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TRANSCRIPT
Profitable crops through better management
Crop Production Magazine June 2011
A route to better drought tolerance?A route to better drought tolerance?
Page 30Page 30Page 46
16 pages on choosingvarieties for next season
16 pages on choosingvarieties for next season
Page 46
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Elemental yield boostfrom sulphur?
CPM takes a closer look at a newautumn-applied sulphur fertiliser whichis claimed to be readily-available tocrops at the onset of spring growth –– boosting yields as a result.
Smith’s SoapboxViews and opinions from an Essexpeasant…..
Getting the delinquentsto deliver
If Gallant and Solstice are the upstanding,dependable breadmaking varieties mostfavoured by the millers, Group 2 wheatsare arguably the wayward teenagers ofthe Recommended List.
Time to reinvest in on-farm storage?
Grain handling and storage on-farmremains a barrier to efficiency on many arable units. CPM investigates.
Milling sector seeksmore consistent supply
The breadmaking variety, Gallant, isgradually proving its popularity withinthe milling sector. CPM reports how thelatest contracts might affect growersdecisions for next season.
Turbo-charged wheatfor marginal land?
Growers on marginal wheat land couldsoon be making a return to winterwheat, thanks to the launch of a new hybrid variety.
A route to moreconsistent plantpopulations?
Patchy emergence can often be a problem where the soil type varies within a field. CPM reports how oneDorset farmer has solved the problem.
New drill providesgreater versatility
There’s an art to giving OSR the beststart possible in a range of conditionsand soils. The purchase of a new SumoVersadrill has made the job easier andmore flexible for one arable contractor.
Getting to grips with second wheat
What can growers do to boost the profitability of their second wheat? CPM reports the results of a recentgrower survey.
CPM Crop Production Magazine
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Publishing Editor Angus McKirdy
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Writers Tom Allen-StevensAndrew BlakeAndy CollingsRobert HarrisLouise ImpeyRob JonesDominic KilburnJohn MiddletonMartin Rickatson
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Advertisement Sales Angus McKirdy
Advertisement Co-ordinator Peter Walker
Volume 13 Number 5
June 2011
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 3
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62CPM Volume 13 No 5. Editorial, advertising and sales offices are at
White House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury SY5 8LP. Tel: (01743) 861122. CPM is published nine times a year by CPM Ltd and is available free of charge to qualifying farmers
and farm managers in the United Kingdom.
In no way does CPM Ltd endorse, notarise or concur with any of the advice, recommendations or prescriptions reported in themagazine. If you are unsure about which recommendations to
follow, please consult a professional agronomist. Always read thelabel. Use pesticides safely. CPM Ltd is not responsible for loss or
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FeaturesFeatures
Weevil watch urged fornext season
Oilseed rape growers should beware of weevils invading their crops nextautumn, according to recent fieldexperience.
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Sugar beet specialSugar beet specialSelect wisely from new beet list
There may not be much difference in yield between the varieties on thelatest BBRO Recommended List –– but there are other key reasons toselect sugar beet varieties carefully,breeders tell CPM.
Double resistors tokeep rhizo at bay?
New varieties of sugar beet with ‘double resistance’ to rhizomania arenow available to UK growers. But who should grow them –– and why?CPM reveals some contrasting views.
Drought highlightshidden nematodethreat
Nematodes could be nibbling away at sugar beet yields without growerseven realising. CPM reports.
Are two fungicidesnow justified on beet?
The case for considering a two-sprayfungicide strategy on beet appearsstronger than ever. CPM investigates
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Extra margin from yieldand marketability?
The soft wheat Beluga combines ahigh yield with good suitability for thedistilling and bioethanol markets.
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Email your comments and ideas [email protected]
The year when Aprilwent AWOLI will readily admit that I’m a weatherobsessive and my condition seems to be getting worse unfortunately.
In fact, if I was examined psychologicallyby a professional, I suspect the diagnosismight be some form of meteorologicalautism. And so, yet again, this pagemust be used to help vent this obsessive-compulsive disorder.
In short, one of the coldest, wet winters in living memory has been followed by one of the hottest, driestsprings in living memory. You could say that it’s been weather in extremisand everything seems to be just a littlebit scrambled.
In March, the winter finished laterthan normal. The daffs in the lane flowered nearly two weeks later thanusual and the crops seemed to take forever to reach GS31. Yet by late May,the dog-roses in the lane were coming to an end of their flowering period a fortnight earlier than normal and thewheat was equally premature at anthesis.
In short, somewhere between Marchand May, we effectively lost a month.Who knows –– perhaps April will turn up later in the year?
On top of that, our spring rainfall was just 27mm –– one-fifth of what we’dnormally expect as an average on what’salready a dry farm. We’ve gone from having the same rainfall as a semi-aridarea like Jerusalem to having the samespring rainfall pattern as the Sahara.
While the papers have been full of
headlines about the Arab spring of 2011,we actually had a North African one. Itmakes the infamous drought year of1976 look positively wet –– a year whenthe harvest was memorably early. It looksat this stage as if harvest 2011 will beequally early.
Yet back in March, I was worriedwhether we’d be able to fulfil our earlymovement contracts for the first week of August. Now, it’s quite possible we’llhave harvested all of our wheat by then.
As for selling forward this year, I’mtempted not to mention it as my mood is foul enough already. We sold what we thought would be 20% of the harvestforward –– but now, it looks like it couldbe 40%.
Mind you, I’ve heard of others who’vebeen a lot more unlucky. Some farmershave committed more than they’ll beable to produce this harvest, and theynow find themselves in the bizarre position of hoping commodity prices willcollapse so they can buy-in the balanceto meet their contract commitments. Theworld has indeed turned upside down.
As for crop management, its been a tortuous spring with one naggingquandary –– whether to shut the fieldgate to prevent throwing good moneyafter bad, or to try to nurse stressedcrops through hard times with someextra inputs?
The problem with cutting fertiliser andfungicide rates on account of the factyou can’t see much yield potential can
become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I’vehad agronomists telling me that despitethe fact our crops have had no rain tospark any mildew or septoria, they nowneed fungicides to give them a phytotonicboost to help them scour for nitrogen.
When I hear this advice, my thoughtsturn to the dry-land wheat farmers in theAmerican Midwest or Australia who usevery few fungicides because without rain, they make very little sense. Whytherefore would fungicides provide anybenefit to crops in drought-stricken East Anglia?
The one key difference might be thefact we had a wet winter, which seems to have put something in the tanks down below in the sub-soil. The rapelooks remarkably well considering theweather we’ve had –– its almost as if it’s developed some sort of cactus genewhereby it can suck moisture from themist in the air.
In reality, the roots most probablychased the moisture downwards as the drought progressed –– keepingthemselves reasonably damp. On theplus side, the weather certainly seems to have helped pod-set.
But as for the cereals, with lost tillersand small ears, I’m bracing myself for a mediocre harvest. I only hope yoursproves to be a better one.
SMITH’S
SOAPBOX
With increasing regulatory pressure to discourage pre-Christmas ploughing, this year’s dryspring was an excellent reminder why ploughing early still makes good agricultural sense –– especially on heavy land. Exposing the land to frost provides a moisture-retentive tilth in the spring. The maize on the right of this picture is on land ploughed early in December,while the much patchier emergence on the left is on land ploughed in late February.DEFRA and Brussels please take note.
Getting the delinquents to deliver
If Gallant and Solstice are the upstanding,dependable breadmaking varieties most favoured
by the millers, Group 2 wheats are arguably thewayward teenagers of the Recommended List.
By Tom Allen-Stevens
‘If you take on a Group 2 variety, you need to get the
quality just right.’
dopting a Group 2 variety into a rotation ten years ago was a relatively straight-forward choice.
Soissons had top grain quality potentialand made an excellent entry for oilseedrape. Charger was a great choice to follow a root crop, and Option was theRialto replacement with a promise ofhigh yields and a chance to earn a goodmilling premium.
But now, there’s a choice of eight varieties on the HGCA RecommendedList, and the number of Group 1s on thelist has fallen back to just two.
You might asssume the Group 1swould be enjoying something of a hey-dayas a result –– but they’re not. Marketshare has dropped to just 13% from a high of 20% in 2007 and some are predicting it will fall even further next season with growers moving moretowards Group 3s and Group 4s.
A
It’s interesting to note that this harvestwill be the first since 2006 to see a lower area of Group 2s through thecombine than Group 1s. So why dogrowers increasingly spurn them?
“They’re unreliable in terms of premium opportunities,” says Bill Angus,senior plant breeder at Limagrain.“Firstly, there’s a protein penalty from the higher yielding varieties and thatgives them a reputation for inconsistencywith growers.
“Secondly, many Group 2s are inconsistent in the bread-makingprocess, so the millers are reluctant to commit to them.”
No imagination?KWS commercial director, AndrewNewby, admits Group 2s aren’t capturingthe imagination of all growers “becausethey can’t see all the benefits”.
“There are too many ‘maybes’ –– mostare drawn to the higher quality of Group1s and higher yields of Group 4s instead.”
Yet Group 2s offer a unique opportunity,believes Tim Hirst of Openfield. “Thereare some decent buy-back contracts out there for anyone who can meet thequality spec,” he points out. “UsingHGCA yield figures for Cordiale and KWS Podium, for instance, you can
6 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
Getting the delinquents to deliver
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achieve almost as much of a return as for Solstice –– and more than for Oakley.”
Openfield is currently offering contractsfor harvest 2012 for Cordiale and KWSPodium at £15/t above feed, or £5/tbelow the Group 1 price.
Barry Barker, seed business managerat Masstock, reckons Group 2s haveagronomic characteristics that can workextremely well for growers. “Cordiale isthe earliest-maturing variety on theRecommended List, and Ketchum performs very well in the late-drilled slot.”
Bill Angus confirms Group 2s can be a great fit agronomically. “They makegood second wheats because they havea different genetic composition to thevarieties you’d tend to grow as firstwheats –– it’s almost like having a different crop in the rotation.
“So long as you don’t drill them too
early, they’re low risk disease-wise. Butbudget for more modest yields and it’llmake it easier to get the proteins up.”
So it seems the best way to get themto deliver is to study their attributes, growthem for a specific purpose within rotation, then manage them wisely. But by positioning them poorly and leaving them to their own devices, you’remore likely to have a bad experience.
Most profitable wheat?Andrew Newby reckons that, if you takeon a Group 2 variety, you need to makethe most of its agronomic value and get the quality just right. “That way, it will be the most profitable wheat you’llever grow.
“Get only one of these factors right andit becomes just a maybe. Get neither ofthem right and you’re wasting your time.”
Cordiale is the out-and-out favourite
“Group 2s will deliver good returns ––provided they’re managed correctly,”says Andrew Newby.
8 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
A hands-on approach ensures DavidMiddleditch’s Group 2s generally deliverthe goods. “You have to take a careful lookat the crops throughout the season andplay along with them –– feeding themwhen they need it, but not too much.
“It’s an attention to detail thing –– keepan eye on the crops and they’ll generallyperform.”
He farms 365ha of combinable crops onthe Essex/Suffolk border. The farm is quitehigh up –– almost 100m above sea levelon a Hanslope series chalky, boulder clay.
Over the years, he’s grown Einstein,KWS-Sterling and even KWS-Podium, butthis year, Cordiale is his only Group 2 ––grown as a second wheat. “The trick thatworks for us is to treat the seed with Latitude(silthiofam) and to drill it early. Getting theprotein can be a little bit awkward, but I’m a keen applier of nitrogen.”
The early drilling date –– generallyaround 25 September –– probably hasmore to do with the elevation of the farmthan anything else, he says. “Crops tend to shut down early here.”
In the spring, Cordiale tends to movesoff early, so David Middleditch applies up to137kgN/ha before GS32. Then just beforeflag leaf emergence, another 60kgN/ha isapplied –– all of it ammonium nitrate.
“But I try to keep a close eye on thegrowth stages. In a wet spring, it’ll putmore leaf on, so you ease back earlier andapply more N later on. Otherwise, you tend
to feed the straw, rather than the ear. And in a dry year, you don’t apply so much later on.”
He believes it still pays to apply a strobilurin fungicide for disease control.“Our wheats love strobs. They make theroots scavenge to pick-up water and nutrients better.”
With the Cordiale, his main aim is for13% protein and he’s expecting to achievea yield of 9-10t/ha this harvest –– althoughnone of it is grown on-contract. “I knowAllied are happy to take the variety.”
Sterling was probably the highest yieldingGroup 2 he’s ever grown –– pushing justover the 10t/ha mark. “But we had a problem with the protein –– all we couldmanage was 12%.” It was grown as a firstwheat and was treated very similarly to a second wheat Cordiale, he notes.
It was a similar story with Einstein in thepast –– achieving around 8.5-9t/ha in yield,he says. “Quality was the main thing withEinstein. It produced a nice-looking grainbut we did struggle to get the proteins.
“That meant we were only getting £2-3above feed, when you really need £15/tminimum to make it worthwhile.” He admitsthat it’s taken a while to understand how tomake Group 2s pay.
Podium performs similarly to Cordiale,albeit that it’s grown as a first wheat, hereckons. “The crop structure looks morelike oats. There’s a bluey tinge to it, with a lot of leaf and the ear is longer –– more
like a rye kernel. And it seems to hold itsquality well –– our Hagbergs were certainlyall 300+.”
David Middleditch believes Group 2shave a bright future. “They’re underestimatedin my view. Group 1s may pass through allthe hoops but are they really what themillers want? Yet grow a good crop ofCordiale and the millers will always take it.”
With just two Group 1s on theRecommended List, that pushes a lot of the UK milling requirement into the grey area of Group 2s. So if you grow a Group 2 of borderline quality, will itscrape through?
Nabim’s Martin Savage explains: “Thereason why we have so many Group 2s is that it’s very hard to get varieties with little variability. Millers will only make it aGroup 1 if it’s a consistently high qualitybread-maker.”
It’s a difficult market for the millers toread, he admits. “Premiums are at an all-time high at present, but the feed priceis such that growers will get rich rewardsfrom pushing any variety for yield ––regardless of what it does quality-wise.
“Gallant and Solstice are the most reliable winter wheats on the market rightnow. If they’re available, the millers willtake them in preference to Group 2s. The rest really depends on what the qualitylooks like when it comes off the field.”
Winning ways with Group 2s
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Barry Barker. “If you’re looking for a variety that does well as a second wheaton stronger land, Panorama has certainlyperformed well.”
This is where the breeder thinks thetwo varieties fit best. “You risk dilutingthe protein with both if you push theyield,” says Bill Angus. “In the secondwheat scenario, you have lower yieldpotential anyway, so it’s a good opportunityto get the protein up.”
The same is true of the late-drilling
Group 2 variety –– and rightly so, believesBarry Barker (also see box on p50). “Itstands out well and has done for sometime. It’s the earliest maturing variety on the Recommended List and it has a combination of grain characteristicswhich, in sum total, are better than anyother variety.”
Tim Hirst confirms the variety isgaining an extra 0.5% market share perannum. “It keeps producing the goodsand has universal appeal for the millers.”
Nabim confirms Cordiale is the Group2 variety of choice at present. It has ahigher than average Hagberg FallingNumber, a good protein level and specificweight, and relatively consistent millingand baking performance.
“ADM first identified the variety’s huge flexibility,” recalls Andrew Newby.“It’s extremely adaptable across a rangeof grists.”
That means it has good potential toearn high profits, he claims. “You havethe combination of a very early harvestwith high grain quality, so you can catchthe end of season market before theprice drops. It’s proved itself well.”
“Ketchum is the best second wheat varietyon the market and can be sown throughuntil February,” claims Samantha Brooke.
At 98%, it doesn’t excel yield-wise ––and it’s also highly susceptible to brownrust. But it’s stiff-strawed and is expectedto continue to find favour among growersthis autumn.”
Einstein is the oldest Group 2 on the list and was widely-grown at one point –– still having some faithful followers.“It’s been extremely popular, but is nowbeing superseded,” notes Barry Barker.
Constant performerThe variety has delivered yield for a great many growers over the years, but quality has been harder to achieve, he says. Nabim notes that millers areonly able to use restricted quantities of the variety which has a tendency toproduce lower protein levels with lowerwater absorption.
Supplies of Panorama have been limitedto date, and the millers’ reaction hasbeen fairly reserved. Baking quality hasbeen variable –– making the variety bettersuited for use in blends, says nabim.
“It fits pretty well as a second wheatwith its tall, stiff straw, and good yellowrust and fusarium resistance,” says s
bullish. “Sterling offers a higher grossmargin than Oakley, for example. If youinvest in the variety, you can get bothhigh yields and good proteins –– andthat’s where the money lies.
“It’s a good first wheat and if you feednitrogen into it, it will perform. Moreover,it scores a nine for yellow rust which isfantastic.” However, protein dilution is a problem which is why ADM offers abuy-back contract at 12.5% protein,instead of 13%.
Ketchum is currently turning headsagronomically, believes Barry Barker. “It offers something different. As alate-drilled wheat, it has one of the
highest scores on the RecommendedList but it’s also very good as a secondwheat, performing 3% better than anyother milling variety.
So it does offer something different ––and there’s the premium potential on top.”
Variable crumb structureHowever, the millers are still trying to maketheir minds up with Ketchum since thevariety has a tendency to produce breadwith a more variable crumb structure thansome other varieties. It also has a poorscore for yellow rust and a tendency toproduce a lower level of protein.
Samantha Brooke from breederSyngenta puts the variety in the middleof Group 2 quality-wise.
“Some Group 2s have agronomic featuresthat can work extremely well for growers,”says Barry Barker.
slot, he continues. “The yield potentialwill have dropped after sugar beet orpotatoes, although both Einstein andPanorama yield almost as well as Oakleyif they’re drilled late. This gives the optimum chance to pick up the proteinlevel, and to get the quality premium.”
Provided growers can achieve this,there should be a ready market for thevarieties, says Bill Angus. “They’re both
slightly softer than the other Group 2sand they have very white flour, so ifmillers need this, both fit nicely.”
Battalion is now eclipsed by the otherGroup 2 varieties, continues Barry Barker.“It’s been very much identified as a second wheat, but is on the decline now,with limited seed stocks. It will probablydisappear soon as the reasons for growing it simply aren’t there any more.”
Mildew and rust resistanceBut it does have high resistance tomildew and brown rust, and the yield ison a par with Cordiale and Einstein, henotes. “Moreover, it does carry resistanceto eyespot.”
But it tends to produce loaves with a weak crumb structure due to its lowHagberg, say the millers.
“We never really got the end-user support,” confirms RAGT’s Cathy Hooper.“It was destined to be an Einstein replacer.It’s very good in the early-drilled slot andas a second wheat, but there are otherhigher-yielding Group 2s now.”
Next on the list is Sterling, whichyields at the top of the group, along withPanorama and Ketchum, but has yet to find its place. “It’s a decent variety,but it doesn’t do anything different tothe other Group 2s,” says Barry Barker.“It’s protein isn’t brilliant either.”
But breeder Andrew Newby is more
10 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
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Group 2 varieties compared
Breeder KWS KWS KWS RAGT
UK treated yield (% control) 98 102 99 98
Resistance to lodging - no PGR 8 7 8 7
Protein (%) 12.2 11.3 12.2 12.1
Hagberg Falling Number 301 270 273 223
Specific weight (kg/hl) 79.3 76.1 78.7 75.7
Year first listed 2004 2010 2011 2007
Market share (%) 5.98 0.38 0.04 1.01
Breeder Syngenta Syngenta Limagrain Limagrain
UK treated yield (% control) 102 100 98 102
Resistance to lodging - no PGR 6 7 6 8
Protein (%) 11.3 12.1 11.9 11.6
Hagberg Falling Number 247 275 263 248
Specific weight (kg/hl) 77.6 78.6 77.5 77.6
Year first listed 2009 2010 2003 2009
Market share (%) 0.34 0.24 3.21 2.29
Cordiale KWS-Sterling KWS-Podium Battalion
Ketchum Kingdom Einstein Panorama
“The big benefits of Ketchum are that it can be drilled late and it’s the best second wheat on the market. It’s okay tosow it all the way through to Februarybut it shouldn’t go in any earlier than thethird week in September.
“It’s quick to get going and it benefitsfrom a three-way nitrogen split –– leaving 40-60kgN/ha until the third timing.”
Barry Barker believes there hasn’tbeen enough Kingdom grown to get adecent idea of how it performs. “But ithas done relatively well in the west.” He stresses that its Recommended Listrating is limited to just the east and west regions.
Over three years of testing, its bakingperformance has varied according to the millers, although on paper, the quality spec comes up near to Cordiale–– with a yield that’s marginally higherand disease-wise, it’s susceptible tobrown rust.
There’s a contract available for thevariety through Rank Hovis, notes Sam Brooke. “It’s earlier to mature,which helps to spread the harvest workload. It’s a good first wheat, bestdrilled at the standard timing from
Openfield is currently offering a buy-backcontract on Podium at £5/t below Group 1varieties.
mid-September through to mid-October. “Give it a good milling wheat nitrogen
regime and it should deliver like Cordiale.”Podium is the newcomer within Group
2, with promising milling credentials and orange wheat blossom midge resistance to boot. However, BarryBarker is unconvinced that this will beenough to make growers choose the variety. “It doesn’t stand out from otherswhere midge resistance isn’t the deciding factor, which it rarely is.”
Higher yieldYet on paper, its protein content matchesCordiale and its specific weight isn’t farbehind –– with its yield 1% higher. Millerssay it’s performed better than Einstein andit meets their intake criteria, although flourextraction rates may sometimes be lowerthan expected, they say.
Openfield is offering a buy-back contract at £5/t below Group 1 for 2012 harvest. “Like Cordiale, Podium has universal appeal,” says Tim Hirst.
Andrew Newby believes it will matchup to its older KWS stable-mate. “It hasCordiale grain quality and is early to harvest, but has the benefit of midge
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 11
resistance as well. It’s stiff-strawed andyou can drill it quite late, so it should fit well in the second wheat and late-drilling slots.” n
Weevil watchurged for nextseason
Pest controlPest control
fter Shrops-based agronomist, Dai Morgan, noticed two of theOSR crops he looks after were
struggling to grow away this spring, hewas subsequently surprised to discoverthe cause –– winter stem weevil larvae.
The pest has been a sporadic problemin other parts of the country as well this season, according to reports fromelsewhere. “But this was the first time I’d ever seen it.”
‘Growers hoping to avoid futuredamage might consider using a
more potent seed dressing.’
Dai Morgan, pictured in one the fieldsaffected by winter stem weevil.
Oilseed rape growers should beware of weevilsinvading their crops next autumn, according to
recent field experience.
By Andrew Blake
A
The two affected sites –– both 16hafields, sown with the hybrid varietiesFlash and DK Sequoia –– are nearStourbridge and Market Drayton.
Slow recovery“When I visited them in late February/earlyMarch, the crops didn’t seem to berecovering from some pretty bad pigeon damage in the way you’d expectwith hybrid varieties. Moreover, theyweren’t responding to nitrogen top dressings either.”
When some of his BCW Agriculturecolleagues reported other OSR crops inthe area were failing to flower properly,he decided to make a closer inspection.
“I found larvae in the stems whichwere clearly knocking the plants’ vigour.”Samples subsequently tested at ADASRosemaund confirmed the presence ofthe pest.
“We decided to carry on with bothfields and applied the pyrethroid,Hallmark (lambda-cyhalothrin), but itdidn’t have much effect unfortunately. I suppose it was a case of ‘closing thestable door after the horse had bolted’.
Eventually, the field of Flash had to be re-drilled, he says.
“I know some farms in the east havehad problems with winter stem weevilover the years, but I didn’t expect to see it here in the west.”
ADAS entomologist, Mike Lole, confirms winter stem weevil has long been regarded as potentially troublesome. “It created some problemsin stubble turnips in the ‘70s and ‘80s,although it never did serious damage.
“But we’ve been seeing it a bit more in recent years, and its pest status hascertainly increased. There have beenquite a few cases in East Anglia andScotland this season.”
‘Similar to seed weevil’The adults look similar to seed weevils whose larvae sometimes hitcrops after flowering, he says. “The difference is that they lay their eggs in the autumn, and their larvae feedwithin the stems all winter –– so they’repotentially quite damaging.”
One possible explanation for theapparent upsurge of the pest might be
14 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
Although still relatively uncommon, winter stem weevil larvae cancause complete destruction of an OSR crop.
the widespread uptake of theneonicotinoid seed treatments,Cruiser (thiomethoxam) andModesto (clothianidin+ beta-cyfluthrin), he believes.“Their effectiveness againstvirus-bearing aphids may have led growers to reducetheir use of autumn pyrethroidsprays.
No confirmation yet“It’s only a theory and wedon’t have any figures yetfrom the 2010 Arable CropSurvey to prove it. But the circumstantial evidence seems to fit.”
SAC entomologist, AndyEvans, says winter stem weevil damage to OSR came to thefore in Scotland in 2004/05when many crops in theBorders and Lothians were hit.“Since then, it’s spread north.
“The damage can be considerable –– I’ve seencrops with the white, leglesslarvae in every plant. Inspring, the plants becomestunted with multiple shoots.”
Adults move into crops inlate September/early Octoberbut need to feed for 2-3 weeksbefore laying their eggs, henotes. “That means growershave roughly a three-weekwindow to control them beforeegg-hatch, after which the larvae burrow beyond thereach of pyrethroid sprays.
“In the past when nearly all crops had a lindane seedtreatment, it was probablydoing the job because of its persistence. But the neonicotinoid seed treatmentsdon’t claim to provide anycontrol [of winter stem weevil]and I suspect they could berunning out of steam by thetime the adults move intocrops –– especially if they’resown during August.”
Andy Evans’ advice to growers and agronomists istherefore to check carefully inthe autumn for grazing adultswhich may be hiding in themiddle of the young plants.
“We’ve tried using watertraps to check for them, butthey weren’t very effective. So if you see any weevils, consider them as a warning to spray in the same way youwould with summer ones. But we don’t have any treatment thresholds as yet.”
Bad attack two years agoDr David Ellerton of Hutchinsonssays he witnessed a badattack from winter stem weevil larvae two years ago in Cambs. “I was also aware of it occasionally making anappearance in Scotland priorto that.”
He reckons its incidencehas increased slightly inrecent seasons but admits
Pest controlPest control
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 15
s
Mike Lole confirms there have “quite a few” cases of winter stem weevil in East Anglia and Scotland in recent years.
he isn’t sure why. “Pyrethroids don’tappear to control it –– perhaps becausethey were applied at the wrong spraytiming.
“I’ve seen crops hit very hard by thepest –– but never wiped out completely.”The symptoms were severely stuntedplants with their bases hollowed out, he notes.
David Ellerton believes there’s no evidence to confirm that the uptake ofneonicotinoid treatments are responsible
for any increase in the winter stem weevilpopulation, and/or subsequent cropdamage. “But they may be killing otherpests, leaving the way clear for them.
“And the use of autumn insecticidesprays has certainly declined slightlysince the arrival of the new treatments.”
More potent treatment?Besides using more autumn insecticides,growers hoping to avoid future damagemight consider using a more potent seeddressing, such as Elado, he suggests.
“It’s a higher-strength version ofModesto –– available on seed importedfrom the continent where it’s beencleared.” He’s also planning to keep an eye on the latest ADAS research into the pest.
Essex-based agronomist and formerAICC chairman, Peter Taylor, says he’sbeen aware of the possibility of winterstem weevil damage ever since he beganadvising on oilseed rape 25 years ago.
“But it’s only started being an issue inthe past 5-6 years. It gets noticed whenthe stems are split open, and larvae canbe found even when flea beetle larvaehave been controlled.”
He hasn’t yet seen crops fully-destroyedby the pest either, although he confirmswinter stem weevil damage has definitelyincreased. “As with a number of pests,it’s rarely down to a single cause. But the widespread use of the more modernseed treatments could easily be a factor.”
Autumn applications of insecticideshave “certainly declined” since theirintroduction, he adds.
“Where farmers have had a seriousproblem with winter stem weevil, I’ve nodoubt they’ll try to spray against it. Butautumn spray patterns have changed, so they may face a dilemma.
Sprayer tied-up?“With blackgrass control being the number one priority, the sprayer couldbe tied-up with applying Roundup(glyphosate) pre-drilling or pre-em herbicides elsewhere just when stemweevils need to be controlled. Similarly,waiting to apply a rape insecticide alongwith a Kerb (propyzamide) herbicidetreatment in November means it wouldprobably be too late.”
Mark Hemmant of Agrovista says thepest caused “horrific” damage to somecrops in the East Midlands last season.
“Seed treatments can be very effectiveagainst virus-bearing aphids but in verybad seasons like last year, even treated
16 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
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Pest controlPest control
“Winter stem weevil larvae can be foundeven when flea beetle larvae have been
controlled,” says Peter Taylor.
crops show occasional turnip yellowsvirus symptoms.”
It was noticeable that where a follow-up pyrethroid had been applied,the incidence of winter stem weevil wasreduced, he notes.
“If you’re going through the crop anyway –– for example, with a fungicideto treat against phoma, or where turnipyellows are likely to be an issue ––adding an insecticide will probably helpwith the level of control.”
Wilts-based Countrywide agronomist,Simon Trenary, says he’s well aware ofthe threat from winter stem weevils, having had a crop near Marlboroughbadly affected seven years ago.
‘Nightmare damage’“That was well before the new seedtreatments came along. The damage thatyear was a nightmare –– we lost 20-25%of the plants. I’ve been half expecting to see it again but we haven’t as yet –– possibly because I tend to adopt atwo-pronged approach to aphid control,involving a follow-up spray.
“You need to remember that theinsecticidal effect of a seed dressing only lasts 6-8 weeks.”
Unlike Peter Taylor, he believes the latest seed treatments have had littleimpact on the use of autumn pyrethroidsin his area.
Although limited data from Franceindicates that the thiomethoxam inCruiser controls winter stem weevil, theproduct’s UK label makes no claim forthe pest, acknowledges Syngenta’sStephen Beal.
“We haven’t completed enough trialshere to get that approval.”
Much rests on the persistence of a seed treatment’s –– especially wherecrops have been drilled early, he points out.
“With the older product, Chinook, itwas only around 4-6 weeks but withthese ‘second generation’ treatments, it’smore like 6-8 weeks –– and occasionallyup to ten. But you have to rememberthat its effect is being diluted all the time the crop grows.
“Our advice is to keep monitoringcrops for aphids and flea beetles afterthat period, and if you then need toapply an insecticide, it will more thanlikely also have a knock-on effect on any weevils present.”
Neither does the Modesto label makeany reference to controlling winter stemweevil, confirms Ian Cockram of Bayer.
“It’s not a major UK pest, but we’dexpect the treatment to have some activity on it as we’ve have seen somecontrol of other Ceutorhynchus speciesin eastern Europe.
“However, as the autumn draws intowinter, growers and agronomists shouldbe routinely monitoring their crops forthe presence of larvae of both cabbagestem flea beetle and winter stem weevil–– and applying a pyrethroid spraywhere necessary.” n
Pest controlPest control
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 17
‘Usually, the pests are already in-store, waiting for the opportunity to multiply
when the crop is loaded in.’
Time to reinvestin on-farm storage?
Grain handling and storage on-farm remains abarrier to efficiency on many arable units.
CPM investigates.
By Louise Impey and Robert Harris
uild a new grain store or use centralstorage? It’s a huge decision, requiring a great deal of thought
and money, together with a review of business circumstances.
The honest answer is that there areclear benefits to either approach, believesGary Markham, director of agriculture at Grant Thornton, and author of the company’s recent report on the economicsof grain storage.
B
“Having an on-farm store increases the enterprise’s asset value and allows complete control of the grain handlingprocess –– but centrally-operated storesgenerally have superior processing andmarketing capabilities.”
His advice is to consider recentchanges within the grain markets.“The food market is calling for growers to upgrade to premium contracts withtransparent traceability wherever possible. Alternatively, the energy market can be met with a lower cost of production overall.”
Storage costs range enormously fromfarm-to-farm and often don’t fully factor-inexpenses such as rejected loads, he continues. “It’s difficult to get a handle
on these costs and growers never agree on a final figure.” He notes that the EFFP(European Food and Farming Partnerships)reckon there are savings of around 25% tobe made on logistics and transport alone–– equivalent to £2.50/t.
Both on-farm and central storage havesignificant cost and logistics advantagesand disadvantages, notes Gary Markham(see box p32).
Funding a new grain storage facility –– either a new-build or central storage –– can partly be covered by renting out anexisting building for commercial storage,he suggests.
Rental income“It will usually need an upgrade to make it suitable, but there’s an average rentalper square foot of around £3. So a 1,000 tonne store could bring in a potentialrental income of £13,440/annum.”
That level of rental income is enough to fund a 20 year loan of £167,492, withan interest rate of 5%, he calculates.
“That’s sufficient to finance a significantproportion of a new-build grain store, orthe full amount of a central storage option,”reports Gary Markham.
Another option is to use a self-investedpersonal pension (SIPP) to fund grain storage, with the capital being used tobuild the facility –– which is then leasedback to the farming business, he suggests.“A key advantage of this approach is that investors can claim tax relief on the pension contribution itself.”
A similar thing can also be done when purchasing central storage, with tax relief being claimed on the pensioncontributions, he adds.
Whichever storage option is chosen,there’s growing demand from the foodindustry for a more consistent end-product,notes Bruce Ferguson of Openfield.
“That means storage is becomingincreasingly important –– partly to maintain or improve the quality of thefoodstuff involved, but also to meet the increasingly stringent legislativerequirements. Grain should be treated as a foodstuff and not just a commodity.”
Reason for rejectionA recent survey of Scottish growersshowed that excessive grain nitrogen wasthe most common reason for rejection, he notes (see box on p30). “That’s not surprising given the amount of maltingbarley grown up here, albeit that impurities, moisture content and pestinfestations weren’t that far behind.”
18 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
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Reasons for rejectionMoisture 13%
Nitrogen 35%
Infestation 11%
Impurities 22%
Temperature 2%
Specific weight 15%
Other 2%
Source: Openfield (a recent survey of 275 Scottish cereal growers)
Each of the latter problems can be alleviated by taking the right approach to storage, he claims.
Bruce Ferguson adds that a rejectionlevel of 5% in malting barley represents acost equivalent to £3.50/t for each grower.“The aim of the industry as a whole shouldtherefore be to reduce these wasted costs.”
Thorough preparation of storage facilities prior to harvest goes a long way to avoiding many of the aforementionedproblems, he continues. “Pest infestationof grain is an increasing problem and canbe very difficult to deal with.
Extra grain storage capacity could befunded via a self-invested personal pension(SIPP), suggests Gary Markham.
“Usually, the pests are already in-store,waiting for the opportunity to multiplywhen the crop is loaded in.”
Ventilation ducts and intake pits are themost common hiding places, he notes.“Cleaning is therefore vitally important –– and birds and rodents must also bebanished from the store.”
Once the grain is in situ, the principlesfor its management are the same ––regardless of whether storage is temporary or long-term, central or on-farm, he comments.
Drop temperature ASAP“The priority is to get the temperaturedown to 15°C as quickly as possible. That puts a stop to insect activity –– particularly saw-toothed beetle and grainweevil, which can be a problem in warmgrain immediately after harvest.”
The next temperature target is 10°C, followed by 5°C by the end of December–– with the exception of some barleycrops, he continues. “Malting barleyshouldn’t be cooled below 10°C otherwiseit will break its dormancy.”
Achieving the correct moisture contentis another important consideration, as toomuch moisture will cause spoilage instored grain, continues Bruce Ferguson.
“Cereals should ideally be dried to14.5% and oilseeds down to 7.5%, so it’simportant to get in and check the grainbulk with both temperature and moistureprobes. Do it just as soon as the grain isin-store, then every week thereafter.”
Grain above 18% moisture should takepriority, as mould and mycotoxin growthcan occur very rapidly, he notes.
Drying to 1% below the target is a goodidea, he suggests. “This allows for an overall increase during the storage period,as the bulk will draw in relative humidityfrom outside during the winter months.”
Mites are a potential problem on the grain surface, where a higher moisture content is normal due to ambient conditions.
20 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
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New on-farm store Central storage
Increases farm asset value Better processing and marketing facilities
Future alternative use of buildings Improved logistics
Rapid harvest unloading Added-value of grain
Full control over logistics and marketing Simplified harvesting strategies
Potential for syndicated storage with neighbours
Use of existing labour
Weighing up the storage options
Potential load rejections Location
Capital costs to maintain equipment Haulage costs
Double handling of grain Cost transparency – seems expensive
Restrictions on combine capacity
Labour costs at peak times
Store management time commitment
Lack of variety/quality segregation
Source: Grant Thornton
Advantages
Disadvantages“Grain should be treated as a foodstuff andnot just a commodity,” notes Bruce Ferguson.
“They’re a particular problem in oilseedrape, as it’s more difficult to get the airthrough it. A cap tends to form on thetop, providing ideal conditions for mitesto develop.”
Surface treatments are appropriate for
the pest, but less so for insects, continuesBruce Ferguson. “Mites are found at the surface but beetles will be presentthroughout the crop bulk.”
Cone traps are a good investment, hebelieves. “But it’s important to monitor
them every week as a species like thesaw-toothed grain beetle can increase fifty-fold within a month. Once they’re in,they’re very difficult to get rid of.”
The first indication of a problem is avery rapid rise in the grain temperature,
s
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The use of new, wireless grain store monitoring equipment allows growers to take measurements without the need forcables, says Hugh Crabtree of Farmex.
“It really is the Holy Grail. Having no cables in-store eliminates all the problems traditionally associated withchewing rodents.”
The reason for having a wireless system is that it reduces the overall cost,he points out. “Wireless devices costmore in the first place, but the installationcosts are lower.”
The technology used is now “coming of age” and has been designed for harshenvironments, continues Hugh Crabtree. “It has a low power requirement and anautomatic self-repair function, so if one link gets broken, it can establish another one immediately.”
He adds that the technology is very scalable, allowing it to be used even at complex storage sites. “The fact that you can monitor stores without having to digtrenches or disrupt the site in any way is a big benefit.”
Once sited in-store, measuring lances can be moved about as required, he
notes. “Because they’re not wired up, theycan be placed where there’s the greatestneed, or if a problem is suspected.Recently delivered grain is a good example as it may have come in wetter or warmer than ideal.”
Wireless systems have data-loggersattached which collect and keep records.These are then stored on a computer andcan be analysed, as required. “They’rerecording in real-time and the data can be presented in a number of ways.”
Looking ahead, Hugh Crabtree believesthere are further implications of being wire-free. “The next stage would be to putthe sensing devices on things that move,such as stirring systems.”
This would mean that store managerscould get a continuous measurement of a pass through the grain heap, he
points out.A wireless system comprising a logger
unit, wireless router, three repeaters, 42 lances and real-time software costsaround £10,500, with an annual fee for logging of £300, he says. “The equivalentconventional system would be in theregion of £40,000.”
Wireless monitoring
he concludes. “It will go from 10°C to 15°C in just two to three days, so effective monitoring will identify any issuefairly quickly.”
Silos and bins are more likely to harbourpests than on-floor stores as completecleanliness is trickier to achieve in this situation, notes David Williams, an independent crop storage engineer with Reading Agricultural Consultants.
“The other issue is that silos and binshave roof hatches which have to bescrewed down to make them weather-tight. But when the screws rust and thehatch can’t be properly secured, it allowswater to get in.”
He points out that many grain storage
24 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
The main thing cereal growers need toconsider when planning new storage iswhat sort of grain they intend to produce in the next 20 years or so, believes Gary Markham.
“The key wording is ‘vendor assurance’.This basically means that any grain supplied for human consumption will come with a ticket that verifies its qualityand safety, so there’s no need for the end-user to test it.
“This grain will also meet the transparenttraceability of products that end-users will demand –– with minimal carbon andwater footprints.”
This practice is already widespread in the fruit and vegetable sectors, where farms and farmer co-ops supply supermarkets with goods ready for the shelf. “Grain producers would never be able to take it to this degree because of the need for large-scale processing of their produce, butthe principle is the same –– they’ll have tobe able to supply produce that the end-userneeds and guarantee that it’s fit for purpose.
“In ten years time, this will be the norm,
and other grain will be sold at a discount–– the market dynamics will almost certainly change.”
Millers, who are charged by their customers to produce a consistent product,battle with huge variability in their rawmaterial supplies, continues Gary Markham.“It’s a huge problem for them –– the supermarkets have already shipped allresponsibility back onto farm in the freshproduce sector, and that’s going to happenwith grain in future.”
Growers who intend to take on this challenge should perhaps opt for centralstorage, he advises. “Opportunities forfarmers will arise through joint venture supply chains –– in other words, producergroups that provide a method of achievingvendor assurance of specification andquality of product.
“Central stores are well placed to takeadvantage of this, with their testing andblending facilities –– helping farmers meetthe challenge of upgrading their grain output to help meet premium contracts.”
But farmers within the catchment areas
of the new and planned biofuel plantsshould perhaps plan differently, believesGary Markham.
“These markets aren’t likely to be subject to such stringent controls.Production here is all about achieving the maximum yield for the minimum input–– low-cost production of a commodity with specifications that aren’t too difficult to meet.”
These growers will be well served byhaving a “big shed with basic drying facilities –– and little else,” he believes.“Central storage might still be a goodoption for them but a simple on-floor storecould also serve them well –– particularlywhen you consider the potential uplift infarm asset value, and the fact that it maycreate a potential brownfield site whichcould be useful in years to come.”
Many of the disadvantages traditionallyassociated with running a new on-farm store,such as load rejections, restrictions on combine capacity and lack of segregation,will be of much less significance with thistype of building, he concludes.
Planning future storage requirements
“Grain storage problems often happenbecause resources and people are stretchedtoo thinly at harvest,” says David Williams.
s
Storage options –– 1,000t storeInitial capital cost
New-build on-floor storage £165,000
New-build store with continuous flow drier £250,000
Central storage – initial qualification loan £40,000
Central storage – six-year storage charges £133,360
Central storage – six-year storage and interest charges £156,700
Source: Grant Thornton
On-farm store –– checklist l Sound, rainproof roof
l Clean, solid floor and walls
l Well-fitting doors
l Free of dirt and debris
l Free of infestation
l Glass management system
l Pest control programme
l Equipment tested and runningsmoothly before harvest
l Staff training and awareness
Source: Openfield
problems happen because resources andpeople are stretched too thinly at harvest.“It’s a frantic time of the year, with theheaviest workload, so it’s hardly surprisingthat grain stores get overlooked.“
‘Basic defects’Growers must check that their stores are doing what they’re meant to be, he comments. “Many have fairly basicdefects but ultimately buildings must be rainproof, hygienic, free of birds androdents, and sound and tested prior to harvest.
“Remember that they often get damaged by machines and trucks during the harvest period.”
He names gutters and down-spouts as being a common cause of problems.“Steel gutters eventually corrode and leak,while valley gutters are hidden and caneasily overflow in to the store.”
Moreover, vents often get blockedrestricting the airflow, and fans must allrotate the same way, he adds. “Checkafter you’ve had any electrical repairs done–– it’s surprising how many times you’llfind fans rotating in opposite directions.”
Where grain is being stored at depth,good airflow is essential, continues DavidWilliams. “Air doesn’t like to go round corners and will take the path of leastresistance. It needs a clear route, whichis why air inlets and outlets must be largeenough.” Louvres will effectively halvethe air intake area, he adds.
Inlets need to be covered with anti-birdmesh and must be kept clear at all times,he says. “Ground level inlets are oftenblocked unintentionally by oil tanks or similar items, which prevents them fromdoing their job.”
A more recent problem in storedoilseed rape is overheating, he reports.“Many of the newest varieties have highoil contents, which makes them more
prone to overheating if any moisture gets into the store.”
Microbial activity caused by this dampness makes the temperature rise, with levels as high as 90°C being recorded in some circumstances, says David Williams.
“This extreme heat may destroy any
harmful microbes present but it also causesthe oil to start to breakdown. Moreover, the crop bulk gets extremely hot veryquickly, ultimately leading to a risk of fire.”
That’s why storage structures must be properly weather-tight, he advises. “It only takes a small hole in the roof to cause a problem.” n
hat will it take to make feedwheat enthusiasts move tomilling varieties?
That’s the question asked by some ofthe country’s leading food firms as theyseek to increase the amount of wheatthey source from within the UK.
Increasingly attractive contracts forgrowers of the Group 1 variety, Gallant, is Rank Hovis’ current tactic.
Peter Jones is national wheat managerfor Premier Foods’ Rank Hovis division,the UK’s largest food manufacturer andmiller. He heads a team which buys1.2m tonnes of wheat/year –– equivalentto 1-in-4 fields of UK milling wheat.
“Since we launched our all-Britishbread range in 2010, it’s been very
Milling sector seeksmore consistent supply
The breadmaking variety, Gallant, is graduallyproving its popularity within the milling sector.
CPM reports how the latest contracts might affect growers decisions for next season.
By Martin Rickatson
‘We were paid a £32/t premium formeeting the full milling spec.’
successful with our customers,” he says.The range was made possible mainlythrough the development of red springwheat suited to UK growing conditions,although supplies of Group 1 winterwheat are also essential to Rank Hovis’breadmaking grists, he adds.
‘Preferred Group 1’“We’re heavily involved in the evaluation ofnew varieties and have now seen sufficientamounts of the consistent-performer, Gallant,to make it our preferred Group 1 variety.
“Solstice also does a good job for us,but it’s not quite as consistent as Gallant.”
Security of supply is critical, given thevolume of wheat the firm requires, andthe prominence of its Hovis bread rangeon supermarket shelves.
“We recognise that new markets, such as bioethanol, have created otherattractions for the wheat grower, and thatthe already-tight supply-and-demand situation will get even tighter because of this. That’s why we want to work more closer with farmers to encouragemore of them to join us in growingunder-contract.”
Samantha Brooke of Syngenta notes
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26 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
Peter Jones recognises that new markets,such as bioethanol, have created otherattractions for wheat growers. “That’s why we want to encourage more farmers to join us in growing quality varietiesunder-contract.”
the steady decline in the dominance of Group 3 varieties since Claire andRobigus ruled the roost ten years ago –– taking almost half the winter wheatmarket at the time.
“Group 4 is now the dominant sectorbut growers are increasingly lookingtowards the quality end of the marketbecause of the attractive premiums onoffer –– and also because of the higheryield potential of quality varieties such as Gallant.
“There’s little to choose between the Solstice and Gallant on diseaseresistance, but the latter offers a 0.3t/hayield advantage over the former, and hasmuch shorter straw as well –– plus it’searlier maturing by two days.”
Higher rated HFNThe Hagberg Falling Number is key with breadmaking varieties, and Gallanthas the higher rating of the two, shenotes. “Over the past five years of our trials, Gallant’s Hagberg has averaged350 –– well above the 250 minimummilling requirement.
“Moreover, it has a proven ability tohold onto it –– even when the weatherturns bad.”
Protein consistency is also proven,averaging 12.8% in five years ofSyngenta trials, she claims. “Nitrogentimings need to be tweaked a bit, compared with Solstice, but high yieldscoupled with 13% protein are easilyachievable.”
100ha this seasonHamish Gairdner, who manages the660ha Wills Estate, near Banbury, Oxon,grew 78ha of Gallant last year. He wassufficiently impressed to increase hisarea of the variety to 100ha this season–– covering half his first wheat area.Interestingly, he was a committed feedwheat grower prior to that.
“While we still grow Oakley as a second wheat, last year was the first time we’d grown milling wheat, with ourprevious policy being the production ofhigh yielding feed wheats.” Solstice wasgrown, along with Gallant, as part of atrial last year, he adds.
One of the main drivers behind theswitch was his decision to invest in ahigher-output combine and a 55t/hr drier –– giving him the ability to protectgrain quality by getting his crops cut and into store more quickly. “That in turn
gives us more of a chance of meetingthe breadmaking market requirements.”
Premier Foods’ mill at Wellingborough
s
Gallant offers a 0.3t/ha yield advantageover Solstice and is earlier maturing by two days, notes Samantha Brooke.
–– which produces Hovis bread flour –– is fairly close to the farm and this was another key influencing factor,
says Hamish Gardner. “On a buyback contract, we were paid a £32/t premiumfor meeting the full milling spec.”
Following Syngenta’s husbandryguidelines “to the letter” resulted in the 13% protein:76kg/hl specificweight:250 Hagberg specification beingmet without any problems, he says. “But what impressed us most was that it did so at the same time as yielding an average of 9.6t/ha.
“That was without any additional nitrogen –– and on ironstone brash soil.Moreover, it was grown as a secondwheat, and it outyielded Oakley on thesame soil type.”
With ear emergence around one-and-a-half weeks earlier than Solstice, it alsohelped him spread his harvest workload,he continues. “In fact, its earliness toharvest meant we went straight from cutting rape into wheat.”
The amount of Group 1 wheat grownin the UK is fairly stable at present, andas a percentage of wheat seed sales, itdoesn’t change much year-on-year,according to Mark Smith of SaxonAgriculture. “It generally takes about15% of the seed market in England and Wales.”
He doesn’t see the area expandingsignificantly in the near future, but welcomes the emergence of a reliable,new breadmaking variety to challengeSolstice.
“As with any variety choice based onthe Nabim group classification system,farmers thinking of switching some oftheir sowings to a Group 1 variety –– orindeed to a different Group 1 variety –– need to be sure that their intendedend-market is keen on the variety in question.
“There has to be widespread demand–– not just from one or two millers, butfrom right across the board.”
Plenty of choiceWhile there’s plenty of choice in theGroup 2 sector, there’s only Solstice andGallant to choose from in Group 1, andfarmers and millers tend to be loyal to asmall number of milling wheats in thelonger term, he says.
“But Gallant has been around for long enough now that the initial questionmarks surrounding its quality and reliability –– which hang over any newbreadmaking type –– have now beenpositively answered. It’s now proven itself
s
In the most significant shake-up since its formation,Syngenta has announced themerger of its crop protectionand seeds divisions to operateas a single entity.
This follows the joiningtogether of the former Novartis(Ciba Geigy/Sandoz) andZeneca (ICI) businesses adecade ago.
“The two arms of the 0current business have operated largely independentlyover the past ten years, butintegration now makes sensefor a number of reasons,”explains UK/Ireland commercialchief, Gary Mills-Thomas.
“Farming is changing –– with many enterprisesbecoming larger, more businesslike and moredemanding,” he suggests.“And food production ischanging too, with greatermarket volatility, new technology, higher yields andmore pressure on resources.
“But the move is alsodesigned to improve our customer co-ordination and
efficiency –– and to help ourability to solve problems.”
Key to the firm’s new way of working is a crop-focusedstructure in which, rather thanteams working on productareas, such as fungicides orseeds, they will specialise incrop types. The UK and Irelandalso becomes part of a newNorthern Europe territory, withsimilar crop types and climate,which includes the Beneluxand Scandinavian countries.
Robert Hiles will head-upthe cereals group for the territory, with this being theregion’s dominant crop: “The new structure will meanbetter co-ordination in ourapproach to problem solving.
“When researching issuessuch as blackgrass control, forexample, we can draw togetherinformation more easily on the range of influences ––including varieties, seed treatments, spray chemistry,product application, agronomyand rotation. That will ultimatelybring benefits for growers.
New structure for Syngenta
as a fully-fledged Group 1breadmaker, and all the main millers are pleased with its performance.
“As a result, although it’s stillearly days for the variety, Gallanthas gained a little more of theGroup 1 area this season at theexpense of Solstice.”
Mark Smith points out thatthe domestic market is finite,and that in the event –– albeitunlikely –– that too manygrowers make a move intomilling wheat, the balancecould tip, with oversupplycausing premiums to fall.
“The premiums on offerhave held up well this year,with the millers keen to securesupplies. But growers thinkingof switching to Group 1wheats should look carefully at the forward contracts available. That helps toremove a lot of risk.”
Saxon Agriculture is currentlyoffering a £20-40/t premium for 13% protein:250 Hagberg:76kg/hl samples on non-defaultable contracts. “Thatmeans growers aren’t chargedif their crops fall short on the spec.
“Last year was good all-round for quality, but this year’s drought conditionswill be a robust test ofGallant’s reliability and performance. In the past, the variety has producedcrops with protein contentsand specific weights on a par with Solstice, but it’s on the consistency of itsHagberg that it outperformsthe latter.”
He believes its earlier maturity date helps beat the weather to protect itsHagberg score. n
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 29
ver the past few years, the popularityof hybrid OSR has soared as growers have experienced first-hand
the various agronomic and yield benefitsassociated with heterosis (i.e. hybridvigour) –– notably on poor land, and under tricky growing conditions.
Now, winter wheat growers have theopportunity to try a new hybrid variety ––Hystar, bred by Saaten Union in northernFrance –– which could transform the
Turbo-chargedwheat for marginal land?
Growers on marginal wheat land could soon bemaking a return to winter wheat, thanks to the
launch of a new hybrid variety.
By Angus McKirdy and Dominic Kilburn
‘Hybrids produce up to one-thirdmore root mass.’
profitability of the crop on less productiveland and in late-sowing situations,according to its UK marketing agent.
“Virtually every farmer has a part oftheir farm which produces disappointingyields each year, and some have evengiven up growing wheat altogether onthis land,” says John Poulton of Cropco.“But by sowing a hybrid variety, you cansignificantly boost the yield on poor land,mainly because of the enhanced rootingability and vigour of the crop.”
Unfertile landHe admits that hybrid wheat won’t suitevery arable situation. “If you’re regularlyachieving 12t/ha+ of Oakley on fertileland in the middle of the Cambs fens, it makes more sense to stick with thatapproach. But if you’re struggling to get8t/ha on relatively unfertile land elsewhere,or growing wheat after potatoes or beet,Hystar is well worth trying.”
The benefits of heterosis have beenparticularly evident this spring in thecompany’s on-farm trials because of theprolonged period of drought. “Hystar has stood out like a beacon alongsideconventional varieties.”
Cropco claims to have had a goodlevel of uptake for the variety lastautumn, with many of the 108 growerstrying hybrid wheat for the first time. Trialfields range in size from 0.5ha to 30ha.
“I’ll be amazed if it doesn’t out-yieldconventional varieties in a good numberof situations this harvest.”
However, he admits that UK trials datais still relatively thin on the ground. “Wedecided not to put it into RecommendedList trials because it’s a niche variety and it won’t perform any better than conventional types on medium and full-bodied soils –– and that’s what official trials are designed to test.
“But grown correctly, Hystar willalmost certainly provide a return over the extra seed cost on marginal land –– and that’s where we’d like to see itbeing grown.”
Lower seed rateThe recommended seed rate for Hystar(150-180 seeds/m2) is around 30-50%lower than for conventional varieties, andthat helps to off-set the extra seed cost,continues John Poulton. “But hybridseed is significantly more expensive to produce, and that’s why we have to market it at a premium.”
The cost of the variety for this autumnwill depend on wheat prices at harvest,
O
30 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
but it typically works out to be twice thecost/ha of conventional C2 seed, he admits.
Hystar is claimed to have good all-rounddisease resistance ratings, although no official scores are available since the variety has only been trialled in breederand Cropco trials.
Saaten Union’s agronomic ratings for the variety are summarised on p63.
Second wheat option?Seed manager, Paul Hickman, reckons Hystaralso has good potential to be grown as a second wheat –– and possibly even as a third wheat. “Every grower knows that thebiggest effect of take-all is its limitation onroot growth and development, leading to early senescence.
“But our trials show that hybrids produceup to one-third more root mass, and that
should help to mitigate the effects of the disease, together with the seed treatmentLatitude (silthiofam).”
Saaten Union plans to grow the variety as a second and third wheat in its UK trial programme next season to fully assess the rotational options.
Hystar also has the advantage of being earlier to mature –– over a week ahead of Oakley –– helping to spread the harvest workload, continues Paul Hickman. “It obviously depends on the drilling date, but it can be sown as early as 20 September as a first wheat, and will be comfortable with a late drilling slot provided the seedbed conditions are reasonably good.
“That makes it a valuable agronomic toolin helping to spread the harvest workload.”
According to John Poulton, Cropco is currently conducting trials to assess how
Saaten Union produces hybrid wheat seed bysowing parent seed lines –– typically in 4 and8m wide strips –– on land which hasn’t grownwheat during the previous two seasons.
When the ‘female’ parent reaches a certaingrowth stage (i.e. as the ear primordia reaches 15-20mm), a sterilising agent isapplied to this section of the crop to ensure no anthers are produced.
Pollen from the ‘male’ line then blows intothe female strip to ensure cross-fertilisation is achieved.
“We perform various tests to ensure thatthe female line isn’t setting seed itself via self-fertilisation,” says Dr Volker Lein, directorof research for the company. On a number ofsample plants within each female seed strip,
hoods are used to screen the emerging earsfrom incoming pollen –– with the seed lotbeing rejected if even a single self-fertilisedgrain is found, he says.
“EU law permits 10% non-hybrid seed in each bag of hybrid seed but we strive toproduce 95%+ purity.” Electrophoresis testsare conducted to ensure the seed’s integrity,with as many as eight visits from official seedinspectors during the course of the season,says Volker Lein.
“That should provide hybrid wheat growerswith absolute peace of mind that the seedwhich they’re growing will achieve the maximum degree of heteroris.”
Until now, all of Saaten Union’s hybrid seed has been produced in France since thesterilising agent, Croisor (sintofen), was onlyapproved for use in that country. However,recent Annex 1 approval for the product maysee its use extended to other countries in due course.
Volker Lein says a key challenge is to getthe sterilising agent to do a complete job,which means applying it at precisely the rightgrowth stage, along with two adjuvants toensure complete and rapid uptake. “Next, themale line has to come into flower when thefemale parent is in ear so the maximum levelof pollination can be achieved. As you canimagine, there are lots of things that can go wrong.
“But by selecting the best parent lines andbringing them together in this way, you canexpress the strongest agronomic characters inthe resulting hybrid line. When heterosis takeseffect, that’s what produces the best varieties.”
Complex seed production process
‘Cages’ are used to guarantee the hybrid seeddoesn’t self-pollinate.
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 31
s
32 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
“Hystar is well worth trying if you’regrowing wheat on relatively unfertile land, or following potatoes or sugar beet,”says John Poulton.
late in the season the variety can be drilled.
Guillaume de Castelbajac of SaatenUnion claims hybrids are also morenitrogen-efficient than conventionalwheats. “Since their early growth is so prolific, less applied nitrogen isrequired by the crop at this stagebecause it’s already accumulated a large amount of biomass prior to the first top dressing timing.
“French farmers tend to delay this‘saved’ nitrogen until later in the spring
–– helping to boost the protein contentand specific weight during the grain fillperiod.” A recent Saaten Union customersatisfaction survey revealed an average1t/ha yield advantage from growinghybrid varieties on-farm, compared with conventional types, he adds.
No end-user feeback yetHowever, John Poulton says he has had no feedback as yet on Hystar’s suitability for UK premium market outlets. “You’d have to call it a soft feedwheat for now but it might have somepotential as a biscuit variety and we’llcertainly be investigating that possibilityin due course.
“However, with its consistent grainquality and robust specific weights, itdoes seem that Hystar could conform to export standards.”
Moreover, Paul Hickman believesHystar’s nitrogen uptake efficiencyshould give it an advantage for thebioethanol market. “These buyersare looking for nothing but the mostnitrogen-efficient varieties and Hystar is as good as anything else right now.”
Andrew Nott of AF & NM Nott,Maplestead Hall, near Sudbury in Suffolk currently has 7ha of Hystar in the ground –– this is his first season at trialling the variety.
The last field on the 600ha farm to be planted in the autumn, Hystar wasdrilled at a seed rate of 120kg/ha on 1 October, in a continuous wheat rotationfollowing Solstice. It went into what hedescribes as “a very marginal light, shallow sand” and because of this, theseed rate was kept a little higher than isrecommended for the variety.
He says the variety established well inthe autumn –– rooting well and producingbold plants which have since “racedthrough the growth stages” this spring.
Just 7mm of rain“I feel it’s a little unfair to judge it in whathas turned out to be an extreme springin terms of a lack of rainfall,” commentsAndrew Nott. “It came through a verycold winter, but there’s only been 7mmof rain from the beginning of Marchthrough to mid-May in what has turnedout to be the driest spring I canremember.”
Despite the conditions, Hystar is performing well on the stronger parts of the field, although it looks to be suffering on the thinnest land, he reckons.“But a conventional wheat in the same
s
Hystar’s disease ratingsMildew 4
Yellow rust 7
Brown rust 7
Septoria tritici 6
Fusarium 7
Eyespot 4
Source: Saaten Union
Complimentary varietal characteristics arebrought together during the hybridisationprocess, claims Saaten Union.
situation simply wouldn’t have survived.”The variety has received fairly standard
nitrogen and fungicide treatments and at harvest, it will be stored in bulk, together with other feed wheats produced on the farm.
“We haven’t got enough data on thevariety as yet to tell us its potential forother markets, but we’ll give it another trynext season and hope we get more normalconditions with which to test it on our marginal land.
Lancs-based distributor, County Crops, has a small area of Hystar on six farmsin the region this season –– all beinggrown as second wheats on light andmedium sandy loam soils.
Agronomist, Frank Wells, says it’sbeen “more than a decade” since he
last had a close look at a hybrid wheatvariety, but he’s interested to see howthis latest variety performs in morestressful situations.
“We don’t want to see it up againstcrops in good first wheat slots where itspotential advantage on more marginalland isn’t seen.”
The variety was drilled from 15 Octoberthrough to early November at seed ratesof around 90kg/ha –– half the amounthe’d normally consider for conventionalwheat on this type of land.
‘Twice the size’“The crops got away very well, and on onefarm, the Hystar was twice the size of theneighbouring crop of Alchemy 26 daysafter drilling,” he says. “And althoughthere was little difference in size betweenthe two crops overwinter, the hybrid hasgone through the growth stages morequickly this spring and is again moreadvanced than the Alchemy.”
Like Andrew Nott, he isn’t treating Hystar differently to any other feedwheat. “The crops have received adecent fungicide and PGR programme,and 250kg/ha of nitrogen in total ––including 90kg/ha of ammonia sulphate
in early March, and 90kg/ha of AN inearly April.
“Hystar needs to achieve a better yieldthan conventional wheat in this situationto justify its use –– but with wheat at£200/t, a 0.25t/ha increase would beenough. If any variety is going to yield10t/ha on those sites, Hystar has got tobe a candidate.”l Around 1,000ha of Hystar seed will be available next season, either from Cropco direct or via its regional distribution network. Call 01787 238200for more details. n
A route to more consistentplant populations?A route to more consistentplant populations?
Patchy emergence can often be a problem wherethe soil type varies within a field. CPM reportshow one Dorset farmer has solved the problem.
By Andy Collings
‘It was remarkable to see how the drill increased and decreased
the seeding rate.’
stablishing even plant populationsacross fields with wide-ranging soiltypes was proving to be a challenge
for one Dorset farmer –– until he triedusing variable seed rates.
“Different soils clearly require differentseed rates to help ensure the optimumplant populations,” notes Bob Rowe of Manor Farm, Gussage St Michael,near Wimborne. As he’s responsible for managing land which repeatedlychanges from thin chalk to clay, andback again –– often within the same field–– he reckons he has plenty of evidenceto support this rationale.
From his base at Gussage St Michael,he farms 320ha of his own land, andcontract farms a further 1,850ha. In addition, he also operates part-time as a farm consultant.
“The problem of establishing optimumplant populations, spread evenly withineach field, is a real challenge for mostgrowers in this area due to the variabilityof the soils,” says Bob Rowe.
E
A good example is Boveridge Farm atnearby Cranborne, for which he providesan arable consultancy service. The farmgrows 466ha of combinable cropping,with the rotation comprising winterwheat, spring barley, winter barley and oilseed rape in equal proportions –– and grown in that sequence.
Milling wheat preference“The emphasis is on producing millingwheat, and about 50/50 malting andfeed barley,” explains Bob Rowe. “The wheat varieties are mainlyPanorama and Oakley this year –– both of which seem to suit this land well, averaging about 9.5t/ha.”
With winter barley, he grows Cassata for malting and the two-row variety, KWSCassia, for feed. The spring barley variety,Forensic, makes up the remaining part ofthe cereal rotation for malting markets.
The farm’s OSR is a mix of the conventional open-pollinated variety,Sesame, and the earlier maturing hybrid, Excalibur, which Bob Rowe considers to be a “safe and reasonablypredictable” variety.
“Boveridge Farm is never going to bein the highest yielding league but I’d liketo think the way we grow the crops therehelps to maximise their potential.”
One of the more challenging featuresof the farm is its steep slopes.
34 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
s
“The higher lying land has asignificant percentage of thinchalk, while the soil in the valleys is both deeper andmore fertile.
Large variation“The problem comes when youhave such a large variation ofsoil types within the samefields –– which we frequentlydo on this farm –– where thegermination rates changethroughout. To apply a singleseed rate in this situation isnever going to achieve good,even crops –– and yields willsuffer accordingly.”
With all the straw from theprevious crops baled and theoilseed rape residues chopped,the land destined for autumnsowing receives a pass with thefarm’s tined primary cultivatorto encourage the weed seeds to germinate.
Where time permits, theground is allowed to green-upbefore a second cultivationpass is made, and treatmentwith glyphosate is completedprior to drilling.
With spring barley in the rotation, it provides anopportunity for one-quarter of the farm to be ploughed on a rotational basis one-year-in-four. “This probably goessome way to explaining whythere are few –– if any ––problems here with blackgrassor sterile brome.”
However, it’s the drillingoperation which has undergonesomething of a revolution in
the past year –– helping Bob Rowe to achieve his aimof creating more even plantpopulations, but without having to invest heavily inexpensive drilling technology.
“I was determined to try toovercome this establishmentinequality but since the homefarm isn’t large enough to justify it, I didn’t want anexpensive drill with all the‘bells and whistles’.”
The solution was to purchasea relatively simple drill whichcould provide variable ratedrilling through the use of an electric metering system,linked with a rate controllerreceiving instructions from a field map.
A Kuhn Megant 480 drill –– a 4.8m tractor mountedpneumatic unit with tined coulters and an electric seedmetering unit –– was thereforedelivered to Bob Rowe lastAugust which “incorporateseverything we need,” he says.
Boveridge Farm’s tramlinewidth is 24m, which calls for a five-bout drilling sequence. “It has a transport width of lessthan 3m which is ideal for ournarrow lanes, and an 1,800litre-capacity hopper which isabout right for our needs.”
The coulters allow the seedto be placed at a constant,pre-set depth, and the drill’sown hydraulic system is usedto power the fan, he notes.
Working with the precisionfarming company, Soyl, thefarm’s arable area was given
Bob Rowe reckons variable seed rate drilling has resulted in more evencrop establishment on his changeable soils.
36 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
s
Information regarding required seed rate isstored in the Soyl unit (left) which is usedto activate the drill’s metering system viathe Quantron S controller.
“Our oilseed rape establishment was spoton last year,” says Bob Rowe. “However, wemay widen the rows a little this autumn.”
a conductivity test to buildup a map ofthe land’s germination potential, basedon actual soil type, stone content, soilmoisture and drilling date records.
Samples were taken at regular intervalswithin each field, with the readingsgrouped together to create four differentfertility areas –– ranked with high, medium,low or poor germination potential.
These were then carefully assessed tosee what seed rate should be used ineach area to create the optimum plantpopulation –– in this case, 250 plants/m2
for wheat.
Wider row spacings“For oilseed rape, we’ve been using an average of 70 plants/m2 although thelatest thinking is to grow the crop usingwider row spacings,” says Bob Rowe.“This could see the rate being reducedsignificantly in future.”
The soil maps, showing the differentareas of each field, were then downloadedonto a GPS unit, which is in turn linkedwith the drill’s Quantron S controller.
“It was remarkable to see how the drillincreased and decreased the seedingrate as it worked up and down the fields,and across the different soil types,” saysBob Rowe. “The lowest rate was around140kg/ha on some of the best soils ––and 190kg+/ha on the poorest areas.”
The Megant 480, with its hydraulicallyadjusted levelling board, four rows ofcoulters and two rows of covering tines,is reported to have coped well with awide variety of conditions –– proving to be simple to use and trouble-free, he reports.
With the earlier-sown winter crops nowless than a month from harvest, Bob Rowenotes a “marked improvement” in theevenness of the plant populations.
“Where we’d normally expect to
see thin looking wheat crops on thechalk banks, there’s now very goodground cover.”
But on the spring barley area wherehis aim was to establish 370 plants/m2,the recommended seed rates failed toestablish the desired plant population.
“It may’ve been due to the dry conditions, but we didn’t manage to get the degree of establishment we’dreckoned on. It’s something we’ll have to be aware of next season.”
Even so, Bob Rowe reports that thevast majority of the crops are looking well –– with an encouraging degree ofevenness across the fields.
“Variable rate drilling is clearly a system which works in this area and I’m pleased we’ve managed toachieve it without any vast expense in new equipment.” n
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 37
‘It has very short, stiff straw so itslodging scores are excellent.’
Insider’s viewInsider’s view
Extra margin from yieldand marketability?
The soft wheat Beluga combines a high yield with good suitability for the distilling
and bioethanol markets.
By Louise Impey
highly promising variety with thepotential to make a significantimpact –– that’s the verdict on
Senova’s soft Group 4 winter wheat,Beluga, which is poised to take anincreased share of the feed wheat market next season.
Added to the HGCA Recommended Listin December 2009, Beluga has managedto hold onto its position as the highestyielding soft Group 4 wheat (scoring 104)–– despite two additional soft wheats beingadded to the current list.
“In its first commercial year, Belugatook 8% of the Scottish market and performed above expectations,” reportsJeremy Taylor, commercial director at
A
for these markets as they combine high alcohol yields with few processingproblems, he notes.
But market suitability isn’t all Beluga has to offer, stresses Jeremy Taylor. “It’s classified as a ‘uks’ soft wheat forexport –– without any need for blending –– so it has wider market appeal as well.
North and south?“Restricting it to the north would be denying southern growers an opportunityto take advantage of its strengths –– especially those contemplating signing up to a bioethanol contract.”
The variety’s strengths include its performance as a second wheat –– clocking up the best yield figures of any variety on the Recommended List (i.e. 106) in this position in the rotation. “It’s also given consistent results across arange of soil types, making it suitable formost sites and growing conditions.
“Beluga clearly has all the attributesgrowers are looking for in a high yieldingfeed wheat variety, and it’s been very consistent from season-to-season,” he points out. “So it’s hardly surprisingthat it did so well last year.”
Jeremy Taylor is keen to point outBeluga’s agronomic characteristics, as
38 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
Senova. He believes the variety now hasa bright future south of the border, as wellas in the north.
“We’ve got enough seed for it to take a 3% slice of the English market next season, so we’re confident it will sell out,”he says. At the same time, he expects itsshare of the Scottish market to increase to 15%.
Part of the reason for his confident prediction is the excellent rating both theScotch Whisky Research Institute andADAS have given Beluga for the distillingand bioethanol markets, he says (also seebox, opposite).
“The Scotch Whisky Research Instituteconfirmed that Beluga has the desiredcharacteristics for distilling and bioethanol,while HGCA/ADAS data indicate that itshould give the highest alcohol yield of all the soft wheats.”
Soft endosperm types are preferred
Insider’s viewInsider’s view
“Farmers considering signing-up to a bioethanol contractshould take a close look atBeluga,” advises Jeremy Taylor.
A report by the Scotch WhiskyResearch Institute on an investigation into the distillingpotential of ten soft wheat varieties, names Beluga as one of the top choices.
All the varieties wereanalysed for their actual alcohol yield, moisture, totalnitrogen content and ‘spentwash residue viscosity’.
“The method used makesthe results relevant to bothpotable alcohol and bioethanolproducers,” says Dr JamesBrosnan of SWRI. “Whatthese end-users need arewheat varieties with relativelyhigh alcohol yields and lowresidue viscosity, so they’reeasy to process.”
Beluga’s results showedconsistently high alcohol yields from all five trial sites,he reports. “It was either thehighest or second highest forits alcohol yield, and it gavebelow average residue viscosities.”
The variety was the only oneof last year’s RecommendedList additions to receive agood rating, he confirms. “It has the potential to makequite an impact on the
distilling and alcohol producingindustries.”
In HGCA-funded ADAS trials, the alcohol productionper hectare was calculated for12 soft wheat varieties.
The results showed Belugawas predicted to produce themost alcohol, although theresearchers were keen to pointout that data was limited for thenewer varieties –– includingBeluga, Invicta and Warrior.
Potential alcohol productionwas calculated by combiningthe actual processing yieldfrom the SWRI data togetherwith average grain yields from RL trials.
“The differences betweencurrent varieties are mostlydue to grain yields,” explainsDr Richard Weightman of ADAS. “So variety choice isclearly an important decision.”
“Soft wheats are favouredfor distilling, but work is nowbeing done to investigate thesuitability of hard wheats forbioethanol production.
“The best varieties for bothmarkets are likely to combinehigh alcohol yields with gooddisease resistance and usefulagronomic features.”
Distilling and bioethanol verdict
they set it apart from some of the other feed wheats onthe RL. “These will be verymuch valued by both growers
and agronomists” (see table on p58).
“Perhaps most important isthe variety’s high resistance toyellow rust,” he believes. “Withreports of widespread yellowrust infection in susceptiblevarieties, the disease has beenone of the biggest challengesfaced by growers this year.
“And although fungicideshave gone on in the optimumconditions, treated crops have been showing signs of the disease very quicklyafterwards.”
Varieties with low resistanceratings are causing real concern for growers, continuesJeremy Taylor. “There’s noroom for error within spray programmes –– particularly
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 39
s
Beluga also performs well as a secondwheat –– partly because of its eyespotresistance, says Jeremy Taylor.
Beluga at a glance
Endosperm texture soft
UK treated yield 104
Second cereal yield 106
Resistance to lodging (no PGR) 9
Disease resistance ratings
Mildew 5
Yellow rust 9
Brown rust 4
Septoria tritici 5
Eyespot 7
Fusarium 6
OWBM -
Source: HGCA RL 2011/12
Beluga is one of just two varieties to have a significant buy-back contract for distillingthis year from the grain and seed merchant,WN Lindsay, based at Gladsmuir, EastLothian near Edinburgh.
The decision follows a limited buy-backcontract for Beluga last year between a distillery and WN Lindsay, which allowed a more detailed assessment of the varietyand its suitability for distilling.
The decision to take the variety forwardwas made jointly by both companies on the basis of very good results from the test batch –– although the positive verdictgiven to Beluga by the SWRI was also taken into consideration, says Peter Gray of Lindsays.
“Its ability to produce high alcohol yields,together with its desirable processing characteristics, means that contracted growers will receive a small premium.
Viscount is the other variety favoured for this market, he adds.
“Both varieties went through the plantwithout leaving any residues, and thatmakes for cleaner distilling.”
Peter Gray is always on the lookout fornew varieties which give a higher spirit yield.“Beluga is certainly one of those. It’s almostas good as Viscount, which is the currentstandard for spirit yield.
“The distillers are now asking for thesevarieties out of preference, and they’re evenprepared to pay a small premium for them.”
But market acceptability is only one part of the picture, he continues. “Varietieshave to be easy to grow and suited to ournortherly conditions. If farmers don’t take tothem, it’s going to make it difficult.”
The high yields, stiff straw and early maturity offered by Beluga give it a naturaladvantage in Scotland, he believes. “These
are the things growers look for up here.There are other soft milling varieties whichhave caught our attention, but many of them are too late for Scotland.”
Even Viscount can have its problems in the north, notes Peter Gray. “Beluga isdefinitely a better wheat for the farmer as it’s easier to grow and manage.”
Brown rust isn’t a threat in Scotland, sothe variety’s susceptibility to the disease isn’ta concern for him. “We know that the softervarieties preferred by the distillers have atendency to sprout, but we didn’t see anyevidence of this last year.”
Even the harsh winter weather this yeardidn’t appear to cause the variety any problems, he concludes. “Beluga came outof the winter greener and stronger-growingthan many others. It has waxy leaves and good plant vigour –– both of which probably helped.”
Scottish buy-back contracts
with crops under severe drought stressin many areas this spring.”
He highlights the value of Beluga’s eyespot resistance (rated 7) as well, which
is especially valuable where the variety isto be grown as a second wheat. “Moreover,it has very short, stiff straw so its lodgingscores are excellent.
“This is an essential characteristic in ahigh yielding wheat –– particularly whereit’s being grown on a fertile site. It helps togive quicker and easier harvesting, and itsimplifies PGR management.”
Short optionBeluga’s height of 82cm makes it shorterthan all other Group 4 wheats, notesJeremy Taylor. “And its earlier to ripenthan the other main soft wheat varieties.
“The further north you go, the more relevant this becomes.” Beluga is typicallyaround 7-10 days ahead of Invicta inScotland, he adds.
However, it does have some
40 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
s
Insider’s viewInsider’s view
Yields in excess of 11t/ha were achieved byStirlingshire grower, Leslie Dick, with Belugalast season –– some of the best that he’sever grown on the farm.
Leslie Dick drilled 62.5ha with the newvariety in the second half of September, butwasn’t expecting the yield or quality resultshe subsequently achieved.
“I’ve grown soft wheats in the past butalways had a problem making the requiredbushel weights,” he recalls. “So I switched tohard varieties and grew Malacca for manyyears, and since then, I’ve grown quite a bitof Einstein.”
But Beluga’s performance in its first year at Linksfield Farm, Airth, prompted him to re-consider. As a result, heincreased the area sown with the variety to 102ha last autumn.
“In a good year, I’d hope to get 4t/acre
(10t/ha) from the wheat, with the farm average nearer to 3.5t/acre (8.75t/ha). TheBeluga took our yields up to a new level.”
The specific weight of 82-83kg/hl wasalso “very pleasing”, he continues. “In thepast, we’ve had years where they’ve struggled to reach 72kg/hl, and we’ve had to accept deductions as a result.”
This season’s dry conditions up to themiddle of May led him to delay his final topdressing. “But in spite of that, the variety islooking exceptionally well. It seems to havemore straw than Einstein –– yet we’ve hadno problems to date with lodging.”
Sprouting hasn’t been experienced either,continues Leslie Dick. “The same can’t besaid of Viscount. When I took over the farm,it was down to Viscount and Consort –– andboth were sprouting badly.”
He’s resisted the temptation to grow the
Beluga on contract this year. “It’s possible tosell wheat to anyone at the moment, so I decided to keep my options open. ButStrathclyde Distillery did take two loads of Beluga last harvest as part of their testing regime.”
A variety which suits both the area andlocal market is very good news, he believes.“What’s interesting with Beluga is that itseems to have some flexibility with its drillingdate. I’ve got some land which couldn’t bedrilled until the end of October –– and eventhen, the conditions were terrible –– but it’snow difficult to tell the difference betweenthis area and the September-drilled crop.”
He has high hopes for this year’s crop.“I’m always happy to progress onto newervarieties if they have the potential to do well.To date, Beluga is certainly one of those.”
High yields on-farm
The variety’s high yield potential, very stiffstraw and excellent yellow rust resistance
score should make it attractive to all wheatgrowers, believes Richard Fenwick.
susceptibility to brown rust, he warns.“But this can be managed with the right fungicide programme, and it’s no worse for brown rust than feed varieties like KWS Santiago and Duxford. But growers need to be aware of it.”
He also acknowledges that the low protein/ high starch varieties preferred by distillers do have a tendency to sprout more easily –– and Beluga is noexception. “We haven’t seen it occurringin the field as yet but it’s typical of thistype of wheat.
“Giving it priority status at harvest istherefore a sensible approach.”
Independent variety consultant,Richard Fenwick, believes Beluga willreceive a good reception from growersthis harvest and points out that there’s still seed available for this autumn.
“Last year, there were only limited
seed stocks and it was all taken up inScotland,” he says. “But the variety’s market acceptability and better earlinessthan its competitors is bound to appeal tosome growers.”
Richard Fenwick notes that many otherfeed wheats are ‘high input’ types. “If youlook closely at the straw characteristicsand disease resistance ratings of the alternative choices, there’s nothing to get excited about.
“But Beluga combines high yields with very stiff straw and an excellent yellow rust score. Many growers will like that combination.”
The high wheat price will keep farmers
Insider’s viewInsider’s view
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 41
committed to the feed wheats, he believes.“The better yields on offer from these varieties will be the main driver, and Belugais the highest yielding soft feed type –– performing well as a second wheat too.” n
New drill provides greater versatilityThere’s an art to giving OSR the best start possiblein a range of conditions and soils. The purchase of
a new Sumo Versadrill has made the job easierand more flexible for one arable contractor.
By Tom Allen-Stevens
‘For oilseed rape, you don’t want todrop the seed in too deep –– but
you still need it to be covered.’
ultivation kit is clearly a passion forLeics-based contractor, MichaelMoore. Take a peek behind his
sheds and there are ploughs, rippersand subsoilers that stretch back as far as the eye can see.
Yet the most recently purchased, seven-furrow plough hasn’t been used sofar. “Non-inversion tillage –– especiallywith oilseed rape –– has become something of a speciality for us, andthat’s what we’re best known for in thispart of the world.” He says he hasn’tused a plough for more than five years.
Michael Moore establishes around1,000ha of oilseed rape and cereals from Lincs to Warwicks each year, withthe soil type varying from heavy clay tolight sand. Field conditions and previouscropping also tend to vary, as do eachcustomer’s individual requirements.
Often having very little influence on field management prior to establishingeach crop, he must be flexible enough toensure he gets good results –– whateverhe’s faced with.
“The customer is king, and you haveto establish each crop according to theirown specifications. But we’ve got thehorsepower and range of kit to do thejob –– and to do it well –– in a widerange of conditions.
“You can’t afford that level of machineryversatility these days if you’re farming 500 acres –– especially if you want to get the best out of your oilseed rape.”
He often steps in and establishes rape, or even just a proportion of it, forcustomers who can’t justify the cost ofmoving to min-till kit –– and for some who are simply curious to see how it performs. “It works out well time-wise.While we’re busy establishing rape, itleaves the farmer to focus on getting his wheat crop harvested.”
Michael Moore’s OSR establishment is based around one of three one-pass systems:l A 4.8m width seven-leg Sumo V-form
subsoiler with an OPICO air-driven seeder unit –– with a Techneat Microcast unit applying banded fertiliserto the seedbed at the same time
l A 3m Sumo Trio (incorporating six subsoiler legs, and a double row of discs with a press) together with an OPICO seeder unit
l A 4m Sumo Versadrill with six subsoiler legsThere’s also a 3.5m Sumo Quattro
–– complete with discs/ legs/ discs and press –– allowing a cultivation pass
42 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
C
to be made in front of the drill for cereal crop establishment.
Providing the grunt at the front is a choiceof three tractors –– a Caterpillar Challenger765 350hp, a Challenger 855 460hp or aFendt 930 300hp. “You need plenty ofhorsepower with this type of kit.Manufacturer guidelines say you can getaway with less, but you never want to riskhaving to pull any shallower than optimumbecause the tractor is struggling –– or worse,where it’s suffering from wheel slip.”
Band-sown OSRIn the driving seat, you’ll generally find farmmanager, Peter Cross, who’s been with thebusiness for the past four years. Both he and Michael Moore are staunch advocates of band-sowing OSR in rows 600mm apart,straight into stubble. That’s the main reasonwhy the V-form subsoiler seeder quicklybecame the mainstay of their establishmentsystem in heavy conditions.
“When you’re using just one pass, you’vegot to get it right first time,” notes PeterCross. “But when you’re sowing in bands,the rape grows like cress –– with the widerows providing plenty of room for the roots to develop, and with the stubble helping tokeep the pigeons off. You can drill at a verylow seed rate and still get good crops.”
Seedrates as low as 1.8kg/ha have beenused, although the average is generally nearer to 3kg/ha, he says. “But we’ll alwayswork to the customer’s requirements. If theywant to go at a higher rate of 5kg/ha, we dowhat we’re asked to.”
Hybrid Excalibur is a variety the pair tend to favour, although DK Cabernet alsoperforms well, they say.
Above all, the soil surrounding the seedneeds to be loosened and not turned over to achieve good establishment, believesMichael Moore.
“You want to create the right conditions forthe tap root to go down, but you don’t wantto drop the seed down the great gaps you’vejust created. You also need to give it the rightamount of nutrients to help it to get away.”
The loosening provided by the subsoilerlegs helps to make phosphate more available, he points out. “Applying fertiliser to the seedbed gives another vital boost –– we use Umostart, a phosphate-rich microgranule (11:46:0 + 2 Zn), which is applied via the Microcast unit.
“This helps the plant to produce thosefibrous roots without which you won’t get theyield –– you end up with stalks as thick as your thumb.” Umostart also works well in dryconditions, he notes.
This can be important considering OSR is
usually established in the last two weeks ofAugust –– and getting crops going in dry soilsis an art they aim to master. Testament tothis is a solution to the problem of soil disturbance caused by the subsoiler legsgoing through dry soils.
“I’ve been experimenting with the legdesign to stop boulders of clay coming up,which sometimes happens when it’s dry. It’s a big issue when you’re working at theforward speeds we tend to operate at.” But a thin blade welded in-front of each leg helps to solve the problem –– it cutsthrough the soil ahead of the leg making itless likely to pull up clay clods from lowerdown, says Michael Moore.
‘Not suited to every soil’Nevertheless, the V-form system doesn’t suit every soil type –– and nor does it meetevery customer’s needs. “Some don’t like the wide rows, which is fine, so we drill thesecrops at conventional spacings.” The Trio,which is better suited to lighter soils, enablesconventional spacings to be used.
Seed is dropped into the tilth created bythe twin sets of discs before the press passesover –– providing more even seed coverageacross the entire width of the machine.
However, these two combinations still didn’t give Michael Moore all the flexibility he wanted –– and that’s when he cameacross the Versadrill. “I first saw it working 2-3 years ago in wet conditions up in Yorksand was sufficiently impressed –– we’d had problems ourselves with wet soils, backin 2008.”
Having seen the pre-production demo, he subsequently purchased one of the first,
Michael Moore (left) and Peter Cross specialisein establishing good oilseed crops across a rangeof soils and conditions.
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 43
s
“They’re not so much subsoiler legs as soil looseners,” notes Michael Moore.“They’re angled downwards and aren’tso aggressive as subsoiler legs –– leavingthe land much flatter.”
All of the seeder units (there are 12 on the 4m version) are independentlymounted on large springs enabling them to follow the ground contours. Front, semi-pneumatic wheels go some way to firming and levelling the soil surface, as well as setting the depth in-front ofthe disc coulters.
The individual coulter depth of eachunit can be adjusted easily with a lever,and can be lifted clear if not needed.
“It really is like having four-drills-in-one,” says Peter Cross. “You can lift the subsoiler legs out of the way and drill conventionally into disced soil with all 12 units, or you can block six of themand ‘zone-seed’ direct into the stubbleeither side of each leg.”
With two coulters for each leg, this positioning ensures the seed isn’tdropped down the slot created by the leg–– being placed within the loosened soilzone instead, which gives the taproot abetter chance of getting established, hereckons. “Blocking-off the spouts whicharen’t needed is easily done by flippingthe lid on the metering head.
“For oilseed rape, you don’t want todrop the seed in too deep –– but you stillneed it to be covered. The disc cuts alovely groove at a slight angle and thecast wheel folds it in behind.” There’splenty of weight to the machine, whichhas a good, solid feel –– essential fordirect-drilling success, he adds.
Another plus-point of the drill is its easycalibration, continues Michael Moore.“Press a button on the electrically-drivenmetering system until your container is full, then simply weigh the contents.Alternatively, if you put a weight into
“The Versadrill is like four-drills-in-one,”say Michael Moore (left) and Peter Cross.
Large springs help the independently-mounted seeder units follow the groundcontours, while the depth of each coulterpair can be individually adjusted.
44 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
full production models in time to establish this season’s crop. “It’s broughtmuch more versatility to our system. Weweren’t able to drill wheat before –– butnow we can.” It’s also enabled him tocover both light and heavy land, he adds.
Around 240ha of cereals were established with the Versadrill in theautumn, along with 160ha of rape. This also coincided with him taking on a 180ha farm business tenancy inNorthants.
Unidrill derivativeThe Versadrill is based on a MooreUnidrill, and die-hard fans of this direct-drilling favourite will recognise the angled disc coulters and cast presswheels (pictured, right). But out in-front is a set of six subsoiler legs.
s
Moore Farm Services’ Versadrill verdictUpsides
l Flexible – like four drills in one
l Well designed, independently-mounted seeder units give a good result
l Ideal solution for zone-sowing oilseed rape in one pass
l Easy to calibrate, easy to adjust
Downsides
l Can block easily when direct drilling if conditions aren’t right
Simply flip the lid on the metering head toblock-off half of the seeder units.
the controller, it will work out all the calibrations for you.
“It saves so much time compared with cranking the metering system a certain number of times, then having towork it out manually,” says Peter Cross.“When you’re going from field-to-fieldand travelling from one customer to thenext all day, you can end up having torecalibrate several times.”
Potential drawback?The only potential downside is that the drill tends to block-up fairly easily –– especially in the wet. “Ideally, you’d like to work all the time in a trash-freestubble where the straw’s been removed.But you usually have to accept what you’re left with.”
This could be an issue with the Versadrill –– if Michael Moore and Peter Cross’ focus is on getting the cropaway in dry conditions, it makes you wonder how the drill will fare in more challenging conditions.
“If you run when it’s dry on top, you’reOK but if you run when it’s wet, you’re fairly likely to block-up,” warns PeterCross. “But it’s easy enough to sit it outand wait until it’s dry –– when you’d getbetter results anyway.”
The drill has been modified by Sumoover the winter months –– with the coulters having been mounted slightly differently, and the Moore-type springsreplaced by others which allow freer movement. These alterations allowstones and lumps of straw to passthrough without bulldozing, says Sumo,and they’ve been made to all new drills
(Michael Moore’s was one of the lastmodels produced before the designchanged).
‘Best practice’ advice to avoid blockageswhen direct drilling is to lightly harrowbeforehand to spread lumps, and to retainthe stubble for as long as possible prior to drilling. Moreover, check how well thecombine’s straw chopper is distributing the chaff –– problems will arise with anydrill if the straw from a 9m header isspread over just 3m.
A further option for Michael Moore –– especially when sowing cereals –– is to pull through the Quattro first, beforeusing the Versadrill in ‘conventionalmode’. “This lets you get a good chit of blackgrass which you can then spray-offbefore sowing.”
In this case, the Quattro provides theloosening, so the subsoiler legs on theVersadrill are lifted out of the way.
Minimum disturbanceBut minimum disturbance is MichaelMoore’s favoured approach to keepingblackgrass under control at establishment.“If you’re constantly turning the soil, youend up burying the seed and bringing itup the following year. With the Versadrill,you’re aiming to loosen the soil ratherthan turning it. This keeps the blackgrassnear the surface where it can be morereadily controlled.”
Meanwhile, he’s already considering the next step –– to build on the alreadyimpressive machinery collection in hisyard. “Coulters are much more advancednowadays. You could sow everything in afive-inch band around the subsoiler leg
and place a slow-release nitrogen fertiliserunderneath in the same pass.”
“This would be a more precise way of feeding the crop –– and you wouldn’t be feeding the weeds and volunteers in-between the rows.” n
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 45
Select wiselyfrom new beet list
weeping changes to the BBRO/NIABRecommended List have resulted inalmost half the 19 varieties on last
year’s list being removed, to be replacedwith six newcomers offering a range ofadvantages over their predecessors.
As a result, the yield difference betweenthe top and bottom varieties on the 2012list –– ignoring specialist nematode-
‘Rhizomania resistance is the other key trait that growers
should consider.’
There may not be much difference in yieldbetween the varieties on the latest BBRORecommended List –– but there are other
key reasons to select sugar beet varieties carefully, breeders tell CPM.
By Robert Harris
S
tolerant varieties –– has shrunk to just 4%in terms of adjusted tonnes. RosalindaKWS clings on to the top spot (at 102.7%),while the high sugar variety, Saracen ––the only non-rhizo-resistant variety left onthe list –– now trails the field at 98.7%.
Realistically, given that practically allgrowers will be choosing rhizo-resistantmaterial next season, taking Saracen out of the equation leaves a yield difference of just 2.6% between theremaining 15 varieties. And given thatdifferences in yield of less than 3%should be treated with caution, thosebasing their choice on output alone
might as well use a blindfold and a pin.Yet Ian Munnery of Elsoms Seeds, which
trials and markets sugar beet varieties for both Strube and SESvanderHave, reckons growers will be missing a trick if they employ such a simplistic tactic. He believes they should be taking muchmore notice of bolting resistance tounlock the significant yield gains offeredby early drilling.
Early sowing advantage“It’s generally accepted that crops drilledin early March can yield 10% more thanthose sown a month later, so it’s clear thatto get the yield, you must have a longenough growing season. And if growersare going to be allowed to deliver slightlyearlier to the factories from now on, we’llneed to sow the crops even earlier.”
However, early drilling increases thebolting risk by a significant factor, heacknowledges. “Bolting is one of the mostcritical aspects we look at in trials. It’s akey issue for the UK market and it’sbecoming increasingly important as theindustry moves to ever-earlier sowing.
“And while any variety under pressurewill bolt, those with a lower score will beless likely to do so.”
Four of the five newcomers on the list being marketed by Elsoms offer significant gains in this area. Three arrivalsfrom SESvanderHave all scored under 100 bolters/ha on the four-year meanwhen sown early, with Cayman leading the way with a score of just six under anearly sowing regime –– and zero whensown at the normal time.
Badger scores 59 and 3 respectively,and Lippizan scores 73 and 5. “This is a new benchmark that others will have to follow.
“These varieties also offer significantadvantages in sugar yield terms –– all having achieved levels well above the control varieties,” he notes. “And they all come with rhizomania tolerance as standard.”
Columbus –– the first of two newly recommended varieties from Strube –– also has a good bolting score of 144 bolters/ha under an early sowingregime, and just 1/ha at a conventionalsowing date. “It also outyields many established varieties, with its rating of 101.
“This is a new pipeline comingthrough from Strube that gives us verygood sugar yields and extremely goodbolting resistance.”
A key attraction of Pasteur, Strube’sother offering, is its adjusted tonnage score
46 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
Sugar beet specialSugar beet special
“Growers should be taking more notice of bolting resistance to unlock the yieldbenefits offered by early drilling,” says Ian Munnery.
Top yielder, Rosalinda KWS, could helpgrowers achieve better output from anyfields suffering from low levels of beet cyst nematode (BCN).
Recent trials show the variety has sometolerance to the pest –– which is becomingan increasing problem for UK growers following the move to tighter rotations triggered by factory closures, says Simon Witheford. “That in turn has resulted in a tighter geographic area for the crop.”
A soil survey last year found that just under one-quarter of samples weretesting positive for BCN, so it’s an issuethat looks like it could get progressivelyworse, he believes. “Growers will clearlyhave to focus more on the pest in theshort-to-medium term.”
Scandinavian research in 2009 showedthat Rosalinda has so-called light toleranceto BCN, where a variety can maintain itsyield at low levels of infestation.
A similar trial in the UK last year under low BCN levels showed Rosalinda
outyielding Bullfinch by 19%. “This givesgrowers more of an ability to overcomeproblems from sub-clinical issues thathaven’t yet been diagnosed.”
He believes there’s huge sub-clinicaldamage occurring as a result of BCN. “If growers think they have a problem, they should consult their area manager or agronomist. They need to pull-up someroots and send them to Broom’s Barn foranalysis. Alternatively, they can diagnosethem by inspecting for cysts or they canget their soils sampled.”
Growers can then make their varietychoices in a more informed way, he continues. “Where high levels of BCN are diagnosed –– with more than 200eggs and larvae in 100g of soil –– growersshould select a BCN-tolerant variety, such as Rosalinda.
“There are a lot more trials being donethis year, funded by BBRO, which will present more specific threshold data for UK growers.”
Consider BCN –– even where low levels are present
of 102.3 –– just behind Rosalinda KWS,continues Ian Munnery. “It can’t match its stablemate for bolting –– having thesecond highest early sowing score of 503,and 14 for normal sowing –– but it’s betterthan most amd we’re very confident thatits performance over the coming yearswill improve on that.”
Rhizomania resistance is the other keytrait that growers should consider when
Sugar beet specialSugar beet specials
Sugar beet specialSugar beet special
Breeding progress over the past decade2002 2012 % increase
Sugar yield (t/ha) 12.68 16.31 29
Root yield (t/ha) 71.3 87.03 22
Sugar content (%) 17.77 18.77 6
Impurities/100g of sugar 3.47 2.46 -29
Establishment in field trials (%) 81 93 15
Output remains the key driver when selectingnew varieties for the Recommended List,according to Richard Nicholls, head ofBritish Sugar commercial agriculture.
“Yield is clearly one of the key factors for farmers to consider in the battle toreduce on-farm growing costs. It costs no more to produce a high-yielding cropthan it does to grow an average one, sothe return from the extra yield all goes onto the bottom-line.”
BBRO trials are based on commercialpractice and the results reflect the potentialthat growers should see in their own fields,he says. “The average output from allthose trials was an extraordinary 107t/ha of adjusted yield.”
While trials have no headland effect tofactor-in, also tending to be more carefullymanaged than commercial crops, somegrowers are now approaching that sort ofyield level –– proving the true profit potentialof the crop, continues Richard Nicholls.“It’s something that will continue to drivevariety selection going forward.”
Yet sugar content is the key to achievinghigh returns overall, continues Richard
Nicholls. “Growers like nothing better thanhaving very high sugars –– they deliverreal yield and proven economic benefits.”
Raising the sugar content on a load ofbeet from 17 to 17.8% –– reflecting the0.8% difference between the highest and lowest varieties on the list –– wouldprovide 5% higher income, he explains.“Moreover, growers delivering beet at lowersugar contents have to pay proportionatelymore in haulage costs to reach their contracted tonnages.”
Low impurities are also important to optimising factory performance, saysRichard Nicholls. “All varieties on the listare acceptable for processing. If we compare the current batch to 10 years ago,impurity levels are down 40% and thatmakes a real impact on our processing efficiency and sugar recovery.”
He doesn’t want this trend to bereversed and believes there are alwaysareas for improvement. “It’s somethingwe’ll continue to look at very closely in future.”
Establishment in BBRO’s field trials forthe new list was 93%, compared with lessthan 80% in commercial crops, he notes.“So the potential is there to improve thisfigure and growers are increasingly recognising that to achieve the full varietalpotential on offer, they have to establish a high population of plants, evenly spacedacross the field.”
A minimum of 80,000 plants/ha shouldbe the aim, advises Richard Nicholls.“Many growers target continental levels of100,000 plants/ha to ensure no part of thefield drops below the threshold. For somegrowers, that means routinely increasingthe seed rate to 1.1 units/ha –– or even 1.2 units/ha on less fertile sites.”
Bolting resistance allows growers totake advantage of significant yield benefitsfrom early sowing, he confirms. “The RLcommittee is very conscious that boltingresistance is increasingly important to
growers and we’ve declined to recommendvarieties which have promising yield potential because their bolting levels were unacceptable from early –– and even normal –– sowing dates.
Growers planning to sow before 10 March should be choosing nothing butthe most bolting-resistant varieties, headds. “Cayman has one of the best we’ve seen for some time in this regard.”
All varieties are trialled and scored for rust and mildew –– diseases that can significantly reduce the level of output, continues Richard Nicholls. “So ifyou’re selecting varieties with a similaryield, go for the one with the highest disease resistance.
“However, I wouldn’t sacrifice yield to get a higher level of foliar disease resistance. Instead, growers should takeadvantage of the various fungicides nowavailable as these control the diseasesvery effectively.”
The latest Recommended List reflectsthe continued efforts of breeders, saysBBRO board member and farmer, John Hoyle. “It’s totally unrecognisablefrom just 10 years ago. For example, the average sugar yield was 12.68t/ha in 2002 and today, it’s 16.31t/ha.
“That’s an increase of 29% and I can’t think of any other commodity that’sachieved the same degree of progress.”
Moreover, from next year, all varieties onthe list will be rhizo-tolerant, he continues.“Rhizo-tolerant varieties have protected theindustry from disease, and a lot of growersdon’t even know whether they have rhizoor not. They’ve clearly been essential inprotecting the industry and Europe’s sugarquota overall.”
The emergence of BCN-resistant varieties is a significant development forgrowers on infected sites –– now estimatedat around 10% of the beet-growing area.“Where BCN is a serious threat, these two new varieties will be invaluable.”
Yield still number one factor?
“Growers like nothing better than havingvery high sugars,” says Richard Nicholls.
choosing varieties for next season, saysSimon Witheford, sugar beet manager for KWS –– breeder of the first ‘double-resistant’ sugar beet variety to be added to the Recommended List.
Isabella KWS contains the well-established Rz1 resistance –– the majorgene source present in all current resistant varieties –– plus a further major gene, Rz2 otherwise know as C48,
48 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
s
Recommended List changes
On PasteurCaymanColumbusIsabella KWSLipizzanBadger
“Rhizomania resistance has moved on astep with the launch of Isabella KWS,”claims Simon WithefordOff
MandellaLeviGoyaTrinitaSophiaOptaPernillaTopperFiorenza
which comes from a wild beet source.Trials confirm that this new gene can
help minimise the rhizomania problemscurrently being encountered in parts ofNorfolk, Suffolk and Essex from the moreaggressive AYPR strain of the virus, claimsSimon Witheford. “In trials last year, thenew gene was tested in a different varietyat an AYPR site near Woodbridge, and itgave an average yield increase of 36%over beet containing the Rz1 gene alone.
“Rz2 double-resistance has alreadybeen widely tested across continentalEurope and we expect UK growers to takea look at the new technology next year in
Isabella KWS.” He reckons it will be particularly welcome for growers in areaswhere the rhizomania pressures aregreatest, or where the virus is alreadyknown to be resistant.
Resistance breakdown“While only a handful of fields have so far been identified as having resistancebreakdown issues, the industry needs thebetter protection these new varieties offer.This consideration is particularly relevantin areas where rhizomania has been long-established, and where the pressures from the disease are greatest.
“These situations are the most likely to produce resistant strains.”
Growing Isabella brings no yield penalties and by reducing the availabilityof potentially susceptible host plants, thedevelopment and multiplication of anyresistant strains of rhizomania is muchreduced, he says.
With a sugar yield of 100.8%, Isabella KWS sits fifth on the new UKRecommended List –– 1.3% behind frontrunner Rosalinda KWS. It also has gooddisease characteristics, including thehighest rating for resistance to powderymildew (i.e. 8) –– plus the third highest
rating for rust (i.e. 6). Moreover, its boltingscores are about average.
“Isabella KWS could easily be selectedas a first choice variety in its own right –– without anyone even casting an eye over its additional rhizomania resistanceprofile. It has a number of clear agronomicadvantages over other varieties.” n
Sugar beet specialSugar beet special
New varieties of sugar beet with ‘double resistance’to rhizomania are now available to UK growers.
But who should grow them –– and why? CPM reveals some contrasting views.
By Robert Harris
‘The probability of the pathogenovercoming two resistance
mechanisms is much lower, compared with a single
resistance gene.’
Double resistorsto keep rhizo at bay?
ver the past two seasons, a new strain of rhizomania that can overcome the resistance
mechanism employed in many of today’swidely-grown sugar beet varieties hasbeen spreading.
The AYPR strain of the virus –– firstidentified in the Orford area of Suffolk in 2007 –– has since been found in theneighbouring counties of Norfolk andEssex. It can decimate crops carrying the standard Rz1 resistance mechanismthat, for the past 18 years, has kept therhizo threat contained.
O
Although it’s likely that it will spread –– and no-one can say how fast or howfar –– the new strain still only affects justa handful of fields on a small number offarms at present.
Rz2 resistanceSeveral companies are working on introducing a second resistancemechanism, Rz2, to control the newthreat, The gene was first discovered in wild beet in Denmark in the late ‘90sand breeders are now combining it withexisting Rz1 genetics to produce a ‘double resistance’ package.
However, strongly different views existon how the technology should be used in practice.
Isabella KWS –– newly recommendedthis season –– is the first variety on theRecommended List to carry the doubleresistance package, which the breederhas branded Rz2. Others varieties are now in the development pipeline(see box on p16).
“It’s not just the handful of growerscurrently affected by the AYPR rhizomaniastrain that stand to benefit from thesenew double resistant varieties,” reckonsSimon Witheford of KWS. “Anyone who’sgrowing sugar beet in areas of high rhizopressure, as well as those with the AYPRstrain already, should switch to thesevariety types as soon as they becomecommercially available.
“There’s no yield penalty in theabsence of disease –– Isabella KWS is already up to speed in this respect. Its resistance to bolting is as good asanything, and with two forms of in-builtresistance, it offer growers the chance toreduce the rate of virus multiplication.”
‘Dramatic increase’Where the disease is present, the resultingyield increase can be dramatic, he claims.KWS trials last year on AYPR-infected land showed the firm’s Rz2 variety, Diana–– which was in RL trials but didn’t get recommended –– produced an average36% more yield, equivalent to 18 adjustedt/ha, compared with Bobcat, which carriesthe established Rz1 resistance. “That’sworth an average of £535/ha to the grower.”
Isabella –– which is being widely trialled this year in AYPR situations in theUK by British Sugar and Broom’s Barn ––will deliver the same sort of yield response,and looks in yield terms to be a stepahead of any other material in trials for thenext couple of years, says Simon Witheford.
Significant yield differences between
50 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
Sugar beet specialSugar beet specials
Sugar beet specialSugar beet special
Rhizomania is a complex virus, consistingof several different strains, which canreduce yields by up to 70%. It firstappeared in the UK in 1987, and for thenext 20 years, only the A and B typesaffected crops –– apart from a few cases of the highly aggressive P type, which wasdiscovered in two fields near Norwich in2001, and at a further two sites elsewherein Norfolk six years later.
“During this time, resistant varieties containing the Rz1 gene have done anexcellent job in limiting rhizomania’simpact,” believes Dr Mark Stevens ofBroom’s Barn.
However, in 2007, three fields in theOrford area in Suffolk exhibited markedyellowing of the foliage –– with plants atthe epicentre of the foci dying-off completely,he says. ‘It was the first time we’d seensuch strong symptoms in the UK with rhizomania-resistant varieties, and the first question was –– is this the P type?
“Yet we quickly found that wasn’t thecase –– and the new type was identified as the new AYPR strain.”
The new strain resulted from a changeor mutation within the A type virus’ RNAmake-up, says Mark Stevens. “We subsequently found that the new strain of the virus was capable of overcoming the Rz1 gene.
“The reason we’ve seen so much of it in this part of the world is because it’s anarea of intensive vegetable production on
light sandy soils, which warm-up quickly inthe spring –– tending to favour the virus. In addition, there’s a lot of machinerymovement and irrigation in this area, and we now have 22 fields confirmed with the AYPR strain –– with more probably still undetected.
“It’s therefore important that we developa suitable strategy to control it.”
This particular strain produces symptomsand yield loss on normally-resistant varieties similar to those seen when thedisease first hit unprotected crops back in1987, he comments. “We see all the usualsymptoms, with patches showing up infields and plants with smaller, beardedroots –– although this time, the virus hasan ability to kill plants outright.”
Samples of one resistant variety, takenfrom affected patches in a field nearWoodbridge last year, showed root weightreductions of 30-50%, compared with theirhealthy counterparts, with the root sugarcontent falling by 2% on average.
A quantum leap in the proportion of theEnglish crop now down to Rz1 varieties –– 85% this season, compared with 50%last year –– will help identify the scale ofthe threat posed by the new strain, and in high pressure disease situations, reckons Mark Stevens.
“Beforehand, this was masked by theamount of susceptible crop being grownbut now, with so much more resistantmaterial in the ground, we’ll get a far
better idea of the challenge we face.”He believes the industry should continue
to monitor the problem before movingwholesale in to double resistance genetics.“AYPR isn’t that widespread as yet, andwe’ve got some cracking genetics in theform of the current Rz1 varieties to copewith A and B strains of rhizomania –– evenwhere it’s present at high levels.”
He adds that there’s currently no field trials data as yet on how the varieties performon AYPR-infested land in the UK. “And we mustn’t transpose the current limitedknowledge sideways to different varieties.
“However, we now have all theenhanced genetic material from the mainbreeders in the ground on two BBRO andBSPB-supported trials on AYPR-infectedsoils at Orford –– but we won’t get anyresults until the autumn.”
Mark Stevens hopes to continue the trialsover the coming years, as well as examiningvirus multiplication rates in seedlings underglasshouse conditions to rank varietiesaccording to their susceptibility.
“This work will give us a much betteridea of how enhanced resistance works.But until we know more, there should be a measured approach to the adoption ofenhanced rhizomania resistance.
“We need to look after these varietiesbecause at some point in the future, wemight really need them.”
Rhizomania’s slow but steady evolution
Rz1 and Rz2 types have also beenfound on soils containing the normal Aand B strains that account for the vastmajority of infections in UK fields, explainscolleague, Dr Bernd Holtschulte.
8-40% yield increaseTrials carried out in France, Germanyand the USA in 2009 showed sugaryields increased by 8-40% in Rz2 varieties over those carrying just the Rz1 gene, and by 7-30% in 2010.
“The combination of the two resistancegenes –– which operate in two distinctlydifferent areas –– decreases the virus content of the plants overall,” he explains.“It also offers an increase in the sugaryield, and is a solution for beet growers inareas where the Rz1 resistance has beendefeated by certain rhizomania strains.”
The double resistance also decreasesthe probability of resistance-breaking
“Growers concerned by the potential spreadof more virulent rhizomania strains shouldtry a ‘double resistant’ variety such asIsabella,” suggests Simon Witheford
strains emerging in these ‘normal’ (i.e. A and B rhizo) beet productionareas, he continues. “Virologists areunanimous in their view that the more resistance genes there are in theplant incorporating different resistancemechanisms, the more durable theresistance will be.
“The probability of the pathogen overcoming two mechanisms of resistanceis much lower, compared with a singleresistance gene.”
Simon Witheford believes growers willcontinue to reap the benefits of Rz2resistance for some time to come. “We’vehad 20 good years of performance out ofthe Holly gene (i.e. Rz1). The C48 gene(i.e. KWS’ Rz2 gene) is another majorbreakthrough, and there’s no reason whywe shouldn’t have a similar period of coverfrom this new resistance source.”
Yet Ian Munnery of Elsoms believes
52 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
s
s
Sugar beet specialSugar beet special
Pipeline candidates2013
l Sandra KWS (from KWS)
2014
l Magistral (from SESvanderHave) (Available now under Common Catalogue)
2015
l 1K238 (from KWS)
l 1K245 (from KWS)
l SS585 (from SESvanderHave)
l HI1201 (from Syngenta)
Yet Ian Munnery believes widespreaduptake of ‘double resistant’ varieties could encourage further mutations of the rhizomania virus.
“Farmers would be ill-advised to launchwholesale into ‘double resistant’ varieties,”agrees Richard Powell. “Instead, theyshould try a bit alongside what they’realready growing.”
that might not be the case if Rz2 geneticsare adopted too widely and too fast. “We shouldn’t be growing Rz1 and Rz2combinations across the entire nationalarea. There’s too much scaremongeringgoing on at present. The evidence is thatthe AYPR infection at Orford is remainingstatic, and the majority of breeders havea clear view of where the problems lie.
‘Don’t shift unnecessarily’“Only 1% of the market in the UK andacross Europe warrants double resistantvarieties, so the total market is onlyaround 1200-1500 units. It’s wrong to say we should shift instantly to growingthem more widely.
“Instead, we should be keeping awatching brief, and retaining our silverbullets for when we really need them.”
Widespread uptake of these varietiescould actively select for further mutation,he warns. “Then we might end up having to look for Rz3 resistance muchsooner than we’d otherwise need to.”
Ian Munnery also questions thestrength of the data being presented. “It’s wrong of KWS to introduce Isabella–– a variety marketed in Europe as Rz1 and rhizoctonia resistant –– as adouble resistant variety suitable for UKconditions, with no evidence to date of it providing any better protection againstrhizomania here.
“It’s never been trialled in the UK onAYPR-infected soils, so there’s no cleardata on how it will perform –– and it’s notmade it onto the Recommended list. So Isuggest people should wait for the resultsof this year’s trials before committing to it.”
He claims Magistral –– a ‘tandem
double resistor’ from SESvanderHave –– has been widely trialled in the UK andis proving itself already here. “Being aCommon Catalogue variety, it’s now commercially available and is beinggrown by farmers on AYPR-infested fields in the Orford area –– with fullBritish Sugar agreement.” He adds that over 200 units of seed are in theground this year.
30-50% more yield“In fully-replicated trials, we foundMagistral was producing 30-50% moreyield than varieties like Bullfinch, Bobcatand Goya –– which is similar to theincreases seen in commercial crop strip trials. Elsewhere, it’s at parity withestablished Rz1 varieties, but we’re certainly not advising widespread uptake.
“For the national market, severe AYPRrhizomania simply isn’t a major issue.Rz1 varieties are quite sufficient to keepthe virus in check and to push sugaryields up by 1-1.5% at the same time.”
Richard Powell of Syngenta Seeds also urges caution. However, he admitssceptics might perceive that as a delayingtactic since Syngenta is further behind in the race to develop rhizo-resistant varieties than the other two breeders.
“But we now have a double resistantvariety in the first year of official trials,which carries the Rz1 and Rz2 genes ina ‘cassette’, with modifiers to enhance itsagronomic characteristics.
“While we’ve had rhizomania-resistantvarieties for 12 years –– with KWS beingthe first to introduce one –– we’ve notseen a lot of double resistant varieties asyet, and no-one can be sure what othersusceptibilities they might have.”
He’s also wary of growing such varietiesin the absence of AYPR, even in fieldswhere high levels of rhizomania are
present. “We’re entering a completelynew ball-game here.
“The effect of growing double resistantvarieties on such soils has never beenclosely looked at. It’s a bit early for a company to seek a commercial advantage at this stage –– I think people should try a bit alongside what they already have, rather thenleaping wholesale into them.”
He believes genetic modificationcould be a potentially powerful toolagainst rhizomania –– with one promising trait, developed by Syngenta,showing broad-spectrum resistance tothe virus. “It’s now in field trials in bothEurope and the US.
“The trait works with a mode of action which is superior to any other traitsource to date –– providing increasedsustainability as new variants of thepathogen emerge,” continues RichardPowell. “However, the launch of thetechnology is obviously dependent on itsgeneral acceptance, and where demandisn’t being met by classical breeding.”
In the UK at least, the introduction ofGM technology is likely to be years awaywithout a radical shift on policy, andbreeders and growers should take heed,he advises. “We’d prefer it if doubleresistant material was only used where a problem was diagnosed –– it clearlyshouldn’t be used as a general policy.” n
54 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
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Drought highlights hidden nematode threat
Nematodes could be nibbling away at sugar beet yields without growers even realising.
CPM reports.
By Andrew Blake
‘The symptoms –– wilted plants with small bearded tap roots –– are
easily confused with rhizomania.’
hen Cambs grower Ed Frearfirst noticed the sugar beet onhis black fen land was wilting
in July 2009, he immediately put it downto drought.
However, soil tests later revealed thatbeet cyst nematodes (BCN) were themost likely cause, and on-farm trialshave since been established to try toprove the value of BCN-tolerant varieties.
“We’d previously seen a few oddpatches in one particular field in the dryyears, but they never showed up muchin the wet seasons,” says Ed Frear, whogrows about 24ha of beet on the 98hahe farms with brother Stephen at Sutton,near Ely.
W
It was only when the field was chosenfor random soil sampling by BritishSugar that the real source of the problem emerged, he explains.
“Our name was pulled out of the hatby the Wissington factory, and their testsrevealed some of our soil samples had asmany as 43 BCN eggs and larvae pergram which is a pretty heavy infestation.”His fieldsman showed him the whiteeggs on the roots as confirmation.
Unsurprisingly, the 3.2ha field yieldedonly about 44t/ha, compared with thefarm’s average of around 62t/ha.
Ed Frear was then approached bySyngenta to host a small farm trial last season.
Conducted in a 4.1ha field with a similar soil type, half a mile away fromthe original field, it assessed two of thefirm’s varieties –– one BCN-tolerant andone BCN-resistant –– against AnnouschkaKWS, another tolerant type.
“I drilled the outside 24 rows with
Annouschka as a comparison, and finished off with a couple of blocks of theother two varieties.” (The harvest resultsare shown in the table below –– with anOctober lifting date.)
Syngenta’s Richard Powell describesBCN as the beet crop’s “hidden enemy”.The most recent research on it, between1972 and 1992, estimated that 30% of the area surveyed was infested, he notes.
“Yet chemical control, as used onpotatoes, would be impractical and prohibitively expensive.”
In a lot of cases, the ‘burnt out’ patches in beet, often associated withbearded roots, and seen in dry weatherlast summer, were initially blamed on rhizomania, but turned out to be causedby BCN instead, he notes.
Although the output from affectedareas can be slashed by 85%, RichardPowell believes sub-clinical infestations
On-farm trial yields – 2010(adjusted t/ha)Sentinel (tolerant) 63.6
Annouschka (tolerant) 61.2
Sanetta (resistant) 59.2
Source: Ed Frear
56 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
Sugar beet specialSugar beet special
BCS knocked 18t/ha off Ed Frear’s sugarbeet yields on his worst affected field.
Syngenta is running a trial at Ed Frear’sfarm this year to attempt to quantify thevalue of tolerant and resistant varieties.
British Sugar charges £25 to analyse each suspected BCN-infested soil sample.It recommends taking one sample forevery 4ha of crop –– each being made upof 60 cores taken in a ‘W’ fashion acrossthe field.
beyond these patches may be cuttingyields by 10-20% –– without crops showing any symptoms.
“So growers in historically susceptibleareas who find their yields plateauingbelow about 55t/ha –– even where newseed treatments and rhizo-resistant varieties are in use –– might be advisedto check for BCN” (see box, right).
Sentinel –– which tolerates both rhizomania and BCN –– has a sugaryield only slightly behind that of theRecommended List control varietieswhen grown on land free of the pest, he notes.
“So it can effectively address thepatchy nature of most BCN infestationswithout undue yield penalty.”
BCN resistantAlthough Sanetta is BCN resistant, and grown elsewhere in Europe, it’s only really suitable for the most infestedfields, says Richard Powell. “Its yield disadvantage in uninfested conditions is about 15%.”
Stamford-based trials and consultancyfirm, Armstrong Fisher, is overseeing aSyngenta-commissioned trial of nine varieties on Ed Frear’s farm this season–– including three BCN-susceptible controls.
Soil samples with as few as four eggs per gram of dry soil can lead tonoticeable crop damage, but infestationsare always very patchy, notes the firm’sMike Armstrong.
“Yet high egg counts don’t always cutthe level of output. Last year on one sitewith an egg count of 50/g for example,we saw no yield effect. However, twoyears ago in one of our trials on an infested farm at Feltwell, BCN-susceptiblevarieties yielded about 30t/ha, while
resistant ones gave around 60t/ha –– a huge difference.”
The pest is generally more troublesomeon organic and light sandy soils, but creating trial protocols to provide meaningful results is tricky, admits Mike Armstrong.
The symptoms –– wilted plants withsmall bearded tap roots –– are easilyconfused with rhizomania, he adds.
“Because it’s only a sporadic problem,we drill strips of varieties right across thefield in the hope that we’ll pick up BCNactivity somewhere.”
And although the market for BCN-tolerant types is still relatively small –– accounting for just 4% of UK seed sales this year –– RichardPowell believes it could double for next season. n
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 57
Sugar beet specialSugar beet special
Sugar beet specialSugar beet special
Are two fungicides nowjustified on beet?
The case for considering a two-spray fungicidestrategy on beet appears stronger than ever.
CPM investigates.
By Rob Jones
BBRO recommendations for thisseason are to keep a close eye
on crops from the middle of July onwards
en years ago, beet growers wereasking ‘should I be using a triazolefungicide on my crops?’, yet last
year, all but 10% of fields received onefungicide treatment and 38% got a second, according to British Sugar’sannual survey.
Some growers have even startedexperimenting with a third spray.
Dr Mark Stevens, head of crop protection at Broom’s Barn, expects the trend to continue as growers come to realise the broader capabilities of thelatest fungicide chemistry.
“As well as providing broad spectrumcontrol of the four main foliar diseases, thelatest fungicides also give a physiologicalboost to yield –– even in the absence of disease –– and help to maintain
T
a healthy canopy for frost protection in winter.”
This year, every individual beet willcount at the full contract price –– so thetime may be right to re-visit fungicidetactics in the light of recent research.
BBRO fungicide trialsBroom’s Barn is currently half-waythrough two BBRO-funded projects aiming to help growers optimise their use of fungicides. The variety/fungicideinteraction project is evaluating one and two-spray strategies, using Escolta(cyproconazole+ trifloxystrobin) as astandard treatment at full and reducedrates on the varieties Bobcat, Bullfinchand Goya.
Last year, the T1 sprays were appliedon 3 August and the T2s went on fourweeks later.
As was the case in 2009, relativelycool damp conditions in August last year allowed rust to make more of anappearance than usual –– relegatingpowdery mildew into second place, says Mark Stevens. “However, rust canstill reduce the yield by 10-14%, and
58 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
s
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High yields, a rising yield trend, good establishment and the Syngenta low-tare root shape make AIMANTA an essential part of your sugar beet portfolio.
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Using a two-spray fungicide programmehelps Pat Turnbull to target 70t+/ha yieldswith greater confidence.
“The latest beet fungicides provide aphysiological boost to the crop, in additionto broad-spectrum disease control,” saysMark Stevens.
disease levels in the trial were sufficientto have a yield-limiting effect.
“At lifting on 13 December, the adjusted root yield from the untreatedplots averaged 71t/ha across all threevarieties. One full-rate T1 Escolta sprayadded 5.5t/ha –– with the T2 sprayadding a further 5.5t/ha.”
On-farm experienceOne grower who tried using a two-spraystrategy for the first time last year isJames Nott, based at Gestingthorpe near Halstead, Essex, who grows 40ha of sugar beet. He’d previously been using one spray of Punch C (flusilazole+carbendazim) but found that by lateSeptember/ early October, the canopywas often starting to turn yellow.
Last year, he used full rate Escolta (i.e. 0.35 l/ha) at T1 at the end of July, followed by a three-quarters ratetreatment at T2 toward the end of August. He found this made a huge difference to the appearance of the crop –– and to the yield.
“There was a definite improvement in the greenness and size of the canopy,which stayed healthy right through to lifting at the end of November.”
Last year’s crop averaged 73t/ha –– astep-up from the 68t/ha he achieved inthe previous season and a new record for the farm, he says. “The new fungicidestrategy clearly made a big contribution to the result, as did good establishment.”All of the beet was drilled into goodseedbeds by 15 March, and good weed control was achieved in all fields.
This year, he plans to use the sametactics on all of the beet to be harvested
after the end of September. “It onlyneeds an extra 1.5t/ha of yield to pay forthe whole programme. Based on lastyear’s response, it should pay for itself a good number of times over.
“Moreover, any beet lifted late will havesome added insurance against frost.”
Independent agronomist, Dr PatTurnbull, who looks after a large numberof beet crops in north and west Norfolk,says a two-spray strategy has made a big contribution to improving yields since she first tried it about six years ago.
“We now plan to get two sprays on toall crops destined for lifting after the endof September, and we’re able to target70t+/ha yields with more confidence as a result.”
Broad-spectrum disease activity is her main requirement. “Although powdery mildew is potentially the biggestyield-robber, the last two autumns havebeen very favourable to rust.
“We also have to keep an eye on cercospora in this part of the world –– and we’re always on the look out forlate ramularia as well.”
Pat Turnbull plans to get her T1 spraysonto crops as the first reports of diseasestart to appear –– usually in the third orfourth week in July. Her T2 treatments arethen typically applied 4-5 weeks later.
“I tend to use full-rate Escolta at T1 as it contains both a strobilurin and a triazole, and that gives a stronger greening effect. There’s some evidencethat reduced rates can work too but it’snot worth taking the risk if you’re goingall out for yield.”
At T2, she switches to Spyrale (difenoconazole+ fenpropidin) –– anotherbroad-spectrum fungicide –– and setsthe rate according to the intended liftingdate. “Half rate is used for an earlyOctober lift, increasing to full rate for harvest from late November onwards.”
This approach has kept crops completely disease-free and produced a visible leaf-greening effect. “Betterlooking often translates into better yielding with beet, and the second spray helps with green leaf retentionright late into the autumn.”
Anecdotal evidence from growers suggests this helps to protect cropsagainst frost damage, she confirms.“Last winter, the crops that had receivedtwo full-rate sprays retained more healthytops than those that had just one spray.But whether this factor alone saved anycrops is difficult to say.”
Having seen the improvements in
autumn growth resulting from using two-sprays, Pat Turnbull says some growers are now starting to experimentwith a third treatment towards the end of September. “They’re trying this tomaximise frost protection for very late-lifted crops, and also to see if theycan further exploit the physiologicalboost to the yield.”
Less frost damage?Dan Downs, agriculture business manager at British Sugar’s Bury factory,believes fungicide use was one of themain factors that determined the extentof frost damage last winter –– particularlyto the south of the A14 where there wasmore snow cover.
“Two fungicide sprays certainly madea difference by protecting canopies, butwhere plant populations were sub-optimal,frost still got into the gaps. The evennessof the seedbed was also a big factor –– where crops were level, growers had a much better chance of topping hard to get the beet accepted.
“North of the A14 was a different storythough. Anything still in the ground withno snow cover on it after the third weekof January was pretty much lost. Eventhe best crop management couldn’t havemitigated the impact of such extremeconditions.”
Last year, Elsoms Seeds hosted one of the BBRO Summer open days at itsSpalding base where full varietal, seedrate and fungicide screens were set-up.Looking across the site as a whole in thefirst week of February, sugar beet seedmanager, Ian Munnery, noted some clear themes that confirmed Dan Downs’field observations.
“Seed rates nearer to 1.2 units/ha certainly gave denser, more uniformcrops with less exposure to frost.Moreover, the use of two Escolta sprayshelped extend the degree of green cover
60 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
Sugar beet specialSugar beet special
s
Two new foliar disorders –– late black leaf effect (pictured above,left) and yellow beet syndrome –– made an appearance in Broom’sBarn trials last year.
and gave a greater safety window –– with the tops tending to be killed-off a bit later.
“Varietal tolerance of thearctic conditions was fairlyinconsistent, but using anincreased seed rate and/orrepeat fungicide treatmentscertainly had a beneficialeffect.”
Planning aheadLooking at the season ahead,Mark Stevens reckons thereare already signs that broad-spectrum disease protectionwill be key. “The powderymildew forecast is for 49% ofthe crop to be affected by theend of August (based on thenumber of ground frosts inFebruary and March), which is much higher than the lasttwo seasons.”
However, the impact of theextreme weather last Decembermay help to decrease theactual levels seen, he notes.
“At the beginning of May, wealso saw rust developing andstarting to sporulate on the beetleft in the ground over-winter aspart of an experiment. This maybe an indication of the high rust pressure to come later in summer.”
The fact that two unexpectedfoliar disorders –– ‘late blackleaf effect’ and ‘yellow beetsyndrome’ –– affected plots atBroom’s Barn last year adds tothe case for broad-spectrumcontrol, and consideration of atwo-spray strategy, he believes.
In the variety/fungicideinteraction trial, black leafsymptoms appeared during
November in plots treated with just one fungicide spray.This was attributed to bacterialinfection entering the leaves via rust pustules.
“Yet two full rate Escoltasprays kept the disease at avery low level. However, sinceit’s an association we’ve not previously encountered, will belooking out for it this year.”
Unusual yellow leaf symptoms were also seen insome of the variety trial plotsduring September, continuesMark Stevens. “So far, thisseems to be associated withcertain genetics where no fungicide, or just one spray,has been used –– and itappears to be mainly a physiological effect.
“But the risk, as we saw inthe plots, is that the yellowingcan weaken the leaves andallow alternaria in –– leading toroot rots later in the season.”
BBRO recommendations forthis season are to keep a closeeye on crops from the middleof July onwards, and to applya full rate, broad-spectrumfungicide at the first sign of disease. Advice on the need for T2 sprays will beissued nearer the time via the BBRO bulletin.
“In future, we want to givemore specific guidance on the need for second spraysaccording to the intended lifting date. The final two years of the current batch oftrials will be looking into thisand aiming to answer newquestions about the timingand number of fungicideapplications required.” n
62 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
armers across the country are making considerable progress in boosting their second wheat
performance by getting to grips with the crop’s key management challenges.
That’s one of the key findings of the latest National Second Wheat GrowersStudy –– an initiative run jointly by CPMand Monsanto. However, it appears there’s
Getting to grips with second wheat
What can growers do to boost the profitability of their second wheat? CPM reports on the results
of a recent grower survey.
By John Middleton
‘There’s been a substantialincrease in the proportion of
growers having all of their secondwheat seed treated for take-all.’
F
still some room for improvement.The survey involved around 350
growers from right across the UK –– representing a total second wheat area of 23,000ha+. It was designed to trackchanging on-farm experiences and practices two years on from the originalstudy, which was conducted in preciselythe same way.
The survey found that the current average yield gap reported between firstand second wheat has narrowed to anaverage of 1.04t/ha –– representing a 10% improvement on the previous1.15t/ha average.
Interestingly, the proportion of growers
seeing a typical yield gap of 1.5t/ha+ –– suggesting particularly challenging second wheat growing conditions –– haschanged very little over the past two years.Instead, the progress appears to havecome from those in arguably less challenging situations.
Narrow deficitFor example, 17% of growers now generally see their first wheats out-yieldingtheir second crops by less than 0.5t/ha,compared with 8% in 2009. Together witha noticeable decline in the proportion ofgrowers recording a 1-1.5t/ha yield gap,that means more than half have pushedthe difference down to less than 1t/ha –– compared with 39% two years ago (see figure 1 on p38).
Take-all control remains the key agronomic priority for the overwhelmingmajority of growers taking part in the survey (90%). In contrast, less than halfidentified any other single agronomic challenge –– the most significant of thesebeing weed control, eyespot/sharp eyespotprevention and fertiliser management.
“On average, growers are employing 4.4 of eight main management techniquesto address these challenges,” says studyco-ordinator, Rob Plaice of Monsanto. The proportion employing four or more ofthe techniques has increased substantially–– from 66% in 2009 to 73% now ––which goes some way to explaining theperformance improvement we’ve seen.”
The latest study shows that selectinggood second wheat varieties and using aspecific take-all seed treatment continue to be the most important managementtechniques when growing second wheat–– with delaying drilling until October andapplying earlier spring nitrogen also widelyemployed. Just under half of growers arecurrently making use of all four of theseagronomic practices.
In addition, over one-third of growersare prioritising improved P, K or othernutrient fertilisation, and better seedbedpreparation –– with less than one-quarterseeing specific foliar fungicides as a valuable management tool (see figure 2 on p41).
“Another factor likely to be significant inrecent performance improvements is thesubstantial increase in the proportion ofgrowers having all of their second wheatseed treated for take-all,” notes RobPlaice. “That figure is now nearly 70% –– against just over 55% two years ago –– with a further 10% treating the majorityof their second wheat seed overall.”
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64 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
17% 36% 25% 18% 4%
8% 31% 36% 21% 4%
2011
2009
< 0.5t/ha < 0.5-1.0t/ha < 1.0-1.5t/ha < 1.5-2.0t/ha < 2.0t/ha
Figure 1: By how much do your first wheats generally out-yield your second wheats?
Source: National Second Wheat Growers Study (2009 and 2011)
Those who don’t have all their secondwheat treated for take-all said the use ofappropriate second wheat varieties anddelayed drilling were their main tactics to avoid problems in the crop.
“This is somewhat ironic since trialsconsistently demonstrate valuable benefits from using the specialist seedtreatment Latitude (silthiofam) –– regardless of the variety or sowing date.”
Variety choice is clearly governed bymarket and rotational considerations, asmuch as suitability for the second wheatslot, notes Rob Plaice. “Even so, there’sstill considerable scope for further performance enhancement through better variety selection.”
and crop nutrition. “Indeed, earlier springnitrogen last season helped many secondwheats cope with the dry spring far betterthan first wheat –– with a good proportiongoing on to out-yield them.”
Since the best second wheat varietiesmay not always meet other importantselection criteria, David Ellerton advisesgrowers to be pragmatic and avoid thelikes of Robigus which is “definitely poor”in this slot, and classic second wheats likeEinstein which are now distinctly “off the pace yield-wise”.
Although the likes of Oakley may notinherently be the best second wheat, he finds its superior yielding ability willcarry it through well as long as sufficientattention is paid to its agronomy.
That means better min-till seedbeds set-up with top-down cultivation; adequate consolidation after drilling; well-balanced solid and foliar fertilisation;
Alongside the wider use of seed treatmentsactive against take-all, another reason forthe clear improvement in second wheatperformance seen over the past two yearsappears to be the progressive swing awayfrom general to more specialist treatmentsfor take-all.
The National Second Wheat GrowersStudy shows over three-quarters of growersare now treating their seed exclusively withthe take-all fungicide Latitude (silthiofam),while less than two in every 10 are continuing to use the more general fluquinconazole dressing (e.g. Jockey or Galmano) –– and fewer still are employing a combination of the two actives.
Silthiofam usage has grown noticeablyfrom just over 70% in the 2009 study, with a corresponding decline in the use of fluquinconazole and a combination of actives (see figure opposite).
What’s more, the trend seems set tocontinue this autumn –– with around 80%of second wheat growers planning to employthe specialist treatment, and less than 15%the more general active next season.
“That’s confirmed by the fact thatapproximately 25% of those currently using only fluquinconazole are planning
to move completely or partially to Latitudethis autumn, against less than 1% of silthiofam users moving the other way,”says Susan Mintern of Monsanto.“Experience has clearly taught growersthey can rely on Latitude to give them thebest possible edge in the perennial battleagainst take-all.”
Specialist treatment scores high
77% 15%2010/11
Latitude Jockey Galmano Latitude & Jockey Latitude & Galmano
4% 4%
71% 19% 7%3%2008/9/11
Percentage of growers using
Which main take-all seed treatment are you using?
Source: National Second Wheat Growers Study 2009 and 2011
“Field trials have consistently shown thevalue of Latitude –– regardless of thevariety or sowing date,” says Rob Plaice.
That’s also true of wider use of a specialist take-all treatment, and earlierapplication of spring nitrogen in particular,as well as other established second wheatoptimisation techniques.
“In this respect, it’s good to see 90% ofsecond wheat growers planning at leastone specific management improvement,and 47% employing three or more techniques to boost crop performanceduring the season –– the most popularbeing improved nitrogen timing and better variety choice.”
Dr David Ellerton of Hutchinsons seesboth the popularity and performance ofsecond wheat improving noticeably asgrowers increasingly treat their crops differently from first wheat.
He stresses that second wheats arecapable of performing extremely well –– provided sufficient emphasis is put onvariety selection, seed treatment choice
s
“Using Latitude provides completeflexibility on when to drill a second wheat crop,” says David Ellerton.
effective foliar disease control; and mostimportantly; using a specialist take-all seed treatment regardless of the variety or sowing date.
“We’ve learnt that it simply isn’t worthtaking the risk with take-all –– yet it’salmost impossible to tell in advancewhether we’re going to have a bad season with the disease. And if we get a really dry spring or summer, even asmall amount of infection can cause a large amount of yield damage.
“In our experience, you should alwaysuse Latitude –– it gives the best possiblecontrol of take-all, allowing you completeflexibility to drill your crop when the conditions are right, rather than waitinguntil mid-October only to find the winterclosing-in as rapidly as it did last year.
“And with the armoury of fungicidesavailable these days for spring treatment of foliar diseases, you don’t need to compromise your take-all seed dressingfor the sake of gaining extra protectionagainst these.”
Today’s better performing secondwheats are stacking-up very well againstoilseed rape in margin-earning terms for many southern growers, says seedsmanager, Andrew Bourne of T Denne
& Sons, based near Ashford, Kent. “In the face of the much greater
challenge from phoma, verticilium andclub root in particular, we’re seeing a dramatic decline in wheat/rape/wheat/raperotations in this part of the world. As aresult, many growers are returning to second wheat with renewed enthusiasm–– and a determination to overcome itstraditional limitations.”
Seven days earlierThanks to the availability of an effectivetake-all seed dressing, Andrew Bourneestimates that some of the better secondwheats are being sown up to seven daysearlier than they were five years ago –– amove he regards as being responsible formuch of their improved performance.
“Down here on the heavier land, people always used to have to wait untilmid-October to reduce the effect of take-all, then maul-in their crops underconditions that were far from ideal,” hepoints out. “It’s brought the drilling dateforward by a week or so, and has boostedyields by a good 0.65t/ha.
“This underlines the need to achievethe best possible balance between restricting take-all infection and improving
early crop development for the optimumwinter survival.”
Alongside using Latitude, variety choiceis the next most important thing with asecond wheat, he believes. “The bulk ofour second wheats were in varieties suchas Einstein until recently, but becausethese are becoming out-classed, we’ve s
moved onto varieties like Cordiale,Panorama and Scout.” He adds that he’s also keeping an eye on Invicta for the future as a “good all-rounder”.
“Early nitrogen applications, and robust T0 and T1 fungicide programmeshave also been playing their part in theincreasingly successful second wheat production we’re seeing across our patch.”
Clare Bend of Masstock believes a“joined-up approach to management”involving a range of agronomic considerations is the key to making the most of second wheat. She adds that a “good 50%” of the actions should be taken before the seed actually goes in the ground.
As part of the SMART Farming company’s Best of British Wheat Initiative
(to help UK growers improve yields by 2%per year over the next 20 years), theMasstock team has developed a clear second wheat improvement strategy for its agronomy clients.
This combines detailed companyresearch together with the best of national technical understanding to focus on the most profitable areas for agronomic attention.
“Our studies and grower experience clearly show you should be able to get your second wheat yields to well within 10% of your first wheat,” she insists. “But to do so you have to get things right fromthe very start.
“Some varieties perform far better thanothers as second wheats, and our strategyuses the mass of available official data to
categorise all 34 of today’s leading options.It also provides clear guidance on seedtreatment choice linked to both take-alland foliar disease risk.
“Moreover, it identifies other timelyactions that can be taken to achieve thebest possible rooting that is so fundamentalto success with second wheat.”
As well as recommending the use of a robust take-all active seed treatment for all crops –– especially those sown priorto the start of October –– the Best ofBritish Wheat strategy highlights the extravalue offered by a specialist root enhancerplus manganese seed dressing.
“Ensuring sufficient available manganese is particularly crucial in second wheat because the take-all fungus catalyses the oxidation of soluble
A total of 22 second and third wheat trialsover the past ten years provide convincingevidence of the value of using a specialisttake-all seed treatment, as well as highlighting varieties with the greateststrengths beyond the first wheat slot.
Conducted since 2001 by FrontierAgriculture at the company’s Haywold andHorningsea trial sites in Yorks, the detailedstudies show the take-all specific seeddressing, Latitude (silthiofam), boostingyields over a standard, single-purpose treatment by an average of 0.45t/ha.
In just one trial –– October-sown wheat in the very low take-all season of 2005 –– was the response to Latitude treatmentless than 0.1t/ha, while yield benefits of0.6t/ha+ were recorded in six cases, and1t/ha+ in another two.
“Using a feed wheat price of £140/t at the time, and a sowing rate of between 325-350 seeds/m2, the average 0.45t/ha
yield boost from Latitude represents a margin of more than £30/ha over the cost of treatment,” says Jim Carswell of Frontier.
He notes that Latitude has given a noticeably greater response than fluquinconazole plus prochloraz in around80% of trials. “It’s also been consistent inallowing growers to fully profit from the extrayield by bringing the sowing date for secondwheat forward by around two weeks, whilemitigating the take-all risk at the same time.
“In the case of our extended trial series, the average difference betweenLatitude-treated wheat sown in mid-September and ordinary dressed seed sown in early October was 0.83t/ha. Thatpushes the margin over Latitude costs tonearly £85/ha –– further underlining thevalue of the treatment.”
At the same time, the Frontier trials haveconsistently shown major performance differences between the 10-14 varieties
included in the second wheat trials each year.
For instance, at the Haywold site lastyear, yields from a 12 September sowingdate varied from 11.83t/ha on Grafton treated with Latitude down to 9.67t/ha on Robigus without a take-all dressing.“Even a historically good second wheat like Einstein gave just 9.89t/ha without the help of Latitude.”
Similarly, silthiofam-treated Viscounttopped the 2009/10 Horningsea trials at10.88t/ha, while Cordiale gave just 9.93t/hawithout it, he adds.
“This clearly shows the benefit of goodvariety choice alongside effective seed treatment,” notes Jim Carswell. “In additionto Grafton and Viscount, Duxford, Glasgow,Oakley and Invicta stand out as being particularly useful second wheats in ourmost recent trials.”
Long-term second wheat study benefits
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Prize draw winnerStephen Goodwin of Home Farm,Marston St Lawrence near Banbury,Northants is the lucky winner of theNational Second Wheat Growers Studyprize draw. He will receive enoughLatitude to treat up to 100ha of seed.
His preferred second wheat varietiesthis season are Gallant and Diego, andlast year, his first wheat out-yielded hissecond wheat by up to 1.5t/ha, hesays. He lists his biggest agronomicchallenges in growing second wheat as take-all control; straw and seedbedmanagement; and optimising his fertiliser timings.
“It’s vital to ensure sufficient manganese is available in second wheat,” says Clare Bend.
24%
36%
37%
76%
78%
83%
93%Selecting good secondwheat varieties
Using a take-all seedtreatment
Delaying drilling untilOctober
Applying earlier springnitrogen
Improving P, K or othernutrient fertiliser
Preparing betterseedbeds
Using different foliarfungicides
Percentage of growers using each technique
Figure 2: What techniques are you using to optimise second wheat performance ?
Source: National Second Wheat Growers Study (2009 and 2011)
to insoluble manganese –– making itunavailable to plants,” says Clare Bend.
Ensure adequate P and S“To minimise plant stresses and yield losses caused by take-all during the growing season, it’s also important tomaintain an adequate supply of availablephosphate and sulphur –– avoiding copperdeficiency, and applying sufficient earlynitrogen as well in the spring.”
Masstock has recorded consistent yieldimprovements of around 0.6t/ha fromfoliar phosphite in the form of NutriphitePGA, she adds.
Early plant growth regulator applications(up to GS29) can be valuable too, continues Clare Bend. “Regardless of the variety choice, our recent studies withAdjust have revealed major improvementsin root development which have beenextremely beneficial in helping secondwheats survive and thrive, where springand early summer soil moisture levelshave been less than ideal.
“Equally, we’ve found increased investment in foliar fungicides ––
particularly strobilurins at T0 and the new SDHI actives at T1 –– can really pay dividends, not least in combating thepressure from eyespot and fusarium.”
In addition to getting the agronomy rightwith individual crops, Clare Bend stressesthe importance of using an integrated rotational approach to secondwheat management. “This includes trying to achieve good grassweed controlin broadleaf crops to minimise take-allcarry over; better first wheat variety selection to discourage take-all build-up;and effective volunteer and grassweedcontrol at the pre-planting stage to reducethe take-all bridge.
“The difference between actively-managed and poorly-managed secondwheat can be 3t/ha+,” she concludes. “So active management clearly stacks up financially.” n
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 67
Elemental yieldboost from sulphur? CPM takes a closer look at a new autumn-applied
sulphur fertiliser which is claimed to be readily-available to crops at the onset of spring
growth –– boosting yields as a result.
By Dominic Kilburn
‘Success with sulphur fertilisersdepends on applying the right type
of product at the correct timing.’
tmospheric deposition of sulphurhas decreased markedly duringthe past 30 years, as industrial
emissions have fallen. In reality, soil sulphur levels are so
severely depleted in some areas thatfarmers are reporting S residues of below 5ppm.
As a result, deficiency has becomemore common in crops and more widespread top dressings may be needed as a result to replace decades of sulphur depletion.
Yet if sulphur is continually appliedpurely in the amounts measured by cropremoval, it’s likely that soil residues willremain at critically low levels.
Evidence suggests that the responsiveness of crops to sulphur has increased –– particularly on verydeficient sites. Recent HGCA researchon winter wheat has shown an average
6% yield response across 88 field trialssince 2000.
The crop typically requires about20kgS/ha, and the element is known toimprove the bread-making quality ofmilling samples. Moreover, the yield lossresulting from S deficiency in oilseedrape has been well documented –– ashigh as 60% in the worst case scenarios.
Key difference“Sulphur fertilisers can be broadly categorised as those containing sulphatesulphur, and those containing elementalsulphur,” explains Howard Banks of Pan Agriculture. “Yet crop plants canonly utilise sulphate S, which highlightsthe main difference between the two fertiliser types.”
Success with sulphur fertilisersdepends on applying the right type ofproduct at the correct timing, he claims.“Sulphate fertiliser is readily-available tothe crop, and therefore needs to beapplied while plants are actively growing.
“But like nitrates, they’re subject to leaching and therefore multiple applications may be necessary.”
Although crops can’t absorb sulphur in
A
68 Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011
Multiply by 2.5 to convert from Sto SO3
Until recently, a common strategy used toprevent sulphur deficiency in Germany wasto apply 20kgS/ha+ to wheat and 50+kgS/hato oilseed rape using conventional sulphatesulphur, says Berlin-based agronomist, York Bayer.
“But then we started to use the advice of an American soil fertility consultant, Neal Kinsey, who recommended much higher S rates than were commonly usedand accepted.
“However, using higher amounts of sulphate fertiliser had its limitations, whichwe experienced when we applied around70kgS/ha –– which had a negative impacton the soil. Even with 80kgS/ha+, we
experienced sulphur deficiency in certainyears in oilseed rape.”
Then he began using elemental sulphur(25kgS/ha+) in his trials –– lowering theamount of sulphate sulphur applied. “Theeffects were observed and replicated ondemonstration fields at the various trials stations used by the seed company, DSVSaaten AG.
“Even when we used 60kgS/ha as sulphate and added another 25kgS/ha aselemental S in OSR, we had a significantincrease in plant health –– and a yieldincrease of 0.45t/ha.”
A similar effect was seen on the healthof the winter wheat crops he looks after ––
making protein contents of 14%+ more easyto achieve, he says.
Peas also showed the benefits of betterplant health –– even when the elementalsulphur was applied to the previous maizecrop. “It’s worth remembering that, inlegumes, the use of nitrogen-based products as a source to get S into the crop is wasted when the crop doesn’trequire it,” he comments.
“Our conclusion is that elemental sulphuris playing a significant role in providing sufficient sulphur to crops –– not only forhigher yields, but also increased planthealth. Furthermore, we’ve observed a significant increase in soil microbial activity.”
German trials point to elemental crop benefits
its elemental form, if an elemental productis manufactured to be degradable, soil bacteria will convert the sulphur to its ‘plantuseable’ sulphate form once physicalbreakdown has occurred, he continues.
So to use an elemental product successfully, it needs to be applied muchearlier in the season than with sulphatefertilisers, stresses Howard Banks.
“And where elemental S has been
used over several years, there’s good evidence that responses will increase as soil bacteria levels steadily respond.”
Prof Steve McGrath of RothamstedResearch notes that for any sulphurcontaining fertiliser to be effective, itmust supply the crop with sufficient sulphate at the time when it’s neededmost –– which is during the rapid growthphase in the spring.
Whichever fertiliser type is used, it’scritical that the application timing andsubsequent time period taken for it toconvert to sulphate, if required, is sufficient, he says.
Mark Hemmant of Agrovista hasadvised on the use of elemental sulphurfertilisers for several years. He supportsthe view that this type of product needsto be applied well in advance of the
Crop Production Magazine –– June 2011 69
s
“Elemental sulphur is a cost-effectivealternative to sulphate-based fertilisers,”says Howard Banks.
rapid growth stage of the crop.“Elemental S applied in the autumn
breaks-down more slowly, so crops getmore readily-available sulphur in thespring when they need it most ––particularly in a dry season such as this.
“It’s a practice that some growers ––particularly on light land –– have tried asan add-on to using sulphate fertiliser inthe spring, and they’ve kept going with itbecause they’re achieving yield responsesin both cereals and rape as a result.”
Degradable elemental sulphur fertilisershave been available on the UK market forseveral years. Howard Banks continues:“These products have a distinctive half-prill shape –– for example, Tiger 90,has been imported into the UK for thepast 17 years.”
His company recently introduced a new granular product, SovereignSulphur, which –– being manufactured in the EU –– is the first elementaldegradable product to be specifically-sized for the European fertiliser market,he claims.
“We believe it offers UK growers acost-effective and viable alternative tosimply relying on sulphate-based fertilisers.
Just as effective?“Field studies have shown elemental sulphur can be just as effective as sulphate sulphur in supplying the nutrient to the crop. However, in caseswhere sulphur deficiency is severe, farmers may wish to use elemental sulphur as a base dressing –– applying itanytime from November to February ––and continuing to use a smaller quantityof sulphate fertiliser in the spring.”
Elemental sulphur is best applied during the winter months when soil temperatures are likely to be too cold forits conversion to sulphate, he advises.
“The product will breakdown physicallyduring the winter months but will onlyconvert to sulphate as soils get warmer,and when crops require it most. It won’tleach in its elemental form and has a‘turn on/turn off’ capability, depending on the conditions.”
Applying elemental sulphur late in the autumn ensures a ready supply ofsulphate is available to the crop in thefollowing spring, claims Howard Banks.“This approach could be very sensible –– particularly if the spring months aredry, which may limit the uptake of anynitrogen and sulphate in the soil.
“Our advice is to apply elemental S in the winter –– sometimes with a smalladditional amount of sulphate S in thespring. That way, crop deficiency levelscan be addressed, and, importantly,overall soil sulphur levels will rise.”
Sovereign Sulphur’s relatively highnutrient analysis (90% S, 225% SO3)means application rates are comparativelylow –– 10-50kg/ha. “But it’s important toensure spreaders are well maintainedand carefully set to guarantee an accurate spread pattern is achieved.
“SCS Spreader & Sprayer Testing engineers have tray tested a range ofmachines applying Sovereign Sulphur at widths from 6-30m. As a result, settings charts for 17 commonly-usedspreaders are available online atwww.sovereignsulphur.co.uk under the‘Settings’ heading.
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Growers must apply extra sulphur to theircrops to make up for the fall in natural levelsof sulphur deposition in the UK, confirmsGrowHow agronomist, Allison Grundy.
The most recent figures suggest that just10-15kgSO3/ha are now being depositedannually, she says. “We’re talking very smallnumbers now and every year, the levels ofdeposition are falling.”
She stresses that it’s important to supplycrops annually because, like nitrogen, sulphur can leach from the soil. “If it’s notapplied each season, crop growth can beseriously affected on some soils.”
She advises growers to apply an “out of the bag” product, such as Double Top or Sulphur Gold –– both of which containammonium sulphate and can be applied toboth cereals and rape to boost yields. “It’swater soluble and the most reliable source
of sulphur as long as it’s applied at the righttime in the spring –– specifically when thecrop requires it to support new growth.”
She adds that the majority of sulphurapplied this season went on just prior to thevery dry spell, so most will have been takenup by crops.
“On deficiency-prone soils, around 80-100kgSO3/ha should be applied to rapeeach season, and 50kgSO3/ha to cereals.
She warns against relying on organicmanures as a complete source of sulphur to supply crop needs, explaining that the sulphur values in FYM are very low. “Totalsulphur values in FYM are low anyway, andwhen manures are stored for a period oftime, plant-available S gets converted to itsorganic form (and to volatile compounds)which volatilise when spread –– reducingplant available sulphur further.”
According to the new Fertiliser Manual,poultry manure contains the most sulphur at 4-8kgSO3/t, with cattle FYM having thelowest (2.4kgSO3/t).
Research has shown that only 5-10% ofthe total sulphur will become available to thecrop, stresses Allison Grundy. “The FertiliserManual suggests that sulphur inputs frommanure should be largely regarded as contributing to the maintenance of soilreserves only.”
GrowHow is revisiting its sulphurresponse work, together with ADAS andthe field trials company, Armstrong Fisher,over the next three years on light, mediumand heavy land sites to determine ifresponse rates have changed. “Winterwheat and oilseed rape will be assessedacross six different sites.”
‘Free’ supplies of sulphur must be replaced
A CoV of less than 10% is considered tobe acceptable in a field and SovereignSulphur applied using a properly prepared Kuhn Axis spreader, working at 30m, achieved a CoV of 3.04% in our tests.” n
According to SCS managing director,Rob Foxhall, the product has a goodstrength, density and consistency.“These properties mean the spread pattern should be as accurate as that of a good quality granule, assuming
a well-maintained and correctly-testedmachine is used.
“The key accuracy indicator is theCoefficient of Variation (CoV), whichshows the evenness of the spread pattern across the full working width.
