IN BRIEF
IN BRIEF
• SPRAYER operators may not be washing their hands well enough after using a sprayer and should change the gloves they use more often, suggests a study which found that in many cases the gloves were contaminated on the inside through overuse. The Health and Safety Executive study of just 13 farms shows there is scope for worker exposure unless vehicles and spraying equipment are thoroughly cleaned, says the HSEs Andy Phillips.
• MEETING grain moistureand storage specifications is increasingly important. So anew training video produced by Centaur Grain and Protimeter could be worth watching ahead of this harvest. Cost effectivedrying and storage techniques are shown, using an on-floordrying system, and reliable/efficient sampling techniques are explained. The 18 minute videois available from Protimeter priced £15 plus VAT(01628-472722 or email protimeter@indsys.ge.com).
• WAGING war on rodents is the subject of a new practical guide for farmers from the Home-Grown Cereals Authority. With house mice infesting 30% of farms and Norway rats 40%, the need to combat the pests is paramount. The guide explains how prevention and monitoring are the best approaches, with control as a last resort. Details include the safe use of rodenticides, coping with rodenticides resistance, live capture and spring traps. Copies available free from the HGCA (020-7520 3970 or clare.kelly@hgca.com).
• NOT sure if you are cutting back on potash too sharply? A new booklet from the Potash Development Association aims to explain just how far you can go with cost savings without hitting yields. Written by Keith Goulding, of IACR Rothamsted, it shows how potash levels decline, how quickly they can be replenished and the risks to crops of inadequate potash reserves. Contact PDA (01994-427443 or john@pda.org.uk). *