in this issue - cpm magazine

In this issue...The LAMMA clamour page 52The kit that’s a hit at UK event

Nutrition decisions page 32

On an emissions mission page 67Championing the climate call

Burn-down learn page 76

Volume 22 Number 2February 2020

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

Research Engine (Mar 2018)

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EditorTom Allen-Stevens

Technical editorLucy de la Pasture

Machinery editorCharlotte Cunningham

Writers

Design and productionBrooks Design

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To claim two crop protection BASIS points, send an email [email protected], quoting reference CP/84198/1920/g.

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Tom Allen-StevensCharlotte Cunninghan

TechnicalConferences - Battle lines drawn on food importsWith Britain now outside the EU, a row erupts over food standards.

Agronomist Conference - The can as last optionHighlights from the 2019 AHDB Agronomists Conference.

Spring agronomy - Roots may need a little helpEncouraging roots and tillering will be a priority on many soils.

Fit for the future - Your new tank-mix partner?Genetics may be stepping in to take CTL’s place on septoria control.

Real Results Pioneers - Putting farmers at the ELMSuffolk grower Brian Barker has been gathering data on public goods.

Spring management - From soggy winter to curious springAn extraordinary winter will likely call for some unusual tactics this spring.

Theory to Field - The science behind inhibitorsAHDB has reviewed the literature to reveal the science behind them.

Take Control - Remedy required for lost NA cold, wet winter has left soils starved of available nutrients.

Tech Talk - Exploring liquid’s assetsDeciding whether to sprinkle or squirt is a very personal decision.

Fertiliser survey - A solid choice?Making sure the products are environmentally friendly and effective.

OpinionTalking Tilth - A word from the editor.

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

Tech Respect - CPM ’s machinery editor surveys the search for UK Ag’s next step.

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

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3crop production magazine february 2020

LAMMA show - Cream of the cropThis year’s LAMMA has been hailed as another success, with more kit than ever filling the halls of the NEC.

Business briefing - Elephant in the room Farm business consultants warned visitors at LAMMA of the importance of controlling costs this year.

10 years of innovation - 2020 visionAs 2020 begins, CPM has taken a look back on some of the most interestinglaunches over the past 10 years to highlight a decade of innovation.

Fertiliser spreaders - Precision decisionsSpreader technology has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, with many new exciting precision machines making their way onto the market.

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Machinery

Potatoes pre-planting - Plan now for burn-downThis season burning-off will be a step into the unknown for many.

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Roots

InnovationClimate Change Champions - Enterprise harmony cuts carbonArable operations across a mixed farm in Bucks have been brought perfectly in tune with its dairy and sheep, bringing massive carbon savings.

On Farm Opinion - Weather the weatherThe Climate Corporation’s FieldView has brought a remarkable level of precision to US maize growers, but will it do so here in the UK?

Pushing performance - A sure hitWeed control this spring is likely to be a little more challenging than normal after the wet and relatively mild winter.

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Rob JonesLucy de la Pasture

grower Tom Clarke, who askedDefra Secretary of State

Theresa Villiers “have yougot our back?” With trade

negotiations set to startshortly, despite her reassurances, it soon

became pretty clear noone in the room felt she has

–– a request for a show ofhands dispelled any doubt there

may have been on that front. And it’s no surprise –– for me, her address was among the most forgettable Oxford has ever witnessed from a farming minister.It was a complete nul points onthe resonation score.

Interesting, though, that thethree-word slogan that won herparty the election –– Get BrexitDone –– was adopted by NFUpresident Minette Batters, butchanged to “Get Brexit Right”.What these words headlined wasa vision, said with passion andconviction, and punctuated with challenges laid down to both fellow farmers and the government. I could feel the resonation score surge.

What surfaced thereafter was abattle over imports. This focusesmainly on chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-treatedbeef, both banned in the EU,allowed in the US and consideredby many trade experts as equivalent, in WTO terms, to themeat produced here. Theresa haspledged the ban will stay in place,enshrined in UK law, and that we’llwalk away from the negotiatingtable before allowing the US topersuade us otherwise –– a DefraSoS couldn’t actually be more categoric.

But that’s not good enough forMinette –– she wants it written into

The Agriculture Bill, she wants acommission on food standards toscrutinise trade deals and shewants the government to lead ondriving forward a new type ofglobal trading system based on sustainable food. What’s more,there are 60 organisations, spanning environmental, animalwelfare, farming and industry concerns (who very rarely uniteon anything) who have joined her call in a letter sent recently to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.That’s leadership.

For combinable crop growers,however, the murmurs over meatmay be a mere sideshow. Nosuch legal protection is offered tocereals or oilseeds grown withoutneonicotinoid seed dressings. On feed markets, home-growncommodities compete at equivalence with imported GM crops. I don’t think chlorine-washed chicken or hormone-treated beef have ahope in Hell of reaching ourshores. But US negotiators willmake darn sure the UK pays aheavy penalty for keeping its political pride intact, and there’llbe something else in the ag package that we may find hard to swallow.

My money’s on GM and gene-editing. I’m not saying ourmarkets will suddenly be floodedwith GM produce, nor that we’ll be forced overnight to plant wall-to-wall US-bred GM corn andsoya. I’m not even saying thatwhat’ll come won’t be just as beneficial to UK growers as to theUS interests that’ll be behind it ––this technology has great potentialand we’ve much to learn about it that maybe our friends acrossthe pond can help with. But to

Who’s got our back?

There are times when you turnon the radio or TV, or catch a clipon Twitter or YouTube, and youknow you’ve just heard a trueleader.

It happens sometimes at conferences, too –– they speakand you can feel it resonate within you. What they say alignswith how you feel, and the waythey say it –– intonation, words,emphasis, presence –– carriesequal measure with your fervour.

If you haven’t already, playback some of the videos of theaddresses made from the podiumof this year’s Oxford FarmingConference and decide for yourself whether one of thosemakes a resonating moment.

For me, the quality of our leadership is so crucial this yearas a result of what we decided to do as a nation less than twoweeks ago. I feel like the person who has agreed to fallbackwards, trusting there are people behind to catch me.Except it’s our whole industry ––the entire country –– that has putits trust in unseen arms, andwhat’s at stake is more than just a bruised backside.

That’s what I came to Oxford tofind out, summed up by Cambs

negotiate something that’ll offer UK arable farmers real opportunity, that’ll take seriousleadership –– by God, I hopesomeone’s got our back.

Tom Allen-Stevens has a 170haarable farm in Oxon, which quiteoften has his back, when slippingover in currently horrendouslymuddy fields.

[email protected]

@tomallenstevens

Carrying on with the leadershiptheme, this issue carries a feature on the first of CPM ’sClimate Change Champions,a new initiative we’re runningthroughout 2020 with the support of NFU, and kindly sponsored by leading supplytrade companies. Please turn top67 to read about Bucks growerClive Pullin’s inspirational farming system, and thank youto all the CPM readers who putthemselves forward. We thinkthere’s actually a ClimateChange Champion in everyreader, and with a little innovative thinking, meeting theNFU’s goal of net zero emissionsby 2040 will be a breeze. Keepreading to find out how.

I’m getting to that age nowwhere I can recollect how people used to predict thefuture.

At school we were told thatby the 2000s our lives would be dominated by leisure as machines, robots andautomatons did all the work. Ifyou leaf through the pages ofthe farming press of the 1960sand 70s you can find articlesabout the dawn of a futuristicfarm-scape where tractorswould drive themselves. Andhere we are 50 years later still sitting in our tractor cabsworking our steady way up anddown the field.

But that’s not to deny wehave seen a revolution inlabour-saving technology on farm. It’s the reason why1000-acre farms in the 1970shad enough staff to turn outfootball teams whereas todaythey’d struggle to get a coupleup to compete in the doubles at the village badminton club.

What those fore-sighted articles I read in my youth didn’t explain was that whilefarms would indeed see anexodus of labour, the returnsfrom farming would mean thefarmer would have to staybehind to do most of the work.While the sons and daughtersof the farmworkers of the pastnow work in call centres anddesign video games, the sonsand daughters of the farmersare doing the tractor-driving

jobs that their fathers seldomhad to worry themselves with.

Looking on the bright side,as the philosopher said,

hard work and honestlabour ennoble the soul.It’s always good to takeinspiration from quotes

about the dignity of physicallabour from philosophers whospent their days sitting aroundhaving a good think.

The other prediction I recollectfrom the Tomorrow’s Worldprogrammes of the past is thatthe food we would eat wouldchange out of all recognition inthat it would become a diet ofpills and pastes. This idea waslargely inspired by the spaceprogrammes of the 1960s where,due to the confines of cockpits,the astronauts couldn’t sit downat a meal table to enjoy threeplatefuls a day but rather had tomake do with high-calorie gunksquirted from sachets.

Of course, the other end ofthis story was not elaboratedupon but us schoolboys stillwanted to know what the detailsof the toilet arrangements werefor our space heroes as they circled the earth. No doubt when it came to defecation, the arrangements were kept concentrated in the same waytheir intake was.

As we now know, mercifully itnever came to pass that our food was grown in labs thenserved up with all the allure oftoothpaste squeezed out onto an ashtray. Diets might havechanged but we still enjoy fillingour cakeholes with bulky grub.

So it’s with some amusementthat today’s doom-mongers likeGeorge Monbiot are dustingdown these same old predictionswhile making a good living recycling the stories as news.This current batch of MysticMegs predict food productionwill be banished from the countryside and consigned to

the urban tower blocks whereour daily sustenance will becooked up in vats.

Meanwhile back down onplanet Earth it’s remarkable howcereals still make up over halfof humanity’s food supply,much like they always haveever since some nomadicshepherds in the Middle Eastnoticed that with a little skill andpatience you could domesticatewild emmer.

So the idea that the age-oldoutdoor rural pursuit of cultivating the wheat plantunder natural sunlight is goingto come to a shuddering halt in

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.

@essexpeasantThe joy of gloop

the next few decades couldbe described as fanciful if nota little bonkers.

6 crop production magazine february 2020

February is not the best ofmonths for bird spotting. Thedays tend to be short and greyleaving many of our featheredfriends hunkering down as theysee out the last of the winter.

Nonetheless, on farm it’s agood time to remember avianneeds. Consequently we arereplacing some of our barn-owlboxes that are now a remarkabletwenty years old. Given my carpentry skills and penny-pinching love of plywood, theboxes have done remarkably welland provided homes for scores ofbarn-owl chicks.

Owls of delight

They’ve also been buffetedby several storm force galesand much to my amazementnot ended up over the hedge.But I fear they maybe nowproving too draughty even forthe least discerning owl. So it’sout with the old and in with the new.

They say birds choose theirnest sites on Valentine’s day.Clearly, I’m tempted to includea candle-lit plate of voles in thechamber to get them in themood. And don’t forget The BigFarmland Bird Count during thesecond week of Feb.

All eyes on the skies for The Big Farmland Bird Count from 7-16 Feb,while some keen farmland birdwatchers are also on the hunt forcheap plywood.

standards than we allow here, that will undercut our farmers and be devastating for this industry.”

Defra environment secretary TheresaVilliers responded by pledging to protect the nation’s £47bn food market. “We will not imperil our domestic and international

reputation built on quality and grounded inour shared national values. We will not diluteour strong environmental protection, we willnot dilute our high standards of food safetyand animal welfare,” she said.

“This Government will defend our nationalinterest strongly and will be prepared to walkaway from trade negotiations if that is in thenational interest.”

But her assurances were met with scepticism. When OFC director Anna Hillasked the 600 delegates how many werereassured the government will protect theirinterests when carrying out a trade deal, forinstance with the US, not one of them raisedtheir hands.

Henry Dimbleby, Defra’s National Food

With Britain now outside the EU, a row has erupted

over food standards and how these may be

compromised in a trade deal.CPM tracks its progress todate and reports from key

conferences.

By Tom Allen-Stevens andCharlotte Cunningham

Battle lines drawnon food importsTechnical

Conferences

Pressure is building on the UK governmentto bring in laws to protect food standards,now that the UK sits outside the EU. Theissue over free trade and the effect thiswould have on UK food and farming standards dominated much of the discussion at the Oxford FarmingConference and in mainstream mediathroughout January.

A number of sessions of the conferenceset the scene for what became an emotivelycharged topic. In a curious twist, it was NFUpresident Minette Batters who delivered thefirst address of the politics briefing, ratherthan the Defra Secretary of State, and she put“world-class, sustainable food production”centre stage.

“There is nothing more important to oureconomy, to our health, to our environmentthan the very food that we eat,” was heropening salvo.

There is nothing more important to our economy, to our

health, to our environmentthan the very food that

we eat.

“

”

Minette Batters delivered the opening salvo at theOxford Farming Conference, stressing theimportance of food standards.

Getting Brexit rightShe said 2020 would be about “getting Brexitright”, noting that 12 months earlier she hadcommitted UK Agriculture to achieve net zerocarbon emissions by 2040. Minette pointed tothe COP26 Climate Change talks due to takeplace this November in Glasgow, urging the government to lead the world in pioneeringsolutions.

“We must grasp this moment with bothhands to lead the recovery of our planet. I passionately believe UK Agriculture can,and is ready to help lead and provide thesolutions that are needed.”

She said farmers were “up for the challenge” and reeled off “inspirational”examples of those who are already delivering “world-class sustainable farming”.

Minette then turned her focus to food production. “Here we are, farming in NWEurope, the jewel in the world’s crown for foodproduction. There is a moral imperative on usthat we continue to produce food in the UK.”

She called on the government to pulltogether a commission on food standards toscrutinise trade deals. “Will you ensure wedon’t end up with a two-tier food system andimport foods that would be illegal for ourfarmers to produce here? That is somethingthe NFU will never accept,” said Minette.

CEO of Friends of the Earth Craig Bennettwarned against “an epic fail”, as he sees it.“Trade trumps everything,” he said. “Wecould have the best system here in this country, but if we do trade deals with othercountries that allow imports of food to lower


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farming economy here if we then just importthe carbon from other countries? It is a red linethat as a society we must defend vigorously.”

Furthermore, Minette stressed her worrywas not over whether current legislation wouldprevent entry of food such as chlorine-washedchicken and hormone-treated beef –– EU lawsthat are now transcribed into UK law preventthat. “My concern is the legislation that will sethow we trade going forward. There are noplans to transfer that protection into either theTrade Bill or Agriculture Bill.”

The pressure has culminated in a letter toPrime Minister Boris Johnson signed by 60farming and environmental organisationswhich, in a rare moment of unity, have cometogether to urge specific actions.

It calls on the government to enshrine intoThe Agriculture Bill its manifesto commitmentsnot to compromise food, environmental andanimal welfare standards in trade negotiations.It asks for a trade and standards commission

Strategy lead, noted the UK’s responsibilitynot to export its carbon footprint to othercountries. “The production-only climatechange targets make no sense,” he said.“What is the point of doing an enormousamount of work in creating a net zero

to ensure this and for the government to help the UK lead on a new type of global trading system that is based on more sustainable models of production and consumption. nl For more from Oxford plus the latest news and industry developments, go towww.cpm-magazine.co.uk

Theresa Villiers said the government would beprepared to walk away from trade negotiations if that is in the national interest.

Trade trumps everything, said Craig Bennett and could undercut farmers and devastate the industry.

UK policy must optimise and allow novel breedingtechniques –– such as gene-editing –– in orderfor farming to become part of the climate changesolution, was the view put forward by Bayer’sMark Buckingham at the AF Conference inDecember.

“If policy makers are serious about climatechange and food shortages, why are they blockinggene editing?” asked Mark. “Politicians are stuckin precautionary mode in Europe and are holdingnew technology to impossibly high standardswhen we’re facing urgent problems.

“We need to get serious about climate change— as well as how long it takes to develop products – and let’s get on with it.”

Despite the hesitancy from policy makers,research commissioned by the ABC (AgriculturalBiotechnology Council) has shown that the generalpublic do seem to be in favour of such techniques.

“ABC carried out a survey of 2000 UK consumers which asked: if climate change andpressure on biodiversity meant we needed tochange how we farm, how would you like to see us change?” explained Mark.

Perhaps rather interestingly, the option thatcame out on top was the implementation of newtechnology and innovation –– including newbreeding techniques –– which 72% of consumersagreed they would back, according to the data.

The poll results also showed that consumerswere less prepared to change their diet (includingthe optimisation of insects as a protein source)and were undecided on a question specificallylooking at GM crops –– with a 41% vote for bothyes and no, he added.

With this in mind and an eye on how future

policy might look, Mark highlighted some of thekey questions he believes need to be considered,including:l How closely will we stay aligned to EU rules?l In which industry sectors?l For which technology, over what time frames?l Where is the balance of risk and opportunity for

farming?“Bayer believes policy issues should be

approached by looking at three things: Safety,transparency and sustainability,” said Mark. “Weneed policy makers to let agriculture be part of thesolution. While agriculture has a big impact on theenvironment, it’s an essential industry, so puttingthe provisions in place to allow us to innovate willreally help to minimise that impact.”

Peer reviewPeers in the House of Lords have also called on the government to review regulation on gene-editing (GE). A motion debated shortlybefore the UK exited the EU recognised recentdevelopments in this field and its status in scientific research, and could pave the way to government diverging from EU law which treatsgene-edited crops as GMOs.

Viscount Matt Ridley said it was “vital” the government signals its encouragement of genomeediting in agriculture. “There is no clearer case ofa technology in which we could and should takethe lead but in which we are and will be held backif we do not break free from the EU approach,”he said.

He took the example of the blight-resistantpotatoes, currently being developed by The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich but

Mark Buckingham presented a survey thatshowed 72% of consumers support technologyand innovation in farming, including newbreeding techniques.

commercialised for US farmers by Idaho-basedplant sciences company JR Simplot.

While these are GM lines, he urged the government to switch to regulating GE crops by trait, rather than by method, to encourage gene-editing research. “If we don’t, then China,America, Japan and Argentina will still push aheadwith this technology and follow their own priorities,leaving us as supplicants to get the technologysecond hand.”

Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference in early Jan, Theresa Villiers confirmed the government “will always be guided by the scientific evidence” when it comes to farming technologies.

“We have not made decisions on future divergences on GM technologies. For the moment we are happy with the regulations we have imported from the EU. These will stay in place until we believe there is a scientific justification to review them.”l For the full story, go to www.cpm-magazine.co.uk


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Pressure builds for government rethink on gene-editing

Conferences

The environment is even more important than

it’s ever been.

“”

The 2019 AHDB AgronomistsConference was billed as ‘the

conference that wouldchange the way delegatesthought about agronomy’.CPM was there to find out

if it will.

By Lucy de la Pasture

Technical AgronomistConference

The can aslast option

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is aconcept that’s been around for a couple of decades but embracing it fully hasprobably never been more important toBritish agriculture than it is now, was the view of arable farmer and chair of the NFU combinable crops board, TomBradshaw, who was speaking at AHDB’sannual Agronomists Conference, held inLeicester last Dec.

He told delegates that the challenges facing agriculture were very real –– withcontinuing loss of active ingredients,increasing resistance and the public perception of plant protection products all to contend with.

“Looking at data from the Pesticide UsageSurvey (PUS), the area being treated withpesticides is on the rise. The weight of pesticide applied has fallen dramatically andcontinued to trend downwards. But if youtake out sulphuric acid, which was lost in the2000’s, then it can be seen that pesticide

use is beginning to rise in recent years.”So why is this significant? Tom points

out that the PUS data is the only statisticavailable, and a rise in pesticide use is difficult to defend politically. He suggested a change of mindset when agronomists aremaking spray decisions, especially marginalones, challenging them ‘not to become astatistic’.

Green BrexitThe political backdrop in the UK is changing, with a ‘Green Brexit’ on thecards, he said. The landscape is going tobe shaped by a new 25-year Environment Plan, a review of the National Action Plan,the EU review of how Member States areimplementing the Sustainable UseDirective (which has IPM at its core) andan increasingly precautionary approach from Defra, ECP and CRD.

“All of this means the environment is evenmore important than it’s ever been. There’san opportunity for agriculture to tell our story but we have to be able to proudlydemonstrate to the public how food isgrown, with nothing to hide.”

“We need to be on the front foot. For theregistration of plant protection products, thepopulist view has become the driver ratherthan science. NGO’s are very effective lobbyists, so we need to learn from themand be proactive rather than wait for Defra to lead the way.”

Tom believes key balancers to the debatesurrounding plant protection products will befarm assurance, the Voluntary Initiative (VI),

transparency, science and IPM. “New breeding techniques are critical to IPM andthere’s a lot we can learn from the organicsector. We need to be able to demonstratethat the can is the last piece of the jigsaw,”he commented.

“We have to get much better at evidencing the use of IPM on our farms.We’re already doing a lot of the thoughtprocesses required by IPM but we’re notrecording it as part of the narrative of growing crops.”

Illustrating this, Tom points out that whenasked how a crop of wheat is grown, mostgrowers would probably describe the inputs to the crop instead of starting at thebeginning, which would likely have been

Tom Bradshaw told delegates that we have to beable to proudly demonstrate to the public howfood is grown.


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selecting a variety with good disease resistance and the crop rotation.

“Making a success of IPM will require further research and development into IPMsolutions but most of all we need pioneers,growers who aren’t afraid of making mistakes because it’s from mistakes thatvaluable information can be gleaned.”

Throughout the first day of the conference, speakers highlighted the importance of understanding a pest or disease when considering an IPM solution to the problem.

Dr Alan Dewar described BYDV as a disease which hasn’t had much of an IPM focus because chemistry was, untilrecently, available to control it. The loss of neonicotinoid seed treatment, Deter(clothianidin), and the development ofpyrethroid resistance has changed this.

BYDV infectionThe first step in an IPM strategy is to understand the problem, explained Alan.“BYDV infection is caused by several strains(some would say ‘species’) of a luteovirusthat are all transmitted by aphids. The mostcommon strains in the UK include PAV, MAVand RPV.

“The aphid species mostly responsible for BYDV are bird cherry oat aphids(Rhopalosiphum padi) and grain aphids(Sitobion avenae). The former carries PAVand RPV and is generally well-controlled by pyrethroids, though a pyrethroid resistant/tolerant clone has recently beenrecorded in Ireland.”

Aphids can reproduce by asexual and sexual reproduction, with asexual formsbeing mostly responsible for the spread ofBYDV infection in crop in the UK. Sexualreproduction of the bird cherry oat aphid isaffected by latitude, so is more prevalent in

In practice, growers and agronomists assumethat the only good aphid is a dead one, but thisneeds to change, said Alan Dewar.

Scotland than in southern England, headded, hence less risk of BYDV up there.

“Grain aphids are the more dangerous ofthe two species, even though numbers arelower, as they can remain in cereal cropsthroughout their lifecycle. They carry MAVand PAV strains, and, in recent years,pyrethroid resistance has become anincreasing problem, with circa 50% of the

Jenna Ross described what she’d gleaned fromher recent Nuffield Scholarship studying slugcontrol.

Agronomist Conference

s

Gordon Port said the thing to remember aboutslug pellets is that they’re not very effective.

southern English population containing theresistance genes.”

According to PUS statistics, aphids are the biggest target for insecticides in winter cereal crops, accounting for 95% of applications in winter wheat and 99% in winter barley. Alan stressed that theapproach to spraying for aphid control needed to change, but that in order for that to be possible better information isneeded.

“Thresholds to suppress BYDV are variable and there’s a lack of data to underpin their accuracy e.g. 10% of plantsinfested. So, in practice, growers and agronomists assume that the only goodaphid is a dead one. Therefore, in theabsence of seed treatments, sprays areoften applied when the first aphid is seen.

“To change this approach there needs tobe better information on the threat of virusinfection, including infectivity indices foreach region in the country using trap data.This in turn requires information on the proportion of those aphids carrying virusesand the proportion of those aphids that areresistant to pyrethroids to guide the choiceof insecticides. We have the technology. We just need to apply it,” concluded Alan.

Nuffield scholar Dr Jenna Ross brought

a breath of fresh air in her presentation ‘riding the slime wave.’ She was prompted to apply for a Nuffield Scholarship afterreturning to the UK after a period workingoverseas.

Nuffield scholarship“I realised nothing had changed in UK slugcontrol for years. So a Nuffield scholarshipenabled me to travel to 18 countries over six months to visit researchers, growers,academics and industry, gathering information about the future of slug control.”

One of Jenna’s key conclusions was thatan IPM pyramid should be tailored to eachfield. “It needs to consider the agronomicimpact of slugs and any cultural controlopportunities, with focus on monitoring and reviewing threshold levels. Each fieldrequires record keeping and forecasting of slug threats for up to three years inadvance.

“IPM strategies should consider physicalbarriers to slug entry into crops, as well as biological (such as nematodes) and biorationale controls, such as peppermintand clove oils. The last consideration in theIPM pyramid is slug pellets, though ferricphosphate can also be considered a biorationale product.”

Dr Gordon Port, researcher at NewcastleUniversity, went on to explain that slug pellets were actually fairly inefficient becauseof the way slugs feed.

“On average it takes four hours for a slugto find a pellet in arena trials, with only about 60% of slugs being killed in a fieldapplication.”

IPM strategies begin with avoidance of

Agronomist Conferences

Jonathan Blake advocated an IPM strategy using mixtures and alternations of fungicides with different modes of action, from differentfungicide groups.

the pest by assessing risk factors, suchas previous cropping and cultivations, he said. “Long term forecasting isn’t reliable, but you can monitor, especially just before the risk period. Having a goodunderstanding of conditions when slugs areactive, when the soil surface is moist andtemperature above 50C, optimises trappingor treating the pest.

“Be aware of the limitations of slug pellets

Agronomist Conference

and always keep interventions at levels thatare necessary, which means consideringreduced doses and only treating hotspots in fields.”

ADAS principal research scientist,Jonathan Blake, gave an overview of the IPM considerations when making fungicidechoices in cereals and oilseed rape. Headvised matching fungicides to the primarydisease risk, which depends mainly on variety, sowing date, location and localweather conditions.

Fungicide resistance“Mixtures and alternations of fungicides with different modes of action, from differentfungicide groups, are often most effectiveand reduce the likelihood of fungicide resistance developing in pathogens.

“Resistance poses a significant threat tothe ongoing performance of fungicides. It’sessential to take resistance managementinto account when planning fungicide programmes,” he commented.

Jonathan went on to present the fungicide performance update for key activeingredients in wheat. “The results for azolesindicate that we’ve now reached the pointwhere there’s been little further evolution inthe septoria population, according to theresults of Rothamsted Research early

season monitoring in 2019, with a possibleplateau in the ‘older’ azole activity nowreached.”

In the SDHIs there was a smaller shift in sensitivity of the septoria population thanin the previous season, in spite of theincreased disease pressure observed in thefield in 2019. He noted that the performanceof Ascra XPro (bixafen+ fluopyram+

Grain aphids are the more dangerous of the twospecies that carry BYDV as they can remain incereal crops throughout their lifecycle.


s

Agronomists listened to speakers highlighting the importance of understanding a pest or disease when considering an IPM solution to the problem.

prothioconazole) looked to be holding better than some of the other SDHIs, trackingmuch closer to the best performingfungicide, which was new approval Revystar(mefentrifluconazole+ fluxapyroxad).

A workshop session with Dr Roma Gwynn, a biopesticidestrategist at BioRationale, put theIPM credentials of attendees tothe test by asking them to puttogether a winter wheat crop protection programme using onlyIPM principles and registeredbiopesticide products.

“More than 40% of plant protection products are nowbiopesticides and it’s a marketthat’s growing very fast. IPM hasbeen compulsory under theSustainable Use Directive since2014 and increasingly biologicaltechnology is best practice.”

Roma is very clear that for aproduct to have biopesticideproperties, it must have a MAPPnumber. “There’s a flood of biostimulants products on themarket making various claimsbut it’s illegal to use a productthat isn’t registered as a biopesticide for anything otherthan alleviating abiotic stress,”she said.

The room full of agronomy veterans could have easilyturned out a conventional inputstrategy but took a while to warmto the task of growing a cerealcrop without the usual armoury of pesticides to fall back on and, formost, only a vague knowledge of the biological alternatives.

The outcome of the exerciseshowed applying IPM principleswas something the agronomists

were doing anyway, using cultural strategies such as varietyselection and delayed drilling,but it also highlighted that thinking through the entire growing cycle of the crop with an IPM mindset could make ameaningful contribution towardsreducing the dependence on conventional inputs.

Roma has put these strategiesto the test in the Crop HealthNorth project, which has conducted replicated trials overthree years at sites in Nafferton,Cockle Park and StockbridgeTechnology Centre. The aim hasbeen to see how an IPM and a100% biological programmewould stack up against a conventional input programme,she explained.

“In 2017 and 2018 there wereno significant yield differencesbetween treatments. In 2019there were small differences intreatments, which also includedhigh and low nitrogen regimes,and higher quality where the biologicals were used.

Roma believes the resultsunderline the potential for biologicals in the arable sector.“We used already-approved UKbiological technology productsfrom horticulture –– not onesdeveloped specifically for wheatpests and diseases. What wouldresults have been if we hadproduct especially designed for wheat?”

Given the changing landscapeof crop production, it’s an interesting question given theparity of performance from a biological approach in these trials, over three very differentseasons. n

Even when soils drain, the damage to the yieldpotential of the crop has already been done,highlights Sarah Clarke.

deficit at root level means the root hydraulicconductivity is severely reduced.

Even though wheat and barley have thecapacity to grow adventitious roots withaerenchyma (air-filled spaces), whichenables cells to continue respiration andwater and nutrient uptake, their growth isslowed under waterlogged conditions.

Yield potentialEven when soils drain, the damage to theyield potential of the crop has already beendone, highlights Sarah. “Depending on theduration of waterlogging, the ability for plantsto produce new roots is limited. Crops willprobably require less total nitrogen whereyield potential has been adversely affected,although account should be taken of thelikely increased N leaching through excessive rainfall.”

But all is not lost, plant root growth canstill be manipulated by the use of PGRs earlyin the season and this is likely to be animportant tactic to reduce the risk of lodginglater.

Plants get anchorage from their coronalroots and different varieties can have verydifferent root architecture. Coronal roots aremuch more rigid that the thinner absorptionroots responsible for nutrient and wateruptake. They’re formed early in the plants lifeand become fully developed by the timecrops reach GS39.

This means there’s a crucial phase in the spring when the coronal roots are stilldeveloping, and these are likely to havebeen adversely affected particularly after thewet winter, points out Dr Paul Fogg, cropproduction technical lead at FrontierAgriculture.

Paul explains that plants produce higher

It’s not just growers who have had a prettymiserable time this winter. Many of theautumn crops that did go in the groundwere drilled late and have spent most ofthe time sitting in cold, waterlogged soilswith precious little potential for growth.

ADAS crop physiologist, Dr Sarah Clarke,says that although growers could get ontolight land, few autumn cereals were plantedon heavy land around Gleadthorpe inNottinghamshire.

“Where crops have spent a prolongedperiod in soggy ground conditions, the likelihood is that yield potential will alreadybe reduced.” One study found that wheatyields were reduced by 20-24%, she says,when exposed to around seven weeks of waterlogging.

“When plants are waterlogged for anextended period, there’s a decrease in root proliferation and overall plant growth,”she explains.

Soon after waterlogging, root metabolismshifts from aerobic respiration to the less efficient glycolysis to produce energy, leading to a reduction in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. The energy

Roots may need a little help

levels of gibberellic acid as day lengthincreases and suppressing its productionwith PGRs will help claw back some yieldpotential. He prefers the use of gibberellicacid-type inhibitors early in the season –– such as chlormequat, Moddus (trinexapac-ethyl) and Canopy (prohexadione-calcium+ mepiquat chloride) –– and Terpal (mepiquat chloride+2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) later in the

season, if required. Moddus and Canopy areknown to increase the thickness of the cellwalls in the stem so are useful tools forweaker-strawed varieties, he points out.

“The lack of both below and above-ground biomass this spring will mean PGRs will play an important role inpreventing further loss of yield potential.Applications to promote rooting and tillering have to go on early as once the crop goes into stem extension, the ability toinfluence plant roots and tiller numbers isreduced,” he says.

As autumn-drilled cropswake up this spring,

roots and tillering will be apriority on many soils.

CPM looks at the effects of the winter and how to

minimize the damage.

By Lucy de la Pasture and Tom Allen-Stevens

TechnicalSpring agronomy

The ability for plants to produce

new roots is limited.

“”


s

ratings, with or without a PGR, Moddus can help with stem anchorage or basalstrength.

Georgina is advising a tank-mix for wheatPGRs this spring, using Moddus at 0.1 to 0.2 l/ha and chlormequat (750g/l) at 1.0 to1.25 l/ha at both the T0 and T1 application,with the rates adjusted to the specific situation at each timing.

“One of the key advantages of Moddus at the earlier timing is faster uptake if conditions are cool. And the research hasshown that where it’s used in tank-mix, the faster uptake appears to carry thechlormequat into the plant quicker too,which benefits both tank-mix partners.”

Moddus has been shown to be taken up at up to three times faster thanchlormequat at a temperature of 7°C. Withthe average April temperature of 7.9°C forthe past three years, Moddus could have a two or three- week advantage in achieving activity in the plant, compared to chlormequat, believes Georgina.

Paul adds chlormequat needs a minimumtemperature of 8-90C for maximum uptakeand agrees the alternatives, Canopy andModdus, are much less temperaturedependent. He adds that adjuvants can helpget PGR into the plant but points out that itstill has to be able to metabolise it.

“In a season where every effort is going to be required to get crops rooting stronglyand growing well, that could be hugely beneficial,” he adds.

But it’s later drilled winter barley cropswhich may have the most to gain from spring

The early use of PGRs to encourage tillering and increase rooting will be an importantmanagement tool this spring, believes Paul Fogg.

Drilling date can have a big effect on the speed of development of some varieties in the spring.Source: AHDB

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As well as an early chlormequat application, Paul says early nitrogen, potashand phosphate will also be needed byplants. He also believes phosphites have a role in maximizing the underground architecture of crops.

“Phosphites are genetic signaling compound and trigger the plant roots to lookfor phosphate, which has a key role in rootgrowth. If you’re using a phosphite then itneeds to be before GS30 and it’s importantthat the crop has access to adequate fresh phosphate to get the best results,” he comments.

Georgina Wood, technical manager atSyngenta, advocates splitting Moddus application to include the T0 timing, as this

has shown to have the greatest effects onroot enhancement.

“Stronger rooting assures improvedanchorage and moisture and nutrientuptake, but also enhances the cropstolerance of take-all infection. A second

dose at T1 has shown to give the biggestresponses in terms of height management,stem strength and tolerance of eyespot,” she says.

Crucial insightThis year, independent variety profiling trials at Harper Adams University have givena crucial insight into more precise tailoring of agronomy decisions for PGR timing andapplication rates. Georgina highlights thattall varieties, with extended internodal interval, are typically weaker and benefitfrom greater PGR control and promotion of thicker stem walls.

“The work has shown that for Evolutionand Graham, for example, the T0 Moddustreatment is a priority to enhance anchoragestrength. While growers will obviously needto take into account local conditions andfield situations, it does give a useful guide.”

Paul agrees that variety has a big impacton how a PGR programme is put together. Inparticular, he highlights the importance ofthe speed of variety development in thespring to GS30, which is affected by the timeof drilling.

The Harper Adams research has alsorevealed that even in some varieties, forinstance Gleam and Grafton, where there’sno difference in AHDB Recommended list

Spring agronomy


s

PGR treatments this season. Last season’strials at the Syngenta Innovation Centre near Newark highlighted the increased risks of lodging from later drilling dates, forboth hybrid and conventional winter barleyvarieties.

October drilled plots of Bazooka, drilled at 200 seeds/m2, and KWS Amistar, at 325 seeds/m2, were largely unaffected evenby the wet conditions and heavy rainsthrough June, with just 1.6 and 2.9% lodgingrespectively. But plots drilled in November, at slightly higher seed rates of 250 and 400seeds/m2, suffered significant lodging effectsin both varieties.

“These trials have confirmed the higherrisk of lodging for later drilled barley crops

Georgina Wood explains Moddus uptake is betterat lower temperatures than chlormequat, but itwill also help carry chlormequat into the plantwhen used in tank-mix.

PGR choices in spring may have implicationsright through to harvest.

this season, primarily through reduced rootmass and the need to develop strong stemsto hold up heavy seed heads,” explainsGeorgina.

“Treatment rates will depend on specificvarieties and situations, but since we know hybrid barley tends to be taller, thePGR programme should be more robustthroughout,” she suggests.

Brackling and necking“A later application of Terpal at GS 37-39helps to reduce the incidence of bracklingand necking in heavier yielding hybrids, butit would only likely be justified in high risk situations with conventional varieties.”

Paul’s approach is that the emphasisshould be on getting the early part of thePGR programme right and decrease the riskof root lodging.

“That means to strengthen the crop’sfoundation by encouraging stronger crownroots and shortening the internodes at thebase of the stem. Lodging risk can then bemanaged later in the season.

Straw is a commodity that’s likely to be in high demand and valuable this season,given the acreage of winter cereals in theground. Growers will want to maximise theirgross margins for the crop and not overly

Spring agronomy


Farmer-led trials have revealed a significant benefit from including Revystar XE (mefentrifluconazole+ fluxapyroxad), the new fungicide from BASF, in disease-control programmes for winter wheat.

“I’ve worked on quite a lot of Agronomics trials since we introduced this method of gettingscientifically robust results from on-farm trialsseveral years ago, and this is the strongest set of data we’ve ever had,” revealed ADAS’ SusieRoques, who presented the results last month atthe first Revystar roadshow in Newbury, Berks.

Last year, 51 growers across the UK took partin BASF’s Real Results trials in which Revystarwas pitched against their standard fungicide programme at either the flag leaf (T2) or both of the main spray timings (T1 and T2). Most of the trials were conducted without the use ofmulti-site chlorothalonil (CTL), which loses itsapproval for use from 20 May this year.

Yield maps were obtained from 47 of thefarms that took part and results analysed withADAS Agronomics, an approach that uses spatialmodelling and statistics to allow yield-map datafrom the combine to be assessed with scientificrigour.

“Across all the sites that submitted a yieldmap, the average yield increase was 0.2t/ha,

with a benefit of just 0.09t/ha needed for statistical significance at the 90% confidence level,”reported Susie.

“If you strip out those results where CTL wasused in one treatment but not the other (i.e. in anunbalanced trial), the average benefit is 0.27t/ha±0.10t/ha, and for those who used Revystar at bothT1 and T2, this brought a 0.39t/ha yield boost,±0.16t/ha.”

ADAS carried out Agronomics analysis on around200 on-farm trials last year, testing everything fromdeep-rooting to amino acids. Susie said it was veryrare for any set of data to show a significant result.

The Real Results trials were designed to get a“true” picture of how the new fungicide Revystar XEperforms on farm, says BASF. The product contains the company’s new isopropanol-azoleRevysol, claimed to have the unique property that it can “flex” to assume different conformations.This, says BASF, means Revysol binds to theSeptoria tritici’s target enzyme, CYP51, up to 100 times more tightly, even where target sitemutations have developed.

Dr Jon Helliwell, BASF local agronomy manager,noted that Revystar can be used at both the T1 andT2 timings at the recommended rate of 1 l/ha (min0.8 l/ha and 1.0 l/ha). “Alternatively, you could use 1 l/ha Adexar at T1 if yellow rust is the key concern

–– epoxiconazole is still the strongest azole on rust.”

While it’ll be sold mainly as the co-formulation,partner packs of Revysol with a Xemium (fluxapyroxad) product will also be available, butRevysol should never be applied on its own. With a good tank-mixing profile, there are no knownincompatibilities, and it’s suitable for use with multi-site fungicides. Pricing information has not yet been released.

BASF’s series of agronomy-focused roadshows, hosted by Real Results growers,continue until early March 2020. For dates and venues and to sign up, go to www.basfrealresults.co.uk/revylution.To find out how Suffolk Real Results grower BrianBarker got on with Revystar, see article on p28.

No Inatreq for 2020The new fungicide Inatreq Active (fenpicoxamid) will not be available in the UK for commercial use in time for disease control programmes this spring. Manufacturer Corteva said that data submitted to the Chemicals Regulation Division(CRD) “require further discussion”, which will not be concluded in time for the 2020 spray season.

For the latest news and industry developments, go to www.cpm-magazine.co.uk

Science shows Revystar results are ‘real’ when used on farm

reduce the amount of straw, which will alsobe part of the balancing act when it comesto PGR decisions, reasons Paul.

“Xemium fungicides –– such as Serpent(fluxapyroxad+ pyraclostrobin) or Adexar(fluxapyroxad+ epoxiconazole) –– haveproven themselves to really help managestraw quality, which is something to bear in mind,” he adds. n

John Miles believes KWS Extase has uniquequalities, making it fit for the future as growersmake a transition from chemistry to genetics ondisease control.

Your new tank-mixpartner?

If you’re looking for chemistry to replacechlorothalonil and have been drawn intothis article by its headline, prepare to be disappointed. Well, perhaps half disappointed, depending on how broadyour expectations are.

CTL is being withdrawn from use andafter 20 May this year, you’ll no longer beable to apply it. That’s set to put a hole infungicide programmes just as septoria inparticular is getting tougher to control –– CTL is the multisite fungicide widelyviewed as the best current tank-mix partner, both to protect newer, more effective single-site chemistry and keep a lid on resistant strains of the diseasedeveloping. And just to clarify, there’s no new chemical multisite that’s about to replace it.

So how do you put together a septoriacontrol strategy that’s fit for the future?

“We’re going through a transition period,”says John Miles of KWS. “Chemistry canno longer be relied on solely to do the job,and increasingly genetics are stepping upto the plate. There’s now a wheat varietythat’s a unique type with unique qualities,and that makes it fit for the future.”

Stand-out qualitiesJohn’s talking about KWS Extase. New tothe AHDB Recommended List last year, itleads the Group 2 wheat varieties, and itsfirst commercial crop, harvested last year,has received the thumbs-up from both thefarmer who grew it and the mill where it was processed (see panel on p25). Its stand-out qualities, though, are an untreated yield of 95% of treated controls and an exceptional 8.1 score for Septoria tritici.

That’s all very well, but does it mark atransition –– a point where growers can confidently switch tools from the chemistryto the genetics for septoria control? It’s apoint breeders have been aiming for,explains senior researcher at KWS NickBird. He’s been leading the company’squest in the UK for genetic septoria resistance for the past five years, following15 years at John Innes Centre studying thewheat genome and the plant’s responsemechanisms to the pathogen.

“There are a number of ways a wheat

variety can put up its own defences, but septoria is very good at adapting,” he says. “Unlike other pathogens, it undergoes sexual cycles in UK conditions,so can evolve within the crop and within aseason. It’s this that makes it such a toughone to tackle.”

Scientists studying the huge wheatgenome have gradually narrowed down the specific regions responsible for fightingseptoria. This work has accelerated since

Chemistry can no longer be relied on solely to do the job,

and increasingly geneticsare stepping up to

the plate.

“

”

TechnicalFit for the future

As chlorothalonil drops out of the picture, genetics may

be stepping in to take itsplace on septoria control.

CPM assesses what the transition means for growers.

By Tom Allen-Stevens


the wheat genome was mapped and published recently and culminated two years ago with the discovery of the preciselocation of Stb6 (Septoria tritici blotch) –– a major gene found to confer resistance.“Unfortunately, Stb6 is now only effectiveagainst a very small proportion of the UKseptoria population although other majorresistances have since been identified,”continues Nick.

“So while major genes are useful, what weaim to do in plant breeding is accompanythese with a whole host of genes known toconfer partial resistance. Identifying these,their individual role and how they interplay ismuch harder, but the right combination offerseffective, resilient control.”

New tools to help include genetic markers, a bit like DNA fingerprints used in forensics, that can show if a particularcross has a specific gene of interest.There’s also genomic selection. “This relies

on tying varietal phenotypes –– a trait thebreeder observes –– to its genotype, orgenetic make-up,” he explains.

Advancing fast“This is an area that’s advancing fast andwe now have a level of predictability forseptoria resistance of around 60-70%. Butthe genetics is really just playing catch-upwith the breeder’s eye –– the best resistanceis still identified in the field or gathered froma breeder’s network around the world andintroduced into their lines.”

And that’s how KWS Extase came toprominence. “Extase comes from ourFrench breeding programme, located in a part of the country that has some of theworst septoria in Europe. Its major generesistance comes from Boisseau, a varietythat’s been commercially available for 10 years and is still really clean, indicatingthe gene is holding up well,” notes Nick.

Fit for the future

If wheat genetics are going to replace what growers are losing with CTL, KWS Extase is thevariety best placed to do so, believes AndrewRobinson of Heathcote Farms, based at HerneManor Farm near Toddington, Beds. He grew thefirst commercial crop last year.

“It was spotlessly clean –– the cleanest varietyI’ve seen –– although you still get a decent returnfrom what you invest in it,” he comments. Andrewgrew a 7.5ha trial field of Extase last year onHanslope series heavy clay, farmed within a totalof 1150ha. Just under half of this is usually grownto winter wheat, all premium milling varieties, withthe Extase grown under contract with Heygates.

“It performed very well under our usual farm-standard fungicide regime, yielding12.31t/ha with a Hagberg of 347, specific weightof 79.7kg/hl and 13.62% protein. But there’sclearly potential to save on inputs too,” he reports.

Andrew routinely carries out on-farm trials, sowithin the field he tried two alternative low-inputfungicide regimes –– one without CTL and theother with fungicide costs shaved as low as hedared. All other inputs were the same (see tableon p26). “Trace elements were applied accordingto tissue analyses,” he notes.

“I could tell it was a different variety when itemerged –– we’d put it in a heavy bit of dirt andexpected large losses. But, oh my God, in thespring it flew out of the blocks. It’s a very vigorousvariety, and drilled at the end of Sept, early Oct,I’d say no more than 350 seeds/m2 is about right–– around 25 seeds/m2 less than you’d want forKWS Siskin.”

So what’s he learned from the fungicide trials?“In a spring like last year, you could cut the T0

spray, but I’d put a little more on at T1 than we didin the low input regime. Otherwise, the low inputwould be my default on Extase.”

At harvest there was some green straw andjust a little lodging. “The thickness of the crop wasdown to us –– we’d simply underestimated howvigorous it is and sown too thickly. We maybe cutthe crop earlier than we should –– this was mainlyto do with a period of forecast rain we wanted toavoid. Extase ripens early, but not as early asCordiale or Gallant, in my view. But the cropthreshed really well, producing a lovely sample.”

Sold to Heygates, the company has four sites in Northants, Norfolk and Herts. “Our plans are tocontinue to support KWS Extase going forward,”says senior grain buyer George Mason.

“Since issuing the buy-back contracts almost ayear ago, we’ve been pleased with the responsefrom growers who have made commitments goingforward. Obviously if a grower has fallen foul ofthe recent weather and been unable to plant forharvest 2020, then we’ll have to accept there’s little they or we can do to correct the issue. We’dhope though that their appetite for the varietywould continue and that their intention would be to plant for harvest 2021.”

He encourages farmers to grow it as a millingvariety. “There are ample opportunities to make a quality premium even at a low protein. Our contracts are for either full spec 13% with fallbacks down to 12% or min 11.5% protein with fallbacks to 11%.”

With little of his 2020 wheat drilled, Andrew islining Extase up for a fair share of his 2021 wheatarea. “You can have confidence in the variety tosave on inputs, especially for far-flung fields, but

On-farm trial puts genetic resistance in the picture

you can’t just drill it and leave it. It’s best put in a healthy situation, with inputs carefully planned.I find if I invest in a variety, I get more than mymoney back, and that’s certainly true of Extase.”

A variety that flew out of the blocks in spring,Andrew Robinson believes there’s potential withKWS Extase to save on inputs, too.

George Mason is offering buy-back contracts forExtase and hopes that growers’ appetite for thevariety continues towards harvest 2021.


Bob Simons sees genetics and chemistry workingtogether in a partnership approach, with noreliance on either.s

In this series of articles, CPM has teamed up for the third year with KWS to explore how thewheat market may evolve, and profile growersset to deliver ongoing profitability.

The aim is to focus on the unique factorsaffecting variety performance, to optimise thisand maximise return on investment. It highlightsthe value plant genetics can now play in varietyselection as many factors are heavily influencedand even fixed by variety choice.

KWS is a leading breeder of cereals,oilseeds, sugar beet and maize. As a family-owned business, it is truly independentand entirely focussed on promoting successthrough the continualimprovement of varietieswith higher yields,strong disease and pestresistance, and excellentgrain quality. We’re committed to your futurejust as much as you are.

Fit for the future

“Solehio, Extase’s other parent, brings in a set of good background resistancethat complements Boisseau’s partial resistance.”

Strength of the packageJohn Miles believes it’s not just Extase’sseptoria resistance that’ll appeal. “It’s thestrength of the package. What’s uniqueabout the variety is that it breaks the linkage between the good disease resistance on offer, and poor grain qualityand agronomic performance that’s often the trade-off. Extase is a differentproposition –– it has a treated yield of101% of controls, stands as stiff as ahouse and has good grain characteristics,with both Hagberg and specific weightamong the highest on the RL.”

John suggests it’s worth thinking differently about the mix and match ofgrowth habits and disease resistance invarieties drilled. “For those who adopt ascheduling mindset across the rotation, theaim would be to have sequential leaf layeremergence across the area just in front ofthe sprayer. Decreasing curative activity of available chemistry makes this moreimperative.

“KWS Extase is vigorous, so drilled endof Sept it will stay in front of everythingdrilled after it. With high output drill systems Extase will keep in front of allwheats, which is why it will be an importantasset for the future.”

Specifically on fungicide, RL figures

Date Product Rate (/ha) Price (/ha)Seed £77.44

26 Sept KWS Extase 161kgHerbicides £114.87Insecticides £4.33Fertiliser £158.91

19 Feb Nuram 35+S 230 litres19 March Nuram 35+S 250 litres02 April Nuram 35+S 240 litres

Fungicides – standard £102.7928 March T0 – Cherokee 1 litre13 April T1 – Aviator + Opus Team 1 + 0.65 litres06 May T1.5 – Amistar Opti 0.75 litres21 May T2 – Elatus Era 0.8 litres16 June T3 – Firefly 1 litre

Fungicides – No CTL £68.3113 April T1 – Firefly 1.25 litres21 May T2 – Elatus Era 0.8 litres16 June T3 – azoxystrobin + tebuconazole 0.6 + 0.3 litres

Fungicides – low input £47.0713 April T1 – Proline 0.4 litres21 May T2 – Aviator 1 litre16 June T3 – tebuconazole 0.3 litres

Growth regulators £15.3828 March T0 – CCC + Tempo 1 + 0.15 litres13 April T1 – CCC + Tempo 1 + 0.15 litres21 May T2 – Terpal 0.5 litres

Trace elements £38.9404 Nov Post em – manganese + zinc 2 + 0.25 litres25 Feb Pre T0 – manganese + boron 3 + 0.25 litres28 March T0 – copper + zinc + boron 0.25 + 0.5 + 0.5 litres13 April T1 – magnesium 4 litres06 May T1.5 – molybdenum + boron + 0.25 + 0.5 +

manganese + copper 3 + 0.25 litres21 May T2 – magnesium + zinc 4 + 0.5 litres16 June T3 – potash + magnesium 2 + 4 litres

Biostimulants £23.5428 March T0 – Phorce 0.5 litres13 April T1 – Calibra Carbo 0.5 litres06 May T1.5 – Bridgeway 0.75 litres21 May T2 – Bridgeway 0.75 litresStandard TOTAL VARIABLE COSTS £536.204 Aug Harvest 12.31t £2031.15*

GROSS MARGIN £1494.95No CTL TOTAL VARIABLE COSTS £501.724 Aug Harvest 11.56t £1907.40*

GROSS MARGIN £1405.68Low input TOTAL VARIABLE COSTS £480.484 Aug Harvest 11.65t £1922.25*

GROSS MARGIN £1441.77

Nuram 35+S– 35% N, 7% SO3; CTL – chlorothalonil; Cherokee – CTL+ cyproconazole+ propiconazole; Aviator – bixafen+ prothioconazole; Opus Team – epoxiconazole+ fenpropimorph; Amistar Opti – azoxystrobin+ CTL; Elatus Era – benzovindiflupyr+prothioconazole; Firefly – fluoxastrobin+ prothioconazole; Proline – prothioconazole; CCC – chlormequat; Tempo – trinexapac-ethyl; Terpal - mepiquat chloride+ 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid; Phorce – 5% N, 25% P2O5, 5% K2O, amino acids;Calibra Carbo – 2% N, 1.8% P2O5, 1.2% K2O, amino acids, seaweed; Bridgeway – 5% N, 17.5 % C, amino acids; *based on ex-farm price of £165/t

Fit for the future


Heathcote Farms’ recipe for KWS Extase, 2019

s

While major resistance genes areuseful, Nick Bird aims to accompanythese with a whole host of genesknown to confer partial resistance.

suggest a lower response ––0.7t/ha, while most wheats givean extra 1.5-2t/ha. “You canmake savings, but be mindfulthat, just as chemistry should be protected, so too should thegenetics. We recommend aspray programme, tailored to situation and season, that has atleast two modes of action in eachtank-mix at the two main spraytimings,” adds John.

It’s advice echoed by Bob Simons, an independentagronomist who works closelywith KWS. “KWS Extase could beyour best tank-mix partner afterCTL has gone. But the importantword here is ‘partner’,” he says.

“We’ve run into trouble withsome of the chemistry, andoptions are increasingly limited, but we’re not ready forthe end of the chemical era yet. I see genetics and chemistryworking together, with no relianceon either –– it’s a partnershipapproach.”

Fungicide responseSo what does that mean in practice? Bob points to the fungicide response figures, noting there’s not a lot of evidence Extase will benefit from a “heavy duty” spray programme. “But you’ll want toapply something half decent at the T2 timing.”

The variety probably wouldn’tneed a T0 spray, unless there isa lot of seedling yellow rustabout. “Most varieties, eventhose like Extase with a resistance rating of 9, are susceptible as young plants, so

it makes sense to clear it out.Just a cheap triazole would do, if needed. At T1, a modest triazole with a cheap SDHI, such as Tracker (boscalid+epoxiconazole) would managemost situations,” he suggests.

“T2 is where you’d focus yourspend, and it’s worth applying a modern SDHI/azole mix thatprovides some persistence to cover brown rust. Your T3 would be season and situation-dependent, as well aswhether you’re heading for aquality market. You’d time it toprovide the best protectionagainst fusarium.”

Bob feels Extase could proveto be a popular variety. “It hasthe disease resistance withoutthe yield penalty. There’s goodquality with an early harvest, it’stall but has decent standingpower –– I see no reason why it shouldn’t take Skyfall’s crown,although I wouldn’t be confidentit would make a good secondwheat.

“But if you grow Extase, treat itdifferently, to make the most of itsattributes. Plan at the time youdrill, taking account of its earlierscheduling and the lower inputsyou’re likely to apply.”

Nick is keen to stress that thepotential for low inputs should notbe translated into a wheat that’snot looked after. “If the geneticsare abused, that resistance won’tlast as long as it needs to. Oncewe identify a promising source ofresistance it still takes 8-10 yearsto bring it to market. Breeding forresistance takes time,” he notes.

“Having said that, there’ssome really interesting pre-breeding material comingthrough from the public-fundedDesigning Future Wheats programme. Various projects arereintroducing genes and diversetraits lost long ago from UKwheat lines through selectivebreeding. The wheat-breedingcommunity is working together to identify the most promisingsources, focusing on diseaseresistance, and this offers the best prospect for futuregenetics growers can have confidence in.” n

For the past three years,Suffolk grower Brian Barker

hasn’t just been gleaningReal Results from his

farmer-led field trials, butgathering data on how

growers can be rewarded forthe public goods they provide. CPM visits to

find out


Putting farmers at the ELM

RealResults

Pioneers

What we want to achieve is a

framework other farmerscan follow and provide

a wealth of data to back up a compelling

case.”

“

Visit Suffolk grower Brian Barkerbetween the months of October and Apriland you may well find him in a ditch atthe edge of one of his fields, rather thanmonitoring the crop within it.

That’s because Brian believes it’s just asimportant to assess carefully what comes offthe land as it is to put considered thoughtinto what goes onto it, and he’s keen morescience is applied to both.

“The aim is to demonstrate the publicgood of how we can manage the land.Doing so in one field on one farm won’tmake a difference, but what we want toachieve is a framework other farmers can

follow and provide a wealth of data to backup a compelling case,” he says.

Now he has the opportunity. Since 2017,EJ Barker and Sons, based at Lodge Farm,near Stowmarket, has hosted AHDB’s firststrategic cereal farm, aiming to provide anindependent, open and honest platform for UK farmers to see and learn from theintegration of research in a practical waywithin a commercial farming system. It’sagainst this background that, for the sameperiod, he’s been one of the 50 BASF RealResults farmers, and last year put the company’s new triazole in Revystar XE under the same scientific scrutiny (see panel on p30).

Statistical significance“Working closely with AHDB, you get tounderstand the importance of statistical significance –– it’s so important to comparelike with like when it comes to on-farm trials.I like Real Results because it takes you outof your comfort zone, encouraging you to trysomething new. But underpinned with ADAS’Agronomics, you know that the results youget back will stack up.”

The strategic farm involvement startedafter Brian finished his spell as an AHDBmonitor farmer in 2017. “What I enjoyedmost was the group of local farmers we’dbuilt up around it. We were always askingquestions about how we could improve our

Brian Barker has been taking regular samplesthroughout the winter from his field drains tomeasure the nitrate run-off from different cropcovers.

cropping systems, trialling things out on farmand sharing the results –– I didn’t want tolose that.”

At the same time, AHDB was looking togrow its Farm Excellence Platform and buildon the success it had in other sectors withnetworks such as the strategic potato (SPot)farms. Twinned with Brian’s enthusiasm, thispaved the way for a six-year initiative thatwas launched in Nov 2017. The strategiccereal farm west has followed, hosted byRob Fox at Squab Hall Farm, Warwicks, and a further farm is due to be launchedlater this year.

“For me it’s not just about field and farm-scale trials,” notes Brian. “We’re gettingpeople onto the farm who wouldn’t ordinarily


s

Although Revystar XE brought Brian a statistically significant yield benefitover his farm standard programme,he feels the trial this year didn’t meet the high standard of scientificcomparison he aims to achieve.

“The crop was affected by latedisease, and normally we’d adjust thespray programme to take account ofthis,” he explains. “We’d already usedElatus Era at T1 on the farm standardprogramme, planning to come in with it again at T2, to provide a faircomparison with the Revystar.

“But you can only use Elatus Eraonce per crop –– we had to use adifferent SDHI/azole coformulation,which I don’t think really gave theBASF programme a fair crack of the whip.”

The loamy sand field received twopasses with the farm’s 8m VäderstadCarrier before being drilled with a Sumo direct drill on 30 Sept.“The good conditions meant weestablished too thick a crop –– wewere aiming for 350 plants/m2 butended up with 360/m2. After a mildwinter, the crop had the highest shootcount on the farm at more than1300/m2,” he recalls.

Brian doesn’t really have a farmstandard fungicide programme, buttakes regular plant counts through theyear and then bases the applicationson the crop potential. “The aim is toprotect the wheats with potential and cut costs on those less likely toperform.”

With no chlorothalonil (CTL) goingon the test field, he dispensed with a T0 spray altogether last year.“The crop reached the end of its construction phase by 8 April, and the

plant shoots had settled down to1000/m2, suggesting we were on fora bumper crop of over 11t/ha.”

This is where the “error” wasmade with the T1 spray. “We wereworried that the crop was brewingdisease, which is why we opted forthe Elatus Era. In hindsight, we shouldreally have swapped the two aroundand gone first with the Spartacus.”

As it was, the shoot number continued to fall in response to dryconditions, and by the time the earemerged, the ear count taken byBrian was at 800/m2 with a yieldexpectation of 10.2t/ha –– the farmaverage. By then, wetter conditionswere putting the crop under greaterdisease pressure.

This is where the Revystarappears to have performed,according to the analysis of the YENresults, provided by ADAS’ SusieRoques. She suggests the greateryield resulted from a combination of

A Real Result for Revystar

higher biomass and harvest index,more grains per ear and higher thousand grain weight. “All as onewould expect from a treatment whichdelayed canopy senescence and soprolonged the grain-filling period,”she adds.

“I did notice the Revystar-treatedstrips hung on to their green leaf forlonger,” notes Brian. “But the diseasecame into the crop after the T2 andT3 treatments. I feel what we used atthe T2 timing against Revystar didn’treally offer a fair comparison.”

If the current season was to repeatwhat happened last year, Brian wouldcut back on the T1, focusing thespend at the T2 timing. “But if currentwet conditions continue, we’ll need toinvest more at T1. This year could bevery different, and we may have ourbacks against the wall. On highpotential wheats, that’s whereRevystar may come in useful,depending on where it’s priced.

Real Results Results

The trials, with the Revystartramlines marked with arrows,were assessed using ADAS’Agronomics tool which deliversstatistical confidence to on-farmtrials.

30 March 12 May 03 JulyThe July NDVI image was partly covered by cloud, but in the clear side, NDVI appeared slightly higher in the BASFstrips than the surrounding farm standard areas.

Also we’ve only seen it in one yearand one field, so need a bit moreexperience with it.”

Although no CTL was used on the test field last year, in line with trial guidelines, Brian doesn’t feelRevystar should be viewed as a CTLreplacement. In a low-pressure year,the T0 spray could be replaced withtrace elements and biostimulants, hesuggests, while careful timing andtailoring of products can provide thecorrect level of protection for the restof the season.

“We always farm to the potentialof the crop, rather than what wehope it’ll achieve, so I’m not after a silver bullet to help us face thegrowing disease challenges we face.What Revystar does, however, is adda nice, sharp tool to the toolbox at atime when some of the blunt onesare being removed. We’ve plentymore to learn about how best to use it.”


.

Farm approach BASFT1 (18 Apr) Elatus Era (0.75 l/ha) Adexar (1 l/ha)T2 (21 May) Spartacus Xpro (1.0 l/ha) Revystar XE (1.25 l/ha)Calculated yield (t/ha) 11.58 12.24YEN analysisEars/m2 659 652Spikelets/ear 16.9 16.7Grains/ear 35 381000 grain weight (g) 40.6 40.8Specific weight (kg/hl) 74.2 74.8Total biomass at harvest (t/ha) 16.8 17.4Harvest index (% biomass) 48 49Variety – LG Mowtown @415 seeds/m2 drilled on 30 Sept; Previous crop – spring beans; neither plot received a T0 spray; T3 – tebuconazole; the yield shown is for the treatment strips only, excluding wheelings and calculated using ADAS Agronomics.In this trial a yield difference of just 0.29t/ha was needed for statistical significance at the 90% confidence level.Elatus Era contains benzovindiflupyr+ prothioconazole; Adexar contains fluxapyroxad+ epoxiconazole; Spartacus Xpro contains bixafen+ prothioconazole+ tebuconazole; Revystar XE contains fluxapyroxad+ mefentrifluconazole.

EJ Barker and Sons 2019 Real Results trials – Appletree field

BASF’s Real Results Circle farmer-led trials arenow in their fourth year. The initiative is focused onworking with 50 farmers to conduct field-scale trials on their own farms using their own kit andmanagement systems. The trials are all assessedusing ADAS’ Agronomics tool which delivers statistical confidence to tramline, or field-widetreatment comparisons –– an important part of Real Results.

In this series we follow the journey, thinkingand results from farmers involved in the programme. The features also look at some in-depth related topics, such as SDHI performance and data capture and use.

The Real Results Circle

We want farmers to share their knowledge and conduct on-farm trials. By coming together to face challenges as one, we can find out whatreally works and shape the future of UK agriculture.

To keep in touch with the progress ofthese growers and the trials, go to www.basfrealresults.co.uk

Source: AHDB/EJ Barker and Sons

visit, such as those in the research community and policy-makers. It’s alsoabout steering the juggernaut of AHDB R&Dinto a more practical, applied direction thatconnects better with farmers.”

Close involvement with local farmersthrough discussion days and on-farm eventsshape the priorities for the work carried out(see panel on p31), generally done as a“look-see” in year one. Depending onresults, a more detailed study may then follow, with a trials programme, normallyincluding replicates, drawn up with researchscientists.

Brian points out that what comes out offield drains is of huge public interest. “It costs £92M/year to remove pesticidesfrom drinking water. Soil erosion and sedimentation costs £305M/year whileremoval of nitrates costs £170M/year. Sothere’d be a huge public benefit if farmerscan develop solutions that keep inputs andsoil in the field.”

Brian’s hunch was that cover crops would make a difference, so the look-seeinvolved taking regular samples, 86 in total,throughout the winter from his field drains.There were nine separate sample points representing seven fields under differentmanagement –– winter cereals, over-winterploughed, grass and cover crop. He teamedup with Essex and Suffolk Water who testedthe samples, focusing on nitrates.

“The EU Water Directive limit for nitrates is 50mg/l. What we found was that the over-winter ploughed land put double thatlimit through the drains, while the cover cropresulted in just 5mg/l of NO2 lost from thefield. It doesn’t take a scientist to tell youthere’s a correlation there.”

With help from ADAS, trials were set up the following year as part of AHDB’s four-year Maxi Cover Crop project. Thisfocused on two fields –– one in stubble, theother ploughed –– with half of each sown to a cover crop mix. A whole host of

assessments were made, including NDVIscans, soil visual assessments and earthworm counts, alongside the nitrate offtakes.

“The over-winter bare ploughed land wasworst, with average NO3 concentration of275mg/l. Cover crops were again best andwhere it was established after the ploughdrew most nitrate away from drains, leavingjust 5mg/l,” he reports.

“However, we’ve repeated that trial thisyear, and it’s the direct-drilled cover cropthat appears to be performing best. We’relearning that cover crops make the essentialdifference, and how successful they are atfiltering out nitrates depends on how wellthey’re established.”

So how is this turned into a public goodthat farmers are paid for? Brian stresses thisis not about creating a blueprint. “Every

farm, every situation is different. I’ve foundthe construction of a drain –– whether it’sclay or plastic –– has a greater influenceover what it ejects than how you cultivate a field, for example. But we can create a discussion, and the more farmers who gather this kind of data, the more we canbuild a robust basis for payments under anEnvironmental Land Management (ELM)contract,” he says.

One of the outcomes of the project is a“How to…” guide to help growers designand manage their own simple on-farm trials.“You’ll never get a categorical answer fromfarmer-led trials, but that’s not to say theydon’t deliver value. What we hope is that afew farmers with inquisitive minds will jointhe discussion and do their own trials.Progress is when you find out for yourselfwhat works best.” n

The split-field trials have shown that the success of cover crops at filtering out nitrates depends on howwell they’re established.

Average drainage water nitrateconcentration – winter 2017-18

Real Results Results

.

A total of seven projects are currently underwayat Lodge Farm:l Managed lower inputs – the effect of

reduced fungicide applications on varieties withdifferent disease ratings.

l Early crop biomass – explore ways in which canopy size in late-drilled crops of winter wheatcan be enhanced to improve final yield.

l Cover crops – the role of cover crops in reducing nutrient leaching (as featured here).

Strategic trials – under test for harvest 2020

l Flower strips – the impact of perennial flowerstrips on beneficial insect and pest populations.

l Very low inputs – the effect of reduced pesticide input applications on pest, weed and disease.

l Variable rate nitrogen – the cost-effectiveness of variable rate nitrogen on high and low biomass areas.

l Repeat baselining – monitoring soil and cropcharacteristics through the rotation.


s

There are so many variables totake into account this

year.

“”

Understanding the effects of the wetautumn and relatively mild winter to dateand estimating fertiliser requirements for2020 will be extremely challenging,believes soil N testing specialist Dr Mechteld Blake-Kalff of Hill CourtFarm Research in Gloucestershire.

Whilst the overriding picture is one ofsignificant rainfall and potentially high levels of N loss from soils, this could be an oversimplification with highly variableconditions across the country complicatingmatters, she says.

“It’s very difficult to paint an overall picture. It’s been very wet, but some

areas have been affected much more than others. Poor weather in itself doesn’tnecessarily have as bad an effect on N levels as people think, particularly on heavier soils, but lighter ones can be aproblem.

“It’s likely the topsoil will be lower in nitrogen because it will have leached downwards, but our experience is that thecrop is able to pick some of this up later inthe season when it starts growing properly,”she says.

Available nitrogen“We’ve had quite dry conditions for the 18 months before the wet conditions startedand there was actually a lot of nitrogenavailable in the system. This could haveleached down, but it could still be there atdepth within the soil profile.”

With many fields at or above field capacity and not effectively draining, denitrification as a loss pathway could alsobe a problem, she points out.

“Many fields have standing water whichcreates anaerobic conditions in soil andthis, combined with relatively warm soil conditions, will drive the loss of nitrogen asN2O (nitrous oxide). Further nitrogen couldequally be being lost to the environmentthrough leaching,” says Mechteld.

As well as loss to the air and through

Mechteld Blake-Kalff explains that crops canoften access nitrogen that has moved deep withinthe soil profile once they start growing properly.

From soggy winter to curious spring

leaching, it’s also possible that nitrogenhas shifted sideways, especially in fieldswith a sloping aspect. “Some N could have collected at the bottom of fields, so in the valleys of sloping fields, cropscould be at risk of lodging.”

The two things that drive mineralisationof nitrogen in the soil are temperature andhow wet it is, she points out.

“Temperature affects the rate of nitrogenbeing mineralised, but you do need moisture to get it into the crop once this

An extraordinary autumn andwinter will likely call for

some unusual tactics thisspring. CPM looks at howearly spring nitrogen and

weeds can be managed toget the best out of crops in

the ground.

By Rob Jones, Lucy de la Pasture and Charlotte Cunningham

Technical Spring management


The wet autumn means that weed control plansmay need a rethink. In recent seasons, grassweedcontrol has relied on a robust residual herbicidestack applied in autumn, but the sodden conditions mean that many wheat crops haven’treceived a pre-emergence herbicide, leaving all to do in the spring.

“In the crops that got drilled, weeds are likelyto be a problem this spring,” says Bayer’s DarrenAdkins. “Poor establishment and waterloggedground can both leave an opportunity for weeds toprosper, so weed control this spring will be vital,”he says.

The first step is to assess the crop conditionsand level of weed infestation, particularly fromblackgrass and ryegrass, before deciding on nextsteps. The difficulty will be finding a balancebetween the short-term aim of getting a decentcrop and the longer-term need to get the rotationback on track and soil back in good order.

“A smaller area of wheat and an increase inspring crops, particularly spring barley, haschanged the usual spring decision-making

process. In a normal spring, the patchy wheatcrops would be candidates to be re-drilled but, inall likelihood, farmers will be looking to nurse anysalvageable crops through to harvest this season.Looking further ahead, rotation and soil have bothbeen badly affected, so this coming autumn willbe important to get things back on track.”

Thinking about options for next autumn mayalso make decision-making this spring clearer,he believes. “With a lower wheat area, there’sobviously a big incentive to go for yield, even incrops with significant weed populations that willhave high seed return. But this is only viable ifthere’s an option of a cleaning crop on bad fieldsnext autumn. Going straight into another wintercereal or oilseed rape would risk a long-termbuild-up of grassweeds.

“There may be some upside for farms whichare planting more spring crops to compensate forwheat not getting drilled. There should be someflexibility planning the rotation in the autumnbecause of the large area after spring cropping,which should have had decent weed control.Consequently, any winter wheat can be pushed foryield this season without worrying as much aboutweed seed return,” believes Darren.

This spring, winter wheat will probably need apost-emergence herbicide to counteract the lackof a pre-em and combat any broadleaf weeds thatgerminate in autumn.

“Pacifica Plus (mesosulfuron+ iodosulfuron+amidosulfuron) is new to the market this spring, ithas the same grassweed performance as Pacifica,coupled with broadleaf weed control from theaddition of amidosulfuron. This brings activityagainst many competitive weeds, includingcleavers, common chickweed, mayweeds andcharlock,” he says.

On farm, the aim will probably be to get weedcontrol done as soon as possible to free up timefor fungicides and spring drilling, but it’s important

Herbicide rethink on the cards?

to have some patience, he says. “Conditions havea big effect on the efficacy of post-ems. You don’twant to go too early and get poorer controlbecause it will be the only chance to reducegrassweed populations.”

The main requirement for good control fromPacific Plus is active growth and a dry, calm dayso the herbicide can settle on the target leaf, hehighlights. “As well as contact herbicides, residualherbicides such as 0.3 l/ha Liberator (flufenacet+diflufenican) can be applied until 31 March orGS23. Residual protection will help control anyspring-germinating weeds, but it’s not likely tohave much of an effect against large establishedweeds because they will have roots below thezone of activity in the soil.”

has taken place. So where you have a veryhot spring and no rainfall –– like last year–– nitrogen is mineralised, but it’s not actually taken up by plants.

“The 2017 and 2018 autumns were verywarm and we saw mineralisation all theway up to Christmas and because it didn’train there was a lot of nitrogen around. Incontrast, this last autumn was colder, so it’slikely less mineralisation has taken place,but it’s also possible that what was mineralised has leached down by now.”

The only way a grower is going tounderstand what the situation is on thefarm is to carry out detailed soil testing,she believes.

To get the full story, it’s not just about

Soil Mineral Nitrogen (SMN) at the time oftesting, advises Mechteld. “Also estimatehow much nitrogen has already been takenup by plants, and how much is likely tobecome available through mineralisation asthe season progresses. The aim is to get apicture of total Soil Nitrogen Supply (SNS)and this is really where a CF N-Min test isinvaluable, particularly in difficult years likethis one.

Representative samples“Consider doing a few tests to build an overall soil nitrogen picture, taking representative samples from light andheavy soils and those where FYM andorganic nutrient sources have been

applied,” she suggests.CF arable agronomist Allison Grundy

believes it will be virtually impossible to

Winter wheat will probably need a post-emherbicide to counteract the lack of a pre-em and combat any broadleaf weeds, says Darren Adkins.

Slow-growing crops, with poorly developed rootsystems may be less able to take up nutrients.

It may be a case of accepting higher seed returnfrom grassweeds this season if extra springcropping allows the rotation to be tweaked tocompensate.

Spring management


s

Getting the most from early nitrogen applicationswill require moving to more frequent, smallerapplications than in a typical spring.

make accurate fertiliser recommendationswithout such testing this year and urges all growers to be extremely careful with fertiliser applications on backward crops.

“There are so many variables to take intoaccount this year. 2019’s high yields wouldhave inevitably resulted in high nutrient offtakes and this was followed up by manygrowers not being able to apply their usual

quantities of FYM because of the poorweather.

“You’ve then got the complication of slow-growing crops, with poorly developedroot systems less able to take up nutrientsand big question marks over just howmuch nitrogen is left in the soil after all therain. Then for wheat drilled during Jan andFeb, these crops are likely to have veryspecific fertiliser requirements.”

The starting point is undoubtedly toestablish total Soil Nitrogen Supply (SNS),but from there focus on nitrogen source,timing and frequency of applications, she suggests.

Early application“Get your nitrogen on as early as practically possible, but applications haveto be managed so as not to overwhelmsmall crops with too much nitrogen at anyone time, otherwise its recovery is likely tobe compromised.

“Root systems are likely to be poorlydeveloped, so getting the most from earlyapplications will require moving to morefrequent, smaller applications of nitrogenthan in a typical spring. But these applications must also be in good groundand weather conditions to avoid losing

Consider doing a few N-min tests to build anoverall soil nitrogen picture, taking samples fromlight and heavy soils and where organic nutrientsources have been applied.

nitrogen to the wider environment.“To give the crop the best chance

of recovering nitrogen from earlierapplications, quantities should at

s

Spring management

Blackgrass emergence is likely to be impactedby the conditions this winter, with autumn germination being delayed by induced dormancyin wet soil. That means an increased chancesome will germinate in spring when the soildries out, believes Barrie Hunt, technical manager at Gowan.

“Typically we see 15-20% of blackgrass populations germinating in spring. This spring levels are likely to be well above this, so thinkabout planning ahead and which chemistry isgoing to be most effective.”

According to Barrie, the main barrier to achieving robust control is a lack of availableand effective chemical options. “The vast majority of pre-emergence herbicides havegreatly reduced spring application rates, withindividual flufenacet products being limited torates delivering just 120g/ha of active ingredient— that’s 50% of the autumn blackgrass rate.”

So what’s the solution? Alongside some ofthe pendimethalin-containing products, Barriebelieves both Avadex Factor and Avadex Excel15G (liquid and granular formulations of tri-allate) could help give growers the edge over blackgrass this spring.

“Both Avadex products deliver a full effectivegrassweed dose at all cereal drilling dates — autumn or spring,” he explains.

In terms of crop suitability, Avadex Excel 15G can be used on both spring barley andspring wheat, while Avadex Factor is suited solely to spring barley, says Barrie. “In springbarley both can be used either pre-drilling orpost-drilling pre-emergence. This really widens the application window, allowing more time to get it on, without affecting performance.”

Though Avadex isn’t claimed to be a silver bullet, it could be a useful part of the solution

Spring-drilled crops face higher grassweed burden

— particularly this season — adds Barrie.“There’s no doubt it’s going to be a challengingyear. But with proper planning, and by optimising the most effective products, growersshould hopefully be able to put themselves in a much stronger position heading into harvest 2020.”

Avadex could provide a useful contribution toblackgrass control in spring-drilled barley andwheat.

Spring management

least be split in two or possibly three if traditionally you would apply a total of60kgN/ha at the first application timing to winter wheat,” says Allison.

Evidence is emerging from trials that to

make full use of the nitrogen applied to the crop, four or five applications over theseason can be beneficial when comparedwith the more traditional three-way split,she explains.

“Applying more frequently means thecrop will receive smaller amounts eachtime improving the recovery of nitrogen bythe crop and this will also help build tillernumbers,” she adds. n

Nitrogen losses from solid ureaapplication can range

from 10-58%.”“

There’s a debate going onabout the mandatory use ofnitrogen inhibitors for ureafertilisers. Last year, AHDBreviewed the literature toreveal the science behind

them and how they could beused to reduce emissions.

CPM investigates.


The science behindinhibitors

Many things in politics are uncertain, butit’s a sure thing that life will soon changeas farming is shaped by the newAgriculture Bill. With clean air and clean water very much a focus of the government’s 25-year environment plan,ensuring efficient use of organic and inorganic fertilisers will likely be a key priority.

The way change will be implemented isyet to be fully revealed, but there will be afocus on a greener environment, says AHDBresource management scientist, Dr SajjadAwan. “Approximately 88% of ammonia(NH3) emissions in the UK are from agriculture, so farming practices that mitigate these losses will be necessary.”

The arable sector loses nitrogen gasesfrom its soils to the atmosphere –– as NH3,nitrous oxide and other nitrogenous oxides(produced through nitrification/denitrificationprocesses) –– as well as losing nitrates intowater through leaching.

“Nitrogenous gases contribute to particulate matter which can cause respiratory problems in humans, with currentlevels in the air estimated to cost billions tothe NHS. These emissions also affect theenvironment and nitrous oxide is a powerfulgreenhouse gas,” he explains.

Ammonia emissions“Denmark and Holland have succeeded in reducing their ammonia emissions considerably since the 1990s (by 40% and64% respectively), whereas the UK has onlyachieved a 10% reduction in the same timeframe. To meet targets under UK policy, we only have 10 years left to reduceammonia emissions substantially.”

The main inorganic form of nitrogen fertiliser responsible for losses of NH3 to theair is urea (CH4N2O), which according to thelatest British Survey of Fertiliser Practice(2018) accounts for just over 10% of total N applied to cereal crops and 15% tooilseed rape.

The trend in tillage practices towards ano-till approach has multiple benefits to soil health, but also has an influence onammonia emissions, points out Sajjad.“There’s some evidence that soil organicmatter and crop residues can increase urease concentrations in the top few centimetres of soil, hence under no-till and/orhigher stubble environments, losses fromurea could be higher, with increased ammonia production.”

Germany has recently taken the step toban the application of straight urea this year,allowing only inhibited forms to be applied tocrops. Even though nitrogen inhibitors have

been available for a couple of decades in the UK, their use hasn’t been widelyadopted for economic reasons. But recentlythere’s been a rapid rise in their use, with a10-fold increase in area treated reportedbetween 2010 and 2015.

The changing emphasis in farming, withits keen focus on the environment, promptedAHDB to conduct an internal review of theavailable scientific literature last year. Theaim was to understand the problems causedby nitrogen losses and look at the possiblesolutions, particularly the science behindurease and nitrification inhibitors.

“Nitrogen losses from solid urea application can range from 10-58%, averaging around 26%, and are stronglyinfluenced by factors such as soil water,organic matter, soil temperature, pH andurea concentration,” he says.

“Significant losses of urea into the atmosphere could be due to high surfacetemperature, usually observed in the UK

Sajjad Awan explains that to meet targets underUK policy, there’s only 10 years left to reduceammonia emissions substantially.


Reducing nitrogen losses from fertilisers has theadded benefit that more nitrogen is available tothe crop, improving nitrogen use efficiency.

during summer, moist soil conditions alsopromote urea conversion to ammonia, andwet conditions reduce these losses.

“It’s not a bad idea to apply urea if rain isimminent, up to 10mm of rainfall soon afterfertiliser application increases urea efficacyand can reduce ammonia losses by up to80%. A soil pH above 7.5 also promotesurea hydrolysis which could result in greaterlosses as ammonia. Urease inhibitors can beadded to urea to slow down this processand consequently reduce volatilisation,” he says.

Within the review Sajjad has identified a

Theory to Field


Factor/condition

Soil type

Soil moisture

Soil pH

Soil temperature

Concentration(wt/wt)

Efficacy of NBPT (N-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide

Efficiency usually higher in clay or silty soils with high cationexchange capacity

Highly effective at field capacity or slightly above, reduced efficiency under water-logged conditions

Efficiency improves with increase in the pH, higher efficiency inalkaline conditions

Duration of NBPT activity decrease with increasing temperature

Increasing concentration from 0.01 to 0.12% can significantly increase NBPT efficiency

Factors affecting NBPT efficacy

Source: ‘Use of nitrogen inhibitors to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the UK arable agriculture.’ AHDB internal review, 2020.

Nitrification inhibitor

DCD (Dicyandiamide)

DMPP (3, 4 - dimethylpyrazolphosphate)

Nitrapyrin (2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl)pyridine)

Pros Cons

Could be cheaper compared DMPPLess volatileBetter water solubility

May be ecotoxic as highconcentration are requiredEfficacy reduces under hotconditions

Higher efficacy at low concentration

Could be less toxic

Currently expensive to use

Mode of action not fully undrstood

Slow degradation under temperateconditions and heavy soils

Effective at lower concentrations(inhibition at 1ppm)

No substantial loss across wide ranges in pH

Volatile, hence, works best whensoil injectedDegrades quickly in bright and wetconditions and in coarser soilslow in orgnic matter

Pros and cons of using different nitrification inhibitors

Source: ‘Use of nitrogen inhibitors to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the UK arable agriculture.’ AHDB internal review, 2020. s

Under no-till and/or higher stubble environments,losses from urea could be higher, with increasedammonia production.

Theory to Field

range of substances that have a ureaseinhibitor effect and the majority of these arephosphoramide compounds, such as NBPT(n-butyl-thiophophoric triamide) and NPPT(N(n-propyl) thiophosphoric triamide).

In autumn 2019, a new urease inhibitorcontaining both NBPT and NPPT (known as2-NPT) became available for the first timeand in trials has been shown to reduceammonia emissions by up to 98%, which

is in part due to its polymer formulation,claimed to be unique.

“The review focuses on NBPT as this isthe most widely used in the UK and bringsthe performance of urea on a par withammonium nitrate fertilisers, reducingammonia losses on average to 7.8%,” heexplains.

“How NBPT renders urease unable tofunction is debated within the scientific literature, so isn’t yet fully understood. But it’s clear that its efficacy can be affected bystorage period, low soil moisture and theconcentration applied to the urea granules(see table on p37).”

Even though the more wholesale use ofurease inhibitors would have a positive effecton reducing ammonia emissions, Sajjadbelieves that within the literature there canalso be found a cautionary note which maywarrant further exploration.

“Urease is an enzyme that’s produced byup to 30% of the soil bacterial population. Inbacteria it has an extracellular function, but

in other organisms there’s evidence that ithas a role within the cell in ATP synthesis.

“The literature highlighted that NBPT-treated plants also had an over-accumulation of urea and a decreasein ammonium concentration, reinforcingthe hypothesis that NBPT is involved in theinhibition of urea transportation and remobilisation in plants,” he explains.

“Because there’s evidence that the vastmajority of microorganisms rely on ureasefor various cellular functions, it’s important tounderstand whether there are any long-termimplications from the widespread use of urease inhibitors in the UK, applying them tothe same field year after year,” he cautions.

Sajjad also notes that from the literaturereviewed, there was no evidence to suggestthe application of inhibitors has any negativeeffect on non-target bacterial populations.

The second type of inhibitors that can help reduce nitrogen losses to the environment are nitrification inhibitors. This is the process where ammonium ions are


January saw the new introduction of the revisedAgriculture Bill, hailed by Environment SecretaryTheresa Villiers as “the most important environmental reforms for many years, rewardingfarmers for the work they do to safeguard ourenvironment and helping us meet crucial goals on climate change and protecting nature and biodiversity.”

Within the Bill, there’s the power for government to ‘effectively regulate the fertiliserindustry, including updating the definition of a fertiliser to take account of the latest technologicaladvances.’ Behind closed doors, there’s certainly a lot of discussion going on with DEFRA, saysPeter Scott, chair of the AIC fertiliser sector andtechnical director at Origin fertilisers.

One of the big questions is whether the UK willfollow Germany’s lead and legislate for the use ofinhibited urea products as part of its strategy totackle NH3 emissions. “AIC’s view is that, whileurease inhibitors are one of the potential mitigators for NH3, regulating to solve one problem can produce unintended consequences,”says Peter.

“We’d prefer to see inhibitors as one tool in amenu of options to reduce emissions available to growers. If government mandate the use ofinhibited urea, then we are likely to see anincrease in AN fertiliser with higher potential fornitrous oxide emissions –– solving one problemand creating another.”

The situation in Germany illustrates just howcomplex it is to draft legislation that’s fit for purpose. “The Germans have mandated the use

of inhibited urea in 2020 but didn’t get the definitions nailed down properly in the legislation.This has allowed companies to formulate ureaproducts with less than 46% N to get around thenew rules,” explains Peter.

Peter acknowledges that a lot of questions arebeing raised about whether enough is knownabout the long-term effects of urease inhibitors onthe soil and the environment. While the fertiliserindustry isn’t complacent, he points out that thethree EU urease inhibitors have all been registeredunder REACH, so have demonstrated compliancewith the regulations.

“These require ecotox data to be submitted,which looks at effect of the substance on the ecology of soil and water. NBPT is not classified asenvironmentally hazardous and has been shownnot to be a persistent bioaccumulative toxic substance,” he adds.

Peter also highlights that the amounts actuallybeing applied are very small. “If a grower used aprotected urea to supply the total N-requirementfor a crop of winter wheat, over the season theamount of inhibitor active applied would amount to 0.02-0.03g/ha,” he explains.

On top of the work that’s been done oninhibitor products around the globe, studies areongoing to provide reassurance that they pose no risk to the environment, water or food chain.

Under EU fertiliser regulations the concentration of urease inhibitors applied to ureahas to reach a minimum value and it remains tobe seen what will happen after Brexit. Under current GB regulations, there isn’t a specification

for their concentration, he points out.“If Defra decides to make protected urea

mandatory, then it will need to take the time todraw up a regulatory framework which supportsthe science behind the work on emissions factors.For example, work by Teagasc shows that NBPTat 660ppm can reduce NH3 emissions by 78%,but the current minimum concentration for NBPTis 414ppm (according to EU fertiliser regulations),which wouldn’t achieve the same level of reduction.

“So any regulation would need to be constructed to be certain the concentration ofurease inhibitors in use can achieve the desiredreduction in emissions, and that these levels can be effectively policed at the point of use.”

Regulation could solve one problem and create another

If protected urea becomes mandatory, aregulatory framework will be needed whichsupports the science behind the work onemissions factors, says Peter Scott.

s

How nitrogen inhibitors work

Source: AHDB, 2020.

Theory to Field

These articles are part of AHDB’s delivery of knowledge exchange on grower-fundedresearch projects. CPM would like to thankAHDB for its support and in providing privileged access to staff and others involvedin helping put them together.

From Theory to Field

converted first to nitrite (NO2-) and then to

nitrate (NO3-).

“Plants mostly take up nitrogen in nitrateform, but these can easily be lost to the environment through denitrification (losses of greenhouse gas –– nitrous oxide) orleaching. The aim of a nitrification inhibitor is to keep nitrogen in the ammonium form for longer to prevent these losses fromoccurring,” says Sajjad.

“Dicyandiamide (DCD) and nitrapyrin (2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl) pyridine) are themost frequently used commercial nitrificationinhibitors in agriculture. Each has pros andcons which should be considered whendeciding which product to use (see table on p37).

Recent literature also suggests that usingone type of nitrogen inhibitor may not beenough, adds Sajjad. “Using a ureaseinhibitor together with a nitrification inhibitor

may be a better way to reduce nitrogen losses by reducing volatilisation and retaining ammonium in the soil for longer, because both processes happensimultaneously.”

Reducing nitrogen losses from fertilisershas the added benefit that more nitrogen isavailable to the crop, improving nitrogen use efficiency. In an economic analysis comparing the different forms of nitrogen,

the review found inhibited urea was a financially viable option for growers, providing an equivalent crop production cost (£/kg grain) as ammonium nitrate.

“Inhibitors can provide farmers with another tool to keep N in the root zone andimprove its agronomic efficiency. The realbenefit comes from a marked reduction inammonia losses, especially under high-riskenvironments,” he concludes. n

A cold, wet winter has leftcrops in urgent need of repairand soils starved of available

nutrients. CPM seeks theemergency measures that

will put growers back incharge.


Technical Take Control

Remedy required for lost N

Just at the point where you feel you’vegot an element of control over your cropping system, Nature comes alongand gives it a good kicking to remind you who’s in charge.

So as spring unfolds, and after one ofthe wettest winters on record, Yara’s MarkTucker urges growers to re-exert theirauthority. “The reality is that, since last harvest, the weather has been in control ofthe UK’s arable cropping and left us in asorry state. Now is the time to assess thecondition of your crop and decide themanagement action needed to repair it.”

For many crops across the UK, it’ll bemore a case of rescuing the biomass thanfeeding the potential. But careful nurturethis spring can turn around even the mostwithered and sorry-looking wheats, hesays. “Don’t be too quick to write crops off. We’ve had trials we’ve very nearlyaborted in the past that have gone on todemonstrate some of the best responses to a carefully tailored nutrition programme.”

And that’s what he advocates ––decades of proprietary trials, along withrecent experience gained through Yara’s

Mark Tucker urges growers to assess thecondition of their crop and decide themanagement action needed to repair it.

association with YEN (Yield EnhancementNetwork), back up advice for the currentseason that Mark believes will help growers pull a decent potential from theirwheats. It boils down to a focus on threekey areas –– the soil, the leaf and thegrain. Early spring is when the soil comesunder scrutiny.

Water-logged soils“Many crops will be sitting in water-loggedsoils and there’s no doubt tiller number and size will be compromised as a result–– that puts a dent in that first tier of building biomass, which is essential foryield. But trials suggest you can still get82-96% of your yield potential,” he says.

Yara agronomist Natalie Wood takes upthe story. “Cold wet soils are not a goodenvironment for arable crops. Processes inthe soil and the plant itself shut down andthat has consequences,” she explains.

“The young crop relies on mineralised N at this time of year to start its springgrowth. But there won’t be much availablein the anaerobic conditions. What’s more,the heavy rain will have encouraged denitrification, so any available N will havebeen used up by the soil itself or washedaway from the shallow plant roots, resultingin a double hit.”

Wheat plants will begin to turn on themselves and cannibalise their ownreserves, characterised by a worrying yellowing of leaves that will already be looking frail. “These crops need emergency treatment, and a dose of N assoon as you can travel is the best remedy–– around 70kgN/ha should be appliedearly. Where there’s a reasonable leaf areathis can be applied in one dose. But inmany cases, it’s best to split this, returning

in mid to late Feb,” she advises.But is it right to apply extra nitrogen

following a winter that may have washedsoil reserves down the drain? “Soil nitrogenlosses are not necessarily leached.Nitrification is a natural process, governedby bacteria in the soil. During periods of anaerobic conditions, the soil micro-organisms don’t get enough oxygen, and that’s when they draw on its nitrogenreserves,” explains Natalie.

Replenishing these reserves is best supplied with ammonium nitrate, she continues, as this source is readily available to plants. Urea needs to beprocessed by soil bacteria into an available form, which may take some timein the cold soils. “Bear in mind you’rereplacing what’s lost from the soil, ratherthan feeding the crop, so the amount of total N you apply early shouldn’t beadjusted for crop potential,” she continues.

Natalie believes taking soil and leaf


Trials suggest you can still get

82-96% of your yieldpotential.

“”

The benefits of applying fresh P and K in early spring

12.2

12.1

12

11.9

11.8

11.7

11.6

11.5

11.4

11.3Control (Extran) Actyva S followed by Extran

11.6

12.1

LSO = 0.58t/ha

Yield t/ha

3.2

3

2.8

2.6

2.4

2.2

2Control (Extran) Actyva S followed by Extran

2.31

2.98

LSO = 0.293t/ha

Yield t/ha

11.8

11.7

11.6

11.5

11.4

11.3

11.2

11.1

11

10.9Total N Rate (kg/ha)

11.17

11.42

Extran FB Axan

NPKS

NPSK + micro

11.34

11.46

11.7111.68

Yie

ld (t

/ha)

220 280

Source: Source: Yara UK trials; 2016 trials were conducted on a high P and K site;ActyvaS – 16:15:15 + 6.5% SO3; Axan – 27%N + 9% SO3.

Winter wheat, 2015

Winter oilseed rape, 2015

Winter wheat, 2016

samples to assess soil mineralnitrogen at this time of year haslimited value. “Anaerobic soilscan give you a misleadingresult. Leaf tissue analysis is an excellent gauge of nutrientrequirements once the crop is growing, but if you take asample from a water-loggedcrop, you’ll get a spuriousresult.

Nitrous oxide“But while it’s important to getthe N into the crop as early as possible, don’t necessarilyapply it all at once and don’t apply any AN at all towater-logged soils. If it’s notreadily taken up, some AN will convert to nitrous oxide, a damaging greenhouse gasthat’s 298 times more pollutingthan carbon dioxide.”

So although you’re feeding thesoil, the ability of the crop to takeup the nutrients is important, toensure the application is bothcost-effective and environmentallyresponsible. That’s where anotherpotential cost of the seasoncomes into play.

“Water-logging also damagesroot systems and the crop mayhave suffered dieback of itsseminal roots –– the firstexploratory ones the youngplant sends out that travel todepth. As the crop recovers, itwill put out shallow roots first ––that’s good because these willtake up the N, provided it’s in areadily available form. But theplant needs to restore its damaged root system.”

Phosphate is one of the bestremedies, but again this won’tbe readily available in cold s

It’s more important than ever to assess a crop’s nutrition requirement and tailor fertiliserapplications, according to Prof Keith Goulding,sustainable soils research fellow at RothamstedResearch.

“Putting surplus N on your crops is not only a waste of money, it’s a major cause of environmental pollution,” he notes. “We have plenty of data that shows leaching is directly related to surplus N applied. With a draftEnvironment Bill set to pass through the Houses of Parliament against the backdrop of theGovernment’s 25-year Environment Plan, expect

legislation to tighten up in this area.”Keith points to data from Rothamsted’s

Broadbalk experiment, that’s been running for over 170 years and shows a very clear correlation between surplus and leached N.This is supported by on-farm data from theNetherlands. “Broadbalk shows us consistentlythat optimum use of all crop inputs brings bestresults.”

These should be applied according to the “4Rsof nutrient stewardship” –– from the Right source,applied at the Right rate at the Right time and inthe Right place. “There are now many ways to geta good accurate prediction of crop yield and applynutrients precisely. This spring, although there willbe little N left in soils, they will still be wet. Therewill be a high risk of leaching, so growers shouldtailor applications carefully to field conditions,taking account of forecast rain,” he notes.

Guidance is available through AHDB’s tools,such as the Nutrient Management Guide (RB209)and data on excess winter rainfall. Natalie alsopoints to new services to help growers tailor nutrition requirements to canopy growth. TheYaraIrix app is free to download and delivers Nrecommendations straight to your phone based on photos you upload of crop canopy. Atfarm, is

a satellite-based service, with crop growth monitoring provided free to growers. You can purchase variable-rate nitrogen-applicationmaps, generated using the same algorithms

the N-Sensor uses to determine optimum N.“This year will be the season when all the

N-testing kit will really come into its own toensure optimum nutrients are applied at the righttime,” she notes. “But for now, the focus is onrepairing a damaged crop and replenishingstarved soils, so small blanket applications ofcarefully chosen products will be the best remedy.”

The double damage of wasting N

N leached from Broadbalk experiment

Keith Goulding warns that putting surplus N onyour crops wastes money and is a major cause of environmental pollution.

Source: Rothamsted Research Broadbalk experiment.

soils. “That’s why we’d always advocateapplying the early dose of N as an NPKScompound. Even where indices indicate ahealthy balance of P and K, our trials haveshown fresh applications in early springprovide a yield boost (see charts on p41).

This is a year that extra application willcome into its own, and we’d recommendaround 35kg/ha of P2O5 for a soil at Index2,” she says.

A foliar source may serve the crop evenbetter. “The efficiency of solid phosphate is

relatively low, so an application such asMagphos K (19.2% P, 6% K, 6% Mg),before the first granular dressing, canspark off growth. Make sure it’s quickly followed up, however, as the young plantwon’t take long to run out of steam.”

Take Control


YEN entrants benefited last year from free leaf tissue tests. More than 800 samples were sent intoYara’s lab at Pocklington, Yorks, with each growersending up to four samples at the key timings –– GS30, GS31, GS39 and GS59.

Boron, copper and zinc were the trace elementsthat consistently showed up as deficient in wheatsamples, as well as magnesium. 92% of OSR samples were short of Mg.

“Historically, growers would have relied on a single recommendation for trace elements tocover the season, but many are now moving todynamic guidance, based on tissue testing,”notes Mark.

“It can be a very useful tool to benchmark cropsand requirements do vary through the season. Theguideline for P content of a wheat plant is 0.3%, forexample, but this starts the season at 0.4% andpeaks at 0.5%, dropping down to 0.2% after the T3 spray timing.”

Grain testing is revealing high deficiencies here,even in crops that show no symptoms from soilswith reasonable indices (see chart). “YEN tends toattract growers who pay attention to detail, and theyput forward their best crops. So the fact that grain

analyses show even these crops are suffering highdeficiencies, particularly levels of P, points to a challenge growers have nationally to feed optimum nutrition into the ear,” says Mark.

Testing times for nutrient levels

N

P

K

S

Mg

Mn

Zn

Cu

0% 25% 50%

Occurence of deficiencies

Nutrient deficiencies in grain

Source: Data from the YEN (by NRM) pus the Grain Nutrient Benchmarking pilot supported by ADAS, AHDB and Yara (Lancrop).Samples from 633 YEN crops after harvests 2016, 2017, 2018.

s

Once growth has been triggered, it’simportant to keep crop momentum.Experience through YEN has shown thebest way to build early biomass is toensure the crop wants for nothing as it putson leaves. Wheat plants this year will startthe season with some catching up to do,so Natalie feels it’ll be more important thanever that every nutrient is available at theright time.

“Sulphur is another key requirement, and it behaves much like N in terms of itsavailability from the soil. A wheat cropneeds a little S every time it takes up some N, with a total requirement of around50kg/ha SO3. So it’s best to apply an NPKS compound fertiliser first, following up with NS products.”

Oilseed rape requires a higher totaldose of sulphur –– around 75kg/ha SO3 ––and Natalie advises treating crops muchthe same as wheat, starting applications as

soon as you can travel, preferably with acompound fertiliser.

“The concern with OSR is gaugingwhether it will be a crop worth investing in,so it’s a good idea to split the early N.While you’ll want around 70-80KgN/haearly on, you may want to start with just

As Britain exits the EU, the move will createunprecedented uncertainty and change for farmers. While much of the change is beyondthe control of the average arable business, ithighlights the importance of those elementsthat can be managed.

Few aspects of crop production are morecritical than a plant’s nutrition, which is whyCPM has teamed up with Yara in a series ofarticles that brings in some of the latest understanding to build on established knowledge. The aim is to take control of how a plant draws in and assimilates nutrients tooptimise every aspect of crop and field erformance.

With decades of evidence-based knowledge, Yara continues to be at the forefront of crop macro and micronutrientadvice. Investment in technology hasresulted in world-leading products that support in-field decision-making and precision nitrogen application.

Take Control

For those still drilling, or hoping to drill, their winterwheat, treat it as you would a spring crop, advisesNatalie, at least until well after it’s first established.

“Many winter varieties can be sown in Feb.If it was a true spring variety, typically you’d apply180kgN/ha, split 60% on the seedbed with therest applied as soon as the crop’s emerged. Butthat may be sub-optimal for a winter type that

could take 40kgN/ha more if growth and conditions go favourably.”

Aim to get the crop off to the best start, andnurture it through the early growth stages, sheadvises. “Monitor the crop biomass closely andapply a later top-up of N that’s matched tocanopy growth and the crop’s potential.”

Feb-drilled winter wheats don’t have to be held back

Struggling crops need emergency treatment, saysNatalie Wood, and a dose of N as soon as youcan travel is the best remedy.

40-50kgN/ha, then coming back a coupleof weeks later, before applying the maindose in March.” n

Take Control

Adopting a liquid system allowsgrowers to make best use of theirsprayer, with one machine beingutilised for two jobs, says Andy Eccles.

Deciding whether to sprinkle or squirt is avery personal decision when it comes to fertiliser application. CPM explores the reasons why growers may decide to ditch the fertiliser spreader and go liquid.


reasons. It’s not just about makingsure the fertiliser doesn’t land onnon-cropped areas, it’s importantto deliver the right amount to eachplant and in the correct ratio sothat the crop can use the nutrientsmost efficiently.

Applying fertiliser in the liquidform makes it easier to get thesekey things right, particularly asgrowers move to wider tramlines.For instance, if the tramlines arerunning obliquely to the headlandsthen it’s simple to switch sectionsof the boom on or off to avoid overor under-dosing, and this alsogives accuracy at the field margins.

In contrast, granular spreadersrun on an over-lap pattern and,even though deflectors clearlyhelp on the margins, it’s not possible to directly turn thespreader off on parts of the field

Liquid or granular? It’s a question most growers will have considered at some point.There’s been a steady growth inthe liquid fertiliser market in theUK, but in recent years there’sevidence that a growing numberare shifting their fertiliser application to liquid. A recentsurvey carried out by ADAS hashighlighted some of the reasonsbehind the change.

CPM talks to Omex agronomistAndy Eccles about the results and finds out more about theadvantages and disadvantages of a liquid fertiliser system.

How does accuracy compare?Minimising any nitrogen (N) andsulphur (S) that’s ‘wasted’ duringapplication is important for bothenvironmental and economic

where it’s not needed. This is easilydone with liquid supplied verticallyfrom a boom.

Solid fertilisers containing N and S are often a blend and maysegregate or not feed through thehopper evenly. In a liquid NS blendthe application is more accurate,with every fertiliser droplet delivering exactly the same ratio of N:S.

The ADAS survey cited thatapplication rate control was a keyreason for using a liquid rather thangranular fertiliser. The controller inthe sprayer is easy to set up andthe operator always knows the ratebeing applied/ha.

It’s also much easier to maintainconsistent application over time witha sprayer, which on average runs ata co-efficient of variation of 5%. Fora spreader this tends to be 8-10%and it’s more sensitive to ‘going off’

in use. What’s more the most recentcopy of the British Survey of FertiliserPractice shows that 20% of spreadersare never tray tested and 40% aretested only once per year.

Benefits of liquid fertiliser

The real winner for liquid overgranular fertiliser is in

logistics and time management.”

“Exploring liquid’sassets

Omex Agriculture – the UK’s largest, family run,independent manufacturer of liquid fertilisers – has sponsored this edition of Tech Talk on the benefits of ‘GoingLiquid’.

Tech Talk


Nigel Phillips moved to suspensionfertilisers in the autumn, which hebelieves will free up more time, improveapplication accuracy, and reducestorage and waste.

Yorkshire arable farmer and contractorNigel Phillips uses liquid fertiliser and slow-release nitrogen technologyto boost milling wheat and malting barley quality, improve his environmental footprint and free up time to build his expanding contract spraying business.

He reckons applying liquid fertiliserwith Didin has significantly increasedhis available spray days by nearly athird. Nigel farms about 60ha nearNorthallerton, which supports continuous winter wheat and springbarley, with stubble turnips breakingup the rotation on his spring barleyland.

The milling wheat receives225kgN/ha. “It’s a nutrient-hungry crop,which needs high nitrogen input tokeep the protein levels up,” he says.

“The first time we used Omex liquid fertiliser, we just used conventional mixtures and sometimeshad some scorch, but Didin stoppedthe problem and we’ve used it eversince. It means only one application is needed to provide a crop’s entirenitrogen requirement, which was very appealing.”

The impact on Nigel’s farming system has been considerable, withan average yield for milling wheatyields at 8.64t/ha and peaking at10.62t/ha. He also applies foliarProtein Plus in the first week of July to help achieve 13% protein.

He argues that the extra cost ofDidin is offset by the additional application costs required where agranular or liquid fertiliser is used on a split dose application system.

He’s just moved to suspension fertilisers in the autumn, which hebelieves will free up more time,improve application accuracy, andreduce storage and waste. His granular spreader is now redundantand will be sold or scrapped.

“Switching to Omex suspensionfertiliser should address some indices inconsistencies,” he says.“Applications can be tailored to eachfield rather than a blanket applicationof potash and phosphate across a field.

“On some of my customers wetterland, we always include Didin toreduce the number of in-season landmovements, which has the potential to turn around the profitability on thatland without compromising soil structure from compaction and rutting.

It’s been a game changer for some ofthese growers,” he says.

More spray days from liquid switch

Tech Talk

Is it more efficient?Liquid fertiliser enters the soil and diffuses more quickly than agranule which, together with itsmore accurate dosing, meansplants have the best opportunity tomake efficient use of the nutrientsapplied.

But the real winner for liquidover granular fertiliser is in logisticsand time management, and thiswas highlighted by growers in theADAS survey as one of the keyfactors which prompted a changein application practice.

Adopting a liquid system allowsgrowers to make best use of their sprayer, with one machinebeing utilised for two jobs.Sometimes this is perceived as adisadvantage, but the reality is thatapplication of liquid fertiliser isoften possible at times when conditions aren’t suitable for theapplication of agrochemicals –– when it’s too windy or on ashowery day.

The liquid system doesn’trequire handling equipment forheavy bags and there’s lesswastage, with a small amount ofgranular product always trapped incorners of the bags when empty.Another plus is that any unusedliquid can be returned to the storage tank once application is complete, whereas for solid

fertiliser, the spreader has to rununtil it’s empty.

What are the environmental benefits?The government’s new 25-yearEnvironment Plan has a keenfocus on improving air and waterquality, and plants and animalswhich are thriving in a cleaner,greener country.

Liquid offers the greatest precision at field margins, andwhere wildlife or pollinator stripsare running within fields, so thathigher input systems can safelyrun alongside more naturalecosystems without causing them any harm.

The use of urease and nitrification inhibitors, such asDidin (contains DCD), can

significantly improve the uptake ofnitrogen by the plant. Didin hasbeen available for many years andits original purpose was to allowthe full season’s nitrogen to beapplied in one early pass, savingtime and costs by reducing thenumber of applications required.

More recently it’s been identifiedas a potential tool to reducingammonia and nitrous oxide lossesto the atmosphere and to reducenitrate losses from leaching intogroundwater. It does this by regulating a steady release ofnitrate fertiliser as the plant needsit, creating a stronger, healthierplant that’s better able to cope withstresses, such as waterlogging ordrought.

As well as the ability to get thenutrients to their target, liquid has

Source: Omex, 2020.

50.00

40.00

30.00

20.00

10.00

0.000 10 20 30 40

CV (%)

Loss

(£/h

a)

Financial penalty of inaccurate nitrogen application


s


Benefit of liquid fertiliser: top tips

l Enhanced precision – scope to vary rate and apply verticallyfrom the boom brings agronomic and environmental benefits, limiting under or over-application.

l Accuracy of application – each droplet contains the sameamount of nutrient(s).

l Logistical advantages – lesstime is spent filling up, more spray days and less space is required for storage.

In recent years the popularity ofliquid fertilisers has soared, withmore and more farmers turning tothe liquid alternative. Omex iscommitted to improving NitrogenFertiliser Use Efficiency (NFUE),aka ‘how well the crop utilises thenitrogen in the fertiliser applied.’

The use of nitrification and urease inhibitors can significantlyimprove the uptake of nitrogen bythe plant, by regulating a steadyrelease of the fertiliser as theplant needs it and reducing lossesto the atmosphere or by leaching.

Sponsor message

no packaging waste to disposeof –– another environmental plus.

Are there downsides?The biggest concern growers haveusing liquid fertiliser is scorch, but it’s a risk that can be easily mitigated. Scorch happens whenthe plant takes up too much nitrogen and the tissues becomeover-loaded and certain environmental conditions or application techniques increasethe chances of scorch.

While fertiliser can be applied inwindier conditions than agchem,when the crop gets taller later inthe spring, wind causes leaves torub together and removes leafwax. This increases the amount of nutrients that are absorbed byleaves and can result in scorch.Avoiding application in or after a

period of windy conditions will minimise the risk of scorch.Enough gentle rain so that the liquid is washed off the leaf willalso reduce the risk of scorch,while a damp crop from heavydew or drizzle will increase the risk.

Another way of avoiding the riskof scorch is to apply the crop’srequirement of liquid nitrogen withDidin in early season. According tothe ADAS survey, where scorchdid occur, there was no effect onthe yield of the crop.

Making sure the correct dribblebar or nozzle is fitted and operatedwithin the correct pressure rangeto produce the appropriate dropletsize will also mitigate any risk ofscorch occurring –– large dropletswill readily bounce off the croponto the soil, whereas smallerdroplets will be more likely toremain on the foliage.

Liquid fertiliser is more corrosivethan agrochemical mixtures, sothis is something to take intoaccount as a part of sprayer maintenance. It has no effect on paintwork, but any exposedsteel will benefit from a regularapplication of grease after washingdown to prevent rusting.

What about precisionfarming?Sprayers are ideal for precisionand variable rate fertiliser application is an established technique. Special variable ratenozzles and bars are widely available and contain a flexiblerestrictor which allows more liquidto be released as pressureincreases.

Altek have taken precision technology further by designing a ‘smart’ nozzle cluster, whereeach nozzle can be controlledindividually and independentlyalong the length of the sprayerboom, giving the potential to infinitely vary fertiliser rates every50cm across the field.

Liquid fertilisers are much easier to tailor to match therequirement of crops. In particular,more N:S ratios are availablewhich suits growers who want toapply S with every application ofN, and this was another factor for

This creates a stronger, healthier plantbetter able to cope with stresses suchas drought.

Didin is formulated with nitrificationand urease inhibitors which control therelease of nitrate nitrogen and reducethe risk of ammonia and nitrous oxideemissions, increasing yields, reducingapplication costs and simplifying thenitrogen management of the crop. Itallows the full season’s nitrogenrequirement to be applied in one earlypass, saving time and costs by reducingthe number of applications required.

growers choosing liquid that was highlighted within the ADASsurvey.

What are the logisticaldifferences?One of the major advantages ofapplying liquid is that a sprayertank will cover a larger area than a spreader before needing to refill,increasing work rates.

1m3 of liquid N contains more Nthan the granular options, 390kg N,compared with the same volume of ammonium nitrate (AN) andurea, which both contain around345kg N. Although urea is 46% Ncompared with AN 34.5% N, ureais often lighter and leaves more airspaces which means it takes upmore space in the spreader hopper.

An average spreader hoppercontains 2500 litres (863kg N) and the average sprayer tank 3500 litres (1,365kg N), so a liquidload will contain an extra 500kg ofN which is sufficient to cover anextra 10ha when applied at50kgN/ha.

Storage tanks are generally supplied by liquid fertiliser manufacturers as part of the deal,the only requirement from Omex(since June 2019) is that the tanksite is bunded before installation.Omex is also in the process ofreviewing older installations that weren’t bunded to identifyhigher-risk sites that may benefitfrom upgrading.

Tanks are filled pre-season andwhere tanks have telemetry fitted,

Operating nozzles within the correctpressure range to produce therecommended droplet size will mitigatethe risk of scorch occurring.

Unused liquid can be returned to thestorage tank once application iscomplete, whereas for solid fertiliserthe spreader has to run until it’s empty.

It’s simple to switch sections of theboom on or off, which allows greateraccuracy at the field margins.

re-filling is an automatic process.For tanks without telemetry, there’sup to 72-hours lead-time for delivery in the busiest times.

As with most decisions in life,one system won’t fit all farm businesses, but where farmers are looking for accurate nitrogen(and sulphur) application at widebout widths, with a focus on protecting field margins, liquidsmay have some room for furthergrowth. n

Tech Talk

s

If, going forward, the industry is going to beindicatively judged on efficiency, those two aren’tconcerned ought to listen up, says Allison Grundy.

With fertiliser efficiency in the spotlight, making

sure the products are environmentally friendly

without compromising onproductivity is crucial. CPMteam up with CF Fertilisers

to gain an insight intosome of the key issues and

choices facing growers.

By Charlotte Cunningham

Technical Fertiliser survey

Being profitable and

productive isn’t mutuallyexclusive of caring for

the environment — theygo hand in

hand.

“

”

A solid choice?

Correct selection and use of fertilisersremains one of the most importantaspects of managing an arable business— from both crop production efficiencyand environmental viewpoints.

And with economics, clean air requirements and climate change all impacting on the decisions growers will be making in the future, there’s never been a more important time to optimise fertiliserchoice.

Solid fertilisers remain by far the mostpopular choice for UK producers, but how you select and use these can have asignificant effect on the overall performanceof your business and its effect on the biggerpicture issues.

When it comes to choosing nitrogen fertiliser products, a recent survey carriedout by CPM and CF Fertilisers revealed thatthe quality of material is the most importantparameter, with 38% of growers noting it astheir key priority, followed by 29% statingcost is the main driver.

Thirst for qualitySo how is this thirst for quality reflected inspecific products? The survey showed thatBritish-made ammonium nitrate (AN) takesthe number one spot, with 47% of growersstating it as their product of choice. “It’s really positive to see that farmers still believein and appreciate the quality and efficacy ofBritish-made AN,” says Allison Grundy,agronomist at CF Fertilisers.

While the inhibitor market has benefittedfrom a boost in interest because of the ClearAir Strategy, it could be cost that’s puttinggrowers off, with only 3% of growers currently choosing inhibited urea as their N source, adds Iain Turner, director atEnvirofield. “Inhibited sources are expensiveand the reality is that there’s a bottom line for everybody.”

Perhaps rather interestingly, almost aquarter (24%) said that they opt for a mix ofurea and AN sources depending on timing.“This is where growers have to make achoice and what it likely boils down to is theprice difference between AN and urea,” saysEdward Downing, crop nutrition technicalmanager at Frontier. “AN comes at a premium and this could be a strategy

for bringing products together to make a cost-effective solution. If they were price-matched products, I imagine mostgrowers would always use just AN.”

For those opting for a mixed product strategy, Ed advises using urea early, in cool,moist soils to minimise the risk of losses.

But Iain believes that this approach won’tbe a long term solution. “There’s a lot morepublicity now about the environmentalimpact of fertilisers, particularly urea, andgoing forward, I don’t think it’ll be an option.”

According to Allison, any price [p/kg N]difference between AN and urea is usuallyeroded when the additional N recovery efficiencies and yield produced by using


s

125

100

75

50

25

0Straight urea Inhibited urea Imported AN Complete

compoundscontainingboth N and

multiplenutients

British-madeAmmoniumNitrate (AN)

A mix of ureaand ANsources

depending on timing

What solid fertiliser source best describes yournitrogen (N) fertiliser use?

Is Nitrogen fertiliser Use Efficiency (NfUE) a termyou are familiar with?

Yes - but it is something I would like to understand more about in terms of fertiliser choice/environment impact

Yes - and I am comfortable I understand its implications on fertiliser efficiency

No - but it is something I would like to understand more about in terms of fertiliser choice/environment impact

No - it is not a current concern

British manufacturers have madegreat efforts to ensure they’releading the nutrient industry, saysIain Turner.

Fertiliser survey

With many factors to balancewhen it comes to optimising fertiliser usage, Iain offered histop tips on how to get the bestout of nitrogen.1. Start with a soil test -– “For

me, this is the most important factor. You can only minimise impact if you understand what you’ve got to start with. All the anecdotal evidence I’ve seen suggests that the results more than pay for the cost of the test.”

2. Select a quality source -–“Stick to what you can be sure of, which is British AN. Ifyou have to use urea, make sure it’s inhibited.”

3. Be pragmatic -– “A lot of growers get into the habit of planning a nutrient strategy and sticking with it. To be most effective, there should be a pragmatic approach and a plan that canbe flexible depending on the weather and season.”

Top tips for efficient fertiliser usage

AN is taken into account. There’s also growing evidencequestioning the use of urea even as an early application, she adds.

“We’ve seen numerous farmcomparison trials in recent yearsthat show a full AN programmecan deliver 0.5-1.0t/ha morewheat than a fertiliser strategywhich is largely AN based butincludes the first applicationbeing urea.”

Interestingly, CPM put thequestion of product choice toreaders back in 2017, and BritishAN came out on top then too, soit comes as little surprise that75% of growers said that theirsolid N fertiliser source hadn’tchanged in the past five years.

So what’s keeping it on top?“British manufactures have madegreat efforts to ensure they’releading the nutrient industry andproviding a lot of service support,

as well as quality products,” says Iain.

While sticking with AN can be seen as a positive, the no-change attitude does raisesome concerns for Ed. “If growers aren’t evaluating theirproducts on a regular basis — and with no need to if they’redoing the job — this could meanthat they may not be thinkingabout their programme as awhole too.

“For me, I’d like to see morebusinesses taking a step back,looking at the programme, thinking about rates and timings,and asking themselves whetheror not they’re carrying out theirnutrition programme as well asthey could be.”

Fertiliser efficiencyWith a growing focus on efficiency of fertilisers — not just within the industry, but alsoexternally from the Government— Nitrogen fertiliser UseEfficiency (NfUE) is a fairly newterm which has been coined tohelp growers and agronomistsbuild a more accurate picture oftrue fertiliser usage.

Efficiency has become somuch of a priority, that just 5% ofgrowers said they weren’t familiarwith the phrase, nor were theyconcerned.

In contrast, 88% of growersrevealed they had heard of NfUE,with 43% stating they understoodthe implications it had on fertiliserefficiency and 35% saying they’dlike to know more in terms

of fertiliser choice and environmental impact. “What wecan draw from this, is that themajority of growers are on thisjourney to efficiency and realisethat certain systems and sourcescan optimise nitrogen fertilisermore effectively,” says Allison.

Iain adds: “NfUE is the bestway of assessing how well thenitrogen you put on is used. Inpractical terms, if you put on100kg, you need at least 75%uptake. Growers who are usingurea are fooling themselves ifthey think they’re realistically getting more than 50% of itsapparent nutrient content.”

With the Agriculture Bill confirming that going forward,any kind of support payment will be based on environmentalmeasures, nitrogen fertiliser efficiency is quite likely tobecome not just a moral prioritybut also a legislative one, warns Allison. “If, going forward,the industry is going to be

indicatively judged on efficiency,those that aren’t concernedought to listen up.”

As well as having obviousenvironmental benefits, beingmore efficient with fertiliser is asure-fire way to help keep a lidon costings, she adds. “Beingprofitable and productive isn’tmutually exclusive of caring forthe environment — they go handin hand”.

While NfUE is a complex matter, there’s a simple startingpoint to help growers get to gripswith exactly what their N usageis, says Ed. “People often solelyfocus on yield when it comes toefficiency, but that’s only part ofthe equation.

“To get a more accurate picture, the advice from me is tocollect grain samples from eachfield so you have a much morein-depth idea of grain protein ona per-field basis. This, plus theamount of fertiliser used and theyield achieved can quite quickly


s

100

75

50

25

0I am using variablerate and am very

happy with it

I have always usedflat rate applicationsbut would considerchanging to variable

rate

I tried variable ratebut have moved back

to flat rate

I have always usedflat rate applicationsand don’t envisage

changing

Do you use flat rates or variable rates for your fertiliser applications?

What is the most important parameter when choosing fertiliser?

Cost/tonne

Break even ratio/return on investment

Nitrogen efficiency/impact on the environment

Relationship with supplier

Quality of material

The concept of variable rates isfundamental in the context of beingas efficient as possible, says Ed Downing.

Fertiliser survey

As one of the key consumers ofnitrogen, the future of OSR is onethat’s concerning the industry atpresent.

Despite a disastrous season forthe crop last year, 47% of growersrevealed in the survey that theyhave no plans to reduce theirplanting area for 2019/20. Butwhat do the experts think?

“There were pockets of reasonable crops last year,” saysAllison. “Particularly in the West, inplaces like Cheshire andShropshire, the pressure hasn’tbeen quite as intense, which could

give reason to why farmers andsticking with OSR.

“There’s also the question ofwhether people are sticking with itfor financial reasons — perhapswith some growers thinking ifthere’s less OSR in the ground thenprices will be buoyant.”

However, with CSFB pressuresas high as they have been, Allisonsays she’d ideally like to see a five-year break and reset, thoughwith not many alternatives, it’s not an attractive proposition at the moment.

The end of OSR?

Congratulations to our winnerAlastair Sharp from Norfolk whoresponded to the CPM/CFFertiliser survey on solid fertilserapplication and has won the fabulous prize of a DJI droneworth £769.

Alastair responded to the survey and completed the tie-breaker question on the secretto getting the best use from solidfertiliser. His answer, “spread atthe right time, at the right rate, in

the right conditions,” impressedthe judges due to its pragmaticnature and highlighted howadaptable growers have to bewhen it comes to solid fertiliserapplication.

The aim of the survey was toexplore solid fertiliser sourcesand application. To take partin the next survey, make sure we have the correct details for you by [email protected]

Winner announcement

give growers a rough indicationof how accurate they havebeen.”

When it comes to making themost of solid fertilisers, how youapply it can have as big animpact as the source itself. Thesurvey revealed that more thanhalf (53%) of growers are

currently spreading at 24m withno plans to change, compared tojust 1% who are already workingat 32m and plan to increase.“Most people are spreading at24m and I think that the industryhas got some pretty robust kitthat can spread very efficiently atthat width,” says Iain. “Bigger kit

is available, but this can beexpensive. At the moment, I don’t think there’s enough profit margin to invest.”

According to Allison, going to wider widths can be a big investment that may lead to acompromise in terms of fertiliserperformance. “Generally speaking, there are fewer opportunities to spread granularproducts consistently at thewider widths during the springperiod. The wider the width the greater the variation you introduce.

“From my experience, application is usually more efficient if you’re modest withspreading width and annually set the machine up for spreadpattern, as well as product rate.”

Precision softwareWith most new spreading kit now laden with various types ofprecision software, including variable rate technology, it’s nosurprise that almost half (45%) ofgrowers highlighted that whilethey’ve always used flat rateapplications, they would consider changing to variablerate. Furthermore, 25% said thatthey’re currently using variablerate and are happy with it.

In contrast, 20% of growersstated that they’ve always usedflat rate applications and don’tenvisage changing.

So what’s the best approach?“The concept of variable rates

is fundamental in the context ofbeing as efficient as possible asthere can be a huge variation,

not only between fields but alsowithin fields themselves,” saysEd. “However, I believe that variable rates can be very much used in conjunction with flat rates.”

While Allison also backs variable rate application, forthose who do stick with flat rates, simple measures such ascalibrating kit can help improveefficiency, she says.

Iain believes that applicationrate should be dependent on the nutrient itself. “If you’respreading P or K, it’s perfectlysensible to use variable rates — providing you’ve got the background knowledge to do so.

“However, with N, it’s morecomplicated and unless you’reusing some kind of sensor, it’s alot more difficult to know whatand when to variate. It’s not asimple ‘do it or don’t’ answerhere, it’s very much horses forcourses.” n


As I sit down to write my firstever opinion column, I feel I’mhaving one of those awfulfirst-day-of-school moments,where you have to say yourname and a fun fact aboutyourself.

Well I’m going to hold the fun fact for the time being andwe’ll just stick with a name — Charlotte Cunningham, thenew machinery editor here at CPM.

Perhaps my somewhatapprehensive approach to introducing myself relates tosomething that’s very topicaland in my opinion, rather alarming.

Twitter users will have donewell to avoid seeing the fiascoof the ’Ag-Elites’ saga on yourfeed.

To summarise for those ofyou who haven’t seen it, itseems that a small — but veryloud –– group of farmers havetaken to calling out fellow forward-thinking farmers.

The comments are nasty,personal and can only bedescribed as like a dog with abone given their persistency tomake a bee-line for any actiondone or opinion held by said‘Ag-Elites’.

The farmers at the receivingend of their battlesticks are the

ones who want to communicatewith the public, to talk aboutBritish farming and how food isproduced. They’re the ones whotake time away from the farm tofocus on personal and businessdevelopment; such as going to farmer focus groups andattending conferences.

They’re creative with their platforms using FaceTime, podcasts and the like because,let’s face it, today’s GenerationZ are more tech savvy thanever.

Despite all the good they do,according to the opposing viewthese ‘elitists’ aren’t ’proper’farmers as they don’t spendevery waking minute partakingin manual labour. Hmm...

As I walked around the jam-packed halls of LAMMA inJanuary, I got thinking aboutthese two groups of people.The red and the blue corner — the do-ers, and the unreasonably angry mob.

When you look at the kit available on the market now —whether it be the collosal newFendt 10 or the drone scoutingapp, Skippy Scout — it goeswithout question that the abilityof this technology is second tonone and nothing like we’veever seen before.

But what got me thinking wasthe wonder of the people whocreated them — the brain

power behind the innovation.Who are they? What’s theirbackground? Who are their influences? And mostimportantly, what journey didthey take that led them to such ground-breaking inventions?

Whilst I don’t know these people personally, I could confidently bet your bottom dollar that those creators —the real movers and shakers— aren’t the ones bashing fellow farmers for trying to bemore and do more.

Social media is a wonderfulthing, but I feel this on-goingrow is getting rather tediousand some of the things I’veseen lately are just downright embarrassing for an industrythat’s already constantly underscrutiny.

Whether you’re a premiumpotato producer in NorthernIreland or a top-yielding cerealgrower in East Anglia, we’reall working towards the sameend goal. But I think that’ssometimes forgotten by thosewho judge others for breakingtradition and thinking outsidethe parameters of ‘it’s alwaysbeen done this way’.

Farming in 2020 is about somuch more than just manuallabour. To survive cut-throatmargins and an unpredictableseason farmers are, of course,

Long live the ‘Ag-Elites’

skilled physically. But toprogress also requires asavvy business mind, a willingness to be open tochange, embrace technologyand explore what science hasto offer.

As we enter further into thisfourth agricultural revolution,that beckons greater skillsfrom its workforce, I for onehope we continue to grow a sector that’s interested in nourishing minds, with individuals who’ll showcase to the public just what a wonderful job the British agriculture industry does.

When I’m having a badday, it’s those farmers who aredoing wonderful things andgoing above and beyond who encourage me and keep megoing.

And so to that I say; long live the Ag-Elites...

Originally hailing from Devon,Charlotte Cunningham is nowbased in Warwicks and whennot busy filling the pages ofCPM, can be found exploringthe countryside with two crazyspaniels in tow.

[email protected]@charcunningham


Technology isn’t a threat to

farming, it’s an aidthat can save time

and money.”

“

Cream of the crop

Now in its second year at the NEC, it’sfair to say that the 38th LAMMA showwas a resounding success, with over40,000 visitors making the pilgrimage to the Midlands, to the UK’s machineryMecca.

Despite a tough time for the industry,event manager Kate Walsh noted a ‘surprisingly positive’ mood. “A number of exhibitors reported very positive conversations and leads with plenty of key on-farm decision makers.”

And visitors were pleased too — with some calling it the UK version ofAgritechnica. “Many visitors were here to keep a close eye on the latest developments so they will be able to makethe right decisions and make the most ofmore favourable times when they return.Others were looking to tweak systems to optimise margins and make their

businesses more resilient in the face of economic, political and physical pressures,” she added.

With exhibits covering over 56,000m2

— the equivalent of eight football pitches— there was no shortage of shiny, new,innovative kit on display.

For those that couldn’t make it, CPMtrawled the trade stands to pick out someof the best bits from the two-day event.

ValtraGiven the buzz on social media — andvisitors at the show sticking to the exhibitlike bees to a honeypot — it only makessense to start a LAMMA debrief with thespecial edition Valtra.

Lighting up Hall 9 in its striking purpleand green chrome-effect livery, the T234Direct certainly caught the eye of many —whether you were a lover or a hater of itscustomised look.

Featuring the hashtag tagline “#theskyisnolimit”, Valtra showcased justsome of the options available to buyers viathe Valtra Unlimited Studio. This includeseverything from bespoke colour wraps,sound systems and optional extras.

“One in five tractors are now coming outwith something special from the UnlimitedStudio,” says the firm’s Andy Miller.

OpicoWith a keen eye on soil health and preservation, Opico presented a number

Lighting up Hall 9 in its striking purple and green chrome-effect livery, Valtra’s T234 Directcertainly caught the eye of many.

of tools designed to help growers takebest care of the ground below.

“It’s well documented that reduced surface disturbance is essential in fightinggrassweeds,” says HE-VA product specialist, Glenn Bootman. “Where a min-till or no-till regime is employed —either constantly or during the rotation —there’s a growing demand for effective, low disturbance subsoiling to loosen andfracture the medium depth subsoil torelieve compaction, thus assistingdrainage, aeration, nitrogen uptake andencouraging crop rooting.”

Based on this thinking, Opico have

This year’s LAMMA has beenhailed as another success,

with more kit than ever fillingthe halls of the NEC. CPM

scouted the stands to pickout the latest developments

in innovation.By Charlotte Cunningham

MachineryLAMMA show


s

worked with HE-VA to design a brandnew ultra-low disturbance subsoiler,specifically for the UK market, and aptlynamed it “Stealth” — which made itsdebut in a somewhat commanding greyattire at this year’s LAMMA event.

The HE-VA Stealth is a medium depth,ultra-low disturbance subsoiler, boastingscalloped straight, front cutting discs tocut through trash, vegetation and top-soil,reduce soil burst and in turn grassweedgermination.

Legs are staggered in two rows to allowresidue flow through the machine andreduce the required tractor lift capacitywhile maintaining a lower hp requirement.

Leg spacing is standard at 500mm butcan be altered to 450mm, 500mm or550mm, adding versatility for differing soiltypes and conditions, according to thefirm.

The hardened cast steel points aretungsten tipped and 120mm wide creatingthe necessary lift and shatter whilst ensuring longevity, says Glenn. “Similarly,the 15mm ‘Hardox 500’ legs are thinnerbut stronger and more durable than standard subsoiler legs, while a “V” profileroller re-consolidates and helps to retainmoisture in the surface.”

In terms of size, the Stealth is availableas a 3m, 3.5m, 4m and 5m mounted or5m, 6m and 7m trailed machine and theStealth kit (e.g. legs and points) are available to retrofit to existing HE-VAmachines, he adds.

While the Stealth has been designed tosatisfy the requirements of no-till andreduced input farming systems, it’s alsosuitable for use in all farming systemswhere repair to damaged soil structure is required, for example, on headlands,tramlines or other trafficked areas, notes Glenn.

FendtIt’s safe to say that anyone who missed theFendt stand at LAMMA ought to pop totheir local opticians as soon as possible,as the collosal new Fendt 10 dominated

not only the firm’s stand, but also much ofHall 9.

For those that haven’t been luckyenough to see Fendt’s latest creation inthe flesh, it really is a thing of beauty. Thatis, of course, providing you find a 790hpcombine beautiful…

Aside from its sheer size and power,what makes the Ideal 10 different thananything else is the lack of a steeringwheel. The latest offering from Fendt isclaimed to be the first combine in Europeto operate without a steering wheel, buthopping into the cab, there’s certainlysomething a little unfamiliar about not having that traditional central focus spot.

So how exactly do you operate it? WithFendt IdealDrive steering, the machine iscontrolled proportionately to the movementof a joystick on the left, with all the samefunctions on the joystick on the right armrest,says Fendt. “It gives the best view of frontthreshing attachments and offers the perfect overview, even on the road, andthe unique system complies with allEuropean vehicle and traffic regulations.”

SulkyA new multi-hopper combination seed drillwas the focus for Sulky UK, with the latestlaunch being shown for the first time atthis year’s LAMMA.

According to the French firm, the newProgress drill boasts a high work output

One of the new features of this year’s LAMMAwas the introduction of the Farming 4.0 zone —a dedicated area to showcase new technology,digital platforms, robotics and the role such innovation can play in sustainability.

Among the speakers was Jack Wrangham,founder of Drone Ag, who spoke to visitors aboutthe value of scouting with drones and how this isnow achievable with the firms crop-scouting tool— Skippy Scout.

If you’re yet to come across it, Skippy Scout is a crop-monitoring app that uses drones to automatically capture images which are analysedby artificial intelligence to offer arable farmersbroadacre crop insight.

The phone-based app uses GPS and mapping software to fly a drone to points in a fieldselected by the farmer. The images taken by thedrone are interpreted by the app to provide anaccurate green area index and count emergingplants. The quality of image collected can alsoidentify weeds and is accurate enough to captureinsect damage on a single leaf.

The app is the brainchild of Jack and his teamat Drone Ag who’ve spent the past 18 monthsdeveloping and trialling the software. “Farmershave always walked their crops. However, the time available to do this in the traditional way isdiminishing.

“As farm sizes increase and labour units per hadecline, the risk of losing crops because a problemhas not been identified quickly enough willincrease. Skippy Scout offers every farmer thechance to see and evaluate crops easily and efficiently using just a phone and a drone.”

Though to some, optimising drone technologyseems like a far off fantasy, Jack believes they arevital tools than can be used today. “Technologyisn’t a threat to farming, it’s an aid that can savetime and money.

“Adapting farming methods to make use oftechnology like Skippy is crucial if agriculture isgoing to provide for the world’s ever-growing population. We’ve involved hundreds of farmers astrialists and many more are waiting to use Skippyin 2020.

Aside from its sheer size and power, what makesthe Ideal 10 different from anything else is thelack of steering wheel.

Skippy Scout offers farmers the chance to seeand evaluate crops easily and efficiently usingjust a phone and a drone.

“We’re arable farmers and we’ve developedSkippy at our own farm in Northumberland. Thissoftware is genuinely easy to use and is priced tobe affordable to every arable farmer. We believedrones can help and we’ve developed this software to be accessible to everyone who wantsto embrace change and adopt new farming practices.”

Innovation in the spotlight

LAMMA show


s

Farm safety was a strong themeacross many exhibitor stands at this year’s event, with lots of gadgets and campaigns pioneering the move towardsa safer work environment.

But it was perhaps one of the smallest things at the showthat could make the biggest difference to farm safety — particularly for lone workers inremote areas.

The tech savvy in the industrywill have heard of the app ‘WhatThree Words’ as it has, in fact,been around since 2013.

However, after a string of life-saving successes, it’s nowbeing adopted by those workingin the agriculture sector.

So how does it work? Instead of using long 16-digit coordinatesto describe specific locations,the founders of What Three Words have split the world map up into 3m x 3m squaresand assigned each a unique‘address’ made up of a randomcombination of three words,taken from the dictionary.

To put this into practical termsfor farmers, having access to theapp effectively means that they are able to pinpoint their preciselocation at any time, and it doesn’trequire data connectivity (e.g.WiFi, 4G or signal) to function.

In an everyday situation,this could be used to direct

Three words that could save a life

contractors or workers to specificareas of fields or to direct deliveries to a particular farmentrance, for example. In extremecases, the three-word coding isaccepted by a large number ofemergency services and so hasthe potential to get help to your exact location very quicklyand easily.

It’s free to download, and reallycould save a life.

The “What Three Words” app isnow being adopted by agricultureafter a string of life-saving successes.

flexibility. They can choose todrill just one crop, or drill acompanion crop or secondvariety alongside their maincrop, and if they wish, addgranular fertiliser at the point of sowing.

“The benefits of using a one-pass combination drillinclude savings in time, money,and fuel, while the reduced number of passes reducespotential soil damage especiallywhen drilling in less-than-idealconditions. We know that manyfarmers struggled to get cropsdrilled this season after a verywet autumn, so this is where a

and proven planting accuracyand has been designed to further enable farmers to optimise yields and reducecosts — with the flexibility todrill in all conditions.

So how does it work? Up tothree independent hoppers —driven from a single interface— can be used to place seedsfrom different crop varieties orplant species, and granular fertiliser at once, says SulkyUK’s managing direction, Rob Thurkettle.

“The multiple hopper configuration of the Progressdrill will provide farmers with

LAMMA show


s

Scooping three silver medals in the LAMMAinnovation awards, Kuhn really did deliver withan impressive display of cutting edge kit.

Most relevant to arable growers was probably the awards for Arable Innovation and Future Innovation.

In the arable category, Kuhn brought homethe silverware with its Twinpact double plungersystem which allows up to 25% higher squarebale density without the need for greater tractor power.

The plunger operates with split impact, inwhich the bottom half of the plunger hits thebale first followed by the top half — using thefull force available on each impact.

According to Kuhn, this eliminates the needfor an oversized driveline, flywheel or mainframe.

Success in the Future Innovation categorycame with the silver award for the Kuhn I-Spray — a development in spot spraying technology that is claimed to allow targeted

application of herbicides.The lovechild of collaborative work with

artificial intelligence company Carbon Bee,the I-Spray concept has shown the potential in earlier development work to reduce herbicide use by as much as 80%, says a spokesperson for thefirm. “I-Spray creates the potential to address some significant environmental and weed resistance challenges facing modern arable farming.”

Scooping three silver medals in the LAMMAinnovation awards, Kuhn really did deliver with an impressive display of cutting edge kit,including the I-Spray.

Award winning tech

LAMMA is set to return to the NEC once again next year, but with a slightly later date of 12-13 Jan 2021.

Dates for your diary

Opico have worked with HE-VA to design a brandnew ultra-low disturbance subsoiler, specificallyfor the UK market.

A new multi-hopper combination seed drill wasthe focus for Sulky UK.

combination drill like the Progress can help.”With time of the essence for many, the

universal metering unit of the drill allows all sizes of seed to be placed — from rapeseed to field beans — without the

need to change the metering wheel, he adds.

The Progress drill is available in threeversions, each with different coulter unitsto meet specific requirements, accordingto soil type and drilling schedule. n

LAMMA show


s

Elephant in the room

Having come through such a difficult season and not yet in the clear, it wassomewhat awkward being surrounded by millions of pounds worth of kit, freshoff the production line, at this year’sLAMMA show.

Perhaps the elephant in the room was onesingle question: Are growers going to havethe cash to splash out on new kit?

But away from the glitz and glam of said shiny kit, farm business consultants,Andersons, were grabbing the bull by thehorns to discuss exactly what the impact ofthis season could be on growers and how, infact, there may be other issues to look at.

“British farmers are used to challengesfrom the weather and, as always, it’s dangerous to over-react on the basis of oneseason,” warned Richard King, head of business research. “However, the unusualconditions in autumn 2019 perhaps highlight more fundamental issues with UK combinable cropping systems.”

The unusual conditions in autumn 2019 perhapshighlight more fundamental issues with UKcombinable cropping systems, says Richard King.

Though the weather has undoubtedly put additional pressure on growers, it’sAndersons belief that that it’s actually justexposed some underlying issues. “It’s almostbecome an article of faith over the past fewdecades that the route to profitability wasscale and cropping ever-more acres,” adds Richard.

“For many businesses that has resulted intaking on land at high rents, often of dubiousyield potential as a result of soil structure,weed burdens or drainage issues.

Added difficulties“This land will often be at a distance from the ‘core’ farm — the time and cost of longroad journeys, plus the added difficulties of managing land remotely are some of the greatest hidden expenses in arable businesses.

“An autumn such as we‘ve just had simplyserves to shine a light on such issues ofoverstretch.”

There’s also the question of whether allthe land being sown is actually profitable inthe first place, adds Richard. “Many fieldsconsistently produce yields that are lowerthan that required to break-even after all costs.

“Some areas might be improved by remedial action but some are simply unsuited to arable cropping.

If you know it is going to produce a loss,why crop it?”

Richard believes that this logic can beextended in a difficult year by consideringwhether or not it’s actually worthwhile committing costs to establishing a crop insub-optimal conditions when it’s unlikely

to yield enough to pay those costs back.However, the figures need to be

carefully worked through when considering not cropping fields, he warns.“There are few ‘variable’ fixed costs (fuel, for example) to be saved unless a plannedreorganisation will result in a lower total coststructure, to farm a reduced area.Additionally, depending on soil type, it’s likely that in the absence of a crop, someform of cover cropping will be required.”

While BPS may act as a welcome crutchthis year, relying on it isn’t a safe place to be given the uncertainty of support payments going forward.

Since the briefing at LAMMA, theAgriculture Bill has been released which has provided some clarity in terms of how

As always,it’s dangerous to over-react on the

basis of one season.”

“

LAMMA showBusiness briefingWith growers feeling the

financial pressure after a disastrous autumn, farm

business consultants warnedvisitors at LAMMA of theimportance of controlling

costs this year. CPM gatheredan insight into the latest

outlook.



We’re really encouraging businesses to look atwhat their system looks like with a much reducedsubsidy, says Jamie Mayhew.

According to Jamie, the past three years haveseen some fairly good results for cereal farms interms of both yields and prices. Unsurprisingly,however, things aren’t looking as rosy for 2020.

“A lot of farms are trying to finalise budgetsfor the 2020 harvest, but the reduced area ofcrops drilled in the Autumn makes this very difficult.”

While some growers may have been able tosneak a few hectares in throughout January, thereality is that there’s likely to be a lot more springbarley in the rotation this year, which could resultin a reduction in price, he adds.

So how is this represented in terms of theLoam Farm Model?

“Looking at the 2020 budget on the LoamFarm Model, output is down but at the sametime, we will also see a reduction in variablecosts due to the additional spring cropping,”says Jamie.

“Unfortunately, overhead costs are likely toremain relatively static — though there will besome which vary according to drilled area, such

The Loam farm model — where do you stand?

as fuel and casual labour, which will depend onwhat crops are drilled and when.”

In light of the anticipated downturn in cashflow this year, one of the key advice points fromAndersons is to look at the best way of generating income from your land. “Croppingwall to wall isn’t always the most beneficialoption,” points out Jamie. “On some types ofland, there are other options of income, such as through Countryside Stewardship, which can generate income in excess of £500/Ha.

“We have some clients who have implemented a stewardship agreement to take out the parts of fields which are challenging to farm leaving the remaining farmed area more efficient.

“If you’re not cropping an area of land or notreceiving income from it (other than BPS), youdon’t necessarily just get rid of your costs for thearea. Something like a stewardship scheme canbe better than the average rotational gross margin on poor land.”

Andersons have been using their Loam Farm Model since 1991 to track the fortunes of British combinable cropping farms.It comprises 600ha in a standard rotation of milling wheat, oilseed rape, feed wheat and spring beans and is based on real-life data.

farmers will be subsidised in the future, aswell as the Government committing to aseven-year transition period to phase out the Basic Payment scheme.

However, what it doesn’t elaborate on is what kind of figures growers can anticipate for undertaking ‘public good’measures.

According to Jamie Mayhew, AndersonsEastern, the best way to prepare and planfor this, is to analyse the strength of yourfarm business without taking into accountany kind of support payment.

“We’re really encouraging businesses to assess their cash generation with a reduced subsidy just to get an understanding of what the future could look like.”

What is obvious is that for many there’sgoing to have to be some tighter belts, andcontrolling costs is one of the key pieces ofadvice from Andersons as farmers head further into 2020. “A large part of this meanslooking at overheads — in particular,machinery and labour,” says Jamie. “Wealways try to encourage businesses to look

at what the combined labour and power costis as it can have a tendency to creep up.

“This could be due to changing machinery replacement policies, such asincreasing the horsepower on replacementmachinery which can bump up the depreciation. And obviously the cost of fueland labour has increased over the past fewyears too.”

Jamie believes that going forward, it’s got to be all about utilising resources as efficiently as possible — and keeping thosecosts down — but more importantly, withoutaffecting productivity and attention to detailon the ground. “Maybe that means askingyourself whether you’re farming a bit toomuch land and stretching your labour andpower too much.

“Or maybe you’re over resourced and it’s

Loam farm Harvest years

(£/ha) 2017 (result) 2018 (result) 2019 (provisional) 2020 (forecast)

Output 1205 1205 1237 1094

Variable costs 395 403 439 411

Gross margin 810 802 798 683

Overhead costs 413 421 442 443

Rent and finance 243 242 239 238

Drawings 77 79 79 79

Margin from production 77 61 38 (77)

Basic payment 228 228 230 220

Business margin 305 289 268 143

Business briefing


Andersons Loam Farm Model

While on the topic of finances, it’s worth flagging up a new specialist agricultural bank is set to launch later this year, offeringfinancial services specifically designed forBritish farmers.

Established through the collaboration ofbankers, farmers, and technology experts,Oxbury –– based in Chester –– is set to provide farmers and growers with a bespokerange of competitive lending and savingsproducts.

Critically, services will be offered throughthe bank’s founding distributor partners:Hutchinsons, Frontier Agriculture, Mole ValleyFarmers and KW, part of AB Agri.

“There’s no other UK-based bankfocussing its thinking, expertise and empathysolely on the agricultural market and theneeds of British farmers,” explains managingdirector and co-founder, Nick Evans.

“Oxbury’s founding team and investors arefarmers and market leading agri-businesscompanies that know the importance of farmers to the UK economy and rural communities. It’s founded by the industry for the industry and is designed to work in partnership with long-established agri-businesses that farmers know and trust.”

Oxbury expects to launch to market midway through 2020. Watch this space for more information...

Specialist agricultural bankto back British farming

perhaps worth seeking more land, at theright economics, to spread that cost. But atthe same time, that’s not always a goodapproach, so do take into account theeconomies of scale.” n

The passing of another year and the startof a brand new decade marks an apt timeto reflect on what has come and gone.

Over the past 10 years, the ag tech industry has seen a wide array of innovativekit launches with everything from brand newgearbox technology to the world’s firstautonomous tractor.

To kick off the new year in style, CPMhas taken a look at some of the mostnotable launches over the past 10 years.

2010Cereals 2010 saw Massey Ferguson unveilits MF 9280 Delta combine, which was thefirm’s first machine to optimise ‘hybrid’ technology. This meant using a conventionalthreshing system, followed by completelynew twin rotor separation.

Speaking at the time, a spokesman for the firm said: “We’re confident this combine will put us in the capacity stakeswhere it matters for large scale producers.

Tests show the combine not only providesthe performance, but uses 10% less fuel for the same output in equivalent conditions.”

The 9280 Delta was powered by a seven-cylinder 9.8-litre engine and wasclaimed to be the world’s first combine touse Selective Catalytic Reduction, in a bid to control emissions.

2011Back in 2011, Amazone made the headlines with the launch of the Pantera4001 — the firm’s first self-propelledsprayer to be designed and built entirelyin-house –– with both the spray pack andchassis now produced by the company.

With a debut at LAMMA that year, thePantera 4001 came available in boomwidths up to 40m and a 4000-litre tankcapacity.

Though automation still feels relativelynew, Amazone were early adopters and thePantera boasted plenty of precision featuressuch as GPS-Switch and GPS-Track, with thesprayer controlled through the firm’sAmadrive touch-screen terminal.

2012As a result of the new emission limitsbrought in the year before, 2012 saw a flurry of new tractors introduced. Amongthese was New Holland’s new T6 rangewhich debuted seven new models atLAMMA, ranging between 119hp-175hp

— all powered by SCR-equipped enginesfrom the firm’s in-house Fiat PowertrainTechnologies.

New Holland’s confidence in its engineswas so much so that they also presented figures of fuel savings as a result of employing SCR.

As reported in CPM at the time, testsshowed the T7.250 model could save£3,517 per 1000h in fuel costs (includingits AdBlue consumption) compared withthe previous Stage 3a engine-poweredT7050 –– both 180hp.

2013John Deere turned heads in 2013 with newgearbox technology that up until then, wasclaimed to only be optimised by race cars.

After five years in development, theDirectDrive was launched as a rival to theinfinitely variable transmission gearbox,using technology to automatically changethrough eight gears, set in three ranges.

The gearbox comprised two main driveshafts, each having four-speed gearingand an individual clutch and working inparallel of each other — one engaging atthe same time as the other disengages inorder to move through the gears.

John Deere said that this meant operations could continue without any disruption to the power flow.

Speaking at the time, a spokesman said:“You can either drive fully automatically,just as you would with an IVT transmission,

2020 visionMachinery 10 years of innovation

As 2020 begins, CPM hastaken a look back on some

of the most interestinglaunches over the past 10 years to highlight adecade of innovation.



We believe there’s now no

technological barrier to automated field

agriculture.”

“

Cereals 2010 saw Massey Ferguson unveil its MF9280 Delta combine.

In 2014, strip-till specialists, Claydon movedaway from their traditional mounted ranges andintroduced a brand new trailed series — theHybrid T.

or select one of the three ranges to suit thetask in hand. The ranges are tailored touse, and they’re designed so there’s nochance you’d need to change range in the field.”

2014Heading towards the midpoint of thedecade, 2014 saw strip-till specialists,Claydon move away from their traditionalmounted ranges and introduced a brandnew trailed series — the Hybrid T — firstlyas a 6m drill, but with an 8m version in the pipeline.

Speaking at the time in CPM, SpencerClaydon said: “As with our other machines,we’ve trialed this design extensively on ourown farm and elsewhere before putting itinto production. But while the design haschanged for the trailed format, the conceptremains the same. The Hybrid T uses thetwin-tine direct strip-till seeding system forwhich we hold a patent, with leadingbreaker tines followed by the A sharesdown the back of which the seed is fed.

“There are two banks of individuallyadjustable tungsten-carbide tines spaced2.5m apart, giving a minimum inter-tineclearance of 550mm, while row spacingcan be set at either 300mm or 600mm.Hydraulic reset breakback protection isstandard.”

20152015 was a busy year for Amazone with a huge array of new launches warranting a feature of its own in the March issue ofCPM that year.

Among them, was the ZA-V spreader,which featured a new spreading systemdeveloped entirely with the aid of three-dimensional spread patterns.

Amazone claimed at the time that thiswould bring up to 20% more throwing

width, compared with other twin-discspreaders in the ZA-V’s class, producingmore consistent and more precise spreadpatterns, even at wide working widths.

2016Spawning from an idea by researchers atHarper Adams, 2016 saw the universityannounce its ambition to grow and harvesta hectare of cereals, all without steppingfoot into the field.

The project was aptly given the now well-known title of “Hands Free Hectare”and since its launch has successfully sownand harvested a number of different crops.

Speaking back in November 2016, KitFranklin said: “As a team, we believe thereis now no technological barrier to automat-ed field agriculture. This project gives usthe opportunity to prove this and change

the current public perception.“Previously, people have automised

sections of agricultural systems, but funding and interest generally only goestowards one single area. We’re hoping tostring everything together to create onewhole system, which will allow us to farm

10 years of innovation


s


Spawning from an idea by researchers at HarperAdams, 2016 saw the university announce itsambition to grow and harvest a hectare of cereals autonomously.

Perhaps one of the most jaw-droppingdevelopments of 2019 was the VoloDrone .

10 years of innovation

our hectare of cereal crop from establishment to harvest, without having to go into the field.”

“We’re confident that we’re going to besuccessful implementing current opensource technology, but obviously there isan element of risk. This is the first time inthe world that this has been done butpushing boundaries is what engineeringresearch is about.”

And pushing the boundaries is certainlywhat they’ve done over the past decade…

2017Fendt stole the show in 2017 with thelaunch of its Ideal combine.

The firm called it the first “clean-sheet”design of an axial combine in the industry in30 years, and claimed to set a new standardfor harvesting automation with the latestaddition to its fleet.

After seven years of testing, the Idealwas unveiled to the public at Agritechnica2017. Speaking at the time, Fendt’s CalebSchelder said: “The Fendt Ideal is a game

changer because it is highly automated,but easy to operate. We created this combine to bring our customers peace of mind that they can go to the field, runsteadily all day long and get the crop harvested with great efficiency and minimal downtime.”

2018In 2018, the Small Robot Company introduced the concept of Tom, Dick andHarry to the world — a small fleet of robotsaimed at achieving a more sustainableform of food production, reducing environmental impact of farming andincreasing farm outputs globally throughthe use of automation and artificial intelligence.

Since then, the company and the robotshave come on leaps and bounds andhelped push the industry further into thefourth agricultural revolution.

And it’s not just the ag sector that’s beenimpressed. In a bid to accelerate the development of the tech, the firm launched anumber of crowdfunding campaigns whichall together have raised over £1.9m — highlighting just how much support there isfrom this next generation of technology.

2019The end of the decade brought some truly wonderful technology, building to acrescendo of innovation at last year’sAgritechnica.

Perhaps one of the most jaw-droppingdevelopments of the year was theVoloDrone — a major breakthrough indrone technology that comes as the resultof a collaboration between John Deere andVolocopter.

Featuring a potential payload of 200kg,the VoloDrone is able to cover an enormous area, especially under difficult operating conditions.

The VoloDrone is powered by 18 rotorswith an overall diameter of 9.2m, and features a fully electric drive using replaceable lithium-ion batteries. One battery charge allows a flight time of up to 30 minutes, and the VoloDrone can beoperated remotely or automatically on apre-programmed route.

With large drones becoming an increasingly important part of modern dayfarming, it’ll be interesting to see where thenext 10 years of innovation lead to. n

In 2018, the Small Robot Company introduced itsTom, Dick and Harry concept to the world.

s

Precision is optimised on Kubota’s latest offeringby the manufacturer’s unique reference sensortechnology.

Spreader technology hascome on leaps and bounds inrecent years, with many newexciting precision machines

making their way onto themarket. CPM takes a look at

some of the newcomers tothe scene.


Optimal distribution can result in fertiliser savings of

up to 15%.”“

The technology behind fertiliser spreaders has advanced rapidly overrecent years, with growers now able to get their hands on more precise,cost-effective kit than ever before.

Now spreading is all about precision anddoing everything you can to get the bestyield from your crop, so having a machinethat’s capable of applying accurately, andminimising overlap is key.

CPM has taken an in-depth look at the latest spreaders to hit the market and whatbenefits they could bring to growers.

KubotaNew from Kubota is the Geospread range,which was showcased at last year’sAgritechnica as well as making an appearance at LAMMA earlier last month.

The range is available in a number of different models and boasts individual

control — with section widths of just one 1m — which optimises precision due to the ability to shut off section by section inorder to minimise overlap, resulting in fertiliser savings.

As well as this, accuracy is boosted bythe manufacturer’s unique reference sensortechnology which eliminates and correctsany external factors which could impact on the spread pattern — really coming intoits own when trying to ensure precision onhillsides, adds the firm.

The range comes with eight vanes perdisc as standard and according to Kubota,this means fertiliser is released on a high frequency for constant flow and even spread pattern.

Spreaders also benefit from an integratedsection control system to provide optimaluse of nutrients to the crops. The weighingsystem continuously checks and controls the desired application rate, regardless of forward speed or fertiliser flow characteristics.

A new variable rate feature — Multirate —on board the spreaders also helps the rangego one step further in terms of its accuracy.This means operators can now move thespreading pattern depending on therequested application rate per section.Depending on the field variation and variable application map, up to eight rate sections can be used, says Kubota. “As result, this means more accurate application of nutrients for better efficiency,yield and to reduce costs.”

SulkyFrench firm Sulky has updated its XT range of trailed fertiliser spreaders with theaddition of ISOBUS connectivity in theEconov models.

According to the firm, this new featureallows farmers with high capacity needs tobenefit from the same precision placementtechnology as used on Sulky’s mountedspreader ranges.

As well as enhancing existing models,Sulky has also added a new model with the13,000-litre capacity XT 160 — meaning the

Precision decisions


s

MachineryFertiliser spreaders


Sulky has updated its XT range of trailed fertiliser spreaders with the addition of ISOBUSconnectivity in the Econov models.

The latest generation of Kuhn’s Axis benefitsfrom an updated spreading module.

KuhnWhile Kuhn’s Axis has been around for quitesome time, the firm has recently made a fewupdates to bring the trusted workhorse inline with current requirements.

The latest generation benefits from an updated spreading module which,according to Kuhn, delivers an infinitelyadjustable spreading pattern and boasts an increased hopper capacity as well as aredesigned chassis for up-rated payloadcapabilities.

Sitting pretty at the top of the range is theAxis 50.2 which ranges from 18m to 50mspreading width, and a hopper capacity of3200 to 4200 litres.

A nifty addition to the new series is that all Axis machines are now equipped withwear-resistant VXR+ coated spreadingvanes as standard and use Kuhn’s CDA(Coaxial Distribution Adjustment) system foraccurate metering at high speeds.

As well as this, the range features thefirm’s EMC (Electronic Mass Control) technology to meter fertiliser flow by measuring each spreading disc’s drivetorque. In essence, this means that fertiliserflow from each disc is constantly measuredand automatically adjusted to maintain a precise application rate across themachine’s entire spreading width –– a realwinner for those looking to be as precise aspossible throughout applications.

Fertiliser spreaders

XT Econov range is now available in threecapacities: 7200 (XT 100), 9500 (XT 130),and 13000 (XT 160).

The new range offers 12 spreading sections and working widths of up to 50m for granular products.

A neat feature, which is claimed to beexclusive to Sulky, is the curve-shapedspread distribution which is said to promote control over rate and targetedapplication, says the firm.

As well as this, application can also bemodulated independently on both the leftand right sides. “Optimal distribution usingSulky’s Econov technology can result in fertiliser savings of up to 15%,” says SulkyUK’s managing director, Robert Thurkettle.

For those looking for some added extras,growers can also opt for the ISOBUS Quart800 terminal, designed to optimise fertiliserspreading and application management, he adds.

The EMC system is available in two versions: the PTO-powered M EMC mechanical system, and the hydraulicallydriven H EMC version, adds Kuhn.

A new Vari Spread system has also madeits way onto the latest launch to further promote precision.

But how does it work?Electrical actuators continuously alter andadjust the spreading unit’s drop points, outletpositions and disc rotation speed to allowadjustment of spreading patterns across themachine’s entire working width. The systemcan be controlled either manually or via GPSto prevent over-spreading at field margins,says the firm.

With a drive to reduce over or under-application, Kuhn have also addedthe Opti Point system which is designed to target just that.

“Opti Point automatically controls apertureopening and closing at the headlands tominimise over or under-application whateverthe shape, size, density or air resistance ofthe fertiliser,” says the firm. “The systemworks through pre-programming all the prelevant information into the Kuhn CCI control box, Kuhn’s own Quantron terminal,or third-party control boxes, to determine the optimum aperture opening and closingpoint in conjunction with GPS guidance.”

Bogballe/KRMNew from Danish firm Bogballe, is its seriesof L-line spreaders.

Available in working widths ranging from10-24 metres, the product has marketeditself on being able to spread fertiliser, slugpellets, cover and EFA crops quickly and

Joining the latest installments of app-based technology is the mySpreader app from Amazone,which is claimed to be the first all-in-one packagecontaining the firms FertiliserService, EasyCheckand EasyMix apps for straight-forward, and easyspreader adjustment.

With each previous app having success in its own right, the powers at Amazone havemarried them together to create a one-stop-shopfor growers in order to simplify usage.

In practical terms, this means that fertilisersthat match the spreader settings can now befound and selected with ease and the same appis used when doing a test with the EasyCheck kit.

According to Amazone, this can save time andhelp to prevent input errors. “In addition, eachcustomer can develop their own personal fertiliserdatabase, in which they can recall fertiliser properties, spreading results and spreader settings at any time.”

As well as the functionality available due to the combination of apps, some neat new features include a tool that calculates setting recommendations for blended fertilisers, known

as EasyMix, as well as a Bluetooth adapter forISOBUS machinery.

Via this interface, all the settings for the spreader can be transferred from the mySpreaderApp to the Amazone spreader. “This saves timeand avoids setting errors, whilst, at the same time,being much more convenient. The Bluetooth connection is used both when setting the valuesfrom the digital setting chart and when sending thecorrected values through EasyCheck.”

The mySpreader app from Amazone is claimed to be the first all-in-one package containing thefirms FertiliserService, EasyCheck and EasyMixapps.

App happy

s

precisely thanks to simple setting of the bottom outlet position to allow for a quickswitch between materials.

The spreader itself boasts three differentsettings; micro, minimum and standard.

According to the firm, the micro outlet canhandle volumes as low as 3kg/ha, but forbigger operations, the ‘standard’ setting has the capability to spread up to 370kg offertiliser per minute.

The minimum outlet is suited for seedingEFA crops after harvest, while the micro outlet position is recommended for spreading of small-grained cover crops and micro-granules such as slug pellets.

Like many other manufacturers, the L-line series also offers fully automatic section control as well as a GPS operatingsystem. “The flexible system is not only agreat help for automatic start and stop in headland and field wedges –– the systemcan also be moved and used on tractorsthat aren’t already equipped with a GPS system,” says the firm.

When it comes to spread pattern, the L-line series optimises a ‘double doubleoverlap’ pattern which is claimed to offer thelargest amount of overlap possible, andtherefore the highest degree of tolerancewhen spreading, according to the firm.

But how does it work? “As the machinespreads the next tramline another doubleoverlap is applied. It can now be seen thatthe area between the tramlines which hasnow had its whole application has receivedfour applications two from each disc,” says the firm.

“In this way the spread pattern is built uplittle and often. When spreading in the realworld there are many factors that can affectthe evenness of spread, such as wind,uneven ground, material variations and PTOspeed fluctuations.

“By using the Double Double overlap system — where effectively four applicationsare being applied — any external factors willhave a much smaller effect than they willwith other spread systems offering less overlap.”

BredalAfter first showcasing the concept back in 2017, fellow Danish firm, Bredal, has introduced the K-XE series of trailed spreaders.

The latest launch is the firm’s biggest yet,with working widths of up to 48m for fertiliserthanks to a new 6m wide, foldable XEspread section.

Available in three versions — K105XE,K135XE and K165XE — the towed spreaders offer section control and are

fully ISOBUS controlled.The range is available with two different

hydraulic systems, either via the tractor’shydraulic system or via a hydraulic powerunit (HPU). “The HPU comprises a PTO-powered hydraulic pump station attached to the spreader and drives the two spreaddiscs,” says Bredal.

“The floor belt and two side belts are powered by the tractor’s hydraulic systemand the HPU ensures a constant, highlyeffective power supply.”

The two hydraulically driven spread discsare mounted 6m apart and supplied by two40-cm-wide hydraulically foldable side belts.

As an extra, it’s also possible to equip thenew spread unit with two different types ofspread discs for lime and three differenttypes of spread discs for mineral fertiliser,adds the firm.

Danish firm, Bogballe, has recently introduced itsnew L-line spreader series.

AmazoneHot in the headlines from Amazone is theannouncement of the updated ZA-V 2600ecoSUPERIOR.

Available in up to 36m spreading width and offering four-bag capacity,

Fertiliser spreaderss


Amazone has announced an updated offer onthe ZA-V 2600 ecoSUPERIOR spreader.

the ZA-V 2600 comes with the narrow Sextension for convenient road transport — particularly around narrow lanes — andis fitted with a manually-actuated roll-overhopper cover to keep out the elements andensure trouble-free spreading, wet or dry.

The large sight glasses allow for handyhopper contents monitoring and sieves prevent any ingress of foreign objects, addsthe firm.

Shutter control is via two double-actingspool valves giving in-cab half-side shut-offwhen working in short work and a third valveis necessary for the Limiter V actuation. TheLimiter V — which boasts special lamellaconstruction that can be lowered in stagesinto the spread fan — ensures maximumyield up against the field edge, according to Amazone.

The ZA-V range starts at 1400 litres and runs up to the 4500kg payload with the

4200 litre ZA-V Ultra 4200. Where weigh-cellcontrol of the application rate is requiredthen the ZA-V Profis Control is the entry-levelweighing machine or, for automatic headland shut-off via GPS, then the ISOBUS‘Tronic’ Pack can be specified.

It’s currently under offer from the manufacturer and in its offer specification,the ZA-V 2600 ecoSUPERIOR is fitted withthe easy-adjusting V-Set 1 discs for up to 21 m spreading and a Limiter V borderspread deflector on the right hand side for spreading anti-clockwise around theheadland.

The ZA-TS spreader range has also been given a bit of an update with the newaddition of the HeadlandControl system.

As a result of automatic GPS-Switch control, the fertiliser spreader now automatically switches on and off very precisely at the headland or in wedge-shaped fields, explains the firm.

In combination with GPS-Switch, the so-called SwitchPoint offers the possibility toideally adjust the switch-on and switch-offpoints depending on the fertiliser and theworking width.

So how does it work?The SwitchOn-Point is the point where thefertiliser spreader comes on. Especially atlarge working widths, “the switch-on” point is already far beyond the headland and outinto the crop.

In contrast, the SwitchOff-Point is the pointwhere the spreader switches off anddescribes the point at which the spread fan— which is thrown-back behind the machine— meets the previously spread headlandarea with corresponding overlap.

As soon as the switch-off point isreached, the spreader switches off automatically.

The values for the switch-on point and theswitch-off point are configured in advanceon the terminal depending on the fertiliserand can be optimised independently of each other.

Under certain circumstances, however,the switch-off point may be behind the headland tramline so that it would actuallyhave to be driven beyond the tramline inorder for the spreader to switch off in anideal manner.

Since this is often not done in practice,small zones of over-fertilisation and under-fertilisation can arise when turning intothe headland. If the driver turns before theactual switch-off point is reached, the spread fan behind the machine is swivelledsideways.

In this way, over-fertilised areas appear on one side and under-fertilised areas on theother side.

Amazone now hopes to alleviate this issuewith the HeadlandControl function which isonly used where tramlinemeet headland.While spreading on the headland, the outside disc performs border spreadingfunction, while the HeadlandControl functionis carried out in parallel using the field-sidespreading disc.

Here, the delivery point is rotated outwards so that the spread fan of the field-side spreading disc can draw furtherinto the crop. The spread headland is therefore increased to the field-side wherebythe SwitchOff-Point can be placed in front ofthe corresponding headland tramline.

By this measure, the spreader switchesoff before reaching the headland tramlineand the associated steering of the tractor. n

Bredal’s latest launch is the firms biggest yet,with working widths of up to 48m for fertiliser.

Fertiliser spreaders

For those after something a bit smaller, Irishmanufacturer, Quad-X, have developed a new fertiliser spreader that’s been designedspecifically to be towed by UTVs — in fact,any vehicle with a 50mm tow ball.

Though largely targeted at those withgrassland pastures, this lightweight spreadercould be a handy piece of kit in the arablearmoury, particularly when weather conditionsmake travelling with heavier kit impossible.

So what exactly is it, and how does it work?The UTV Pro Spreader comprises a steel

frame and has been put through its paces in a seven stage finishing process to minimisecorrosion. As well as this, the spreader hasextra-wide axles — coupled with low-placedhopper — to increase stability, particularly onhilly ground, says the firm.

In terms of capacity, the Pro Spreader is fitted with a 680 litre hopper with removablesides, while flotation tyres enable travel, evenon softer ground.

The dished spinner and specially designedspinner vanes have been developed to give a

spread up to 15.2m with an even applicationfor maximum results and minimum wastage,claims Quad-X.

As well as this, the spreading system isground-driven, meaning the revolutions of thespreading disc are controlled by forward speed.

A particularly handy feature is the capabilityto control the shutter plate from the UTV itself.According to the firm, the Pro Spreader is theonly commercially available UTV sower on themarket that boasts this feature.

Quad-X, have developed a new fertiliser spreader that’s been designed specifically to be towed by UTVs.

Small but mighty

s

Arable operations across amixed farm in Bucks havebeen brought perfectly in

tune with its dairy andsheep, bringing massive

carbon savings. In the first of a brand-new series, CPM

finds out what makes thepioneer behind this system a

Climate Change Champion.


Everything’s kept on the farm – one thing’s always

benefiting somethingelse. ”

“

Enterprise harmony cuts carbonInnovation Climate

Change Champions

One of the farm’s seven slurry lagoons, used tofeed all the arable crops and grassland, keepingfertiliser applications to a minimum.

When you arrive at FH Pullin and Sons,near Silverstone, Bucks, your first impression may well be that it’s a busy,but somewhat haphazard farm. Thereseems to be a never-ending hive of activity among the scatter of containersand the buildings around which they cluster, which themselves look as thoughthey’re in constantly evolving constructionmode.

But as you move from the quietly contented herd of dairy cows sauntering in and out of robot milking machines, pastsome the farm’s slurry lagoons to the zero-tilled crops in the surrounding farmland, what emerges is the very neat, forward-looking system they support.

“When it comes to carbon footprint, waste management and productivity, it’s all

interlinked into a whole-farm approach,”says Clive Pullin, managing director of thefamily-owned business that farms 620ha of“clay, clay and more clay” soil, mainly in onering-fenced block. “It’s a continuation of afamily ethic that everything’s kept on thefarm –– one thing’s always benefiting something else.”

Very low inputsFor the arable enterprise, this results inyields averaging 8.25t/ha across his cereals(200ha of winter wheat, mainly milling varieties, 50ha winter barley and 10ha of spring oats). These receive very low herbicide and fungicide inputs and just asingle top dressing of bagged fertiliser, whilethe 4m Krause direct drill usually makes theonly cultivation pass. Nearly everything elsefor the arable crops, which include 40ha ofoilseed rape and 65ha of maize, is suppliedby the 285-head dairy herd, its 184 followersand the 790-ewe flock of sheep.

But it works both ways, with the arableenterprise an integral part of the dairy. “Ourbig money-maker is that we produce oursilage at a total cost of just £23-28/t. Wecan’t grow good protein crops here, anddon’t like to buy in any soya. So the herd’sprotein requirement comes mainly from the120ha of temporary grass, and that’s wherewe’ve made the difference,” says Clive.

The average protein content of grasssilage is around 13%, but Clive maintains alevel closer to 17% for the herd that’s housedall year round. This peaks at 22% whenswards are fed fresh-cut. A small amount

of rapemeal, dished out of a barrel using asmall plastic bucket, is the only bought-insupplement, added to a home-grown andmilled mix of barley, wheat and oats, alongside maize silage which completes the ration.

“My wife and I closely monitor the milkanalyses to ensure all the protein is utilised.Yield-wise we get on average 9000 litres/cowover six lactations. This isn’t top-performing,but we’re not pushing our herd to producethe highest yield, aiming for its optimum,” he says.

“Using rapemeal and home-grown cerealsinstead of soya puts a cap on yield, butrather than buy in a commodity from a questionable source, I prefer we focus ondoing a better job of producing high valuegrass –– a crop we can control. What’s more, it doesn’t sit right to destroy the planet just toeke an extra 1000 litres from our cows.”

It’s this same philosophy of optimising output from a sensible use of resources


s


available to him that Clive rolls out across his farming system. So what are the keyaspects? Firstly, there’s the grass itself andthe high protein content that displaces theneed for bought-in supplements. “We use a30% clover to ryegrass mix and cross-drillleys with a 5% herbage mix specificallydesigned to boost the natural mineral value,”Clive reveals.

Another aspect is just-in-time cutting andcarting, whether this is fed fresh or ensiled,to ensure the protein value is retained. Thiscomes down to the fleet of Fendt tractors inthe business. A 936 and an 828 provide thegrunt of the mainline tractors, pushing out366hp and 287hp respectively. They’re usedin reverse formation –– the seat and controlsswivelled through 180° – to drive the farm’stwo Kemper forage harvesters.

They’re also put on the two MasseyFerguson 187 balers that each push out6000 bales/yr –– every crop, even OSR, isbaled as bedding for the dairy herd, alongwith some hay, with the straw returned asmanure the following year.

Three Fendt 516s, rated at 163hp, perform much of the rest of the farm’s tasks,including most of the arable work. “We

do very little ploughing –– just for the lazy-rooting maize –– and the drill has a verylow power requirement. So what we needfrom the mainline tractors is machines thatare tip-top, reliable and efficient across the1160hrs/yr they work. We can’t afford to havemen hanging around waiting for a tractor tobe fixed, and the grass has to be cut atpeak protein content.”

Fuel savingThe tractors are on a service contract withFendt, traded out after five years. “The fuelsaving over other brands pays for the service contract and half the finance charge.But the main difference is that they hold theirvalue –– the depreciation works out at£7.69/hr over the five years,” notes Clive.

Only the Fendt tractors operate on this system, with a completely different policy forthe plethora of other machinery dotted aboutthe business. There are eight Caterpillar telehandlers, for example, keeping materialsmoving around each unit of the busy farm.“We buy them relatively cheap at 3000hrsand they last forever. The important thing isthat there should always be a telehandlernearby for the job at hand.”

Efficiency in the field is maintainedthrough Fendt’s Tractor Management System(TMS) he adds. “The tractor adjusts itsengine speed to the optimum, so whenyou’re going downhill it’ll drop the tractorrevs, saving fuel, but then pick them upagain when necessary.”

This is invaluable to ensure peak efficiency when making the many applications of slurry and muck, for example, which form the backbone of thenutrition programme. The farm’s invested in several slurry lagoons, taking in not only home-produced but also imported,nutrient-rich waste water from nearby foodplants, as well as anaerobic digestate.These are applied throughout the spring,pumped through an umbilical system to a14m Vogelsang dribble bar spreader. Everyfield is regularly nutrient-mapped by SOYLand applications are tailored to requirement.

“Each operator knows what we’re aimingfor and sets the forward speed accordingly,following the map which is displayed in thecab. They slow down if the map colour indicates a low index and speed up in the green areas. It involves quite a bit ofoperator input and I’m looking around for asystem that manages variable applicationsautomatically. But we’re already getting goodresults –– the maps from 15 years ago werea rainbow of colours for soil indices, but nowthey’re more uniform, as are crop yields.”

The system represents a massive savingin bagged fertiliser use, with organic sources supplying 75-90% of crop nutrientrequirements, and a resulting huge carbonequivalent saving. There are benefits, too, forsoil biology, helped by the zero-till systemthat’s been developed over 16 years.

Innovative ideasAll enterprises across the farm are fully integrated, with waste from the dairy feedingarable crops, which in turn provide nearly all thefeed for the dairy, resulting in minimum need forbought-in resources and a greatly reduced carbon footprint.

Productivity pushThere’s been a determined focus to maximiseprotein content of grass silage through timely,efficient operations and careful management,optimising herd performance without the needfor any bought-in soya. Well managed grazing of arable crops by sheep has maintained productivity with greatly reduced reliance onagrochemicals.

What makes Clive Pullin a Climate Change Champion?

Cultivation careAll crops, apart from maize are established withzero till, with green cover maximised and a focuson well rooted crops, fixing carbon in the soil.Use of organic manures has increased soil biology, further enhancing its ability to sequestercarbon. Hundreds of trees have also been planted in non-productive areas.

Bio-based boldnessWaste from food factories and digestate isstored on farm and used to feed arable crops,displacing the need for nitrate fertiliser. A250KVA roof-mounted solar array powers thedairy. Rainwater is harvested to cool milk andpre-heat water used in the milking parlour,cutting bills from £10,000/yr to £2000/yr.

A roof-mounted solar array and harvestedrainwater have slashed energy bills.

Hundreds of trees have been planted in non-productive areas.

The protein level in the silage is around 17%, and with just a few bucketfuls of rapemeal to supplementthe homegrown cereals, no bought-in soya is needed.

Climate Change Champions

s

fusarium. “We have to spend a lot on testing,although safe limits on toxins have neverbeen exceeded.

“Regulations for the slurry and importedwaste we apply are hellish, but I find it easierto do that paperwork than write big chequesfor fertiliser.”

But he’s clear on the big wins. “Moving to zero tillage has been a massive benefit for so many reasons. My request to plant

If farmers and their suppliers really want toachieve Net Zero by 2040, then this should be top of mind every time they reach for thetractor keys, believes Martin Hamer, UK andIreland manager for Fendt.

“It might sound strange coming from amajor tractor manufacturer, but Fendt actuallywants its customers to use their tractors less,”he says. “Ask yourself: Is this operation reallynecessary? Could you make a differentchoice?”

Martin’s a keen advocate of honestappraisals of individual farm enterprise andfield profitability, costings of the tools used anddesired environmental outcomes. “These stepsshould lead farmers to make decisions basedon the sound evidence of environmental benefit and financial return.”

Fendt offers its customers a package offeatures and services which allow these coststo be accurately calculated, rather thanguesstimated or gleaned from farm management books, he points out.

“By spreading these over a longer period,the big costs such as deprecation can be minimised. Add to this the eight-year full manufacturer’s warranty, fixed cost servicingcontracts and very flexible financing solutionsand a true cost can be factored into management decision making –– it’s a step

Clive’s clearly taken,” adds Martin.“As Clive also points out, when the operator

comfort, fuel economy, efficiency gains fromthe superior Vario transmission and TMS control (standard on Fendt tractors) and a comprehensive technology offering are factored in, even greater definable savings are achievable.”

Fendt tractors are produced in one of theworlds most advanced tractor manufacturingfacilities where environmental emissions areunder close scrutiny. When necessary, theplant is heated by a combination of re-cycledheat from the machine tools and topped up byenergy from a wood chip burning plant.

Martin Hamer would like farmers to use theirtractors less.

UK Farming has set itself the challenging targetof Net Zero emissions by 2040. Although led bythe NFU, it will take the entire industry, workingtogether in a partnership approach to meet thisambitious goal.

But there are individual growers, thoughtleaders who have already started on this journey.They have the ideas, the progressive outlook andthe determination to shape positive change.CPM has teamed up with leading agriculturalsuppliers who have a credible Net Zero aspiration to identify these individuals and bringthem into the top-level discussion about how


farming can position itself as the solution to climate change. CPM readers will get the chance later this year to decide who will be awarded the accolade ofClimate Change Champion 2020.CPM would like to thank our sponsors:

“I always carry a spade with me and makeregular inspections, and we’ve seen steadyimprovements,” reports Clive.

“The most noticeable aspect is how wellthe land travels, which is important for us.We also always aim to keep a green coverfor as much of the year as possible.”

Reduced weed pressureThis is where the sheep come in. Firstly, they come onto the stubble, soon after harvest, to clear chaff and effectively providea light, scratch cultivation to encourage volunteer and weed seed to chit. The strategy then is to establish a crop with ahealthy root, whether cereals or OSR, andgraze off the top growth until the earlyspring. This reduces weed and diseasepressure, leaving precious little chemistry for the Rogator 28m sprayer to apply.

“We can get away with just an applicationof glyphosate pre-drilling and a single fungicide spray,” notes Clive. “The sheepthemselves rarely need a top-up feed andare moved regularly onto fresh ground,keeping lameness to a minimum.”

At harvest, the same, just-in-time focusand larger than needed MF 9280 combinewith a 9m header have meant no grain hasgone through the drier in 13 years.

Clive points out the system he has is notall savings and benefits –– the combination of maize in the rotation, direct drilling andquality wheats puts the crop at high risk of

What Clive Pullin needs from the mainlinetractors is machines that are tip-top, reliable and efficient across the hours they work.


breeders is that we need a maize that’s notlazy-rooting so that we can direct drill thatcrop too. Getting rid of old machines withthe mainline tractors also makes sense. Notonly are they way more fuel efficient but theyensure timely, effective operations and areextremely comfortable for the operator,which means happy staff. For us, these are the differences that ensure all the farmenterprises work in harmony.” n

With a busy and varied workload, tractoroperators Levi (left) and Philip appreciate the highspec and comfort of machines capable ofmanaging high-pressure tasks with ease.


Tractor tech helps with efficiency targets

Kieran Walsh (right) stumbled across FieldView a few years ago, and got in touch with RosalindMartin who set him up with what he needed to try out the system.

Arriving at the Down Ampney Estate nearCirencester, Glos, in the pummelling winter rain, you pass sodden, puddledfields of Cotswold brash, supporting theodd, sad-looking volunteer and preciouslittle planted wheat. How valuable woulda system be that gathered reams of relevant data from the world’s weatherpatterns, and gave you an accurate recommendation on when to plant thosefields and with what?

Kieran Walsh, agronomist with Velcourt,has been trialling a system that may beable to do exactly that. For the past seasonhe’s been using Climate FieldView, a digitalfarming package currently used mainlyacross North and South America.Pioneered by The Climate Corporation (see panel on p71), the company is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer.So joining him to find out how he’s got onare Michael Muncey, Bayer’s head of UKand Ireland operations, and south westagronomy manager Rosalind Martin.

“I stumbled across FieldView a fewyears ago, so when it became part ofBayer I got in touch with Rosalind who setme up with what I needed to try out thesystem,” recalls Kieran. “It’s our long-termgoal to streamline how we use precisionfarming in UK agriculture –– it must be time efficient and provide value. A lot ofplatforms do a similar job to FieldView, but this narrows it down and makes thetechnology very easy to use and to derivea benefit from.”

Drawing in dataFieldView is a piece of software that sits as an app on your smartphone, tablet ordesktop PC and gathers data about thecrop in your field. Its functionality in the UKis still somewhat limited as it’s a productgeared mainly for the corn-growing belt ofthe US. Kieran used it during 2019 mostlyfor drawing in data from the combine. Buthe points out there’s a user interface thatclearly benefits from the hundreds of programmers at Climate, who over the pasteight years have refined the software for itstens of thousands of farming customersaround the world.

“It’s extremely easy to set up,” notesKieran. “The farmer I worked with on thistrial, Rory Clark of Holt Farm, Cirencester,is someone I knew wouldn’t want to sufferhours of downtime getting accustomed to apiece of software or setting it up on farmequipment. When it came to it, it took just afew minutes to set up the Drive unit and wewere ready to go. What Rory says he likes

about it most is that all members of thefarm staff can use it without hours of training.”

Kieran’s talking about FieldView Drive ––a rather clever bit of hardware that lies atthe hub of the system. It’s a device thatlooks a little like a door knob that plugs into a tractor or combine controller areanetwork (CAN) diagnostic port. Most modern tractors have one of these and the FieldView Drive uses it to draw in all manner of data from the machine –– location, speed, and if it’s a combine, yieldand grain moisture. This information is thentransferred by Bluetooth to the app runningon a tablet in the cab and displayed in realtime on a map.

“The beauty of the system is that you’renot locked into a manufacturer’s licence so it’s transferrable across tractor andcombine brands, working with most wellknown makes,” he notes. “It recognised the

The Climate Corporation’sFieldView has brought a

remarkable level of precisionto US maize growers, but

will it do so here in the UK?CPM visits an early user to

get an insight.


What I really like about this isthat I get access in realtime to the harvesting

operation.”

“

Weather the weather

Innovation On Farm Opinion


In 2002, David Friedberg, a 22-year-old investment analyst, would pass the Bike Hut onthe Embarcadero in San Francisco on his way towork each day. He was struck by the fact thisbusiness, renting out bicycles to tourists, totallyrelied on the weather –– when it rained (which itoften did), the owner didn’t even bother opening.

At that time, David was working at a youngtech start-up called Google, on the team developing the financial models underpinning thecompany’s nascent AdWords. He discovered 70%of the world’s businesses are affected by theweather. So what if there was a service thatanalysed closely what it was predicted to do andsold insurance cover that paid out if bad weatherhappens? He teamed up with fellow Googleemployee Siraj Khaliq, a software engineer whopioneered the algorithms behind Google Books,and they launched WeatherBill in 2006.

What David and Siraj did was to transform the weather business, so long the province ofguesswork and desire, into a system driven solelyby numbers. In 2009, WeatherBill focused onfarming, launching its first agricultural product,Total Weather Insurance, which allowed farmersto insure their crops against bad weather foraround $40/acre (£75/ha). “More than half thefarmers offered the product bought it,” boastedDavid in a presentation he gave two years later.

By 2011, the company had thousands of farming customers, hundreds of employees,a revenue of tens of millions of dollars every quarter and it changed its name to The ClimateCorporation. Taking in 60 years of crop-yield statistics, historical weather information as well as daily scans by radar and satellite, Climate

What is The Climate Corporation?

processes 50TB of data at any one time, and wasonce the world’s largest consumer of Amazon’sCloud services.

The result is a remarkably accurate weatherprediction, that can be tied to soil type and cropping information at a field or sub-field level,and this underpinned the insurance service.Although US farmers can participate in the FederalCrop Insurance program, underwritten by the USDepartment of Agriculture to the tune of as muchas $14 billion/yr, this covers only 60% of the valueof the crop and doesn’t incentivise a push forhigher productivity. In June 2013, The ClimateCorporation received approval to offer federalinsurance as well.

But the company went a step further,developing an agronomy side. The results wereClimate Basic and Climate Pro, rebranded in 2015 as Climate FieldView. Now the wealth of data at Climate’s disposal, as well as itsmachine-learning capability, were redirected toprovide recommendations on when and what afarmer should grow for optimum returns. Theattraction and synergy were just too much forMonsanto, which bought The Climate Corporationin late 2013 for $1.1 billion.

Although it remains a standalone subsidiary,The Climate Corporation merged with Monsanto’sIntegrated Farming System and Precision Plantingdivisions the next year, bringing in other acquisitions to strengthen its agronomy and soil science. It then shed the crop insurance business in July 2015 to focus entirely on its digital agriculture platform.

Today, The Climate Corporation is a company of700 employees, and Climate FieldView is currently

used across 36M paid ha, mainly in North andSouth America. The Climate Corporation Europehas been set up, based in Basel, Switzerland,and for the past two years FieldView has beenrunning on farms across 15 countries, with majorfocus on Ukraine, Romania, Italy, Spain andFrance. Last year was its first in the UK, with 10 FieldView Drive units, and a further two werein operation in the Nordics.

Siraj Khaliq (left) and David Friedbergtransformed the weather business into asystem driven solely by numbers.Photo: San Francisco Chronicle, Kurt Rogers.

Total Weather Insurance allowed farmers toinsure their crops against bad weather for around $40/acre (£75/ha).

The FieldView Drive plugs into a tractor or combine controller area network (CAN) diagnostic port.

New Holland combine instantly, knew whatwidth the header was and when it was cutting. You still have to calibrate it to gather the correct yields, but you don’teven have to map the field boundaries –– it does that for you.”

Automatically syncedThe data from the FieldView Drive is automatically synced with the FieldViewaccount, stored in the Cloud, making itavailable for anyone to see who has therelevant permissions. “What I really likeabout this is that I get access in real timeto the harvesting operation,” says Kieran.

“I was at a wedding in France whenRory contacted me –– he wanted to knowabout certain areas across the farm, notinglow and high-yielding patches in the wheatfield he was harvesting. I could log on tosee exactly where the combine was, but

more importantly could see all the data thedriver was seeing. It was mid-Aug and hewanted to turn straight round and drill itwith oilseed rape so quick decisions wereneeded, and we could make thosebecause I was also seeing the data live. In this case the issue was soil conditions.”

Although FieldView is still a beta

product, not fully supported in the UK,Kieran found help was at hand through a responsive chat window within the software. Rosalind confirms there’s astrong support team in the US with a goodtechnical understanding both of the software and of farming. “US farmers getextended support during harvest and

On Farm Opinion


s


both seed and fertiliser can be exported,seamlessly to some platforms. It’s in thisarea, particularly Seed Scripts, and the new pre-commercial Seed Advisor, whereFieldView is making a real difference forUS growers, says Michael. “Where a SeedAdvisor recommendation is followed, itresults in an average 5% yield uplift in 75-80% of situations,” he reports.

As-applied mapsApplication plans and Seed Advisor aren’tyet available in the UK, but those triallingthe FieldView Drive unit can plug it into thedrilling tractor and it’ll generate as-appliedseeding maps that can then be comparedwith harvest data within FieldView througha suite of data-analysis tools. Satelliteimagery is also pulled in through the season and can help identify agronomicissues and prioritise crop-walking, explains Kieran.

“FieldView generates biomass maps like many other systems. However, what I haven’t seen before is a crop water usagetool –– after much ground-truthing, weused it to tailor the final nitrogen dressingwhen the crop was looking a little droughtstressed.”

But here in the UK, FieldView currentlycan’t be said to be delivering the level ofintegration US farmers benefit from.Despite The Climate Corporation’s expertise and track record in crunchingweather data, Kieran admits the crop monitoring and forecasting tools are nomore sophisticated than those you’d find in current UK systems, such as Rhiza, nor does it yet have the ability to pull inand utilise data from parallel platforms that you get with Omnia and MyFarm.Recommendations such as FieldView SeedScript simply don’t yet exist in the UK version of FieldView.

There’s also the question of data use.“There is a clear data-use policy,” saysMichael. “The farmer owns the data, whichincludes all information FieldView has calculated, and gets to keep their dataeven if they stop using the software. That data is available to The ClimateCorporation and it’s used to refine the algorithms –– this step has been essential to allow FieldView to bring the level of functionality it now has for US growers and this will be a key part of building theEuropean service.”

Kieran doesn’t see data use as an issue.“My client doesn’t have any problems withBayer using their data, especially if itimproves the service, and don’t see that itwill be used to push product. As far as

Bayer and The Climate Corporation Europeplan to extend the trials programme forFieldView in 2020. The company’s lookingfor around 50 UK growers or agronomists,especially CPM readers, who’ll receive afree FieldView Drive unit, and a year’s freeaccess to the software and tech support.Those interested should contact their localBayer commercial technical manager.

Join the FieldView Drive

Very easy to set up and use, FieldView gives aninstant picture of how harvest is progressing.

Kieran points out that farmers sharing dataimproves the service from FieldView, but is keenthat all software platforms become more openand share data seamlessly.

Michael Muncey says a major priority for Bayer isto allow growers to use FieldView to tailorfungicide programmes.

getting access myself to my data, I havefar fewer problems with FieldView than I do with other platforms I’ve used.

“But my main plea to all software systems is to make them more open andshare data between platforms freely andseamlessly –– it’s a problem throughout theindustry and I don’t see that FieldView isany more open than the rest,” he stresses.

“What I like, though, is the real-timeinformation, ease of use and ability tomake quick data-informed decisions. WhatI’m excited about is the prospect of usingFieldView in the future to apply seed knowledge to the data it acquires. But wehave much more variability in our climateand conditions here in the UK comparedwith the US, so it may not deliver quite thesame level of service.”

Michael admits this will take time.“FieldView has been built primarily as anAmerican product for maize. It works wellin Ukraine, but further west into Europe,wheat becomes the dominant crop.Monsanto had always focused on variableseeding, based on the strength of its product portfolio, and this is also importantfor wheat. But a major priority for Bayer following the acquisition in 2018 of thecompany, is to allow growers to useFieldView to tailor fungicide programmes.These have a much greater role in terms ofcrop productivity in wheat in Europe thanthey do in maize.

“It will take a further two years to gather,validate and refine data, which is whywe’re keen to get plenty of Drive units out onto European farms. But we’re alsobringing our own proprietary data from all our field trials and products into the software. So while there’s already a goodlevel of functionality, in the future UK growers can look forward to a very powerful tool in FieldView that will bring a remarkable level of precision and productivity.” n

planting and if you submit a question you’ll often get a response within 30 secs.”

So what about the crop-monitoring andrecommendation elements of FieldView?These are the core parts of the US package –– it harnesses the wealth of climate data it gathers, along with knowledge about your field, to produceSeed Scripts. These are custom plantingplans that vary not only the rate across afield, but they can also switch between different hybrid maize varieties within afield, drawing on the knowledge Bayer has on its vast seed portfolio, as well as on other seed brands.

Customised fertility plans can also be created, and variable-rate maps for

On Farm Opinion

s

Weed control this spring islikely to be a little more challenging than normal

after the wet and relativelymild winter, so the launch ofa new adjuvant for use withpost-emergence herbicides

may just help herbicides hittheir mark. CPM finds

out more.


Trials have shown significantincreases in the

speed of kill.”“

Innovation Pushing performance

A sure hit

Sorrento may be best known for itsMediterranean climate and the deliciouslimoncello it produces, but the Italian townalso lends its name to a new adjuvant from specialist company Interagro. Its novel formulation is specifically designed to facilitate the performance of post-emergence herbicides, giving weeds ‘the kiss of death’.

Treating weeds at the post-emergence timing can pose a particular set of challenges, explains Sarah Ferrie, marketingmanager at Interagro, but Sorrento has beenengineered specifically to overcome them. “A post-em herbicide must come into contactwith the weed and then be retained longenough on the leaf surface to penetrate andbe absorbed into the plant.

“Once in the plant, the active ingredient

Sarah Ferrie explains there are limits to how aformulation can be improved for a herbicide ‘inthe can’, which can’t take into account watervolume at application.

must then reach the target site inside the leaftissue where it can disrupt a vital process orstructure –– the exact process or structuredepending on the herbicide’s mode ofaction,” she explains.

So what’s the biggest barrier to effectiveweed control? It’s the cuticle on the leaves ofweed plants, explains Sarah.

“Herbicides have to penetrate the leaf cuticle to travel to their target site. It’s a barrierpresent on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces to protect plant against water loss.”

Water-repellent layerThe cuticle is made of three types of materials –– wax, cutin and pectin. Wax is onboth the leaf surface and inside the cuticlelayers. It’s made up of long hydrocarbonchains, including fatty acids, and forms awater repellent layer over the entire leaf surface, restricting entry of water-solublecompounds.

The cutin layer is made up of intermediatelength chains of fatty acids and is interspersed with pectin strands, which are also present at the cell wall interface.When hydrated, pectin strands provide aqueous pathways, enabling the uptake of water-soluble herbicides, she explains.

“Water is the most commonly used carrierfor herbicides because it is cheap and readilyavailable. But water has a high surface tension and therefore doesn’t spread out onwaxy surfaces. As a result, aqueous herbicidesolutions can frequently bounce off or run offthe leaf.”

Hairy weeds, such as cranesbill, can be

even more challenging to control becausethis ‘beading’ can occur when the dropletlands on the leaf.

“The spray droplet can be suspended bythe hairs on the leaf, preventing it fromspreading out in the same way as in waxyweeds, such as fat hen, where the leaves arehard to coat with herbicide because theyrepel water.”

These are problems that can be overcomeby adding a suitable adjuvant to the tankwhich will reduce the surface tension of spraydroplets, so that they can spread out on theleaf surface and enable the herbicide to get


s


With plenty of planting still to be done, spring islooking like it’s going to be even busier than normal. The winter cereals in the ground havereceived varying amounts of residual herbicide,which may well have run out of steam earlier thanthe norm after months of excess rainfall, allowinglate-germinating grassweeds through. It all addsup to a greater reliance on spring-applied contactherbicides than in a more average season, saysAgrii regional technical advisor, Will Foss.

“Germination of grassweeds has been pushedlater for a variety of reasons this season, so therecould be a bigger flush of spring-germinatinggrassweeds than usual,” he says.

Agrii field trials have been looking at the performance of Sorrento for the past two seasonsand have seen a benefit where it’s been applied.

“We see Sorrento as a partner to Axial Pro(pinoxaden), for control of wild oats and ryegrassin wheat and barley crops, having seen some efficacy benefits in our trials,” Will explains.

Even though Axial Pro is the evolution of Axialand now contains its own wetting system, nolonger relying on the addition of the adjuvant,Adigor (methylated rapeseed oil), Agrii trials have demonstrated an uplift in control of bothgrassweed species.

“We made an early assessment of weedground cover post-application and in ryegrass

Improved grassweed control seen in trials

found a 20% improvement in ryegrass control in2018 and 39% in 2019. Later in the season wecarried out final weed head counts which workedout at a 4% increase in control in 2018 and 1% in 2019,” he explains.

A similar effect was seen with wild oats, wherethere was a 12% improvement at the earlyassessment which equated to a 3% overallincrease in control at the final head count.

“The results show that the biggest effect fromadding Sorrento to Axial Pro is the speed of effect,with a marked increase in weed kill at the earlyassessment timing. This means weed competitionis reduced much more quickly, bringing benefits tothe crop,” says Will.

Failure to control grassweeds effectively is oftenbecause the weeds are too big at application. Willhighlights that if the weed growth stage is wrongor it’s resistant to herbicides, then the addition ofSorrento to the mix won’t overcome these issues.

“Catching grassweeds before stem extension isthe best timing in the spring. Left later then controlwill be hit and miss, as you often see when wildoats are targeted too late. It may well be a spring where there are more late-germinatinggrassweeds than normal because of the lack of residual that went on in the autumn.”

Where the addition of an adjuvant becomesmore important is when application is sub-optimal,

he points out. “Often water volumes are belowthe 200 l/ha, which is ideal, and weed coveragemay be compromised. Agrii work has also shownflat-fan nozzles provide better spray distributionthan air-induction nozzles, so nozzle selection isalso important,” he says.

“This is where Sorrento can really make a difference because of the way it works ––decreasing the surface tension of the spraydroplet, improving spreading on the weed leafand enhancing the uptake of the chemistry.”

Will Foss sees Sorrento as a partner to Axial Pro(pinoxaden), for control of wild oats andryegrass in wheat and barley crops, havingseen some efficacy benefits in his trials.

l Designed specifically for use with post-emergence herbicides.

l Optimised for herbicides with moderate-high solubility in water.

l Use at 0.1% of total spray volume.l Recommended for use in cereals,

oilseed rape and maize.

Sorrento summary

Herbicide solubility in water

*Interpretation: <50 = Low; 50–500 = Moderate; >500 = High Source: Pesticide Properties Database, University of Hertfordshire.

into the weed at the maximum number ofentry points.

The question you’re probably asking yourself right now is surely herbicides are formulated to overcome these problems?Sarah says that to some extent this is true, butthere are limits to how much improvement tospreading, retention and uptake can be madewithin a herbicide formulation.

“When a herbicide is added to the tank,the volume of adjuvant used is based on the herbicide rate/ha, not the water volume.

In spray applications, the water volume used can be anything from 80-200 l/ha, or even 400 l/ha in high volume spraying,”she comments.

With this in mind, Sarah argues that onlytank-mix adjuvants can deliver fully optimisedwetting, spreading and retention, because the adjuvant rate can be adjusted for eachapplication based on total water volumebeing applied.

Having achieved an even distribution onthe surface of weed leaves, the next hurdle

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Weed control - final assessment

Sorrento trials 2016 – 2019

52 trials – in cereals, oilseed rape and maize – using a range of herbicides and rates on a varietyof weeds. Source: Interagro, 2020.

Pushing performance

s

is entry. Interagro’s technical manager Stuart Sutherland takesup the story.

“The ability to penetrate thecuticle is determined by a herbicide active’s chemical make-up. Herbicides are eitherpredominantly water soluble(hydrophilic) or predominantly oilsoluble (lipophilic),” he explains.

“Herbicides which are morelipophilic are able to penetrate thecuticle barrier by simple diffusionthrough the waxy components.The rate of movement of the‘more’ water-soluble herbicides(which a lot of post-em herbicidesare) is much less, due to their lowsolubility in the waxy cuticle, andthis results in less herbicide beingabsorbed by weeds.”

Because of this, herbicideswith a moderate to high solubilityin water need a more hydrophilicsurfactant to penetrate the waxycuticle to increase the flow rate ofherbicide into the leaf. In effect,it’s like increasing the speed on amotorway –– it increases the flowof traffic, explains Stuart.

“Looking at water solubility ofthe herbicide is a good indicatorof the need for an adjuvant toimprove herbicide performance.The pesticide properties databaseis a good reference and showsthat a lot of herbicide actives usedpost-em, resist cuticle penetrationso could be helped by using asuitable adjuvant (see table 1).

So, what about herbicides with

low water solubility? Can theypenetrate the leaf cuticle?

“Yes, these herbicides can easily penetrate the cuticle bysimple diffusion through thelipophilic components. Herbicideuptake can still be improved, butwith a more lipophilic adjuvant(such as Kantor), which is able toincrease fluidity of waxes in thecuticle. That’s like creating morelanes on a motorway to increasethe flow of traffic,” he says.

Sorrento has been extensivelytested in replicated field trials overthe past four seasons, proving toenhance herbicide performancein 51 of the 52 trial comparisons,points out Stuart.

Impressive benefit“In 33% of the comparisons, theSorrento benefit was statisticallysignificant. With Ally Max (metsulfuron-methyl), which hashigh solubility in water, the benefitfrom the addition of Sorrento wasimpressive. Even at full rate (42g/ha Ally Max), its overall control of fumitory was improvedby 42% against a population of 68 plants/m2.

“Given the lack of chemistry in barley to control grassweeds,we’ve also looked at Sorrento withAxial Pro (pinoxaden), which hasmoderate solubility in water, tocontrol ryegrass and wild oats.Trials have shown significantincreases in the speed of kill, withimprovements in overall weed

control of +10% by the end of theseason,” he comments.

Further work at Fera Science in Yorkshire has confirmed thatSorrento improves coverage anduptake, increasing speed of kill.Growth reduction, reddening &meristem growth inhibition were all much faster using Sorrento, he adds.

Sorrento has also been developed with the environmentand users in mind, says Sarah. “It has low aquatic toxicity and isbiodegradable, with a low odourand a dose rate of just 0.1% ofthe total spray volume. Thatmakes it a very ‘clean’ and user-friendly addition to the newgeneration of adjuvants fromInteragro.

“With fast solvency power, italso helps actives to dissolve inwater faster, even when spraywater is cold which can be a challenge at the early spring andlate autumn timings,” she says.

In practice herbicides are seldom applied alone, particularlyin the spring when there are a lotof bases to cover. Will Sorrentohelp those too? Sarah believes itwill, based on their work to date.

“The spreading and retention of other pesticides will certainlybe helped by Sorrento. Most

At the heart of good crop production lies careful use ofchemistry to protect the plant andmaintain performance, rightthrough the season. But optimisingthe efficacy of plant protectionproducts can be challenging, whileincreasingly restrictive regulationslimit just how far you can go.

This series of articles exploresthe science behind the use ofadjuvant and biostimulant tools tohelp power both chemistry andcrop performance, as well asincrease understanding of whythey’re needed and what they do.We’re setting out to empowergrowers and drive crops to reachtheir full potential.

CPM would like to thankInteragro for kindly sponsoring thisarticle, and for providing privileged

Pushing performance

access to staff and material used to help put the article together.

Sorrento is the latest innovationin adjuvant technology designed to power the performance of post-emergence herbicides,leading to faster and more effective weed control in a widerange of crops. Improvements in herbicide spreading and outstanding retention, even on waxy and hairy weeds, results inwell-coated leaves. Enhanced cuticle penetration leads to superiordelivery to the site of action insideleaf tissue. Sorrento is available topurchase for the first time thisspring, exclusively through Agrii.

Looking at water solubility of theherbicide is a good indicator of theneed for an adjuvant to improveherbicide performance, says Stuart Sutherland.

The rate of movement of water-soluble herbicides into the leaf is slow, so lessherbicide is absorbed by weeds.

pesticides experience high surface tension in water, soSorrento will help coverage.We’ve also seen improvements in yield in some fungicide trials, for example with Librax(metconazole+ fluxapyroxad) and Elatus Era (benzovindiflupyr+prothioconazole) at the T3 timing.

“So, whilst Sorrento will deliverthe biggest improvements in weed control with more water-soluble actives, it’s still beneficial across the whole tank-mix,” she concludes. n

Pushing performance


Roots Potatoes pre-planting

This season burning-off willbe a step into the unknown

for many. CPM discovers howdecisions made before a

tuber is even planted willinfluence the success of

desiccation at the tail end of the season.

By Lucy de la Pasture and Rob Jones

carried out by Dr Mark Stalham of NIAB CUF.His research has shown that, on average,growers are applying an excess of about30kgN/ha to their potato crops.

Without diquat, Will really appreciates theneed to avoid producing excess canopy. “On some varieties I plan to cut right back onnitrogen so that we can kill the plant moreeasily. But I’m not overly worried as I think theflail we’ve invested in will cope, however if wewere going solely down the chemical route todesiccate it’s something I’d look at even moreclosely,” he says.

The potato market has been notoriouslyslow to change when it comes to varieties, sogrowers may be largely constrained when itcomes to making varietal choices. But wherefarms are equipped to chit seed then this

Bill Watts notes that speed of skin set seems to be comparable with diquat using the alternativedesiccation strategies.

Plan now for burn-down

If there’s one thing potato growers arevery good at then it’s adjusting to change.The past few years has seen the loss ofmany pesticide stalwarts and this year isno exception, with perhaps two of themost relied upon, diquat and CIPC, nolonger approved for use.

The potato industry has lost its major desiccant before, when sulphuric acid waswithdrawn in 2009. Back then diquat wasthere to take up the slack and desiccationwas still achievable with a split application.This time around the two remaining desiccants –– Gozai (pyraflufen-ethyl) andSpotlight (carfentrazone-ethyl) –– are knownto be most effective on stems, leading manygrowers down the road of flailing the crop as a first step to remove the foliage.

Other growers, who are either unwilling

or unable to flail due to soil type considerations, are also facing a more protracted period of desiccation with three or four applications of desiccant required.

Whichever system is being adopted, preparing for the change starts before thecrop is planted. AHDB’s Dr Bill Watts suggests growers make sure they understand their biggest challenges –– from varietal determinacy and nitrogen management to expected time of harvest.

Indeterminate varieties“Where growers are planting indeterminatevarieties which have a high haulm longevity–– such as Markies and Royal –– plantingearly can bring forward the desiccation timing whilst maintaining yield. But in areasprone to late frosts, such as the Fens, moving planting forwards isn’t always an option.

“Nitrogen management will be especially important on indeterminate varieties. Growers should supply enoughnitrogen for yield, but also aim to producecrops that are near to natural senescence at the point of T1 desiccation.” he says.

Bill suggests growers think backwardsfrom the time they intend to desiccate tohelp plan the nitrogen requirement to be ‘just enough’ rather than too much.

Will Gagg, manager of AHDB’s strategicpotato (SPot) farm in the North, says he’sbeen cutting back on the amount of nitrogen applied to crops in general inresponse to the long-term work being

Nitrogen management will beespecially important

on indeterminate varieties.”

“

s


Various desiccation strategies were put to thetest at Hutchinsons Fenland trials site, situatedat A L Lee Farming Company’s Friesland Farm,near Mildenhall in Suffolk last September.

The work focussed on different timingsand sequences of the two main chemical alternatives, Spotlight and Gozai, with andwithout flailing (see table below) in an 18ha fieldof Markies on black fen soil.

Results across all treatments were better than expected, but agronomist Andrew Cromiestresses this was mainly due to conditionsfavouring desiccation. “Unusually, canopies were already starting to senesce by Sept, whilewarm, dry weather was ideal for chemistry towork quickly.

“We saw 85% burn-down within a week,which is extremely quick, and I doubt it would be repeated in another year with a big, growingcanopy.”

Generally, the most effective strategy was toapply a desiccant to open up the canopy andfollow this with mechanical topping. Andrewacknowledges flailing has challenges, especiallyin wetter years than the one just gone. Wheelingdamage, erosion of potato beds, soil compactionand the potential for surface crop residues toincrease disease risk in tubers must all be considered, as does weed pressure.

“Fortunately this Sept was very dry and ourtrial was in a very clean field, but if bindweed ispresent, flailing’s not an option,” he says.

Topping can also trigger regrowth from the plant’s axil, so growers should leave a reasonable amount of stem (at least 15-20cm)exposed and not covered with mulch, to ensureany follow-up herbicide can work effectively.

Results from plots where flailing wasn’t used

Weighing up potato desiccation options without diquat

suggest good canopy destruction and skin set can still be achieved through chemical applications alone, although the situation couldbe very different in other seasons and soil types,he warns.

The ‘belt and braces’ treatment (number six)shows the maximum that can be legally appliedand performed best overall, but at a cost,Andrew points out. At £160-170/ha, thatapproach is double what might have been spent using a diquat-based programme.

John Keer from Richard Austin Agriculturesays the number of treatments applied is asimportant as the products used, so the key is to start desiccation programmes earlier andknock-down canopies in stages.

“Sprays only kill the part of the plant they hit.Use the first application to open up the canopy,then alter subsequent applications according tothe amount of green material left in the crop.Include a fungicide wherever you’ve still gotgreen material to reduce the risk of late blightcoming in,” he says.

Without flailing, three or four herbicide applications may be needed to achieve full desiccation, although it depends on the variety,soil type and weather, so decisions must be on a field-by-field and season-by-season basis,he says.

Regardless of the approach taken, desiccationis likely to take one to two weeks longer thanwith a diquat-based programme, so more focusis also needed on other ways of managingcanopies to help speed-up the process,adds Andrew.

Planning starts before the crop is sown,with variety choice and soil type being key considerations. Growers may question whethergrowing a long-season variety like Markies is theright option on certain fields. In some cases, itmay be better to go for a more determinate type that senesces earlier. Reducing nitrogenapplications to avoid over-large canopies will also be worth considering.

Other novel desiccation options trialled atFriesland Farm included pelargonic acid, whichis currently only available for amenity use inthe UK, so pricing is prohibitive for agriculture(cost £250-500/ha at the 50-100 l/ha rates).Salt solution was also investigated (sodium/potassium chloride) and was found to be slower acting than diquat and not as effectiveas herbicides. It also requires high water volumes, which adds logistical challenges.

A full programme using the maximum numberof Gozai and Spotlight treatments will cost£160-170/ha, double that of a diquat-basedprogramme, says Andrew Cromie.

In Hutchinsons Fenland trials, the most effectivestrategy was to apply a desiccant to open up thecanopy, followed with mechanical topping.

could be another tool to help bring harvestforward, says David.

“By chitting seed, growers can physiologically age seed tubers which willresult in a shorter growing period in theground, hence earlier onset of senescence,”

he comments.All the possible combinations and

sequences of desiccation chemistry andmachines have been trialled at the AHDB’sregional SPot farms, as well as at other trials programmes throughout the country.

Potatoes pre-planting


9 September +7 days +2 days1 Untreated +/- Flail Untreated

2 Untreated +/- Flail Gozai (0.8) + Phase II(1.5)

3 Untreated +/- Flail Spotlight (1.0)

4 Gozai (0.8) + Phase II (1.5) +/- Flail Gozai (0.8) + Phase II (1.5)

5 Spotlight (1.0) +/- Flail Spotlight (0.6)

6 Spotlight (1.0) + Gozai (0.8) + Phase II (1.5) +/- Flail Spotlight (0.6) + Gozai (0.8) +Phase II (1.5)

All treatments applied in 300 l/ha of water and included 0.5 l/ha Ranman Top (cyazofamid) forblight control.Source: Hutchinson Fenland trials, Suffolk (2019).

AHDB’s David Wilson says the results havebeen ‘better than expected’ which hashelped alleviate some of the worry aboutmaking changes to desiccation practice,though he points out that 2019 was a kind season. s

s

Treatment options on trial

Agrovista agronomist Jack Hoyles advises on800ha of potatoes covering South Lincolnshire,Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, most of which isdestined for the processing and pre-packedmarkets. He predicts that desiccation will posethe greatest single question for growers during2020, with all viable options for destroyingpotato haulm presenting potential challenges for many growers.

“2020 could be the toughest year yet.Ensuring customers still achieve industrytargets, such as market size, market dry matterand fry colour, with an ever-decreasing numberof chemicals will require significant agronomicchanges to the way we currently manage thecrop, taking advanced planning to the nextlevel,” he says.

During the 2019 season, many growersunderstandably still used diquat as part of theirdesiccation strategy, but new trials confirmedthat both a ‘flail and spray’ and chemical-onlyapproach to burning down the crop are bothviable with advanced planning on canopy management.

“Desiccation (with and without flailing) isviable as long as you can control canopy growthand I achieved excellent results last year usingthe two stem desiccants; Gozai and Spotlight,as part of a three-four spray program designed

The most challenging year yet?

to achieve full desiccation. As Gozai has a 14-day harvest interval it will be my first spraywithin the program sequence,” he comments.

It’s generally accepted growers will have to lookat varieties carefully, particularly if consideringreducing nitrogen rates to manipulate canopygrowth in order to senesce the crop earlier. Andit’s here that Jack sees some potential hurdles.

“Employing a fertiliser strategy on long season varieties such as Markies (a variety thatmany of my chippers grow) could be problematic.Markies have 12-20 tubers per plant, so if you cutback too heavily on fertiliser to control growthand then there’s a dry spell in spring you run therisk of not achieving market size by focusing toomuch on canopy size.

“Variety selection is critical but getting someluck with some warm dry summer weather tohelp senesce the crop naturally before harvestcannot be underestimated either,” he adds.

For early season weed control Jack believesfilling the gap left by diquat should be far morestraightforward given the chemical options available to growers.

“This year I’ll be basing my early seasonweed control around Soleto (metobromuron),which is my ‘go to’ residual herbicide. It’s safeon all varieties and on all soil types, so it takesall the guesswork out of the equation.

“With diquat no longer an option, I’ll bepartnering Soleto with Gozai as my key contactherbicide –– applying it at 0.4 l/ha, either onits own four-five days before the crop emergesor as part of a tank-mix.

“Good application timing and keeping watervolumes up to ensure good coverage are thekeys. To achieve best results I recommendusing 200 l/ha of water and add a methylatedseed oil when Gozai is applied alone andweeds are larger than four true leaves.

Jack Hoyles says he’ll be using Gozai as thefirst spray of a sequence because it has alonger harvest interval.

When it comes to applying chemical desiccants, the AHDB trials have highlightedthat application mid-late morning has a better effect than in late-afternoon.

“There were big differences in defoliation in the treatments we looked at,but this didn’t correspond with the time toskin set and there were no statistical differences between any of the treatmentstrialled.

But what is clear from the work done lastseason is that there’s green leaf in the crop

for longer, which will have a number of consequences,” explains David.

“Achieving burn down is going to take atleast a week longer than with diquat, soblight programmes will need to cover this. It will be important to plan blight sprays sothat chemistry with activity on tuber blight is still legally available to put on at the tail-end of the season,” he says.

Bill adds that growers have achievedhighly effective desiccation in the SouthWest using water volumes of 400 l/ha to


It’s going to be really important to match thetopper to the rows – just a few centimetres outwill make a big difference.


s

s

Many growers will be opting for a flail to removefoliage before applying a chemical desiccant.

improve coverage, but that care shouldbe taken to avoid dilution of tank-mixedblight protectants.

Slower speed“The slower speed of foliar desiccationachieved using the diquat alternativesmeans maintaining a robust blight programme is going to be important forsome time after a T1 desiccation treatment.Even so, the speed of skin set seems to becomparable with diquat and no extra bulkingof tubers has been seen in AHDB fieldwork,” he adds.

There may even be a silver lining to thedemise of diquat, believes David. “Diquatwas often applied with residual herbicidesand the cut-off timing was up to 40% of thecrop emerged in maincrop potatoes. Thiswould sometimes result in the crop beingknocked back at the beginning of the season, pushing maturity back. For Gozaiand Spotlight, the cut off is much earlier,at just 10% crop emergence in second earlies and maincrop, which will potentially

result in less set-backs if used within the labelrestrictions.”

Many growers will opt for a flail to removefoliage as the first step in the desiccationprocess, believes David. But there are a number of things to bear in mind when moving to a flail system.

AHDB’s Harry Henderson points out that an easy mistake to make would be to forget to check bed formation against flail set up. “Destoners and planters operate on a single bed, but flails may operate over twoor three beds, so it’s going to be really important to match the topper to the rows –– just a few centimetres out will make a bigdifference,” he says.

It’s a trap Will is making sure he doesn’t fallinto. “We were very conscious how we set outthe beds and rows when we looked at buying



a flail topper. On our Wold soils we opt for a80cm (32”) row on a 180cm (72”) bed,whereas on the silt soils we move to a 90cm(36”) row on a 180cm bed. We’ve had to buya topper that can accommodate both rowtypes,” he says.

Will also points out that they’re having tomake changes to their headland breaks sothat there’s enough room to turn with the flail.“We’re going to leave a much wider break of 5-6m so that we can get the flail in andout easier.”

One of the worries about relying on a flailing system is the effect a wet seasonwould have on harvesting, he points out.“We’re going to have to increase our abilityto grade and harvest in better format as I can see costs increasing by 12-16%depending on the conditions at flailing.” n

PCN work at the Hutchinsons Fenlands trialsite has a strong focus on varietal resistanceand tolerance to the pest. In 2019, the trialsite was under higher PCN pressure than in previous seasons, with an average initial eggcount of 115 eggs/g of soil (100% Globoderapallida).

A total of 18 varieties, with different levels of resistance and tolerance, were planted toassess their performance through the seasonand the impact each had on the final PCN eggcount, assesses after harvest.

“Varietal tolerance results generally supportprevious years, with more vigorous varietiessuch as Arsenal, Cara, Performer, Rock andRoyal, showing good tolerance to PCN. In contrast, Maris Peer, Innovator and Sagittashowed less tolerance, highlighted by theirbigger yield responses from treatment withNemathorin (fosthiazate).

“Markies is the one that seems to break therules. It’s a very vigorous variety but shows a

Variety choice key for PCN reduction

low level of tolerance,” adds John Keer.Varietal resistance should be the real focus

for growers wanting to reduce PCN, he highlights. Results from 2019 show a similarpattern to previous years, with Cara comingout as the worst for PCN multiplication, with aPf:Pi (population following harvest divided bythe initial egg count) of 4.5.

“This was despite yielding well in the tolerance trial and shows the clear practical differences between ‘resistance’ and ‘tolerance’. Markies also performed badly andhas been consistently poor, typically averaging2.5 to 3-times multiplication in the past threeyears of trials.”

Resistant varieties Performer and Arsenalwere most effective at reducing PCN over the season, with a Pf:Pi of less than 0.5.“Performer, Rock and Innovator have showngood consistency for reducing PCN after acrop in our trials. Lugano, Libero, and Royalalso did well in 2019.”

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Performa Rock Royal Innovator Markies

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ion

(eg

gs/

g)

Source: Richard Austin Agriculture, 2019.

It’ll be important to plan blight sprays so thatchemistry with activity on tuber blight is stilllegally available to put on at the tail-end of theseason, says David Wilson.

PCN population dynamics 2017-2019

s

Judging by the party manifestos in last year’s general election, the promisesof planting millions of treeswas about the only thing allparties had in common.

Anyone would think it’s thesolution to climate change butI’m a tad confused on this. It seems more like a tactic torelieve our collective socialconscience without actuallyfacing the real problem –– ouraddiction to consumption.

A review of the scientific literature on growing trees forcarbon sequestration found that to offset the country’s CO2

emissions, a land area twicethe size of the UK would needto be planted with trees. Tree-planting simply buys time.

The political leaning towardsafforestation falls well short ondetail, particularly when itcomes to the ‘where’ and the‘what’. So why’s this important?Let’s take the ‘where’. The government has promised toplant 30 million trees over fiveyears –– that will cover an areaof 30,000ha but falls well short of the recommendations putforward by the Committee forClimate Change of30,000ha/annum.

So where will this 30,000hacome from? Some will undoubtedly be agricultural

land if attractiveincentives areoffered but the current grant offerings plainly

aren’t cutting the mustard as tree planting

fell short of government targetsin 2019.

A scheme called theWoodland Carbon Guaranteewas launched last year andprovides a reward for carbonstorage in the form of creditswhich can be sold to the government for a guaranteedprice every five or 10 years, upto 2055/56, perhaps openingup a new income stream fromwoodlands.

But when it comes to the‘where’ of planting trees, not allsoil types provide the samecarbon sequestration benefit as others. In fact planting treeson high organic matter soils, as happened in the 1980s,actually releases carbon as thesoils dry out. The biggest valuefrom planting trees would be onsandy soils which have littleorganic matter.

Getting the ‘where’ wrongcould have unintended consequences –– tree plantingmay look the most attractive to hard-pressed livestock producers yet planting onspecies-rich pastures couldamount to a crime against biodiversity.

Then there’s the ‘what’ toconsider –– the question ofspecies is a big one. Oneoption is to plant slower-growingnative species, providing amore open woodland which will take 60 years to store500t/ha of carbon (John NixPocketbook, 2020). Or should it be the quicker growing softwood, Sitka Spruce, whichhas dominated forestry plantingfor decades?

At this point, it’s worth mentioning that trees aren’t a

Is farming treesthe future?

Based in Ludlow, Shrops,Lucy de la Pasture hasworked as an agronomist,while among the Twitterati,she’s @[email protected]

permanent carbon sink, theyonly store carbon as long asthey’re living unless their woodis turned into something withlongevity, such as furniture or used in house building. If the wood is pulped, or the carbon released by naturalhappenings, fire or windblow,then the tree is adding to thecarbon problem –– as is happening with the Australianbushfires which are releasingan enormous amount of carboninto the atmosphere.

Planting trees isn’t the onlymeans of carbon sequestrationso perhaps a more considered,joined up approach could betaken to looking at a range ofsolutions? Agroforestry mayprovide an alternative to woodlands that goes hand-in-hand with regenerativeagriculture, increasing agricultural productivity in a sustainable way.

Whichever way you skin it,it’s advances in technology thatwill help agriculture provide asolution to climate change.Plant breeding is just one ofthese technologies –– cropplants which will store morecarbon, utilise nitrogen moreefficiently, fix their own nitrogensupplies. And it’s gene editingwhich would speed up bringing

Could this be the new farming as we progress deeper into the 21st century?

in these solutions.In fact, government could

remove other blocks to farming ina more carbon-neutral way. Hempis a crop which has carbon neutral written all over it. It can be utilised in the constructionindustry as a green alternative toconcrete, storing its carbon inhempcrete, or as fibre in textiles.It could also be grown to meetthe demand for CBD oil, whichcurrently can’t be produced in theUK under Home Office rules. If responsibility for hemp waspassed back to Defra then itopens up more opportunities forusing the land area to sequestercarbon and at the same time,reducing the carbon footprint of other industries, such as construction.

British agriculture is willing andable to do more than its bit to mitigate climate change, but it’llbe a lot harder with its hands tiedbehind its back, and there’ll bemore flexibility to provide thesolutions if all the available landisn’t taken up with trees.


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