Andrew Hebditch
Justin Blackwood
Justin Blackwood farms
770ha (1900 acres) from
Grange Farm, Great
Brington, Northants, on a
range of farming
agreements. Cropping
hinges around winter wheat,
plus winter barley, rape,
peas, oats and occasionally
linseed
FINE weather in recent days has at last allowed us to get on with our spray programme.
Advanced wheats had the first half of a split plant growth regulator programme before the wet April weather, but a revised one-hit programme was needed on the remainder. A mix of Moddus (trinexapac-ethyl) at 0.2 litres/ha plus a reduced rate of chlormequat went in with Landmark (epoxinconazole + kresoxim-methyl) at 0.5-0.6 litres/ha plus 0.25 litres/ha of Patrol (fenpropidin) where mildew is present or the variety is susceptible. Eagle (amidosulfuron) at 20g/ha is being used to mop up small cleavers or oilseed rape where necessary.
The winter peas were eventually drilled at the end of March. They are emerging evenly and with great vigour. No residual herbicide went on as they are on heavy land and I thought it would be too dry to get effective results. As a result now we will use Pulsar (bentazone + MCPB) and Fortrol (cyanazine), possibly as a split dose treatment, to control broad-leaved weeds.
Such late drilling of winter peas also jeopardises the mid-July harvest, one of the crops main advantages. Mid-August looks more likely this year.
Our oilseed rape is almost in full flower. Half of it is industrial high erucic acid rape (HEAR) which tends to be a few days later to flower. This was treated with UK413 (tebuconazole + mbc) plus chlormequat at stem extension for disease control and more importantly as a growth regulator to prevent early lodging. This is especially important with most of the HEAR varieties.
I believe the sclerotinia risk is high this year, especially with our rotation which includes peas and beans. So we are going to spray in flower at approximately 10 pods set per raceme with Compass (iprodione + thiophonate-methyl) plus cleared formulations of cypermethrin. Magnesium sulphate at 5kg/ha will be added.
All we need now is our high clearance tyres for the JCB. Sam Morton has promised he will deliver them tomorrow. I only hope this fine weather holds.
Lloyd Jones
Lloyd Jones farms 175ha
(430 acres) at Hall Farm,
Westbury, Shropshire.
Cereals and potatoes are
rotated with grass and he is
an NFU council member.
Buildings house potato and
cereal seed dressing lines
WEATHER has still managed to dominate proceedings here in the past month and has hampered clearing up spring planting.
However, spring barley has emerged quickly and is growing well. Barbara linseed is in the ground and will hopefully emerge faster in this warmer weather to make up for later drilling. Potato planting ground to a halt but we should be back in action over the bank holiday.
Spraying is up to date, though we have had to dodge frosts and rain. Moddus (trinexapac-ethyl) was applied to oats for the first time as Terpals (ethephon) recommendation appears to have been withdrawn. Fortress (quinoxyfen) will hopefully keep the crop clear of mildew through to harvest, and they should be on course to match last years yield of 8.6t/ha (3.5t/acre). Sadly that was more than the wheat.
Bryce, our agronomist, recommended we mix Fortress and Landmark (epoxiconazole + kresoxim-methyl) on the wheat too, in an attempt to boost our crops resistance to mildew which tends to be a big problem here in the wetter west. Where crops are thin, or following oats last year, we have increased the rate of Cheetah S (fenoxaprop-P-ethyl) for wild oats from the usual 0.5 litres/ha to 0.6 litres/ha.
Winter barley received a mix of Amistar (azoxystrobin) plus Corbel (fenpropimorph) and is now at ear emergence. Hopefully the next machine in the field will be our new combine!
We could do with catching up on field work as it is our County Show – The Shropshire and West Midland – in two weeks time. Besides a social and business occasion, our County NFU uses the opportunity to meet the public and perhaps dispel some of the myths and concerns they have over the food we produce and the countryside we farm.
Last year the focus was on pesticides. This year it will be sheep, with shearing, spinning, and weaving demonstrations, plus displays of sheep meat, and other species of animals all in one marquee. Why not call in and see us?
Jim Macfarlane
Jim Macfarlane is farm
manager at Edrington
Mains, Foulden,
Berwickshire. Two thirds of
the 330ha (815-acre) unit
is arable, with winter wheat
the main breadwinner,
complemented by malting
barley, winter rape and peas
AS SOON as I boasted about how well our wheat looked last month it started to show signs of manganese deficiency. Two fields limed last year really looked quite sick by the time it was dry enough to spray. Although the deficiency itself is cheaply rectified, it is a sure sign that these crops are poorly rooted. That doesnt bode well for a bumper season.
Barley always needs manganese here, and this year I have used manganese seed-dressing on all the spring barley as deficiencies often show before there is much leaf to take up a spray. It is certainly looking well despite severe frosts and five days of fog which allowed the slugs to feast. But I shouldnt say that – the crop will probably keel over now!
Most unsprayed winter cereals are still remarkably weed-free; I can only imagine the capped and slumped soil prevented germination. Starane (fluroxypyr) on the headlands will be the only herbicide used in these fields and Im quite happy to tolerate the odd weed for a welcome £11/ha (£4/acre) saving.
Nearly all the nitrogen is on. Chariot and Optic spring barley has had all its 100kg/ha (80 units/acre) but Maresi for the high-nitrogen malting market will get a further 40kg/ha (32 units/acre) at stem extension. Hopefully this will boost yield and compensate for the lower premium over feed.
Like most farmers I detest paperwork. I am happy to spend time on IACS forms as they are worth lots of money. I even tolerate Scottish Quality Cereals administration as most of it is needed for our records anyway. But Local Environment Risk Assessments for Pesticides – LERAPs? No-thanks!
Water courses do need protection but this carry on is too complicated. Here we have tackled buffer-zones by eliminating them. No crops are sown within 6m of any water course. These strips are in the excellent Scottish Countryside Premium Scheme, generate £400/ha (£160/acre), and work wonders for wildlife. I also have more chance of staying sane.
Andrew Hebditch
Andrew Hebditch farms
285ha (700 acres) of
owned, tenanted and
share-farmed land at Coat,
Martock, Somerset. Silt
and clay soils support
winter wheat, barley and
oilseed rape, plus spring
peas, linseed and beans
APRIL was a month of extremes: A warm and showery start was followed by 100mm (4in) of wet, heavy snow, then 50mm (2in) of rain, and finally near 20C (68F) temperatures at the end of the month.
Winter oilseed rape is now in full flower and looks a promising crop. Columbus lodged slightly under the weight of the snow, but hopefully no lasting damage was done, and Apex is still all upright. About 40% of the crop was treated with 2.0 litres/ha of Compass (iprodione + thiophanate-methyl) at early petal fall to ward off sclerotinia. The rest is considered low risk so was left unsprayed.
Linseed and combining peas have emerged evenly and seem to be growing away well. Broad-leaved weeds will soon have to be tackled in the linseed, probably with a low rate of Ally (metsulfuron-methyl). Pre-emergence Opoguard (terbuthylazine + terbutryn) is still working in the peas, but in two fields some redshank and fat-hen have survived. There are 50 weeds/sq m in places so we will have to bear the cost and apply a post-em, probably Basagran (bentazone), on the 9ha (23 acres) affected.
All wheat has had its fungicide at GS32. On the whole crops are on course for target yields, so we went with Landmark (epoxiconazole + kresoxim-methyl) at 0.5 litres/ha. With extreme septoria pressure and some yellow rust in a lush field of Riband already, the chemical will be put to a stiff test. Cheetah S (fenoxaprop-P-methyl) at 1.0 litre/ha went in the tank-mix to combat wild oats plus 1.25 litres/ha of Cycocel (chlormequat + choline chloride) to keep things upright. As an extra precaution on Hussar and Charger 0.15 litres/ha of Moddus (trinexapac-ethyl) was added.
Recently I spotted contractors for the local council back-pack spraying on our recreation ground. Yet I could not see any signs to alert the public to the fact. I thought any application in a public place, including footpaths across our land, needed to be sign-posted. Are we all working to the same rules?