HEATHFIELD MANOR FARM
Lodging was inevitable…
FEW south-western cereals escaped lodging in 1997, but Mr Payne disagrees with agronomist David Wall on the reasons for the collapse.
"We had flat crops, especially on the headlands, but they were no worse than anywhere else," says Mr Payne. "David suggests we need a more robust programme. I know we missed out our late Terpal. But I think that it did not matter what you put on, crops would still have gone down – 4in in one day is an awful lot of rain."
Quinoxyfen fungicide proved successful in keeping barley disease free, and the new strobilurins are likely to feature strongly in next springs programmes if the price is right, he adds.
"If we still need to go through three times it could pay to stay with triazoles."
HEATHFIELD MANOR FARM
• Ideal soil conditions.
• New discs & Freeflow drill.
• No home-saved wheat seed.
• Abbot replacing Hereward.
• Lodging reasons debate.
• Farm assurance questions.