page 42 eliminating risk - cpm magazine...warning – gm is safe when you look at the gm debate in...

Profitable crops through better management

Crop Production Magazine April 2009

Keeping sclerotiniaat bayKeeping sclerotiniaat bay

OOiillsseeeedd rraappee

Page 6Page 6Page 42

How one farming estatehas adapted its rotations

and machinery

EElliimmiinnaattiinnggrriisskk

How one farming estatehas adapted its rotations

and machinery

Page 42

EElliimmiinnaattiinnggrriisskk

OOiillsseeeedd rraappee

http://www.challengerstore.com

CPM Crop Production Magazine

Editorial & Advertising SalesWhite House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury,Shropshire. SY5 8LP

Tel: (01743) 861122E-mail: [email protected]

Reader Registration Hotline 01728 622521

Advertising CopyBrooks Design, Scotts Mansion, 24 Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. SY1 1RD

Tel: (01743) 244403Fax: (01743) 244365E-mail: [email protected]

Publishing Editor Angus McKirdy

Sub Editor Charlotte Brooks

Writers Charles AbelLouise ImpeyRob JonesJo PalmerMartin RickatsonMick Roberts

Design and Production Brooks Design

Advertisement Sales Angus McKirdy

Advertisement Co-ordinator Peter Walker

CPM Volume 11 No 3. Editorial, advertising and sales offices are atWhite House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury SY5 8LP.

Tel: (01743) 861122. CPM is published nine times a year by CPM Ltd and is available free of charge to qualifying farmers

and farm managers in the United Kingdom.

In no way does CPM Ltd endorse, notarise or concur with any of the advice, recommendations or prescriptions reported in themagazine. If you are unsure about which recommendations to

follow, please consult a professional agronomist. Always read thelabel. Use pesticides safely. CPM Ltd is not responsible for loss or

damage to any unsolicited material, including photographs.

Volume 11 Number 3

April 2009

Smith’s SoapboxViews and opinions from an Essexpeasant…..

4

Crop Production Magazine –– April 2009 3

6

FeaturesFeatures

Realising the potentialof precision

Auto-steering has proven its value on one Norfolk farm –– particularly for on-land ploughing.

An alternative form of min-till?

One Worcs farm manager believes arotary spader and drill combination hasbeen the answer to his min-till dreams.

Versatility improves flexibility

CPM visits three farms to find out wereVäderstad’s TopDown has fitted in.

Nipping sclerotinia in the bud

Oilseed rape growers will be keen toavoid a repeat of the last two year’s disastrous sclerotinia attacks. CPMprovides some timely advice.

Hitting the target early season

Winter wheat crops are now starting to fill-out after their first spring top dressing. So which diseases shouldgrowers be looking out for at the T1 timing this season?

6

A matter of class? Although the winter wheat varietyViscount was unexpectedly classified as a Group 4 variety on the currentRecommended List, this shouldn’t discourage prospective growers, claims breeder KWS.

16

Potatoes in FocusPotatoes in FocusAccurately assessingpotato profitability

Dramatic increases in the cost ofmany inputs will put potato marginsunder pressure this year.

Early seasonpriorities?

Early blight prevention and weed control without the help of paraquatwill be two key challenges for growersthis season.

Precision key tobottom-line

Growers will be looking to economiseon their fertiliser inputs wherever possible this season and GPS technology could hold the key.

From the field –– potatoagronomy news.

46

50

54

58

Which glyphosateformulation?

GM crops mean global demand forglyphosate is increasing –– with widespread shortages last year. But which formulations work best in different situations?

32

Estate favours ‘riskaverse’ strategy

One Norfolk farming estate underwenta radical restructuring plan at the startof the decade. But how has it helpedthe bottom-line?

12

22

26

36

42

50

Warning – GM is safeWhen you look at the GM debate in this country, you have to wonder if it haschanged substantively in the past tenyears. While the rest of the world hasgrown more and more fields of GM crops –– with no evidence of any negative impact on human health or tothe environment –– here in little Britain,the same old arguments go round andround with no apparent conclusions.

Like most farmers, I’ve always held the view that GM is a safe, cost-savingtechnology which will be an increasinglyimportant part of the tool box as theplanet struggles to feed itself over thenext few decades.

However, I’m acutely aware that I willonly grow what my customers want tobuy and, in this regard, my personalopinions are an irrelevance. Gardens arethe place to indulge one’s own passions,whereas farms are places to produce formarkets and consumers.

To my mind, a key problem for GM inthe future is the fact that, by law, it hasto be labelled if it forms any part of theprocess which grew the product. And itdoesn’t matter how benign somethingmay be –– once you draw attention to itby putting it on the label, you’re alertingthe consumer to it as something theyshould be aware of.

From that point, it’s only humannature that if you have two similar products on the shelf –– one with analert on it, and one without –– the

4 Crop Production Magazine –– April 2009

preference will invariably be for the latter.The irony is that GM labelling hasabsolutely nothing to do with humanhealth –– but the inference is that it has.

To my mind, what doesn’t get labelledis often just as interesting as what does. For instance, farmers often growvarieties which were bred by mutatingthe chromosomes of old varieties usingradiation. For example, Golden Promisemalting barley was created by exposingthe variety Mayrath to gamma rays in anuclear reactor.

Such breeding programmes have oftenproduced some very good varieties, withGolden Promise making excellent beer,which consumers have drunk by thethousands of gallons.

But if the brewers were obliged byconsumer law to put on their beer bottlelabels that the product was ‘made withmutant, irradiated ingredients’, saleswould no doubt plummet overnight –– irrespective of how good the beermight taste.

Accordingly, one wonders if the littlephrase on the wrapper ‘may contain GMingredients’ might well hinder us from evertaking up this cost-saving technology.

Head countI think we’re all aware that, because of cripplingly low prices over the past 10-15 years, the arable side of ourindustry has seen huge restructuring.

Many farmers have sold up or, morecommonly, entered into share farming orFBT arrangements with other farms. Thequestion is –– precisely how many activecommercial farmers have been lost inrecent times, and just how many are left?

According to DEFRA, there were77,000 holdings growing cereals in 1997and 56,500 in 2007 but as we know,holding numbers are only the vaguest of guides as to what’s happening on the ground. For a number of reasons,holding numbers seldom disappear,whereas bona fide farmers often do. So we really need a better guide thanholding numbers alone.

I’m told that those who advertise toarable farmers are of the view that tenyears ago, there were over 20,000 UKarable farmers in their marketing sphere–– but now, there are less than 10,000.Similarly, a large ag-chem player nowreckons there are now less than 6,000UK farmers who buy crop protectionproducts, which is quite some variance,

compared with the number of holdingsDEFRA is keen to monitor.

To my mind, it’s very important toknow precisely how many farmers areout there. It has implications for the colleges, organisations such as theHGCA and farmer clubs, for example –– let alone the NFU.

It also has an impact on our industryin terms of the communities we work in, our political significance and our economic performance. I note thatDEFRA is now trying to measure thehealth and performance of our industry–– but whether or not it will consider the number of people still farming aspart of the criteria remains to be seen.

What we do know is that, if farmershad wings and beaks, and were regularlycounted by the RSPB, DEFRA would be jumping about like a nest ofgrasshoppers.

Email your comments and ideas [email protected]

I see that bird populations are backcentre-stage and at the heart of thedecision on whether or not we’re goingto lose, as an industry, £50M through5% compulsory set-aside. In this regard,we must back the NFU’s voluntaryscheme. Meanwhile, I note that some of the conservation NGOs feel ‘thehungry gap’ is key to bird numbers (i.e. where birds struggle to find food in the early spring). What we do on this farm is scatter wheat on the headlands and hang feeders in the hedges from February to April –– and I’ve never seen so manyYellowhammers as a result. Pretty little things Yellowhammers.

SMITH’S

SOAPBOX

http://www.agriCentre.basf.co.uk

Oilseed rape crops were hammered by the worstever sclerotinia attacks in 2007 and 2008.

CPM finds out how growers can prevent a repeat occurrence this year.

By Charles Abel

‘Those two epidemic years returned a huge burden of

sclerotia to fields.’

he past two years saw UK oilseedrape suffer the worst sclerotinia epidemics ever, with some crops

losing 2t/ha as up to eight weeks of diseasepressure stretched fungicides too far.

“With an average of 6.2% of plantsinfected across the country last year, and 5.7% the year before, these were the worst years we’ve ever experienced for sclerotinia,” says ADAS disease expert, Dr Peter Gladders (also seewww.cropmonitor.co.uk).

Infected plants lost around half theiryield, wiping 3% from the UK’s total OSRoutput, and some farms saw up to 80%infection –– even where fungicides wereused –– which slashed the yield from 4t/hato less than 2t/ha. “I saw fields that hadbeen sprayed which looked like they hadn’t been treated at all.”

Data from ProCam’s 4Cast crop


T

Disease controlDisease controlmonitoring scheme highlights the difficultiesgrowers faced. “There was very little tochoose between the fungicide spend or the number of applications used on the top 25% of crops and the bottom25%,” comments ProCam’s Nick Myers.“The top 25% received £7/ha more fungicide –– but yields had far more to do with the spray timing.”

So precisely what went wrong for somany? “Tighter rotations certainly don’thelp,” confirms Peter Gladders. “But themain culprit was the protracted sporerelease through an extended period of flowering –– with fungicides simply beingstretched too far.

“Bad years have all had big clusters of infection at the end of the flowering period when sprays have simply run out of steam.”

Huge burdenThose two epidemic years returned a hugeburden of sclerotia to fields, so 2009 is set to be a high pressure year –– almostirrespective of the weather, he warns.“Growers know this and are already thinking in terms of using a two-spray programme this season –– particularlywhere they suffered last year.”

Sclerotinia has now spread far beyond its traditional ‘hot spots’ of south-east andsouth-west England and the West Midlands.“We had serious infections in Essex, Herts,the Thames Valley and Herefordshire in2007, and last year, it moved into EastAnglia, Lincs and Yorkshire.

“We even had swingeing attacks on virgin rape ground in Yorks, so growers can now expect serious sclerotinia appearing almost anywhere.”

Traditionally, fungicides have beenapplied from early to mid-flowering to prevent infected petals spreading the disease to stems during wet weather. But in 2007, infections arrived in April –– despite a six-week dry spell beforehand.

Last year, multiple infection periods hit –– some in late May and early June –– as wet weather coincided with anextended flowering period. Fungicidesapplied in mid-April ran out of steam,resulting in significant sclerotinia on lateralcrop branches. Only where sprays in Aprilwere followed by a second treatment inmid-May was infection suppressed.

With this year’s hugely variable crops,the worry is that 2009 will be a repeat of 2008. “Yet two sprays aren’t always necessary,” believes Peter Gladders. “The key is to monitor for the conditionsconducive to infection.



s

http://www.cropmonitor.co.uk

http://www.dekalb.co.uk

Peter Gladders believes many winter OSR growers are thinking of using a two-spray sclerotinia preventionprogramme this season.

Sclerotinia pointers l 2007 and 2008 epidemics worse than

1991 outbreakl Infected stems lose half their yield,

with some crops down 2t/ha l Spores infect petals and stamens

during floweringl Most spores come from in-field

sclerotia, with up to 150m wind blow possible

l Plants infected when petals/stamens stick to leaves and stems

l Certain types of rain aids infection more –– too wet and the petals wash off; too windy and the petals dry out

l Prolonged flowering raises the risk –– 8 weeks from early April to late May last year

l Crops at risk well outside traditional ‘hot spots’

l Fungicides are protectant, not curative l Spray timing critical –– a second spray

will be needed if first runs out of steam l Peas, potatoes and carrots are also

susceptible, plus many broadleaf weeds, including charlock, shepherd’s purse and chickweed. Potatoes often overlooked –– early senescence can actually be due to sclerotinia

“Early infections are the ones to worryabout –– they can halve the yield becausethe stem rot causes premature ripening soearly in the seed-filling period.”

At ADAS’s Hereford site last year, a well-timed single spray hit the main infection period, protecting the bulk of theyield but still letting sclerotinia in, notesPeter Gladders. “Although we had 40%infection at the end of the season, the firstspray had protected most of the yieldaccumulation, giving us a 4t/ha crop.

“Having said that, late sclerotinia stillputs lots of sclerotia back in the soil, whichwill remain a threat to crops for at least thenext 10 years.”

So how should sprays be planned this year? Peter Gladders sees two key scenarios.

Where crops are strong, there’s somescope for delaying a PGR fungicide andreturning at mid-flowering with the mainsclerotinia spray to top-up the level of fungicide activity, he believes.

This approach is endorsed by BASFagronomy manager, Clare Tucker.“Applying a triazole fungicide, likeCaramba (metconazole), at the yellow bud stage makes sense –– providing PGRbenefits for the crop canopy, as well asprotecting against sclerotinia. The main

sclerotinia spray can then be appliedabout three weeks later to protect the crop through to the end of flowering.”

Such a strategy secures PGR and disease control benefits without extraspending, she notes. Indeed, many cropswhich looked weak coming out of the winter have now responded well to nitrogen and the warmer weather.“Provided they have a Green Area Index of more than two in April, they’ll benefit.”

Yellow bud spraysNick Myers supports that thinking. “Yellow bud PGR sprays help to even up the canopy, helping to synchroniseflowering, which will again reduce the risk of sclerotinia coming in late. We sawvery good results from this approach lastyear in terms of sclerotinia control andcanopy manipulation –– particularly where metconazole or tebuconazole were followed by either Filan (boscalid) orCompass (iprodione+ thiophanate-methyl).”

However, where crops are weak, they’re unlikely to benefit from a PGRspray, so the aim should be to time theearly flowering spray extra carefully,believes Peter Gladders. “Don’t rush in with the sprayer. If the weather is dry, or cold nights are forecast with


s

s

Forecasting and monitoringl Up to 40% of crops routinely sprayed

–– more in epidemic yearsl Forecasting and monitoring improves

application timing and avoids unnecessary spraying

l Infection likely if 23 hours above 80% humidity and 7°C

l ADAS/BASF monitoring service at www.totaloilseedcare.co.uk

http://www.totaloilseedcare.co.uk

http://www.bayercropscience.co.uk

Disease controlDisease control

“Minimising the yield loss from sclerotiniameans achieving spot-on timing with thesprayer,” says Nick Myers.

Scientists at Germany’s GottingenUniversity are using the SkleroPro computer model to process weatherdata and crop rotation information to create spray or no-spray advice, plus guidance on spray timing where a fungicide is deemed necessary.

Yield expectation, product price and fungicide/application costs can be included for farm- and field-specificadvice. In 32 field trials, SkleroPro wouldhave saved 82% of routine fungicidetreatments, claim the scientists.

However, the system may strugglewith the UK’s changeable weather,warns Peter Gladders. “The problem is getting sufficiently accurate weatherforecasts –– especially for humidity ––2-3 days ahead, so advice can be givenin time to for spraying before it rains.”

Skleropro

temperatures below 7°C, there could bescope to delay by as much as 10 days.

“That could allow a single spray to beused, with a product like Amistar to boostthe green leaf area and protect the cropthrough to the end of normal flowering.”

Ahead of infectionBut sprays must go on ahead of infection,he stresses. “Sclerotinia is not like septoriawhere it can rain, causing infection, andyou then have a week to get the fungicideon because you can rely on its curativeactivity. Sclerotinia fungicides offer virtuallyno kick-back activity so if it rains, you’velost the battle in that first fight.”

So vigilance is vital. “Don’t stretchbeyond three weeks if conditions are conducive to infection, which is to sayspores are still being released andfavourable weather is forecast.”

Clare Tucker agrees: “The importantthing is to maintain the level of protection.To be honest, I’d encourage growers tothink in terms of two sprays, even in thincrops, unless petal fall has ended.”

Good crop coverage is also vital, shesays. “Use at least 200 litres/ha of water

to get the spray right into the canopy anddon’t be tempted to cut rates as a result of a flat dose response curve from a fungicide in trials.

“It’s difficult for a commercial sprayer to get such good coverage down throughthe canopy, compared with a trials plotsprayer. And keep the dose rate up so more of the canopy is protected for longer.”

Will Foss, East Anglian regional technical adviser for UAP, is equally pragmatic. “In the past, OSR fungicidetimings have often been compromised to fit in with other crop treatments andfarm operations.

Two-spray strategy“However, the past two seasons have highlighted the need to get sclerotiniaproduct choice and timings accurate to prevent considerable yield loss. I’ll berecommending a two-spray strategy as a bare minimum this year.”

Drawing on results from three years ofcross-industry, Project Energise trials, hisfavoured approach in thin, small crops willbe to forego a stem shortening PGR whichhe believes could actually be detrimentalto crop development this spring, and tostart with a canopy manipulating fungicideat the yellow bud timing instead.

Trials show Prosaro and Kestrel (co-formulations of prothioconazole and tebuconazole) give better sclerotiniacontrol than metconazole at this timing, he claims.

“Depending on the product choice anddose rate, the green/yellow bud spray willgive four weeks’ protection at best, afterwhich I would follow with a triazole plusnon-triazole mix. In Project Energise/UAPtrials, half-rate Filan plus half rate Agate(prochloraz+ tebuconazole) gave extremelyconsistent results.”

Even thin crops are likely to merit twosprays, believes Will Foss. “We know rapecan compensate well, and root systemscould actually be better than what’s onview above-ground. But thin crops maysuffer from an extended flowering periodleading to more prolonged sclerotiniainfection –– with a considerable yield penalty if the disease isn’t controlled.”

Crops set to be written off have yieldedastonishing results in the past, agrees Nick Myers. “And with light leaf spot pressure the worst it’s been for 25 years, it could even be worth applying threesprays this season.

“But don’t expect any carry-over benefitsfor sclerotinia control from a strong light

leaf spot product, such as prothioconazole(Proline), used in March since the gapbetween treatments is too long.”

The past two tough seasons have helpedHGCA-funded research work to establish a clear product ranking, according to Peter Gladders. “In the premier league areCompass, Proline and Filan, with Amistar,Priori Extra (azoxystrobin+ cyproconazole)and Folicur (tebuconazole) also offeringgood disease control.

“But none are a disaster, and yield differences only showed up in the mostsevere situations,” he notes. “More important than product choice is the use of robust rates –– at three-quarters to fullrates, we only saw yield differencesbetween products at the most severelyinfected sites.”

Spore release from sclerotinia’s over-wintering fruiting bodies is governedmainly by soil moisture and temperature.To help guide spray decisions, ADAS andBASF are again monitoring spore releasefrom sclerotia deposits in fields in sixregions: south-east, south-west, east, west, south Lincs and Yorks. Results andcommentary are loaded live each day ontothe www.totaloilseedcare.co.uk website.

ADAS is also using petal tests. “We’veoccasionally seen spores on petals beforeour deposits are releasing spores, which is quite possible, given that we can’t monitor every sclerotia in a field,” saysPeter Gladders. “By checking the spores in the air, we could give a more accuratepicture of spore release.”

Key productsCompass iprodione+ thiophanate-methyl

Proline prothioconazole

Filan boscalid

Prosaro prothioconazole+ tebuconazole

Amistar azoxystrobin

Priori Xtra azoxystrobin+ cyproconazole

Folicur tebuconazole

Agate prochloraz+ tebuconazole

Caramba metconazole

Poraz prochloraz


s

http://www.totaloilseedcare.co.uk

“With the right management, sclerotinia is a disease that can readily be controlled.” l Contans, a fungal parasite marketed by Belchim, offers the chance to attacksclerotia resting bodies in the soil in-between rape crops. “European data suggests it has a useful effect,” says Peter Gladders. n

Winter OSR growers in the north ofEngland and Scotland now have the option to grow a hybrid variety with virtual immunity to light leaf spot.

“The disease has been particularlysevere in this part of the world this year,and growers are finding it increasingly difficult to achieve acceptable levels ofcontrol from fungicides,” points outNickerson’s oilseeds and pulses productmanager, Les Daubney.

“Emerson is a restored hybrid, added to the 2009 North RegionRecommended List, which is –– for allpractical purposes –– immune to lightleaf spot (i.e. with an HGCA rating of 9for the disease).”

HGCA Recommended Lists Manager,Jim McVittie notes: “We mark ScotchCorner as the point where the northbegins for oilseed rape growers. This is where stem canker is not such a concern, and light leaf spot becomesthe key disease –– so good varietalresistance is a real benefit.”

So is it possible to cut out theautumn fungicide entirely with Emerson–– and even the spring spray? LesDaubney is cautious: “We can see mostgrowers going for a reduced fungiciderate in the autumn, while in the spring,the second spray will still have a valueas a growth regulator. In Scotland, spray days are often at a premium, so Emerson’s resistance will allow growers to focus on managing theirmore disease susceptible varieties.”

A second restored hybrid, Cullin, marketed by KWS, is also rated 9 for light leaf spot resistance on the 2009 North Region Recommended List. A sister line to Emerson, both varietiesscore 8s for stem stiffness and resistance to lodging, with higher-than-average ratings for oil content as well.

‘Immunity’ to LLS

Trials show Prosaro and Kestrel give bettercontrol of sclerotinia than Caramba at theyellow bud timing, says Will Foss.



4cast data4cast uses ProCam’s recorded knowledgebase gathered from 400,000ha of croppingright across the UK over the past 10 years.The ‘real world’ performances of varietiesand inputs at farm level, in all manner of growing conditions, underpin its computerised predictive agronomy system.

The German SkleroPro forecasting tool is also being evaluated (see panelopposite) although UK weather conditionsare considered to be too fickle for it to be of great value here.

So what’s in store in the future? “There’ssome very active chemistry in the pipeline,which we’ll start to evaluate in trials thisseason,” concludes Peter Gladders. “Anddon’t forget how fortunate we are in havingsuch a wide range of products to draw on already.

http://www.dsv-uk.co.uk

Winter wheat crops are starting to look better asT1 approaches –– but tiller numbers are still

causing some concern.

By Louise Impey

‘In general, it’s the lowest rust-riskyear that we’ve had for some time.’


orget about last year –– get out into the field and inspect cropsbefore making any spray decisions

this spring.That’s the advice from Dick Neale,

technical manager for Hutchinsons, whostresses that referring back to previousseasons will only tend to cloud the issuesbeing faced now.

“In the east of England, crops are generally looking well,” he says. “But thebig difference this year is that there’snowhere near the level of tillering we’vebecome used to.

“So regardless of whether or not a T0has been used, tiller numbers should stillbe the main driver for subsequent cropmanagement. You must have enoughtillers to get you through to harvest.”

With many crops averaging around 150-200 plants/m2, that will typicallyequate to around 450-800 tillers/m2, he calculates. “Don’t forget that the aim should be to have a minimum of 600 fertile tillers/m2 at harvest.

“So crops with less than that at thisstage are going to have to perform –– albeit that this is still perfectly possible.”

Wheat has a better ability to compensatethan barley, notes Dick Neale. “Thin wheatcrops often produce big ears but it’s a different case with barley.”

Ear size is fixed with the latter, so wherebarley crops have relatively few tillers, growers are going to have to push themhard and keep them clean from a veryearly stage.” The goal should be to have800/m2+ stems at harvest with winter barley, he notes.

Dick Neale believes there are two distinct levels of disease in wheat crops this spring. “And it’s all due to how muchfrost has got into the plants.”

Where the plough was used in establishing a crop, there’s definitely less disease present, he continues.“Ploughed seedbeds have generally weathered down better to produce a level finish and are relatively clear of trash.

“As a consequence, the frost got into the lower levels of these plants more effectively.” These lower leaves were more effectively frosted off and the newgrowth is clean as a result, he adds.

F


However, where the land has beenmin-tilled, seedbeds have more surfacetrash, and the nature of these seedbedsmeans the frost couldn’t get in so easily,he believes. “So there’s lots of septoria present on the surviving lower leaves.”

The other disease which is making anappearance this season is mildew, saysDick Neale. “There are surprisingly highlevels around this year –– particularly incrops with slightly thicker canopies.”

Mildew scoresHe warns growers about the mildewscores of some of the popular wheat varieties. “There was a great deal ofadjustment of the mildew ratings on theRecommended List this year and somevarieties, such as Oakley, have dropped by two points.”

Brown rust remains absent from mostcrops at present, reports Dick Neale. “The frost has dealt with it for the timebeing but it may come in later on.”

Yellow rust needs monitoring in knownhotspots, he suggests. “But in general, it’sthe lowest rust-risk year that we’ve had forsome time.”

As T1 approaches, growers should do their tiller counts and work on theaforementioned tiller targets, he suggests.

He suggests that 60% of the crop’s totalnitrogen should be applied by GS31/32.“Nitrogen drives tiller production, so growers need to have applied a healthydose by this timing.”

Plant growth regulators then come intoplay, notes Dick Neale. “PGR applicationshelp to maintain the tillers, and also toeven them up.”

Hitting the target early season

claim they can be as effective as the mostdose responsive triazoles from a diseasecontrol perspective.”

He advises growers to look at theamount and effectiveness of the triazoledelivered by their product of choice to determine whether they’re getting value-for-money.

“The aim should be to have a minimum of 600 fertile tillers/m2 at harvest,” saysDick Neale.

The first application should’ve gone onat T0, he continues. “This is a manipulativeapplication –– not a stem shortner ––blocking apical dominance to let the sidetillers develop.” It will also have helpedencourage rooting, he adds.

Second PGRThe second PGR application, at T1, istargeted more toward preventing too muchearly stem extension, he explains. “Theamount you use will depend on the variety,its lodging risk and the amount of nitrogenapplied. It’s a fine balancing act.”

He favours a 50ml/ha dose of Moddus(trinexapac-ethyl) at T0, followed byModdus plus CCC at T1.

In some areas, the twin effects of financial and workload pressures are causing cereal growers to re-think their T1 spray strategies this season, believesHants-based independent agronomist,Richard Cromie.

“The contrast with the last couple ofyears couldn’t be greater. Crops arebehind, soils have been saturated, diseaselevels are low and spray days have beenfew and far between.”

Added to that, farmers are facing up to rising input costs and low commodity

prices –– with many crops having lessyield potential than normal, he notes.

“Not surprisingly, a constant requestfrom clients this season is to keep fungicidecosts down.” He notes that fungicideprices are around 10-15% higher thisspring on average.

Even crops which were drilled earlyhave been held back by the cold winterweather, reports Richard Cromie. “Butthese are in a minority. Most cereal cropswere drilled later than usual as a result of the very wet harvest and difficult drilling conditions.”

Fortunately, the cold weather has alsohad the effect of reducing the level of disease inoculum, he notes.

“As in most years, septoria is the greatest threat and should be the main target at T1,” he believes. “Depending on variety, eyespot, mildew and possiblyyellow rust could also be a significantproblem at T1 with the current weatherand crop conditions.”

A triazole treatment should form thebackbone of the T1 spray, advises RichardCromie. “The concept of ‘triazole stacking’is proving popular this year. We’ve seenseveral new products launched which contain more than one triazole –– with the


s

http://www.mauk.co.uk

of rust-prone varieties in the ground. As always, it will depend on the weather.”

Second wheats are at particular riskfrom take-all and eyespot, he continues.“If it remains very wet, then take-all couldbe a big problem.”

One of the two top-selling triazoles –– either prothioconazole (Proline) orepoxiconazole –– will be needed if diseasehas started to become established at T1,he advises.

“If you need to get on top of existingdisease, then one of these is a goodchoice. But where you don’t need curativeactivity, other modes of action are valid.”Prothioconazole and epoxiconazole alsotend to be better on rust, he adds.

David Ellerton agrees this puts Cherokeeor Menara (cyproconazole+ propiconazole)in the frame for this spring. “Using Menarameans you only need to add chlorothalonilwhere it’s needed.” The other option is touse half-rate Cherokee, plus either Prolineor Opus, he adds.

With second wheat, he thinks an azoxystrobin-based treatment is a good choice at T1. “You need to think differently in this situation. The benefit of the strobilurin is to get take-all control,plus activity on rusts.”

Choice of sprayEyespot is more difficult, he admits. “Younever know if it’s going to be a problemwhen you’re making the decision on thechoice of spray. Look for smudges on thestem-base and if they’re there, it’s worthusing an eyespot treatment.”

The choice is essentially betweenProline and Tracker (epoxiconazole+boscalid) in this situation, he concludes.“There’s also Unix (cyprodinil) or prochloraz –– although they won’t control both strains of the disease.”

Dick Neale believes he has detected amove amongst growers to go for maximumyield this season. “They’ve saved as muchas they can on labour and machinerycosts, and now they’re looking at ways to increase their output.”

While he believes the T1 spray shouldbe triazole-based, with the addition ofchlorothalonil, he also sees a place for a strobilurin at T1 this season.

“This will help build and maintain astrong canopy –– enhancing the efficacy of nitrogen uptake and relieving stress inthe plant as well.”

The fusarium and mycotoxin issue willalso have a bearing, he believes. “Using astrobilurin at T3 dilutes the focus of whatyou should be doing earlier on. If fusarium


“Financial and workload pressures arecausing growers to re-think their T1 spray strategies this season,” believesRichard Cromie.

Two new generic formulations of epoxiconazole are available to growers this spring, following the launches of Cortez from Makhteshim Agan and Rubric from Headland.

Both fungicides contain 125g/l epoxiconazole and are claimed to perform just as well as Opus in terms ofdisease control and the yield responsesthey provide.

According to Andrew Speed ofHeadland, Rubric can be used on the same crops at the same timings as Opus.“Essentially, wherever you used to applyOpus, you now have an alternative.”

He expects the majority of Rubric to beused at T0 and T1, but recognises that itwill also have a place at T2 as well onsome farms.

“What will also be of interest to manygrowers and advisers is the fact that there’senough of a price differential to warrantchanging, with fungicide costs having goneup this year, along with other inputs.”

Parallel imports of epoxiconazole willalso be on the market, notes Andrew

Speed. “Some will be better than others,but with the euro now worth about 90p, it’sdifficult to see how parallel importing can beeconomic this season. So growers shouldbe very wary of attractively priced imports.”

He claims growers should have everyconfidence in Rubric. “We’ve done extensive tank-mix tests and crop trials, and will supply technical back-up whereverit’s required.”

Cortez also has comprehensive trialsdata behind it, including work done byADAS. This confirms its curative control ofkey foliar diseases, notably Septoria triticiand yellow rust.

Technical manager, Stuart Hill, expectsCortez to be used in mixture with the protectant fungicide chlorothalonil at T0, T1 and T2, with rates adjusted to suit individual crop needs.

“What most growers will be trying to dothis year is to protect existing leaf materialto help build the yield potential.Epoxiconazole is one of just two activeswhich give very good control of septoria –– so it’ll have a key role to play in 2009.”

Epoxiconazole choices


“There are a number of triazoles outthere, some of which are recognised to bebetter than others. But it’s still possible toget good disease control from the olderproducts if you apply an appropriate ratein the right circumstance.”

He highlights Cherokee (cyproconazole+

propiconazole+ chlorothalonil) as a goodexample. “If it’s applied at 1.3-1.5 l/ha,you’re getting a full rate of cyproconazole,a three-quarter rate of propiconazole andover a litre of chlorothalonil.

“That’s a very good dose of triazole, plusthe protectant abilities of chlorothalonil.You’re getting much more for your money,compared with a standard T1 treatment of 0.5 l/ha of Opus (epoxiconazole) plusBravo (chlorothalonil).”

In fact, Cherokee at 1.5 l/ha will work out around £4/ha less than an Opus/Bravomix, he calculates. “Rust-prone varietieswith low levels of septoria will be best suited to this approach.”

Dr David Ellerton of ProCam suggestsgrowers won’t need the curative activitythat has been so important in the T1 spray for the past two years.

“Crops are behind and they have lessleaf area as a result. Moreover, there’s not much disease in the later drilled crops, so we won’t need to include asmuch curativity activity in the T1 spray this spring. That will help to keep thecosts down”.

He agrees that septoria, mildew andrust are the main disease concerns thisspring. “We’ve only seen odd bits of rust in crops so far, but there are lots

s

The two diseases causing the mostearly season concern in Scotland are yellow rust in winter wheat andrhynchosporium in winter barley –– both of which will have enjoyed thesnow cover, says SAC.

“Early rhynchosporium is certainlypresent in winter barley and will havewarranted the use of a T0 spray insusceptible varieties,” believes croppathologist, Dr Simon Oxley.

“But the main spray timing in winterbarley is at GS31-32 where the targetsare usually rhynchosporium and mildew.After the weather that we’ve had, bothdiseases are likely to be present this month.”

Prothioconazole continues to be the best tank-mix partner for rhynchosporium, according to SAC trials. “Adding a strobilurin is a goodoption, although there are other choices,such as cyprodinil or a morpholine as well.”

Yellow rust is present in early sowncrops of Robigus in certain areas and would also have benefited from a T0 treatment, says Simon Oxley. “The T1 spray is geared towards thefoliar diseases, so a timely follow-upshould keep it under control.”

Protection against eyespot will alsobe important, given the poor varietalresistance ratings to the disease, and the cold, wet weather, says SACcolleague, Dr Fiona Burnett.

“A response in the region of 0.4t/hacan be expected from eyespot control–– regardless of the level of infection. In our trials, the best margins havecome from applications of either Proline or Tracker at GS31-32.

“Otherwise, backwards wheat cropswill need all the help they can get. Giventhe conditions we’ve had, septoria is justwaiting to get going. Growers will needto use a robust rate of triazole at T1 toget on top of it.”

North of the border

–– but remember that the latter onlycomes in mixtures.”

Cutting back too far on fungicides willreduce yields, he warns. “Remember thatinputs account for around 20% of the costof growing a tonne of wheat –– yet thisinfluences at least 80% of the output.”

Hutchinsons is marketing Brutus (epoxiconazole+ metconazole) for the firsttime this year, which can be used at any of the three main spray timings, says Dick Neale. “It will fit best where eradicantactivity is required.

“It’s far more powerful than any otherproduct in this situation,” he claims. “In most years, that means it will have a place at T2, but triazoles are also veryimportant at T3 –– especially where there are concerns about fusarium andsubsequent mycotoxin levels.” n

Take-all could be a particular problem in second wheat this year, with the coldweather having slowed crop developmentin generally later-drilled crops, says David Ellerton.

control and mycotoxin reduction are keygoals, put your money into a good dose oftriazole at T3 and save the strobilurins forT1 and T2 instead.”

For first wheat, there’s a choice between azoxystrobin (as in Amistar Opti), pyraclostrobin (as in Comet) and fluoxastrobin (as in Fandango), he summarises. “And for second wheat, it’s between azoxystrobin and fluoxastrobin



http://www.headland-ag.co.uk

Insider’s viewInsider’s view

lthough the breeder and seed tradewere equally surprised by NABIM’sdecision to classify Viscount as

a Group 4 wheat –– rather than a Group 3 as many had anticipated –– growersshould look beyond the ‘emotion’ of theunexpected categorisation to the multitudeof end-markets offered by the Group, andin particular, the variety itself.

That’s the claim from Andrew Newby,commercial director for KWS UK. Hebelieves ‘pigeon-holing’ varieties only tends to confuse growers anyway.

“In an ideal world, the CEL List shouldinitially be divided into hard and softendosperm categories, with NABIM classification following after that to provide key information on potential end-markets, along with distilling and

‘We’re promoting the variety on the basis of its potential as

a soft Group 4.’

A

A matter of class?Accepting NABIM’s surprise classification of

Viscount as a Group 4 Recommended List variety,breeder KWS points out this category actuallyoffers the widest range of end uses. CPM gets

some tips on growing and marketing the variety.

By Martin Rickatson

export categorisation as determined by the exporters and distillers.

“Growers shouldn’t lose sight of the factthat the only difference between Group 3and Group 4 is that the varieties classified in the former category are approved for biscuit-making as well.” He notes that thisuse accounts for only 3-5% of the UK’s total wheat requirement –– equivalent toaround 600,000t.

“Group 4 accounts for many more uses,with bread and biscuits being the onlyones it doesn’t encompass. So it’s not justa case of growing these wheats to makeanimal feed –– there’s also cake flour, distilling and newer uses, such as ethanolproduction, in addition to the variousexport markets as well.”

He claims Viscount having not gained biscuit-making approval in the firstinstance is “a disappointment he can livewith”. “We’re very happy with its currentmarket positioning, and NABIM have stated that they’ll reassess its performance this harvest.”


Group 3 is often misinterpreted as a generic term for soft wheat, believesAndrew Newby. He claims the variety not –– yet –– meeting the Group 3 criteriadoesn’t worry him unduly. “We will focus our attention this season on providingclear evidence and encouragement togrowers as to the potential of Group 4wheats –– which are capable of performing financially as well as Group 3s.

‘More than half’“Group 4 represents over half of all UKwheat demand, whereas the other groupsaccount for just 15% each approximately.With biscuit-making only representing asmall part of UK wheat usage, it’s fair tosay that Viscount does 95% of what wesaid it would do,” he continues. “We hope it may be reclassified next year but for the moment, we’re promoting the variety on the basis of its potential as a soft Group 4.”

When making a decision on the basis ofwhat to drill next season, growers need toconsider the alternatives very carefully,suggests Andrew Newby.

“Sticking with Claire, Consort or Robigusmay offer a biscuit premium but it meanslosing 5-6% of the yield potential. Andwhile Oakley may be the highest yielder in the Group 4 category, it really only offers one end-market option and noexport potential.

“In addition, not only is Alchemy 3%lower yielding than Viscount, it doesn’thave the latter’s orange wheat blossommidge resistance.”

To enable growers to realise Viscount’s s

Insider’s viewInsider’s viewblackgrass, he continues. “Around 30-40 seeds/m2 should be added to that figure for each week thereafter.”

Mike Jeffes points out that Viscount(105% of controls) is only beaten byOakley (107%) for yield as a first wheat,and is similar to JB Diego. “In the north of England and Scotland, RL yield datashows a figure of 107% of controls, and in the east (105%), it’s only beaten by the hard endosperm feed wheats, Oakleyand Diego, and is well in front of Alchemyand Gladiator.”

He concedes that in the west, the yieldfigure is down at 102% of controls butmaintains the variety still represents agood choice for a number of soft wheatoutlets, such as for export, or for pig andpoultry feed.

“In this first wheat slot, it’s an obviouschoice offering an excellent agronomicpackage and a wide range of added-valuemarketing possibilities,” he claims.However, field trials suggest Viscount is less well-suited to the second wheatposition than some other varieties,although the yield drop is less than wouldbe expected for Robigus, he notes.

“Growers opting for Viscount in the second wheat slot should consider usingLatitude (silthiofam) or Jockey/Galmano

“We will focus our attention this season onproviding clear evidence and encouragementto growers as to the potential of Group 4wheats,” says Andrew Newby.

full potential, KWS has produced agrowers guide for the variety, based ondata from the past three seasons from theNational List, CEL Recommended List,KWS and other agronomy trials.

A cross between Robigus andCanterbury (the latter being a KWS Ribandcross itself, with very short, stiff straw),Viscount can be drilled safely from mid-

September onwards, believes independentvariety consultant, Mike Jeffes, who helpedproduce the guide. “When sown aroundthis time, it tends to reach GS31 aroundtwo days before Robigus.

“Mid-September sowing will reduce thepossibility of frost damage to the growingpoint, while in northern areas or on higherground, the date could be brought forwardby a few days with comparative safety,” hesuggests. “On the other hand, limited datashows Viscount to be one of the highestyielding varieties when drilled in lateNovember/early December –– meaning it’sideal for following sugar beet or potatoes.”

The optimum seed number/m2 will varydepending on the sowing date, altitude,latitude and percentage establishment –– with the latter being affected by pestdamage and seedbed conditions, hepoints out. “Viscount is a medium tilleringvariety which has relatively large grainsand growers who prefer to order their seed on a bags/ha basis should take thisinto account.”

With a reasonable seedbed, growers in the eastern counties should aim for around 220-250 seeds/m2 with a mid-September sowing date, with higherseed numbers being appropriate for heavier soils, or on fields with resistant

s

http://www.openfield.co.uk

Viscount could be ideal for following sugarbeet or potatoes, believes Mike Jeffes.

on, evidence suggests this may add little to lodging control,” says Mike Jeffes. “The variety’s very short straw means the treatment may cause undue stress.”

Viscount has achieved good diseaseresistance scores in RL trials –– particularlyfor the rusts, and also for Septoria tritici,fusarium ear blight, eyespot and mildew,he continues. “As such, disease controlshould be a relatively simple, with no needfor the sort of ‘fire brigade’ measures thatmight be required on varieties with rustsusceptibility.

“The variety’s OWBM resistance alsomeans ear sprays are unlikely to be necessary –– saving the cost of the insecticide and a pass with the sprayer.And in high-risk OWBM seasons, thatmeans growers can focus on susceptiblevarieties instead.”

Trials data shows Viscount’s ripeningdate to be similar to Robigus and Alchemy,and approximately two days behind Claireand Einstein –– a trait which will helpspread the harvest workload and ensureas far as possible that the optimum grainquality is achieved, claims KWS.

At harvest, Mike Jeffes suggests growerslooking to export Viscount should prioritiseits harvest and consider using a pre-harvestdesiccant to speed up maturity and

(fluquinconazole) for take-all prevention,with the latter also giving some rust andseptoria suppression through to earlyspring.” October drilling at a higher seedrate, plus a higher rate of early-appliednitrogen, will help maximise Viscount’spotential where it’s grown as a secondwheat, he adds.

Blackgrass suppressionRecent work suggests different wheatvarieties have different capabilities tosuppress blackgrass –– especially under conditions of high weed burden anddifficult-to-control resistant populations,continues Mike Jeffes. “Trials data from2008 under such conditions show thatwhile Viscount’s competitive ability doesn’tquite match that of Robigus, it’s on a parwith Oakley, Einstein, Cordiale, Humberand Gladiator, and betters that of Alchemy and Hereward.”

With similar straw strength to Robigus–– but with around 60mm shorter stems–– KWS advises Viscount growers to use CCC during tillering to promote stem-base shortening and stiffening, with an appropriate rate of Moddus atearly stem extension.

“While some growers may considerusing a ethefon-based PGR as well later


combining, and potentially reduce the needfor drying.

KWS claims Viscount’s specific weight is “perfectly acceptable” at 75.8kg/hl –– also noting that the variety’s Hagberg s

http://www.openfield.co.uk

Masstock Arable’s Barry Barker reiteratesthe KWS response to Viscount’s NABIMclassification, pointing out that the variety’ssignificant potential “hasn’t been hugelycompromised”. He adds that the situationmay yet change anyway.

“If –– or when –– it makes Group 3, I cansee it ultimately taking over from Robigus,Claire and Consort, and the Group 4Alchemy. The market needs more softwheats, and I think it’s likely to take a minimum of 12% of the UK wheat areafor harvest 2010.”

He believes that a yield gap has openedup between the top hard and soft wheatssince the likes of Oakley and JB Diegowere introduced. “I think better marketabilitywill mean more growers start to switch back

to soft wheats this autumn.” Frontier’s Peter James sees a great deal

of potential for Viscount –– especially forbioethanol production. “The new bioethanolplant being built on the Humber will require1Mt of wheat a year from 2010.

“Another one is being built on Tyneside,but the plants will struggle to fulfil theirdemands locally, so while growers in thenorth could benefit significantly, there will beopportunities for farmers further afield.

“The most important factors forbioethanol production are spirit yield andnitrogen use efficiency (NUE) –– in otherwords, the grain yield divided by theamount of N available to the crop.” He notes that Viscount is the top wheat on NUE by 4%.

‘Strong market share’

Phillip Maw of APM Partners’ Roxby HallFarm near Scunthorpe grew 14ha ofViscount for seed last season and a quarter of his wheat drillings are down to the variety for this harvest.

While the farm encompasses everything from sandy land to clay, the seed crops are grown on well-bodiedlimestone, and thanks to the variety’s boldthousand grain weight, the seed rate wasas low as 97kg/ha.

While he was a little concerned at thetime of establishment on the driest areas of the fields, he reports that the crop grewaway fairly quickly. A total of 150kg/ha ofnitrogen was applied in two splits, with35kg/ha in mid-March and the remainder in mid-April.

“The crop stayed clean from day one,” reports Phillip Maw. “It receivedCherokee (cyproconazole+ propiconazole+chlorothalonil) plus Moddus (trinexapac-ethyl)and manganese at T0, Helix (prothiocona-zole+ spiroxamine) plus Bravo(chlorothalonil) at T1, Amistar Opti

(azoxystrobin+ chlorothalonil) plus Opus(epoxiconazole) and Cord (boscalid+ epoxiconazole) at T2, and Amistar (azoxystrobin) plus Helix at T3.

“We had no big disease issues with it,except for a little bit of easily-controlled septoria. Last year wasn’t a brown rust year anyway and there wasn’t any mildewaround either.”

The intention was to harvest the seedcrops early but the weather pushed thisback to August 25, he continues. “But the 14ha we grew produced a total of 182t, giving an average yield of just under 13t/ha.”

Being drilled after peas, last season’scrop benefited from the residual nitrogen,acknowledges Phillip Maw. “But that was our best-performing winter wheatby some margin.” He says he’s surprisedby its NABIM classification but says itwon’t deter him from looking at it nextseason if it performs well again thisharvest.

On-farm experience

Viscount growers aiming to achieve theexport specifications (i.e. higher protein)will need to apply more nitrogen thancrops grown for the cake flour, starch and distilling markets.

Falling Number over three years wasonly 12 points lower than Robigus in official trials, at 185.

The Scotch Whisky Research Institutehas rated Viscount as one of the best varieties for distilling purposes, with highspirit yields and low residual viscosity.SWRI believes it has the potential to make a significant impact on the distilling industry.

Moreover, with the UK having an annualrequirement to export at least 2Mt of wheat–– and as much as 4Mt in certain years ––Viscount’s high W and P/L values make itwell suited for blending with other hard,high protein wheats for the key Europeansoft wheat export markets of Spain, Italyand Portugal.

Growers aiming to achieve the exportspecifications (i.e. higher proteins) willneed to apply more nitrogen than cropsgrown for the cake flour, starch and distilling markets. And while KWS says thespecific weight requirements should be“easily achievable” for all export markets,the variety may need timely managementto achieve all the contract specifications insome wet harvest years, it acknowledges.

One further area in which Viscount looksto have a great deal of potential is for bioethanol production –– particularlywith the construction of several new UKprocessing plants now well underway.While the production process differs toalcohol for human consumption, similarmanufacturing principles and parameters

apply, with the key crop requirementsbeing a high starch content –– inverselycorrelated to the grain protein content –– and low viscosities to get the highestalcohol yields.

“But ultimately, the lowest delivered cost to the bioethanol distillery will probably be the economic driver ofprocessors’ raw material buying strategies,” believes Mike Jeffes.

“But whatever the buying specificationturns out to be, Viscount is likely to be the best choice variety for this market output as a soft endosperm, high yieldingand low protein wheat.”l A Viscount calculator at www.kws-uk.co.ukallows users to change the premium possibilities for the varieties displayed to show growers potential returns in different situations. n



s

http://www.frontierag.co.uk

Having already established the value of yield-mapping, one Norfolk farming estate

is moving on from the basics to the next stage in precision farming technology.

By Martin Rickatson

‘What we’ve done so far in termsof yield and nutrient mapping has

given us a lot of interesting information.’

tody Estate’s arable farm manager,Mike Wilton, isn’t new to the principles of precision farming.

He’s been yield-mapping since 2002 onthe 1,800ha of cropped land he managesat Melton Constable, near Fakenham in Norfolk.

However, he believes the arrival in the marketplace of more affordable, yetaccurate, auto-steering systems will helpmake greater use of all the data the estatehas accumulated so far.

Moreover, it should help limit the soil compaction problems caused byunnecessary cultivation passes and avoidable field operations, he reckons.

“By comparing our yield maps alongside the information generated bySOYL’s soil analysis and mapping service,

Realising the potential of precision

S

it has enabled us to see why some parts of our fields are yielding less. But I have toadmit that, at one time, I felt some of theprecision technology available, such asauto-steering, had no tangible benefits.”

More recently though, high fertiliserprices and the need to meet various cross-compliance requirements hasmade the benefits much clearer, heacknowledges.

Stody Estate grows a wide range ofcombinable and root crops, and is ownedby the MacNicol family. Despite Norfolk’sreputation for broad, flat countryside, a lot of the land on the estate is undulating,with a large number of relatively smallfields, and with the River Glaven runningthough the middle.

Last year, the estate upgraded from the Countryside Stewardship Scheme to the Higher Level Scheme, with MikeWilton now fully grasping the various wider possibilities offered by precisionfarming, such as variable rate inputs, as part of the estate’s commitment to


its environmental responsibilities. He originally came to the estate five

years ago from a farm in Oxfordshire, and is now responsible for a diverse rangeof cropping –– with 400ha winter wheat,600ha winter and spring barley, 240haoilseed rape, 200ha sugar beet and 50hadaffodils, as well as 550ha potatoes, carrots and parsnips for harvest 2009.

Land is also let-out for outdoor pig production, and the estate encompasses160ha grassland in various environmentalschemes.

Tight marginsDuring a period of tight margins at thebeginning of the decade, oilseed rape wasgrown one-year-in-two on the non-irrigatedparts of the estate, but the rotation hasnow been extended to one-year-in-threewith the introduction of winter barley tothese areas.

With a big proportion of roots in therotation, and with just over half of thefarmed area down to combinable cropping–– for this season at least –– Mike Wiltonsays it hasn’t been possible to yield-mapevery year.

But he believes the time is now right to advance his precision farming plans –– partly because it coincides with anoverhaul of the farm’s mainline machinery.

“What we’ve done so far in terms ofyield and nutrient mapping has given us a lot of interesting information, but we’renow at the stage where we want to do

s

“Auto-steering wasn’t specified when thetractor was originally ordered,” admitsMike Wilton. “But it’s proven its value –– particularly for on-land ploughing.”

cultivations, employing the wider tyres and removing the surplus weights.

He admits to being wary of the ability of rubber-tracked machines to cope with

more with it. It wasn’t until I was offeredthe opportunity to upgrade to a tractor withauto-steering –– having already been usingthis system on the combine –– that Ibegan to consider the range of possibilitiesbeyond simply lessening the level of stressfor the operator.”

Key benefitsMike Wilton believes the key benefits arelower fuel consumption and reduced soilcompaction, which results when ploughingon-land –– an operation made significantlymore accurate and less stressful with auto-steering, he says.

With a large area of land down to roots, a sizeable proportion of the farm is ploughed each season, and on-landploughing is favoured to minimise damage to the soil structure.

“In-furrow ploughing causes deepercompaction which is both difficult andexpensive to rectify,” he points out. “We only plough in the furrow when conditions make on-land travelling tricky.But when ploughing on-land, the operatorobviously can’t use the furrow wall forsteering guidance.

“It’s a job that requires a much moreskilled operator and, even then, it’s a very tiring job requiring a good deal more concentration in terms of steering,compared with in-furrow ploughing.”

When he was looking to replace one of the farm’s two New Holland TM190tractors last season, Mike Wilton decidedto go for higher-hp machines to boost thecapacity for work. The original intentionwas to buy another 305hp, John Deere8430 to work alongside the estate’s existing one for ploughing and primary cultivations. But with long delivery timespredicted, he decided to look elsewherefor an alternative.

“I was considering buying a NewHolland T8040 but our local dealer offeredme a 325hp T8050 for only a smallamount more than the 8040’s askingprice. As it happened, there were deliveryissues with all tractor makes last seasondue to the high level of demand, and thetractor we ordered wasn’t going to arrive in time for the jobs we needed it for.

“So the dealer offered us their ownT8050 tractor, which they’d planned touse for demonstrations. It was identical tothe machine we’d ordered but was fittedwith New Holland’s IntelliSteer hands-freesteering system. And although we’d beenusing auto-steering on our combine, I didn’t believe the expense was warrantedon our tractors.

“The dealer offered to remove the system, but rather than go through withthe hassle of having this done I suggestedthat, if the price was attractive, I’d be prepared to take the tractor with theIntelliSteer fitted.”

As such, the IntelliSteer-equippedT8050 arrived at the estate in time for last autumn’s cultivations campaign. The tractor was supplied with 800/70 R38 tyres, but these were changed to650/85 R38s.

Offering the same rolling circumferenceas the 800s but without any need tochange the front tyres, these give the tractor greater flexibility –– making in-furrow ploughing possible where necessary, continues Mike Wilton. The 800s have been retained to allow the tractor to be used for secondary


http://www.cerealsevent.co.uk

Farm factsStody Estate, Melton Constable, Norfolk

l Farm size: 2,320ha

l Soils: Flinty loam

l Cropped area: 1,680ha owned, 640ha contract-farmed

l Cropping: 400ha winter wheat300ha winter barley300ha spring barley240ha oilseed rape200ha sugar beet48ha daffodils 200ha potatoes, carrots and parsnips

l Staff: Five full-timers, two part-timers

l Tractors: New Holland T8050, John Deere 8430, New Holland TM190, TM165, TM150, TS135A, Case IH MXU140, MX135, MX120

l Cultivation equipment:2x Lemken seven-furrow ‘Euro 8’ploughsVäderstad NZA 6m seedbed cultivatorVäderstad 4m TopDownHe-Va 4m subsoiler

Combine:New Holland CR9090 c/w 10.7m header

Sprayer: Sands 4,000-litre self-propelled and Case IH 3,000-litre self-propelled

the area’s flinty soils in terms of wear-and-tear on the tracks, and this iswhy he prefers to stick with the more versatile wheeled-tractor –– which alsooffers faster road travel speeds and greater

road comfort, he believes. The T8050works with a Lemken seven-furrowreversible plough and press.

With the tractor having completed itsfirst autumn and winter of cultivations,Mike Wilton feels justified in opting for theIntelliSteer system. The set-up operates via a cab-mounted receiver which usesthe Omnistar correction signal to provide a claimed accuracy band of 5-10cm.

In practice, the actual variation is consistently down around the lower figure–– providing sufficient accuracy forploughing and other cultivation tasks, he says.

An RTK system, with 2-5cm accuracy,is currently being considered –– mainlybecause of Mike Wilton’s interest in year-on-year repeatability to move towardcontrolled traffic operations, but also

because of the number of licence fees to be paid.

The driver operates the system through the tractor’s IntelliView in-cabscreen/monitor, logging A and B points on his first run. The tractor then steers itself parallel to this A-B line on subsequent runs.

“Without having to worry about steering, the operator can pay more attention to getting the best performancefrom the tractor.

‘A few niggles’“Admittedly, we do have a few niggles with the system at the moment –– in particular, with the plough being offset to the tractor. The satellite receiver ismounted on the tractor roof but it’s theposition of the plough that’s important tothe work. However, I’m assured that it can be rectified.”

Mike Wilton believes there’s “no doubt”auto-steering has proved itself –– with on-land ploughing in particular –– as it


Stody Estate’s new CR9090 combine willfeature a similar IntelliSteer system to theone already in use on its T8050 tractor.

s

http://www.newholland.com/uk

Auto-steering has enabled tractor driver,Alan Clarke, to achieve a better level of fuelefficiency when ploughing on-land.


helps the tractor driver work at a faster,more consistent speed. “Our T8050 operator, Alan Clarke, says the tractor’sperformance monitor showed that, ploughing at 7.5km/hr in one of our fieldsrecently, the workrate was 2.2ha/hr in 9thgear and the fuel consumption was 54 l/hr.

“Moving up to 10th gear used 65 l/hr offuel and produced a workrate of 2.4ha/hr.But that’s a lot of additional diesel for aworkrate increase of just 0.2ha/hr.

“It’s this sort of performance data thatAlan can concentrate on when he doesn’thave to focus so hard on keeping theplough running straight.” Moreover, itproves that ploughing on-land uses significantly less fuel, he adds.

Stody Estate is replacing its 9m ClaasLexion 480 Evolution combine with a10.7m CR9090 New Holland for the coming harvest, and the new machineuses a similar IntelliView terminal and GPS receiver to the T8050 tractor toenable parallel cutting in ‘lands’, andto ensure the header is working at fullcapacity at all times.

Mike Wilton sees this continuity as afurther step along the road to getting moreout of his precision farming investment.

“But the manufacturers need to beencouraged to help farmers by makingsystem coverage as complete as possibleand with the various precision farmingpackages compatible –– whether they’remachinery makers, software providers or analysis, or application specialists.

“Even within a manufacturer’s own products range, things could be a lot simpler. For example, integration ofFarmplan’s Gatekeeper and A-Map computer software is a big job on anestate of this size –– especially withHLS meaning most fields have three or more crops in them. This, along with a few software compatibility issues withmachinery information, has caused ussome headaches.

“Being able to use data for inputs isvery exciting though, and we’re graduallygetting to the stage where we can startputting layers of recorded data together –– enabling us to make decisions basedon accurate information.

“I think this will enable us to move ontothe next stage –– variable seed rates andnutrient applications. My understanding isthat New Holland is working on producingsoftware to allow the integration of thisinformation.

“In-field control and information gathering have been distinctly separateparts of what precision farming has to offer

to date but bringing them together willenable farms to get the best from the technology available.

“Though we’re not there yet, what I’dlike to do ultimately is look to introducecontrolled traffic systems. On a trip to the US last year, a group of us was taken to see a farm which had adoptedauto-steering as a means of controllingfield traffic to cut unnecessary wheelings–– meaning no machine would ever travelwhere crop was going to grow. On thatfarm, it had raised maize yields by anaverage of 1t/ha.

“With UK arable farming based on multiples of 3-, 4-, 6- and 12m, the introduction of 12m combine headersshould bring controlled traffic a step closer on larger units.” n

http://www.cropsprayers.com

n spring 2007, Glenn Robinson, whomanages H&R Hudson’s Wick ManorFarm, Pershore, Worcs decided to

dispense with his plough-based establishment system in favour of a relatively unknown single-pass spader-and-drill combination.

With two seasons’ use under his belt, he remains convinced that the switch to the Imants rotary spader/Accord DF1pneumatic drill combo was the right decision to make –– despite never havingoperated it in ‘normal’ conditions.

That’s because the entire farm, whichborders the River Avon, was flooded to a depth of 1.2m on 20 July 2007. The conditions were exceptionally

When looking for a faster, cheaper alternative to the plough, farm manager Glenn Robinson

didn’t follow conventional min-till thinking –– deciding to switch to a one-pass system, based around a 3m rotary spader instead.

By Mick Roberts

‘Despite the poor establishmentand difficult conditions, my

machinery strategy hasn’tchanged.’

wet again last year, with some of the landbeing flooded four more times.

“It isn’t a disaster financially becausewe’re still here,” he explains ruefully. “But the floods have made it extremely difficult to keep farming, and they’ve alsoput immense pressure on our cashflow.”

Moreover, they’ve had a massive impacton the farm’s cropping plans and yields, he adds.

“We’d only managed to combinearound 400t of winter barley before the floods came in 2007 but even thatended up being a write-off when it wasflooded in-store.

“We literally had flood water over theentire farm. We’d only managed to cutabout half the barley, but every other crop –– oilseed rape, wheat and theremaining barley –– was still in the fields.”Pre-flooding, the barley yielded 7.6t/ha but afterwards, it was struggling to reach5t/ha with absolutely no quality in the grain,he adds.

“The wheats were predicted to yield


An alternative form of min-till?

I

9t/ha but none produced more than7.5t/ha –– and all the crops looked and smelt horrible.

“The only wheat variety to withstand theflooding was the Humber, and all the othercrops went flat and broke off at the base.Humber seems to be bred for its strawstrength and it stood up very well.”

Hobson’s choiceThe only option remaining for GlennRobinson in autumn/winter 2007 was to try to establish the following cropswhenever the conditions would allow.“We’d hoped 2008 would be dry enoughto get in with the sub-soiler to repair someof the damage caused by the combineand trailers, then go straight in with thespader and drill.

“We did manage to get the crops drilled in 2007 –– although not in idealconditions –– but last autumn wasexceptionally wet again and we wereunable to do anything other than drillinto less-than-ideal conditions.”

As a result, 32ha of the winter wheathad to be ripped up –– accounting foraround one-third of all planned wheat sowings –– with all of the winter rapebeing lost.

“We didn’t manage to drill the rape untillate September, which was about a month or so later than normal, and it simplynever got going,” admits Glenn Robinson.“What the slugs didn’t eat was finished offby the harsh winter weather.”

In ‘normal’ circumstances, the rotationincludes up to four winter barley crops, s

“The rotary spader and drill combination is a true one-manoperation capable of establishing crops in just one pass,” says Glenn Robinson.

followed by a break on thesandier soils. Winter wheat isgrown on the heavier land, followed by either oilseed rape or beans.

Rotations adaptedBut with the loss of all the winter rape and a proportion of the wheat this season due to flooding, the rotations havebeen hastily adapted to keep the land in production –– withFuego spring beans having been sown wherever the landwas fit to work.

“Despite the poor establishment and difficult conditions, my machinery strategy hasn’t changed,” he remarks. “In fact, the decision to move to the spader has been a ‘get out ofjail’ card since it was the onlymachine capable of working insuch difficult conditions. Andbeing a true one-pass system, it allowed me to cultivate andsow very quickly leaving a weatherproof finish.

“I simply didn’t have the timeor labour available to revert tousing the plough across thewhole farm.” However, headmits it was too wet even forthe spader in places, so theplough was used simply to drain the water off the land.

“But where we did manage toestablish wheat this season usingthe spader/drill combination,these crops look much betterthan those following the plough.”

Indeed, he believes moreconventional min-till or

non-inversion tillage systemswould’ve struggled to cope with the conditions last autumn.“But when the land was fit totravel on, we were able work the ground and sow theseed into a proper seedbed injust one pass.”

This was one of the main reasons he originally opted forthis type of cultivator, he admits.

“When I first saw an articleabout the spader, I was immediately attracted by the idea of it being a true one-man operation capable of establishing the crops in just one pass,” explains Glenn Robinson. He works onhis own for most of the time,with no more than harvest-helpin the summer.

“I was also keen to ensurethat whatever equipment Ibought would require no moreextra power than my existingtractor which, at that time, was a John Deere 6820 (i.e. about 135hp).”

He quickly realised thatalthough alternative min-till systems were faster and cheaper than ploughing, eventhe smallest equipment optionscame with comparatively highpower requirements. “Moreover,they tended to need numerouspasses to cultivate and sow thecrop –– usually as separateoperations –– which were stillfairly time-consuming.”

After speaking to Olli Harrison(the farmer mentioned in theoriginal article), Glenn Robinsonwas quickly convinced that, with


s

http://www.rotam.co.uk

out the compaction below.”Glenn Robinson’s spader is

coupled with a new Accord DF 1 pneumatic drill, which has its coulter bar attachedbehind, with a front-mountedseed hopper and transfer unit.He’s also built a customisedcoulter bar for drilling beans, and has fixed a weight carrierbeneath the front tank to keepthe tractor’s nose on the groundfor turning and transporting the machine –– which is fairlyheavy –– when the hopper is empty.

The total cost was about£33,000 for the spader and drill together, which he admitsis “not particularly cheap”.However, he notes that thisworks out at £6,600/year over a five year period –– and heexpects the combination to last considerably longer than this.

“That means the capital costfor our entire cultivating anddrilling operation will be just£16.50/ha during this period.”

Extra powerThe spader and drill are nowpowered by a new John Deere6930, which has a power ratingof 155hp, and Glenn Robinsonfeels the combination needs theextra 20hp of power, comparedwith the 6820 it replaced. The tractor’s GreenStar 2600 display showed an average work rate of 1.5ha/hr whendrilling beans this spring, with an average fuel consumption of 20.9 litres/ha.

“I can easily establish 10-12ha/day –– the tractor simply goes into the sprayed-offstubbles, and cultivates and drills in one operation,” heexplains. “It may need rollingafterwards, depending on conditions, but the ‘Spiro rotor’ tends to leave a nice, firm surface.

“You can walk on the landafter sowing without any difficultyand your boots hardly leave amark. Similarly, I’m also able topush a steel rod down into theground to around 600mmwithout any problems.”

the addition of a mounted drill,the spader had the potential tosave him both time and money.

The machine digs theground using a similar action toa spade. Operating across itsfull 3m width, the individualspades are mounted in a spiralarrangement across the rotor.

The working depth can beset between 175-300mmdepending on the conditions,and the machine works straightinto unmoved soil as a primarycultivator.

The spading action lifts thesoil, tips it over and breaks it upin one single movement –– justlike digging by hand. Thespades’ helical mounting on therotor means they’re all diggingat slightly varying depths, whichensures they don’t create a pan.

Although the machine is powered by the tractor’s PTO,the rotor turns in the samedirection of travel as the tractor,which has the effect of helpingto ‘push’ the tractor along ––which saves power because theforward speed is set to almosthold it back. This reduces therisk of smearing or wheel-slipwhen working in wet conditions,claims Imants.

In work, the land is lifted andthe crop debris and stubble areincorporated into the soil as it‘tumbles’ off the spades. Behindthe spade, a powered ‘Spiro’rotor crumbler/consolidator creates a finer tilth, firming the land ahead of the drill’s rear-mounted coulters.

“I realised immediately that this was not only going to be a much cheaper, fasterand better way of establishingour crops, but also that therewould never be any problemswith wheel-marks,” says Glenn Robinson. “With othermin-till systems, there’s alwaysgoing to be compaction fromthe following operations –– particularly on the headlands.

“These types of machinesare also often set to a workingdepth of around 125mm toremove the previous wheel-marks but that doesn’t take


s

http://www.rotam.co.uk

Farm FactsH&R Hudson Wick Manor FarmPershoreWorcs

l Staff: Glenn Robinson, plus harvest casuals

l Area: 400ha – all arable

l Soil type: Grade 1 sandy loams to alluvial river silts

l Rotation:- Sandy soils: winter barley (up to 4x), followed by break- Heavier land: Wheat then beans or oilseed rape, also some second wheat

l Cropping areas: 65ha winter wheat95ha winter barley70ha spring oilseed rape50ha spring beans80ha stubble-stubble contract workplus 40ha pasture, 50ha of young woodland along with 6ha in 6m ELS margins.

l Varieties: Wheat: Viscount, Duxford Winter barley: Carat, Retriever, B88 (Cassia)Spring oilseed rape: Ritz Spring beans: Fuego

l Mainline machinery:Combine: John Deere 550T

Tractors:JD 6930 (with AutoTrac and GS 2600 ISO controller)JD 6420S JD 6200 (now 13 years old)

Sprayer:John Deere 740i with 28m booms

Fertiliser spreader:Accord TL (12-42m)

Cultivations/ drill:3m Imants spader/mounted Accord pneumatic drill

The GreenStar 2600 ISObus control systemis used to operate the Accord drill on thespader. Its ‘pages’ appear just as they would on a separate terminal.

The addition of John Deere’s AutoTracsystem on the tractor helps lift the output,believes Glenn Robinson. This automaticsteering system uses signals from thefirm’s SF2 satellite service to keep the tractor working in dead straight lines.

Precise working widthThe system is claimed to match boutwidths to within 10cm, although he reckons it’s actually producing an evenbetter level of precision in many situations.

“There are no markers on thespader/drill unit and I don’t put in anytramlines –– although the 3m bout widthwouldn’t match my 28m sprayer anyway.Instead, I simply put in tramlines by driving with the AutoTrac switched on when completing the operations that follow.”

The tractor’s GreenStar 2600 terminalnot only runs the AutoTrac system, butbeing ISObus compatible, it operates theAccord drill through the same terminal aswell. “This was one of the main reasons I bought the drill because we were alreadyusing the ISObus terminal on our fertiliserspreader with good results.”

He says he’s “very impressed” with the drill and its accuracy. “I went for theAccord because it was the only one withISObus at the time. Kverneland’s GrahamOwen helped us install the system and itworks very well.

As with any early model machines,there were a few minor glitches at the startbut Kverneland was keen to sort them outquickly. “Graham really wanted to knowwhat was happening and was keen to help resolve these little niggles.

“Connecting it up and running the system is literally ‘plug in and play.’ The terminal shows a message saying ithas detected the drill, and all you have to do is press an on-screen button and it downloads the operating pages –– showing the implement with a little icon on the display.”

The drill’s set-up, operation and controlare then run from the tractor terminal as if it was on a separate, dedicated controlbox. “This not only saves the cost of having an additional controller but makesit easier to operate because it follows thesame page structure and sequence as the Accord fertiliser spreader.”

‘ISObus important’The same principle applies to his newJohn Deere 740i sprayer, which is alsocompatible with the tractor system andoperated through the display. “ISObus wasa big consideration when buying not justthe tractor but all the implements as well.One of the main reasons for investing inthe John Deere sprayer was to improve thework quality in-field, which is assisted bythe SprayerPro software. This runs on thesame terminal and provides auto-sectionshut-off to prevent overlaps.”

The tractor’s AutoTrac also plays animportant role when spraying because the spader/drill combination doesn’t put in tramlines as it works. Instead, GlennRobinson simply sets up the steering system to 28m bout widths to match the booms. “We’ve found this to be a more accurate way of doing things.”

The new sprayer and improved operating accuracy is going to really haveto earn its keep this season, and in theforeseeable future, due to an enormousproliferation of blackgrass as a result of theflooding. “When the floods came in 2007,the blackgrass seed spread everywherethe water went and we now have a bigproblem –– the seeds simply floatedaround the whole farm.

“I’m not convinced that ploughing will alleviate the problem and in my experience –– having had floods previouslyin 1998 –– the only really effective controlis to have a proper 12 month fallow. Butthanks to the zero set-aside nowadays,that’s no longer an option.”

This time, he’s planning to use Liberator

Seed from the front-mounted hopper issupplied to this bean drilling coulter barwhich Glenn Robinson built in the farmworkshop.

(flufenacet+ DFF) followed by Atlantis(mesosulfuron+ iodosulfuron) on all of the wheat this autumn.

Saturated soils have also led to majorslug problems as well, continues GlennRobinson. “There have been virtually nodry periods to allow the crops to establishthemselves quick enough to withstand the onslaught.

“However, the ‘Spiro’ rotor on the spader does help firm and consolidate thesoil surface leaving a firm, level seedbedwhich helps to prevent slugs.” n


s

http://www.dowagro.com/uk

There are over forty glyphosate brands on themarket in the UK alone and demand for the

herbicide is claimed to be increasing. CPM finds out why.

By Louise Impey

he world’s most popular herbicidewas introduced thirty five yearsago, when Monsanto launched

Roundup (glyphosate).From its first registration in 1974,

the product rapidly became recognisedas a major breakthrough in herbicidetechnology –– even though its initial credentials of being slower-acting thanboth paraquat and atrazine weren’t hugely encouraging.

So how did it go from being a single-formulation product sold in justthree countries, to becoming the mostwidely-produced generic agrochemical of all time?

Part of the answer is its vast range ofapplications, which have expanded fromits original role in couch management, to now controlling both annual andperennial weeds with a range of different agronomy regimes.

This evolution, together with its excellent human and environmental

Which glyphosate formulation?

T

Weed controlWeed control

‘There are three key areas growersshould consider when choosing a

glyphosate brand.’

safety profile, has resulted in glyphosatebecoming the accepted control solutionfor more than 300 weeds.

Today, global sales of the herbicidestand at around $3.5 billion, making itthe world’s leading agrochemical –– outselling the ten next most popular herbicides combined.

The product now has a key role to play in conservation tillage regimes to conserve topsoil, reduce soil run-off intowatercourses, and improve both the timeliness and the economics of crop establishment.

It also has a value in improving themanagement of the combinable crop harvest by ensuring more consistent evenness and drying, as well as providing late season weed control.Moreover, it has a key role to play in grassland sward renewal, and in managing vegetation in industrial and amenity situations.

And while the uptake of glyphosate-resistant varieties of soyabean, cotton,maize and oilseed rape may still be seenas controversial in the UK and across the EU, it has opened up further, muchbroader applications for the herbicide –– both in and out-of-crop.

Indeed, Roundup Ready crop plantingsare currently claimed to be increasing by 10Mha/year. Similarly, greater intensification of conventional crop production across the globe is seeingglyphosate demand continuing to grow at an estimated 10% per annum.

Yet modern-day glyphosate is far frombeing a single entity. From the initial isopropylamine (IPA) salt, the active ingredient is now available in a range of sodium, ammonium and potassiumsalts –– each one having slightly different properties.

Stronger formulationsThis has allowed it to be developed from the single 360g/l concentration to a range of increasingly concentratedproducts –– 480g/l, 540g/l and 680g/kg.Formulation advances have also allowedthe original ethoxylated tallow amine(ETA) surfactant technology of the ‘70s to be progressively upgraded to improvethe rainfastness, uptake, effectiveness,reliability and safety of the productsbeing marketed.

Manda Sansom of Monsanto claimsthere are “real advantages” for growersusing Roundup, rather than an alternativeglyphosate brand. However, she acknowledges that some other manufacturers have done their ownresearch and development work.

“While Monsanto has always beenvery active in progressing and improvingthe herbicide, there are other responsiblecompanies marketing the product aswell. But then, there are others who rideon our coat tails.”

She believes there are three key areas


Monsanto has a number of approvals forRoundup which don’t apply to otherglyphosate brands, notes Manda Sansom.

growers should consider when choosinga glyphosate brand.

“They need to think about what’s inthe can, what’s on the can and what’sbehind the can.” With the former, shemeans the extensive research and development work which has taken placeover the past three-and-a-half decades.

“That includes all the trials work which has gone into the advice and recommendations for use.”

As a result, Monsanto has a numberof approvals for Roundup which don’tapply to other glyphosate brands, shesays. “An example of this is our post-planting recommendation which allowsgrowers to tank-mix Roundup with anumber of residual herbicide options.

“We’ve also got a more extendedusage package on autumn stubblessince Roundup can be applied morethan once –– whereas most of the others can’t.”

As a result, a total of 1800g/ha of theproduct can be applied during the wintermonths for stale seedbed preparationand pre-planting use, points out MandaSansom. “That’s been of particular interest to sugar beet growers.”

As far as what’s in the can is concerned,she highlights the “manufacturing consistency and high production standards” that apply to Monsanto products. “Put very simply, it means farmers know what they’re getting whenthey buy Roundup.”

She accepts that glyphosate is thesame –– regardless of the manufacturer.“But the way it gets into the plant, andthe amount that gets in, can be verydifferent. That’s because it’s a salt and it needs adjuvants to help it penetratethe leaf.

“The older formulations needed extrawetters to help the process along ––which meant additional cost –– but themodern brands don’t need this, andthat’s helped us to keep the cost down.”

In practical terms, the improved wetters promote faster uptake and quicker symptom development, sheexplains. “That allows growers to get in and cultivate just 24 hours after application. And where it’s used forcouch control, you can cultivate after just two days.”

She recognises that farmers often get“reasonable results” with generic brandsof glyphosate –– especially in perfectgrowing conditions.

“But where things go against you,such as in cold weather or in hard water

areas, you tend to see a reduced effectand poorer weed control. This is whereRoundup really comes into its own.”

Manda Sansom claims the productoffers 10% better efficacy against perennials and tough annual weeds onaverage –– and 25% more when it rainswithin two hours of application.

Her final comments refer to what’s onthe label. “There are more label uses ona can of Roundup than there are on anyother brand –– and we’re continuing toexpand these all the time.

“As active ingredients are lost, this will become increasingly important.Remember too that farmers have to keep within the law –– they can onlyapply a product in a certain way if thelabel allows it.”



s

http://www.nufarm.com/uk

“If you’re buying glyphosate for pre- cropemergence use, for example, you need to be sure you can actually apply it at thattiming,” says Jon Staton.

Weed controlWeed controlassociated with them, but the new technology helped to eliminate these.”

Supreme is another 450g productfrom Headland, but with a different surfactant system known as ‘AcceleratorTechnology’. “It’s a very kind formulationwhich softens the initial blow to theplant. It helps to prevent scorch, whichthereby enables the maximum amount of glyphosate to pass into the weed.”

Resealable packDakar is the company’s 680g/kg WDGformulation –– supplied in a 10kg packwith a plastic zip which allows it to be resealed. “Not only is this a betterproduct technically, it also helps toreduce the amount of packaging waste.”

He is adamant that growers can buyalternative glyphosate products with confidence and claims that they all perform consistently.

“We’re one of only two producers ofglyphosate and we take our herbicidesall the way through, from synthesisingthe active ingredient to packaging and marketing. We offer the support and back-up that our customers andend-users expect.”

Jon Staton of Nufarm points out that there are several different tiers ofglyphosate herbicides available andadvises growers to look at the labelbefore making any buying decision.

“The key question to ask is ‘will it dothe job?’ Some labels are more inclusivethan others and if you’re buyingglyphosate for pre- crop emergence use,for example, you need to be sure youcan actually apply it at that timing.”

He notes that there’s been considerablemarket segmentation in recent years ––with a range of 360g/l formulations nowavailable. “Some are more rainfast than

Andrew Speed of Headland says his parent company, Cheminova, was the first to manufacture glyphosatebrands when the active ingredient came off-patent in 1992.

Since then, the company has broughta range of new glyphosate products tothe market –– increasing the level ofcompetition and helping to move themarket on, he says.

“As new products have been introduced and growers have tried them, they’ve tended not to go back,” he reports. “That’s simply becausethey’re better value-for-money, and they bring more benefits to the user.”

The Headland range includes Glyfos, a standard 360g glyphosate formulation,as well as newer, more concentratedproducts with patented surfactant systems.

Among these are Envision which contains 450g of glyphosate, togetherwith ‘Envision Technology’ –– a patentedsurfactant system. “The old, original surfactants had a number of problems

Generic glyphosates often work well inperfect growing conditions –– but they’remore likely to under-perform in coolerweather, or where hard water is an issue,claims Manda Sansom.Pic courtesy of Jim Carswell.


s

http://www.dupont.com


Although the active ingredient,glyphosate, has remained constant since 1974, almosteverything else about Rounduphas changed substantially during the past 35 years.

“Compared with the old-fashioned glyphosate of the ‘70s, today’s Roundup formulations deliver more than twice the weed-killingpower,” claims Susan Mintern of Monsanto.

“They’re rainfast in as littleas one hour –– compared withat least 24 hours back then ––and they have up to 60% lessweight of product per kg ofactive. Moreover, they allowcultivation after just six hours,as opposed to five days backin the ‘70s.”

Modern-day Roundup is less affected by hard water,and is effective over a widerange of weather conditionsand applications, as well aspresenting few, if any, operatoror environmental risks, togetherwith broad tank-mixing compatibilities, she continues.

“Over the years, advancesin both the chemical form ofglyphosate and the efficiencyof the adjuvant have led tomajor increases in the concentration of Roundup herbicides. That has enableddose rates and wastage to bereduced, while work rates and spraying efficiency have increased.”

The early formulations ––

using the isopropylamine salt with ETA adjuvants ––effectively capped the concentration at just 360gglyphosate/litre, continuesSusan Mintern. “Since then,the active has evolved significantly and low dose, high activity synthetic adjuvants have been employed to produce a range of increasingly effective,and more concentrated formulations.

“These developments havereally boosted the performanceunder challenging conditions,such as hard water or highhumidity –– or likewise, ifthere’s a short interval beforerain or where weeds aren’tquite at their most susceptiblestage.

“Improved operator andenvironmental safety is another important benefit provided by modern formulationtechnology to such an extent that most formulationsnow carry minimal hazard classifications on the label –– giving them major COSHHand environmental safetyadvantages.

“Taken together, the progressive herbicideformulation improvementswe’ve made over the thirty five years of Roundup’s lifehave added-up to hugeimprovements in product efficacy, flexibility and reliability.”

Same but different?

others and some claim to work more quickly. Certainly,most will work well at the pre-harvest timing.”

Nufarm markets Clinic Ace,a 360g product, which has a “substantial” share of themarket, he says. “It does mostjobs well and comes with aservice package from the distributors who sell it.

“But we’ve also got a 540gproduct, Credit, which comeswithout an adjuvant, which


allows farmers to add their own. It’s an innovativealternative which allows specialist use in particular situations.”

Jon Staton agrees that it’scrucial for growers to knowprecisely what’s in the can.“The stewardship and supportare very important, and thesemustn’t be underestimated.Growers know they can use our products with confidence.” n

http://www.dowagro.com/uk

Väderstad’s TopDown has found favour on three contrasting farms. CPM investigates

the reasons why.

By Rob Jones

‘We’re saving time, fuel and labourfrom not having to use the power

harrow and bed-tilling rotovators.’

Versatility improves flexibility

rable farmers looking to expand the size of their enterprise by takingon more land, or diversifying into

different crops as part of an establishedrotation, might consider adopting a one-pass cultivation approach to fit a broad range of situations.

Since purchasing a 5m VäderstadTopDown, brothers Reg and GrahamWatkins have made valuable financialsavings across their 600ha farm, as well as achieving more timely seedbedpreparation for potatoes, they believe.

FI Watkins and Sons, based at StoneHouse Farm, Dymock, Glocs, has a variety of different soil types to deal with,ranging from sandy gravel to heavy loam.The two brothers have practiced min-tillfor the past 15 years –– with the exceptionof the potato land –– with the TopDownseen as being an “essential addition” totheir reduced tillage regime.

Current cropping includes 161ha ofpotatoes grown for the pre-pack market,161ha of first wheat, 242ha of oilseedrape and 24ha of grass grown for seed.Sugar beet was dropped from the rotationfollowing the closure of the Allscott factorynear Shrewsbury, Shropshire in 2007.

A Väderstad Carrier is used to prepareseedbeds for the rape, following aCousins Flatlift, says Reg Watkins. “We also tried using the Carrier on potatoland, following on from the plough, and it worked the tops of the furrows verywell –– but it’s not designed to go deep enough.

“So now, all of the potato land is still ploughed to get the required depth–– after which it gets a pass with theTopDown. Next we ridge-up, bed till, de-stone and plant.”

This compares very favourably withthe previous system of ploughing, springtine cultivating, power harrowing,ridging-up and bed-tilling, he says.

Multiple advantages?“The TopDown has enabled us to eliminate two operations prior to plantingpotatoes, as well as producing a betterseedbed for the crop in less time. Weused to hire-in contractors to do all thepower harrow work but now, all of thecultivations are carried out in-house.”

The TopDown’s rigid tines pull out thewet soil below ground, which means itdries out a lot better, says Reg Watkins.“The press at the rear provides goodconsolidation for the beds as well.

“We’re saving time, fuel and labourfrom not having to use the power harrow and bed-tilling rotovators, and that means we no longer need the extra man or the high horsepowertractor to do all the additional work.Overall, the TopDown has effectivelygiven us three tools in one.”

A


s

http://www.syngenta-crop.co.uk

“The TopDown has enabled us to eliminatetwo tillage operations prior to plantingpotatoes,” says Reg Watkins.

Twenty five miles to the north-west, MJ and RM Powell and Son, based atUpperton Farm, Yazor in Herefordshire,has around 280ha of land, with winterwheat, oats, potatoes, oilseed rape andpeas all featuring in the rotation. Thebusiness also recently diversified intoblueberries and cider fruit production.

The dreadful weather experienced bymany growers in the area last year led to considerable flooding of the potatoland –– resulting in poor quality cropssuffering from greening, cracking androtten tubers.

Alan Powell purchased a 3m TopDown18 months ago to perform a range of different cultivation tasks. He reckons itcame into its own last season followingthe wet potato harvest.

“There was absolute carnage on the potato land last autumn but theTopDown still managed to do a fantasticjob,” he comments. “One pass was sufficient in most situations –– with twopasses in just a few places. But you hadto be careful where it was really wet.”

‘Only option’Ploughing would’ve been the only otheroption after potatoes prior to having the TopDown –– using more diesel andtaking more time, he points out. “Butnow we’re able to sow the following cropwith our Rapid box drill just 3-4 hoursafter going through with the TopDown –– and a day later where the soil neededa bit of extra time to dry out.

“Pulling down land with this tool afterlifting potatoes offers significant cost savings, compared with the tractor and plough.”

The TopDown is used in two passesprior to planting the potato crop –– firstto cultivate in the green cover, and second, following the plough. “If the conditions are good, the land is thenridged up and bed-tilled.

“The TopDown has replaced the rotovator completely –– literally halvingour running costs,” he explains. “Weonly use a power harrow when we reallyhave to but we try to avoid it as it’s soexpensive.”

Alan Powell reckons he’s now making substantial savings across all his cultivations, when comparing theTopDown with his previous plough-basedsystem. “The running costs of the implement plus tractor (a 150hp JD 6920S), diesel and labour are roughlythe same on either system, at around£32.50/hr –– but the TopDown easilywins on the speed of operation.

“At 2.25 acres/hr (5.6ha/hr), theplough costs £18.44/acre (£46/ha) while the TopDown –– which can double the operating speed –– costs just £7.22/acre (£18/ha).”

Good all-rounder?The TopDown has completed over 606ha since its arrival at Upperton Farm–– much of it on min-till cereals andoilseed rape. “We bought it very much as an all-rounder and, having had aVäderstad Carrier before, we wantedsomething that would go a little deeper.

“It loosens the soil nicely, while thediscs are ideal for breaking up any crusty land. Being able to cultivatearound 45 acres (18ha) in a day on


s

s

http://www.lemken.co.uk

http://www.belchim.com

Alan Powell says his 3m TopDown cameinto its own last season following the wetpotato harvest.

the small fields we have around herehas made a lot of difference to ourlabour and diesel costs.”

Incorporating large amounts of farmmuck and crop trash using the TopDown,

as opposed to ploughing, can also bringsignificant time and cost-saving benefits to a mixed farming enterprise.

Mark Truman of Hilltop Farm, OldDalby near Melton Mowbray, Leics, part-exchanged a Carrier and Sumo Triocombination which had previous beenemployed to reduce the degree ofreliance on the plough. The farm has250 dairy cows and 200 followers.

Difficult driving“Land cultivated with the Sumo was virtually impossible to travel on –– drivingthe quad bike for slug control was horrendous, for example. But operating a self-propelled Knight sprayer on landworked with the TopDown, the drivercould to go as fast as he liked.”

Time is very much at a premium for Mark Truman since he’s to run a contract silage making enterprise (i.e. wholecrop maize) in addition to hisdairy herd, and 1000ha of arable landand contracting operations, basedaround cereals and oilseed rape.

“We have some very heavy soils uphere which can put drilling under severe

pressure when the weather turns wet inthe autumn,” he says. “Reducing theamount of time it takes to prepare the land for drilling means we’re now able to make the most of the availabledrilling days.”

He tends to use the plough when ripping up pasture land but says he wanted a machine that could incorporatemuck and stubbles quickly –– in more orless any weather –– and also get rid ofslugs in OSR. “Running a plough andpower harrow unit was costing us a lot of money.

“We found that working theCarrier/Sumo combination could be aproblem in wet weather –– and we oftenhad to wait for dry days for the system to work well.” Initially, the 3m TopDownwas brought in to incorporate stubbles on the heavy clay land in mid-September,he says.

In a ‘normal’ season, Mark Trumanwould aim to have all of his OSR drilledby the end of September, but the weatherwas so bad last autumn that he’d onlymanaged to drill one 90ha block with the Sumo by the end of August.


s

http://www.ks-ukeire.co.uk

Mark Truman says his 3mTopDown will cover about20ha/day.

Yet in a demonstration arealast autumn, the TopDown produced a good stand ofrape –– despite the difficultconditions.

This autumn, he aims to gostraight in behind the combinewith the TopDown, and tohave all his combinable cropsdrilled by the end of October.

In-cab control“The TopDown was able towork well in very bad weatherconditions last autumnbecause each of the variouselements can be put into andout of work via cab-controlledhydraulics –– depending onthe situation. The Sumo wasgood on the lighter land but it was completely outclassedby the TopDown in all othersituations.

“In a perfect world, you’donly ever work the land in thebest conditions, but the realityis somewhat different.Pressure on the number ofavailable cultivation days,labour and machines meansthis approach isn’t practical.

“On a mixed farm, there’sno opportunity to leave theanimals in preference for the arable enterprise, so it’s a case of fitting it all in whenever we can.

“It’s a different story for ourcontracting customers though

as they need to know we can cultivate and drill the land at the best time to guarantee the optimum level of establishment.”

Mark Truman says the output from his 3m TopDown,pulled by a 230hp JohnDeere, is about 20ha/daywhich he reckons he wouldstruggle to achieve with theplough. “After ploughing, we’dnormally have to go back inwith the power harrow beforedrilling –– but with theTopDown, it’s possible to gostraight back in and drill.

“It actually makes a betterjob in one pass than two passes with the Carrier andSumo,” he believes. “All of theoilseed rape establishedbehind the TopDown andRapid in the autumn look veryhealthy –– especially the earlydrilled fields –– even thoughsome of it is suffering a bitfrom pigeon damage.”

The winter barley and second wheat establishedusing this system also lookgood –– despite the wet earlyautumn, he adds.

“Moreover, we’ve foundrape establishment tends tobe better where the seed isdropped behind the TopDownleg –– and in wet weather, thelength of the leg helps withdrainage.” The Sumo might be able to achieve the sameoutput as the TopDown butonly if the Carrier was used as well, he says.

“The faster you can go witha minimum tillage tool, thebetter job it’ll tend to do,”believes Mark Truman. “Trashand muck incorporation in theautumn are critical for theoptimum establishment andlast year, the Sumo just couldn’tcope in the wet unless wewent in with the Carrier first.

“Basically, the TopDown isdoing the job of both theSumo and Carrier.”

As a result, he’s now planning to reduce the areahe ploughs by about 80ha ––mainly on land where there’smuck to incorporate. n


http://www.kuhn.co.uk

Between 2000 and 2001, one Norfolk farmingestate made some tough management decisions

and embarked on a radical restructuring planthat today sees the 1,100ha enterprise employing

just three staff and three tractors.

By Mick Roberts

‘It saves fuel, automatically matches the speed with the conditions and prevents the

tyres from scrambling.’

he decision to shift to a ‘risk averse’farming strategy at the Lexham HallEstate at the start of the decade

introduced fundamental changes to thecropping and machinery fleet.

Farm manager, Chris Nattriss, implemented the changes to meet thechallenges of the uncertain future whichagriculture was facing at the time.

Today, WRB Foster & Partner’s LexhamHall Estate, near Swaffham farms around1,100ha of land with three full-time staff–– two operators plus Chris Nattriss, whohas a hands-on role.

“And although we have two full-timeemployees, one of them disappears in the autumn to operate the harvester forour sugar beet group*,” he says. “Thebeet lifting campaign generally starts inSeptember and lasts until February, whichmeans there are just two of us left on the farm.”

Estate favours ‘riskaverse’ strategy

The estate’s soil types range from blowing sand to heavy boulder clay ––sometimes in the same field, he continues.That means the cropping is set out in twofairly distinct rotations, with the heavierland growing beans/wheat/rape/wheat, and the lighter land –– which is servicedby three irrigation bore holes –– growingsugar beet/barley/OSR/barley, plus an area let out for potatoes.

Beet for beansCurrently, the farm has just under 100haof sugar beet, although the previous planincluded a further 60ha of beet. “Havingsome apprehension about growing beet on boulder clay, I managed to secure avery high price for winter beans last July.With beet prices down to £24/t last year, I switched that 60ha of land out of beetand into winter beans instead, which were sold forward for a good price.

“It’s extremely questionable growingbeet for that kind of money on heavy boulder clay –– although the price hassince improved slightly.”

The weather also had an influence on the decision to reduce the beet area,admits Chris Nattriss. “The farm has had a total of 2,500mm of rain over the pastthree years, with 375mm falling in thisyear’s beet lifting season alone.”

He also forward-sold some winter barleyfor “very good money” and decided toreduce the wheat area to take advantageof the strong barley price.

Adjusting the rotation and taking

T


Chris Nattriss no longer grows potatoes ordaffodils in the interests of eliminating risk.“The pig unit is also let out.”

advantage of good futures prices helpsChris Nattriss under-pin a proportion of thefarm’s future income, he believes. “This isjust one part of the risk averse strategywe’ve been adopting since the start of thedecade –– at which time agriculture wasfacing some big uncertainties.

“We looked carefully at our operatingcosts back then –– and at the futureprospects for agricultural produce –– and took the decision to become more risk averse.

“We basically removed the high riskcrops –– potatoes and daffodils –– anddecided to let out the pig unit at the same time.”

The farm sold all of its potato equipment,and a self-propelled sprayer, as well asseven tractors and a telescopic handler.“Sadly, it also meant a reduction in thenumber of staff employed.”

At the same time, Chris Nattriss put inplace a new machinery replacement policywhich states simply that “every poundspent on new equipment has to produceat least 30% more output”.

The seven previous tractors werereplaced with four new Fendts, which the estate believes offered the technology

and performance to meet the extra output target. Local dealer, Randell NFM, supplied two 220hp 920s, a 160hp 716 and a 150hp Xylon with a de-mountsprayer unit.

Precise cost/hrAt the same time as upgrading his tractor fleet, Chris Nattriss was looking tofix his exact expenditure for the next fiveyears with a transparent cost/hr for all fieldoperations. “By fixing the precise cost/hrfor all the tractors, it meant we couldbudget more precisely, as well as beingsafe in the knowledge there would be nonasty surprises in future.

“I provided a shopping list to the dealerand asked them to come back with a totalcost for five years for the lot,” he explains.The list included features such as a five-year warranty –– with full servicing,oils, lubricants and labour –– plus dualwheels for all tractors, and row crops fortwo of them, as well as interest cost on the finance.

“You need to remember that thingswere looking pretty grim back then. Itseemed that the only way forward was to not only restructure our farming

operations, but also work with as manyknown costs as possible.

“We chose Fendt tractors because wefelt that the Vario transmission alone wascapable of providing the 30% outputincrease we were looking for to match our new replacement policy target.”

The depth to which Chris Nattriss goesto when costing equipment is illustrated in his approach to tyres: “Taking tyre s

http://www.simba.co.uk

Farm factsWRB Foster & PartnersLexham Hall Estate,Nr Swaffham,Norfolk

l Area: 1,104ha (in-hand)

l Staff: Two full-time plus manager (plus seasonal casuals)

l Cropping:Winter barley: 242haWinter oilseed rape: 168haWinter wheat: 122haSpring barley: 109haWinter beans: 91haSpring rape: 47haSugar beet: 97haPotato land let: 58haMaize: 14haplus 134ha of permanent pasture

l Establishment equipment:10f Kverneland RW-100, variable-widthplough4m home-built tillage train combining aseven-leg subsoiler with Simba MK2 discs and a trailed razor-ring press 2x 6m Väderstad NZA cultivators with levelling boards12m Lemken Solitair drill

Mainline tractors:330hp Fendt 930 Vario TMS (2004) (5,700hr)210hp Fendt 920 Vario (2001) (6,500hr)185hp Fendt 818 Vario TMS

Combine:Claas Lexion 480 with 7.5m Vario header

Sprayer:36m trailed LandQuip Trailblazer with 6,200-litre tank

Handler:Claas Scorpion

The Fendt 930’s Vario transmission andpower capacity has resulted in 30% moreoutput, believes Chris Nattriss.

wear as one simple example, we foundwe were getting nearly 40% more tyre lifefrom the Fendts simply because of theVario transmission.

Tyre targets“That may not sound much until yourealise we set a maximum target of£1.93/hr for tyres on our main tractor, the 930 –– and its first set of tyres actuallycost £1.48/hr. This may still seem like a lot of money at first –– and it is, until youdiscover that this figure is actually 80p/hrless than the smaller tractor it replaced.”

But even after making these bigchanges eight years ago, the farm hasbeen forced to tighten its belt again –– with the regrettable loss of anothermember of staff.

Other changes have resulted in theXylon and demount sprayer unit beingreplaced with a Landquip Trailblazertrailed sprayer. “Increasing the workingwidth from 24m to 36m providing animmediate 34% working width bonus.”

Chris Nattriss often drives the sprayerhimself and says it’s capable of covering1ha of land in just 69 seconds. “That’sobviously a spot rate for linear spraying butit does show the massive gains that arepossible, and how we’re able to stick toour 30%+ machinery replacement policy.”

The sprayer is pulled by a Fendt 920Vario and in 2004, one of the original 920s was traded in at 6,500hrs for a new

310hp, 930 Vario TMS which is now themain tractor on the estate, having clockedup about 5,500hrs.

Seedbed preparationThis tractor is operated by Barry Johnson–– the staff member who stays at the farmduring the beet campaign. As the ‘primemover’, it’s kept busy throughout the year,starting with seedbed creation in the period following harvest.

Barry Johnson says he’s very happywith the tractor and the technology it offers–– allowing him to work more efficientlyand economically. He’s also impressedwith the level of standard specification,including front linkage and control valves.

“It’s the small, but important, detailsthat other tractors don’t offer that canmake a big difference.

“For example, we really appreciate the double-acting front and rear linkageswhich we use to power down and raise thewhole tractor off the ground quickly andsafely. This really helps when putting onand removing the dual wheels.

“We simply lift up the tractor and fit thewheels using a special carriage –– makingwhat can be a hard and difficult job verymuch easier. Similarly, the front linkagemakes it a lot easier to fit and remove the front weight block.”

The Vario transmission really lives up to expectations and combines ease of operation with good fuel economy,continues Barry Johnson. “You’re simplynever in the wrong gear. I often work withthe Cruise Control (TMS) set to about 16%in heavy draft work and this sets the limitthat the engine can labour down to beforeit changes the speed.

“It saves fuel and automatically matchesthe speed with the conditions –– also preventing the tyres from scrambling.

“The Vario is also just brilliant to workwith –– your hand never leaves the joysticklever. I also like the Vario Terminal which I use to set the implements and controlthe operations. We also use its ISObusfunctions to control the new plough.”

A ten-furrow Kverneland RW-100plough is the estate’s latest machineryacquisition. It replaces a six-furrowLemken variable-width model that waspreviously powered by the same tractor.

It might at first appear that the outputgain from shifting from six to ten-furrows is an obvious way to fulfil the farm’s policy.

“But for wet winter ploughing aftersugar beet or beans, six-furrows on ourheavy land is plenty enough –– even forthe 930. It allows us to continue to work

without excessive wheel-slip or creating amess,” explains Barry Johnson. “But thedifficulty is that six-furrows is nowherenear enough to exploit the full potential ofthe tractor in autumn conditions on thelighter land, where it’s output is restrictedto just 12-15ha/day.”

After searching for a solution, he foundthe Kverneland PW/RW plough range on the internet –– essentially combiningtwo separate ploughs on one chassis. “We knew we had enough power to pull ten-furrows on the light land but stillneeded to reduce that down for the lateploughing on the heavier soils. This ploughprovided the ideal answer.”


s

Barry Johnson likes the way everything isclose to hand in the 930’s cab –– with alloperations set and controlled on the Varioterminal and joystick.

The RW-100 is built as two separateunits, with the estate opting for a configuration that has a rear four-furrowsection mounted to a three-point linkagefixed behind the semi-mounted, six-furrowfront unit. Both parts of the plough can beseparated and operated independently, aseither an on-land or in-furrow unit on twoseparate tractors.

‘Three-in-one’“It really is three ploughs in one and itsvariable-width facility offers even greaterflexibility,” explains Barry Johnson. “Weplough with ten-furrows when the going isgood, then drop off the rear four to ploughthe heavier land with the front six.

“If the conditions get really bad, we canpark up the six-furrow section and simplytickle along with the rear four-furrow unit.

Potential output for this set-up has now risen to a “comfortable 20ha/day”, he continues. “With the ten-furrows set at500mm apart, the plough turns over a 5mswath of soil in one-pass on lighter land.

“With a working speed of about10km/hr, it produces a comparableworkrate to a wide cultivator.”

The combination of the Fendt’s Variocontrol terminal, ISObus functions and the

plough’s own automatic turning sequencemake headland turns easier than it mayfirst appear. The system uses sensors onthe turnover mechanism, combined with a time-based programme to manage the turning process.

“I set the time and flow for the hydraulicsystem on the Vario terminal and haveprogrammed the joystick to operate theplough functions. For example, the red + button operates the top link, the green +button turns it over and the wheel is programmed to raise and lower theplough automatically.

“When I finish a bout, I flick the ‘linkageraise’ button then touch ‘end’ and theturning sequence starts.”

The rear plough wheels lift, the top linkis pulled in, and the rear plough linkagelifts the back section. The front ploughrolls into the butterfly position for the headland turn, and the rear plough turnsright over for the next pass.

When the tractor is back in the furrow,Barry Johnson hits the ‘Go’ button and theplough turns back into work, with the frontplough wheels lowering first, then the rearlinkage lowering the four-furrow backplough a certain distance later.

“It means I can make the headland

turn sequence simply by pressing three buttons.”* The ‘Jutting’ sugar beet group wasrecently formed by Chris Nattriss and several neighbouring growers, keen to pool their labour and equipment resources.It stands for ‘Joined Up Thinking ToIncrease Net Gains’. n


‘Some growers may not realise justhow steeply costs have risen during

the past four years.’

piralling input costs are puttingpressure on potato growers to consider new ways of improving

their management efficacy.“But it’s very difficult for growers to

calculate their precise production costswith every crop and business being so different,” believes Jay Wootton ofAndersons. “The starting point is very difficult to define.

“There’s a wide range of costs to factor-in with potatoes –– not just thosewhich are dependent on the soils and systems involved –– with many of them to do with the management practices oneach farm.” That isn’t true to the sameextent with wheat costings, he adds.

“Some growers are producing potatoeson land which they own, so they aren’tlooking at the ‘opportunity cost’ of theland. Others are growing crops using theirown capital, with no finance costs to factorin.” For that reason, it’s often unrealistic to compare different potato growing enterprises, he says.

However, Jay Wootton notes that it’s arelatively straight-forward task to calculatethe variable input costs involved since

S

Potatoes in FocusPotatoes in Focus

Should growers consider cutting back on plantingsthis year to maximise their marketable yield?

By Jo Palmer

Accurately assessing potato profitability

they can easily be accessed via modernagronomy software.

“But to really see and understand the economics involved, growers mustincorporate all of the associated overheadsinto the calculation –– including labour,power, administration and property, plusrent and finance. Only then can you see how profitable, or not, a potato enterprise really is.”

He believes many growers are failing to include the full cost of storage withintheir production budgets. “Most wouldincorporate the running costs, such aselectricity and labour, but not capital or depreciation.

“Yet many potato stores were built up to thirty years ago and now need replacing–– and that will require considerable extracapital investment.”

The banks may not be as receptive asthey were in the past, believing potatogrowing to be a high risk enterprise, hewarns. “Potatoes and pigs tend to makebankers uncomfortable so if you’re relyingon obtaining these funds, it will help tokeep your bank manger well informed.

“Those might sound like harsh wordsbut I feel that parts of the industry are livingoff their past investments and resources ––many of which aren’t fully costed.” Hebelieves that more financial discipline isneeded to get a realistic view on which tobase future cropping decisions.

Jay Wootton believes the majority of

potato growers would estimate the cost of growing pre-pack potatoes at around£140-150/t. “At that level, some mayappear to be growing potatoes profitably–– but in many cases, the figure might not include rent, finance or storage.

“The reality is that around £20-40/t is probably not properly accounted for –– bringing the real cost of productionnearer to £160/t.”

However, he acknowledges that processing potatoes can be grown for around £40/t less than that figure.

Realistic costHaving gauged a realistic overall cost ofproduction per tonne, Jay Wootton turns toindividual input costs to see how thesehave changed. “In truth, they’ve probablyincreased by around a quarter from 2004to 2008 –– which is more than inflation.”In 2004, he put the cost of production ofprocessing potatoes at around £110/t.

“Last summer, we predicted that theincrease in the growing costs would be inthe region of 17-22% for this year’s crop,compared with 2008 –– equivalent to£1,000/ha extra.” This has subsequentlybeen revised to 12-15% –– with anassumption that energy, fertiliser andfinancial costs were secured at a reasonable rate, he says. “Some growersmay not realise just how steeply costs have risen during the past four years.”

Jay Wootton believes that if more potatoes are grown on the Continent thisyear –– “which could easily be the case”–– it will put extra pressure on the marketand may result in an over-supply situation.

“Consequently, this pressure could be reflected in a slight decline in UK production overall.


“Without wishing to sound gloomy,some potato growers could be embarkingon a risky journey this season if they don’tfully realise the impact of these escalatingcosts.” He believes the viability of manyenterprises is being seriously challengedfor that reason.

“For some, it’s time to make that difficult decision on whether or not to continue with the crop.”

Avoid marginal landOne way of helping to maintain profitabilityis to avoid planting potatoes on marginalland, he concludes. “By growing the cropon suitable land only, there’s a betterchance of producing high yields and goodtuber quality –– and the overall profitabilitycan thereby be improved.

Rob Hughes of Brown and Co agreesthat economies of scale in potato production are important. “If you’re struggling to lift some areas of a field, they may not be worth planting in the first place.”

Moreover, the rotation should beplanned to try to avoid fields which need nematacides if possible, he adds.

Brown and Co has been studying operating and input costs for potato enterprises for the past few years and has concluded that the major input andoperating cost changes will impact ongross margins overall.

“But only by understanding thesechanges fully will growers be in a betterposition to decide their future direction.”

The biggest cost hike has been themassive upward movement of fertiliserprices, he notes. “Our analysis shows nearto a 300% increase in the fertiliser costsfrom 2007 to 2009. And although there’sbeen easing in the nitrogen situationrecently, there’s been little downwardmovement in P and K costs –– with mostof this season’s nitrogen being bought ataround £320/t anyway.

“Although the occasional smaller growermay consider taking a P and K ‘holiday’,the majority are in the market for the longhaul –– hence they won’t reduce their fertiliser inputs because they want tomaintain the land in good order –– and to grow high yielding, good quality crops.”

Rob Hughes believes fertiliser pricescould have a significant impact on growers’ cashflow this season. “Mostbought their fertiliser early on and manysuppliers wanted either immediate payments, or short-term credit deals.

“This could easily mean a substantialcash outlay over a period of 20 months

from the purchase date to recouping the outlay when the crop is sold.”

Finance is another important consideration, he continues. “Althoughinterest rates are very low at the moment,it’s not the affordability of finance but the availability which is the key issue. Bank managers generally don’t like risk –– but that’s how it is with potato production.”

He points out that the average potatoenterprise has a significant amount of capital tied-up in the business. “Take aprofessional grower with 200ha of potatoes–– and all the necessary kit, storage buildings and other assets –– with an average cost of production of £7,174/ha.That’s equivalent to around £1.4M tied-upin that one operation.”

Another area causing concern to

Many growers are failing to include the fullcost of storage within their productionbudgets, believes Jay Wootton.



s

http://www.headland-ag.co.uk


Fertiliser prices will have a significantimpact on many growers’ cashflow thisseason, believes Rob Hughes.

Rob Hughes is the cost of fuel. “Potatogrowing is heavy on fuel –– not just for the field operations but also for storageand transportation. Nine months ago, oil was $140 a barrel and although it’s substantially less now, it’s always going to be a volatile market.

“Growers shouldn’t be lulled into a falsesense of security and should continue todraw up realistic budgets for fuel.

“The transportation cost of getting to thefield, preparing the land and growing the

crop –– as well as delivering the produceitself –– can be much bigger than growersthink and they should therefore assessvery carefully the distances they’re prepared to travel. Down-time travellingbetween sites is costly and unproductive.”

With the high costs of kit, machinerydepreciation is also often ignored orunderestimated, believes Rob Hughes.“The specialist machinery needed forpotato growing is expensive and takes a considerable hit when it comes to depreciation. Growers need to account for this more realistically.”

Echoing the words of Jay Wootton, hebelieves many growers under-estimate thetrue cost of growing potatoes. “But in thecurrent climate, many more are waking up to it.”

Phil Bradshaw, supply chain managerfor the Potato Council agrees growersshould spend more time assessing theircosts. He’s currently looking for recruits to take part in a Business Improvementprogramme to gauge individual farm costsagainst industry standards.

“But you can’t start to manage your production costs until you make the effortto measure them, so the BusinessImprovement programme would be a

good place to start. This benchmarkingtool allows growers to calculate their production costs for previous seasons, as well as projecting costs for the forthcoming year.”

Phil Bradshaw is convinced that a better understanding of costs will providegrowers with the knowledge they need toplan for a more sustainable future. “It willensure that the correct marketing plansare made for each enterprise so the right decision can be made at contractsigning-time.” He claims that an increasing number of user groups are signing on as they realise the benefits.

As well as logging and comparing costs,the Potato Council has been focusing onways of removing costs from the systemwithout jeopardising yield or quality.

Knowledge transfer manager, RobClayton, points out that the only way toimprove management efficiency is to maximise marketable yields, whilst maintaining quality in-store. “These twocriteria are much more important that anyother criteria, such as reducing inputcosts. Without a good marketable yield as the foundation, the rest is just a side show.”

He believes the quest for more

From his base at West Forture, Drem nearNorth Berwick, East Lothian, Haig Hamiltonis planning to increase the area of potatoeshe grows from 182ha last season to 255hathis year.

J Haig Hamilton and Sons grows potatoesfor the pre-pack market and sells to four different processors –– Greenvale AP,Bartlett, the Cooperative and Branston ––with Maris Piper predominating, and withCultra, King Edward and Desiree grown as well.

The new variety, Vales Sovereign, willalso feature in the line-up this year, grownspecifically for Greenvale.

Total production was 10,000t last seasonand this year, it’s expected to be between12-13,000t, he says. “We normally storearound two-thirds of the crop in our ownfacility –– somewhere about 6,000t last year–– aiming to sell the whole lot by the end ofFebruary or the beginning of March.”

The weather has been the main obstacleto growing high marketable yields in the pastcouple of years, according to Haig Hamilton.“We’ve had two years of very high blightpressure and this has an impact, not just on

costs, but also on making sure the blightsprays are applied at tight enough intervalsto keep the disease at bay.

“We can’t afford to skimp at all when it comes blight. Quality is not negotiable, so the disease is a major concern for usevery year.”

The wet weather brought high levels ofslugs as well last year and this necessitatedan intensive slug pelleting programme, hecontinues. “Then at the end of the seasonwhen the weather turned very wet, we struggled to get the crop out of the ground,and this increased our labour and operatingcosts substantially.”

Haig Hamilton admits his fertiliser costswill be significantly higher this season.“Fertiliser is more than twice what it was –– we paid around £150/t for nitrogen forlast season but when we bought it for thisyear’s crop, it had reached £410/t.”Electricity and fuel costs were also higherthan usual last year, but these have bothdropped back now, he adds.

“The overall increase in costs has certainly put additional pressure on our profitability.”

Haig Hamilton emphasises the importance of attention to detail when growing potatoes. “You can’t afford to takeyour eye off the ball –– right through fromseed selection, seedbed preparation, planting, nutrition, slug and disease control, harvesting, storage to marketing.

“It’s important to implement an efficientand effective management programme andthen stick to it –– whatever the weatherbrings. You just have to accept it if you incurmore costs during the season –– particularlywhen the marketable yield is under threat.

“We had a good return from the potatoenterprise last year and I’m hoping it will beeven better this year.” His aim is to producethe best quality potatoes possible where the‘pack out’ percentage is high –– hence theprofitability is good.

“But what I can’t change is the weather!Nor can I influence the price of potatoes in the supermarkets. I would therefore urge buyers to look at their most loyal suppliers and pay a realistic price to the end producers. That way, we can all profitfrom potatoes.”

Potato area to increase this spring


s

Cost of production analysis2007 2008 2009 (projected)

Output £/ha £/ha £/ha

Yield (t/ha) 38.3 44.46 44.46

Price/t 140 153 160

Value 5362 6805 7116

Variable costs

Seed 692 702 692

Fertilisers 233 318 759

Sprays 440 383 395

Sundries 192 222 222

Total variable costs 1556 1625 2068

Operational costs* 3021 3417 3773

Total production costs (excluding land and finance)

Land costs 741 803 927

Finance 479 470 406

Total cost of production 5797 6314 7174

Net Margin -435 491 -58

* includes de-stoning, applications, grading, agronomy, irrigation, harvest and storage

Source: Brown and Co

l Try to understand the true cost of production per tonne and optimiseeach individual aspect –– including rent, finance and storage

l Monitor expenditure against budgeted costs on a regular basis

l Adopt stringent land selection criteria –– avoiding any marginal land, or parts of fields which are uneconomic

l Consider growing 5% less than the area originally planned to maximise the marketable returns from the remaining area

l Prepare a detailed energy audit from planting through to storage

l Be aware of the trading risks in the current market

l Aim to minimise debt and manage risk

l And if the figures don’t add up, make the right financial decision for your farming business as a whole

Cost management targets

Potato profitability can be enhancedthrough the elimination of marginal land,suggests Rob Clayton.

marketable yield should start with moreefficient use of seed. “Following severalyears of work with Cambridge UniversityFarm, we’ve developed new seed ratetables which ensure that the optimumseed density is planted for any given crop.

‘More sophisticated’“They take into consideration the market,seed history and chronological age so theplanting density can be modified ––whichis a much more sophisticated approachthan the old MAFF tables.” It should leadto a reduction in seed costs of between£50-100/ha, he predicts.

“We’ve also been looking at the possibilities of saving fertiliser costs byfine-tuning crop nutrition inputs. When the new RB209 is published, there will bea new lower limit for nitrogen in potatoesand savings could potentially be made inthis area.

“The new recommendations are a lotmore subtle and don’t always depend on a particular breakeven ratio.” The PotatoCouncil’s own Fertiliser Manual is due to be published this spring –– puttingnitrogen, phosphate, potassium and magnesium, as well as FYM, into one document which should make nutrientplanning much easier, he says.

Rob Clayton reports that 85% of farmers questioned in a recent survey said the cost of fertiliser was either

‘important’ or ‘very important’ when considering variable costs. “Conversely,just 50% of farmers said they considercompaction to be ‘important’ or ‘veryimportant’, and just 35% said they thoughtaccurate application of irrigation water was‘important’ or ‘very important’.

“That indicates the high concern growers have about fertiliser costs at present –– perhaps a little too high in thescheme of things.”

Another area for improving efficiency is in eliminating marginal land, he suggests. “Headlands, and odd cornersand marginal parts of fields won’t be ableto achieve the same marketable yield asthe main body of the field.”

He believes controlling potato blight is still the key to producing the most marketable yield. “It can devastate theyield and cause havoc in-store. Growersshouldn’t look to scrimp on their blightcontrol programme but should plan forcomprehensive protection from plantingright through to harvest.”

The Potato Council, together with theFarm Energy Centre (FEC), has come up with several ways of saving energycosts in-store, whilst maintaining tuberquality. “The first step is to do an energymonitoring exercise so growers appreciatethe true costs involved, and are able to identify where improvements can be made.

“Relatively straight-forward tasks, suchas improving insulation, making better useof ambient air or changing the period of

time the fans are used, can make a significant difference to the energy costsoverall. For example, some stores had theirroof fans working on a four-hour cycle –– yetthe same temperature differential can beachieved using the fans for just half anhour.” Stores should also be loaded in sucha way as to maximise airflow, he adds.

Growers should also aim to review theirenergy contracts regularly and negotiatepreferable tariffs with their providers, heconcludes. “Electricity costs have been highbut they’ve since come back a bit. Theenergy market is highly competitive andthere are some good deals available.” n



4577 5042 5841

NIAB reports high levels of potatovirus Y (PVY) in farm-saved seed

potatoes this year.

gronomically, potatoes need a goodstart to attain the yield and qualityrequired for them to earn a decent

margin. So with the pressures on cropprofitability continuing to rise, what shouldgrowers be focusing on early-season toensure that this happens?

Good seed is essential if a high yielding,high quality crop is to be attained, saysAgrovista agronomist, Andy Steven, basedat Elgin in the north-east of Scotland.“Ideally, growers should be buying certifiedseed to guarantee the quality. Then once it’s delivered, they need to visuallyinspect the tubers for signs of disease or blemishes.”

He advises growers not to leave theseed in bags, but to transfer it into boxes

A


Seed-borne disease elimination, weed control and early blight prevention should be at the

forefront of growers’ minds.

By Jo Palmer

Early season priorities?

where the sprouts are protected, or plant itimmediately instead. “Good, vigorous seedshould have its eyes open, with numerous,strong sprouts at the time of planting.

“Growers should perform a thoroughinspection of the seed, looking out forsigns of rhizoctonia, powdery scab, common scab and soft rots. Even wherethey’re saving their own seed, they stillneed to inspect it to ensure that the qualityis good.”

Diagnostic tests are now available for a number of diseases, such as powderyscab and rhizoctonia, and for the variousseed-borne viruses, he notes.

NIAB reports high levels of potato virusY (PVY) in farm-saved seed potatoes thisyear –– with one-quarter of all samplesreceived testing positive for the virus, andwith one in 10 tubers infected at highenough levels to cause damage.

“For that reason, growers should haveany farm-saved seed tested for PVY andpotato leaf virus as a matter of routine.”

If there’s a risk of tuber disease, a seed


treatment such as Monceren (pencycuron)or Rhino (flutolanil) should be applied on the planter, continues Andy Steven.“This should be standard practice wheregrowers are planting early into cold soilswhen the risk of rhizoctonia is high.

Visual appearance“Moreover, if the crop is destined for the pre-pack market –– where the visualappearance is paramount –– a fungicidalseed treatment is also advisable. But whatever the end-market, damage toemerging stems as a result of rhizoctoniawill impact on the final yield, hence treatment will be worthwhile where the disease is present in the seed batch.”

He considers Monceren and Rhino tobe very good treatments –– with the latterhaving a slight edge when applied at fullrate, he believes.

Soil conditions are very variable acrossthe country this spring, notes Dr JohnKeer, potato specialist for Agrochemex.“But planting should only commencewhen the conditions are right.

“Any soil structure damage resultingfrom cultivating or planting in wet conditions is impossible to repair duringthe life of the crop, so growers shouldn’tuse the calendar date to plant potatoes.”

Darryl Shailes, root crop technical manager for Hutchinsons, agrees that thebiggest problem growers will have to dealwith this season is the condition of the soil.

“The old adage of ‘well sown is wellgrown’ will be particularly pertinent thisyear,” he believes. “Root crops don’t takecompaction well, so extra care is requiredto get the land into the best condition possible prior to planting.”

He also reminds growers to assess thesoil moisture deficit prior to planting so an appropriate irrigation plan can be put in place.

“Growers are likely to be planting potatoes into cold soils this spring andbecause of this, crops will be more susceptible to stem canker and blackleg(caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani)–– with potential damage to yields andtuber quality as a result.”

Rhizoconia can attack the emergingsprouts on the seed tuber and in somecases, prevent young plants from emerging, he warns.

“Growers need to be aware of thisincreased risk and act accordingly. The options are to use azoxystrobin (i.e. Amistar) pre-planting for soil-borne rhizoctonia, then to apply either flutolanilor pencycuron to the tubers to deal withthe seed-borne phase.”

Moreover, with recent changes on someproduct labels, it’s important for growers

to familiarise themselves with the manufacturers’ guidelines when usingthese treatments, says Darryl Shailes.

He also advises growers to be fullyaware of the new NVZ regulations, and to take into account any organic manureapplied to their potato land. “Moreover,growers should be fully up to date with thenew Stewardship Programmes for potatocyst nematode (PCN) treatments –– inparticular, making sure that all nematicidegranules are well incorporated into the soilpre-planting.”

‘Increasing risk’One increasing risk to crops is the free-living nematode Pratylenchus penetrans, he warns. “This is becomingan important pest –– particularly on sandyland –– and it manifests itself throughgappy emergence.” Some growers mayconfuse this scenario with rhizoctonia, but a soil test would confirm it either way,he adds.

Tests conducted so far this year areshowing very high levels of Pratylenchuson an increasing number of farms, warns Darryl Shailes.

“More usually associated with the symptoms of spraing, this free-living

“Get farm-saved seed tested for PVY andpotato leaf virus as a matter of course,”advises Andy Steven.


nematode (FLN) can also be confusedwith verticillum wilt. Knowing the field history, and also testing for FLN, could be important if soil conditions are right for infection.”

Andy Steven advises his growers tosample for FLN, and for PCN in warecrops as well. He also recommends the use of the newly developed soil s




“Planting should only start when theconditions are right,” says John Keer.

diagnostic tests for powdery scab andblack dot as well.

“Knowing this will give an indicationwhere there might be a problem so anappropriate action plan can be put in place–– including knowing the best varieties togrow in different fields, and where tubertreatments will have the most value.”

Pre-planting tasksHe adds that several tasks should be completed prior to planting. “Soil samplingshould already have taken place to give anindication of which fertilisers are required.With increased costs in this respect, it’sworthwhile tailoring inputs to actual cropneeds.” (also see feature on p54).

Soil conditions will be particularly important when it comes to weed controlthis spring –– particularly with more applications needing to be applied at thepre-emergence timing, says John Keer.“Growers are being forced to adopt a more complicated approach this year as a consequence of the loss of paraquat,together with the required application rate reduction with linuron.

“Such fundamental changes promptedme to suggest the need for some guidance from the Potato Council. As aresult, I carried out a series of trials lastyear which highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the various PDQreplacement products, as well as providingsome pointers on coping with reducedrates of linuron.”

John Keer explains that a lot of weedcontrol treatments were applied at 5-15%crop emergence in the past. “But now,more sprays will need to go on at the pre-emergence timing because of the limited range of contact herbicides available.

“Basta (glufosinate) is only recommendedpre- crop emergence, and Shark (carfetrazone-ethyl) is a tricky one since

the label says 10% emergence on maincrop varieties and 5% on earlies –– although in my opinion, the crop effectsare too severe for post-emergence use.

“Only Retro (diquat) has a recommendation similar to PDQ –– up to 40% emergence in maincrop varieties and 10% in earlies.

“But none of these contact herbicidesare as effective, or as broad spectrum, as PDQ used to be –– with the latter eliminating virtually all emerged annualweeds. The newer contact products allhave weaknesses –– particularly on grassweeds –– and have to rely on thecomplementary contact activity of one ortwo residuals to bring weed control levelsback up to an acceptable level.

For example, Retro is poor on grassesbut controls a useful range of broadleafweeds, says John Keer. “Similarly, Sharkhas a good broadleaf weed spectrum –– including black bindweed, cleavers, fat-hen and knotgrass –– but has littlegrassweed activity.”

“On the other hand, Basta is the best of the lot on grassweeds –– albeit not asgood as PDQ –– but it has some broadleafweed weaknesses.”

The second part of the ‘double whammy’ is the rate reduction of linuron to a maximum of 600g ai/ha, which ineffect makes it a “mixer only product”,he continues.

“This is only about half of what we used to be able to use and it really needsbolstering with other residuals to plug the weed control gaps that exist, and tomaintain the period of residual control.”

Wherever weeds have emerged, growers should note the species and make sure sufficient contact activity isavailable with the post-em herbicide mix,he advises.

Other residuals to consider are Defy(prosulfocarb), Artist (flufenacet+metribuzin) and Sencorex (metribuzin),continues John Keer. “All three bring goodgrassweed control to the party.

“Artist and Sencorex have the requiredcontact activity, together with a goodbroadleaf weed spectrum. Defy is thesafest of all the residuals and also gives decent grassweed and broadleafweed activity.

“However, it’s important that these residuals are paired up according to theweeds you’re tackling. In most situations,it’s necessary to have three herbicides inthe mix nowadays.”

Darryl Shailes agrees that weed control will be a key issue this season. “The most

popular approach was to tank-mix PDQwith linuron in the past but with PDQ’sregistration being annulled last year ––and with linuron’s dose rate now restricted–– it complicates matters further.

“The maximum dose of 1.2 l/ha of linuron is simply insufficient for good weed control so other active ingredientsneed to be brought in.”

He predicts increased use ofpendimethalin (e.g. Stomp), metribuzin,prosulfocarb and clomazone (Gamit) inpotatoes this year to expand the weedspectrum of linuron.

Moreover, he suggests tailoring thechoice of contact herbicide on a field-by-field bases. “PDQ usually got growers outof any problem but the newer optionsdon’t have the same timing flexibility, orthe width of weed spectrum.”

‘Be prepared’Andy Steven agrees agronomists need to be prepared to identify weed species on a field-by-field basis, then advise on the appropriate herbicide combinations.“In particular, annual meadowgrass andcouch tend to be difficult weeds to controland ideally, the latter should be controlledin the stubble prior to planting.

“Knowing the history of the field will behelpful –– but get out field walking niceand early as well.”

He uses a multiple tank-mix of two contact herbicides –– Quad (diquat) andShark –– plus two residuals –– Shotput(metribuzin) and linuron. “Linuron can only be used pre-emergence and it mustbe applied in a minimum of 300 l/ha ofwater unless the dose is reduced to maintain the same concentration.”

Andy Steven admits that annual meadowgrass has become a significantproblem in some potato rotations butbelieves Artist provides an “excellent solution”. He also advises the use of the specialist pre-emergence adjuvant, Grounded.

“Grounded improves the spray deposition pattern and increases the levelof adsorption onto soil particles –– keepingthe herbicide where it needs to be. Thisresults in better overall performance andimproved reliability of residual herbicides,and it also reduces the risk of drift.”

The next early management priorityshould be blight control, and this requiresgood planning and vigilance early on,believes John Keer.

“Gone are the days when we waited for the crops to meet within the row toapply the first blight spray. Potatoes now

s

Potatoes in FocusPotatoes in Focusneed protection from as soon as theyemerge, mainly because of the widespreadprevalence of the new blight strain.

“It appears to be more aggressive,being able to grow across the leaf muchquicker, and it can develop at lower temperatures and is therefore able toinfect the crop a bit earlier. Moreover, ithas a shorter latent period (by about half a day) and it has a quicker life cycle. All round, that makes it a moreaggressive pathogen.”

It now appears that the majority of blight populations contain this new strain(i.e. genotype 13), according to PotatoCouncil-funded monitoring and testing, involving ADAS, CSL, the Savari ResearchTrust, SAC and SCRI.

He points out that the phenylamide fungicide grouping (which includes metalaxyl) don’t control the new strain ofthe disease –– which means a rethink ofproduct choice is needed during the rapidgrowth phase. “But the good news is thatall other blight fungicides will control it –– and the other strains –– very well.”

Darryl Shailes concurs that growers arefacing more aggressive blight populationsthan ever this year. “This will necessitate

an even more robust blight programmeright from day one.

“Although blight pressure was lower lastseason than in the previous year, we’redealing with newer races of blight whichmultiply when it’s colder and infect thecrop even earlier. The crop is therefore atrisk from the day it emerges from theground, and growers need to be looking atlocal weather data and the various blightrisk assessments more carefully.

“Luckily, we now have a very strongselection of new fungicides which canoffer high levels of blight control. But westill need to use them at the right time in accordance with their different modes of action.”

Growers are therefore advised to reducethe level of disease early on. Andy Stevenscontinues: “Make sure the seed is freefrom blight, and control groundkeepers(i.e. volunteers) and dumps to minimiseany early blight inoculum.

“After last year’s harvest, there may bequite a few groundkeepers around. Somewill have been frosted off by the cold win-ter but there will still be some that bringinoculum into the crop early on.”

He tends to use the Potato Council’s


Blight populations are more aggressivethan ever this year, says Darryl Shailes.“This will necessitate an even more robustspray programme right from day one.

‘Fight against Blight’ website to help gaugethe blight risk in his area. “With this newaggressive blight strain, we need to be onour toes this season.

“Potato varieties aren’t as good as they used to be when it comes to innateresistance. In fact, most have been re-screened and have dropped a pointwhen it comes to resistance.” n

http://www.certiseurope.co.uk

‘This provides us with a basis fromwhich to variably apply the firsttop-dressing at tuber initiation.’

otato growers need to embrace thetechnology associated with GPSguidance systems, auto-steer and

precision fertiliser application if they’re toreduce their input costs and maximise theperformance of their equipment.

That’s the advice from Ralph Powell,sales and marketing manager for Grimme.“With massive investment already havinggone into improving our planting and lifting equipment, we’re now looking toincorporate the most sophisticated GPStechnology available to further enhanceour commitment to the cost-effective production of quality potatoes.”

He notes that an increasing number of growers have purchased bedformas and planters equipped with guidance systems in recent seasons. “However,the speed at which all these systems arebeing introduced is still relatively slow ––mainly because of the extra cost involvedand a general reluctance to change.”

He believes the momentum now lies with the tractor manufacturers todevelop systems that will cross-match on different types of equipment. “This willreduce the cost of the new technology and provide better continuity across thevarious in-field operations.”

P

Precision key to bottom-line


GPS technology could be a route to savings onfertiliser inputs. CPM investigates.

By Rob JonesThe future introduction of cross-

compatible control boxes –– led by agroup of manufacturers, including Grimme –– is steering the evolution of the newtechnology, continues Ralph Powell. “Byhaving an input within the developmentprocess, we can influence the delivery ofthe technology right from the start, ratherthan half-way down the road.”

The rapid evolution of the technologycouldn’t be more timely, with high fertiliser costs and increasing pressures on environmental compliance focusinggrowers’ minds, he believes.

According to East Anglian-based independent potato specialist, AndyAlexander, the volatility of fertiliser priceshas emphasised the need for more accurate N, P and K applications through precision-enhanced systems.

“The production of potato and vegetablecrops obviously involves relatively highinput costs, so we need to see much wideruptake of GPS technology to delivergreater efficiencies,” he says. “It wasn’tsuch a big issue when fertiliser costs werea quarter of what they are today –– butnowadays, it can make a huge differenceto the bottom-line.”

Andy Alexander believes there’snow significant scope for savings through GPS-guided fertiliser application.

“Regular soil testing for N, P and K istaking place on many farms nowadays but the applications are still too carteblanche,” he says. “Agronomists may


be using their knowledge to match thespecific needs of varieties to different soils and situations –– but in many cases, there’s just one blanket fertiliserrecommendation across the whole field.

“Yet variations in N, P and K residuescan be huge, so we need to see moregrowers tailoring their fertiliser inputs toactual crop requirements in specific areasof each field.”

He believes this season will be a challenging one for growers following such a wet winter. “Nutrient levels willneed to be spot on otherwise there couldbe a risk of crop failure, coupled withreduced efficiencies.”

Seasonal fertiliser inputs acrossGreenvale AP’s potato growing land inBerwickshire used to be based on theaverage field requirement, taken across20-30 farms. But now, with the aid of GPS technology, every hectare of land gets the precise amount of nutrient input it requires.

GPS assistanceDavid Lawson, of Greenvale GrowingDuns, says the entire 600ha of potatoeshe manages is now assisted by GPS technology in some way. “That includesimproved accuracy in ridging up prior to planting, variable rate P and K applications, and nitrogen dressings to the growing crop.”

Every hectare of land is sampled andtested using SOYL analysis during the winter months, with the information transferred onto P and K maps, he says.“A memory stick is then plugged into thefertiliser spreader’s electronic control boxso variable rate P and K applications canbe made.”

Potash is applied around eight weeksprior to planting, so it’s readily availablewhen the crop is planted, with phosphatebeing applied the day before planting –– both at variable rates according to the P and K maps, he says.

“One of the key things we’ve seen from using variable P and K applications is that there’s less variability in the groundwhen it’s tested each season. There’smore uniformity of indices across the fieldand consequently, more uniformity in thefinal yields.”

Crops also get a liquid soluble base rateof N, P and K injected into the drill fromthe Grimme planter when they go into theground, making sure it’s readily availablefor the young roots, says David Lawson.

Greenvale technical manager, EwanStark, says all potato crops get a flat rate s

of nitrogen at the start of the season, but further top-dressings are made on thebasis of N-Sensor calculations.

“The N-Sensor is attached tothe sprayer all-year-round andevery time it passes through acrop –– from crop emergenceonwards –– it will scan thechlorophyll levels in the foliagebelow, from which a map issubsequently produced,” hesays. “This provides us with abasis from which to variablyapply the first top-dressing attuber initiation, and subsequentvariable applications later on.”

Liquid nitrogenLiquid nitrogen may be appliedfrom the sprayer or, if higherquantities of N (above 5kgN/ha)are required, prills will bebroadcast from the spreader to avoid scorching the crop.

David Lawson says that, in addition to variable-rate and N-Sensor technology, thebusiness also uses hand-heldGPS technology to locate specific areas of fields for visual comparisons throughout the season.

“The big benefit to our adoption of GPS technology is that nitrates and phosphatesare now being applied to targetareas where they’re requiredmost, resulting in yieldimprovements where traditionally insufficient fertiliser was being applied.”

Ewan Stark continues:“There’s a reduction in theoverall application rates whereN, P and K aren’t required –– which obviously benefits us financially –– but moreimportantly, preventing theover-application of nitrogen and phosphate will greatlyreduce the level of leaching and fertiliser run-off into surrounding watercourses.”

Further technology enhancement has been incorporated within the sprayingoperations, he says. A Zynx system has been introduced to help achieve the optimumapplication by using GPS technology to control nozzle

activity by shutting-off nozzlesto reduce overlaps or sprayapplications to bare ground.

“This provides us with areduction in sprayed area of upto 20% per field as a result ––giving us confidence that wewon’t exceed any MaximumResidue Levels and allowing usto work exactly within our bufferzones; hence eliminating anychance of spray pollution.

“I can’t stress highly enoughthe importance of the system forenvironmental protocols as well.GPS is a strong environmentaldriver which is evolving at apace that, in the future, willhelp growers improve precisionfarming practices and furtherreduce any negative impactthat farming may have on theenvironment.

“It’s also reassuring to knowthat machinery manufacturersare embracing and developingprecision techniques, stayingone step ahead of the demandsof growers, so robust productscan be delivered to the marketwhen we’re ready to take thenext step.

“Zynx is a great tool for gathering different types of data for different aspects ofcrop input and development –– helping us to make the rightdecisions every time.”

GPS guidance also plays akey role in Roy Watson’s 140ha


“The volatility of fertiliser priceshas emphasised the need formore accurate N, P and Kapplications through precision-enhanced systems,” says Andy Alexander.

s


http://www.grimme.com


Roy Watson hopes to reduce his overallplanting time from five weeks to three. “It will also enable us to make the most ofthe seedbed conditions when they’re good.”

formation,” he continues. “You can endup with rows of various different widthsand this can also lead to the stone separators working less efficiently.”

His plan is to fit a Leica mojoRTK GPSguidance system to the bed-ridging tractorthis spring, making the operation totallyreliant on auto-steer guidance in the field.“The operator takes control of the tractor’ssteering on the headlands but once turnedaround and ready to enter the field again,he hits a button to engage the auto-steeronce more.

“This should result in far more evenbeds, making the depth control at plantingmore accurate –– with less greening of thecrop as a result.

“Moreover, it will put less stress on theoperator during bed-forming, resulting inmore productivity.”

Roy Watson already employs aReichardt sensor system on the front of his tractor at lifting time to guide the harvester down the rows automatically –– allowing the driver more time to lookbehind him to control the lifting operationson the harvester.

Moreover, all of the land destined forpotatoes is sampled each season to determine its pH level. “Four samples

per hectare are taken for pH testing oncethe previous crop has been harvested and, from this, a lime map is created andinputted into the spreader’s electronics toenable variable rate application.

“As well as leading to common scabproblems, low pH levels can lock-up traceelements within the seedbed.”

Roy Watson also tests for P and K ––with one sample taken per hectare –– andbelieves potash levels tend to have thegreatest variability of all nutrients. “We’vebeen variably applying potash for eightyears now, and the deficient areas are up to medium, which is about where we wantthem to be.” n

potato enterprise at Nether Careston farmnear Brechin, Forfarshire. He recentlyincreased his output by purchasing atrailed, four-row planter –– a GrimmeGL34T –– which replaced a two-rowmachine, with the goal being to reduce the overall planting time from five to three weeks.

“Planting timeliness is key to getting themost out of a potato crop –– with the moreyou can plant in a day maximising theopportunity of getting the seed tubers intothe right seedbed at the optimum time.

“It’s essential to plant in the best conditions,” believes Roy Watson. “By increasing the level of output, we can be more flexible on the days we chose to plant –– as opposed to having to go in less-than-ideal conditions justbecause time is against us.”

One of the biggest challenges followingthe arrival of the four-row planter has beenthe production of parallel beds with thebed-ridger to match those required by the planter.

“Our ridger completes one whole andtwo half beds with every pass but it’sobviously vital to precisely match up on the return journey down the field –– otherwise it can result in uneven bed


From the fieldFrom the field

Metaldehyde re-approvedAlthough metaldehyde recently gained re-approval for use in potatoes, growersneed to adapt their slug control programmesthis spring because of new restrictions on itsmaximum dose rate, as well as on-goingconcerns over water pollution.

David Cameron of DeSangosse, who markets a range of metaldehyde-containingslug pellets (including TDS, ESP and Pesta)says metaldehyde’s registration for use inpotatoes was revoked last year because of changes in maximum residue levelsacross Europe.

“We set about generating new efficacyand residue data, and this has resulted in a re-registration in time for this season.”

But potato growers will have to work within new usage parameters –– including a Harvest Interval of 21 days, a maximumindividual dose of 350g ai/ha, and a totalmaximum dose rate of 700g ai/ha for theseason as a whole, he says.

“Previously, there were no limits on thetotal amount you could apply, so metalde-hyde will now need to be integrated in acontrol programme with other products.”

As chairman of the ‘Get Pelletwise’ metaldehyde stewardship campaign(www.getpelletwise.co.uk), David Cameronstresses that good stewardship is essential if the active ingredient is to be retained infuture. “In particular, that means avoidingcontamination of water by spreading directlyinto ditches, and by spills and field run-off.

“If metaldehyde is found in water thisyear, we run the risk of losing it.”

Bayer CropScience –– which markets arange of methiocarb-based pellets –– is infull support of the campaign, which aims to raise the standards of handling and application of all molluscicides. SpokesmanPeter Stacey says: “It’s often forgotten thatslug pellets are still pesticides and they need careful handling for that reason. If theconditions aren’t good enough for spraying,then don’t pellet!”

He agrees that growers will need toinclude more methiocarb-based treatmentsand other molluscicides, such as ferricphosphate (Ferramol) or Nemaslug (a nematode-based product), in their treatment programmes this spring because of the metaldehyde restrictions.

He recommends the use of a 6m no-spread zone next to all field marginssince hedges and ditches are importanthabitats for slug predators. “Moreover,growers need to avoid having too manyclods in their seedbeds –– taking extra care when washing down the spreader after pelleting.

“Although methiocarb isn’t listed as acandidate priority substance for withdrawalunder the Water Framework Directive, growers should take care to avoidany spillages.”

“Methiocarb-based products are limited to a maximum of three full dose applications. This could be six half dose treatments, but development work indicates that you’re better off using twoor three full doses instead.”

He recommends that the first dose shouldbe applied at 50-75% canopy cover whenthe slugs are running out of food belowground level –– but while an even spread of pellets can still be achieved. “Growersshould keep monitoring crops –– and ifthere’s likely to be ongoing slug activity, a second treatment should be applied 3-4 weeks later.”

Once tubers start bulking up, slugs willreturn to below ground and no pellet will be effective after this stage, he advises. “You can still use Nemaslug at this time as the nematodes are washed down the soil profile.”

Check origin of manure before planting With apparent widespread interest in the use of manure to reduce fertiliser bills thisspring, growers are being warned to makesure that they check its origin first to avoidunintentional crop damage.

There have been several instances ofcrop damage during the past few years from residues of the grassland herbicideaminopyralid, says Robin Bentley, of Dow AgroSciences.

“Growers should establish that themanure hasn’t come from cattle fed onaminopyralid-treated forage,” he says.“Moreover, anyone intending to plant potatoes on land which was previously down to pasture should make sure that anaminopyralid-based herbicide wasn’t appliedthe season before.”

Visit www.manurematters.co.uk for more information.

Changing blight populations Potato blight populations continue to changeand the new strains are more aggressive,according to the latest results of the 2008GB Blight Survey.

Dr David Cooke of SCRI reports that ofthe 207 blight outbreaks in 2008, 91% were found to have A2 genotypes present in the population, with the ‘blue 13’ straindominating. That compares with 82% in2007 and 71% in 2006.

He confirms that the A2-13 strain is nowfound consistently across all geographic

regions of Great Britain –– also tending to be predominant from the earliest outbreaks.“That means these strains are now likely to be present from day one.”

Recent Potato Council-funded research,which involved SAC, SCRI, SRT, ADAS and CSL, looked at the aggressiveness of different blight populations. “This is definedas the capacity of the genotype to causecrop damage, and how difficult it is to control –– with the A2-13 strain found to be the most aggressive out of eight genotypes tested.

“It tended to cause larger lesions andtook less time to sporulate –– also appearingto flourish at lower temperatures.

David Cooke believes this has implicationsfor blight management this season. “Sprayprogrammes will need to start earlier withsystemics, such as propamocarb (as inInfinito), being included to help preventresistance.

“Spray intervals will also need to be kepttight when the blight pressure is high.”

New cartridge for longer accuracyA new long-life, pre-set Nemathorin (fosthiazate) cartridge is now available for more consistent granule metering and reduced running costs.

The polymer cartridges are claimed to be easy to install and are designed by the application specialist, Apcal, to maintain accurate application for over 35ha per outlet.

Tom Whitworth of Syngenta says:“Nemathorin is effective in minimising yield loss and crop damage from soil pests,including PCN, wireworm and the effects of spraing. Accurate application and evenincorporation is crucial to achieve the best results.”

New operating instructions An increase in the number of nematicidecontainers being returned contaminated or damaged is putting the Ultima closed-handling system under pressure.

Dr Bill Lankford of Bayer CropSciencesays it’s now a regulatory requirement fornematicides, such as Mocap (ethoprophos),to be supplied in closed-transfer packs onlyto help engineer-out the risk of operatorexposure when filling the applicator hoppers.“Yet the mistreatment of the containers isnow putting the future of the system at risk.”

To help operators use the system safelyand effectively, Bayer has produced a newbooklet entitled Operating instructions;Ultima Closed Handling System.Visit www.bayercropscience.co.uk to download a copy.


http://www.getpelletwise.co.uk

http://www.manurematters.co.uk


http://www.upleurope.com

page 42 eliminating risk - cpm magazine...warning – gm is safe when you look at the gm debate in...

Documents