate plans can be uploaded and used by the system.”
The Omnia E-Seed kit has been tested and validated at the Hutchinsons Helix farms and is available this spring. To fi nd out more about Omnia E-Seed visit www.omniaprecision.co.uk
OLIVER WOOD
Precision technology manager, Hutchinsons
T: 07436 796800 E: oliver.wood@hlhltd.co.uk Canterbury: 01227 830064
www.hlhltd.co.uk
> Combine set alight for test
Farmers are being offered discounted insurance premiums in return for installing fire suppression kits on their combine harvesters after a year in which insurer NFU Mutual paid out £20m in agricultural vehicle fire claims.
The insurer dealt with 24 combine fire claims in the South East alone in 2020. Nationwide it handled more than 80 similar claims, including eight that were each valued at more than £100,000.
The incentive will apply to combines fitted at point of purchase, or retro-fitted, with suppression systems that meet P-mark certification standards. “Combine fires put lives at risk, cause huge disruption to harvesting and destroy expensive machines, so we’re very pleased to introduce insurance discounts on combines fitted with accredited suppression systems,” said Tom Murray from the Agricultural Vehicle Underwriting Team at NFU Mutual. "Sometimes engine bay fires can break out despite regular maintenance and removal of debris, but suppression systems mitigate risks and significantly reduce the severity and frequency of farm fires.” In a recent live demonstration, the insurer joined one of the leading suppression manufacturers, Fireward, and agricultural salvage firm Adam Hewitt
SUPPRESSION
SYSTEMS SAVE LIVES, COMBINES AND CROPS
Ltd, to set fire to a combine and put a P-mark system to the test. Tom explained: “Tests have shown that fires can be reduced or prevented altogether by suppression systems. When an engine bay catches fire, it needs to be rapidly detected, effectively contained and quickly extinguished. Suppression systems are also effective on fires involving solid combustibles, flammable liquids and electricity.” The P-mark approved suppression kits involve dual systems which have two cylinders, one with powder and the other with a foam. The powder interrupts the chemical reaction taking place and cuts off the oxygen supply and the foam suppressing agent in the second cylinder rapidly cools superhot surfaces of over 200°C in larger engine bays which also hold turbo chargers and filters. Bob Henderson, who heads NFU Mutual’s engineering team and deals with many burnt out agricultural vehicles each year, said: “Wider adoption of fire suppression systems could be a serious game changer for arable farming – helping protect lives, property and the year’s harvest. “While insurance can cover the cost of a replacement, farmers still risk losing critical harvesting time during a tight weather window and face huge difficulty hiring a combine when machines are in high demand.”
10 YEAR TYRE PLEDGE
Bridgestone has doubled the warranty cover on its extensive range of AG radial drive tyres to 10 years.
Products such as the VX-TRACTOR and the VT-TRACTOR will benefit from the extended cover, while Bridgestone is also changing the starting point of its warranty period. Instead of the date of manufacture, the 10-year cover will now begin from the date the farmer buys the tyre.
Bridgestone’s Technical Manager Gary Powell said: “From our dashboard data, we have clearly seen a continuing improvement in the reliability of our products operating in the farming environment. This has been made possible by advances in production technology and new design features. “We are more than comfortable to double the length of warranty cover, which clearly is a powerful indicator of our confidence in our products’ reliability.”
Simon Budden’s crop of Crusoe milling wheat won Gold in the 2020 Wheat Quality YEN (Yield Enhancement Network) awards, with a yield of 11.98 t/ha and a grain protein content of 13%. It also achieved a specifi c weight of 82.7 kg/ hl, a Hagberg score of 352 and a moisture level of 12.5%.
Crusoe has been the variety of choice for Hampshire-based wheat farmer Simon, of Netherley Farm, since 2013 due to the reliability with which it hits the 13% protein mark to receive a full premium. Last year was his fi rst entry into the YEN.
“The great thing about the YEN report is the detailed analysis of the crop throughout the growing season. The grain analysis was really insightful and highlighted low potash, magnesium, copper and manganese. This will be useful information going forward to help increase grain yields further,” he said.
He admits that some of the newer varieties have slightly better yields but pointed out that they are often less reliable in achieving the required protein levels and so do not always achieve the premium.
Having grown Crusoe for a number of years, he knows how to look after it and get the best from it.
The local soil is loam over chalk, with good organic matter measured at 8.6% by loss of ignition.
As part of his agronomy strategy, because the soils can vary within one fi eld, he uses variable rates for planting using the SOYL system. Soils for milling wheats at Netherley Farm are min-tilled.
“Last year’s crop was drilled at an average seed rate of 185 kg/ha, into good soil conditions in late September, and received rain at just the right times,” he said.
“The millers need a consistent grain, so we use the variable rate fertilisers to even up the crop.”
Phosphate, potash and nitrogen were also
LG CRUSOE
STILL RELIABLY HITTING 13% PROTEIN TO WIN YEN
applied at variable rates, and the crop received 260 kg/ha in fi ve splits of ammonium nitrate, one of which went on with sulphur. For the milling wheat he uses a hand-held N leaf tester and tops up if necessary.
Last year his milling wheat also received 220 l/ha of Omex Protein Plus at 40 kg/ha at grain fi lling, to give 40 kg of extra Nitrogen per hectare, taking the total on the fi eld to 302 kg/ha/N.
“As we are in a catchment sensitive area and also an NVZ, we are very conscious of not wanting to waste any nitrogen, and we are also working to improve our carbon footprint,” he explained.
“Our strategy going forward is to continue growing reliable high-yielding milling varieties like Crusoe, but also to grow feed wheat crops to reduce our total nitrogen use over the farm.”
Growing in an area with an average annual rainfall of 100 cm, septoria is a big challenge, so he prefers varieties with in-built resistance and they always receive a full spray programme.
“We fi rst saw the crop in some local trials and we were impressed how it stayed green despite high septoria pressure. We have been growing it ever since.”
Crusoe remains agronomically robust, he said: > Simon Budden
“In this area we monitor closely for brown rust but did not see any last year; two seasons previously it came in late, but we fi nd the variety holds up against the disease anyway.”
“The fungicide costs for the previous year’s crop of Crusoe, at less than £98/ha, were not high in the context of a crop reaching 12 t/ha, with a premium from protein of £1.32 t/ha,” he pointed out.
FARM FACTS
Size: 460 ha Soils: Loam over chalk Rotation: Oilseed rape, spring barley, spring oats, milling/seed winter wheat and winter barley Fertiliser: Total of 302 kg/ha/N Fungicides: • T0 Pentangle (Chlorothalonil/
Tebuconazole) 1 l/ha • T1 Boogie Xpro Plus (Bixafen/
Spiroxamine/Prothioconazole) 1 l/ha • T2 Ceratavo Plus (Benzovindifl upyr) 0.5 l/ha • Brutus (Metconazole/
Tebuconazole) 0.5 l/ha
Growers have been given an opportunity to take advantage of the European market for Group 3 wheat, as well as UK demand, following the launch of a new variety that is said to be an ideal match for conditions in the South East.
Seed merchant T Denne and Sons, based just outside Ashford in Kent, believes that Merit, from Spalding-based breeder Elsoms Seeds, will allow growers to take advantage of relatively low haulage costs to Tilbury docks and other ports to supply buyers in Belgium and Holland.
Speaking exclusively to South East Farmer, Seed Manager Andrew Bourne said reduced breeder eff ort in the Group 3 sector, coupled with growth in the use of soft Group 4s for export, had led to a signifi cant shortfall in the area currently dedicated to Group 3 wheats in the South East.
“There’s little doubt that the Group 3 market has become very diluted in recent years, partly due to increased demand for Group 4 varieties eroding the Group 3 market premium for growers, but also due to a lack of consistently high yielding Group 3 soft wheat varieties,” he said.
The team at T Denne and Sons, established 140 years ago, believes that Merit gives UK growers an
NEW MARKETS
opportunity to refocus on supplying key markets here and overseas and is set to assume the dominance that varieties such as Claire used to enjoy in the Group 3 sector.
Trials have shown Merit to be consistently high yielding, with a high Hagberg for a soft wheat and a 6.6 score on resistance to Septoria tritici.
“With a high level of interest from UK Flour Millers – formerly NABIM – due to the variety’s suitability for the domestic biscuit market, it ticks all the right agronomic and end use boxes. With Covid-19 restrictions now starting to relax we hope to showcase Merit as part of our annual wheat variety demonstrations day on 25 June at our trial site near Canterbury,” Andrew added.
Charles Roberts, a trader with grain merchant Cefetra, endorsed Andrew’s assessment of Merit and said it should also appeal to buyers of high specifi cation Group 3 soft wheat based in Belgium and Holland.
“Even though they produce their own Group 3 wheat, both the Dutch and Belgians still prefer UK-grown soft wheat, and while some of the export market to southern Europe was lost following a poor UK harvest in 2012, the market demand from northern Europe for Group 3 softs is still very much intact, despite the added Brexit complications,” he said.
“Historically, the South East has always had limited outlets for wheat relative to the amount produced. Road haulage costs have increased substantially due to a decline in hauliers prepared to carry grain, but lower haulage costs to Tilbury docks and some of the smaller channel ports still make the export of Group 3 wheat an attractive option for both growers and merchants, as long as growers are prepared to increase their area of Group 3 wheat to meet demand.
“Future success for South East farmers is all about balance, ensuring they grow suffi cient quantities of Group 3 wheat to satisfy both domestic and export demand, trusting locally based experts like Andrew and investing in new varieties such as Merit when they are available,” he added.
Including slug control as an integral part of cereal and oilseed rape pesticide programmes off ers a signifi cant return on investment, according to Hutchinsons agronomist David Shepard.
Mr Shepard said that in 99% of cases where oilseed rape precedes fi rst wheat, or in a second wheat situation, he recommended applying a quality durum-based wet process ferric phosphate slug pellet.
Despite oilseed rape acreage being cut signifi cantly this year, other planting such as cover crops is preventing a drop in slug numbers, and with economic pressures increasing, it made sense to implement an appropriate slug programme, he said.
“The key to successful slug control is to weigh up the risks and then treat accordingly,” he said. “I prefer to prevent the problem in the fi rst place. By waiting to see slug damage symptoms before acting, it is normally too late.
“In virtually every fi eld of wheat following oilseed there will be slugs, so it doesn’t make fi nancial
QUALITY SLUG CONTROL PELLETS OFFER SOUND INVESTMENT
sense to wait before implementing a slug control programme,” he explained. “By going in early with a quality durum-based wet process slug pellet, the aim is to nip the problem in the bud.
“The application timing for slug control depends on the weather to an extent, but we would always recommend a product with proven benefi ts such as X-Ecute.”
Key timing for slug application in oilseed rape is either before 10 August or after 10 September. For later slug applications in cereals – after 1 October – Mr Shepard recommends applying the pellets at the same time as drilling or immediately afterwards, but defi nitely before emergence.
“We no longer have the seed treatment Deter so using a high quality slug pellet takes out the deliberation of whether to apply or not,” he said. “Good product timing fl exibility is essential and a product that doesn’t breakdown in the wet is crucial. Where growers have used X-Ecute they can be confi dent that the product will retain its integrity better than some other poorer quality pellets.”
In some cases a second application may be necessary. “In high slug number situations the timing of the second application in cereals could be within just a few days of the fi rst, with crops being checked every 3-4 days,” he said. “It’s hard to base a decision to apply slug pellets on thresholds alone. It’s more about taking a pragmatic view based on a fi eld by fi eld assessment and current situation. In less problematic situations the second application might be a good couple of weeks after the fi rst.”
GEORGINA WOOD
Syngenta Technical Manager and grass weed expert
BLACK-GRASS DORMANCY RYEGRASS ISSUES SETS SEASONAL DECISIONS MAPPED OUT
A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF BLACK-GRASS DORMANCY COULD ALLOW ADJUSTMENTS IN GRASS WEED AGRONOMY THIS SEASON, TO MAXIMISE CONTROL. MAPPING RYEGRASS POPULATIONS IN EARLY SUMMER WILL BE AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IN ACHIEVING MORE EFFECTIVE WEED MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THIS AUTUMN.
IDENTIFYING THE SPREAD AND THE SEVERITY OF RYEGRASS WILL HELP TO PRIORITISE AGRONOMIC DECISIONS ON AFFECTED FIELDS, ADVOCATES SYNGENTA GRASS WEED SPECIALIST, GEORGINA WOOD.
“Ryegrass is an increasing issue across most of the country, with some extremely serious hot spots in the south east, particularly in Kent and with very high populations in East Sussex, Hampshire,
Dorset, Essex and Suffolk,” she warned.
Many of the measures successfully employed by growers and agronomists to manage black-grass, also have a beneficial effect in controlling ryegrass. But where growers have erred back to earlier drilling after consecutive challenging autumns, ryegrass in particular, has the ability to return more aggressively.
Those decisions could include alternative rotations, more competitive cropping choices and how to prioritise farm workload, especially around drilling timing, to give the best chance of breaking the ryegrass cycle.
At the Syngenta Ryegrass Innovation Centre near Doncaster, for example, some plots were sprayed off with glyphosate in early December, and little or no further ryegrass germinated for the rest of the season. In addition to that, studies have shown that autumn germinating Italian ryegrass produces 23 times more seed than spring germinating.
This highlights the importance of the autumn pre-emergence herbicide programme. In herbicide work at the Doncaster site, the combination of DEFY® at a full 5.0 l/ha, in mix with flufenacet + diflufenican at 0.6 l/ha, has consistently been the most effective treatment.
INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT
Syngenta trials across the UK have also shown the importance of combining a robust herbicide programme with cultural control methods. Trials with hybrid barley have shown an 88% reduction in ryegrass heads vs. winter wheat and 85% reduction vs. winter barley, in untreated situations. With the addition of DEFY + flufenacet + pendimethalin pre-emergence, complete control was achieved, with no need for any post-em follow up. Reducing the population through cultural means places less reliance on chemical options, reducing the chances of resistance to them developing.
“Grass weed research across a range of species has reinforced the importance of accurate application and timing of the herbicide programme, along with the need to manage weeds throughout the whole farm rotation”.
RYEGRASS AGRONOMY ACTIONS
• Identify the scale and severity of ryegrass population in fields • Map populations to track changes and spread • Test for herbicide resistance if concerns over control • Plan cropping to drill worst fields later • Focus on autumn actions to achieve best control
Download new Syngenta Spray Assist with added improvements
Syngenta UK Ltd. Registered in England No. 849037. CPC4 Capital Park, Fulbourn, Cambridge CB21 5XE. Tel: +44 (0) 1223 883400 Technical Enquiries: +44 (0) 800 1696058 Email: customer.services@syngenta.com. DEFY® is a Registered Trademark of Syngenta Group Company. DEFY (MAPP 16202) contains prosulfocarb. All other brand names used are trademarks of other manufacturers in which proprietary rights may exist. Use plant protection products safely. Always read the label and product
information before use. For further product information, warning phrases and symbols refer to www.syngenta.co.uk.
©Syngenta UK Ltd. May 2021. 11485
