IN BRIEF
IN BRIEF
• A NEW 14-day harvest interval for potato aphicide Plenum (pymetrozine), instead of last years 55-day interval, means it can now be used more easily on both ware and seed potato crops. That should help growers avoid a repeat of last years high Potato Virus Y levels, says maker Syngenta. CSL/ADAS data shows the highest levels of the virus for five years, with nearly three-quarters of crops on the 80 sample farms affected at harvest with over 10% of tubers infected with PVY.
• POTASSIUM levels could be particularly low in potato fields this year, after the long, wet spring, warns Scott Garnett of potash supplier Haifa Chemicals. "Soil analysis has revealed that in many cases levels are lower now than when potassium was applied before planting in winter and autumn. This could seriously affect the plants during the bulking-up period when potassium is needed in large quantities."
• TWO of the UKs leading vegetable growers are joining forces in a new quality-assured partnership. The joint production programme between Frederick Hiam and Elveden Farms will support Frederick Hiams new £6m vegetable preparation and processing plant. Combined vegetable area will be over 3000ha (7500 acres). "This new partnership will ensure we are well placed to meet increasing demand for quality-assured, plough-to-plate traceable vegetables," says Christopher Wilson, managing director of Frederick Hiam.
• GERMAN wheat variety Petrus could help growers avoid mycotoxin problems when EU limits are introduced for raw and processed cereals, say seed suppliers Trevor Cope Seeds and Gorham & Bateson. The variety has extremely high resistance to ear fusarium, the cause of mycotoxins. Good UK baking results mean buy-back contracts are available.
• NEED some help drawing up a more environmentally friendly management plan for the farm? Then try the new updated EMA software from the University of Hertfordshire. It provides a host of information to aid planning, including RB209 fertiliser recommendations, a pesticide database and conservation advice. Two new features are EMA Plan to aid rotation planning and conversion to organic production and the p-EMA pesticide risk assessment system developed for the Pesticide Safety Directorate. Disc price remains £35 + VAT and is available from Agronomy Enterprise (01728-746579). *
A NEW 14-day harvest interval for potato aphicide Plenum (pymetrozine), instead of last years 55-day interval, means it can now be used more easily on both ware and seed potato crops, to control aphid feeding and damage and virus transmission. That should help growers avoid a repeat of last years high Potato Virus Y levels, says maker Syngenta. CSL/ADAS data shows the highest levels of the virus for five years, with nearly three-quarters of crops on the 80 sample farms affected at harvest with over 10% of tubers infected with PVY.
POTASSIUM levels could be particularly low in potato fields this year, after the long, wet spring, warns Scott Garnett of potash supplier Haifa Chemicals. "Soil analysis has revealed that in many cases levels are lower now than when potassium was applied before planting in winter and autumn. This could seriously affect the plants during the bulking-up period when potassium is needed in large quantities."
TWO of the UKs leading vegetable growers are joining forces in a new quality-assured partnership. The joint production programme between Frederick Hiam and Elveden Farms will support Frederick Hiams new £6m vegetable preparation and processing plant. Combined vegetable area will be ????ha ( acres). "This new partnership will ensure we are well placed to meet increasing demand for quality-assured, plough-to-plate traceable vegetables," says Christopher Wilson, managing director of Frederick Hiam.
GERMAN wheat variety Petrus could help growers avoid mycotoxin problems when EU limits are introduced for raw and processed cereals, say seed suppliers Trevor Cope Seeds and Gorham & Bateson. The variety has extremely high resistance to ear fusarium, the cause of mycotoxins. Good UK baking results mean buy-back contracts are available. The variety has also done well in organic trials, yielding 136% of controls in a Wilts trial last year.