in this issue - cpm magazine - crop production magazine · crop production magazine june 2019 3...

In this issue...Teabags tales page 87Reading the leaves on soil health

Plug and pay pointers page 72

Trait tactics page 34The OSRs that strive through stress

New beet varieties page 100

InnovationSoil health - Teabags tell the story of the soilAn innovative approach to measuring soil health is being put to the test.Company profile - Far More ChemistryA series of acquisitions makes FMC a leading global agchem manufacturer. Digital Direction - The silent call of the soilEver wondered what your soil is trying to tell you? Digital Vision - The next step in grower benefits?Digital agronomy potentially offers more than just a step on from precision farming.

87

90

93

97

Volume 21 Number 6June 2019

*the claim ‘best read specialist arable journal’ is based on independent reader research conducted by

Research Engine (Mar 2018)

Editorial & advertising salesPO Box 4856, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 9NX

Tel: (01743) 861122 E-mail: [email protected]

Reader registration hotline 01743 861122Advertising copy

Brooks Design, 24 Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 1RDTel: (01743) 244403 E-mail: [email protected]

CPM Volume 21 No 6. Editorial, advertising and sales offices are at PO Box 4856, Shrewsbury, SY1 9NX England.

Tel: (01743) 861122. CPM is published eleven times a year by CPM Ltd and is available free of charge to qualifying farmers

and farm managers in the United Kingdom.

In no way does CPM Ltd endorse, notarise or concur with any of the advice, recommendations or prescriptions reported in the magazine.

If you are unsure about which recommendations to follow, please consult a professional agronomist. Always read the label. Use pesticides safely.

CPM Ltd is not responsible for loss or damage to any unsolicited material, including photographs.

EditorTom Allen-Stevens

Technical editorLucy de la Pasture

Writers

Design and productionBrooks Design

Advertisement co-ordinatorPeter Walker

PublisherAngus McKirdy

Business development managerCharlotte Alexander

To claim two crop protection BASIS points, send an email [email protected], quoting reference CP/67207/1819/g.

To claim two NRoSO CPD points, please send your name, NRoSO member number, date of birth and postcode to [email protected]

Tom Allen-StevensNick Fone

Melanie JenkinsOlivia Cooper

Rob JonesLucy de la Pasture

Ruth Wills

TechnicalCereal varieties - Insights into variety choiceThe options on this year’s AHDB Recommended List are overwhelming.Insiders View - Growing in the spotlightThe latest wheat from Limagrain may well attract attention.Fit for the future - The wheat that lives up to the hype?There’s excitement ahead of KWS Extase’s first full commercial year. Slug control - Know your enemyThe UK’s most popular method of controlling slugs is shortly to lose its approval.Tech Talk - The reign of ironFerric phosphate is set to be the monarch of slug control treatments.OSR varieties - Personality over looksChoosing a variety that can cope with cabbage stem flea beetle attack.OSR varieties - OSR beyond the RLWhy does the AHDB Recommended List seem less relevant to oilseed rape?

TuYV - The unnoticed epidemicTurnip yellows virus may be more of a problem than previously thought.

OSR harvest - A stitch in time…Losing seeds is a potential problem that can be mitigated.

Theory to Field - A clearer course for cover cropsRobust data as well as key lessons from AHDB’s Maxi-Cover project. Partners in performance - Clarity comes from the costingsA focus on cost of production helps a Lincs grower make informed choices. Take control - Spotlight falls on ammonia emissionsThe Government is poised to regulate further on fertiliser use.

OpinionTalking Tilth - A word from the editor.

Smith’s Soapbox - Views and opinions from an Essex peasant…..

Last Word - A view from the field from CPM’s technical editor.

4

6

115

8

14

20

26

40

46

49

50

56

60

30

34

3crop production magazine june 2019

Summer shows - Latest innovations at CerealsThe cutting edge of technology in arable farming.Precision farming - Precision: Does plug and play work?We may be moving further away from the aspirations of the ISOBUS standard. On Farm Opinion - Setting a high standardThere’s a wealth of technology on the combines operated by a Hants business.On Farm Opinion - Satisfaction comes from experienceOne Surrey grower believes he’s finally found the ideal machine.On Farm Opinion - Making light work of stale seedbedsPreparing the ideal stale seedbed ahead of a direct drill is an exacting task.

64

72

76

81

86

Machinery

Sugar beet varieties - 2020 vision for beetThe latest additions to the BBRO/BPSB Recommended List.Potato blight - An increasingly complex problemThe loss of plant protection products will make blight control more difficult.Potato desiccation - Swansong for diquatAlternative desiccation strategies are under the spotlight.

100

106

110

Roots

Importantly, these outlets canreduce the size of their levy

through responsible purchasing. The obvious

one here is that any foodproduced to RedTractor standards would

be exempt, althoughequivalent standards

would be considered by an independent body that

administers the levy.It would then be up to

supermarkets to decide how theypass the levy on to consumers –– they could give them thechoice, showing clearly what themark-up is on non-Red Tractorfood, or limit supplies fromsources that don’t meet therequired standard.

This would put the Red Tractorstandard under scrutiny, but that’sperhaps not such a bad thing.Currently all it does is maintainfood safety and environmentalstandards to the legal minimum.The key is that this puts the burden of proof, through record-keeping and verification,on the producer. If there is a target of achieving “net zero” –– i.e. that agriculture’s net contribution to climate change isno more than zero –– this shouldbe the focus of future changes to the standard and should therefore drive regulatory change.

So maybe the Red Tractor, andthereby regulation, shouldaddress ammonia emissions, forexample, as a point of priority. Butmore obsequious policies withquestionable net benefits for society, such as removal ofneonicotinoids for non-floweringcrops, would become a lower priority.

But would a climate changelevy on food be seen as a protectionist policy in world tradeterms? It’s a moot point as the UKtakes steps towards striking itsown trade arrangements. What’s a little worrying is the statementreleased recently by theDepartment for InternationalTrade. “Quality and safety is paramount,” it says, and “withoutexception, imports must meet all relevant UK food safety rulesand regulations”.

That word “relevant” allows amassive margin for interpretation,and thereby flexibility on a tradedeal. UK farmers can take noreassurance from this statementthat food grown to lower standards than those they’rerequired to follow won’t be sold inthe UK as equivalent. Such foodwould incur a levy, however. Onthe face of it, that’s protectionist,but there’s nothing stopping overseas farmers adopting theRed Tractor standard –– manyalready do.

So where would the moneyraised be spent? As direct subsidy drops away, perhaps the levy should come in to take its place. We should draw a distinction here betweenpublic goods –– the extras farmers provide, such as wildlife provision, public access, preservation of environmental/landscape features–– and maintaining the publicassets of soil, air and water forfuture generations.

Public goods should be paid for from the public purse,which is where the proposedEnvironmental Land Management(ELM) contracts come in. But

Who pays for climate change?

Tom Allen-Stevens has a170ha arable farm in Oxon,and “net zero” is what itstands to make financiallyunder Government plansfor the Agriculture Bill.

[email protected]

@tomallenstevens

One idea that’s gaining a bit of traction at the moment and warrants scrutiny is theproposal to introduce a climatechange levy on food.

We pay one on our energy billsto encourage greener sources.Why not pay a levy on food toencourage consumers to follow the high standards of environmental protection throughtheir food purchasing thatGovernment enforces on UK foodproduction through regulation?

It’s not an original idea –– theNFU has been seeking some kindof equivalence payment eversince discussions over Brexit andthe Agriculture Bill started. But this shouldn’t be some sort ofpayment to compensate for a perceived handicap UK farmersface that the market fails toaddress. More an incentive toencourage us to lead the way –– and lead the world –– towards“net zero” agriculture.

So how would it work? A number of different ways to implement it have been suggested. Perhaps the mostplausible one is a levy raised onfood wholesalers and retailers asa percentage of their sales.

Government’s already indicatedsoil management schemes areunlikely to attract an ELM, andexpect the same for air and waterquality. So schemes introducedthat genuinely make a net contribution to preserving orenhancing these assets shouldreceive a payment, funded by thelevy. This is where well managedcover crops, reduced tillage anddiverse rotations should justifiablyreap their rewards.

The big burning issue to my mind is where GM wouldstand in all this. GM crops are disadvantaged under Red Tractorbecause of the regulatory standards UK farmers have to follow under the GMO regulations–– it’s questionable whether it’sactually possible to grow GMcrops under Red Tractor, wherever in the world you farm.That would put a levy on allimported GM crops, and I can’tsee Donald Trump taking tookindly to that.

But is it right that GM and alsogene-edited crops, that have thepotential to help farmers towardsnet zero, should incur a climatechange levy? That would surelymake a mockery of the GMO regulations themselves andexpose them for the sycophanticanathema they are to Agriculture.Well, there’s a thought.

When it comes to gawping atthe old internet on the iPhone,I’m definitely getting a rainfallradar-map problem.

It used to be just the UK butit’s now starting to include the USmid-west. Sometimes I’m evenfound staring at coloured blobsfloating over the Ukraine. Wouldyou like to know the amount ofrainfall in Bismark, North-Dakota

in May? Then I’m your man.In case you hadn’t guessed,

it’s not to do with some sort of unhealthy meteorological

fixation. It’s to do with anunhealthy wheat price fixation. History tells me it’sin the May-June weather

window that the wheat pricecan do exciting things. In 2007

it started a climb in May on theback of a mid-west and Ukrainiandrought that didn’t stop until thefollowing year by which time theprice had doubled.

2012 saw another late springtime rally. And, of course,just last year we started at £160 in May for it to hit £200 by August.Selling at the right time in the Mayto July period can make all the difference between a rich profit anda bitter loss in the farm accounts.

At the time of writing we are on another bull run on the back of

sticky mid-west weather, but I’mwell aware that by the time youread this the clouds over Bismarkmay have parted and ourAmerican cousins will have gotback out on the prairie to resumeplanting or the Black Sea boysmay have yet to see any sign oftheir usual yield-destroying summer drought.

The ghoulish side of thisobsession with global graingrowing weather is that you getclose to wishing bad luck on yourfellow international farmers. OKlet’s be honest, I don’t so muchas ‘get close’ to wishing a bit ofbad luck, I actually revel in thenews some poor sod in Illinoishas his maize drill stuck up to itsaxles and is unlikely to movebefore Thanksgiving. The deeperthe water the happier I am.

And if there’s news from theUkraine that Farmer Vladimir isstaring at a depressing duststorm in June then I start to skipround the room. If it’s not somuch as dancing on someoneelse’s grave its only because I’ve two left feet when it comes to the cha-cha-cha. What’s thatyou say, there’s a chance of agolf-ball sized hail storm over the wheat fields of the Pas-de-Calais? Couldn’t we add a biblical plague of locustsjust for good measure?

Of course, as a son of the soil,I can share the pain of seeing

Guy Smith grows 500ha of combinable crops on the north east Essex coast, namely St. Osyth Marsh –– officially the driest spot in the British Isles.Despite spurious claims fromothers that their farms are actually drier, he points out that his farm is in the GuinnessBook of Records, whereas others aren’t. End of.

@essexpeasantRadar lovegrain fill start to evaporate inJune. I’m not so far down thespectrum that I’m completelydevoid of the power of empathy.Indeed if I’d heard someone else was taking some sort ofpleasure from the news thatnorth-east Essex was facing agrim harvest I’d struggle to becharitable about such nastinessfrom my opposite numbers.

The truth of the matter is if allthe wheat farmers of the worldcould agree to suffer a 10% dent in our yields then we’d all be happy to jointly share the burden –– made all the sweeter by the fact a 10% reduction inthe global wheat harvest wouldprobably result in a 20% priceimprovement thus leaving us all better off. But unfortunately,us farmers don’t live in an equitable world so it’s back to dog eat dog. Now where’sthat iPad? I need to checkwww.isitpissingdowninpueblo.com

6 crop production magazine june 2019

Look at the size of those blobs – with any luck they’re wreaking havoc onthe harvest prospects of some poor farmer in Illinois.

25 of the 35 wheat varieties listed

aren’t significantly different from one

another.

“

”

With 35 varieties on this year’sAHDB Recommended List, thechoice is overwhelming. CPMtakes a deep dive into the RL

data and finds out about othersources of information that

can help guide variety decisions.

By Lucy de la Pasture

Insights into varietychoiceTechnical

Cereal varieties

It’s the time of year when cereal cropslook at their best and many growers visittrials sites to gain an insight into the manydifferent cereal varieties on offer. Broadand deep green flag leaves and big earscatch the eye, with promises of yieldpotential and a full grainstore.

Independent agronomist, David Lines,believes a deeper analysis of the data available on the AHDB Recommended Listis essential before being seduced by headline yield figures and a harder look at the figures can help avoid any nasty surprises.

He believes the best way to assess a variety is by growing a small amount on thefarm to see how it performs on your soiltype, under the disease pressures and management systems used in practice. Butfor many of the growers he advises in NorthHerefords, South Shrops and Worcs, thisisn’t always an option, with farm size generally much smaller than their fellowgrowers in the East.

David Lines believes too much emphasis is oftenplaced on the headline yield figures published inthe RL.

“The figure that most people tend to lookat first on the RL is the fungicide treatedyield but when you study these headline figures more closely and apply the statistics,25 of the 35 wheat varieties listed aren’t significantly differently from one another. In fact only the varieties LG Skyscraper,LG Spotlight, RGT Gravity, Gleam, KWSKerrin and Shabras have a yield figure that’s significantly different from the controlvarieties.

“If, more realistically, you compare all thevarieties to KWS Zyatt as a benchmark,which has a treated yield figure of 101, then23 on the list have an equivalent perform-ance,” he says.

Yield figure“What that means in reality is that for the vast majority, the yield figure shouldn’t be the main reason for selecting a variety as statistically most of them perform at a verysimilar level. The seed trade will always pushnew varieties but it’s important to understandthat yield isn’t everything,” he explains.

David believes it’s more revealing to lookat the untreated yield figures which are givenas a percentage of treated control. Eventhough the LSD for these is 5.3, there are bigdifferences between varieties, with KWSExtase topping the rankings with a score of95, which is statistically better than any othervariety. The next best is Graham (88) whichstatistically puts it in the same bracket asKWS Zyatt, RGT Illustrious, KWS Siskin, KWS Firefly, LG Skyscraper, Bennington, LG Sundance, LG Motown, Gleam, KWSCrispin and Dunston.

“Even more interesting is to look at thecombined treated and untreated figures

which helps draw out the differences evenmore, with KWS Extase having a combinedtotal of 196 compared with RGT Gravity at 184, Leeds at 167 and Myriad at 161,” he comments.

NIAB technical director, Bill Clark, is of the same opinion and he performs a moredetailed analysis of the RL which is availableto NIAB-TAG members and puts a differentperspective on the RL data and providesplenty of food for thought.

One of the factors he considers importantis the resilience of a variety, that is how variable it is from site to site and year to year.

“We publish this data for our members sothey can pick a variety that is very consistentover sites and seasons This allows them tomake a better judgement of a variety’s performance, rather than just look at thehighest treated yield on the list.

“As an example, of the Group 2s –– KWSSiskin is the least variable in terms of yield.


s

Big flag leaves and long ears always draw theeye in wheat variety plots but the untreated cantell a different story.

Bill Clark conducts a much deeper analysis of theRL to identify the variability and responsivenessof varieties.

With 35 wheat varieties on the 2019-20 RL,there’s plenty to consider when teasing out their suitability.

KWS Extase, despite its very good septoria resistance, happens to be the mostvariable in terms of yield. Of the Group 4s ––Gleam is not the highest yielding but is themost consistent. LG Skyscraper is the highest yielding but is only at number eightin terms of consistency,” explains Bill.

Another important factor he highlights is the response a variety has to fungicidetreatment. “Yes, you can look at the treated and untreated yields and work outthe difference, then try to compare, but whatwe do is calculate the ‘responsiveness’ of avariety, see how consistent it is, then matcha fungicide strategy to the variety.”

One of David’s concerns is that KWSExtase and candidate variety Theodore,which he says is getting a lot of interest on farm, will be promoted strongly by theseed trade and growers may be tempted not to apply fungicide.

“Leaving a crop unprotected could open Pandora’s box because it’s not as simple as the treated versus untreated yield

figures alone suggest,” he says.Bill describes the disease resistance

ratings as a useful guide. “But it’s importantto bear in mind that disease ratings don’talways relate to the way a variety respondsto fungicide inputs. Sometimes you can’trelate the yield response of a variety to itsdisease resistance.”

He also points out that there are a hugenumber of other management factors that influence a variety’s suitability in anygiven situation

Full picture“Varieties also respond differently to otherinputs and management such as nitrogen,drilling date, rotational position etc Some infoon this is available on the RL but not the fullpicture,” he notes.

It’s not meant as a criticism of the RL,which still provides a valuable resourceto growers. “The RL system can’t do everything due to cost restrictions, so NIABtries to fill in the gaps and give additionalinformation to help members make moreinformed decisions on variety choice and

management,” he says.Agrii head of agronomy, Colin Lloyd

also believes it’s a good idea to look wellbeyond the RL ratings and match varietygenetics to management strategies.

“Despite the lowest disease pressure in recent years, our 13-site national andregional trials programme with more than 30 varieties recorded a highly cost-effectiveaverage response of 1.7 t/ha to our four-spray fungicide programme in 2018.

“Interestingly though, individual varietyresponses ranged from 0.5t/ha to 2.14t/hanationally and from zero to 5.9t/ha in thenorth. This underlines how important it is to manage varieties for their particularstrengths and weaknesses to get the best out of them at the least cost and risk.”

The RL rating data is generated from amajority of trials which are sown in Oct and these receive a very comprehensivefungicide programme. Although it’s a fungicide regime that would make mostgrowers eyes water, David says that whenit’s been compared to other systems on farm in the Syngenta’s Growers Challenge,

Cereal varieties

s

the AHDB RL protocol has consistently come out on top interms of margin over input costs.

For wheat, the plots receiveCyflamid (cyflufenamid) plusCrafter (chlorothalonil+ tebuconazole) at T0, with theoption of adding epoxiconazole if septoria is present and anoptional autumn treatment wasn’tapplied.

At T1 the protocol is forAdexar(fluxapyroxad+ epoxiconazole) plus Tracker(boscalid+ epoxiconazole) plusCTL plus Talius (proquinazid),with the option of adding Comet (pyraclostrobin) if rust isdeveloping. T2 is more reflectiveof farm practice with a recommendation of Ascra Xpro (bixafen+ fluopyram+

prothioconazole) plus CTL withthe addition of Cyflamid if mildewis established.

So while the RL gives reasonable guidance, Colinbelieves it needs to be complemented by the most up-to-date intelligence from trialwork under regimes that aremore typical of commercial agronomy on the one hand anddesigned to challenge varietieson the other.

One of the additional sourcesof variety information is producedby Agrii within their WheatAdvisory List, which brings their own variety findings andanalyses together with RL data tohelp guide growers. The latest2019 issue shows nearly 90% ofthe 30 main varieties within Agriitrials, have resistance scores oneor more points lower than the RLfor at least one of the three maindiseases. At the same time, over40% have untreated lodgingscores one full point or morebelow their RL score.

“These differences primarilyarise from the fact that our disease ratings are based on theprevious season’s scoring ratherthan multi-year averages. So if a variety has broken down to disease in the past season ourfigures really highlight this,” he explains.

“Working with ex-NIAB disease authority, Dr RosemaryBayles, we also take an

The reducing number of activeingredients and increasing levels ofseptoria resistance are driving thedevelopment of septoria resistantvarieties, with KWS Extasestatistically better than all others.

s

Colin Lloyd suggests growers look at othersources of industry data which are morerepresentative of commercial practice on farm,as well as the RL.

informed view rather than a simple siteaverage. For instance, in 2015 we markedJB Diego down because it unexpectedlyhad a lot of yellow rust at just one of oursites. And thank heavens we did because it

then rapidly broke down nationally. “Rogue results may get in the way of a

system designed to minimise environmentalvariation in assessing genetic potential, butwe see them as a crucial early warninggrowers need to be aware of in their cropmanagement,” he comments.

Management alertThe Agrii Advisory List has a clear management alert for every one of the sevenvarieties that make up half of the currentseason’s wheat plantings. Overall, 43% aremarkedly more susceptible to yellow rustthan their RL scores suggest; 71% have amore obvious brown rust susceptibility and57% are clearly weaker in the stem.

Stand out examples include Skyfall with ayellow rust resistance score of 3.4 (5.4 onthe RL), KWS Kerrin with a brown rust score

of 4.2 (against 6.8) and RGT Gravity with auntreated lodging score of 4.0 (6.7).

“These are all good varieties providing we manage them right. With Skyfall, it’s amatter of keeping up the azole partner at T0 –– even though it continues to have reasonable septoria strength –– and beingparticularly careful with T0 to T1 and T1 toT2 intervals. With KWS Kerrin, it’s vital to usethe right SDHI at T2 and RGT Gravity shouldnever be planted too early and needs arobust PGR programme.

“For the future, KWS Extase and KWSFirefly are certainly varieties to watch forthose wishing to make the most of geneticsin their agronomy. They gave even loweraverage responses to fungicides thanGraham across our trials network last season, have good straw strength and,unusually, are relatively early to mature,”adds Colin.

The early development of KWS Extasehas been exceptionally noticeable thisspring and David notes that it’s probably nota variety to choose for an early drilling slot.

“It’s a very high biomass variety and its competitiveness in early spring may makeit a useful variety to help manage blackgrassas it has big leaves when young, tillers andwon’t be inconvenienced by delayeddrilling,” he says.

“Other varieties display a distinct preference for drilling slot, with Graham(103) yielding better than RGT Gravity (101)when sown before 15 Sept but the resultflip-flops when drilling is late (mid-Nov toend-Jan). In this position Graham slips to100 compared to RGT Gravity at 104.

“Similarly Grafton, although no longer listed and not a stand-out variety on yield, is well-suited to the early drilling slot so may have been over-looked as a variety according the RL selection criteria,”he comments.

Drilling date is something growers wouldbe well advised to bear in mind when choosing varieties as the effect this has on disease levels is bigger than the smalldifferences in resistance, points out David.

“It’s something that has been verynoticeable at the Bayer Callow trials site near Hereford, where leaf samples of Elationdrilled Oct 1 and Oct 10 have beenanalysed by Fera for septoria DNA. Theresults show a tenfold increase in theamount of the disease at the earlier drilling date.

“The game has changed, and we need to use the available genetics to our bestadvantage to help protect the chemistry we do have and match the best varieties tosuit different situations,” he concludes. n

Cereal varieties

s

It ticks a lot of boxes in terms of grain quality, strawand as a whole crop

option.

“

”

Some shy away from thespotlight, and others embrace

it. When it comes to the latest wheat from Limagrain

– LG Spotlight - it stands tall in the latter category.

CPM tells all.

By Melanie Jenkins

TechnicalInsiders View

Growing in the spotlight

Continuing from the success it saw withLG Skyscraper, Limagrain’s next highestyielding soft Group 4 feed wheat, LGSpotlight, could be set to provide farmerswith a clean sweep of appealingcharacteristics.

Newly instated on the AHDBRecommended List, LG Spotlight sits justbehind its stable mate in terms of yield,but it might just have the upper hand when looking at the overall package.

A product of Scribe x Horatio, LGSpotlight has good grain characteristics inits parentage, according to Phillip Tailby ofLimagrain. “One of the older varieties now,Horatio was a soft wheat that had very goodgrain characteristics, which is one of thestandout features of LG Spotlight with a specific weight of 78.3kg/hl. It’s the second

David Leaper thinks that LG Spotlight has a lot ofpositive factors to it.

highest of any feed and is up there with theGroup 1 quality wheats.”

LG Skyscraper came onto the market lastyear and set a new standard for soft wheatyields, putting them ahead of hard wheats,says David Leaper of Agrii. “We saw inrecent history that Robigus moved the goalposts and perceptions have again beenchanged with LG Skyscraper. NowLimagrain has brought in LG Spotlight in its wake.”

Very tidy optionJonathan Baxendale of Wynnstay thinks thevariety looks to be a very tidy option forgrowers. “We see it as being a part of thefeed market as it has the joint second highest yield of any variety in the West, aswell as good standing power, excellent specific weight and it’s one of the tallest,while also being stiff-strawed. It ticks a lot ofboxes in terms of grain quality, straw and asa whole crop option.”

LG Spotlight is slightly back on LGSkyscraper but it has better standing ability,according to David. “We don’t see standingas problematic in LG Skyscraper, but obviously, having something with stiffer straw has to be a good thing.”

It has very high yields and good boldgrain, as well as a really high Hagberg,which is obviously an advantage, he adds.“You don’t tend to think about Hagberg as

an issue with hard feeds, but if you thinkabout the issues of sprouting –– especiallythose grown further north –– then having ahigh Hagberg can give reassurance to the grower going into catchy autumns orsummers.”

During official testing, the Hagberg wasvery consistent, explains Phillip. “It was verystable and has incredibly low levels ofsprouting, so if we have a wet harvest, this certainly helps.”

However, its second wheat performance


s

Insiders View

Farming 700ha in partnership with his father,John, and brother, Mark, Keith Wells grows wheat,oilseed rape, spring beans, herbage seed andwinter linseed at Burbage Farms, Leics.

He first planted LG Spotlight in 2017 as a seedcrop for Limagrain. He drilled 19ha on 10 Oct at arate of 135kg/ha using a 4m Väderstad Rapidbehind a two-year ryegrass ley. Some parts ofthe field were drag- or power-harrowed afterploughing, with the seed rolled after sowing. “Wedescribe ourselves as medium loam, with a glacialdrift, from sand to heavy clay. We can’t treat everyfield with the same cultivations because of the different soil structures.”

Despite suffering a little bit of slug damage ––a regular issue after ryegrass –– it establishedvery nicely, says Keith.

In the autumn it had sewage cake applied,followed by Liberator (flufenacet+ diflufenican)and Lexus SX (flupyrsulfuron methyl) as a pre-emergent herbicide, then some potash later in Nov.

In spring it always looked good, says Keith.“We tend to find this when we put sewage cake

on, which is why we use it as much as we can.” It didn’t have a T0 but at T1 on 4 May it hadSeguris (epoxiconazole+ isopyrazam), Bravo(chlorothalonil) and a dose of chlormequat.

At T2 on 24 May it had Ceratavo Plus (benzovindiflupyr), Daconil (chlorothalonil) and Epic (epoxiconazole) at flag leaf stage followed by an ear spray of Prosaro (prothioconazole+tebuconazole). “Though it hasn’t got the best septoria ratings, our fungicide programme kept itout very well and septoria is something we sufferwith more than anything else.”

In terms of fertiliser, it had two doses of N; one of 92kgN/ha on 20 April and another at130kgN/ha on 9 May.

“Bearing in mind it was a drought year, it yielded a respectable 9.5t/ha in the third week ofAug. This isn’t as much as we’d normally expectfrom our farm –– we were a good half a tonnedown on what we’d have liked –– but it was oneof our best yielding wheats that year,” explainsKeith. “It was a lovely crop to look at. It was veryclean and had good broad leafiness.”

As a result, Keith decided to grow more

LG Spotlight. He currently has 18ha in the groundfor Limagrain and 39ha as a commercial crop forhimself. It was treated similarly to the previousyear’s crop, but didn’t have sewage cake on it.The seed crop had an NPK dressing of 7/18/36as a pre-emergent in the autumn, and thenammonium sulphate in the spring, delivering 55kg SO3/ha and 19.5kgN/ha. Then at the end of March it had 85kgN/ha and 70kgN/ha in late April.

The herbicide applications were the same asthe previous year but Keith altered his fungicideprogramme slightly. At T0 it had a split ofchlormequat and Bravo, then at T1 it had Epic,Ceratavo Plus and chlormequat. “It’s had a slightlyheavier fungicide programme than last year butthe crop looks well and I want to look after it.

“The seed crop didn’t tiller as well as last year,but the commercial crop was behind spring beansand OSR and this has tillered a lot more,” saysKeith. “It looks very well and clean and I’mpleased with it. My brother has marketed it andit’s sold very well, so we’ll see. But we’re happyso far.”

Spotlight impresses in Leics

LG Spotlight performs best as a first wheat onheavier land.

LG Spotlight has good grain characteristics in itsparentage says Phillip Tailby.

isn’t as exciting, according to David.“We’d position it as a first wheat across allsoil types, but its performance drops awayon lighter land, so it’s better suited to heaviersoils. Its speed of development also indicates that it’s not really suited to earlydrilling, but it’ll go through to the end of Oct,”he adds. “It’s not ideal for late drilling either,despite having mid-Feb listed as its latestdrilling date.

“Despite being a fast-developing variety,it’s not particularly competitive against grass

weeds, so in a high-pressure environment,position it where there are less weed issues,”he adds.

Tallest varietyLike LG Skyscraper, LG Spotlight is relativelytall, says David. “It’s stiffer and is one of thetallest varieties we’ve been looking at. We’rehappy with it and its response to PGRs, butas people have generally moved to Octdrilling, we’d suggest using a reasonablyrobust programme, particularly on more fertile soils.”

When it comes to harvest, it’s a mid-maturing variety, which is somethingpeople want, adds David. “It’s slightly earlier than the norm and is less prone tosprouting.”

Phillip notes that it has a ripening score of+1. “We’re starting to move away, or buckthe trend, of high yielding varieties that getlater and later.”

Though its yellow and brown rust scoresare better than average, its septoria rating is pretty average, stresses David. “Of theother varieties in that Group, there are several with a weakness for yellow rust, butLG Spotlight holds up really well. Whilebrown rust is another disease proving difficult to control with variety choice, in ourown ratings LG Spotlight is one of the bestsoft feeds for it.”

Wynnstay has LG Spotlight in its own trialsand will be displaying it at its Arable Event inJune. “Agronomically it looks tidy andthough there are varieties with better septoria ratings, when you take into accountits full package –– particularly its yield andgrain quality –– you’ll struggle to beat it,”says Jonathan. “In high-pressure situations,its septoria score could potentially put growers off, but it has a similar rating toother popular varieties that have sold well


s

s

Insiders View

UK treated yield (% control) 103.5

UK untreated yield (% treated control) 82.2

Protein content (%) 11.1

Hagberg falling number 290

Specific weight (kg/hl) 78.3

Resistance to lodging without PGR 7.1

Resistance to lodging with PGR 7.8

Height without PGR (cm) 91.2

Ripening (days +/- JB Diego) +1.3

Mildew 5.8

Yellow rust 8.2

Brown Rust 6.4

Septoria tritici 5.2

Eyespot [5]

Fusarium ear blight 7

Orange wheat blossom midge R

Source: Winter wheat AHDB Recommended List 2019/20 [ ] Limited data

LG Spotlight at a glance

Its fusarium resistance means it could be a goodoption to plant after maize.

It should be a big part of the West’s feed market,says Jonathan Baxendale.

–– so it shouldn’t really be a barrier.”Its good resistance to fusarium ear blight

is also very useful, particularly in the West,says David. “We’ve seen a relatively goodlevel of fusarium resistance, and it’s the sortof variety that could be put in after maize,which we know returns high levels of fusarium to the soil, so unlike a milling wheat, it could be a good positioning for LG Spotlight.”

LG Spotlight also has orange wheat

blossom midge (OWBM) resistance, saysPhillip. “With dwindling chemistry, this issomething we’ve bred into many of our candidates and forthcoming lines –– it’s an extra support for the farmer.”

The variety meets medium distillingrequirements, which is a great asset for the Scottish market, says David. “We’vebeen struggling with distilling wheats in the North, so it’s a big step forward for this area.”

However, LG Spotlight sits firmly as a feedvariety in the South as it’s currently not uksapproved for export, says David. “That’s notto say it couldn’t be blended but there’s noobvious green light. Not having it removes a

s

The variety meets medium distillingrequirements –– a great asset forthe Scottish market.

LG Spotlight has the potential to take at least 4% of the entire wheat areaplanted.

little bit of flexibility for those whoare near ports but then again theexport market for soft wheats isn’twhat it was 20 years ago.”

Soft feed sectorHaving two varieties in that softfeed sector, which hasn’t alwaysbeen the biggest group, is significant, says David. “Hardfeeds take 50% of the wheatacreage and probably a bitmore when you consider that alot of Group 1s are grown forhard feed. Biscuit and distillingwheats take 20% and soft feedsaround 10% of the market.”

Jonathan points out that theWest is predominantly a feedgrowing area, but LG Spotlight is still well suited. “We’re nowseeing soft Group 4s competingwith hard Group 4s –– so it’sbecoming a standard feed wheatgroup that can achieve similarresults.”

However, its position on farmdoes pose a few questions for

growers as soft and hard wheatsdo have to be kept separate on the heap, explains David.“Growing for out-and-out yield isone thing but storage is another.So this will depend on the farm.”

This year LG Spotlight will bea sell-out, according to David.“It’s selling well, so it will sell out,but next year there will be amuch bigger production.”

It’s got the potential to take atleast 4% of the entire wheat areaplanted, says Jonathan. “We’rethinking that it’ll be a good varietyin our portfolio so we will havestock available. There are somany varieties with good agronomic packages but we’reexpecting good things from this.

“If any varieties struggle thisharvest, LG Spotlight might bethere to pick up the marketshare,” he adds.

So where is Limagrain heading next? “Our programmeis evolving as new technologiesbecome available,” explainsPhillip. “We’re looking producingstable, high yielding varieties toget to market quick and offerfarmers something new. Yield isstill a high priority but we’re certainly looking at yield stabilityand grain quality –– somethingin which LG Spotlight and LG Skycraper have alreadyshown a step up.”

LG Spotlight has a lot of positive factors to it, whether forlivestock growers wanting straw,good grain quality or to grow after maize, as well as havingdistilling potential, says David.“We see it as quite an interestingchoice as it can be used in anyarable situation.” n

No one was talking about

Extase when we were initially asked to grow it last year, and now it seems to be the variety everyone

wants.

“

”

The wheat that lives up to the hype?

An impressively high septoriascore has put a bow wave of

excitement ahead of KWSExtase’s first full commercial

year. CPM visits a Suffolkseed grower who feels the

fervour may be well founded.

By Tom Allen-Stevens

TechnicalFit for the Future

Chris Bull stops for a moment and looksacross the field, then reverses. “The linebetween the two drilling dates is heresomewhere,” he says.

We’re looking across a 63ha field ofKWS Extase, drilled into Hanslope Seriesclay following sugar beet. But this field, a seed crop grown by S Bull and Sons,based at Hitcham in Suffolk, was drilled onthree different drilling dates as the beetwas lifted –– the first week of Oct, 15 Novand 30 Nov.

“I’m actually impressed with how wellthe later-drilled crop has caught up –– youcan barely tell the difference until you getclose up,” notes Chris.

With its flag leaf already out, there’s barely a signof disease on any of the top four leaves and thestem of the early-drilled Extase.

A wander into the early-drilled part ofthe field reveals it’s already showing its flag leaf on 10 May, but Chris doesn’t seem to be in a rush to get the sprayer out.“It didn’t have a T0 spray –– just a T1 sofar –– and there’s barely a sign of diseaseon any of the top four leaves and the stem. Admittedly it’s been a kind year fordisease, but this is a full crop, so Extase is showing its strength.”

Highest scoreThat’ll probably be its 8.1 for Septoria tritici–– the highest score a variety has achievedon the AHDB Recommended List. Andother strengths come to the fore as wemove into the later-drilled crop. “It suffereda little in the dry conditions, but has comeback nicely now moisture has returned,and really caught up. I wouldn’t be surprised if it all comes fit for harvest at the same time, despite being drilled almost two months apart,” adds Chris.

The field represents one of the biggestsingle blocks of KWS Extase grown in theUK for C2 certified seed this year. For SBull and Sons, this is where the businessmakes its mark –– with 1000ha of arablecrops, most are grown under contract forseed, multiplying up what the trade (mainly

Frontier as well as Openfield) feel will bethe big winners in the new season.Alongside Extase, KWS Siskin, Skyfall,Crusoe, Gleam, Shabras, KWS Kinetic and KWS Basset are in the ground.

“No one was talking about Extase whenwe were initially asked to grow it last year,and now it seems to be the variety everyone wants. It’s a good working relationship we have with Frontier,” says Chris.

The business was started by his greatgrandfather almost 100 years ago with a lease on just 49ha. It gradually grew, taking on more land over the next two generations, specialising into seed during


s

Recent Group 2 newcomers to the RL, classed assuch by nabim, offer a sense of security to millersas well as a premium potential to growers,according to Heygates senior executive GeorgeMason. The company has recently announced it’s offering buy-back contracts for KWS Extase,starting from harvest 2020.

“We like the story with Extase,” he says.“In milling terms, it has the best of both worlds–– good functionality and good harvest quality.It means we have the opportunity to reduce ourreliance on imported European grain, and with all the uncertainty over Brexit, that’s a real reassurance.

“For the grower there’s a high untreated yield, a great disease profile and its earliness toharvest. At a time when fungicide choices arereducing, this has to be a good thing.”

In recent years, the Group 2 wheat market hassuffered a poor uptake by growers, falling to a lowof just 95,000ha grown in 2017, according toAHDB, compared with 838,000ha drilled withGroup 4 varieties. It also suffers the worst

prospects of meeting a miller’s full spec,compared with Group 1 and 3 types, with just12% of samples achieving this from the 2018harvest. “This may well be due to an element ofgrowers aiming for the low protein domesticdemand or for the export market,” notes George.

But prospects for the Group 2s are now lookingup, with over 10% of the current wheat areadrilled with the varieties, and he feels growersshouldn’t be put off by uncertainty over spec.“We’re considering a range of protein levels forthe Extase contract, from full spec (at 13% protein) through to culinary flour (at 11% protein).We can also offer a further safety net on specificweight to 74kg/hl on full spec and 72kg/hl on 11%.”

Group 2 varieties do a very similar job in the grist to Group 1s, he explains. “We start toevaluate new varieties from very early on in theirlives. The difference between a Group 1 andGroup 2 variety is consistency over a number ofyears and harvests. We’re very lucky in the UK atthe moment –– the functionality of today’s millingvarieties is very good, and this makes it a marketworth aiming for.”

As the UK wheat area has dropped away, sotoo have exports, he notes. “But in years gone by,this has also proven a valuable market for Group2s grown near a port, with a minimum spec of11.5% protein.”

Heygates has four flour mills spanning the EastMidlands and East Anglia –– Bugbrooke,Northants; Downham Market, Norfolk; Tring, Hertsand Icklingham, Suffolk. This means the buy-backcontracts for Extase will likely appeal to growersacross central England and East Anglia, saysGeorge. “Growers can choose between a singleyear contract or one spanning several years, andthere’s no additional protocol to follow that prohibits the use of certain products,” he adds.

Seed availability is likely to be tight for KWSExtase for autumn 2019, but stable mate KWS

Siskin was one of the most popular wheats drilledlast autumn, according to certified seed sales,and it’s the highest yielding breadmaker on theRL, says KWS cereals and sales manager WillCompson. “KWS Siskin offers a strong propositionof established end-user demand, good agronomics and excellent on-farm performance,”he adds. A cross of KWS Sterling with Timaru,it also has ukp status for export.

KWS Extase comes from the Momont breedingprogramme in France –– a cross of Boisseau andSolheio. “Its headline story is its high septoriaresistance, but there’s so much more to Extase,”enthuses John Miles of KWS.

“For growers in the East, it’s early maturingand has a stiff stem. There’s a fast speed ofdevelopment, making Extase suitable in the late-drilling slot for those with blackgrass, andthere’s a good yellow rust score.

“In the West you need a 6.5 for septoria as aminimum, and its leading untreated yield –– a fullseven points beyond the next best –– will appealhere. Extase offers robustness, with its high grainquality. And while KWS Lili is our lead Group 2variety in the North, Extase is just a shade behind,offering earliness and good harvest quality.”

Buy-back contract leads Group 2 appeal

New Group 2 wheats could offer George Masonthe opportunity to reduce reliance on importedEuropean grain.

There’s so much more to Extase than itsheadline septoria resistance, says John Miles.

Leaf five in the later-drilled crop showed itsuffered in the dry conditions, but has come back nicely now moisture has returned.

Fit for the Future

the 1970s, and is now run by Chris withhis uncle Peter Bull.

“We used to grow high grade seed forCPB Twyford and PBI,” recalls Peter. “Butit’s high risk and some varieties didn’tmake it. So we go for varieties that aredead certs these days. It means you can’t be too parochial with your choice of variety –– so while yellow rust may bethe key disease in this area, we’re very conscious of septoria scores, for example.”

The rotation includes sugar beet andoilseed rape, while spring barley has been brought in to help with blackgrass.

“We’ll generally follow a break crop withtwo years of the same wheat variety,” continues Chris. “We’ve tended to gotowards the milling varieties as you get thebetter premium. Then what doesn’t go forseed will get a milling premium.”

This is what drew them initially towardsSiskin. “Again, it was Frontier which suggested the variety about five years ago.Its appeal was its good disease resistanceas well as its yield. But in the first year wegrew it, we did have problems with lodgingwhere we’d overlapped on fertiliser –– youhave to take care with the PGR on Siskin orit’ll tend to lean,” he notes.


s

s

Date Product Rate (/ha) Price (/ha)Seed £105*

07-Oct KWS Siskin 175kgHerbicides £110Fertiliser £160Pig manure -MOP 200kg

20-Mar 30% N 200 litres18-Apr 30% N 225 litres

18-May 30% N 225 litresFungicides £90

16-Apr T0 – CTL 1.0 litre26-Apr T1 – Elatus Plus + Amistar 0.5 +1.0 +

Opti + Cortez 0.35 litre21-May T2 – Librax + CTL 1.2 + 1.0 litre11-Jun T3 – Swing Gold 0.75 litres

Growth regulators £1216-Apr T0 – CCC 0.8 litres26-Apr T1 – Stabilan 750 + Palisade 1.5 + 0.1 litres

21-May T2 – Terpal 0.6 litresTrace elements £3.50

16-Apr T0 – Manganese sulphate 2.5kg11-Jun T3 – EpsoTop 2.5kg

Standard TOTAL VARIABLE COSTS £480.5005-Aug Harvest 10.5t £1659**

GROSS MARGIN £1178.50CTL – chlorothalonil; Elatus Plus – benzovindiflupyr; Amistar Opti – azoxystrobin+ CTL; Cortez - epoxiconazole; Librax –fluxapyroxad+ metconazole; Swing Gold – dimoxystrobin + epoxiconazole; CCC, Stabilan 750 – chlormequat; Palisade –trinexapac-ethyl; Terpal – ethephon+ mepiquat chloride; EpsoTop – magnesium sulphate; *price for C1 seed; **based on ex-farm price of £158/t

S Bull and Sons’ programme for Group 2 wheat, 2018

Fit for the Future

“But I really like Siskin. It’s a variety thatconsistently performs well for us with goodgrain quality and it’s clean, although wealways give our wheats a robust fungicideprogramme. It also continues to be popular, though other varieties are now

catching up on its disease scores.”Last year’s crop was drilled in early Oct.

“We’re still predominantly ploughing withtwo 6f Kverneland ploughs, although we

go non-inversion with a Väderstad TopDownafter OSR.”

The crop’s drilled with an 8m VäderstadRapid. “Siskin is a very easy variety to

The Extase was drilled as the sugar beet waslifted in the first week of Oct (top), 15 Nov and 30 Nov (bottom).

s

KWS Extase KWS SiskinUK treated yield (% control) 101.2 101.9

East yield (% control) 100.8 102.1

West yield (% control) 101.6 102.2

North yield (% control) [102] 99.9

UK untreated yield (% treated control) 95.0 85.1

Hagberg falling number (sec) 307 300

Specific weight (kg/hl) 78.6 77.5

Resistance to lodging with PGR 8.1 7.1

Height without PGR (cm) 89 83

Disease resistanceMildew 6.4 7.7

Yellow rust 8.6 8.8

Brown rust 6.5 5.1

Septoria tritici 8.1 6.7

Eyespot [4] 4.4

Fusarium ear blight 5.9 5.4

OWBM - -

Source: AHDB Recommended List for Winter Wheat 2019/20; [ ] – limited data.

Group 2 wheat RL leaders at a glance

Having grown KWS Siskin previously, ChristopherBull is confident about prospects for his crop ofKWS Extase.

Fit for the Future

As Britain exits the EU, wheat growers will bepreparing their enterprise for a market withless protection, but potentially open to theopportunities of a wider world. Finding theright market, and the variety to fulfil it, will be crucial for those looking to get ahead.

In this series of articles, CPM has teamedup with KWS to explore how the wheatmarket may evolve, and profile growers set to deliver ongoing profitability.

KWS is a leading breeder of cereals,oilseeds, sugar beet and maize. As afamily-owned business, it is truly independent and entirely focussed on promoting success through the continualimprovement of varietieswith higher yields,strong disease and pest resistance, andexcellent grain quality.We’re committed to yourfuture just as much asyou are.

Fit for the Future

grow, and we’ve never had trouble with disease –– we aim for 10t/ha and would bedisappointed with less. It also comes earlyto harvest, and although we don’t grow itas a milling crop, we find we get the millingspec, which is a nice bonus for anythingthat doesn’t go for seed.”

Last harvest, quality was exceptionallygood, with a Hagberg of 395, protein at13.9% and specific weight of 79kg/hl for ayield of 10.5t/ha.

Chris has high hopes for this year’sExtase. “Siskin’s only downside is its

stiffness. Extase is taller, but does seem tohave a good stem and is claimed to bestiffer. It’s also done exceptionally well inthe late slot and didn’t need a T0 spray.

“I’m conscious it’s been an easy firstyear for Extase and Nature has a way ofknocking back a high septoria score oncea variety has been in the field for a couple of seasons. But with the loss ofchlorothalonil, I can see a lot of growerswill be drawn to this variety. So there’sbeen a lot of hype, but perhaps with good reason.”n

They’re really far moreinteresting than

insects

“”

With the UK’s most popularmethod of controlling slugsshortly to lose its approval,

CPM seeks expert advice on tactics to outwit this

slippery adversary.


TechnicalSlug control


Know your enemy

Slug control is set to get harder,according to Dr Gordon Port of NewcastleUniversity. That’s especially the case forthose who have relied on pellets basedon the active ingredient metaldehyde,which loses its approval for sale at theend of this month.

“Slugs are difficult beasts to understand, and no one really knows the best way to control them –– that’swhat makes them so good at being pests.But getting to know them is the key tokeeping them in check –– pellets shouldreally be the weapon of last resort,” he says.

Gordon has spent decades studying thepest. “They’re really far more interestingthan insects. There are a number of different types, but it’s the grey field slug(Deroceras reticulatum) that’s really themain problem in most arable crops.”

Slugs don’t make natural land creatures,

he says. “With a wet skin and high watercontent, it’s this link with water that’s thekey to understanding their survival. It putsthem underground through most of theday, and it’s at night they’re most likely tofeed. But they don’t need much moistureto be active –– if the underside of a stone is damp, that’s enough. The surface temperature also needs to be above 5°C.”

Moist crop canopyThis means they like a moist crop canopy,and oilseed rape is their favourite. There’salso cover crops, that may improve soiltexture, but provide shelter for and encourage slugs, he warns. “What theydon’t like are cultivations –– these reallymess up their lives. Achieving a good tilth will give slugs less soil cavities inwhich to hide, and rolling at night will dent a population.”

Their natural predators include birds,ground beetles and nematodes. Birdshave little effect on overall numbers, andground beetles are helpful, says Gordon,but tend not to come too far into a fieldfrom a margin or beetle bank. Nematodesdon’t generally reach sufficient numbers toprovide adequate control, and applyingthem as a biological control is unlikely tobe cost effective in broad-acre crops.“Slugs are also good at defending themselves, producing plenty of mucus.”

So apart from cultivations and a goodseedbed, timing is the best way to control

A slug’s link with water is the key tounderstanding its survival, says Gordon Port.

slugs, advises Gordon. “First of all, makesure you know whether they are presentand where they are. Studies have shownthey are not evenly distributed.”

Trapping is the best way to tell, puttingdown an upturned plant-pot holder or matovernight with some non-chemical bait,such as chicken layers mash, and theninspecting the following day. Four slugsper trap is the threshold for treatmentbefore wheat and one before OSR.

“But don’t put pellets on in dry weather.The best timing to apply is not beforeslugs are active, but just before your cropis at risk,” he notes.

“The other aspect to consider is thatwhat you see on the surface is literally the top of the iceberg –– where you find s

Slug control

evidence of slugs, more will lurk beneaththe surface. That’s particularly important tobear in mind with ferric phosphate, as whenthey ingest the pellets, they will retreat fromthe surface to die.”

Gordon points out one final characteristicabout slugs. “They appear to bump intofood, rather than be attracted towards it,but will only ingest what they find if it’sappetising. So bait-point density is important –– 30-40/m2 is about right –– asare bait size and palatability. If a slug finds

a pellet, make sure it enjoys the meal andthat the dose it receives is toxic.”

Big turn-aroundChances are, the dose it receives won’t bemetaldehyde this autumn, which will be abig turn-around for most growers, notesCertis arable product manager NeilBeadle. “Metaldehyde took 70% of theslug pellet market last year, according toKynetec AgriInsight Panel, so this year willbe the first for many growers with ferricphosphate. It also marks 10 years sinceSluxx came to the market –– the first pellet with the active and the leading non-metaldehyde brand that has evolvedover time.”

Certis uses food-grade ingredients forits durum wheat-based ferric phosphatepellets, which also include a mouldinhibitor, points out technical managerLawrence Power. “If a slug comes acrossa mouldy pellet, it won’t eat it. Pelletsshould be durable, palatable and spreadwell.”

Ferric phosphate is just as toxic to slugsas metaldehyde, but slugs retreat beneaththe surface to die, he points out. “So don’tlook for dead slugs, but how your crop is

performing and whether the pellets are disappearing. The active also performs better than metaldehyde at lower temperatures, so should help those sowinglate because of blackgrass,” he adds. n

The Certis SlugWatch app uses local weatherdata to assess risk and you can enter the numberof slugs found, that builds into a national pictureof pest pressure.

This year will be the first for many growers withferric phosphate.


s

Ferric phosphate works by stoppingslugs from feeding on the crop,explains Rhodri Morris.

Ferric phosphate is set to be the monarch ofslug control treatments since the demise ofmetaldehyde. CPM finds out what to expectfrom the new principle and how to optimiseits performance.


explains what to expect from ferricphosphate and how to maximiseits performance in the field.

What’s changed with slug control?On 19 Dec last year, theEnvironment Secretary announced that the authorisationfor metaldehyde slug pellets had been refused. The decisionfollowed advice from the UKExpert Committee on Pesticides(ECP) and the Health and SafetyExecutive (HSE) that the activeposed an unacceptable risk tobirds and small mammals.

That leaves growers in a position where the sale and distribution of metaldehyde products will end on 30 June2019, with a further year for the

In spite of the pressure metaldehyde has been underduring the past decade, lastDecember’s decision not torenew its approval came asa complete surprise.

In the end it was the potentialhazard to small animals and birdsthat put the last nails in the coffinof the molluscicide, a concern thathad only recently been raised byregulators and unconnected to thesurface water issues the industryhas been working so hard to prevent.

So when the metaldehyde use up period has passed, theindustry is left with just one activeingredient for slug control, ferricphosphate, which has a verydifferent set of characteristics.

De Sangosse’s Rhodri Morris

disposal, storage and use up ofexisting stocks on farm (ending 30 June 2020).

The only other registeredactive ingredient available as a molluscicide pellet is ferric phosphate, which has a completelydifferent mode of action to metaldehyde.

Why is this significant?Understanding the differencesbetween how the two active ingredients work is essential so thatgrowers know what to expect to see after ferric phosphate has been applied.

Metaldehyde has been thebenchmark product for many years.It has a very visual hallmarkbecause it causes slugs to produceexcessive amount of slime and

death occurs by dehydration, leaving dead bodies easily visibleon the soil surface. That means its efficacy is immediately obvious.

Effective slug control

Success is measured by the

level of crop damagerather than dead

slugs.”

“

The reign of iron

With the recent announcement of an industry ban onmetaldehyde, we’re left controlling the UK’s mostimportant pest with one active – ferric phosphate. Inthis Tech Talk, De Sangosse brings growers up to dateon the very challenging futurewe have to control slugs, as wellas the importance of culturalcontrols and pellet choice.


Pellet quality has a big influence on thespread pattern when they’re applied.

Growers shouldn’t worry about the lossof metaldehyde from the slug controlarmoury, says Herefordshire-basedagronomist Andrew Goodinson ofHutchinsons. In his view, good qualityferric phosphate alternatives are everybit as effective and also provide a betterenvironmental footprint.

Andrew’s been recommending ferricphosphate for over five years and he’sgradually phasing metaldehyde out.

“Metaldehyde has always been acost-effective slug control option whereapplied properly, but I was looking for safer alternatives with a better environmental profile. Ferric phosphatehas proven to be a perfect replacement,matching metaldehyde for efficacy andcost effectiveness,” he comments.

Targeted slug control is a good insurance against oilseed rape crop losscaused by poor establishment, he says.

“Ultimately, it’s about protecting plantsthat have been drilled into poor seedbedconditions and are at high risk from sluggrazing, including crops that are showingflea-beetle damage.

“Last autumn we’d still have had achallenge to establish OSR, even withoutthe flea beetle issue, because of the drycloddy seedbeds. Seedbed conditions are more important than drilling date. Ifconditions aren’t right for planting oilseedrape then don’t,” he says.

Andrew points to a number ofHutchinson’s foundation agronomistswho have carried out dissertations onslug control. Summarising the findings,he highlights that while the level of control was the same as with metaldehyde, the habit of the slugs after ingesting each product was verydifferent. In the case of ferric phosphate,they stopped eating immediately and

retreated underground where they diedwithin a few days.

“We’ve found crops recover morequickly where ferric phosphate has beenapplied, which is probably to do with thefact that the slugs in crops treated withmetaldehyde continue to feed for sometime before dying,” he explains.

“Application timing is also critical,with adult slugs being the target ratherthan juveniles, especially in cereals. Soregular monitoring of traps is essential.”

In terms of pellet quality, he recommends the wet process ferric pellets on the market, which are goodquality and spread well, giving even coverage of baiting points.

“Bait quality is critical to the level ofcontrol. Poor quality pellets can’t beapplied accurately over wide distances(max 15m), so the weight and shape ofeach pellet has to be consistent to

ensure even application and accuracy ismaintained across the full workingwidth.”

Andrew stresses good application isimportant to ensure the correct numberof baiting points/m2. Consistent pellet sizehelps achieve this and with larger pellets,they remain persistent for longer and itslarger surface area to volume ratio helpsconcentrate the active ingredient.

Andrew Goodinson believes cropsrecover more quickly where ferricphosphate has been applied.

Ferric phosphate works as stomach poison for slugs, onceeaten there is no recovery. Itimpairs the digestive system andultimately the ability of slugs toprocess food. Feeding stopsalmost immediately and slugsretreat underground to die.

For this reason the effects canbe less visible, so success ismeasured by the level of crop damage rather than dead slugs.

Are there stewardshipissues?Unlike metaldehyde, ferric phosphate doesn’t pose a risk todrinking water catchments, withpellets degrading into iron andphosphate ions. Both of these ionsare found naturally in the soil, bind to soil particles and tend to‘stay put’. For this reason ferricphosphate can be applied onheadlands with no buffer zonerestrictions.

There have been no recordedincidences of resistance to ferricphosphate, but an over-reliance on one active ingredient isn’t adesirable situation. That means it’simportant to protect the activeingredient by using it wisely, whenpest thresholds are met, and incombination with cultural controlmethods.

There are differences betweenthe brands of ferric phosphate pellets available in both theirformulation and manufacturingprocess, and these can influencepellet efficacy.

Is pellet choice important?Trials have established that there’sa firm relationship between thequality of pellets and their efficacyrating. That means that by using ahigh-quality pellet there will be lesstendency to over-apply, reducingthe exposure of ferric phosphateand hence any possible risk ofresistance occurring.

There are four factors whichmust be perfectly balanced tomaximise the efficacy of pelletsand the only process whichenables all of these quality criteriato be combined is a wet processusing durum wheat.

Even ballistics is important forpellet spreadability. If the pelletsize, consistency and density isn’tconsistent then the result is anuneven spread pattern. DeSangosse manufacture a slighterlarger pellet, 2.7mm in lengthwhich can be more reliably spreadto a further distance becauseit’s heavier, larger and uniform sizealso allows improved evenness of

distribution on the soil surface.Once on the soil surface, slugs

need to be attracted to eat a slugpellet in preference to the crop, so attractiveness is an essentialconsideration when formulating a quality pellet.

Durum-based pellets haveproven to be the most appetisingto slugs. The wet process createsa pellet that has the best durability,enabling them to endure wet conditions in the field while stillremaining palatable to molluscs.This increased weatherability canbe critical during periods of wetweather when slug activity is at its peak.

Persistence is the final attributethat defines a slug pellet. Theyneed to be able to withstand rainfall events and remain viableand there are differences betweenpellets both made using a wet-process, as well as the more expected differencesbetween wet and the lower quality, dry process pellets.

What research has beendone?A lot of R&D activity has gone into producing a ferric phosphatepellet that works as well as metaldehyde on a like for likebasis. De Sangosse trials illustrate

the degree of slug mortality andspeed of kill for its own ferric phosphate formulation compared tocompetitor products and this hasbeen backed up by independentpublished data from Arvalis, theFrench arable crops R&D institute.

For the past two years Arvalisresearchers have been carrying out cage trials to compare De Sangosse’s Ironmax Pro with a competitor ferric phosphate product. To do this they placed 25 slugs in a 1m2 cage on fine compost which is kept dampthroughout the trial. Each cage was given four calibrated slices

Tech Talk

Targeted slug control adds insurance against crop loss


s

Effective slug controlcontrol: top tips

l Stubble and seedbed management – provide an opportunity to reduce slug populations before the next crop is planted.

l Make good use of the rolls – consolidate seedbeds as much as you dare to limit slug damage.

l Choose quality slug pellets – wet process durum wheat pellets give the spreadability, palatability and durability needed for good slug control.

Cost-effective slug control isn’t complicated, but it does rely on pellet quality. De Sangosse recognises that palatability,persistency, attractiveness and ballistics are essential criteria toensure maximum performance and efficacy.

Delivering all four of these characteristics is determined byusing only the finest quality durumwheat flour, rather than groundwheat, and this goes through anadvanced wet manufacturingprocess to form a high-quality pellet.The addition and extrusion of waterduring formulation minimises dustand makes it better able to resistvarying climatic conditions. Pelletsize and density is critical to enabling accurate and uniform spreading at

Sponsor message

of lettuce and a tile for cover. The scientists measured pelletconsumption, speed of intoxication(onset of symptoms of poisoning),crop consumption and slug mortality for metaldehyde and thetwo ferric phosphate products.

Their results show that oneweek after application both ferricphosphate products achieved a

mollusc mortality close to that ofmetaldehyde.

But more significantly, the trialsshowed a difference in the speedof mortality, with the Ironmax product standing out for its fasteraction which was as early as the third day after application. Incontrast the slugs ate more slugpellets and more lettuce where thecompetitor product was tested.

Slugs which had eaten theIronmax pellet also had lowermobility after intoxication whichArvalis believe positions it closer to the action of metaldehyde thanthe competitor product.

How is this best put intopractice?The results from the Arvalis studyshow that effective slug control is more than the number of baiting points a product provides.Although De Sangosse pellets provide fewer baiting points thanthe competitor product tested, thepellet numbers needed for slug

mortality is lower, meaning morepellets are available to deal withfurther slug infestation.

Depending on slug pressure,De Sangosse believes a singleapplication of 5-7kg/ha shouldoften be enough to do the job without having to rely on furtherapplications. Another benefit of itsformulation is the shorter periodbetween ingesting the pellet and stopping feeding, this is particularly important where plantsare at a young, vulnerable stageand speed of action to preventdamage is critical.

How is the threat of slugdamage minimised?Cultural controls remain the centralpart to any slug control strategy,with slug pellets applied whenpest pressure reaches thresholdlevels. The aim is to protect cropsas they move through their mostvulnerable growth stages, fromemergence to four true leaves.

IPM thinking requires measuresto reduce the risk from slugs to beput in place, often before the cropis even planted. Soil and stubblemanagement are the start of cultural controls for the next crop.Where ploughing is practiced thishas a useful effect disrupting theslugs’ habitat by burying trash andinflicting mechanical damage.

the distances required today.De Sangosse slug pellets are

more consistent and durable and with a high level of persistency, pellet integrity is assured.

Due to increasing demand offerric phosphate, De Sangosse hasundertaken significant investment toincrease its manufacturing capability at its plant in France to ensure UK growers will have continued access to the highest quality pellet available.De Sangosse is working with all major UK distributors to ensure this pellettechnology is widely available thisautumn.

But secondary cultivations are as important, with care needed to avoid the cobbly seedbeds which allow slugs to thrive.

Where min till is preferred, moving the surface trash around helps by disturbing theslugs’ egg lying habitat andexposing slug eggs to UV light. Conserving the natural predatorpopulation can favour increasedpredation of slugs and their eggs by natural enemies, such as Carabid beetles.

The biggest weapon in the cultural armoury is a set of rolls, which can be usefullyemployed to consolidateseedbeds so that slug movement, shelter and hidingplaces are reduced. n

s

s s100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Day after treatment

Slu

g m

ort

ality

in %

DS Ferric Phosphate

UK Competitor product

Metaldehyde 3%

Placebo bait

s

Deroceras reticulatum mortality

Source: De Sangosse laboratory trials

s

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10

Day after application

Wet Process, 7 kg/ha (40 pellets/m2 )

Dry Process, 7 kg/ha (40 pellets/m2 )s

s s

s

s s

s

ss

Rainfall : 44mm, average temperature 130 C

% S

lug

Mo

rtal

ity 2

5 g

rey

slug

s/m

2

Performance of wet v dry process pellet

Source: De Sangosse

In some seasons the feeding activity of slugs can cause extensive damage to crops.


Tech Talk

s

Establishing the crop using luxuryamounts of seed flies

in the face of all our previous

learnings.

“

”

into very dry conditions and many struggledto grow away. After the dry summer theground had a lot of work to do to re-wet andwithout moisture, the crop never had muchof a chance.”

Exceptional seasonAlthough this season has been exceptionalfor many reasons, there’s no reason tobelieve the CSFB threat is going to magicallydisappear. With that in mind, Lee suggeststhat when growers consider varieties thereare more important things than yield to consider.

“Gross output is nice to have but if a variety hasn’t got get up and go, then yourisk not having anything. My best advice is to grow hybrids, simple,” he statesemphatically.

Peter Cowlrick, independent agronomistat CCC Agronomy and responsible for AICCtrials R&D, has also come around to thesame opinion.

“Over the years I’ve been cynical of the benefits of hybrids but, on balance, the fields that have suffered the most and been held back the longest are conventional varieties, especially wherethey’ve also suffered from pigeon damage.

“What’s been very apparent is that it’s thevarieties with that extra vigour about themthat have coped the best with a high larvalload this spring. Often these have also hadthe Clearfield trait,” he notes.

Hybrids offer more than just hybrid vigour,points out Peter. “Hybrids can be planted atlower seed rates and produce a cotyledonwhich is about twice the size of one in a

Lee Bennett believes that hybrids offer more thanconventionals when under CSFB pressure.

For growers sticking withOSR, choosing a variety thathas a chance of coping with

cabbage stem flea beetleattack is likely to be a key

priority. CPM sits down witha breeder, agronomist and

seed merchant to gather their views on the varietalcharacteristics which shift

the odds in the crop’s favour.


Oilseed rape has always had an elementof variability about it, but this year hasbeen a game-changer for many growerswho have witnessed crops fail late inspring as cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) larval damage finally got the better of them.

“While flea beetle adults may be difficultto control, it’s not impossible. But to ope with larvae, you’re reliant on the physiological response of the plant,” comments Openfield’s Lee Bennett.

The odds were stacked against the OSRcrop from the start last autumn, he adds.“The whole flea beetle issue we’re experiencing was exacerbated by the seasonal conditions of last year. Crops went

Personality over looks

conventional variety. That gives plants a bigger solar panel from the word go, sothey’re able to put on biomass rapidly and they provide a bigger target to hit with insecticide.

Limagrain’s Vasilis Gegas believes theconversation about how to manage crops to counter CSFB has now come full circle.“There have been a number of tacticsemployed, including drilling early andincreasing the seed rate, but the solution is to start the crop properly. That meansselecting the right variety and right seed. By making an investment in hybrid seed, the crop is being given a fighting chance to establish and grow away,” he says.

Before the ban on neonics, OSR husbandry was mostly concerned with how to grow a high-performance crop byobtaining the optimum plant population andmanaging the crop canopy, points out Lee.

“Nowadays it’s all about establishing

TechnicalOSR varieties


s

Many growers have watched as OSR cropsstalled under the burden of CSFB larvae, withsome crops giving up entirely during April.

the crop by using luxury amounts of seedwhich flies in the face of all our previouslearnings,” he says.

“Increasing the seed rate actually leads toan increase in overall larval numbers perhectare,” adds Peter. “There’s not the dilutioneffect you may expect.

“Their increased vigour means hybridscan be drilled later, which is a tactic thatgrowers may want to look at this autumn tohelp reduce the impact of CSFB on crops.Early drilled crops looked good over the winter, but they definitely didn’t grow awayas well this spring as later drillings due tohigher larval numbers,” he comments.

Although vigour is something that’s muchtalked about, it’s poorly understood. It’s a

phenomenon that hasn’t been quantified andgrowers only have observational information about varieties to rely on. Evenhybrids differ in their vigour, explains Lee.

“Varieties don’t all display vigour twice.Some have get up and go in the autumn and these put on big biomass, while others get going faster in the New Year.

“It appears that if a crop has early springvigour then it’s more able to bounce backfrom larval damage and a greater capacityto recover,” says Peter.

Unexpected performancesOnly time will tell if the problems the UK OSR crop has experienced this season is aone off or a warning of things to come, butit’s certainly caused some unexpected performances in the field. Lee says he’stracked a variety for a number of yearswhich has looked full of potential.

“This particular variety has vigorous, prostrate growth in the autumn and builds abig canopy. It’s also a later-flowering typeand this spring it refused to move during thewarm spell we had in Feb because it simplyisn’t in its DNA to grow away early. Marchbecame cold and was followed by a dryApril and hot Easter.

“This variety is now looking disappointingwhen in the longer term it’s been quite theopposite. It’s not short on vigour but hasseasonally been found wanting,” he says.

“We really need to define vigour so thatwe can quantify it exactly. As we currentlyunderstand it, vigour is a combination of

biological factors and processes. There aremany contributing elements, some which we can measure and others that we can’t,”explains Vasilis.

“In the context of breeding, we separatethe different stages of crop development. So when we’re determining biomass thisencompasses developmental characteristicssuch as speed of germination, emergenceand establishment.

“To define vigour then we’ll have to teaseout these developmental aspects which aregenetically determined, giving the variationbetween cultivars,” he says.

But it’s not as simple as it seems, addsVasilis. “If a variety has rapid establishmentthen it’s probably going to be resilientbecause of its root development, even if theautumn biomass isn’t so good. But a big biomass is also a useful attribute to havebecause it means there’s nitrogen available

Pioneer Hi-Bred’s Andy Stainthorpe believes the industry has been caught by surprise after the neonic ban. “The neonics nailed the CSFB problem but the difficulty with an effective chemical control is that it becomes a crutch.When you take the crutch away then there’s nothing to fall back on as no one had to thinkabout alternative strategies to control flea beetle.”

That means growers and agronomists are having to work out an IPM strategy as they goalong using a trial and error approach, he says.“The research simply hasn’t been done to showwhich strategies growers can adopt that willwork.”

This also applies to the attributes of differentvarieties and what it is about them that may bebeneficial in a flea beetle situation, adds Andy.“The observations from the field this spring arereally interesting, but we need more research toestablish what they actually mean.”

He uses the observation that varieties with the

Clearfield trait seem to have coped better thisspring as an example. “It’s possible to theorisewhy this may happen. It could be that if you havea Clearfield hybrid then you’re able to take outmore brassica weeds and volunteer OSR, soremoving some of the host plants.

“Until proper work is done, we don’t know ifthis happens or there’s something else at play. Inthe meantime it’s important not to draw too manyconclusions from observations this season, even ifthere’s logic to them, because we don’t know ifthey’re repeatable or can be relied upon,”he comments.

In the autumn, Andy points out time of drillinghas a bigger effect on canopy development thanthe difference in vigour between different hybrids,but there can be much bigger vigour differencesbetween varieties in the spring.

Different growth habits may also play a part in how well an OSR plant can withstand larvaldamage and this warrants further investigation,

Andy Stainthorpe believes it’s important not to reach too many conclusions from fieldobservations without more rigorous trials work.

Peter Cowlrick has observed more larvae in cropssown at a high seed rate, which is the opposite towhat many expected.

he suggests. “Semi-dwarf varieties have betterwinter hardiness because their growing point issituated very low down. This could help mitigatedamage and their capacity for branching may beanother useful attribute to help withstand high larval infestations.”

More investigation needed to confirm field observations


OSR varieties

s

to the plant, captured in itscanopy. This helps explain whysome cultivars are able to getgoing more quickly in thespring,” he comments.

He also points out that theability of a cultivar to start growing after the winter is different to the speed it elongates in the spring and this is another factor that can be determined genetically. The way a cultivar behavesbefore and after the winter issomething which he considersbreeders need to connect.

Lee agrees that until vigour is truly defined, making a judgement between varietiescomes down to what hedescribes as ‘blonds andbrunettes’. “Beauty is in the eyeof the beholder. I look at varietiesextensively from the time theyenter breeders’ nurseries to whenthey reach trial sites. I see themover and over again, well beforeany meaningful data even exists.What gets your attention comesdown to your own subjectivity.”

Trust between seed merchantand grower is going to play animportant role in placing the right OSR variety in the rightplace this season, and it’s notsomething Lee takes lightly.

“I’m playing with people’slivelihoods when recommendinga variety, but I’ve gained aninsight into the personality of a variety over the years I’ve seen it in trials. The AHDBRecommended List (RL) gives numbers but it’s the way a

variety behaves that’s mostimportant,” he explains.

In many ways it’s an opportune time to be discussingchanges to the way the RL operates, agree all three commentators.

Vasilis explains that under theregulatory system breeders areobliged to score vigour for varieties but because it’s a subjective assessment, it’s deemed the data isn’t reliable enough to avoid misinterpretation so it isn’t published within the RL.

“We need to consider theaspirations of the RL and beginto evaluate the behaviour of OSRvarieties in the field, particularlyas the goalposts have changedsince the ban on neonicotinoidseed treatments,” says Peter.

“The RL will have to changeso that it better represents theinterests of growers, otherwise itwill be of reduced value to them,”adds Lee.

Vasilis believes the discussions about the futuredirection the RL takes is timelybecause it’s important to consider how to maintain a reasonable acreage of OSR inthe UK, an area that’s widely considered will drop this autumn.He also believes it’s important to maintain a system where trials are robust and supplymeaningful, independent data to growers.

“There are some outrageousclaims about resilience andvigour of varieties in private trials which is very open to interpretation using data that’sropey at best. Data from oneyear from just a couple of sitesdoesn’t tell the whole story,” he says.

Peter has little doubt that TuYVis playing a contributory part topoor crop performance thisspring and is a disease that can creep under the radar.

“In our area, crops tested inFeb had 80-100% TuYV infection,even in crops treated with twowell-timed systemic insecticidesbased on good crop scouting.OSR varieties with resistance to TuYV seem to have grown

Industry figures are asking whether it would be useful to better definevigour so it can be quantified.

s

Vasilis Gegas points out that the ability of acultivar to start growing after the winter isdifferent to the speed it elongates in the spring.

There’s a hidden epidemic of TuYV so making useof resistance traits available in hybrids will helpreduce insecticide use.

away much better from larval damagethan crops that are under a combinedstress,” he notes.

In a Limagrain survey carried out lastautumn, TuYV infection levels were muchhigher than in previous seasons, where itnormally sits around the 30-40% mark, saysVasilis. In 2018 the South East and EastMidlands proved to be TUYV hotspots butit’s endemic across the whole of the UK.

Lee believes planting a variety with resistance to TuYV is a no-brainer. “Geneticresistance is there and it’s robust so weshould use it, otherwise it flies in the face ofeverything that’s deemed important in IPM.

“Last autumn I saw OSR which established alright but struggled with adultflea beetle feeding in the dry conditions. The grower sprayed it with three pyrethroids,which did a sufficient job to stem the fleabeetle enough for the crop to grow away butit also killed all the predators. He then had toapply a foliar neonic to control aphids –– his

crop tested 85% for TUYV. It’s crazy to use foliar insecticides when you can use genetics at no extra cost, in fact it’sprobably a cost-saving to invest in geneticresistance,” he comments.

Peter agrees that as an industry IPM toolsneed to be adopted more widely, pointingout that in Lee’s example the cost of usingfoliar neonics would be in the region of£30/ha, which would more than pay for theextra cost of hybrid seed with the TuYV trait.

The fact there’s no yield penalty associated with the TuYV resistance is another good reason to make use of the trait, says Vasilis.

Choosing a variety that has a combinationof traits and characteristics that help thegrower overcome agronomic problems isundoubtedly a part of the solution, but Peterhighlights seedbed preparations as also crucial in the battle against flea beetle.

“A key point is to avoid creating flea beetle friendly seedbeds. That means timelypreparations and make sure seedbeds arefine and firm, double rolling if necessary.

Vasilis agrees, suggesting growers throwthe calendar out of the window and rely on drilling their OSR only when ground conditions are suitable to give the crop thebest chance of establishment. The geneticsolution to the CSFB problem is a number of years away, he believes, partly becauseit’s very difficult to produce reliable trials data for tolerance to pests because of theirsporadic nature. But the answer could be a lot closer if the EU were to embrace breeding technologies such as gene editing.

“The EU decision against new technologies was a kick in the teeth tobreeders. With gene editing we would beable to incorporate pest tolerance muchmore quickly. Using classical breeding toolsit will be a long time before we can find atrait to introduce,” he says. n


OSR varieties

s

TechnicalOSR varieties

Why does the AHDBRecommended List seem so

much less relevant to oilseedrape than cereal growers

these days? Armed with thelatest variety plantings and

performance data, CPM takessome industry soundings.

By Rob Jones

Most modern varieties have the

genetic potential to deliverwell over the sort of grossoutputs most growers arelikely to see in commercial

practice.

“

”

OSR beyond the RL

There are eight (42%) of the 19 varietiesmaking up three quarters of this season’swinter OSR plantings that have never beenon the AHDB Recommended List.

Interestingly too, only half of the 20 varieties on the 2018/19 RL –– and none of those newly-added to the List for the season –– are among the most popular varieties currently in the ground.

This is the reality revealed by the latestintelligence from the industry-leading, 400-strong Kleffmann Group WOSR AMISfarmer panel, a group carefully selected tobe representative of British growers.

And it’s an even more dramatic positionwith the hybrids that make up 11 of the 19most popular varieties. Of these, almost twothirds have never been on the RL.

Four of this season’s five most popularconventional varieties are on the 2018/19 RL,while the fifth was a candidate not added toit. In complete contrast, four of the five most

wide-grown hybrids aren’t on the List andhave never even been candidates forRecommendation.

What’s more, this pattern has beenremarkably consistent over at least the past five years, pre-dating the widespreadgrowing of the Clearfield (CL) hybrids thathave never been recommended but currently account for nearly 15% of total UK plantings.

Unique traitsSo what do the best hybrid varieties have –– apart from unique traits like CL –– thatmakes them so sought after by growers, and why do so many of them fail to gainRecommended List status?

Mathew Clarke, senior breeder withDekalb, is responsible for two varieties thathave recently become grower favourites–– DK Extrovert and DK Exalte. Neither of

these, along with a number of others he’shelped bring to market, have ever featuredon the RL.

“Of course, it’s satisfying seeing varieties like DK Expansion and DK Exsteelgaining official Recommendation,” he says.“But our breeding programme doesn’t lenditself to Listing simply because we don’t putgross output potential before anything else.Instead, we select and test for a series of traits we know to be important in farm production, doing so under the most challenging conditions. Then we take forward the best-performing of these.

“Employing no fungicides on sites with the greatest disease pressures, for


Matthew Clarke selects and tests for a series oftraits known to be important in farm production.

instance, has been our key to developingthe most robust phoma and light leaf spotresistance. Drilling later than normal and intodifficult seedbeds has allowed us to identifythe most vigorous-establishing and fast-developing lines. Delaying harvesting onexposed sites has been vital in securingstrong resistance to pod shattering. Andtesting varieties widely at lower as well asstandard nitrogen inputs is enabling us to develop varieties which lose less performance when nitrogen supply isrestricted.”

Matthew believes this approach is whythe Dekalb varieties tend not to come top ofthe tree in trials geared to out-and-out yieldmaximisation, especially when grown insmall plots and to protocols designed to suitthe average. “However, our parallel plot andfield-scale trial work under far more typical s

David Leaper uses trials to help teaseout particular agronomic strengthsand weaknesses.

agronomic regimes in the UKand across Europe shows theyperform especially well on farm. Which is what our whole breeding effort is geared to do.”

He says the popularity andlongevity of the programme’shybrids show that this approachchimes with growers, who areprepared to try new varietiesemerging from it in the absenceof even RL candidature, simplybecause they are Dekalb-bred.

It’s also evident in the independent data on the 2018harvest gross output of morethan 65 varieties in the latestKleffmann Group WOSR AMIS farmer panel. These show mainstream hybrids out-performing conventional varieties by more than 0.3t/ha on farm (see chart right). Not only this, but the 10 Dekalb‘Ex’ hybrids being grown –– noneof which were on the 2018/19 RL–– enjoyed an even greater grossoutput advantage, at almost0.5t/ha.

Starting pointAt Agrii, seed technical manager, David Leaper sees the RL as a good starting pointfor evaluating OSR varieties. But he and his colleagues look well beyond the information it provides in their recommendations, basingthem on trial work designed as much to highlight varieties’ relative weaknesses as theirinherent production potential.

“Most modern varieties have

the genetic potential to deliverwell over the sort of gross outputs most growers are likely to see in commercial practice,”he points out.

“So what we want to do in our trials with around 70 varieties across the country eachyear is identify the best from agrower’s point of view and teaseout their particular agronomicstrengths and weaknesses. Thatway we can complement the RLinformation with practical advicebased on sound science to help

Conventionals Hybrids* Dekalb ‘Ex’ hybrids Non-Dekalb hybrids*

3.59

3.914.07

3.83

Gro

ss o

utp

ut (t

/ha)

2018 Winter OSR Variety Performance on Farm

Source: Kleffmann Group WOSR AMIS farmer panel 2019; * Figures exclude all Clearfield,clubroot and specialist oil varieties

growers make better variety and agronomy decisions.

“We replicate farm practice as closely as we can in our trialsand drill at a standard 50 seeds/m2 rates for hybridsand 70 seeds/ m2 conventionalvarieties. This ensures we don’tdiscriminate against generallybetter-branching hybrids by sowing them too thickly andallows us to make the mostmeaningful comparisons of theirautumn and spring growth habitsand vigour.


OSR varieties

s

“We find huge differencesbetween varieties in their rate ofautumn development –– whichisn’t measured in RL trials ––enabling our growers and agronomists to match them far better to drilling slot and conditions for the best establishment,” explains David.

“This season too, we’ve seenclear correlations between levelsof Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle

damage and varieties’ speed ofautumn and spring development.In both cases the most vigorous,faster-developing hybrids appearto have an important edge overthe rest in their ability to tolerateinfestations.

“We also know how importanta good level of pod shatter resistance is in safeguardingyields and minimising volunteerproblems. Verticillium wilt resistance is another area where we have to look beyondthe RL for information. As isClearfield variety performanceand agronomy.”

ADM Agriculture head ofseed, Chris Guest also looksbeyond the RL to find varietiesthat will give his growers the year-in, year-out performanceconsistency they seek aboveeverything else. Especially so inthe face of the extra challengesthe crop is facing fromcabbagestem flea beetle.

“What we want is varieties

Official output ratings are notsomething Scottish Borders grower, David Fuller-Shapcott ofSweethope Farm just outsideKelso considers important in hisOSR variety selection. Yet he’sbrought in yields averaging morethan 5t/ha-plus in the past and, at4.9t/ha, his 2018 YEN crop of DKExclaim was within the top third of entries for percentage of estimated yield potential.

Instead he looks for high oilcontent, strong phoma and lightleaf spot resistance, stemstrength and pod shatter resistance in his varieties,associating these genetic traitswith reliable performance. He also prioritises varieties that suithis decidedly challenging soil conditions and particular growing regime.

“OSR always does best at lowseed rates,” says David. “The lastthing we want is mustard andcress. We’re after plants that arebig and bushy rather than tall and tree-like. These give good

light-intercepting canopies thatdon’t need much growth regulation.

“Hybrids like DK Expansionand DK Exclaim which are veryvigorous but don’t take off tooearly in the spring before ourground warms up enough to provide the nutrition they needsuit us well. These are importantthings that RL testing simplydoesn’t tell us about.”

David Fuller-Shapcott prioritisesvarieties that suit his challengingsoil conditions and particulargrowing regime.

Output ratings immaterial in Borders

Chris Guest wants varieties that copebest with later sowing, difficultautumn or spring conditions, slugs,pigeons and flea beetle.

s

Following in the footsteps of DK Extrovertand DK Exalte is the latest variety from theDekalb programme, DK Exstar.

The first mainstream ‘double low’ toboast across-the-board ‘8 or greater’ ratings for phoma resistance, light leaf spotresistance, lodging resistance and stemstiffness, it has a vigorous establishmentwith rapid autumn development, says the breeder. It also carries pod shatterresistance, familiar mid-flowering andmaturity ratings, and had an official grossoutput rating of 105% of controls as an RL candidate.

“DK Exstar joins our portfolio with the most complete agronomy packagewe’ve ever seen,” says Dekalb technicalspecialist, Will Vaughan-France. “Like mostof our hybrids, you won’t find it on the RL.But we’re every bit as confident in its on-farm abilities as we were with both DKExtrovert and DK Exalte –– which it hasout-yielded by a good 0.4t/ha at a similar45%+ oil content in our untreated trials.

“We’ve found the variety suits a widerange of sowing dates, including later slots.Although equally vigorous in its springgrowth, it doesn’t go into stem extensionquite as early as some, making it especiallywell-suited to heavier soils and colder siteswhere early nutrient availability can berestricted.

“A market-leading combination ofphoma stem canker and light leaf spotresistance offers flexibility in fungicidetreatment, while high levels of lodgingresistance and stem stiffness allow springspray programmes to optimised for canopystructuring.

“DK Exstar is very definitely a step forward in OSR robustness and risk management,” he notes. “It has all themakings of another firm grower favourite.”

A stand-out performer?

that cope best with things like later sowing,difficult autumn or spring conditions, andslugs and pigeons as well as flea beetlerather than purely those that top the outputcharts when everything goes right,” heinsists. “With today’s climate, we also wantvarieties that can survive summer storms or

harvesting delays with minimal seed losses.”Chris finds RL ratings for phoma, light leaf

spot and lodging resistance valuable, andagrees that the system has the advantage of independence.

However, he finds small plot trials can be apoor predictor of how hybrids, in particular,perform on farm. This is mainly due to the factthat they need sufficient space to develop themost productive canopies and the opportunityto show the superior abilities to compensatefor setbacks he knows the most robust varieties have.

“Autumn vigour and the ability to growaway from pest problems in the spring arekey things we need in varieties today,”stresses Chris. “DK Exalte is a great example of a variety that has really delivered for our growers here, as well as indisease and pod shatter resistance and

standing power. Yet we’d completely havemissed it if we were just relying on data fromthe RL.

“So, we keep a close eye on what thebreeding programmes we trust are comingup with, identify the varieties that have thethings we’re looking for at an early stage,and work with our growers to try them outalongside their current favourites.

“At the moment we’re particularly excitedby DK Exstar. It really ticks our boxes for itsall-round strength and robustness. We cansee it becoming another farmer favourite forthese reasons.” n

Dekalb uses parallel plot and field-scale trial workunder more typical agronomic regimes in the UKand across Europe to test varietal performance.

OSR varieties

s

Resistant varieties actually reduce

levels of virus in theplant population.

“”

Turnip yellows virus may bemore of a problem than

previously thought followinga nationwide analysis ofoilseed rape crops. CPM

looks at the implications for growers.

By Rob Jones

TechnicalTuYV

The unnoticedepidemic

Up and down the country, oilseed rapecrops have been investigated for the presence of turnip yellows virus (TuYV).According to the results of the tests carried out at the University of Warwickand NIAB, over 90% of the UK crop nowcarries the virus.

The results follow previous reports thatthe numbers of the main virus vector,Myzus persicae, have been at high levelsin recent years. A large proportion of theseare now carrying TuYV, raising concernsthat this will inevitably end up in growingcrops.

Experience in Europe has shown thevirus can result in yield losses as high as30% and in the UK, AHDB studies estimate losses due to TuYV at 15%, amounting toaround £80 million every year. It’s an issuethat it is now concerning researchers, agronomists and growers alike.

“The situation is very worrying,” says

TuYV is now present in the majority of OSR cropsin the UK according to tests carried out thisseason, explains Sarah Hawthorne.

Rothamsted Research entomologist DrSteve Foster. “We’ve tested crops at anumber of UK sites in recent years and theproportion of M. persicae carrying theTuYV virus has ranged from 50% to over 80%.

“These high levels can only lead you tobelieve that the virus is being carried intocrops, which could be having a profoundeffect on production.”

To complicate matters, aphids resistant to pyrethroid insecticides are carrying thesame amount of virus as non-resistantinsects, he says.

Large populations of aphids“Over 85% of aphids we tested were resistant to pyrethroids, which meansthere’s a large population of aphids outthere carrying high levels of TuYV virus thatare proving very difficult to control. Weneed to be testing virus levels in the crop,as well as testing aphids for virus, to buildup a true picture of what is happening andthere’s an urgent need for funding andcommitment to a major project in thisarea,” he says.

In the latest round of tests initiated byseed breeder DSV, actual levels of viruspresent in the growing crop have now been established and they present a verydisturbing picture, says Sarah Hawthorne of DSV UK.

“We looked at crops due to be harvestedthis summer across a range of locationsfrom N Yorks, down to Wilts and from

Shrops in the West to Lincs in the East.Leaf samples were taken in the field andthese were analysed at the University ofWarwick Life Sciences department and byNIAB,” explains Sarah.

“All samples were taken randomly from crops that looked to be healthy andgrowing strongly. Out of the 60 samplestaken, 55 of these were found to be positive for TuYV –– which represents a91.7% level of infection. We believe this isrepresentative of the whole of the UK,which suggests the level of virus now


John Walsh says TuYV resistance appears to workby enabling the plant to reduce levels of virus inits phloem.

Temptation is the first high output variety on theRL bred by DSV which has TuYV resistance.

carried in the UK crop is much higher than previously thought,” she comments.

As well as taking part in the analysis,Professor John Walsh of the University ofWarwick has carried out many years ofresearch into the problem and he believesthe UK is now facing a ‘perfect storm’ forrapid development of TuYV in crops.

“We have a worrying alignment of factors, including large numbers of aphidscarrying high levels of virus, the loss of systemic control from neonic seed treatments and growing resistance to existing insecticides. In addition, the generally milder conditions we’re nowexperiencing is making the situation worse,with infection easily spread from othercrops and weeds.

He believes it’s very clear the industryhas to focus on solutions to address theincreased risk from TuYV and sees resistant varieties as the main tool.

“The mechanism of TuYV resistance isn’tfully understood, but it appears to work bythe plant being able to reduce levels ofvirus in its phloem rather than just beingable to function as normal with high levelsof virus in its system.

“Resistant varieties actually reduce levels of virus in the plant population and,as yield loss is linearly related to the levelof infection, the more you reduce this by,the more yield you will save,” he adds.

The TuYV resistance has proved strongand stable in research, as well as beingeffective across the three main geneticgroups of the virus, John points out.

“It may be ‘genetically linked’ to an ability to cope better with greater levels ofabiotic stress. Although current resistanceis thought to be due to one dominant gene,Warwick’s new sources of resistance have been found to be on more than onechromosome. This means they could be carried by more than one gene, whichcould be contributing to resistance andsuggests they could remain robust.”

With the increase in aphids, higher

proportions of these carrying the virus and now higher levels of plant infection in evidence, it’s no surprise the 2019/20AHDB Recommended List saw TuYV varieties coming to the fore in the UK for the first time, says OSR specialistSimon Kröger from DSV in Germany.

“It’s an issue we’ve been wrestling withacross Europe for many years and now,unfortunately, it looks like it’s becoming agrowing problem in the UK. It’s one of those things that can be working in thebackground and depressing yields withoutgrowers fully understanding why,” he says.

“The virus makes the plants use theassimilates of photosynthesis for the replication of new viruses rather than making them available for producing plantbiomass, which in turn leads to reduced

growth and smaller seeds.“It’s only when the level of infection

reaches a certain threshold that you see


sTuYV

Symptoms of TuYV often go unnoticed or aren’teven expressed in infected plants.

TuYV is a disease growers in Europe have already been battling with for several years,says Simon Kroeger.

obvious signs and by then it’s too lateand yield losses of 20-30% aren’t uncommon.Often there are no indications at all thatinfection is present,” he highlights.

DSV’s newly listed variety Temptation isthe first of a line of high gross output TuYVresistant OSR varieties entering theEuropean testing system, he says.

“As well as Temptation being added tothe latest RL as suitable for the whole of

the UK, DSV triple-layer varieties Darlingand Dazzler, which also have TuYV resistance, are now on the UK candidatelist. In the future it’s likely that all new DSVvarieties will carry TuYV resistance.

“We first started looking at the issue in the early 2000s, but only at a relatively low intensity. When it became clear thatoptions for insecticide use were becomingincreasingly limited, but insect pests and the diseases transmitted by them werebecoming a major problem, the work wasintensified,” explains Simon.

“As well as being able to handle highinfections of TuYV without suffering yieldloss, we’re finding such varieties have better tolerance to abiotic stress in thefield. This means they’re generally moreresilient across a range of varying growingconditions, which makes them ideal formodern OSR production.”

John believes greater awareness of the threat posed by TuYV in the UK isimportant. “I often think about TuYV asbeing an unseen virus, as it often showsno symptoms, so growers are unaware ofits presence in the crop. Two plants couldhave 100% infection but only one couldshow any of the classic signs that we

s

recognise as being indicative of the disease.

“But although you can’t see it, it doesn’tmean TuYV isn’t there. All the indicationsare that it will remain a problem for UKgrowers for some years and yield loss canbe significant if the virus isn’t addressed.

“With reduced use of insecticides to control the vectors likely in the future,milder growing conditions generally andindications that high levels of infection arenow being seen in aphids and plants alike,growers have got to take the use of TuYVresistant varieties very seriously movingforward,” he concludes. n

TuYV


Mike Thornton highlights that uneven crops canpose a problem when it comes to deciding whento desiccate them.

Losing precious oilseed rapeseeds before harvest would

be an additional hit to thepocket in what has already

been a difficult growing season. Fortunately, it’s a

potential problem that canbe mitigated. CPM reports

By Rob Jones

TechnicalOSR harvest

A stitch in time…

Oilseed rape has had a tough time this season. In some regions crop performancemay well take a drubbing, but at this timeof year getting as many of the tiny blackseeds as possible to harvest is the primeconsideration.

In spite of the pressure on OSR growers to cut costs, the emphasis has to be aboutprotecting yields and margins, believesSussex-based ProCam agronomist Mike Thornton.

“From the very moment of drilling, the crop is nurtured and protected against a hostof potential damaging and yield-robbing scenarios, right up until the combine enters the field. Coupled with weather andlate-season disease, harvest losses can besignificant and mean the difference betweenprofit and loss, especially if yields are marginal,” he comments.

Mike advises growers across the southcoast of England, with many OSR crops onlight soils. He believes that to lose yield in thefinal stages of the crop’s life, through poor

desiccation, harvesting or bad weather, arerisks that can be mitigated. This is the reasonhe’s using a pod sealant to help prevent seedshedding and it’s a strategy that’s been verysuccessful, he claims.

Pod shatter triggered by extreme weatherevents in the run up to harvest can typicallyresult in yield reductions of between 8-12%,but losses can be much higher as a result ofhailstorms and heavy rain. The problem arisesfrom the swelling of ripe pods in wet weather,which then contract in dry weather. In the runup to a late harvest, brittle over-mature cropsare particularly at risk of pod shatter as plantsbecome older and drier with age.

Uneven crops that ripen at different stages,can add to the problems and the dilemmathat many agronomists will face this season iswhen to desiccate OSR crops, many of whichare all over the place after flea beetle larvaedamage this spring.

“Whether the crop has suffered throughflea beetle damage or winter pigeon grazing,unevenness at desiccation can have a biginfluence on how the crop performs overall,”he explains.

“Quite often, for whatever reason, 50% ofthe crop might be ready to desiccate, with25% too far gone and another 25% not readyat all. That’s the dilemma we often face andhistorically, it’s a case of going with the majority of the field when timing desiccation.”

Pod-Stik (a latex-based co-polymer) fromDe Sangosse, can be applied up to eightweeks prior to any glyphosate application. It works by tacking and protecting the podseam, reducing its natural tendency to splitwhile allowing the pod to expand, contractand mature normally.

This affords 12 weeks protection afterapplication safeguarding the crop through toharvest. Pod-Stik should be applied once

pods have reached full size (growthstage 80-82) when they are green

and still pliable, but no later thangrowth stage 89 when pods areripe. At the later desiccantgrowth stages, yields within the tramline can be reduced as much as 30% throughwheeling damage when

travelling through the crop.Mike has been impressed by

the way the product has reducedyield loss across a whole range of OSR

crops and conditions, although getting growers to go through the crop twice at thatstage can be a challenge.

“This is where our job as agronomists iscritical,” he explains. “To get the maximumbenefit from Pod-Stik, it’s crucial to apply itearly enough. Yes, there’s an increased application cost, but if the pods are sealedand protected in advance of desiccation, thentramline losses can be significantly reduced,even at 36m.

“Once growers have seen the benefits of doing this then they don’t need asking asecond time. The proof of the pudding is definitely in the stubble after harvest (less volunteers). Up to 300-500kg/ha seed can be saved using a well- timed pod sealant,depending on the variety.”

He says Pod-Stik is best applied at a rateof 1.0 l/ha in 100-250 litres of water as a medium quality spray. “And if mixing with a partner, then the partner’s water volume recommendation should take priority. It can also be co-applied with a variety of desiccants. If co-applying, always follow the desiccant label and Pod-Stik should be added to the spray tank as the last component in the mixture,” he advises. n

Harvest losses can be significant andmean the differencebetween profit and

loss.

“

”


The tramline trials from the participating farmers,and the involvement of farmers themselves bring a valuable insight into cover crops, saysAmanda Bennett.

Robust data as well as keylessons have emerged fromAHDB’s Maxi-Cover project.

CPM seeks guidance andessentials lessons from those

involved in the research


We’re talking about learning how to manage a whole

new crop.

“”

A clearer coursefor cover crops

It’s often said that AHDB-funded researchcomes into its own where it puts somescience behind a relatively new practice–– one that’s gaining quite a bit of traction–– and when the messages on best practice are in danger of being muddiedby competing commercial interests.

So the Maxi-Cover project on cover cropsmay be one from which you’re eagerly awaiting results. Three years in, and with just a bit more data to gather and analyse,researchers are ready for it to bear fruit.

“We now have a lot of robust informationfrom the large-plot replicated trials,” saysAHDB’s Dr Amanda Bennett. “But the tramline trials from the participating farmers,and the involvement of farmers themselvesalso bring a valuable insight into this important area.”

Three field experiments, on contrastingsoil types, were established in Cambs(loamy sand), Yorks (sandy loam) and Notts(clay loam) to quantify the effect of covercrops on soil properties, crop rooting and

yield. Ten treatments (seven straights andthree seed mixtures) were established using a standard cultivation approach.

In addition, cover crop tramline trials havetaken place at three contrasting AHDBMonitor Farm sites, and a further trial hostedby Hutchinsons in Cambs, to provide moreinformation on species selection. A range ofsoil health measurements are being taken onthe following cash crops (spring barley orspring beans, as well as the following wintercrop in the rotation) and costs and benefitsare being quantified.

Rotational impact“The project looks at the impact of covercrops through the rotation, so while we havedata from the cover crops themselves, thefinal cash crop is yet to be harvested,” notesAmanda. “At the site in Cambs, BBRO havefunded an additional year of cover crop trialsthat will be followed with sugar beet.”

And it’s across the rotation that the benefits of cover crops become apparent,she continues. “You may take a financial hitin year one, but the project is indicating longer-term benefits for those who persevere–– the investment needs to be consideredacross the rotation. There are rotational conflicts however –– take care with using abrassica cover crop in rotation with oilseedrape, and when following a cereal covercrop with a cereal cash crop.”

But to really reap the benefits, the covercrop should be established early, taking the season into account, she says. “Where a good cover was achieved, with good

rooting, the suggestion from initial findings is that this leads to a rooting benefit in thefollowing cash crop,” she reports.

“But a limitation of the study is that wefocussed on only seven different species(albeit with differing characteristics), compared with the multitude of optionsavailable. The challenge farmers face is thehuge variety on offer –– we’re talking aboutlearning how to manage a whole new crop.”

Dr Anne Bhogal who co-leads the projectwith ADAS colleague Dr Charlotte White,reveals the team is “still in the throes” ofanalysing the data, but echoes Amanda’scomments on early establishment. “It’s soimportant to establish cover crops early, intoa moist seedbed before Sept. Where thiswasn’t achieved, the crop struggled.”


s


Even so, the trials have yielded up some useful measurements on root lengthdensity (RLD). This is a metric that gives an indication of how good the growth isunderground. For a plant to capture adequate water and nutrients, it needs anRLD of at least 1cm length per cm3 of soil,she explains, known as the critical RLD. This isn’t usually limiting in the top 30-35cmof soil, but it can affect crop resilience andperformance if the RLD tails off rapidlybelow that depth.

“We measured RLD in both the covercrops and following cash crops down to60cm,” says Anne. “Phacelia was the topperformer across the sites, and we measured an average RLD of 2cm/cm3 atthe Cambs site (to 60 cm) compared withoats and rye at 1cm/cm3 and clover andvetch with an average RLD of 0.5cm/cm3,although the site was established late –– into Sept.”

Early establishmentAt the Notts site, established in mid Aug, the RLD average was more than 2cm/cm3,with phacelia and rye performing best, at4cm/cm3. Clover and vetch delivered anRLD of 2cm/cm3. “So clover and vetch particularly benefit from early establishmentto provide good rooting,” notes Anne.

Root architecture is also important, withphacelia and radish producing strong taproots, while oats and rye are examples ofplants with a fibrous root. “The jury’s out onwhether the cover crops have a significantimpact on rooting of the following crop.We’re still assessing the data, but there does seem to be a tendency for the coverwith a higher RLD to result in a cash crop

with improved rooting.”The yield impact on the following crop is

by no means certain. “That’s not to say youcan’t improve yield through use of a covercrop, but this depends on many factors,such as how well you establish the cover,and what species you choose. Well established rye and oat cover crops at Nottsactually resulted in a yield reduction in thefollowing spring barley, compared with controls, which may be due to disease carryover into the cereal cash crop.”

With nitrogen uptake, it’s a similar pictureof variability that depends largely on howwell the cover is established, continues Anne(see charts on p54). “As a ballpark figure,you can recover around 60-80kgN/hathrough the use of a cover crop. Well established clover and vetch were the bestperformers, delivering up to 90kgN/ha, and we believe there’s a small N-fixationcontribution here from this species.”

But a good volunteer crop can deliveralmost as much, she notes. “At Cambs andYorks, the site was sprayed off before the trials were established, and the control plots delivered 0kgN/ha and 10kgN/harespectively. But at the Notts site, the

For several years, cover crops have formed part of the rotation for Blackbird Farming, based atHempstead Farm, near Sittingbourne, Kent. Butfarm and estate manager Mark Bowsher-Gibbshas never been entirely sure how much they’recontributing.

“We have a flock of 1500 ewes, including 400ewe lambs that spend 12 months on the farmbefore being put to the tup,” he explains. “We putdown about 70-100ha of cover crops every year,sown either with feed oats, rye and vetch orWesterwold ryegrass. They provide an importantfood source for the lambs and we count the croptowards our EFA area, but we’ve never reallyknown much about the nutrient capture or difference to soil properties that result.”

As an AHDB Monitor farmer, Mark wasapproached to take part in the tramline trials ofthe Maxi-Cover project. The business includes1200ha of arable cropping in a five-year rotationwith wheat following oilseed rape then two wheatsafter peas or beans. “We also bring in spring barley to help with blackgrass, and the field for the trials was one that had been in spring barley in 2016.”

Three replicates of mix 1 and mix 3 (see chartson p54 for details) were sown in adjacent stripsacross about 2ha of the brick earth, deep loamysoil soon after harvest, with volunteer barley

providing the control. “Satellite NDVI imagery in Octshowed distinct differences in crop cover betweenthe three treatments. You could see there was a lotmore green biomass in the five-way mix, while thestubble control was virtually bare,” reports Mark.

The cover crops were destroyed withglyphosate in the first week of Feb, with anotherspring barley crop (RGT Planet) planted in the lastweek of March. “Yield gains of 0.11t/ha for mix 1and 0.37t/ha for mix 3 were recorded, but theseweren’t statistically significant.”

Winter oilseed rape was sown with assessments made again in spring 2018. Therewas no effect of the cover crop treatments on topsoil organic matter content, bulk density or visual soil structure (VESS score).

“But there were differences in penetrometerresistance observed in spring 2017 that were stillapparent in spring 2018 indicating improved workability where mix 3 had been grown. Therewere also differences in earthworm populations,with most found following mix 3 and least after the control.” Again, there were small yield benefitsfrom the cover crops that weren’t statistically significant.

Mark’s found the trials have formed a valuablepoint of conversation with the Kent Monitor farmgroup. “We all grow cover crops for a variety of different uses, and we’ve found it’s important to

On-farm trials provide pointers on cover crops

establish first what your objectives are before youcan decide what sort of mix is right. Beinginvolved in the project has helped show the differences you get from the various mixes available, although I still have doubts whether anexpensive black oat mix delivers that much morethan feed oats, and whether vetch or clover are inthe ground long enough to fix nitrogen,” he notes.

“But we now have some useful metrics to helpquantify the benefits and ways of assessing theresults. I’m a great believer in all-year-roundcover, and holistically it has to be right. It’s only the practicalities and justifying the timeinvestment that prevent us from making more use of cover crops.”

Mark Bowsher-Gibbs has never been entirelysure how much cover crops are contributing.

Anne Bhogal has found it’s important to establishcover crops early, into a moist seedbed before Sept.

s

s

Theory to Field

AHDB Project No. 21140009 Maximising the benefits fromcover crops through speciesselection and crop management(Maxi-Cover crop) is a three-yearproject led by ADAS, with NIAB as scientific partner andHutchinsons, RAGT and Amazone as industry partners. It began in Aug 2016 and is costing AHDB £230,000 (total funding£315,300).

The Maxi-Cover project aims tomaximise the potential economic,agronomic and ecological benefitsfrom cover crops through a better understanding of species

effects and crop managementtechnologies, with four objectives:i) quantify the effects of differentcover crops on soil properties,crop rooting and yield; ii) validatethe effects of different cover crop mixtures and cultivationtechnologies on AHDB MonitorFarms; iii) update cover cropsguidance; iv) transfer knowledgeof the project findings to growers,industry and academia.

Project information, as well asthe cover crop review, videos andcase studies, can be accessed atahdb.org.uk/cover-crops

Research roundup

Source: ADAS; Mix 1: Spring oats (83%) and crimson clover (17%); mix 2: oilseed radish (30%),phacelia (20%), buckwheat (50%); mix 3: Spring oats (53%), crimson clover (11%), oilseed radish(11%), phacelia (7%), buckwheat (18%). Note the scales of the three charts are different.

Nitrogen uptake by cover crops

volunteer barley and OSRwere left and recovered60kgN/ha, although both cloverand vetch still performed better.”

A key factor is growth over the autumn and winter, she adds.“If temperatures fall below 5°C,N-fixation won’t take place.”

Data on the detailed assessments from the large-plottrials are still being processed.“We carried out a reduced suite of assessments on thetramline-trial sites. Again, it’s thesame story –– where there wasgood establishment, that’s wheresoil improvements can be seen.”(see panel on p52).

“But at the Yorks tramline-trial

site, we’ve learned some valuable lessons when it comesto cover crops on heavy land.Here, oats and clover were tested, as well as a mix of radish,phacelia and buckwheat. The latter produced the best cover,but resulted in a wet topsoil thatwas difficult to manage in thespring. It was a soggy mess thatbrought a significant yielddecline in the following springbean crop, compared with thecontrol which had no cover crop.It shows that on these heavysoils, the cover must bedestroyed early –– as soon afterChristmas as possible.”

It’s in this area of cover-crop

destruction where further work isneeded, reckons Anne. “It’s notjust timing –– success with covercrops is heavily dependant onthe use of glyphosate, so it wouldbe valuable to study alternativedestruction methods and howthat affects N uptake and following crop yield.”

Amanda concedes that cropdestruction was outside thescope of the project, but isnonetheless a key aspect of success with cover crops.

“The practical application ofthe research work continues atthe AHDB Strategic Farm inSuffolk, where much of themethodology applied to cover-crop trials has been drawn from the Maxi-Cover project. This will help refine ourunderstanding as the rest of thedata is assessed and broughttogether,” she notes.

Phacelia was the top performer across the sites, with an RLD of 4cm/cm3 at theNotts site (left), drilled 23 Aug, and 2cm/cm3 at the Cambs site, drilled 21 Sept.

Stetchworth (Cambs), Feb 2017

Kneesall (Notts), Feb 2018

Wilberfoss (Yorks), Feb 2018

The plan is for AHDB to publish a cover crops guidewhich will distil all the knowledgegathered and provide essentialpointers for growers. There havealso been a number of on-farmevents at which project updateshave been discussed, andAmanda believes participation inthese is critical for those lookingto gather a real insight into covercrops.

“One of the aspects thatmakes this project different ishow growers have engaged, particularly those involved in thetramline trials. The conversationswe’ve had with groups of farmershave been almost as informativeas the data from the trials themselves. Learning from eachother and sharing experience willbe key to getting the best fromcover crops,” she concludes. n

P<0.001

P<0.001

P<0.001


s

Theory to Field

Any change we make is properly

costed.

“”

steel-tracked crawler (see table on p58).“The capital cost was considerably more, but the difference in its speed andsophistication was huge –– it was capable of doing a lot more, and this was reflected in the hourly costs. We looked at swappingone of the other tractors as well and realisedwe could actually replace three machines,including the crawler, with one,” recallsAndrew.

The exercise focused his mind on recording costs for every operation and allocating these, so that he could work outexactly how much every operation costs.This came in useful a few years later whenthe farm switched out of ploughing into min

Inspecting one of Andrew Ward’s fields of wheat, it’s difficult to pick holes in it.The crop is fairly free of disease, even ingrowth with no visible signs of blackgrass.But this particular field has been one ofthe costliest to grow this year.

“It’s part of 211ha we originally croppedwith oilseed rape, but 87ha, including thisfield, failed to establish well. So we took thedecision to abandon the crop and redrill withShabras winter wheat towards the end ofOct,” he explains.

“We’d already spent £237/ha growing theOSR crop, so it was a hard decision tomake. But I sold the wheat forward soalready know what it will return, dependingon final yield. Despite the extra costs, thewheat will still bring more than I would have

received from a poor OSR crop.”Andrew’s not shy of making decisions that

involve fairly major changes to the farmingsystem at Roy Ward Farms, near Sleaford,Lincs. Farming 650ha that vary from heavyclay to lighter heathland soils, the rotationhas switched in recent years from mainlywinter crops to one where spring crops nowdominate (see table on p58).

Zero-tolerance policy“Every decision we take on the farm revolves around blackgrass –– there’s azero-tolerance policy. But we have to ensurefarming retains it profitability. So any changewe make is properly costed –– it’s essentialto have a clear idea of exactly what yourcosts are so you can gauge the overalleffect of a management change on theentire business.”

His interest in costings started in the mid1990s. “We had a steel-tracked crawler andwanted to change it to a rubber-trackedChallenger. Bill Basford from ADAS encouraged us to look at every aspect ofoperating a machine over a period and cost it up, including fuel that we’d neverattributed before. A lot of what he said made perfect sense.”

The figures revealed the new rubber-tracked machine was going to cost slightly more to operate than the old

Every cost, including spares and repairs, fuel oiland labour, is broken down and allocated to eachenterprise.

Clarity comes from the costingss

A focus on cost of productionhelps Lincs grower Andrew

Ward make informed business choices. CPM visitsto find out how a partnership

approach to on-farm trialsfeeds into this process.


Technical Partners in performance


You’d rarely turn up at Glebe Farm, where RoyWard Farms is based, and find it wasn’t a hiveof interesting activity. A wander into one of thefields of spring barley reveals trial plots of novelspring crops are being established. As an AgriiiFarm, Andrew Ward is hosting an open day thissummer, and these alternative crops will be oneof its highlights. Agrii’s Steve Corbett can befound netting up the plots to protect them frompigeon damage.

“Haricot beans, or navy beans, similar to thebaked beans consumed widely, are one of thecrops we’re looking at, as part of a project ledby Warwick University,” he says.

“We’re also looking at two varieties of chickpeas, that make hummus, one of soya, and aspring oat variety that makes a health fooddrink. We’re keen to identify crops that can begrown profitably in the UK with specific endmarkets, rather like the contract Agrii has withBudweiser for Explorer spring barley.

“From an agronomic point of view, we’relooking for spring-sown crops with potential to replace an OSR crop in the rotation, so a late-drilled, 90-day crop, preferably with whitestraw, is ideal. We’re also looking at barley andrye taken as forage for anaerobic digesters.”

Andrew’s keen to understand more aboutnovel crops. “The benefit we get from these trials is an idea of how the crops perform underour field conditions, and crucially we’ll get some

clear figures on costs. Within two years, I’d liketo look at introducing a larger area of a cropthat’s looks to be a winner,” he says.

But for now, it’s the spring barley Andrew’scome to assess, and he’s joined by Bayer commercial technical manager for Lincs, MattGarnett. The crop of KWS Irina has received itsT1 application –– 0.5 l/ha of Siltra (bixafen+prothioconazole) –– and the pair discuss plansfor the T2. With barely a sign of disease, and acrop that covers the ground well, inevitably theconversation comes round to cost.

“We suffered a high cost of production lastyear, at £129/t, due to late April drilling becauseof the wet weather and the later drought knock-ing back yields,” reveals Andrew. “Normally I’dexpect cost of production to be around £100/t.But that’s from a yield of 9t/ha, and you have to spend on a crop to achieve that –– we can’trisk potential being compromised by late seasondisease, for example. So the £5.43/t total fungicide cost is one I’m loathe to cut back on.”

As one of Bayer’s Judge For Yourself farmers,Andrew regularly compares the company’s products in tramline trials to ensure he getsvalue for money. It’s a level of scrutiny Matt welcomes. “It’s very valuable for us to work withfarmers like Andrew so we can be sure our products are delivering on farm what we saythey will. The fact that Andrew has such a clearidea of costs gives us confidence in his findings,and informs how we can help other growers getbetter value from their crops.”

Keen to put cover crops and direct drilling tothe test, Andrew converted a heavy clay fieldinto the system five years ago and has generallyused a John Deere 750A drill to establish thecrop. This year, a crop of LG Diablo follows thecover crops, but it doesn’t look as good as theIrina next door, that was established with aSimba Freeflow drill, into land cultivated in theautumn.

“It might work on our lighter heathland soils,but not as well on heavy clay –– the slots don’tclose up properly and that’s compromisedestablishment,” observes Andrew. “That’llreduce yield by around 0.5t/ha, which could add£5/t to our cost of production, knocking backany establishment savings. But my main worryis blackgrass control –– this crop is very open,and if we haven’t got the ground cover then thecrop’s not doing its primary job.”

But it’s not all about costs, notes Andrew.“Judge For Yourself involves around 40 farmers,and what I really enjoy are the get-togetherswhere we share experiences, together withexperts laid on by Bayer. I’m keeping an openmind on what the next cropping solution will be,and it’s through working with partners and othergrowers that I believe the answers will come.I’m not afraid to make a mistake –– that’s howyou learn –– but it’s important not to make thesame mistake twice.”l The open day at Glebe Farm takes place onFriday 14 June.

Andrew Ward (left) is looking for an idea of howdifferent cropping options perform from thetrials established by Steve Corbett.

till. “I was offered the use of a Simba Soloover the autumn, and if I liked it, we’d buy it,but if it didn’t work out Simba said they’dtake it back. It gave us the opportunity toproperly cost up the operations and compare them.” (see table on p58).

Today, every tractor carries a diary and alog is kept of every operation, with fuel andtime for each operation also recorded. “Wekeep a close track on spares and other

workshop expenses and attribute these aswell,” notes Andrew.

“It’s a discipline everyone on the farm hasto follow, but the information we get is wellworth the hassle and there are spin-off benefits –– Ian Stubbs, our main arableoperator, aims to beat his own figures andoften comes up with innovative ways ofshaving a bit off costs.”

More recently, the focus has been on cost

of production. A determination to get to gripswith blackgrass has driven the cultivationpolicy and changes in the rotation. This hasseen the spring cropped area increase andnow dominate the cropping.

“There is a view that spring crops aren’tsuited to heavy land, but we’ve shown theyare. The key is to prepare all land in thesummer to early autumn. So we don’t start to drill OSR until all the winter wheat and

Partners in performance

With blackgrass control its primary job, the KWS Irina (left) has covered the ground far better thanthe direct-drilled LG Diablo.

Partnership approach to profitable progress


s

TM 155 Crawler Cat Challenger 45Net capital cost £31,500 £88,000

Years kept 7 6.5

Depreciation £3071.43 £6800.00

Finance charges £783.86 £0.00

Interest on capital £1890.00 £3080.00

Spares + repairs £3214.46 £1760.00

Tax + insurance £204.00 £249.00

Total annual cost £9163.75 £11,889.00

Hours used 500 660

Fixed cost (/hr) £18.33 £18.01

Fuel + oil (/hr) £2.10 £6.05

Labour (/hr) £6.00 £8.00

Total cost (/hr) £26.43 £32.06

Source: Roy Ward Farms actual costs, 1996; All costs are annual, apart from capital cost and where indicated.Operation £/haPlough system on heavy land, 2nd wheatPloughing 25.00

2x Cultipress 25.00

Drilling 14.20

Total 64.20

Discing/subsoil on 1st wheat after OSRDisc and press 20.52

Subsoil 24.73

Disc and press again 22.00

drill 14.20

Total 81.45

Simba system Simba Solo 34.00

Drill 17.00

Total 51.00

Source: Roy Ward Farms actual costs, 1996 forplough/disc-based systems, 2003 for Simba system.

The move to min till

Cost Spring barley Winter wheat W wheat (avg UK)Chemical 166 217 286

Fertiliser 86 136 210

Seed 89 71 94

Fixed costs

Establishment 93 93 156

Crop treatment 29 43 34

Harvest & haulage 90 90 90

Overheads 456 456 456

Total cost 1009 1106 1326Crop yield (t) 9.7 11.8 9.0

Cost of production (£/t) 104.02 93.73 147.33Source: Roy Ward Farms actual costs, 2015, for spring barley and winter wheat; w wheat (avg UK) based on John Nix FarmManagement Pocket Book (45th edition) with 2015 Defra average UK yield.

Profitability of wheat vs spring barley 2015 (£/ha)

Crop 2012/13 2018/19Winter wheat 326 160

Spring wheat 0 47

Spring barley 23 118

HOLL oilseed rape 226 124

Failed OSR (now w wheat)

Sugar beet 60 51

Haylage grass 0 15

Stewardship areas 25 34

Cropping changes (ha) atRoy Ward Farms

75-80% of spring-cropping land is readyfor drilling. If you leave cultivations in yourspring-sown area until after the autumn crops

are drilled up, it’s too late and the land will betoo wet,” he says.

So how has the move to spring croppinghelped his cost of production? “It’s easy to

spend as much as £220/ha on herbicides inwinter wheat – this simply isn’t sustainable.We’ve managed to achieve a decent yield in spring cereals that, along with the lowerherbicide bill, has reduced our unit cost ofproduction.”

Andrew believes that if he was still following the same cropping regime todayhe had before the change, his cost of production for winter wheat would probablyexceed the price he could get for the crop(see table bottom left). This is mainly due to the yield penalty from the blackgrass burden, as well as higher herbicide costs.

“The spring barley cost of production isactually £10/t higher than wheat, but thewheat crop doesn’t contribute as much toblackgrass control compared with springbarley which usually turns in a comparableprofit. The biggest difference has been in notallowing any blackgrass to go to seed.”

With a high level of resistance to post-emergence chemistry Andrew hasreduced his use of herbicide and hassprayed out with glyphosate in the springthose patches that haven’t been controlledwith autumn herbicide. Any remaining blackgrass is hand-rogued by a team whomake up to three passes through the crop inJune. “We spend as much on hand-rogueingas we used to spend on Atlantis. Now thatbill is coming down from £56/ha on averagein 2016 to just £21/ha last year as there’sprogressively less to remove, and we haven’thad the need to spray out any patches fortwo years.”

Now it’s oilseed rape that’s under scrutiny.

Working with farmers like Andrew informs MattGarnett how he can help other growers get bettervalue from their crops.

- 87


The actual cost of gearing up


s

Partners in Performance is the result of a long-standing collaboration between Bayer and agroup of progressive growers.

It started in 2011 with the launch of AviatorXpro when growers were invited to trial Aviator ontheir farm. In these split-field trials Bayer took aback seat with the only demands being the fieldarea for fungicide comparison and crop yield verified over a weighbridge or via combine yield monitor –– everything else was down to the farmer.

Over time this has developed into a club.Each year the farmers meet to discuss results,listen to guest speakers and debate winter wheatmanagement issues.

Farming has always been a challenging

business, and with Brexit those challenges haveintensified. The margin between profit and breaking even is likely to become even tighterand any incremental gain will be needed for sustainable combinable crop production.

To achieve that the industry needs to worktogether to share the latest research and thinking, exchange ideas and experiences.

Partners in Performance aims to bring farmers and specialists together to develop solutions to improve crop performance and investment return.


Blackgrass, now a rare sight at Glebe Farm, canbe found in a patch of the wheat that received no pre-emergence herbicide, and will be hand-rogued.

“Our cost of production has varied between£236 and £252/t since 2015, although Ishould think it will be considerably higherthis year as a result of the failed crops. It’salso the one crop where I believe we getblackgrass seed return, although you can’tsee it through the canopy.

“We’ve kept with OSR because it’s been

profitable, but yields have been droppingand with this year’s CSFBs larvae problems,we’ve decided to reduce our area for 2019plantings by around 75%.”

The aim is to grow OSR only one year infive or six and to get there, he plans to stopgrowing it for three years where the rotationis currently two spring barleys followed by

OSR. “In its place, we’ll be growing springoats and winter beans but we must be confident it would give us an improved profitability. The key to determining that willbe to try some options, get a system thatworks in our field conditions, and use ourknowledge of costings to refine it to ensurewe end up with a more profitable rotation.” n


One of the biggest factors affecting NUE is thetype of N you use, say Natalie Wood

TechnicalTake control

With the Government poised to regulate further on

fertiliser use, now’s a goodtime to review your choices

and take control. In the thirdof this series of articles,CPM focuses on nitrogen

use efficiency.


Spotlight falls on ammoniaemissions

Before you order your nitrogen fertiliser for next spring, there’s a sentence in theGovernment’s Clean Air Strategy, publishedearlier this year, that may cause you tocompletely rethink what you buy:

“We propose to introduce … a requirementto spread urea-based fertilisers in conjunctionwith urease inhibitors, unless applied by injection on appropriate land by 2020,” it says.

Yara UK’s Natalie Wood explains: “On theface of it, that means if you’re planning to buyuninhibited urea for next spring, you won’t beallowed to spread it.

“In practice, this is a draft strategy theGovernment’s consulting on, and the industryisn’t yet geared up to supply all of the UK’surea requirement in the form it proposes. But there’s a big spotlight on agriculture aswe’re responsible for 88% of UK ammoniaemissions, with 23% down to fertiliser use,which is the source that’s easier to manage.

“What’s more, ammonia losses representinefficient use of an input you’ve bought, so there’s an economic benefit from taking control of your losses and addressing

nitrogen use efficiency (NUE).”NUE represents the difference between

the nitrogen you apply and what’s actuallytaken up and utilised by the crop. It’s influenced by soil type and crop cover, aswell as soil and weather conditions, but oneof the biggest factors is the type of N youuse, explains Natalie.

“Extensive Defra-funded trials undertakenaround 15 years ago show that on average22% (range 2 to 43%) of urea applied toarable crops is lost through volatilisation.This compares with ammonium nitrate thataverages 3% (range -3 to 10%) and liquidUAN at 14% (range 5.5 to 19%).”

Soil bacteriaApplied urea is converted to ammonia (NH3) or ammonium ion (NH4

+) by naturallyoccurring soil bacteria. While ammoniumcan be taken up by the crop, ammonia isoften lost as gas, particularly if it’s warm andwindy. Applied AN, by contrast, is readilytaken up by the plant.

“Volatilisation losses are highly dependenton soil and weather conditions. If the soil ishealthy with plenty of organic matter andmicro-organisms, this will speed up the conversion to ammonia, although it will also accelerate the nitrification processundertaken by ammonia-oxidising bacteria.”

Weather is a key driver, and warm conditions will increase volatilisation. “Manygrowers using urea tend to apply earlydoses in this form and then switch to ANlater in the season. But I wonder how muchammonia was lost during the early hot spellwe had this year, for example.” Rain, soonafter urea applications, tends to hold moreammonium in its aqueous form, with less

converted to ammonia gas.But volatilisation isn’t the only form of

preventable nitrogen loss that reduces NUE,notes Natalie. “There’s also leaching. There’slittle point in applying fertiliser, especially AN,when the crop isn’t ready to take it up, orapplying an inappropriate amount for thecrop cover you have.”

While it’s readily taken up by plant roots,nitrate (NO3

-) is highly mobile in the soil, sheexplains, and will be washed into drains byheavy rain if applied to bare soil or whencrops aren’t actively growing. “The N Sensoris by far the best way to tailor applicationsto actual crop growth, but satellite servicesare also available. With Yara’s Atfarm nowbringing satellite-generated NDVI biomassmaps to all UK farmers free of charge,there’s really no excuse for NUE reductionthrough leaching.”

The final way growers can improve NUEis through a greater focus on how the plantitself processes nutrients, says Natalie.“There’s a very strong relationship betweensulphur and nitrogen –– if a plant has

Ammonia losses represent inefficient use of an input you’ve

bought.

“

”


loses its efficiency.”Having said that, he does believe growers

using untreated urea should rethink theiroptions. “I don’t believe a ban will be introduced this year, but it will pay growersto understand the options available to them and which are most suitable for theircircumstances.”

One option is urea treated with a ureaseinhibitor. Here the granules are coated with

It’s only when fertiliser’s spread that it loses itsefficiency, says Tim Kerr.

insufficient S it cannot process the N. This iswhy we always recommend that growers usegranular compound fertilisers, such as Axan(27% N + 9% SO3).”

Yara’s own trials as well as independenttesting (see panel on p62) bear this out.What’s more, tissue testing has revealedother nutrients may be lacking in crops

(see panel on p62), which will also reduceNUE, she adds.

So should you make any changes to howyou fill your shed with fertiliser for next season? “While it’s in the shed, every kg of N fertiliser is potentially 100% efficient,” says Hutchinsons’ fertiliser manager Tim Kerr. “It’s only when it’s spread that it

Take control

Ammonia emissions haven’t reduced as fast as other air pollutants, and agriculture is responsible for 88% of these.Source: Defra, 2019

20

0

-20

-40

-60

-80

-100

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Ammonia NOx NMVOCs SO2 PM2.5

YearPer

cent

age

chan

ge

in e

mis

sio

ns a

gai

nst

first

yea

r o

f d

ata

(%)

Change in emissions of air pollutants since 1970 (since 1980 for ammonia)

s

Tissue testing of wheat samples thisyear have indicated that two thirds ofcrops are short of magnesium andthree quarters are low in zinc. 92%of oilseed rape crops are low in magnesium, according to resultsfrom Yara’s nutrient-testing lab atPocklington, near York.

“We offered the tissue-testingservice to YEN growers free ofcharge to help inform their nutritionchoices, and these results have been drawn together with other samples sent in from across the UK,”explains Natalie.

“These are quite worrying statistics, particularly when it comesto Mg. Figures last year suggest just40% of crops were deficient. Thedrier conditions could have led to

crops depleting soil reserves.”Mg is an essential component of

chlorophyll, used by the plant to photosynthesise, while Zn is usedacross a number of plant processes.“More than nine in ten wheat crops are low in boron which is important for pollination and flower development.Yara trials have shown significant yieldincreases where boron has beenadded as a foliar feed,” she adds.

“Many of the nutrients needed bythe crop don’t necessarily contributedirectly to NUE, but if they’re lacking,the crop won’t perform at its best and will therefore be unable to process the N available to it. That will compromise yield potential, andapplied N fertiliser will be going towaste,” concludes Natalie.

Source: Leaf samples sent to Yara for analysis, 2019; Green indicates normal, light pink –slightly low, salmon pink – low, red – very low; Anything not in the green range is classed asdeficient; B – boron, Cu – copper, Zn – zinc, Mg – magnesium, Mo – molybdenum.

Tissue testing exposes crop nutrient deficiencies

Crop nutrient levels across the UK

Take control

inhibitor or it can be included within the production itself. Urease is the enzyme usedby soil micro-organisms during hydrolysis,so the inhibitor slows the process and thishas been shown in Defra-funded trials to effectively reduce volatilisation losses.

“It’s worth noting that once applied to theurea granules, the efficacy of some inhibitorscan reduce relatively quickly. So don’t beafraid to ask the question before you commit to treated urea –– it’s important tounderstand the shelf life and what actually

represents good value,” advises Tim.He believes growers are better off buying

AN and AN+S compound fertilisers. “Forthose growers wedded to urea, it’s crucial tothink about applying it in the best conditions,and that means avoiding periods of warm

Trials carried out by Hutchinsonssuggest that applying nitrogen fertiliser on its own in the springmay not be the most efficient way to use it.

The fully replicated trials,conducted jointly with Yara, startedin 2017 at two sites with differentsoil types in West Norfolk and Lincsand continued last year at the samesite in Norfolk and in Wilts. “We’vebeen looking at sulphur rates andthe benefits of applying phosphateand potash in the spring,” reportsTim Kerr of Hutchinsons.

“We’ve also been using thehand-held N-tester, with some ofthe trials specifically looking at howit can be used to fine-tune the finalN application.”

Preliminary results from the firstyear of the trials show responses to applications of S. “They also suggest a benefit from applying P and K in the spring, although the results are not statistically

significant. We need to conductmore work before we can confirmthe consistent responses Yara hasfound through its own trials,”notes Tim.

“But we’re finding the N-Tester is really useful for fine-tuning Napplications and allowed us to makeadjustments to bring the overall rate applied close to the optimum N for the crop, with resultingimprovements in N-use efficiency(see chart).”

The results from years ofresponse trials carried out by Yaramake perfect sense to Tim. “Thereare very few situations where growers aren’t applying enough N,but what’s underestimated is thecontribution other nutrients make tohow that N is used by the crop. Nand S in particular behave very similarly, so there’s a good argument for applying a measure of S with every N application.”

It’s common practice to do this

with liquid applications, he pointsout. “However, where S is applied towheat with solid fertiliser, however,this tends to go on in one hit at thestart of the season. But sulphate isprone to leaching.”

While the same theory holds trueof P and K, and Yara trials againback this up, Tim sees the

Source: Yara/Hutchinsons 2017

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

5962

36

86

74

38N u

se e

ffic

ienc

y (%

)

Current farm advisory guideline(The Fertiliser Manual, RB209)

Farm average N rate in professional farmer segment

Yara N Tester recs (40:55:35)

Total % NUE Fertiliser % NUE

Trials focus on NUE

Calculated nitrogen use efficiencies

Hutchinsons’ trials as a long-termproject, and doesn’t expect to havedefinitive data for another two or three years. “But in-season monitoring is proving to be a valuable way to improve NUE, and I can see we’ll be making muchgreater use of the N-Tester in years to come.”


s

The 23% down to fertiliser use is the source that’s easier to manage.Source: Defra, 2019

UK agricultural ammonia emissions (2016)

When Britain exits the EU, themove will create unprecedenteduncertainty and change for farmers. While much of the change is beyond the control of the average arable business, ithighlights the importance of thoseelements that can be managed.

Few aspects of crop productionare more critical than a plant’snutrition, which is why CPM hasteamed up with Yara in a series ofarticles that brings in some of thelatest understanding to build onestablished knowledge. The aim is

to take back control of how a plantdraws in and assimilates nutrientsto optimise every aspect of cropand field performance.

With decades of evidence-basedknowledge, Yara continues to be atthe forefront of crop macro andmicronutrient advice. Investment in technology has resulted in world-leading products that support in-fielddecision-makingand precisionnitrogen application.

Take control

and windy weather. Perhaps agood option is to start the seasonwith an AN+S compound, thenmove to urea, and then back to AN.”

While it’s often price that dictates how you fill your shed,Tim strongly advises growers toretain some flexibility. “It’s goodpractice to buy a third early, withfurther purchases split into chunksas opportunities arise. But aim tobuild up a good choice that willprovide different options for feeding next year’s crops. It’sworth considering including NPKcompounds, and definitely an ideato review how you apply your S.”

Growers are increasinglyswitching over to liquid, he notes.“There’s been shift as boutwidths are increasing over 32m.It’s worth noting that urea is lessdense than AN and as a resultit’s more challenging to spreadaccurately over large boutwidths. Liquid also allows a consistent dose right up to fieldedges without losing N into thehedgerow.”

Natalie points out that UAN liquid products are 50% urea.“The industry is currently seekingclarification, but we don’t believethese are included in the proposed legislative change.” n

Arable farming is not only at the cutting edge of

technology, it’s driving thedevelopment and innovationof new machinery, practices

and science. Arable showsare a vital window for

growers to get the latest info to stay in-the-know.

CPM reports.

By Melanie Jenkins and Ruth Wills

Machinery Summershow preview

The products will fully integrate into

precision farming platformsaimed at improving

customers’ precision,productivity and

profits.”

“

Latest innovations at Cereals

Farmers attend shows for many differentreasons: From wanting to scope out thelatest kit to meeting reps, reuniting withfriends, or getting some expert advice onbest practice techniques.

Though arable events are a big draw in themselves, it’s the technology andmachinery that exhibitors will be showcasingthroughout the next few months which willhelp farmers step into the future.

CPM takes a look at the upcomingCereals Event (12-13 June), along with a number of machinery manufacturers, product developers and the latest sciencethat is being promoted across the countrythroughout the next few months.

Cereals 2019With a range of different attractions to drawin visitors from across the arable industry,this year’s Cereals Event promises to offeradvice, experiences and the chance to testsome kit at its site in Boothby Graffoe, Lincs.

Cereals has been a staple event in thefarming calendar for over 40 years, and hasbrought some of the most cutting-edgeresearch, machinery and knowledge intofarmers’ reach.

This year promises to be no exception,with a number of new additions, exhibitors,speakers and live demos. Alongside new product launches and interactive experiences, there’s something for every visitor.

So what are the key things to see at thisyear’s event?

NIAB Soil PitThe Soil Pit is a well-established feature,offering visitors a chance to step down and discover a unique perspective of soilstructure and cover crop mixes.

Soil health and structure are the basis forany successful crop and it’s an especiallyhot topic right now with the launch of theGovernment’s 25-year environment plan,which has put the subject firmly in the spotlight.

The NIAB Soil Pit is designed to showfarmers what really goes on below groundlevel and how to tackle some of the mostimportant soil issues.

At the heart of the Chafer Defender self propelledsprayer is a Bosch Rexroth hydrostatic drive train.

Live talksWith over 100 expert speakers and livelydebates planned for the AHDB Theatre, visitors will be able to listen to and discuss arange of interesting topics.

Whether farmers want to get an in-depthanalysis of the latest Brexit news or tradetrends, the AHDB Cereals Controversial marquee will provide all the information theyneed. In the targeted sessions, visitors willbe able to pick up advice from key decisionmakers involved in regulating the changes.

Visitors will also be able to pick their topseminars in the Conservation Agriculture,Innovation and Technology Theatres. Topics will include nitrates in water, zero-till,safeguarding glyphosate, health and safetyand using biologicals for pest and disease


s

KWSKWS has two new hard winter feed wheatvarieties –– KWS Kinetic and KWS Parkin.

KWS Kinetic –– a cross of Reflection andSilverstone –– boasts a yield of 105% in trials,good disease resistance, stiff straw, midmaturity and orange wheat blossom midgeresistance. “Interest so far suggests this willbe a popular variety and seed will be widelyavailable this autumn,” says Will Compson of KWS.

KWS Parkin is a cross of Reflection andCostello and has yielded 103% in trialsacross all regions, but has performed particularly well in the West and North, saysWill. Although it’s stiff-strawed it stands at just78cm making it one of the shortest varietiesavailable.

New miscanthus varietyAthena, a new miscanthus variety, is beinglaunched by Terravesta at Cereals this year.Performing well in trials with yields 62%above the standard variety, it produced 8t/hain the first harvest and 12.5t/ha in the thirdyear. Although historically miscanthus cropshave been harvested in year three, improvedplanting techniques and hizome quality have enabled earlier harvests in year two,giving farmers a faster return on investmentand increased margins, says WilliamCracroft-Eley, chairman at Terravesta.

“The results of the trials are remarkable.Not only does Athena produce a higher yieldthan standard Miscanthus giganteus, it’s alsomore uniform so yields are more stable andthe biomass quality improved,” he adds.

SenovaJoining Senova’s portfolio is Valerie, a newtwo-row winter feed barley, as well asCosmopolitan, a spring barley with potential

control, as well as data-driven farmingand alternative weed management.

Frederick South, UK business manager at Sencrop, will be discussing the new generation of weather stations. These give real-time support to help with decision-making by providing information ontemperature, rainfall, humidity, leaf wetness

and wind speed. Attendees will also find outhow the stations work collaboratively with neighbouring farmers from their individualfield stations.

Biologicals will be discussed by Prof Rob Edwards from the University ofNewcastle, comparing the effectiveness of synthetic and biological products on different wheat varieties in terms of diseaseresistance, yield and quality. Biologicalswork similarly to probiotics in humans andtherefore help to strengthen the plant’s natural resistance.

In a session led by James Lowenberg-DeBoer, professor at Harper AdamsUniversity, the economics of agriculturalrobotics will be discussed. As the agricultural industry transitions towardsprecision agriculture there are advancingtechnologies in robotics. Farmers will findout the most interesting robotic solutionsavailable as well as the associated challenges and opportunities.

Pesticides are an important part of managing pests and diseases in the UK,however with difficulties registering activesubstances it has become more challenging.So how can biofumigation help? It involvesthe incorporation of fresh plant mass into soil which releases substances that can suppress soil-borne pests. This session, led by Matthew Back from Harper AdamsUniversity, will look at the investigative work they have undertaken on potato cystnematodes, stem and bulb nematodes and Fusarium graminearum.

Crop plotsThe heart of the Cereals Event, the cropplots offer visitors the chance to view newvarieties and practices for a huge selectionof crops. Learn about the pros and cons ofdifferent options, and compare and analysecompeting varieties.

Farmers will also get the opportunity tointeract with over 20,000 like-minded visitors;learn from their personal experiences anddiscover alternative methods that could helpto improve their businesses.

Corteva AgriscienceCorteva Agriscience will be previewingits new active substance –– Inatreq –– as the first new target-site chemical to be introduced into the cereal fungicide marketin over a decade. This comes at a time whennew fungicide solutions will be critical formanaging Septoria tritici resistance issues,says Corteva. Inatreq is said to providestrong protectant and curative efficacy inwheat against S. tritici with good protectantactivity on yellow and brown rust.

To celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Fiattractors, New Holland has released theCentenario limited edition range, which includes the Centenario T5.

The TH Series telehandlers have a new electronicmodulation transmission and across six modelsthere are now 14 different versions.

The X8 VT-Drive is McCormick’s top model andhas either a 157-litre or 212-litre/min variableoutput piston pump.

Summer show preview

The X7 P6-Drive and VT-Drive models areavailable with the new P6-Drive semi-powershifttransmission in addition to the stepless VT-Drivealternative.


s

ensure hill climbing and descending arecontrolled at all times. Power for theDefender comes via a Deutz Tier 5 engine,offering 180hp.

The Defender has Chafer F-Series booms,either as twin folding 24m or triple folding at 27m, 28m and 30m widths and is fittedwith stainless steel tanks from 3000 litres to3500 litres.

New Holland New Holland will be present at a number of events in the coming months, includingCereals, the Royal Highland and RoyalWelsh Show.

To celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Fiat tractors, the manufacturer has

for brewing. Also on show will be Hexham, agroup four spring wheat and Elison, a springoat with stiff straw, says Senova. All fourwere added to the AHDB RecommendedList last year.

Valerie joins the list with a yield of 102%against the control, a high specific weightand low screenings, with good diseaseresistance and standing ability.Cosmopolitan has a yield of 106%, making it the highest yielding spring barley withmalting potential and the only new one to berecommended this year. RL scores suggestit combines high yields with short, stiff strawand good lodging resistance.

Elison, the only new spring oat variety onthe AHDB RL, stands out for its high yieldsand score of nine for resistance to lodging.

Hexham brings yields of 105% andboasts the highest yield of any spring wheatwhen sown late in the autumn. It also offersan untreated yield of 94%.

Live demonstrationsA range of live demos will be on offer, where tractors, cultivators, drills and subsoilers will be put to the test to comparepower, productivity and performance.

Being able to see machinery in true working conditions will give visitors a

valuable insight into what could work for them.

In the Ride and Drive Arena, visitors willbe able to jump into the driving seat and get a hands-on experience of the latestmachinery, technology and equipment toimprove farm productivity and operations.

With the expert guidance of qualified representatives, visitors will be taken throughall the settings and have questionsanswered, while enjoying the ride.

Chafer Machinery debutChafer Machinery will be debuting its latestself-propelled sprayer at Cereals. The ChaferDefender has the same spec as its largercousin, the Interceptor, but has reduced tankcapacities and boom widths –– making it suited for the smaller size self-propelled market, says the company.

At its heart is a Bosch Rexroth hydrostaticdrive train, which has a CTV transmissionclaimed to allow for precise and variablecontrol of each wheel motor, for ease of use both in-field and on-road.

This transmission features automaticdynamic traction force distribution, whichcompensates for changes in terrain, automatically adjusting each wheel motor’sdisplacement to give maximum traction and

The Leeb 4 AX trailled sprayer is equipped withHorsch’s BoomControl Eco system.

Summer show previews

At summer shows this year (though not atCereals) farmers will be able to see the latestdevelopment to the Claas Jaguar forage harvester, in the form of the Jaguar Terra Trac,which adopts the rubber tracked crawler systemthat has been used on its Lexion combines.

Also new for this season, the Rollant 540fixed chamber round baler features new rollersand a stronger chassis, with the choice of net orfilm wrapping. It also has a new drive conceptand is designed with ease of maintenance inmind. The chamber has 15 rollers and makesbales with a diameter of 1.22m and a width of1.25m. Fitted with hardened 50mm stub shafts,which are bolted to the roller body, these can beindividually replaced.

Options include the MPS II system, wherethree of the chamber rollers pivot into the chamber for additional bale compression, early

Claas performance

bale rotation, and a uniform bale shape. For operating the baler, there’s a choice between theClaas communicator, the operator terminal or atractor ISOBUS terminal.

The Disco Move front mower will also be atshows this season. It can move over a range of1000mm independent of the tractor linkage toallow for contouring on uneven fields. The Disco3200 Move has a working width of 3m and is available both with (FC) and without (F) a tined conditioner.

It incorporates a completely new design of headstock giving up to 600mm of upward and400mm of downward travel for improved contourfollowing. The mower unit can also pivot laterallyfrom the central pivot point, which is set at a 30°angle. As a result, the mowing unit can swing backwards at a slight diagonal angle to avoidobstacles.

The Serto SC compact seed drill for large farmswith working widths of 10m and 12m.

The Aurock triple disc seed drill can establishcrops under cover in both min-till and directdrilling conditions.

Using an improved seed selection and ejectionsystem, the Maxima 3 allows for accurate seedplacement at working speeds of up to 6.2mph.

Due to the Avatar’s high tare weight, the newsingle disc coulter is designed for direct seeding.

Summer show preview

released the Centenario limited editionrange, which includes the Centenario T5tractor –– noticeable by its dark red colour.Visitors to Cereals and other shows will be able to take a closer look. The commemorative tractors will be available in six utility, specialist and crawler models.

It will also be bringing its special editionCR 9.90 combine harvester with a 22mVarifeed grain header, the Basildon-builtT6.180 Dynamic Command tractor, its T7and a Bigbaler Plus.

The T6.180 has a six-cylinder engine thatdelivers up to 12% higher torque –– up to740Nm at 1500rpm –– than the four-cylindermodels, with low-end end torque claimedto help significantly in pulling-away performance, and increased torque at mid-engine speeds, which improves enginelagging in transport and field applications.

Its new TH telehandler series will also beon display. The TH Series telehandlers havea new electronic modulation transmissionand across six models there are now 14 different versions. From the entry-level S version with 133hp to the Elite version, which has 146hp, hydraulic pressurerelease, heated air-suspension and integrated controls.

It will also be displaying other products,with a number of machines demonstrated on the working plots at Cereals.

New Holland is launching and distributingits new CNH Precision Farming after-marketbrand, Agxtend. Focussed on aftermarketprecision farming technology solutions it’sdesigned to benefit users throughout thecropping cycle. “The products will fully

integrate into New Holland’s existing PLMprecision farming platforms as an extensionaimed at improving customers’ precision,productivity and profits,” says John Downes,precision farming specialist. Under the Agxtend umbrella is:l CropXplorer –– A biomass sensor to determine fertiliser rates based on cropneeds. Its map and overlay modes allowfarmers to use yield potential maps in combination with sensors for on-the-gomeasurements.l SoilXplorer –– A contactless soil sensorwhich uses electromagnetism to measureconductivity at four different depths: 0-25cm,15-60cm, 55-95cm and 85-115cm. Thesemeasurements can then be used for accurate soil mapping to record soil heterogeneity and determine soil type maps and relative water content maps.l NIR sensor –– This can be mounted on all types of equipment, including combinesand balers. l Xpower ––– An environmentally friendlyelectro-herbicide that allows farmers toreplace chemicals with electricity for weeding and pre-harvest desiccation of crops.l FarmXtrend App –– A smart weather app,it enables farmers to monitor in-field weatherdata and supports a smart decision-makingprocess. The connected weather sensorsare; the WeatherXact Connected WeatherStation, sensing temperature and humidity ata height of 1m and at crop level, RainXact, a connected rain gauge, and SoilXact, torecord soil moisture and temperature at different depths.


s

The CropXplorer is a biomass sensor to determine fertiliser rates based oncrop needs.

The Claas Jaguar Terra Trac, which adopts the rubber tracked crawler systemthat has been used on the company’s Lexion combines.

Summer show preview

Fendt Fendt will be bringing its Idealmodel combine to Cereals, along with the Rogator 655 self-propelled sprayer andRogator 355 trailed sprayer,which has a 5775-litre tank, with boom widths ranging from24m to 30m.

Alongside these it will featureits 700 Series tractors, includingthe 237hp 724 Vario. With apower-to-weight ratio of 33kg/hp,it incorporates economic fuelusage and precision handling.

McCormickMcCormick will be showcasingits latest range of 140-310hptractors at Cereals. Its X8 and X7 Series come with a choice of powershift and stepless transmissions, different levels of equipment and precision farming options that include

factory-installed ISOBUS implement control and Topconguidance, section control andvariable rate applications.

The X8 VT-Drive isMcCormick’s top model and haseither a 157-litre or 212-litre/minvariable output piston pump,supported by a 115-litre/min piston pump dedicated to thesteering and ancillary systemsclaimed to ensure the main system never runs short of flow.

The high-output hydraulicspackage also includes 12tcapacity rear implement linkagepaired with a three-speed PTOsystem, and fully integrated 5tcapacity front links with optionalPTO.

The latest addition toMcCormick’s range are the X7 P6-Drive and VT-Drive models, which are available with the new P6-Drive

crop production magazine june 2019 69

s

Following the success of its Real Results programme BASF has opened the doors to someof the farms involved. Attendees will be able toview 32 winter wheat varieties as well as BASF’snew fungicide active ingredient Revysol. Theycan also discuss potential spray programmes for2020 and gain advice from plant breeders. Theopen days take place throughout Jun and Jul,with BASIS and NRoSO points available.

The Real Results Farms give growers andagronomists the chance to see the latest chemistry from all manufacturers applied across32 different winter wheat varieties in a real farmsituation, says Rory Galloway, BASF agronomymanager. “This variety and fungicide interaction

BASF Real Results Farms open days

helps in making key decisions for the next cropping year and allows growers to see whatwould’ve happened this year if they’d left their crop untreated, just used azoles or had used a full SDHI programme.”

The xarvio Scouting app, which helps growers to identify weeds, diseases and insects, and allowsthem to analyse a crop’s nitrogen status, will alsobe demonstrated.

In addition, the battle against blackgrass will be assessed by advisors and experts who can offer advice on cultivations, machinery hygiene,weed biology, soil health and spray applicationtechniques. www.basfrealresults.co.uk

With a 7700-litre tank, the Oceanis is availablewith compact, all-aluminium booms in widths of24m to 48m.

The Rollant 540 fixed chamber round balerfeatures new rollers and a stronger chassis,with the choice of net or film wrapping.

The Disco Move is able to move over a range of1000mm independent of the tractor linkage toallow for contouring on uneven fields.

semi-powershift transmission in addition to the stepless VT-Drive alternative. Both feature exhaust compression braking on allsix-cylinder variants said to reduce wear and tear on he friction brakes during roadtravel, and a new semi-active hydraulic cabsuspension option.

HorschHorsch’s Leeb 4 AX trailed sprayer will debutat Cereals this year. This 3800-litre model isequipped with Horsch’s BoomControl Ecosystem and can be specified with up to 30mbooms and 50cm nozzle spacing.

BoomControl Eco enables the new Leeb AX to maintain a 50cm distance to the crop at operational speeds of up to15km/h. The working boom widths rangefrom 18-30m, divided in five-to-nine sectionsand feature 50cm nozzle spacing as standard.

Also at Horsch’s stand will be the AvatarSD seed drill with single disc coulter - nowavailable in 3m and 4m working widths inaddition to the 6m, 8m and 12m versions.The Avatar’s high tare weight lends itsdesign to direct seeding with its new singledisc coulter.

Visitors can also see the Serto SC compact seed drill for large farms with working widths of 10m and 12m; it featuresan all-over tyre packer combined with aheavy double-disc seed coulter.

The Cruiser XL trailed cultivator withspring tine and Terrano GX universal cultivator will also be on the stand.

KuhnThe Kuhn Aurock will also make its debut atCereals this year. The triple disc seed drillcan establish crops under cover in both min-till and direct drilling conditions.

“Where ploughing is replaced by varyingdegrees of shallow tillage, or if establishmentis to be achieved into an existing crop, therole of the drill becomes more crucial thanever to the success of the system,” saysAlex Birchall of Kuhn.

The Aurock is available with single anddual metering units. The single metering unit

version (Aurock R) has a 3500-litre capacityhopper and the double metering unit version(Aurock RC) has a 5000-litre split hopper,requires a minimum of 180hp to operate andis ISOBUS compatible.

Kuhn will also feature its Maxima 3 precision drill range, which consists of 12models. Using an improved seed selectionand ejection system, these allow for accurate seed placement at working speedsof up to 10km/h, says the company.

Visitors to Kuhn’s stand will be able to seethe latest 7702 model which it’s added to its Oceanis trailed sprayer range. With a7700-litre tank, it’s available with compact,all-aluminium booms in widths of 24m to48m. Fully ISOBUS compatible, it has a separate ISOCLICK control box for keysprayer commands.

Techneat GPS Techneat has unveiled a new GPS rate controller which is compatible with singleheadland control or three-way sectional control options, fitted on the Outcast V2sprayer mounted slug pellet applicator.

“Until recently we’ve only been able tooffer headland or sectional control with thebasic non-speed related control system,”says James English, technical support manager at Techneat.

A separate control box based in the cabcontrols the section valves and automaticallyreduces the speed of the metering unit proportionately when the sectional valvesopen and close. James says this ensuresnot only 100% accuracy with the applicationrate of the slug pellets in accordance withforward speed, but the rate continues toremain accurate even when one or two sectional valves are closed. n


s

Summer show preview

Precision technology isimproving all the time – butdoes that mean it’s getting

easier to use, or are we moving further away from

the plug and play aspirationsof the ISOBUS standard?

CPM finds out.

By Olivia Cooper

MachineryPrecision farming

Precision: Does plug and play work?

It was a commendable target –– to createan industry standard with which all manufacturers would comply, meaningthat any brand of tractor would work withany other implement. But has ISOBUSreally delivered? The answer, it seems,could come straight off a school report:Could do better.

The compatibility of different systemsdepends on what they have in common, and the worldwide ISO 11783 (ISOBUS)standard defines the communication bothbetween agricultural machinery andbetween equipment and farm software applications. “It is the most significant andcomprehensive standard to date, but itleaves room for interpretation, which has led to a great number of innovative but proprietary ISOBUS solutions,” says theAgricultural Industries Electronic Foundation(AEF), which implements international electronic standards.

All too often, farmers will buy a piece of

equipment –– like a variable rate spreader ––and hook it up to a tractor which is ISOBUSready. But the task controller may not havethe ability to manage variable rates, or thatfunctionality may be locked, says SimonBrown, managing director at Amazone.

Software sophisticationThe degree of software sophistication alsoaffects how well the precision techniqueswork, he adds. “If the sprayer boom has128-section control, but the screen only controls eight, then you’re never going to getmore than eight section control. We needbetter customer awareness about who’sresponsible for which bit of the equation –– is it the tractor ECU, the task controller or the ISOBUS-ready implement?”

The way in which the computer talks tothe implement also varies, says SimonParrington, commercial director at Soyl.“Historically, we used the RS232 protocolwhich runs down a dedicated cable,plugged in at both ends. It’s still very common –– we have over 1000 customerswho are still using it as it’s a low-cost systemwhich works well. But the ISOBUS system isthe future, as you need only one cable. Theage and brand of equipment will just vary asto how compatible or not it is.”

Simon reckons one of the biggest challenges is the mixed age of machinery.“A tractor might have been around for 15years, so getting that to talk to a brand newimplement through plug and play isn’t reallyrealistic. The technology has moved on somuch, and any software upgrade has to bedone manually,” he says.

“Farmers normally run mixed fleets and

while equipment can be made to work bymixing and matching controls and cables itdoes require expertise from companies likeus. If farmers ran all new kit it would be easier but of course that isn’t practically oreconomically possible.”

Every brand has its own requirements interms of file formats, so software providersdo a lot of work behind the scenes to servicethat, explains Simon. “We send out 1.1m haof application maps a year in 30 differentvarieties of file format –– although most farmers would only need two varieties.Shape and XML files are completely different, but both Gatekeeper and Soyl cangenerate both file formats quite comfortably.”

The most common applications for thosestarting out with precision technology arevariable fertiliser and spraying rates, saysBen Bell, Fuse product engineer at Agco.“But a common problem is whether the

Sometimes the functionality justisn’t there or it has to

be unlocked at additional cost.”

“

Simon Parrington reckons one of the biggestchallenges is the mixed age of machinery.


software is up to date –– youhook up the equipment and itlooks like it will work; the displayloads but there are sometimessome functionality issues. If theimplement is four or five yearsold then the software often needs updating.”

This means the farmer has to pay for an engineer to comeout and physically update thesoftware, which is less than ideal, he adds. “Your phone andcomputer update themselves,but none of the machinery orimplements do, so it’s addedhassle. I think you should be ableto update software independentlywe need a bit of a step-changethere.”

Section control is the moststraightforward option, while variable rate application is a bittrickier, says Ben. “There are avariety of ways to get the mapsonto a tractor, which can be confusing. If you’re using FarmWorks or Gatekeeper you just tellthe software what tractor you’reusing and it spits out the map in the right format. But with independent companies, thereare so many different settingsand parameters that issues canarise. You can always get it to work but there’s a lot of incompatibility.”

Jack Howard, product salesspecialist at John Deere, agreesthat compatibility depends on thecreation of the source files. “Ifyou want to vary your fertiliserapplications then for John Deereyou want a prescription in an RXfile type –– Gatekeeper worksbrilliantly, but there are other systems that we’d like more integration with, like MuddyBoots and Greenlight,” he says.

But while ISOBUS hasn’tentirely succeeded in its plugand play aspirations, the nextphase might see it deliver more,he adds. “There are some developments going on withISOBUS TIM (tractor implementmanagement) to improveISOBUS compatibility. It’s justconceptual at the moment, but AEF and key members are working on delivering it.

“It will be a universal platformwhere you can plug in aGreenstar guidance system to ared, blue or green tractor and nothave to install any sort of newsoftware or controllers. But whenit will be delivered depends onhow high up it is in the differentcompanies’ priorities.”

Variable rate technology doesseem to be the biggest stickingpoint, says Oliver Wood, precision technology manager at Hutchinsons. “Sometimes thefunctionality just isn’t there or ithas to be unlocked at additionalcost, despite paying a premiumfor ISOBUS ready kit.”

The software side of things issimilarly mixed. “With Omnia weproduce a range of different filetypes so we can communicatewith the vast majority of newequipment that’s being sold.But the ISO XML file type has

a number of different versions –– you may assume there’s a

The degree of software sophistication affects how well the precisiontechnique works.

There are ISOBUS TIM developmentsafoot which will improve compatibility.

s

The industry needs to agree standards thateveryone will use, says Oliver Wood.

Ryan McCormack, farm manager at Burden Brosin Kent, uses a lot of precision technology both onthe farm and contracting operations. “We useGPS and autotrac for steering, variable rate drillingand fertiliser, GPS shutoff on the sprayer andspreader, and all the harvest monitors on thecombine for yield mapping and speed adjustmentdepending on the crop density,” he says. “Wehave also spent a lot of money on telematics sowe can monitor the machine settings, and seetheir activity and fuel consumption, so that wehave a better understanding of what our coststruly are.”

As a John Deere dealer, most of the farm kit is green and yellow, with the exception of anAmazone ZAM Hydro fertiliser spreader, and mostof the precision software and hardware runsseamlessly, explains Ryan. “The Amazone isn’tquite as easy as it runs two separate screens

All one brand

Ryan McCormack wants to have a paperlessfarming system.

–– but I’ve decided to go to liquid fertiliser anyway so we will use the John Deere sprayer.”

He runs Gatekeeper and MyJohnDeere as separate systems –– the former for budgeting andcost of production and the latter for machinerycostings, fuel efficiency and so on. “We also developed our own timekeeping app which has all our customers, machines and jobs on it ––operators can see and record everything on theirphone, which syncs to the office and links into our invoicing and cost analysis. I want to have apaperless farming system, with wireless transferbetween the office and machines. We have goodbackup through the dealership so if they can’t getit right, nobody can.”

Ryan’s only bugbear is that the combine andforage harvester only send yield maps when youclose the field or start the next field. “That meansthe last field never sends over and you have to go

Out of date software is a common problem, saysBen Bell.

standard file type that works across theboard but that’s not the case.”

So what needs to happen? “We need the

industry to come together and agree somestandards that everyone will use. ISOBUSshould have been the vehicle that did thatbut ultimately it’s down to every manufacturerto adopt those standards,” says Oliver.

Omnia already has agreed file typesbetween itself, Gatekeeper and MuddyBoots, and is working on doing the samewith Greenlight Grower ManagementSystem. “Our farmers and agronomistsexpect us to make it easier for them. Thewhole reason we made the Connect productfor variable rate control was because of thedifficulties in getting prescription plans fromthe office to the machine,” explains Oliver.

Users found it frustrating to put the maponto a USB drive in the office, then plug itinto the tractor, unzip the file and so on, so now they can transfer the information

wirelessly through the cloud. “The farmerdoesn’t have to worry about moving data around.”

The next challenge the industry faces is how to move into the digital era with


out and shut it down. Also, agricultural collegesare 10 years behind –– precision farming is amust have nowadays but students are comingout who don’t have a clue how to use it.”

Precision farming

s

McGregor Farms, near Coldstream in theScottish Borders, is another keen embracer of precision technology, applying variable ratefertiliser, agrochemicals and seed. They haverecently started working with Trimble to standardise the technology. “We have John Deere and Case tractors, Väderstad andClaydon drills, two Agrifac sprayers and threeClaas combines,” says secretary Sarah Carr.“We have a Trimble TMX-2050 display on allthe tractors and it works very well across everybrand of equipment.”

Sarah deals with importing and exportingthe variable rate maps, which are created inGatekeeper and then sent to the tractors viathe Trimble screens.

“There’s a lot of work behind the scenes,putting together variable rate plans and getting

A mixed approach

Colin McGregor uses Trimble screens to link uphis mixed fleet.

machines to speak to one another, but once those hurdles are overcome, it’s fairly seamless,” says Colin McGregor. In the past five years this has become easier asmachine connectivity has improved, and the cloud has become widely accessible. “Now it’s so easy to transfer data between machines and back to the office.”

Vince Gillingham believes the answer may comefrom outside of the industry.

Variable rate technology seems to be the biggeststicking point.

Precision farming

datasets in different formats, from other parts of the industry, says Vince Gillingham,director at AgSpace. “How do we make allthe data sources talk to each other?”

He believes the answer may come fromoutside of the industry. “Amazon WebServices is trying to find ways to managedata in different, shareable, formats.Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can all beconnected through one password and you

can freely move information from one toanother, so the security and permissions canbridge the gap. Farmers’ biggest bugbear ishaving data in different places which theycan’t connect.”

Farmers’ datasets are ballooning andcompanies like AgSpace are spending hugeamounts of money on simply storing thatdata, adds Vince. “We need to find a way forfarmers to extract more value from that dataand become more efficient with the way weuse and share it. I think we will start to see areal shift among software companies tobecome more integrated –– it’s about findinga common platform and set of rules that wecan all sign up to and deliver against. Butwe’re probably 10 years away from seeinga truly seamless solution.” n


The Monks have their own seed-processingplant, specialise in high-grade seed and havesome pre-basic contracts.

There’s a wealth of technology on board the

three Claas combines operated by a Hants

seed-production business.CPM visits to find out how

the three generations offarming experience is turning

it into business benefits.


Machinery On Farm Opinion

We need efficient combines that can reliably produce anexcellent sample when the crop is ready to be

harvested.”

“

Setting a high standard

As his father and grandfather look on,Tom Monk hops into the Claas Lexion670, pulls it into position and starts todemonstrate some of its features.

“I’m very much the trainee on the team,”he says modestly, in deference to the otherfamily members in the business. But bothhis father, Richard, and grandfatherAnthony freely admit that Tom knows mostabout the advanced features sharedacross the three new Lexion machines,acquired over the past three years, and willprobably be the one responsible for turning

these into business benefits.AF Monk (Rookley) operates across

1250ha of arable cropping, based nearStockbridge, Hants. It was Anthony whofounded the business almost 60 years ago,and although now retired, he still plays anactive part in its day-to-day affairs. This started with 344ha of dairy, arable and laterbeef, but the arable side soon specialisedinto growing seed crops, and as thebusiness expanded and more land was

taken on, the cattle enterprise was dropped.

High-grade specialism“Our main customer used to be JohnBryant Seeds, based at Romsey, but wenow grow for a number of merchants,”explains Richard. “We have our own seed-processing plant and prefer to supplyboth local and national companies thatmay not have their own facilities. We havesome pre-basic contracts and specialise inhigh-grade seed.”

Some of this is herbage seed, with bothwinter and spring crops of oats, barley,oilseed rape and wheat. Peas, linseed,soya and poppies are also grown andprocessed on the farm. 45% of the area is planted to spring-sown crops, with a

harvest that stretches from mid July untilthe end of Sept. “We have over 30 varietiesto harvest and spend a lot of time cleaningdown the harvester between crops. Weneed efficient combines that can reliablyproduce an excellent sample when thecrop is ready to be harvested,” saysRichard.

Anthony recalls the two Ransomes 902combines that brought in the business’ firstharvest in 1960, each having an output ofup to 6t/hr. For the past 20 years, though,Claas technology has been relied on tobring in the crop, and today’s machines


Montana is Claas’ system designed to maintainthreshing performance on steep slopes. Hydraulicswing rams turn the portals of the drive axle toadjust the wheels to the ground. The Montanachassis compensates cross tilt by up to 17% andlongitudinal tilt of up to 6% so the combine canoperate effectively on steep terrain and deliver the threshing output you’d expect on level ground.It also keeps the operator on the level and allowsa forward speed through the hydrostatic drive upto 30km/h.

For the cutterbar (up to 9m), the Multi Contoursystem moves the pivoting frame, adjusts the cutting angle and performs all the Auto Contourfunctions. The Montana feeder housing has a horizontal ram for cutting angle adjustment aswell as two vertical rams for Auto Contour controland side slope levelling.

Cruise Pilot automatically controls the harvesting speed for optimal results on the basis

The features to maintain a level, even flow

The Montana chassis compensates cross andlongitudinal tilt so the combine can deliver thethreshing output you’d expect on level ground.

of the engine load. Depending on the travel mode,the system uses various machine parameterssimultaneously for control: ground speed, crop volume in the feeder housing and grain losses. Youcan set it to adjust to allow a constant throughput,constant throughput and losses or to a maximumloss rate.

Auto Crop Flow monitors the speed of various machine components to provide earlywarning of critical peak loads. This includes theAPS threshing unit –– a pre-accelerator designedto even out the flow and improve threshing performance –– and the Roto Plus rotors in theresidual grain separation system. In the strawmanagement area, the system detects if the straw chopper and power spreader are stationary. Controlled in CEBIS, there are three levels of slip-limit sensitivity so you can set it tomatch the conditions in the field.

On Farm Opinion

can eat through a wheat crop at over80t/hr. The two Lexion 670 combines with7.5m headers were purchased in 2017 and2018, and an ex-demo Lexion 760 with a9m header now joins them in the shed.

The new machine is based on Claas’APS Hybrid rotary threshing technology,while the two 670 models have straw walkers. All are Montana models, equippedto deal with the steep slopes of the Hants

Downs (see panel above), and have ClaasTelematics plus a range of automated features on board, aimed at optimising performance (see panel on p78).

“The straw is valuable for a lot of the


s

All three combines have Vario headers, which hascut downtime as it allows easy adjustments tosuit different crops.

Claas Telematics is designed to give you accessto all the important data for your combine anytime, anywhere via the internet. The Fleet Viewapp informs all the operators in a harvesting teamabout the positions of all the machines in the fleetand the current grain tank fill levels of harvesters.This allows those on the grain carts to empty theharvesters when required without downtime.

An operating time analysis report is sent to youby email each day so you can review the specificdata from the previous day. Relevant data, suchas area-specific yields, can then be exported toyour field records. All the info is stored on theTelematics web server so you can compare theperformance and harvesting data for yourmachines, informing how you might like to fine-tune settings to suit conditions on the day.Optional automatic documentation hives all thisdata away as it’s generated by the machine without the operator having to lift a finger.

CEBIS is the on-board brain behind Claas’technical gadgetry, accessed by the user throughCEBIS Mobile in real time. Agrocom Map Startsoftware also allows you to prepare customer andparcel data to be run and processed. All data isbacked up when a specific task is completed orthe working day comes to an end. This, as well asdaily counts, crop counts and total counts, can beprinted out on the combine, transferred via a datacard or uploaded to the Telematics server.

But it’s the yield-mapping functionality mostgrowers are after. On-board sensors in the Lexionmeasure grain moisture and yield, allowing theQuantimeter to determine the precise quantityharvested. CEBIS adds geographic coordinatesusing GPS satellite data. Again, this data can betransferred via a data card or uploaded to theTelematics server, as well as fed through to theoperator in real time via the in-cab terminal.

Ways to monitor, manage and measure harvest progress

The Fleet View app informs all the operators ina harvesting team about the positions of all themachines and current grain tank fill levels.

The Grain Quality Camera feeds through real-time pictures of the crop from the elevatorand scans these for non-grain constituents andbroken grains.

The S10 is a 10.4” (26cm) touchscreen terminal that can be used for ISOBUS functions.These include ISOBUS-based task management(ISO TC-BAS) that gathers data such as the areaworked, yield, grain moisture and working time togenerate yield maps and transmit live images tothe cab. ISO-TC-GEO corrects for bout width andadjusts data automatically saving the operatorhaving to make manual changes.

CEMOS is the Claas umbrella term for all the systems designed to optimise machine performance. There’s CEMOS Dialog that guidesthe operator through a number of steps in order toachieve the optimum machine configuration. Thenthere’s CEMOS Automatic in which the machinedoes it for you. This encompasses Auto Cleaning,Auto Separation and Auto Threshing.

All CEMOS Automatic functions adjust themachine continuously and automatically in linewith the current harvesting conditions. The aim is to provide maximum throughput with top grain quality and clean grain while keeping fuelconsumption to a minimum, says Claas. They’reavailable for wheat, barley, triticale, rye, rapeseedand maize while just Auto Cleaning and Separationare available for oats and soybeans.

The Grain Quality Camera is perhaps themost important sensor for automatic adjustment ofthe threshing unit and cleaning system. It not onlyfeeds through real-time pictures of the crop fromthe elevator but scans these for levels of non-grainconstituents (NGC) and broken grains. The information and live images are relayed to theoperator, allowing adjustments to be made, or itcan guide CEMOS Automatic.

When the combine starts work in the field,CEMOS Automatic configures the machine to certain preset values, then establishes the optimal setting. This takes account and adjusts to

changing harvesting conditions throughout the day. The claim from Claas is that the machine finetunes adjustments on a scale that not even askilled operator could match.

Finally, there’s also Remote Service, whichallows your dealer to access your machine and its specific data directly for maintenance and servicing purposes. Claas covers the cost of this for five years, if you give your consent to engineers having remote access to your machine’ssystem and data.

crops we harvest, and that’s particularlythe case with the hay by-product from thegrass, which is where the two straw-walkermachines are best suited,” explains

Richard. “The 760 hybrid is the maximumthroughput machine, and means we canprogress well through other crops wherestraw is less of a consideration. Growingseed crops means we can’t desiccate, soa machine that achieves a good sample ina variety of field conditions is a priority.”

It’s also important to be able to interchange headers between machines –– a Capello Spartan disc-mower headerhas recently been purchased to improve performance of the herbage enterprise.“Grass is often the trickiest crop to manage, although linseed can also be difficult. We’re getting good results on the herbage side with the disc-mower,that’s better suited to the crop than a reciprocating knife.”

Anthony (left), Richard and Tom Monk put theClaas technology through three generations offarming experience.


s

On Farm Opinion

All three Lexion combines are Montana models,equipped to deal with the steep slopes of theHants Downs.

The combines aren’t the first Montanamodels the business has had. “We haveenough steep slopes to need to minimisethe resulting losses,” continues Richard.“Montana does a good job of keeping thescreens level. At the end of a variety, wemove it side to side to help clean out thecombine, followed by the airline andhoover. Also, when unloading light herbageseed you can lean the combine towardsthe grain trailer which keeps the auger outof the wind.”

All three models have Vario headers,which has cut downtime, he adds.“Changing from cereals to oilseed rape inparticular used to be a two-man job, butnow it’s quite a simple, quick change. Theheader allows easy adjustments to suit different crops, which is important whenyou’re switching between crops as muchas we are.”

Yet to prove worthBut the automated features and data management aspects of the new machineshave yet to prove their worth, reveals Tom.“Laser Pilot that guides the steering to followthe edge of the crop works well and meansyou can focus on other settings. TheCEMOS system is easy to use and allowsyou to enter presets that should maintaingrain quality and adjust it for you. The difficulty with CEMOS Automatic is that thestandard settings allow a level of wastagegreater than we’re prepared to accept.”

The move into precision farming startedwith autosteer, and for the past two or threeyears, the farm has increasingly moved toapplying inputs at a variable rate, using the IPF platform, which has now beenrebranded as Rhiza. “Five out of our seventractors are now on GPS, and it’s JohnDeere’s Greenstar system we’ve beenusing. It’s when you move away from theone brand that the difficulties start to accumulate,” says Tom.

The farm is moving over to variable rateseeding and just getting the JD tractor totalk to the 740A drill has been a struggle, he says. “We’re trying to make everythingmore precise and do everything that thetechnology is supposed to allow, includingsection control and auto shut-off. But somefeatures don’t work properly and we’re promised updates that never come.”

On the harvesting side, it’s the yield-mapping Tom finds most valuable, butmaking it work correctly has required moreof his time than he feels it should. “We’vehad Telematics for three years –– with threedifferent operators and three machines itmakes sense to have a system that pulls all

the data together, and real-time informationon locations and progress is fed through to asmartphone app.

“But in practice it works better for operators just to stay in touch with eachother, and I’m not convinced Telematics is actually doing much to co-ordinate theharvest operation better. It’s also not asseamless as it should be and has been veryfrustrating and time-consuming to set up.”

Tom feels he’s spent a lot of time on a computer setting up the system, and calibrating machines to ensure that it’s working correctly. Even then, it hasn’t beenwithout its mishaps –– they lost a whole fieldof yield data last year because the systemwasn’t activated. “We’ve had good back-upfrom Olivers, our local dealer, who have sorted out any problems. But that doesn’treplace the lost data and downtime that

shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”Moving to precision farming and

digitalisation is a challenge farmers face,and one that Claas strives hard to helpwith, notes Edward Miller, of Claas EASY(Efficient Agriculture Systems). “Customerexpectation of this transition is managed s

On Farm Opinion

Telematics is not as seamless as it should be,says Tom Monk, and has been very frustratingand time-consuming to set up.

AF Monk (Rookley), Stockbridge, Hantsl Farmed area: 1250hal Soil: Mostly chalk over flint with a few

clay capsl Cropping: Winter and spring oats, barley,

oilseed rape and wheat; herbage seed,peas, linseed, soya and poppies

l Staff: Five plus three on seed plantl Mainline tractors: Case Puma 240, 220;

Massey Ferguson 7620; 2x John Deere 6155R, JD 6930; New Holland T6080

l Combines: 2x 7.5m Claas Lexion 670,9m Lexion 760 all with Vario headers; 5m Capello Spartan disc-mower header

l Sprayer: 32m Sands Horizon 4000-litre self-propelled; 6000-litre mixer wagon

l Spreader: Amazone ZA-TS with 4200-litrehopper

l Primary cultivation equipment: 7f KuhnVari-Leader, 6f Kverneland, 5f Kverneland,6.5m Väderstad Carrier, 8m Vaderstad NZ,8m Kongskilde Vibromaster, 2x 12m Twoserolls

l Drill: 8m John Deere 740Al Loaders: JCB TM310S, TM320S, 541-70l Balers – 2x Welger AP830

Farm facts

carefully, with a year’s free-of-chargesupport for yield mapping providedthrough SOYL, together with training sessions offered through the local dealer,”he says.

For Tom, integrating with Gatekeeper, to bring the yield information into croprecords and export data back to themachine, has also been frustrating. “It’spossible, but it’s not easy. We’ve also haddifficulties with the software interpreting the data wrong from our machines usingdifferent headers –– all these things taketime to sort out.”

An application programme interface

(API) is under development, notes Edward.“This should allow a similar level of integration with Gatekeeper that you getwith the Claas Telematics cloud-based system.”

Tom admits their arable enterprise is a relatively complex one, with very high standards to maintain –– just ensuring theyield monitor is properly calibrated acrossall 33 varieties they grow is a chore initself. But it makes the £2290 fee permachine for the three-year licence for thefull functionality feel expensive.

“It’s easy to get a print-out of a yield mapfor one of our landowners, for example. AlsoI can see that once we have several years ofdata, it will be a valuable resource in makingwell informed decisions, such as taking outunproductive field corners. But I’m not con-vinced we’re there yet with a system thatdelivers true value to a farming business.”

Edward notes that 95% of Claas customers now with yield mapping useTelematics very successfully. “We work with users to address initial doubts aboutthe competence of the system. We’re finding these are alleviated as we build a greater understanding of what knowledge we need to provide, and how we communicate it.” n

On Farm Opinion

s


The biggest benefit in direct-drilling comes in the time savings, says Roger Colebrook, whoknows he’ll get the crops in the ground at theoptimum time.

After four decades of direct-drilling one Surrey

grower believes he’s finallyfound the ideal machine to

get best results from hiswide-ranging soil types and

varied cropping. CPM paidhim a visit.

By Nick Fone

MachineryOn Farm Opinion

We can do so much more in

one pass.”“

Satisfaction comes from experience

While no-till might be a current buzz-word, for some it’s no fad. After 40 years of direct-drilling, you’d thinkthat Surrey grower Roger Colebrookwould know all there is to glean aboutno-till crop establishment. Far from it ––he believes there’s still plenty to learnabout soil and crop management underan almost tillage-free regime.

“It might sound obvious but direct-drilling is all about the soil. The problem isthat no two fields are the same and on ourland we have every possible soil type fromred clays with flint to greensand and gravel.

“That makes it pretty challenging to find the right tools for the job. After fourdecades I think we’re getting closer to finding the ideal combination of equipment –– all centered around our new Sky EasyDrill.”

The 6m seeder arrived at Chaldon Courtlast spring and has since had some1000ha pass under its frame sowing a mixof cash, cover and forage crops for thebusiness’ livestock and arable enterprises.

Its purchase was prompted by a number of factors led by a necessity for a much tighter drilling window.

Narrow window“With the loss of metaldehyde and our target to reduce our use of insecticidesand herbicides, we now need to get all ourautumn cereals sown in a five or six-dayslot around the second week in Oct. Withcontract drilling that can amount to over400ha,” explains Roger.

“Although our 15-year-old AmazonePrimera is beginning to show its age it’snot ready for full retirement yet. With itmoving to a back-up role we can have two6m drills running and comfortably coverthe ground.

“With its tine-type coulters and the Sky’sdisc openers we have the versatility tocover a range of conditions.”

So how has the direct-drilling approachevolved at Chaldon Court over the pastfour decades?

In the mid 1970s the Colebrook familyfarm was based around a small dairy herdwith a small arable acreage. Over time thearea grew with more rented ground and itwas cereal cropping that filled the gaps.The establishment approach was a traditional plough-based regime with lots

of labour-intensive, diesel-hungry passesrequired to break down the heavy clay furrows into manageable seedbeds.

“Having taken on the responsibility forgetting crops in the ground I could seethat the system we had in place didn’thave a future –– we simply couldn’t affordto continue with it.

“I tried using our Massey 30 drill to godirect into stubbles but it couldn’t get theseed into the ground consistently and ourflints just destroyed tyres.


s

When working at 25-50mm what’s needed is minimal surface disturbance tostop blackgrass becoming an issue.

Up front is a small-seed/granule applicator while the main hopper has a60:40 split and twin metering units for seed and fertiliser.

crop establishment at ChaldonCourt, slashing costs to a pointwhere profit once more becamea possibility and simultaneouslyboosting yields.

After a number of years offine-tuning, an approach wasfound that would reliably resultin decent establishment. To deal with weed issues a

pressure harrow and flat rollerwere pulled over stubbles togenerate a stale seedbed. Thishad the added advantage ofhelping counteract theBettinson’s biggest weakness –– its tendency to leave a wide-open slot. By producing afine surface tilth, the soil behindthe double-disc openers wouldcrumble back into the slot, making it a much less attractiveplace for slugs to munch theirway down the rows of emergingseedlings.

“When we made the switchfrom ploughing we immediatelysaw cropperformance improveand that was down to a few simple factors –– we had fewerslugs, less run-off and more evengermination.

“In fact, by the late ‘70s we were flying to the pointwhere we came second in ICI’s national direct-drillingcompetition which looked atwhole-farm performance acrossthe entire acreage.

“Admittedly we were doing a true belt-and-braces job withfertiliser applications every 10days and PGRs. But it proved wecould outperform conventionally established crops even on ourflint-strewn difficult clay ground.

“In one crop of winter barleywe achieved 1480 ears/m2

which resulted in our best ever yield –– sadly I’ve nevermanaged to repeat it.”

While all this success had

proved that no-till worked in theSurrey hills, it wasn’t the caseacross the rest of the country.Grassweed control issues,compaction and the ban onstubble burning promptedmany growers to turn awayfrom direct-drilling. At the time the arable acreage hadgrown once again at ChaldonCourt and more output wasrequired. Power-harrow andtine-cultivator drills followed,their flexibility providing theoption to sow crops in less than ideal conditions.

Soil structure“Moving back to more intensivecultivations we slowly saw ouryields tail off, often as a resultof water-logging and slugissues –– much caused bytillage-induced panning and the almost complete destructionof any soil structure.

“Having gone through the1980s and 1990s watchingcrop performance drop off,by the early 2000s I was convinced that we needed toreturn to no-till. The Bettinsonhad proved the concept wouldwork but it wasn’t without its faults –– particularly its tendency to leave an open,slug-friendly slot.

“We’d been in the privilegedposition of working withAmazone on some of their trialwork with combination drills sowe had a good relationship.

On Farm Opinion

“At the time we were using a contractor with a Bettinsondrill to sow all our kale andstubble turnips for the cows.With the stubbles burnt off with Gramoxone (paraquat) itworked well so we decided tobuy our own for the arableground.”

The purchase revolutionised


s

I’d heard about a new tine-type direct-drilland was keen to be one of the first to try it.”

So when the opportunity came up todemo the German giant’s new Primera,Roger leapt at the chance.

“It was the first drill to come along thatoffered a realistic opportunity to return tono-till. The way each knife-opener couldmove independently meant it could dealwith our flints –– rather than riding up overthem, compromising seed depth, they’djust work round them.

“We were so convinced by it that weimmediately put our name down for it andended up with the 6m UK prototype.”

It’s that same drill that was still doing allthe establishment work 15 years later atChaldon Court –– some 1000-1215ha ayear with cover and forage crops.

“The Primera was exactly what weneeded at the time and we saw yieldsreturn to what they had been with theBettinson. You could go in any conditionsand as fast as you liked.

“But its big weak point was that whenworking at 25-50mm it moved way toomuch soil and with blackgrass becomingan issue we needed to minimise surfacedisturbance.”

So when it came to looking for a newdrill this was a key factor for Roger. Havingmade the decision that the Primera neededan easier ride and that the target of getting all the autumn crops sown in a week would require more output, he set out to find another 6m drill that

Disc depth adjustment is done by slackening off a nut on the front of each coulter carriage andadding or removing collars.

Serrated disc openers are carried in pairs on individual bogey-type coulter carriages with a rubber presswheel up front and smooth steel press rings at the rear.

On Farm Opinion


s

answered these niggles. In the autumn of 2017 and spring the

following year all makes and manner ofno-till drills were trialled at Chaldon, all ofthem on the trickiest soils to make surethey had what it took to deal with the worstthe farm could offer.

Some struggled to get a consistent,even depth while others just weren’t ableto deal with the wide-ranging soil types,says Roger.

“Pricing varied widely as did build quality and given that I’m expecting mydrills to do a good 20-30 years’ work that’spretty important. It was the Sky drill thatstood out on this front.

“Effectively an updated take on theMoore Unidrill concept, I liked the way thediscs could bury seed to a decent depthwithout digging a wide-open trench. Butwhere it really stood apart from the

A ram on each wing section sets the fore-aftpitch and weight bias of the coulter carriages to suit soft or hard going.

l Patience is essential – only go drilling when the conditions are right. If it won’t go in the autumn, there’s always the option of spring cropping

l With direct-drilling it’s all about germination – focus on even establishment and everything else will follow

l Soil structure is the critical factor – focus on improving it by increasing organic matter and rooting and workability will follow

l Straw and muck – pretty much everything

Key pointers from 40 years of no-till

is baled behind the combine so there’s no issue with crop residue (except cover crops) and it all goes for cattle feed and bedding,returning to the land as FYM

l Erosion – lots of steep banks means hill-sides are always worked across the slopeto minimise run-off

l Rolling – ring rolls achieve very little on Chaldon’s direct-drilled clays. Heavy flat rolls are employed instead to close the slot and conserve moisture

competition was in its ability to sow and drill three different seeds/products at once.”

Roger has been experimenting with different cover and catch crops fordecades, sticking with the goal of ensuring no ground is left bare at anypoint. While this might not always be possible, the EasyDrill’s ability to sow different species independently meansseed rates can be varied according to conditions.

Versatile tool“Being able to keep seed separate ––rather than using mixes –– and tweakrates to suit as well as applying slug pellets or Avadex (triallate) all make theSky drill a really versatile tool. We can doso much more in one pass.

“After years of trying different covercrops I’ve pretty much settled on usingoats, vetches and phacelia in differentproportions according to the season. Theability to alter the ratios is particularlyimportant because we don’t want to endup with too much bulk from any particularspecies. The combination we’ve settled ondoesn’t compromise our take-all situationbut it’s vigorous and quick to establish.”

Working into thick, well-established

cover crops to sow spring cereals, theEasyDrill copes well, cutting through themat of material to place the seed into tilthat a decent depth.

The ability to quickly alter seedingdepth is seen as a major plus-point ––each bogey-type coulter carriage looksafter a pair of openers. To adjust seedplacement a locking nut is loosened andsimple collars are used to vary how far thediscs drop into the dirt.

Hydraulic rams set downforce byadjusting the fore/aft bias on the coultercarriages’ front and rear press wheels. Todate the system has worked well –– therewas just one day last autumn when drillinghad to stop.

“We were working on the worst groundwe have –– extremely heavy clay withlarge amounts of big flints –– which wasbaked hard after last summer’s drought.It’s contract farmed land that hasn’t hadthe benefit of decades of cover croppingso it hasn’t had the chance to build organic matter.

“We have similar soils in other placesthat we’ve farmed for years but becauseit’s been looked after it can now ‘self-structure’ and is workable no matter what the weather’s been doing.”

On Farm Opinion


s

Chaldon Court Farm near Caterham, Surreyl Farmed area: 708hal Cropping: Winter wheat (220ha), oilseed

rape (60ha), winter barley (70ha), spring barley (120ha), canary grass (30ha),spring beans (6ha), forage maize (44ha),permanent pasture (162ha) plus 57ha golf club

l Soils: Predominantly red clays with flint also a range from chalk and greensand to gravel and gault clay

l Elevation: 180ml Livestock: 350 finishing cattle

(12-30months)l Mainline tractors: 3x Valtra T174; JCB

4220 Fastracl Combine: New Holland CR 9.80 with

9m headerl Loaders: 2x JCB Loadalls l Sprayer: 2000-litre Knight de-mount with

24m boomsl Drill: 6m Sky EasyDrill; 6m Amazone

Primeral Staff: Roger, Peter, Andrew and James

Colebrook plus two others full-time

Farm facts

The extremely high level of flint in Chaldon’s redclays makes for some pretty challenging drillingconditions.

On Farm Opinion

After 1000ha work –– much of it in somepretty extreme, dry, hard conditions –– theopener discs’ scalloped serrations arebeginning to show signs of wear. The ability to alter the height of the combinedscraper/coulter boot means that there’s theoption to wear the discs right back withoutcompromising seed placement. HoweverRoger’s not one for getting caught shortand has a full set of wearing metal on theshelf in the workshop to ensure the drillcan keep moving.

“Seeing the discs disappear in lastautumn’s horrendously harsh conditions I was nervous about just how long they’dlast so I ordered up a new set.

“I was pleasantly surprised at the cost–– they came in at about £70 per disc.Although on a 6m drill with 36 coulters thattots up to a fair lump of cash, if you work itout on a per ha basis it’s peanuts.”

On the subject of costs, Roger estimates there’s a saving of at least 25-30% to be had by switching to direct-drilling when compared to the oldplough-based approach. But it’s not allabout pounds, shillings and pence.

“Putting the potential yield benefits andenvironmental impact to one side, thebiggest saving comes in time savings. Itused to take three months of ploughing,cultivating, harrowing, drilling and rolling

to get our autumn crops in the ground ––now it’s just five or six days with two 6mdrills and a heavy set of flat rolls.

“That means we can pick and choosewhen to go drilling –– always in the bestconditions. By sowing cereals at the optimum time we get the best possibleresults –– this is the single biggest factorin direct-drilled crops outperforming conventionally established ones.

“By only going out when conditions areideal we get uniform crop emergencewhich directly translates into even growthand ultimately a more uniform crop all theway through. I believe that has a hugeimpact on yields an equally importantlyquality.

“But there’s another less tangible benefit –– when the direct-drilled crops are

up and away nothing else ever looks asgood. That provides and enormoussense of satisfaction.” n

Like many farmers, Richard Budd hastried a number of approaches in hisquest for the ideal stale seedbed in adirect-drill regime.

With 900ha of combinable crops atStevens Farm, near Hawkhurst, Kent, onland varying from Weald clay to TunbridgeWells sand, the focus is on winter cereals,but juggling the rotation can mean that volunteers are an issue as well as blackgrass.

The CrossCutter disturbs the top 10mm of thesoil surface and chits weed seeds to encourage a green flush.

Volunteers have become a particularproblem in winter barley after winter wheatwhere admix can lead to penalties knocking£15-20/t off net margins.

Stale seedbed“We need to create an effective staleseedbed post-harvest so that we can go inand spray off ahead of a Sumo DTS directdrill,” he explains. “We tried a Sumo Strake,but found it was not moving enough soil. Wealso looked at other disc systems but wedon’t want to work at depth and risk pullingup weeds from below the surface, just tomove soil evenly across the working width.”

The solution came in the form of a 6.5mVäderstad Carrier fitted with CrossCutterdiscs, chosen to work in the farm’s 30m CTF system.

“The CrossCutter disturbs the surface and chits weed seeds to encourage a greenflush,” he explains. “It works to just 10mmdeep but the two gangs of discs ensure

that it moves soil and mixes across thewhole surface.”

Designed as a high-speed operation, Mr Budd reckons to travel at

16-18km/h with the Carrier pulledby a Challenger tracklayer

and can cover more than60ha a day in the rightconditions.

“It’s a quick, easyoperation that also produces a slight tilth to drill into; the

packer roll crushes anyclods effectively leaving a

fine, level surface and werarely need the levelling boards.”

Described as simple to set up andoperate, the Carrier is set at its highest working depth and does not dig in.

“We use the Challenger for convenience,but when it is tied up with drilling, the Carriercan be pulled by our Fendt Vario 724 with notrouble,” says Richard.

He comments that the cleaner seedbedsgive him more options with rotations, whileretaining the benefits of direct drilling.

“It might be considered a compromise butwe’ve not had to resort to min-till to get theresults we want. We had a shallow disc cultivator before but it tended to cultivate inbands, leaving 50% of the working widthuntilled. There was not enough of a flushwith one pass, so we had to go in again,whereas with the Carrier and CrossCutter, it’sone operation and we can close the gate onit until we are ready to spray off for the drill.”

He points out that the weed flush alsoacts as green cover ahead of drilling, avoiding the need to plant a catch crop.

A first Väderstad machine for StevensFarm, Richard comments that he’s beenimpressed with the durability and build quality of the Carrier.

“The discs have covered 1000ha, and would be good for 2000ha more,” he says. n

Making lightwork of staleseedbeds It’s a quick,

easy operation that alsoproduces a slight tilth to

drill into. ”“

Preparing the ideal staleseedbed ahead of a direct

drill is an exacting task. CPMtalks to a Kent grower who’sfound a way to make it work.

By Rob Jones

MachineryOn Farm Opinion


An innovative approach tomeasuring soil health is

being put to the test by a NLincs farmer. CPM joined a

tour of his fields, organisedby BASF.


InnovationSoil health

Time since tillage often

determines soil health.”

“

Teabags tell the story of the soil

Pat Thornton offers us all a cup of tea, andthere’s a note of caution before accepting.Barely 30mins earlier we saw him extracttwo teabags that had been buried in themiddle of one his fields as part of a globalresearch project into soil properties.

“Today is T-day,” he announces. “On 16 Feb I buried two teabags in each of twofields and today is the day to dig them up and weigh them. It’s to measure thedecomposition rate of my soil.”

It’s part of a tour to explore the soils ofPat’s 142ha Lower Melwood Farm nearDoncaster, N Lincs. The farm lies on heavysilty clay loam close to the River Trent, butnot close enough to benefit from the warpland created centuries ago when land nearthe river was deliberately flooded to producedeep, fertile silt soils.

“We look on in envy at that land. Drainage

The Green tea (left) indicates stabilisation whilethe Rooibos tea allows the rate of decompositionto be deduced.

dictates how we farm, and water only moveswhen you tell it. We’ve land that’s brokenploughs in the past,” recalls Pat. It’s also thesite of an old Carthusian monastery, andalongside its more tricky soils there’s permanent pasture that hasn’t even seen aplough since the monastery was dissolvedduring the reign of King Henry VIII.

Huge varianceThe resulting huge variance in his soil properties is something that’s always fascinated Pat. As one of the BASF RealResults farmers, it’s an interest he’s found heshares with a number of others, so he’s setabout involving around 20 of them in the“Dirt-tea sods” campaign. This feeds datafrom their soils into the Tea Bag Index (TBI),a global network run by young researchersfrom the Netherlands and Austria.

“A number of us did the #soilmyundiesthing, where we buried underpants to seehow they decomposed –– quite a visualdemonstration,” he says. “But some of uswho are into reduced tillage wanted to know if we were making our land any better.That’s when I came across TBI.”

The project was started in 2010 by agroup of Dutch and Finnish researchers who were looking for a way to measure soildecomposition. The difficulty was to findstandardised litter bags that would be easily available on a global scale, recalls

Dr Taru Sandén, now at the Austrian Agencyfor Health and Food Safety. “Dr JudithSarneel and Dr Joost Keuskamp from theTBI team were discussing it over a cup oftea, and suddenly struck on the idea ofusing teabags,” she says.

It took some time to determine the type of tea to use and refine the methodology.“The advantage of tea is that it’s a consistentplant material, distributed globally. The products we settled on were Lipton Greentea and Rooibos tea.”


s

Limus, BASF’s new urease inhibitor, reducesammonia emissions from urea fertiliser by up to98%, delivering a similar yield performance toammonium nitrate fertiliser, says product managerJane Kitchen.

“The Government’s Clean Air Strategy,published earlier this year, seeks to legislate tocontrol ammonia emissions from agriculture,which account for 88% of the total,” she notes.“About a quarter of that comes from manufactured fertilisers, and one of the proposalsto address this is to introduce a requirement tospread urea-based fertilisers in conjunction withurease inhibitors.”

Urease enzymes occur naturally in the soil andconvert urea into ammonium. This temporarily

New product addresses Government clampdown on ammonia emissions

raises the pH of the soil around the urea, and ifthere isn’t sufficient rainfall to buffer the pH spike,this results in volatilisation, where the urea is lostas ammonia gas. “Urease inhibitors block theenzymes, slowing down this conversion and soreducing volatilisation,” she explains.

Limus is the only urease inhibitor available that contains two active ingredients. N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) is a genericinhibitor while NPPT is a new molecule from BASF.This combination is claimed to be more effectiveon the range of enzymes than single-active alternatives.

“What’s also unique about Limus is that theformulation contains BASF’s polymer technology,which provides longer active ingredient stability

compared with generic alternatives. It also has alonger shelf life lasting for more than 12 months,even at 20°C,” adds Jane.

Trials carried out by ADAS have shown Limus-treated urea delivers on average a 5% yieldadvantage in winter wheat over untreated urea,and similar results to AN. It’s a liquid formulationapplied to urea prills before it’s supplied to farm,available only through Thomas Bell, Bartholomewsand COFCO.

“We have a liquid product that does the same job, added to UAN and UAN+S fertilisers,”continues Jane. “This is added directly into thetank at the time of application, a bit like AdBlue for diesel.”

Soil health

When gauging soil health, it’s worth finding thebest field on your farm and comparing otherswith it, says Jenni Dungait.

Worms and roots struggle in this compacted soil which has been in arable crops for over 60 years (left), while fields that were in grass 20 years ago have thetexture of chocolate cake (centre) and permanent pasture is perfect (right).

When buried, Green tea decomposesfast, as it’s comprised of material soilmicrobes find relatively easy to break down.Rooibos tea decomposes more slowly and is generally still in that first stage ofdecomposition after 90 days. From data on

weight loss of the two samples, researcherscan determine the stabilisation factor (S) and rate of decomposition (k) for the soil.

Available nutrients“k indicates the rate by which the labile fraction of the tea is decomposed. This isimportant for farmers as it indicates availablenutrients released to the plants. But it’s alsoimportant to know how much plant materialstays in the soil, rather than being releasedas CO2. S can be interpreted as the degreeto which the labile fraction of the tea remains after three months of incubation,”explains Taru.

She recommends farmers use TBI in conjunction with soil analyses measures of organic matter (SOM), texture and plant-available nutrients to help assessmicrobial activity. “Work in Sweden andAustria suggests you can measure the effect of different tillage methods with these factors. Roller crimping, rather thanconventional tillage, results in higher stabilisation factors, for example.”

In the UK, Dr Sarah Duddigan at ReadingUniversity has done most work with TBI,

using it for a citizen science project, fundedby Defra, BBSRC and the Royal HorticulturalSociety. “450 people signed up and tookmeasurements in various places in their garden,” she reports.

“What was most interesting was the relationship between SOM and compostingrate. In most areas, the more SOM, the fasterthe rate of decomposition. But this alsodepends on the carbon fraction, and thecarbon/nitrogen ratio of plant material ––microbes are less active where there’s morewoody material.”

While relatively few UK farmers havemeasured their TBI, she recommends finding up to three contrasting areas within afarm and conducting a comparison. “You’renot necessarily looking for high or low S andk values, but the relationship between them,depending on your priorities,” she says.

Pat has his results back. The winter wheatfield that includes his Real Results trial has ak of 0.009 and S of 0.358. Just next door, inNov-drilled spring wheat following covercrops, k is 0.008 and S is 0.416. A soil analysis of the Real Results field gives it ahigh rating for soil health and microbial


s

BASF has started rolling out its digital suite oftools, set to offer an extra layer of precision toarable farmers. The xarvio range of solutions wasdeveloped originally by Bayer, but divested by thecompany following its acquisition of Monsanto.

“We’re pleased to have xarvio on board,” saysLouis Wells, BASF UK solutions and services manager. “Our over-arching objective is to makefarming more precise, and xarvio aims to bringthat to a cm2 level within the field.”

Two tools in particular are available –– xarvio Scouting has been launched and offersidentification for a range of weeds, pests,diseases and other crop properties through yoursmartphone. xarvio Field Manager is a decisionsupport tool that tailors agronomic advice to yourcrop conditions, which is currently undergoingevaluation and will be launched in the UK in 2020,says Louis.

Dubbed “the assistant in your pocket”, xarvioScouting detects in-field stress from photos youupload through an app, available for free for bothiOS and Android phones. There are five tools towhich you can beam your problem photos:

Weed Identification can currently identify117 different broadleaf weeds, while the aim is to build this to 800. Within seconds the app will

feed back which weed it is with a percentage confidence rating.

Yellow Trap Analysis will assess the contents of a standard in-field water trap and can tell thedifference between cabbage stem flea beetle,seed weevil and pollen beetle, for example, givingyou numbers found of each.

Disease Recognition identifies most diseases in wheat and barley, although not yetrhynchosporium.

Nitrogen Status includes elements of Yara’sIrix tool, built into xarvio, that feeds back informationon nitrogen content of a wheat or oilseed rapecrop, based on a picture of its canopy.

Leaf Damage Detection is a quick way to getan accurate figure on leaf area damaged by stressor disease.

With thousands of users worldwide, Scoutingrelies on machine learning to improve its ability toaccurately detect what it sees, says Louis, and youcan also tell it if you think it’s wrong. “You have totrain the tool, and the more images it receives, thebetter it will get. So we’re keen that as manygrowers and agronomists as possible get snapping and sending.”

xarvio Field Manager uses a traffic light systemto give you feedback on whether your crop needsa treatment. You set up your fields and then enter information such as variety, sowing date,cultivations, previous cropping, etc. xarvio calculates growth stage and risk of disease,based on local weather, says the product’s implementation lead Luke Pollard.

“It recommends a treatment, with a purple iconfor optimal timing or a white one for sub-optimal.This is based on previous treatments, and the toolrecognises a wide range of products, not justBASF fungicides,” he says.

“It also brings in satellite-generated NDVI data,

Luke Pollard (left) and Louis Wells say the xarviodigital suite of tools will offer an extra layer ofprecision to arable farmers.

and gives you zone maps indicating five levels of crop biomass, which enable variable-rate applications, within resistance-stewardship guidelines.”

To set up, it will pull in shape files from othersoftware packages for your fields, but currentlythere’s no application programming interface (API)with Gatekeeper, Muddy Boots, Rhiza, Omnia orany of the other platforms. So be prepared forplenty of multiple-entry record-keeping if you wantto make any use of it.

That said, Pat Thornton is one of ten UK farmers currently taking it through its paces andgives it the thumbs-up. “It took less than an hour to set up, had all of the products I use indrop-down menus and was bang-on in terms ofgrowth stage,” he says.

Looking to launch in the UK next year, it’s likelyto go head-to-head with Bayer’s Climate Fieldview,already used across 24M ha of the US, Canadaand Brazil. “The advantage xarvio has is that it’sbased on European models for growth stage anddisease,” notes Louis. Maglis, BASF’s original digital farming platform, is being incorporatedwithin xarvio.

Field Manager uses icons to indicate optimal timing for treatments and brings in satellite-generated NDVI data.

xarvio complements chemistry with algorithms and machine learning

Limus-treated urea delivers a similar yieldperformance to ammonium nitrate fertiliser,says Jane Kitchen.

activity with a SOM of 3.2%.“Around 20 years ago this land was in

grass or grass rotation and we’ve tried tolook after it since, direct drilling where wecan. This shows it’s relatively healthy, and itmay be that where we had cover cropswe’re sequestering slightly more carbon.”

Independent soil scientist Prof JenniDungait has joined the tour of Pat’s farm andcarries out a visual assessment of the soilsin these fields. “You can tell there’s plenty ofSOM, the spade goes in easily and the soillooks like chocolate cake –– there’s a goodfriable structure through the topsoil, althoughthe aggregates are a little more angularbelow plough depth.”

Pat then takes the group to a nearby fieldthat’s been in an arable rotation for over

60 years, currently in spring barley, andJenni struggles to get the spade into the soil. “There’s evidence of compaction at thesurface and right through the topsoil, withsoil breaking off in sharp, angular plates.Roots and earthworms have struggled to get through this structure. It needs somehelp from remedial cultivations before adirect-drilling regime will do any good,” says Jenni.

But top marks go to the permanent pasture, not turned for over 500 years. “Timesince tillage often determines soil health andthe structure of this soil is just about perfectfor this soil type. When gauging soil health,rather than comparing with other farms, it’sworth finding a field like this as the ultimatehealthy soil you can achieve on your farm,”

she concludes. nl For more information on TBI, go towww.teatime4science.org

Soil health


A series of acquisitions has put FMC among the leading global agchem

manufacturers. CPM travelsto Copenhagen to find out

what the company plans tobring to UK growers.


InnovationCompany profile

We’ve almost been under the radar,

but we have one of thestrongest pipelines in the

business.”

“

Far More Chemistry

Just a few years ago, FMC was a companyvirtually unheard of in the UK, but there’s astrong chance you’ve reached for one ofits products in the past 12 months.

What’s more, you’re likely to hear a lotmore from FMC over the next few years. It’snow one of the biggest global agrochemicalR&D manufacturers without a seeds portfolio.

As such, the company has a chemistryinnovation pipeline bristling with new activeingredients –– a total of 22, many of which are new modes of action and include newblackgrass herbicides. It’s also developing astrong offering in biologicals, centred at thecompany’s European Innovation Centre inCopenhagen, with some major market introductions planned for the early 2020s(see panel on p92).

“We’ve come from having no visible presence in the UK, but we’re only 18months into the new FMC, and we havealways been working in stealth mode,” says

Marc Hullebroeck says FMC has been working instealth mode to become one of the top six globalagchem manufacturers.

FMC vice president and business director ofthe EMEA region (Europe, Middle East andAsia), Marc Hullebroeck.

Innovation plays centre stage within this, says FMC head of R&D for EMEA, Dr Duncan Aust. “When we have discussionswith distributors, the reaction we get is ‘wow–– we didn’t realise you had built thispipeline’. We’ve almost been under theradar, but we have one of the strongestpipelines in the business.”

Rooted in innovationFMC is a company with a 130-year historyrooted in agriculture and innovation. It wasstarted in the 1880s by Californian inventorJohn Bean, who set out to build a betterinsecticide spray pump. This he achievedand patented, developing into horse-ledspray equipment and a company thatchanged its name in 1928 to FoodMachinery Corporation.

Acquisitions into the chemical businessfollowed, until in 2001 the Technologies sideof the company was divested, and FMCCorporation became a pure-play chemicalcompany. “But we were still relativelyunknown in Europe, until we acquiredCheminova in 2015,” notes Marc. “This wasless about the products and more about thefootprint the acquisition offered.”

It was still a long way from being a trueR&D manufacturer, however. “We stoppedbasic discovery in 2005. We didn’t have thecritical mass at that time to take a productright from the start to market. But while we

exited discovery, we never got out of thedevelopment game. Through licensing andpartnership deals we were still able to builda pipeline of new products.”

Then in Nov 2017, FMC purchased a significant portion of the DuPont crop protection business, including its diamidesand all its sulfonylureas. “The key assetalong with the products was the entire discovery operation of the DuPont crop protection portfolio, including the innovationpipeline and its library of two million compounds.”

Today, FMC is a company with 6500employees and annual sales of $4.5bn(£3.5bn), putting it in the top six globalagchem manufacturers. In the UK,


As you wander from one lab to the next, thereseems to be no end to the flasks whirring around on automatic agitation, and transparentfermentation chambers busily bubbling away.

“They’re little biochemical factories,” says Dr Mark Harding, one of the managers at FMC’sEuropean Innovation Centre, just north ofCopenhagen. “It’s a bit of a soup, so we have to do some chromatography to find out what they produce and target identification of themetabolites.”

He’s referring to the bacteria jiggling away in a shaker flask –– a sample among thousands,along with fungi and other micro-organisms at the facility that may one day put their metabolites towork to keep crops healthy and free of disease.

The EIC is FMC’s global centre for researchinto biologicals. It has around 50 scientists amongthe 160 employees on site, with the first biologicalproducts already launched in Brazil, USA and Asia.The company aims to be among the number threein the world supplying this market. There’s a busy pipeline with biostimulants, biofungicides,bionematicides, bioinsecticides and crop nutritionproducts, planned for introduction into both broad-acre and fruit and vegetable markets fromthe early 2020s.

The centre’s focus is integrating three distinctareas, explains Duncan Aust –– biologicals, cropnutrition and seed treatment. “You’re limited withthe amount of chemistry you can put on a seedbefore you begin to see some deleterious effects,”he says. “But put the right biological on a seedand it will go back into the soil and grow and multiply –– it’s a little chemical factory on thatseed, so you’re not limited.

“Bring in the right nutrition and you can harness the correct combinations to ensure yougive that crop the best start.”

And it’s not a case of dispensing with chemistry altogether. “With so many products losing approval, this puts huge pressure on those

A brew to perfect the micro chemical factory

that remain. But if done smartly and correctly, theopportunity is there to complement the chemistry.”

FMC trials have shown the effect with Bacillussubtilis and Bacillus licheniformis bacteria, sold asQuartzo and Presence in Brazil. It protects yields inthe presence of nematodes, giving on average1t/ha yield advantage over untreated sugarcane.But augmenting chemical treatment with the bacteria brings a 0.4t/ha yield gain over chemistry on its own. “Without a shadow of a doubt, biologicals deliver a yield advantage,”says Duncan.

But biologicals discovery is a very tricky task. As with chemicals, it’s a matter of initiallyscreening the micro-organisms and then lookingin more detail at those that appear to have aneffect to determine what’s causing it. “We go to the genes, and there are now ways to cost-effectively sequence the DNA of targets of interest,” he notes.

“But you should never underestimate the complexity of micro-organisms. They can produce‘happy compounds’ that protect your seed oneday, then ‘sad compounds’ that leave it vulnerablethe next.”

Even when a biological product is found,and shown to perform consistently, it has to beformulated correctly, into water or powder-basedsystems with a minimal amount of solvents thatdon’t have a detrimental effect, and scaled up to industrial fermentation processes. Here FMChas a strategic collaboration with Danish bioscience company Christian Hansen, whichbrings in specialist expertise. “That’s the advantage of being based in Denmark –– it hasprobably the best fermentation knowledge in theworld,” says Duncan.

The complex nature of biologicals means thereare few products in the registration process andnone yet for broad-acre crops in the UK. “Whilebiostimulants, that enhance growth, have a relatively straightforward approval process,

Biologicals discovery is a tricky task – one ofthe first jobs is to find out what they produceand target identification of the metabolites.

biofungicides can take a good five or more years, so it’ll be the mid 2020s before they have a significant presence in the market,” he notes.

“But as every month goes by, we’re gaining a better understanding. If you look at the soil microbiome, for example, there’s a huge amountwe don’t know, but our learning is acceleratingfast, and we’re getting to the bottom of what differentiates a healthy soil from one that’sunhealthy.

“Combine that understanding with the consistency of product and formulation expertisethat have always been strengths of FMC, and I think there’s every reason to be excited about the products we’ll be using in years to come,”concludes Duncan.

One of the advantages of the facility being basedin Denmark is that it has probably the bestfermentation knowledge in the world.

FMC is developing a strong offering in biologicals,centred at the company’s European InnovationCentre in Copenhagen.

it’s probably best known for its SU herbicide technology –– Ally Max SX (metsulfuron-methyl+ tribenuron-methyl)

continues as one of farming’s most trustedbrands for spring broadleaf weed control,notes FMC UK & IE country lead SimonMcMunn.

“Our SU range is number one in the herbicide league table. But we also haveother actives, such as clomazone –– thecapsule suspension formulation in Centium360 CS demonstrates the extra value growers get from the technology we apply to our products.

“In potatoes we have Spotlight Plus (carfentrazone-ethyl) –– already the mostreliable stem desiccant on the market, itssignificance is set to increase with the loss

of diquat.” In plant health, the ascophyllumrange of seaweed-based biostimulantsacquired through FMC’s purchase ofHeadland, such as Seamaxx, have “provenpedigree”, he adds.

Globally the company is market leader inmany insecticide markets with the diamides,such as Cyazypyr (cyantraniliprole),Rynaxypyr (chlorantraniliprole), making uparound a third of total sales. “Our heritage isin insecticides,” notes Marc. “If we have aweakness, it’s fungicides, where flutriafol isour lead product. It’s in this market that we’re looking at further acquisitions anddevelopments.”

Company profile


s

Name When Key aspects

Bixlozone 2023* l New MoA on key grass species, including blackgrass

l Pre and early post-emergent application in cerealsand OSR

Pethoxamide 2024-26* l New MoA with pre-emergent activity on grasses in OSR

Beflubutamide M 2024-26* l New MoA with pre and early post-emergent activity on broadleaf weeds in cereals

Tetflupyrolimet** 2024-26* l Pre and early post-emergent application with activityon key grassweeds

- After 2023 l Up to five new actives with new MoA for grass and BLW control in cereals and OSR in discovery

Fluindapyr 2023* l SDHI fungicide for cereals, OSR and field vegetables

l Broad-spectrum control including rusts, leaf spot disease, powdery mildew, Alternaria

- After 2023 l Up to six new actives with new MoA for rust and leaf spot control in cereals and OSR in discovery

- After 2023 l Up to five new actives with new MoA or new chemical class for insects and nematodes, mostly for field vegetables

*

*– Pending regulatory approval; ** – Provisionally ISO approved

FMC UK product pipeline

CPM would like to thank FMC for kindlysponsoring this article and for providingprivileged access to staff and materialsused to help put the article together.

Company profile

Fung

icid

esIn

sect

icid

esHe

rbic

ides

So what about this innovation pipeline?“The new active I’m most excited about is bixlozone –– it will change the picture of grassweed control in the UK and elsewhere,” enthuses Marc.

Bixlozone is a new mode of action in thecereal herbicide market with pre and earlypost-emergent action on key grass speciesincluding blackgrass and ryegrass (see table below). “It’s an FMC heritagedevelopment and a sister of clomazone, suitable for cereals and oilseed rape, as well as rice, corn, potatoes and sugarcane.”Submitted for registration in 2018, it’sexpected to appear first in Australia in 2021,while UK growers could be using it as earlyas 2022.

Two other herbicides in development comefrom legacy Cheminova, and both will bring a new mode of action into their respectivemarkets. “Pethoxamid is not a new one, butnew in the sense it was underdeveloped byCheminova. Beflubutamide-M (the active isomer in beflubutamide) will be for EU andAsia Pacific,” says Marc.

Totally new activity“Tetflupyrolimet has a totally new activity on grasses and will change the herbicidemarket in rice. This is a crop where it is very difficult to get good control and resistance is a real issue. The active’s indevelopment for rice and we’re testing it for other crops including cereals. Its activityis complementary in many ways with bixlozone, so will offer additional poweragainst blackgrass.”

Fluindapyr will mark FMC’s entry into theSDHI fungicide market, due to be introducedas early as 2021 in the USA and then following on, probably two years later inEurope. “We are looking to launch otherSDHI fungicides under third party licence.”

The majority of the new actives currentlyearmarked for development are still in theR&D phase. Most involve new modes ofaction, and many come from DuPont. “Willthey all make it? No. But we’re dropping farmore potential actives than we were before

on the grounds they won’t make it throughthe tough European standards on endocrinedisrupters, genotoxic and groundwaterissues. These are the ones that make itthrough that rigorous selection,” notes Marc.

“What’s more, at the R&D facility weacquired in Delaware from DuPont, you haveto fight hard for your MoA to be progressed–– there are no ‘me-too’ products there.” And don’t expect any new SUs to come from this pipeline, he adds –– the facility is now focused on entirely new chemistry.

But it’s this focus on the chemistry thatFMC believes will earn the company therespect of growers. Unlike the other leadingglobal agchem manufacturers with which itcompetes, FMC has no seeds or traits in its portfolio. “But these seeds need to beprotected and coated and given the beststart, and that’s where our technology willcome in,” Marc points out.

And it’s the company’s broad portfolio,deep pipeline and now its discovery R&Dthat are the qualities on which he believesgrowers will judge FMC. “You don’t build areputation in a new market overnight, but the products we already have deliver whatgrowers expect. What’s more, we have significant resources and the scale to pursuenew opportunities and chart our own future.It’s a journey I think UK growers would like to join.” n

FMC seeks to combine an understanding of thesoil with the consistency of product andformulation expertise it has.

Put the right biological on a seed and it will go backinto the soil and become a little chemical factory tohelp nurture the seed, says Duncan Aust.

Company profile


s

Ever wondered what your soil is trying to tell you?

CPM profiles a new service,using a tool that picks up a

soil’s unique signature togive a window on its world.


InnovationDigital Direction

For me,that’s what’s exciting

– using the technologyto unlock the secrets of

the soil ”

“

The silent call of the soil

A certain amount of care is applied asthe sodium-iodine crystal, encased in its carbon fibre tube, is placed in thefoam-filled carry case, ready to move to the next site. It lies at the heart of what Hutchinsons believes is a“game-changing” soil-mapping service,that will quite literally unearth a wealthof spatial data that’s never before been captured.

“A lot of farmers have already used precision farming technology to make

The scanner is a gamma ray spectrometer,mounted on a UTV, that passes no more than 1m above the ground.

the big gains, through nutrient mappingand soil conductivity scans,” saysHutchinsons precision technology manager, Oliver Wood.

“TerraMap delivers the data behind thatin far higher resolution and sets a newstandard for accuracy. But it has the potential to go much further –– many growers are now looking for the marginalgains that will lift them off the yield plateau.For me, that’s what’s exciting –– using thetechnology to unlock the secrets of the soiland working with growers to understandhow to use the information to optimise crop performance.”

Unique signalsWhat the crystal does is pick up unique signals, emitted by the soil, as it passes over the surface. The Terramapservice turns these into data from over 800 points/ha, providing high definition mapping of all common nutrient properties,pH, soil texture, organic matter and cationexchange capacity (CEC) as well as

elevation and plant-available water (see panel on p94).

The results from TerraMap are used tocreate maps within the Hutchinsons Omniasystem that now has over 620 UK userscovering 375,000ha. The soil-specific datagenerated can be overlaid with additional


s

Terramap will be available at two service levels:Standard will deliver nine map layers to thegrower, directly replacing other soil services currently available (although at higher resolutionand more accurate, says Hutchinsons). Pricingfor the standard service is similar to other services at £24/ha. The Premium service willdeliver 21 map layers for an extra £8/ha.

StandardThis brings in sand, silt and clay content, givingyou individual layers of percentage content, aswell as a texture map, calculated using theindustry-standard soil texture classification.For Omnia users, it will be the soil texture layerthat’s used in combination with seedbed condition, weed and slug pressure to generate a variable rate drilling plan.

In addition, phosphate, potash and magnesium index maps are returned, along withpH, while an elevation map is also generated.The nutrient and pH layers will directly informvariable rate application maps.

PremiumThese are the layers you won’t get from a standard precision soil-sampling service, says

Exploring the layers that define a soil

Hutchinsons. They include levels of the nutrientscalcium, sodium, sulphur, manganese, boron,copper, zinc, molybdenum and iron. It’s seen as unlikely that growers will use the maps tovariably apply micronutrients. More likely, theinformation will be used with tissue testing, forexample, to identify potential areas of deficiencyand to target areas for further investigation.

Organic matter levels and cation exchangecapacity (CEC) are two further layers of “goodbackground information” returned by Terramap.Again, it’s unlikely growers will use the information to directly spatially apply inputs,says Hutchinsons, although it may indicate areasthat warrant further investigation. The value inthe maps may come through the barometer theyoffer on general soil health, informing how tobuild resilience into the arable system, and as abasis for applying for future subsidy paymentslinked to provision of public goods.

The final layer is plant-available water,calculated by SoilOptix based on clay, silt andorganic matter content. In the first instance, thiscould help modify irrigation scheduling, butHutchinsons believes the information can beused to tailor agronomy closer to crop potential,enhancing overall performance.

The service gives a true picture of soil texture,to inform a seed rate plan.

The information from the premium layers, suchas plant-available water, can be used to tailoragronomy closer to crop potential.

The service maps the unique radioactivesignature emitted by the soil at 800 points/hathat’s influenced by its nutrient and mineralcontent.

Alan Christie (left) has been surveying fields whileOliver Wood has used the data to deliver detailedsoil information back to clients through Omnia.

Digital Direction

field information such as blackgrass, yields and other data, to create accurate,consistent and detailed variable rate plans,explains Oliver. “You can also export thedata in industry-standard formats for use in other software packages.”

But precision soil-mapping is nothingnew, so what’s different about Terramap?“There are currently two methods usedglobally for soil mapping,” he says. “With

the grid system you create a 100x100mgrid across the field, taking samples ateach point. A map is then generatedthat extrapolates properties between the data points. A zonal system uses anelectro-magnetic (EMI) or conductivityscanner to assess soil properties intozones of similar character. Samples arethen drawn from within each zone.

Repeatability issue“The resolution isn’t good with the grid system –– the way the smoothing is carriedout by the software between data pointscan be quite crude. The problem with EMIscanning is repeatability –– it’s massivelyaffected by soil moisture, so the pictureyou get of your soil in Sept can be completely different to a scan taken inApril. The zonal sampling resolution alsotends to be poor –– on average one sample represents 2.5ha.”

Terramap uses completely different technology to assess soil properties. “The sensor isn’t new –– it’s a scaled-downversion of airborne sensors that have beenused in mineral prospecting for many years–– but it’s only recently been adopted bythe agricultural industry.”

It’s a gamma ray spectrometer, mounted

on a UTV, that passes no more than 1m above the ground. Inside is a sodium-iodine crystal that’s sensitive tonaturally emitting radionuclides –– signalscontinually beamed out by the soil that could be considered ts way of communicating. These “flashes” are thenpicked up by a photo-multiplier tube.

“It’s an entirely passive sensor, so youcan travel from harvest through until Marchwithout disturbing an autumn-sown crop,”continues Oliver. “It picks up the unique


s

Jim Woodward believes the results, particularlyon soil texture are more accurate than thoseachieved with EMI scans.

Digital Direction

radioactive signature emitted by the soilthat’s influenced by its nutrient and mineralcontent. That signature can be translatedback to the core properties.”

And this is where the clever bit comesin. The system has been developed bySoilOptix, a Canadian concern thatlaunched the service to farmers in 2010,and it’s their analysts who crunch the data.Although the spectrometer itself is a fairlystandard piece of kit, SoilOptix has putyears of testing and proofing in commercialuse into the algorithms it’s developed.

“What we receive is meaningful, usefulinformation for farmers,” says Oliver. “Thisis its first application in Europe andHutchinsons has exclusive rights to theservice in the UK.”

Just like EMI scanning, the sensor has to be ground-truthed, so soil samplesare taken within each field to help the algorithms align the radioactive signatureto the actual soil properties. But unlike EMI,that signature remains the same andunique to the point in the field, regardlessof moisture and temperature.

“Repeatability is one of the key aspectswe’ve been testing since we first startedusing the technology almost a year ago,”notes Oliver. So several fields scanned justafter harvest last year, when they were dryand in stubble, were re-scanned as soon

as they were fit to travel in early spring.“The results are virtually identical –– we have real confidence the scanner is measuring something repeatable.”

It’s also a one-pass system. Just like anEMI scan, the field is travelled in 12mbouts, explains Alan Christie of Agri-techServices, contracted by Hutchinsons to do the field work. “The initial scan givesyou a map of the raw data points that aredisplayed on a tablet in the cab. But unlikeEMI, the on-board software then uses thatinformation to highlight points within thefield to return to for detailed analysis.”

Detailed signatureBefore leaving the field, the sensor is returned to a number of pre-definedsampling points, each representing around3-4ha. “At these points, the spectrometerpicks up a more detailed signature and wetake a representative soil sample for lateranalysis.”

When the data comes back, there’s alevel of interpretation that’s crucial, andbest carried out with your agronomist, says Oliver. “Within the industry, sometimesvariation is shown just for the sake of it,and it’s important to use the right scale. For example, you can generate a detailedmap of a field showing how the clay content varies from 5.6-9.9%. But that

level of variation isn’t actually significant in practice.”

The system’s been put to use onThurlow Estate, which has arable landspread over six farms across 5000ha ofEssex, Suffolk and Cambs. Many of thefields were EMI-scanned in 2012, but someof the results have always been viewedwith a level of scepticism, says JimWoodward of Farmacy, one of the estate’sagronomists.

“The EMI scan is one-dimensional and


s


Digital Direction

doesn’t really tally with what’s going onin the field. That’s probably because it onlylooks at clay content.”

There’s a large chalk content in theestate’s soils that he believes could interfere with the scanning. “But this doesn’t appear to have happened with theTerramap survey. The results, particularlyon soil texture, look impressive and seemto be more accurate than previous results.”

Jim’s been using precision farming technology to inform decisions for over 25 years. “We started using it on a rotational basis to tailor P&K applications.Nowadays the main entry point for most isvariable-rate seeding, and the soil texturemap in Terramap should give us moreaccurate variable rate plans, especially on chalky soils.”

He believes there’s potential for the system to inform in-season decisions, however. “Within the crop, currently theonly input that’s really varied is N, and thisis informed entirely by assessing green leafarea (GLA), through NDVI maps, for example. But GLA variance could be downto varying magnesium levels, or someother soil-related factor.

“This gives you the ability to interrogatethrough layers, and as the season progresses adapt the agronomy by zones–– so what you can do to improve rooting,for example. Taken together, all this data isfar too much for the human brain toprocess and generate a spatially varied

plan. But it’s something that could be doneby artificial intelligence, informed and interpreted by sound agronomic knowledge.”

This is already being explored throughProject Helix, Hutchinsons’ testbed fornovel scientific applications and digitalfarming. One of its three major themes isProject Nutrition, and eight fields havebeen mapped using Terramap with thespecific purpose of using the informationas the cornerstone to develop bespokenutrient plans.

“This is starting to awaken minds withinour team of agronomists, and I hope it will

do the same for growers,” says Oliver.“We’re just starting on a journey and realising the wealth of information we nowhave on our soils. The plant-available waterindex is the layer that for me is the mostexciting. I can see that it’ll be used in really creative ways in conjunction withother data to inform some sound ideas and respond more closely to a soil’s true nature.”l Terramap will be launched at Cereals.Visit the Hutchinsons stand for more information or contact Omnia ServicesCentre on 01526 831000. n

As arable farms progress towards a digitalfuture, it can be difficult to know which forms ofdata generation, capture and analysis provide areally worthwhile benefit to the business, andwhich are costly and time-wasting distractions.CPM is working with some of the industry’sleading companies in this area to bring growerssome Digital Direction. These articles track thesignificant steps on the journey towards thedata-enabled farm, and also explain and profilethe technologies involved.

CPM would like to thank Hutchinsons forsponsoring this Digital Direction article and forproviding privileged access to staff and materialused to help bring it together.

Digital Direction

As a business Hutchinsons continues to invest heavily in all areas of research and development, and precision technology is a key part of agronomy for the future to ensureeconomic performance and environmental sustainability of agronomy advice.

It is as a result of this approach thatHutchinsons developed Omnia PrecisionAgronomy which is a key focus for the businessgoing forward.

In the Scottish Borders near Berwick, JorinGrimsdale of Mountfair Farming has been looking at ways to progress the business’2200ha of arable cropping.

“We’ve been using zonal testing for someyears to test nutrients along with EMI scanningto assess different soils. This has worked verywell, but we’re looking for the next evolution ofdata, trying to get more layers and find out moreabout what’s going on with our soils –– to getmore detail,” he says.

Winter wheat, spring oats, spring vining peasand some beans make up the arable rotation.Earlier this year, 125ha of the soils werescanned using Terramap. “We now have theresults, and it’s been extremely impressive,”reports Jorin.

Working with Hutchinsons digital farmingmanager Lewis McKerrow, the data generatedwas combined with other information, such asyield maps, and biomass layers. “This allowsOmnia to do what it does best, which is

There’s potential in the unexpected

multi-layer decision making,” says Lewis.For Jorin, it’s delivered on the expected soil

properties. “The Mountfair strategy incorporatesorganic manures throughout and Omnia’s abilityto assist in managing this process with the newhigher level of detail Terra-map collects is agreat step forward,” he says.

“But it’s also shown a lot of aspects weweren’t aware of, such as different nutrient contents we’ve not measured before, as well as detail in layers we’ve not seen.

“Cation exchange capacity, water availability,organic matter, molybdenum, boron, zinc ––Terramap’s created layers with this data, as wellas the standard P, K and lime layers we wereexpecting.”

The standard layers will be used to informroutine P&K applications, which are applied variably, while information on soil texture is used within Omnia to generate variable rateseed plans.

“It’s brought together a massive amount of

For Jorin Grimsdale, Terramap has delivered onthe expected soil properties, but also shown alot of aspects, such as micronutrient content,he wasn’t aware of.

information and the intention is to use this asbest we can to learn, and then to see how wecan adapt our farming operations,” notes Jorin.

“What I like about Terramap is that it workswithin Omnia, and it provides a high level ofinformation in much more detail from a one-pass soil property collection system.”

s

At Breamore Estate near Fordingbridge,Hants, farm manager David Northway hasbeen precision farming for more than fiveyears now and is an accomplished userof the Contour digital platform.

It brings accurate precision input planningand management, he says –– these and‘hyper-local’ weather data available throughthe service help him and his Agrii

More precise management means far more evencrops at Breamore Estate.

agronomist, Roy Willis keep profitability on track.

But they believe Rhiza digital agronomyoffers far greater potential. In particular,there’s the opportunity to make the betteruse of high resolution satellite imaging, cropyield predictions claimed to be increasinglyaccurate, and ‘big data’ from the latestresearch and grower experience.

Biggest challengeThe estate’s 550ha of arable ground was scanned by SoilQuest in 2012/13 toaddress the biggest challenge it presents –– a vast range of soil types from hungry,drought-prone gravels to thin, flinty chalkdownland and almost everything in between.

“All our land, with the exception of a single field, is classified as Grade 3 or less,” explains David. “And many fields have soils varying from one extreme of type to the other. So even setting up the drill for each is always a compromise.”

The quality of the Breamore land is reflected in its yields. The 200ha of first,mainly milling wheats that are the mainstayof the rotation average 8.5t/ha and springmalting barley typically delivers around7t/ha. Its acute variation has always beenequally clear in historic wheat yields varyingfrom around 5t/ha to 12t/ha across fields.

“This variation was all too obvious, with

The next stepin grower benefits?

Digital agronomy potentiallyoffers more than just a stepon from precision farming.CPM visits a Hants estate

that’s made the most of theRhiza platform to find out

where the opportunities lie.

By Rob Jones

InnovationDigital Vision

As our confidence in the

Contour yield predictionsgrows we will be able

to push harder withnitrogen, fungicides

and PGRs.”

“


s

our original SoilQuest managementzone sampling showing generally reasonable potash indices but phosphatesall over the place –– and rock bottom insome areas,” notes Rhiza digital and pre-cision business manager, Chris Hoskinswho undertook the scanning.

Having ‘ground-truthed’ the zoning,adding their own knowledge and experienceof the land to interpret the results, theBreamore Estate team first set about targeting the low phosphate and pH areaswith variable rate Fibrophos and liming.

Repeat testing of the zones in 2016showed P and gravel pH indices all up totarget levels. This initially meant increasingphosphate inputs. However, the farm recordsshow total MOP and TSP usage now runningat just 13t/yr, against the 30t previously usedannually in blanket applications.

“At the same time, we varied our wheatnitrogen dressings by plus or minus 20%in places to tackle the most acute yieldvariations,” recalls Roy “This was mainlybecause we didn’t then have a drill with avariable seed rate capability. It certainlyhelped, but took a lot to balance this withour PGR programme.

“The arrival of an Amazone Cayennadrill in 2015 meant we were able to

address the main source of crop variationmuch more effectively with variable seeding. So we no longer need to vary ourN rates these days. Having said that, theContour imagery and yield predictions doallow us to adjust rates to actual cropgrowth after the first spring split whereverwe want to.”

Of all the precision technologies, variable rate drilling has undoubtedly hadthe biggest impact at Breamore, he says.

With the legacy of ‘hideous’ sterile bromeproblems, both wheat and spring barleyseed rates had been previously been keptdistinctly on the high side for the greatestcrop survival and competition. Yet David haslong recognised bushel weights as the keyto performance on his ground.

Plant populations“Wherever our crops are too thick we suffer through lower bushel weights,” hepoints out. “So getting plant populationsright across the fields is crucial. Until we could vary seed rates to reflect soilvariations –– not to mention areas of particular grassweed concern –– we simply couldn’t afford to reduce our rates.

“Now, though, we can bring them downwith confidence in many areas and matchthem to the tillering capacities of the varieties we use and when we sow them,based on detailed Agrii trial work. This has really helped reduce our bushelweight variations for the most consistentperformance.”

With only minimal problems from blackgrass, wheat drilling starts in earlyOct, with rates of Crusoe and KWS Zyattnow varied from 285 seeds/m2 to 370 seeds/m2 depending on the variety,timing and conditions. Rates of RGTPlanet spring barley are also varied from 330-400 seeds/m2.

“Variable rate winter wheat drilling helpsgive the most even canopies going intoMarch,” says Chris. “After this, the seasondrives what David and Roy do. Which is

Roy Willis (left) uses the Contour imagery andyield predictions to help David Northway adjust N rates to actual crop growth.

Drilling wheat with a variable seed rate (left) hasresulted in a far more even growth, as this NDVIimage shows, compared with a flat-rate drilledOSR field.

where the Rhiza NDVI and crop biomassimagery come into their own.”

This uses the Planet system for opticalimaging alongside ESA’s Sentinel satellitefor all-weather synthetic aperture radar(SAR) monitoring, claimed to offer a nine-fold higher resolution than otherproviders and much greater detail. Theservice also provides a revisit time of 1.5 days against a seven-day standardresulting in an improved image frequencywith low cloud interference.

Although, Chris accepts last summer’sexceptional drought got in the way of theSAR yield predictions on the Breamoregravels, the Rhiza wheat growth modellingpredicted final 2018 yields to within 0.2t/ha in many places nationally. So, as the system becomes increasingly accurate for their ground with additional ‘machine-learning’ from each new season’s data, the team is looking forwardto using this facility increasingly positivelyin its management.

“Our five-year wheat average may be8.5t/ha but we can bring in 10.25t/ha if the season really suits us,” Roy points out. “We will continue to base all our input-planning on 8.5t/ha. But as our confidence in the Contour yield predictions grows we will be able to pushharder with nitrogen, fungicides and PGRsshould they suggest it will be worthwhile.

“They’ll also give us the confidence toboost later foliar nitrogen to maintain ourmilling wheat proteins in the face of the yielddilution from more favourable crop growth.”

David likes the convenience of viewingsatellite images of every crop whenever he wants to using the Contour app. “It’llbecome more and more useful to us both,”he adds.

“Last season we picked up a couple ofareas of unusually dense early cropgrowth which closer inspection revealed tobe patches of blackgrass brought in byoutside equipment. So we were able to nipthem in the bud and mark them with pinson our field maps for future reference.

“Equally, Roy and I are able to draweach other’s attention to any areas ofunexplained crop growth we can checkout in our field-walking and fieldwork. Itmay be we’ve got early signs of rust thatwarrant particular attention; we need toschedule extra soil or nutrient testing tofine-tune our nutrition; or we can spotareas of possible compaction or poordrainage we can investigate and deal with at the earliest rotational opportunity.

“We’ll also be able to integrate the muchmore accurate yield mapping of our recently

Digital Vision

s


As arable farms progress towards a digitalfuture, it can be difficult to know which forms ofdata generation, capture and analysis provide areally worthwhile benefit to the business, andwhich are costly and time-wasting distractions.CPM is working with some of the industry’sleading companies in this area to bring growerstheir Digital Vision. These articles lay out the significant steps on the journey towards thedata-enabled farm. CPM would like to thankOrigin for sponsoring this article and for sharingits Digital Vision.

Operating in Ireland, Ukraine, Poland,Romania, Belgium and Brazil as well as the UK,Origin Enterprises plc is determined to be theleading provider of value-added services,technologies and strategic inputs for profitableand truly-sustainable farming.

Pioneering digital and precision agronomy for

Digital Vision

Digital Vision

well over a decade, its Agrii, Rhiza, and Ag-Space businesses remain at the forefront of developments in agricultural data and crop management research, systems and knowledgeexchange.

All this work is focussed on enabling farmersand their advisers to harness the power of digitalagriculture for the greatest crop and grasslandmanagement gains at the least possible cost.

acquired New Holland combine, using theactual performance of each area of eachfield each season to improve our planning.And we should find local alerts tracking yellow rust in key varieties, flea beetle pressures and a range of other problemsthrough the system giving us even greatervalue.”

Two additional elements of Rhiza digitalagronomy the team are already using togreat effect in their planning at Breamore areaccurate local weather data and automaticcrop input calculation.

Wind speed indications at boom heightrather than the national 10m standard as well as rainfall forecasts are making a bigdifference to spray planning, while accuratelocal soil temperature predictions are helpingpropyzamide scheduling.

On top of this, David uses the system tocalculate fertiliser and seed requirements foreach field based on individual managementzones and target yields, informed by RB209and the latest Agrii research nutritional andvariety research.

It even automatically adjusts for the nutrient value of the 30t/ha of compost heapplies to most fields every other year toimprove organic matter. This means he onlyorders exactly what he needs each season.

And by doing this well in advance he canbuy at the most favourable rates.

“The usability and accuracy of the Rhizasystem is proving more and more valuable inallowing us to be increasingly precise in theinputs we use and when as well as where

we use them,” David concludes. “But the future is what really excites us.

We have all the building blocks for the mostprofitable digital agronomy in place and lookforward to using them to greater and greatereffect in the years ahead.” n


specifically for the UK. “In total, these four varieties have been

tested extensively in both the RL trials and our own UK trials network over the past three years,” says Ian Munnery of SESVanderhave.

Each variety offers advances in yield overexisting varieties from the company andsome have very low bolter counts from early sown bolter trials in addition to low bolter counts at the normal sowingtime. The drive to minimise the risk of

In spite of the tricky growing season, the varieties inRL trials performed well last year, says Mike May.

Roots Sugar beet varieties

The latest additions to theBBRO/BPSB Recommended

List provide seven new offerings but also herald

the arrival of the first ALS-herbicide tolerant

variety. CPM takes a closer look.


Genetically high sugar content

offers the best insurance.”

“2020 visionfor beet

BBRO published its Recommended List ofsugar beet varieties for 2020 and it packsa punch. The addition of seven varietiesbrings a host of desirable traits, with allthe newcomers having the Rz1 gene giving them partial resistance to the standard strain of rhizomania.

The new RL reflects the continuedimprovement in yield in the varieties beingput forward by breeders and also sees theintroduction of the first ALS-herbicide tolerant ‘Smart Conviso’ sugar beet variety,which has been added to the special use category.

2018 was a difficult growing season forthe commercial crop and trials alike, comments Mike May, chairman of the RLboard. “Adverse weather delayed drilling

and this was followed by a prolongeddrought, with a late burst of nitrogen whenthe drought finally broke in the autumn.

“Despite this, the control varieties in thetrials still managed to achieve a mean yieldof 112 adjusted tonnes/ha, with new varietiesoffering up to a 4.0% yield increase abovethat, highlighting the resilience of the crop in such conditions,” he says.

ALS-herbicide tolerance“In addition it’s also good to see the firstALS-herbicide tolerant variety (SmartJanninka KWS) on the list. The herbicides for use with this variety have now beenapproved and should be available for the2020 sowings,” he adds.

One of the features of the 2020 RL is thenumber of additions of low bolting varieties,reflecting the efforts breeders have put into producing varieties specifically for UKconditions. Six of the new varieties didn’t boltin any of the RL normal sown trials (sownafter 15 March) throughout the three years of testing (2016-2018 inclusive).

“These were Advena KWS, BTS4100,Vixen, Cougar, Puffin and Smart JanninkaKWS, although the latter did bolt when sownearly and is not recommended for sowingbefore the 15 March,” highlights Mike.

Four of the new sugar beet varieties –– Lightning, Conger, Puffin and Vixen ––have been developed by SESVanderhave


s

One of the features of this years RL is the numberof additions with low bolting suitable for earlysowing.

Ian Munnery says the four SESVanderhavevarieties added to the RL have been bredspecifically for UK conditions.

season, he believes. The four new varietiesjoin the breeder’s established varietiesCayman, Firefly and Hornet on the RL for2020. “Cayman is celebrating its 11th year in RL trials which shows its durability andconsistent performance in each of the past10 years, where it’s coped exceptionally with a wide variety of weather conditions,” he adds.

“Our varieties endure as trusted favouritesfor growers. This reflects our approach toensuring varieties are trialled using seed from commercial lots and extensive testingacross the UK under a range of conditions,”comments Ian.

Highest sugarThe highest sugar content on the new RL isprovided by newcomer BTS 4100, bred byBetaseed and marketed by Limagrain UK. At 18.4% sugar content, the new variety hasperformed consistently over the three yearsof RL trials and also produces a low numberof bolters (2062/ha) when drilling before 5March), making it suitable for early sowing,according to Ron Granger, sugar beetproduct manager at Limagrain.

“In 2016, BTS 4100 yielded 18%, whilst theaverage sugar percentage across the RL trials was 17.7%. In 2017 when the nationalaverage was 18.4%, BTS 4100 yielded 0.6%more at 19%. In 2018, the national averagewas 17.8% and BTS 4100 again yielded0.6% more, at 18.4%,” he says.

“Growers will recognise that on certain soiltypes or in difficult field conditions, a highsugar content can be hard to achieve. Inthese situations, a variety such as BTS 4100with a genetically high sugar content offersthe best insurance for maximising full yieldpotential, as expressed in adjusted tonnes,”says Ron.

Along with these high sugar levels, BTS 4100 offers high adjusted tonne yields of

101.8% –– reflecting a step-up over some ofthe older varieties on the list, he points out.

But while yield and sugar content are thetop criteria for choosing a new sugar beetvariety, factors such as establishment andbolting tolerance are also very important ––particularly when deciding which variety isbest for your situation, adds Ron.

“For those looking to drill very early in anattempt to get crops up and away to combatvirus yellows infection, BTS 4100 fits thisdrilling slot very well. It has good bolting tolerance and is one of only a few varietieson the RL that showed zero bolters whendrilled in the normal sowing slot,” he says.

“This is combined with good emergencecharacteristics and a good tolerance to rust.It’s also rhizomania tolerant,” highlights Ron.

The last of the conventional varietiesadded to the 2020 RL comes from breederKWS and is another of the additions withvery low bolting performance (2475/ha). Thecompany positions Advena KWS as a varietysuitable for every farm.

“Advena KWS has a yield of 104.0% ofcontrols, putting it in the top four of varietieson the 2019 RL while its low number ofbolters, the lowest of all top five varieties,

early sown bolters has been a feature ofSESVanderhave’s breeding strategy forsome years, explains Ian.

He teases out the differences betweenthe new additions and suggests Lightningwill suit growers looking for a variety to sowat the normal time (from 15 March). It’s notrecommended for sowing early owing to thehigh bolting in early-sown trials, though ithad low bolters when sown at the normaltime. The variety has a sugar yield of 103%plus a high score for rust tolerance of 7.1.

Vixen has one of the lowest bolter countson the RL at the early sowing timing –– just1692/ha and zero bolting when sown after15 March. Vixen also tops the list for itsresistance to rust with a score of 7.6 makingit a good robust choice for growers, heclaims.

Conger and Puffin fall into the same earlybracket as Vixen and also display a very lownumber of bolters when sown before 5March, with 2776/ha and 2048/ha boltersrespectively. There were no bolters in the RLtrials from either Vixen, Conger or Puffinwhen sown after 15 March, providing flexibility at sowing time.

Conger also produces a high sugar yieldcombined with good resistance to rust,which positions it as another strong contender for growers to look at for the new


s

s

Sugar beet varieties

makes it suitable for drilling inboth the early and normal sowingwindows,” says Ben Bishop,KWS sugar beet UK countrymanager.

“A sugar content of 18.2%, thesecond joint highest on the RL,supports a sugar yield of 103.9%of controls. While an adjustedyield of 104% of controls, combined with the best all-round bolting profile of any

The highest sugar content varietyadded to the RL is BTS 4100 fromLimagrain, which is listed at 18.4%.

Smart Janninka KWS is the first of a new generation of varieties withresistance to ALS-herbicides,says Ben Bishop.

recommended variety, will ensureAdvena KWS appeals to allgrowers,” he adds.

One characteristic of the newvariety Ben is keen to highlight isits disease resistance. The RLonly includes a score for rustbecause there’s been too littlepowdery mildew disease data in recent years to support ameaningful score for the disease.

Disease resistance“Advena KWS has a score of 5,which is average for varieties onthe RL,” he says. “But it needs to be viewed in the context thatdisease resistance for all varieties has improved in recentyears as breeders have succeeded in producing varietieswith stronger resistance. Thatsaid, growers may wish to consider lifting Advena earlier,” he comments.

Perhaps the most interestingof the new additions to the 2020RL is the addition of the firstsugar beet variety tolerant to ALS-herbicides.


Source: BBRO/BSPB, 2019.

“Smart Janninka KWS is the first of a new generation of varieties to feature tolerance to ALSherbicides for use in the ConvisoSmart weed control system forsugar beet,” explains Ben.

When to sow the innovativevariety will be a decision besttaken by growers in consultationwith their advisers, he believes,but where it’s considered suitable, growers can be confident that yields will be close to that of some establishedvarieties.

Smart Janninka KWS has an adjusted yield of 90.1% andsugar content of 18% on the RL but this data was from using conventional herbicides ratherthan the Conviso Smart system.

“When grown using the dedicated herbicide, SmartJanninka KWS yields close to that of some established varieties on the RL. This shouldgive those wishing to sow sugarbeet where the weed burdenwould previously exclude sugar beet from that land, the

confidence to sow without suffering a significant yield penalty,” he adds.

Mike suggests the new RLprovides plenty of discussionpoints for growers before making their variety decisions fornext year. “Before ordering BCN,AYPR partially resistant or ALS-tolerant varieties, growers shoulddiscuss options with their contract managers, agronomistsor breeders, who will have more information on a variety’sperformance and use in the presence of a specific problem,”he advises. n

Recommended List of sugar beet varieties 2020

Sugar beet varieties

s

Roots Potato blight

The loss of plant protectionproducts either through revocation or resistance will make blight control

more difficult in 2019.CPM finds out how.

By Rob Jones

This is a real challenge for implementing an integrated IPM strategy for late

blight.”

“

An increasingly complexproblem

The loss of diquat as a desiccant herbicide combined with the need to avoid applications of a single mode ofaction (MOA) or consecutive applicationsof the same fungicide is set to make blight control more complicated, andpotentially more expensive, according toGreg Dawson, agronomist for ScottishAgronomy.

With outgrade piles and other localsources now widely accepted as the mainreservoirs for late blight (Phytophthora infestans) infection in field crops, the pressure is on growers to improve control of potato volunteers in previously croppedland and in dumps.

“The source of infection, be it seed or alocal reservoir, has been heavily debated formany years, but genotyping performed onsamples submitted for testing in 2017 and2018 has helped to resolve the question.Planted seed, as well as local sources fromwaste piles are the main primary inoculum

sources of the disease,” says Greg. Unfortunately, the task of effectively

controlling the spread of blight from localsources has been made more difficult with the revocation of diquat.

Black plastic“Growers can either ensure dumps are covered with enough soil to prevent anypotatoes emerging, or more likely, cover with black plastic to block sunlight and stopanything that emerges underneath frombeing able to grow. Some may not see eitheras a practical solution, but there are fewalternatives. Glyphosate is simply too slow toact as plants will be able to sporulate for upto two weeks before leaf tissue is sufficientlydead to stop sporangia being produced,”he adds.

The need to achieve better early control of sources of infection is one of two developments that distinguish this seasonfrom previous years, with the other being theneed to give greater thought to resistancemanagement.

This has taken on greater significancesince the spread of the fluazinam-resistant37_A2 genotype (also referred to as ‘DarkGreen 37’) in 2016 and a more recent finding that another new strain, 36_A2, ismore aggressive than other genotypes found in the UK.

For that reason, Scottish Agronomy will be avoiding the sole use of carboxylic acidamide (CAA) products, such as Revus(mandipropamid), instead preferring to add

a partner product, and they will avoid thepractice of ‘blocking’, where the same product is used in consecutive applications,says Greg.

With 13 MOAs available for late blightcontrol, ensuring crops are suitably protected might not seem too challenging.But that’s not the case, he says –– only threeactives are considered to have good activityagainst zoospores and therefore againsttuber blight.

Fluazinam is one, but for those who don’twant to run the risk of insensitivity that leavesjust two: Quinone inside Inhibitors (QiI)which belong to FRAC code 21 and the

Planning has become an important element inblight strategies to comply with anti-resistancelabel requirements.


s

pyridinylmethyl-benzamide group containing fluopicolide, belonging to FRAC code 43.

“Both Shinkon/Gachinko (amisulbrom)and Ranman Top (cyazofamid) are QiI fungicides, meaning that to comply with an

effective resistance management strategy,they shouldn’t be used consecutively or inmixtures with each other,” explains Greg.

Furthermore, FRAG-UK resistance management guidelines for the QiI group arethat they shouldn’t form more than 50% ofthe intended programme and that CAAgroup fungicides shouldn’t exceed six applications when used in a mixture, or fourwhen used alone, and for no more than 33%of the blight programme.

“This is reasonably straightforward toovercome so long as growers make use ofproducts other than QiIs in the rapid canopyphase and alternate use of the remaining QiI applications with Infinito (fluopicolide+propamocarb), which can be applied up tofour times per crop.

“For example, if Zorvec Enicade (oxathiapiprolin) is mixed with amisulbrom

For Norfolk grower Mark Means, who grows 100-120ha of pre-pack potatoes for the multipleretailers and sometimes storing for up to 48weeks, tuber blight protection has taken on equalimportance to canopy protection. This season hisfirst blight spray of 2019 was applied on 12 May.

“About 70% of the crop is on unirrigated siltswhich affords some flexibility in the blight strategy. But, with a range of determinant andindeterminant varieties to manage and havingspent heavily at planting to ensure we start with a good seedbed, it’s short-sighted to cut cornerswith crop protection,” says Mark, who farms atTerrington St Clements.

At the start of the season when all varieties aregrowing rapidly, he seeks to keep applicationssimple, though irrigated crops will often receivehigher application rates or more robust productmixes.

“We still follow a seven-day programme on theunirrigated crops, but fungicide choice would bebased around cymoxanil and mancozeb,” he says.

Once crops reach full canopy there’s theopportunity to extend spray intervals, principally

on the unirrigated crops, but doing so comes withincreased risks. “If the weather changes or ifthere’s a dump upwind that begins to sporulate,you can soon find yourself in trouble.”

Aiming to maintain seven-day intervals, thefarm has ensured it can travel in sometimeunfavourable conditions by moving to wider tyresand adding additional tramlines within the crop.

The focus is one of prevention rather than cure. “I will often seek to make strategic use ofthe better products based on the assessed riskwhich is derived from weather data, the number of Hutton Criteria warnings and discussions withour agronomist.

“Last year we made one application of Zorvecto an irrigated crop during rapid canopy becauseof its protectant and systemic activity, but whilekeeping the canopy clean is important, tuber blightis of equal concern. If pressure is high and weneed additional products with systemic activity,we can always utilise Infinito,” says Mark.

“Blight is becoming more aggressive in itsnature and increasingly capable of sporulating atlower temperatures, so we need to be vigilant.This is perhaps best evidenced by the loss of fluazinam, which is something we have felt acutely,” he adds.

With a large area of unirrigated crops, greatefforts are made to retain soil moisture at depth.“Protecting soils is almost a contradiction in termswhen you’re a potato grower, but we seek to minimise the amount of deep cultivations needed.This means taking a 3-4 year horizon when planning field operations to make sure the soilstructure is in good order ahead of potatoes,”he says.

While the late blight pathogen populations are

Practical considerations for blight control

evolving fast, the arsenal of control methods useful for controlling them is expanding throughimproved decision support mechanisms, in fieldsensors and novel breeding methods, amongother methods.

“Faced with increasingly stringent regulationson pesticide approval, developing open-scienceIPM strategies is central to efforts to achieve sustainable control of late blight. The concept ofIPM has been accepted and incorporated intoregulation, but the holistic nature of IPM has notyet been embraced by growers,” observes Greg.

“There’s a clear need to formulate generalprinciples for synergistically combining traditionaland novel IPM actions to improve efforts to optimise late blight control solutions. It’s not sustainable to be dependent solely on eithergenetics or chemistry.

“Integrated blight control requires a suite of effective fungicides, each performing asexpected. It’s worth noting that of the 49 newactive substances submitted for approval sinceJune 2011, six active substances were approved,but of these only two have activity on late blight.As an industry we must improve stewardship ofexisting products to retain efficacy and choice,”he says.

Managing the potato crop begins with lookingafter the soil throughout the rotation at MarkMeans’ farm in Norfolk.

During the rapid canopy phase it’s a good ideato make use of products other than the QiI’s sothey can be used later for tuber blight control.

The loss of diquat will mean covering dumps inblack plastic will be the most effective way toreduce this primary source of inoculum.

during rapid canopy growth, this limits the number of QiI applications later in theprogramme when the focus turns to tuberblight protection,” he explains.

“Zorvec is best utilised at the rapidcanopy phase, so the big question is howmany times to apply it with a QiI, if some QiIapplications are to be saved for later in theprogramme,” he adds.

The use of these two Qil products andInfinito need to be planned carefully toensure that enough fungicides with tuberblight activity are retained for when they’reneeded. This is particularly important, hestresses, for those who choose to deployInfinito for its foliar activity and systemicmobility during the rapid canopy growthphase.

Tubers are at risk of infection from thepoint of initiation. With the exception of very

Potato blight


s

old seed, the interval from plant emergenceto the onset of tuber initiation is usually 2-3 weeks in many cultivars and slightlylonger in others such as Cara.

“A grower wanting to incorporate robusttuber protection from then on will need toalternate between QiIs and Infinito. Hencethe need to plan applications during rapidcanopy,” he explains.

To complicate matters, limited testing of36_A2, another strain which has spread rapidly across Europe to become commonacross Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands,France, Poland, Denmark and arrived in theUK in 2017, has demonstrated a fitnessadvantage over other strains.

While the spread of 37_A2 has effectivelyended the use of fluazinam as a tuber blight protectant, it still has a role to play in powdery scab control at planting time in seed crops and sclerotinia control in ware crops.

“In varieties where sclerotinia is a concern, for example Maris Piper, then fluazinam could be added to the secondblight spray in a mix with Revus. But in cropswhere sclerotinia isn’t an issue but alternariais, such as in Markies, Vivaldi or KingEdward, then Revus plus mancozeb wouldbe the better option because it would give abaseline protection against alternaria, as wellas a resistance mechanism for protectingCAA modes of action,” explains Greg.

Earlier this year, AHDB publishedresearch performed by the James HuttonInstitute which found 36_A2 formed largerlesions at low dose rates of several fungicideMOAs when compared with other strains.

This finding prompted Scottish Agronomyto advise the use of a suitable mixing partnerto promote crop protection during the rapidcanopy phase. As potato plants are growingquickly at this time, a product such as

Revus, which is bound to the leaf wax ofnewly developing leaf primordia, will bequickly diluted to low concentrations withinthe canopy and may struggle to controlblight, suggests Greg.

“It’s not sensible, given what we knowabout the aggressiveness of 36_A2, to applyRevus (mandipropamid) without a mixingpartner such as mancozeb during the rapidcanopy phase.

Aggressive strain“The arrival of yet another more aggressivestrain challenges two points –– the suggestion that variety resistance has a greater role to play in structuring programmes and the intention of those planning to extend intervals to more thanseven days. It’s high risk in both instances,”he adds.

What is notable is that virulence comparisons, within and between late blightclones, indicate 37_A2, 36_A2, 13_A2 (better known as ‘Blue 13’) and 41_A2 all are able to overcome a high number ofresistance genes.

“This is a real challenge for implementingan integrated IPM strategy for late blight,” heemphasises. “There’s a recurrent emergenceof invasive clones. 36_A2 and 37_A2 aredisplacing 13_A2 and 6_A1 (typicallyreferred to as ‘Pink 6’) in the UK.Concerningly, a new clone called 41_A2 isexpanding in the late blight population inScandinavia, which is more diverse than inthe UK,” he says.

All the clones active in the UK areacknowledged as aggressive clones, asgenotype information is as yet unable to predict the risk that a clone presents tocrops in a particular region. This means thatfrom a control perspective, all clones areequally threatening.

Greg Dawson will be avoiding the sole use ofcarboxylic acid amide (CAA) products, such as Revus.

Ensuring one of the two actives with tuber blightactivity can still be applied at the tail end of theseason needs consideration.

Potato blight

The blight population continues to evolve with the incursion of new, more aggressive strains.

Advisers often talk about new strains ofblight as having a ‘fitness advantage’ thatmarks them out as being ‘more aggressive’than those that preceded them, but whatdoes it mean, and does it apply equally tofoliar blight and tuber blight?

“The term ‘fitness advantage’ is oftenused to cover several characteristics thatseparate new genotypes from those that preceded them. It can be used to describeits biotrophic nature, where it can sporulatewhile keeping the leaf alive for longer, thelength of life cycle or the ability to overcomeresistance genes.

“To be successful it has to be aggressive-enough to establish itself in thecanopy, but not so aggressive that it kills thetuber before it emerges the following year,otherwise it would rid itself of the ability tospread across seasons. There are small differences in the way the symptoms manifest, but they’re not so large as to support a change in crop managementstrategies as when it comes to tuber blight; they’re all equally aggressive,”explains Greg. n


Roots Potato desiccation

With diquat in its swansong,alternative desiccation

strategies are under the spotlight. CPM gains some

insight into plans for thisautumn and for the future.

By Rob Jones and Lucy de la Pasture

Swansong for diquat

Following the decision made by theEuropean Commission not to renew theapproval for diquat last December,Chemical Registration Directorate hasconfirmed its final date for sale is 31 July, with the use-up period on farmending on 4 Feb 2020. That means thiswill be the last season of use for thiswidely used herbicide and desiccant.

“This decision will have a major impacton the UK’s potato growers, particularlythose who have relied upon it solely infoliar desiccation-based treatments,” saysFMC’s commercial technical manager Jeff Fieldsend.

“We’ve been conducting trials work withour foliar and stem desiccant SpotlightPlus (carfentrazone-ethyl) which in mostsituations will provide similar results,especially if the grower decides to flail the

Simon Alexander explains that flailing tears thestem, leaving a wound susceptible to infection.

crop first and then apply Spotlight Plusafterwards,” he says.

But there is a proviso, he adds. “Thereare certain varieties, soil types, nitrogenmanagement and timings that will have tobe considered to achieve effective andcomplete desiccation without the use ofdiquat.”

Following concerns that achieving desiccation without diquat is somethingmost of the industry hasn’t fully come toterms with yet, alternative strategies arebeing explored.

Flail and sprayIndependent agronomist Simon Alexander,who’s responsible for 1010ha of processingand pre-pack potatoes grown throughoutNorfolk, South Lincs and South Cambs, is anadvocate of flail and spray. In this system thedesiccant part of the programme is typicallybased on diquat for leaf removal and carfentrazone-ethyl to finish off the stems.

Simon explains that diquat as the firstapplication is critical to remove the foliage,which depending on the weather can typically take three to five days. Speed of knock down is strongly related to theamount of sunshine, he says.

“It’s best not to apply a second desiccantuntil the diquat has worked,” he says. “Theneither flail or apply Spotlight as a secondapplication and, if necessary, a secondSpotlight seven to 10 days later, he says.

Simon would only flail a crop with a verythick canopy after having used diquat at alow rate to take out the top leaf and heprefers to see a stem length of 10-20cmremaining after going through with the flail.

“With more vigorous varieties I usuallyrecommend flailing, but for less vigorousvarieties it shouldn’t be necessary, but thecrop may need three applications basedon one low rate diquat followed bySpotlight at 1.0 l/ha, with or without diquatadded, and possibly a second Spotlight at 0.6 l/ha.

The key to maximising the effect

of a desiccant is toapply it immediately

after flailing.”

“


s

The thing that diquat does best is to rapidly burndown the foliage.

The main use of flailing is to remove the foliageto expose the stems for desiccation.

There will have to be more focus on the quality offlailing to get the best results, says John Sarup.

“The key to maximising the effect of adesiccant is to apply it immediately afterflailing. This is best achieved with asprayer mounted on the back of the flail,but this has fallen out of favour. In anycase the sprayer should be as tightbehind the flail as possible,” says Simon.

“Flailing doesn’t leave a clean cut onthe stem, it’s more of a tear which canleave a crop more vulnerable to infectionand open wounds let in bacteria, hencethe need for rapid follow up of Spotlightpost flail.

“Growers adopting the flail and sprayoption may use Spotlight as the product ofchoice at the second and, if necessary, thethird spray options depending on canopyregrowth,” he says. “Where growers don’tpractice flail and spray, it’s a good idea toinclude Spotlight as an integral componentof a mixed spray programme that includes

diquat,” he believes.“Applying desiccants in a mix gives

much faster and more effective kill offoliage and stems. What’s important duringdesiccation is the speed of knock down,which is essential to reduce spread of disease such as black leg. A more protracted knock down certainly increasesthe spread of bacteria and in the wet theproblem is only exacerbated.

Rot issues“Black leg in processing potatoes cancause serious rot issues in store and ifbeing grown for seed, a sample thatshows black leg will be rejected. So it’scritical that control of this disease isachieved,” he stresses.

For this season, while diquat is stillavailable, Simon’s preferred programmewill be low rate diquat, followed by adiquat plus Spotlight mix, followed bystraight Spotlight if it’s deemed necessary.Growers should check with diquat product

labels for any specific soil moisturerequirements relating to the rate of productbeing used, he adds.

“A second Spotlight application up toseven days later might be necessary particularly in dense canopy situations ofvigorous varieties. However, on low vigourdeterminate varieties or well senescedcrops, a single application may be sufficientto achieve complete desiccation.”

Specialist potato agronomist John Sarupis also of the view that most growers willmake the most of this last season of diquatand have enough stock in to see themthrough the desiccation period. But he’s also encouraging a look-see at alternativestrategies so that growers aren’t left completely cold turkey without diquat next year.

“The majority of my growers already flailand spray, using diquat primarily to burnoff the foliage and following with Spotlightor Gozai (pyraflufen-ethyl) to desiccate thestems,” he says.

One of the problems without diquat will


s

s

sss

Potato desiccation

be getting rid of the leafy haulmbecause the primary strength of the twoalternative desiccants is burning down thestems, he points out.

“That means there’ll have to be more

The impact of losing diquat on Perthshire-basedgrower, agronomist and trader, Ewan Stark,will certainly present his business with newchallenges, he believes.

Ewan currently looks after 4600ha of potatoeson behalf of the Greenvale business in Scotlandand a new trading and technology business calledTaygrow, which supplies packers and processorsthroughout the UK plus some export. He also provides independent and technical advice on a further 400ha and he advises an additional 50 growers on an ad-hoc basis.

Ewan believes getting desiccation right iscritical and not the time to cut back on spendas this will just exacerbate losses. He points outthat chemicals are one of the lowest input costsassociated with growing potatoes, but they canhave the greatest impact on profitability.

“It’s easy to overlook desiccation because it’sthe last expense before harvest, so it’s temptingto cut back if there are budgetary pressures.But poor knock down can cause poor skin set,and the onset of diseases such as black dotand pit rot.

“It’s bad management practice to overlookdesiccation and it’s a false economy,” he says.“Having invested so much money in getting thecrop to the harvesting stage, desiccation shouldbe used to protect that investment. A poorlymanaged desiccation programme can reducequality and saleable yield, or in a worst-casescenario, lead to total crop rejection by the customer.”

With the revocation of diquat, the pressure isnow really on for the whole industry to protectthe now limited armoury, he says.

“Getting the basics right and achieving goodcrop husbandry is the key to maximising output

Good husbandry is the basis of good desiccation

from growing potatoes,” says Ewan. “There’snothing you can do about the weather, but lookingafter the crop in terms of pest control, nutritionand good crop husbandry will give it the bestchance of reaching its full potential.

“To be a good grower and at the top of the quality league tables takes a working partnership that includes customers and suppliers. Everyone involved in the productionchain has to be committed to the strategy andto be focused on attention to detail.”

Ewan says that nearly half of his time isspent on planning business strategy, while theother half is spent on operations includingagronomy, planting and harvesting. But it’s oftenthe smallest investment that can have thebiggest impact on profits.

“Chemicals account for about 15% of production costs, with roughly 10% of that coston desiccation,” he explains. “So growers spend the majority of their chemical budget on herbicides and fungicides including blightcontrol, but often don’t spend enough money onperhaps the most critical application of all, thedesiccant,” he believes.

“Next season the focus will definitely be onlooking for alternative strategies to counteractthe loss of diquat. It’s critical to stop re-growthand my product of choice will now be Spotlight,particularly when used with a flail and spraysystem. When applied to the stems it leavesthem bleached white, brittle and dry, making the crop much easier to handle at harvest.”

He points out that diquat can lead to re-growth of the stems, leaving them slimy justprior to harvest, which can present harvestingissues. “Using flail and spray and a two-spray programme is the most cost-effective desiccation

system, however it is slow to apply. It addscost, but there’s a marginal gain with improvedstem knock down,” he comments.

In Ewan’s opinion, saleable yield improveswhere a stem desiccant has been applied. He’sseen a marked reduction in pit rot, for example.When prevalent the disease can lead to totalcrop rejection. He believes black dot is less of aproblem because a secondary outlet can oftenbe found, but it does affect the length of time a crop can be stored.

“The key to maintaining quality in store is toget potatoes out of the ground as soon afterburn down as possible. Ideally this should beafter about 21 days and this is why a burndown plan must be tailored to the daily harvestcapacity,” he says.

For Scottish grower Ewan Stark, the emphasisis on achieving good desiccation to protect theinvestment he’s already made in the crop.

Black peaty soils aren’t always suitable forflailing because the process can pull the plantsout of the ridge.

Potato desiccation

focus on the quality of flailing and this isone of the topics being looked at this yearat AHDB’s SPot farm North, where differentmachines will be compared in the autumn.But not everyone can flail,” he comments.

“On black peat soils, for example, thestructure is very loose and the flail couldeasily drag potatoes out of the ridge as itgoes. There are also other considerationswith flailing when the soil is vulnerable,such as the ability to travel at the necessary time and added wheelings inthe crop, especially if it’s a wet backendwhen all these factors could lead to addedissues with erosion,” he says.

John also believes that planning willplay an important part in managing desiccation without diquat and will put anadded focus on field and variety selection,

previous cropping and particularly nitrogen management.

“The crop needs to be running out ofsteam in Sept so that it’s easier to kill and that will require careful nutritionalplanning,” he says. n

Without diquat to assist foliage removal,planning will be crucial to manage the amount of haulm.


s

There’s been many a badexperience with oilseed rapethis season and as a resultthere’s a general expectationthat the national crop is going to shrink in size fairlyconsiderably this autumn. But, and there is a big buthere, what are the chances ofa repeat performance in the2020 crop? Will cabbage stemflea beetle have the sameimpact as they did this year?

The truth of the matter is thatno one really knows –– as far asCSFB larvae are concerned,research is playing catch up.What is known is that the hugepopulations of larvae in cropsthis spring will increase the riskof another epidemic. But woulda ‘proper’ winter help reducelarval numbers?

There’s little doubt that theunusually dry and warmautumn, followed by a mild winter hasn’t helped. AdultCSFB start laying their eggs inthe autumn and this continueswhile temperatures are above2°C, so last winter breedingactivity was pretty much able tokeep going right through to thespring without interruption.

The larvae don’t enter a diapause but live throughoutthe winter in leaf petioles andstems of OSR –– active if temperatures are warm enough

and inactive or in a quiescent state atlow temperatures.They’re even able towithstand sub-zero

temperatures duringwinter.

You’d hope a few good frostsmay just inconvenience them alittle. But while larval numbershave been reported to be lessduring a cold winter, very littlehad been established about theactual cold tolerance of larvae.Some Danish researchers setout to test this and their work,published in 2015 has shownthat this may not be the case.

The study investigated the effect of exposure time,cold acclimatization, and larval stage on survival at temperatures of -5 and -10°C.Exposure time at -5°C was 1, 2,4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 days and6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96, 120,and 6 days at -10°C.

The results showed that larval mortality increased withincreasing exposure time tocold, as may be expected, and was significantly lower for cold-acclimatized larvae.But more crucially the resultsshowed that to achieve a 50%mortality at -5°C, the larvaerequired 7.4 days of exposure.This rose to 9.6 days to achievea higher larval mortality of 90%.Where the larvae were alreadyacclimatized to the cold, thelength of time required waslonger at 11 and 15.1 days,respectively.

At the lower temperature of -10°C, the time required wasmuch less, with just 32.6 hoursfor 50% mortality and 66.8hours for 90% rising to 70.5and 132.2 hours, respectively,for acclimatized larvae.

Significant differences inmortality between larval stageswere observed only at -5°C.When exposed to -5°C for eightdays, the mortality of the first

Who dares wins?

Based in Ludlow, Shrops,Lucy de la Pasture hasworked as an agronomist,while among the Twitterati,she’s @[email protected]

and second instars was 81.2and 51.3%, respectively. Whenexposed to -10°C for 2 days,mortality of first and secondinstars was 70.5 and 76.1%.

Now Denmark is considerablycooler than the UK, but theresearchers there concludedthat spells of sufficient coldwere seldom experienced forthe number of days required toachieve high levels of larvalmortality. So what that seems tomean is that there’s only a veryslim chance that the UK willexperience a sufficiently coldsnap to kill off a significantnumber of larvae.

But putting that into context,in 2019 the flea beetle larvaehad everything stacked in their favour –– a dry autumnmeaning many crops were offto a slow start then a warm winter. But is it time to fold yourhand and give up on OSR?May be not.

Oilseed rape still has a lot tooffer as a break crop and there

are strategies that can help the crop overcome the larvalburden. This is something we’llbe looking at in CPM nextmonth. Growing the crop mayrequire more thought and moreattention to detail, but for thosethat dare try then I’m surethey’ll be rewarded.

Reference: Mathiasen, H,Bligaard, J and Esbjerg, P(2015), Survival of cabbagestem flea beetle larvae,Psylliodes chrysocephala,exposed to low temperatures.Entomol Exp Appl, 157: 220-226.

There’s a dark cloud hanging over the future of OSR – but should it all bedoom and gloom?


in this issue - cpm magazine - crop production magazine · crop production magazine june 2019 3...

Documents