CHEM-COCKTAIL:BESTMARGINS
CHEM-COCKTAIL:BESTMARGINS
RESULTS from an independent trial using half-rate strobilurin fungicide plus triazole on spring barley suggest growers could use the approach to improve margins for the coming season.
"Changing grain and chemical prices mean the most cost-effective treatment in 1999 might not be the best for 2001," says crop consultant Andrew Beeney of Yorks-based East Riding Crop Consultancy,
"Using last years prices half-rate strobilurin added to triazole at the T1 and T2 stages should produce a margin over cost of about £23/ha. But looking ahead to the 2001 season, with possible increases in grain prices and reduced chemical costs, the margin could be even better."
In 1999 Zeneca was recommending 1 litre/ha of Amistar for spring barley, which then cost £35/litre. "We used half-rates, as we did not think full rates would be cost-effective, although recommended levels and prices have now been reduced."
The trial used three 2ha (5-acre) plots of the Optic spring malting barley following a break crop on Nick Riviss Howe Farm, Hunmaby, North Yorks.
Plot 1 was used as a control and given a triazole-only treatment. Plot 2 received triazole-only at T1 (first to second node) and triazole combined with half-rate strobilurin at T2 (flag leaf to awns-emerged). Plot 3 was given half-rate strobilurin with triazole at both T1 and T2.
Plots were weighed as they were harvested using the weigher on the farms MF 40RSA combine. Plot 1 yielded 7t/ha, with plots two and three at 7.4t/ha and 8 t/ha, respectively. The half-rate strobilurin programme on plot 3 produced the best margin over cost.
Quality was even over all three plots and specific weights 70-71.5 kg/hectolitre, as expected, says Mr Rivis. Nitrogen levels seemed to be unaffected, being about 1.35% in all three plots. But he felt the product delayed ripening by about 7 days.
"I would only use strobilurin on a potentially high-yielding crop," says Mr Rivis. "But first I would like to see consistent results over 2-3 harvests in a variety of weather conditions." *