AGRONOMIST CHALLENGE
AGRONOMIST CHALLENGE
FIRST class agronomy is vital to maximise efficiency on every arable farm. Not only does it help achieve the best financial returns, but it also helps ensure applications do not fall foul of usage regulations.
How that is achieved is down to individual choice. Maybe you get trained and do it yourself, with or without the support of a research organisation. Or maybe you employ an independent adviser or buy advice with your products from a distributor.
Whichever you choose, the person responsible for the agronomy should have all the facts at their fingertips. So here are 10 topical questions for you to quiz your agronomist with, or indeed yourself, to ensure the knowledge you are relying upon is up to scratch.
1 Which wheat best suits which drilling date?
Wheats: Savannah, Charger, Claire.
Drilling dates: Early Sept, late Sept, mid-Oct.
2 Which nozzle and volume should be used to apply Topik (clodinafop-propargyl) to control 2-3 leaf blackgrass in winter wheat?
A Air induction flat fan nozzle at 100 litres/ha.
B Low drift flat fan nozzle producing medium spray quality at 200 litres/ha.
C Conventional flat fan nozzle producing fine spray quality at 100 litres/ha.
D Hollow cone nozzle producing medium spray quality at 200 litres/ha.
3 How close to the top of the bank of a watercourse can cypermethrin be applied for autumn aphid control in cereals:
a) when the water course is dry at the time of application
b) when the water course is 2m wide at the time of application?
4 Which of the following tank mixtures is incompatible?
A Laser + Sanction + Fastac.
B Falcon + Punch C.
C Laser + Derosal WDG.
D Falcon + Dow Shield.
Laser = cycloxydim. Sanction = flusilazole. Fastac = alpha-cypermethrin. Falcon = propaquizafop. Punch C = carbendazim + flusilazole. Derosal = carbendazim. Dow Shield = clopyralid.
5 Which of the following products are classified as LERAPS category B?
A Lexus 50 DF (flupyrsulfuron-methyl).
B Kerb 50 W (propyzamide).
C Panther (ipu + dff).
D Stomp 400 SC (pendimethalin).
6 Where slugs are known to be present, which application timing of slug pellets is likely to provide the best result in protecting a wheat crop?
A Broadcast imediately after drilling.
B Ad-mixed with the wheat seed at drilling.
C Broadcast 2-3 days prior to drilling.
7 How much does an over-wintered stubble, followed by a conventionally grown crop, earn in a Countryside Stewardship Scheme?
8 A 10t/ha wheat crop, with straw baled and carted, typically removes how much potash?
A 80kg/ha.
B 100kg/ha.
C 120kg/ha.
9 What is the target temperature to cool wheat to for long-term storage?
10 Your wheat seed has a thousand grain weight of 55g, and you expect 75% establishment. How many kgs/ha should you sow to achieve 200 plants/sq m?
Answers in Aug 30 issue of farmers weekly.
Is your adviser a mustard man or a bit of a muddler? Try our agronomy quiz to find out.