In this issue - cpm magazine...Tel: (01743) 861122 E-mail: [email protected] Reader...

In this issue...Those in the know page 8Ideas for changing times from Cereals

Remedies for rapeseed page 20

Robotic route page 6414 pages of next-gen tech

Sugar beet disease page 100

InnovationGrow the best wheat - The science of selectionIncreasingly genetics put confidence into plant-breeding decisions.

Research Briefing - A pellet for all weathersDecades of research into ferric phosphate makes this the world’s market leader.

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Volume 21 Number 7July 2019

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

Research Engine (Mar 2018)

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CPM Volume 21 No 7. Editorial, advertising and sales offices are at PO Box 4856, Shrewsbury, SY1 9NX England.

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

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

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

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

EditorTom Allen-Stevens

Technical editorLucy de la Pasture

Writers

Design and productionBrooks Design

Advertisement co-ordinatorPeter Walker

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

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Tom Allen-StevensOlivia Cooper

Charlotte CunninghanMelanie Jenkins

Rob JonesLucy de la PastureMartin Rickatson

TechnicalCereals 2019 - Nuggets of gold amongst the mudThose who braved the mud found plenty of food for thought.

Fit for the Future - Energy with less effortOne high performing Group 4 wheat that seems to look after itself.

OSR planning - Rethinking OSR?It’s been a torrid season for oilseed rape but can it be managed better?

Theory to Field - The erucic acid problemFinding a solution to a problem is hard when the cause is unknown.

OSR intentions survey - OSR nears its pivotal pointA recent survey flags up tactics to help ensure success with the crop.

Tech Talk - The future lies in layersGenetics are coming to the fore in oilseed rape breeding.

Better buying, better selling - Lessons learned are hard wonOpenfield has applied its resources to pull out the positives of OSR.

Seed treatments - Biological works uniquelyA new option, Integral Pro, will be available this autumn.

Cereal establishment survey - Start with the seedWhat can growers do to ensure every single plant is given the best start to life?

Partners in performance - Blackgrass under pressureA strategy in Cambs to keep blackgrass in check.

Grassweed control - Grassweed control starts in JulyGrassweed heads present an opportunity to get to improve targeting.

Spring peas - A barometer on crop potentialPeas are difficult to grow, but can shine a light on limitations.

OpinionTalking Tilth - A word from the editor.

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

Future View - A look at farming’s horizon.

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

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Cereals report - Gazing into a robotic futureRobotics in agriculture will bring about seismic change in mechanisation.

Cultivators and ploughs - Top tips for tines and discsThere’s a massive variety of tine and disc designs to choose from.

Storage and drying - More to the grain storeFor those storing their own grain, the story doesn’t end with the combine.

Forage and balers - Bring in the biomassThe technology for gathering in forage has moved on.

On Farm Opinion - Telematics proves its worthThe use of telemetry for wireless two-way instant transfer of data is on the rise.

Digital Direction - Mind out for 4IRWill farming embrace the fourth industrial revolution or sit behind the curve?

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Sugar beet fungicides - Attention turns to diseaseThe focus turns to disease control.

Potato agronomy - Metabolites cause mayhemCrops treated with maleic hydrazide can’t be fed to livestock.

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Roots

Environment Plan.It’s probably the remarkable resilience of

the sector that masks the considerable

challenges it currentlyfaces and that you

have been tasked withalleviating. But be in no

doubt about the pressurefarmers are under as you

continue to remove tools fromthe agrochemical armoury. Wedon’t want to use chemicals toproduce food any more than wehave to, but these are the toolswe use to do our job. If you takethese away from us, you have tohelp us access technologiesthat will allow us to do our job better.

The problem is, you’re noteven allowing that, and this isreflected in the Government’scurrent policy, inherited fromthe EU, on new plant-breedingtechnologies. It is deeply worrying that you view thevoice of Greenpeace and ofFriends of the Earth on such subjects with as much value as the view of scientists, as you indicated recently atGroundswell. This has tochange.

If it doesn’t, minister, haveyou actually consideredwhether it’s possible for us toproduce food to the standardsyou seem to expect at the pricethe consumer is willing to pay?Have you actually consideredthe consequence if UK arablefarmers make a rational decision to stop producing foodand apply their considerabletalent elsewhere?

So it’s time to put the

interests of UK Farming and ofthose people you representfirst. How you choose todemonstrate this is up to you,but I would suggest arablefarmers will be judging you, theGovernment and MPs on youractions over the coming monthsas the harvest comes in.

Why? Because in living memory, there has never beena harvest of such uncertainty inso many ways. We will look forstrong leadership to show usit’s a harvest that matters, that itrepresents the bounty of acountry that takes pride in itsworld-leading standards of foodproduction. We want to be sure we have political leaderswho are not afraid in tradenegotiations to stand firmlybehind those standards andquestion leaders of othernations on how they maintaintheirs. We don’t have that confidence at the moment, butyou and your colleagues canearn it over the coming months.

You must also act to give ourtalented plant scientists theconfidence they need to continue their research, particularly in the area of gene-editing in which they arecurrently world-leaders. Thisresearch is at a point that it iscritical it comes into the field tobe tested. It is simply ludicrousthat we have in our labs andour greenhouses world-leadingplant-science innovations thatwe’re restricted from testing inthe field –– no other country outside Europe faces thoserestrictions. So you must promise that, as soon as weexit the EU, you will allow a

No Goodwill to show?

Tom Allen-Stevens has a170ha arable farm in Oxon,and will not be completingDefra’s June survey untilGovernment shows somereason why there’s anypoint in doing so.

[email protected]

@tomallenstevens

Dear Mr GoodwillThe fact that you failed to turn up to represent theGovernment at the recentCereals event was not just“disappointing”, as the NFUhas put it. It smacks of theloathsome display of self interest that currently consumes Westminster, andparticularly Conservative MPs.

You chose to support partypolitics over the industry that’spushing Government for clarityand certainty, and the industryyou’ve been appointed to represent, without even sendinga replacement. That’s not just adesertion of office, it’s a woefulbetrayal of the knowledge, talent and experience thiscountry has in its industry, andparticularly within the arablesector. Arable farmers arerapidly losing confidence inyour ability, in that of other ministers and in MPs in general, in shaping theAgriculture Bill currently goingthrough Parliament, and in putting in place a system thatsufficiently incentivises andregulates in line with theGovernment’s 25 Year

derogation to allow thisresearch to continue, unfetteredby GMO regulations. Thisshould be followed with anurgent review of the regulationsthemselves.

Finally, we must see evidence that Defra is trulycommitted to shaping an agricultural policy that will allowthe arable sector to flourish.Progress towardsEnvironmental LandManagement contracts hasstalled, and that’s deeply worrying. You have indicatedwhat you won’t support, but youare sitting on 200 applicationsfor the Tests and Trials andhaven’t indicated to those whoapplied what you will support.

But this is not a plea for subsidy, minister, it’s a demandfor direction. The arable sectoris aware that the chemical erais coming to an end, that we’rein the plant-breeding era andthat on the horizon lies digital.We’re already crippled as we’rebeing forced out of the first withno tools to enter the second,and that puts us behind thecurve on the third. Act now,lead us, and you’ll find we havethe inherent talent to catch up.

It’s that time of year when cropsare at the stage where there’snothing more to do than letthem ripen.

40kg/ha of head nitrogen hasbeen put on the Crusoe on theunderstanding that the yieldlooked decent meaning proteinmight be diluted meaning a boostmight be the order of the day.Following that the sprayer has leftthe field for the last time and the

combine will be the next arrivalthrough the field gate.

So it’s time to take stock andevaluate what went right and

what went wrong. Arablefarming can feel like asequence of individual battles during a year long

war as the crops churnthrough their growth stages.

First you take on the initial challenge of the slugs and the fleabeetle. Then it’s the blackgrass.Then it’s the diseases. In amongstthat there are the pigeons.

When it comes to most of theseenemies the munition box getsemptier and emptier. No moreneonics, metaldehyde, variousgrassweed herbicides and soon no more chlortoluron. Sometimes itcan feel like we are the seventhCavalry at the Battle of Little BigHorn slowly getting worn down byattack after attack as we run out ofbullets.

If there was one threat againstwhich we’ve kept our defences ingood order it’s the aerial threat ––namely from the wood pigeon.Fortunately, no pressure grouphas yet sort to ban butane orpropane. The technology behindthe artillery barrage against theblue peril looks much as it did fiftyyears ago. Pump a bit of gas intoa chamber, ignite with a welltimed spark plug and hopefullythe resulting bang keeps the foeat bay for another 30 mins. And ofcourse, we all recognise if youcan mix this up with a bit of wellcamouflaged twelve bore actionthen this keeps the defences ingood order. The farmers right totake up his gun against thesefeathered pests is something wewill never lose.

At least that was the case untilthe pressure group Wild Justicedecided to set their forensiclawyers onto the well establishedsystem of general licences. For abrief moment in May even theseseemed under threat and itlooked as if we would soon beresorting to bursting balloons aswe concealed ourselves in pigeonhides. But mercifully commonsense has prevailed and we areback to where we were in ourright to bear arms againstCalumba palumbus.

But it’s a reminder that in whatsometimes seems like a world runby those who don’t care for foodproduction any more, nothing canbe taken for granted. Indeedparts of the temporary generallicences to protect crops fromwood pigeons placed a hugequestion mark as to whether those who write the regulationsunderstand what is being regulated. In the section about the need to try ‘non-lethal’ meansthere was an illuminating paragraph of the use of scarecrows which said:

“If using scarecrows, make itlook real, dress it in your oldclothes, sit it on a chair and put a gun-like stick in its hand.

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

@essexpeasantFarmer or scarecrow?

Occasionally change places with the scarecrow.”

So, there you have the officialadvice from Whitehall. In thewords of Victor Meldrew youcouldn’t make it up. There wasone more bit of what looked likewhimsy that emerged in theGeneral Licence saga, and thatwas the fact that for some reasonthe Egyptian goose is also on thehit list alongside the pigeons andthe crows when it comes on ourright to protect our livestock andcrops. If there is any farmer outthere that lives in fear of theEgyptian goose as they go aboutthe noble and ancient art of growing crops then they have my every sympathy. I can hear itnow from farmhouse bedroomwindows across the land: “Mabel,them pesky Egyptian geese areback on the wheat on the lowermeadow. Get me gun.”

6 crop production magazine july 2019

I just thought I’d include a pictureof our solar farm. For no goodreason really – apparently this sort of thing is now called ‘virtuesignalling’.

The farmed environment is key

to making a difference.

“”

Those who braved the mud atCereals this year were

rewarded with plenty of foodfor thought as they prepare

their farming businesses foran unprecedented period of

political, technical and environmental change.

CPM reports.

By Lucy de la Pasture and Tom Allen-Stevens

Nuggets of gold amongst the mudTechnical

Cereals 2019

Mother Nature usually finds a way ofrestoring balance and that’s just whatshe did as monsoon conditions struckLincs just in time for Cereals. The liquified mud was more reminiscent of scenes from Glastonbury as even seasoned members of the farming community got caught out with theirfootwear.

But that’s not where the parallel ends.While AHDB hosted the ‘pyramid stage’ atthe centre of the event, tucked away onopposite fringes of showground was whereit was really happening. This was wherethose who would once have been regarded as farming’s ‘geeks and hippies’headed in a pilgrimage to hear the ground-breaking speakers in theInnovation and Technology and

Rob Edwards says applying biologicals is basedon the behaviour of the pest, whereas chemicalpesticides are applied according to the growthstage of the crop.

Conservation Agriculture theatres.Introducing one of the biggest growth

areas in the industry was Prof RobEdwards of University of Newcastle in hiscapacity as chair of the Farmer ScientistNetwork of Yorkshire Agricultural Society.He introduced a farmer-led research project, carried out by biopesticide strategist Dr Roma Gwynn of Rationale and funded by the European InnovationPartnership, investigating the use of biologicals for pest and disease control.

Public concernRob posed the question, ‘when are wegoing to end industrial pesticide spraying?’It’s a question he says needs answeringbecause of the increasing public concernabout the environment and health, but alsobecause of the diminishing number ofactives as the precautionary principle isapplied and increasing instances of resistance to pesticides.

“There’s been a huge shift to biologicalagents, with an increase in 300% in thepast decade and more new registrationsthan for chemical agents.”

Rob described the real benefit in biologicals is that they have multiplemodes of action. “They can mimic plantresponses; produce phytoalexins (inhibitgrowth of diseases) and phytohormones,stimulate defence responses and evenphysically kill the target.

“Plants have microbiomes, internally andexternally. It’s a community that’s intimatelyassociated with plant health and can be

changed by biologicals, such as Bacillussubtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens, to elicitplant defence responses.”

Replicated trials carried out at threesites, Stockbridge Technology Centre inYorks, Newcastle University’s Cockle Parkand Nafferton farms in Northumberland,looked at three different strategies onLeeds and Skyfall winter wheat in 2018.

The IPM protocol was a microbial seedtreatment using traditional fungicide timings –– conventional chemistry wasapplied if disease pressure was high and a biological applied if needed when disease pressure was low.

The biological protocol was a microbialseed treatment followed by biopesticidesonly at standard timings, if needed. The


s

Farming minister Robert Goodwill has beenroundly criticised for failing to turn up to Cerealsto show support for arable farmers. Amid fearsfrom farming leaders that the Agriculture Bill hasstalled, leaving the sector in limbo, there arenow calls for Defra to “push the pause button”on the transition to a new support system until itcan provide some clarity and direction.

The first day of Cereals coincided with amove by opposition parties in Parliament to takea no-deal Brexit off the negotiating table. Thiscaused the minister to abandon plans to visit theLincs-based event to get to Westminster to voteagainst the motion. But with the prospect of ano deal seen as “catastrophic” by many in thefarming industry, this in itself was viewed asanother snub to the arable sector.

“It’s totally disappointing that Robert Goodwillhasn’t appeared,” said NFU president MinetteBatters. “And it’s outrageous that he hasn’t evensent a Defra official, just at a time when farmersdesperately need certainty and clarity of thinking.”

The most immediate concern is over whattariffs arable commodities will face as a consequence of Brexit. “For us, trade policy isevery bit as important as agricultural policy.The arable voice is one that hasn’t been heardnearly loud enough, and yet it underpins everysector in food and farming,” she continued.

“The most important aspect to get right is thelevel playing field, and it’s shameful we haven’tseen that approach [from Government].”

But Minette was clear about the leading role

she sees UK arable farmers playing. “Climatechange is the challenge of our time –– I want topitch farming as part of the solution.”

The NFU made the proactive step, announcedat Oxford Farming Conference, of a target for UKFarming to reach net zero by 2040. That had“opened every door” to a whole range of influential organisations and government bodieswho now want to work with farmers towardsdelivering this, said Minette.

“We have the opportunity to shape thatchange, and we need to grasp it with bothhands. The real risk is that we export our standards and our production abroad. We canlead net zero if there is a willing government towork with the industry.”

But this is just where the NFU has “graveconcerns”, combinable crops board chairmanTom Bradshaw told CPM. “The timeline of delivery of the Agriculture Bill and EnvironmentalLand Management (ELM) contracts seems to be way behind. Its questionable whether it’spossible for Defra to deliver the transition underthe current timeline.

The first round of Test and Trials for the newELMs was supposed to start in April, but thereare fears the correct framework hasn’t yet beenput in place to manage them, and there’s aquestion mark over funding. Meanwhile applicants for the second round of proposals,lodged before April, have not yet heard if thesehave been successful.

Adding to the uncertainty, Tom said the ministerial no-show at Cereals undermined thestatus the government holds for UK arable farmers. “Having a minister who’s unable to represent pressing issues for the sector at amajor agricultural event because he feels he hasto vote for his own political party doesn’t givegrounds for confidence in how he’ll direct agricultural policy.”

The NFU’s Your Harvest campaign is urgingfarmers to encourage their MPs to come ontofarms as the harvest comes in and show themthe true value of combinable crops to society.“We are the backbone of the agricultural industry providing the raw ingredients for our livestock and also the UK’s largest

Missing minister puts dent in arable confidence

manufacturing industry –– food and drink. Wecurrently face huge uncertainly from manyareas including Brexit but also pesticide regulation. There has never been a moreimportant time to get your MP on farm and sell the positives,” said Tom.

AHDB chairman Peter Kendall also spoke ofthe “madness” that’s gripped Westminster, andthe “craziness of the Conservative leadershipcampaign in which farming is being totallyignored in the political debate”.

“Climate change is massively impacting onagricultural systems around the world. Thedetachment of politics from how we feed a UKpopulation of 65 million is important for us toaddress. But among this madness and uncertainty, the biggest risk is to put on holdthe decision making. The industry and individualbusinesses should focus on how to prepare forwhat’s coming,” he said.

Tom Bradshaw has little confidence in how Robert Goodwill will direct agricultural policy.

Defra’s deserted arable farming, just at a timewhen farmers desperately need certainty andclarity of thinking, said Minette Batters.

Peter Kendall criticised the craziness of theConservative leadership campaign.

third protocol employed a chemical seed treatment followed by conventional fungicides at standard timings.

The results showed all treatment protocols gave similar yields with no significant differences in quality data. But2018 wasn’t a high disease incidence year, he added.

“Adopting an IPM strategy is more complex and applications can be more

frequent because they’re based on howthe pest is behaving and not the crop.IPM will require both a change in farmingpractice and an increase in knowledge toimplement.

“But the adoption of an IPM strategy hasthe advantage that it can increase abioticstress tolerance, all cultivars will respondand there’s less environmental impact. To sum up, biological where possible,

chemical where needed,” he concluded.Sarah Baker of Greater Lincolnshire

Nature Partnership (GLNP) presentedsome simple ways growers can increasewild pollinators on the farm.

“Pollinators contribute £690 million to theeconomy but we’re seeing a decline inlarge number of species. The farmed environment is key to making a difference,”she said.

Cereals 2019


s

Cereals 2019

Blackgrass is evolving resistance to glyphosate,according to scientists conducting a study as partof the Blackgrass Resistance Initiative (BGRI).

Samples of blackgrass taken from across theUK showed a “huge variability” in their sensitivityto glyphosate, according to Dr David Comont ofRothamsted Research who led the study. “Thegood news is that we’re not finding proper resistance at the moment. The bad news is thatwe don’t know how long that will continue to bethe case,” he said.

Working with the University of Sheffield, theRothamsted team collected blackgrass seed from132 farmers’ fields across 11 English counties,from Herts to Yorks, as well as collecting extensivedata sets on historical field management, includingglyphosate use.

More than 16,000 seedlings were grown fromthese seeds in glasshouses, and the effectivenessof glyphosate in controlling plants from each localpopulation was assessed.

“At the full field rate of 540g/ha, good effectivecontrol was achieved. But at 475g/ha, there was alot of variability,” reported David.

Seed from survivors were then grown foranother two years, and sensitivity was found toreduce further, showing it’s a heritable trait, hesaid. The team also took plants from nine of thepopulations to produce 400 new seed lines withknown genetic pedigrees, that were also tested fortheir responses to glyphosate.

“We wanted to be sure there is a genetic heritable component, and there is. This is a prerequisite for pesticide resistance evolution.What’s more, blackgrass populations with greaterhistoric exposure to glyphosate are now the populations least sensitive to this chemical.”

Published in the journal New Phytologist, thepeer-reviewed study has broken new ground asit’s identified signs of resistance evolution before itbecomes a problem in the field. “This meansfarmers who follow glyphosate-stewardship guidelines can prevent reduced sensitivity evolvinginto a full-blown resistance problem,” noted David.

Flufenacet findingsBayer revealed more detail on its flufenacet-resistance studies at Cereals. “We carry out

Blackgrass is evolving resistance to glyphosate

routine testing of around 250 samples sent in everyyear,” said the firm’s Dr Gordon Anderson-Taylor.

“Usually, just two or three of these samples areryegrass, but last year 12 were sent in, and fourof these showed up resistance to flufenacet. Thisis the first time we’ve picked it up,” he noted.

“In blackgrass, there is variation in efficacy, butall UK populations tested are above the thresholdof 90% control at 240g/ha.”

“It’s unclear why ryegrass has evolved resistance to the chemistry, while blackgrass hasn’t,” said Gordon. “Perhaps ryegrass is betterat developing the resistance mechanisms.”

Bayer’s new flufenacet-based herbicide withadded metribuzin is nearing the end of the regulatory process, and the firm’s Ben Coombs is optimistic it will come to market this autumn.“It offers a 10% uplift in control, compared withLiberator,” he said. The formulation with aclonafenis expected to arrive next autumn.

David Comont has found reduced sensitivity toglyphosate in blackgrass, but growers can act to avoid full-blown resistance.

Water companies are keen to work with growersto reduce nitrates in groundwater, says TomStephens.

Gordon Anderson-Taylor wonders whetherryegrass is better than blackgrass at developingthe resistance mechanisms.

Leeds (left) and Skyfall yields across all three sites show no significant differences under three treatmentregimes.

Yield results in 2018

“Pollinators require three things; food,over-wintering sites and nesting sites sothat they can complete their life-cycles onthe farm. The GLNP has carried out basicsurveys on 11 farms during 2017 to

highlight opportunities to make small management tweaks to help them.”

One of the areas identified was farmverges and tracks which were often keptneat and well-trimmed, she said. “We

suggested mowing a strip alongside thetrack and leaving the rest and observedan increased amount of pollinator activityas a result.

“Nettles provide a larval habitat for anumber of butterfly species so identifysome areas where nettles can be left and


s

According to farm business consultantsAndersons, arable profitability looks fairly static atpresent, with good prospects for 2019 harvest.“It’s what 2020 and beyond will bring, withchanges to the subsidy regime, that may be ofmost concern,” says the firm’s James Mayhew.

That’s when direct payments will start to decline and support will shift into the as-yet-undefined public money for public goods,he notes. “What will you replace your £226/hawith? It’s likely there’ll be a different structure tothe new ELMs that will incur costs, rather than just

income for payment foregone –– they may bebest treated as a new enterprise.”

He urges farmers to take a critical look at theirborrowings as the uncertainty of Brexit looms.“There have been increases in costs not reflectedin on-farm yields, so are you getting a reward foryour investment?” A period of consolidation maybe necessary for some farms that could haveover-reached themselves, he suggests.

The immediate concern is what happens onBrexit deadline day of 31 Oct, reckons Andersons’Richard King. “It’s slap bang in the middle of the

Focus on borrowings as uncertainty looms

grain-trading season, but we don’t know where tariffs will be set. That puts quite a bit ofuncertainty into the market with traders not wanting to commit.”

The big worry is if all restrictions come offmaize, which could lead to a flood of feed-grainimports. “These could even be GM, depending onwhether the UK follows EU restrictions. We believepolicy will revolve around keeping food prices low,which would be a significant problem for arablefarmers –– you can’t dress it up any other way.”

then time topping them off to lifecycles.Mid-June is a good time to do this so thatthe regrowth will coincide with the second brood,” she suggested.

“Game cover is another area on thefarm that can very easily be enhanced toprovide a significant late season pollenand nectar resource. Pollen-nectar stripsare often gone by late Aug, but somespecies need food until the end of Oct.”

One of ways of providing a late foodsupply is to use sunflowers with the maizecover. An alternative is to plant bespoke

Cereals 2019

DSV’s new British-bred Group 4 hard wheatTheodore was on show at cereals. The companystarted breeding wheats in the UK from its sitenear Banbury, Oxon, just 10 years ago, andTheodore, along with stable mate Toby, is the first to come to market.

An AHDB Candidate variety, Theodore is a crossof Stigg with Tuxedo and has a Septoria triticiscore of 7.2, giving it a list-topping untreated yieldscore of 92% of treated controls.

“We’re further west than most UK breeders,and 150m above sea level, which puts our linesunder high septoria as well as yellow rust pressure,” claimed DSV’s Mike Mann. “If you don’t get the pressure, you’re not selecting for it.”

Having gained a reputation across trial plots

season as “strikingly clean”, Theodore’s performedwell during the past two dry years, maintaininggreen leaf area says Mike, while it’s also demonstrated it can cope well with wet soils.It performs best in the West, and has good resistance to lodging, he added.

DSV has also introduced its first ever ‘quad-layer’ oilseed rape varieties, with stackedtraits claimed to bring them enhanced diseaseresistance and physical properties. Their introduction follows on from AHDB CandidatesDazzler and Darling, both triple-layer varieties.For more on layering traits, see Tech Talk on p36.

Drawing attention on the KWS stand was itsnew Group 4 hard feed RL Candidate KWSKinetic. With the highest treated yield of the candidate varieties, it also has the highest specificweight. See article on p16 for more.

Joining Kinetic is another hard feed RLCandidate KWS Parkin. A cross of Reflection with Costello, there’s a treated yield of 103% ofcontrols with strongest performance in the Westand North. Short and stiff-strawed, it’s notable forits very early maturity.

New in the two-row winter barleys is RLCandidate KWS Hawking. At 107% of controls it’sthe highest yielding candidate in trials and has aspecific weight of 70.2kg/hl. It performs best inthe East and West with a maturity equal to KWS

A treat of traits come forward in RL Candidates

Orwell, said breeder David Harrap.Leading the OSR pack from Dekalb are

DK Exsteel and DK Exstar. “DK Exstar is the mostdisease-resistance product we’ve ever bred,”claimed breeder Matthew Clarke. It has an 8 for both phoma and light leaf spot, with a 9 forlodging resistance, along with Dekalb’s other keytraits of vigorous establishment and pod-shatterresistance.

But you won’t find it on the RL Candidate listfollowing a mix-up over seeds. “We supplied thewrong seeds for the RL trials last autumn.” With“no weaknesses”, it’s shorter and stiffer than DKExsteel, but doesn’t quite have the top-end yieldof its stable mate. Exsteel is on the AHDB RL forthe North, with a phoma score of 8 and LLS of 7.

DK Exstar is the most disease-resistant OSRMatthew Clarke has ever bred.

Theodore has a list-topping untreated yield scoreof 92% of treated controls.

mixes as buffer strips between game coverand crops and GLNP have found 2-yearmixes containing phacelia increase beenumbers as well as other invertebrates.

Tweaking the mix“Wild bird seed mixes tend to be milletheavy, so you don’t necessarily get thepollen/nectar benefit, but by tweaking themix it’s possible to supply this. Phaceliacan also suit areas where growers strugglewith traditional pollen/nectar mixesbecause of weed problems. These small

steps can have a big accumulative effect,”she concluded.

“Once the genie is out of the bottle, it’llbe difficult to get it back in,” was howBayer’s Barrie Hunt described riskingglyphosate resistance. He believes themajor principles of conservation agricultureshould be remembered when consideringhow best to control weeds; that is minimising soil movement, permanent vegetative soil cover or mulch and adiverse crop rotation.

“Min till and no till are heavily reliant on


s

Belkar (picloram+ halauxifen-methyl) gives oilseed rape growers the option to switch frompreventative to reactive autumn weed controlstrategies, said Corteva Agriscience’s John Sellars.

“Growers can wait until the crop is out of theground giving themselves time to assess the visible weed pressure plus the impact of pests.Targeting cleavers, cranesbill, poppy, shepherd’spurse and fumitory, Belkar offers an alternative to traditional approaches which rely on pre-emergence control.”

The herbicide is the newest member of theArylex Active family and John expects Belkar tobecome? the traditional approach to weed controlin oilseed rape.

“Growers are happy to invest if they know they are going to have an output. Moving to apost-emergence regime means growers don’tdecide on their herbicide spend until they know a crop is there.”

Arylex Active has been in cereal herbicides

since 2015 with the ability to control most keycompetitive weeds without affecting brassicas,making it an obvious fit for the oilseed rape market.

There are three treatment options whichCorteva says have performed best in trials. At twotrue-leaves an application at 0.25 l/ha will takeout the weeds which have germinated alongsidethe crop and, in some circumstances, that will beenough broadleaf control before an application ofAstrokerb (propyzamide+ aminopyralid) or similarlater on.

In high weed pressure situations where a second germination is visible, growers have theoption of a second 0.25 l/ha two to four weeksafter the first application. In low pressure situations growers can wait until six true leaves of the crop and apply 0.5 l/ha which will take careof the weeds going into the autumn.

ERRATUMAt the Cereals event, Corteva Agriscience

presented its new active substance, Inatreq, butthe event was not intended as its launch, as suggested on p66 of the summer shows previewin CPM June issue. CPM would like to apologisefor any confusion caused.

New OSR herbicide officially launched

Belkar will give growers the flexibility to apply a broadleaf herbicide once the crop hasestablished.

Cereals 2019

non-selective herbicides and there’s only alimited choice so it’s important to integratecultural controls with effective chemical

techniques. Shallow cultivations can give40-50% control of weeds but it needs to bevery shallow to keep seeds near to the

surface or no tillage at all,” he said.Barrie said that good glyphosate

application is critical to ensure effective


s

Farmers who deliver improvements to their soilsare unlikely to receive support under the newEnvironmental Land Management (ELM) contracts. Farming minister Robert Goodwill,speaking at the Groundswell event in Herts lastmonth, said good soil health is not viewed byGovernment as one of the “outcomes” it’s looking to support.

“At this stage I wouldn’t envisage that payingfor soil health was necessarily a public good,”he said in an interview at the event with journalist Baroness Rosie Boycott. “But thethings that flow from that are just the sorts ofthings I think people would want to pay for.”

The minister didn’t specify exactly what sortof outcomes the Government would rewardthrough ELMs, although he did indicateimprovements in organic matter may improve a soil’s capacity as a carbon sink and improvements in soil structure could helpdrainage problems, for example.

He said he was hoping to transition to a system of paying public money for public goodsthat organisations such as Greenpeace andFriends of the Earth would support. “I’m optimistic that as we move through the transition from 2021 to 2027, people will seethe results and they will be on the side of thefarmers and want to help them deliver thatthrough their taxes.”

Exactly what schemes will be supported willcome from the ELM Tests and Trials –– the minister indicated that 48 of these from the firstround of applications are “ready to sign off” buthadn’t started, while another 200 applicants arewaiting to hear if their suggestions will also beincluded in the programme.

“I’m optimistic they will make financial sensefor the farmer –– the money should not just be compensation for income forgone and investment made, but also give them a profitmargin on doing that.”

But he indicated the Agriculture Bill was making slow progress through Parliament, andBrexit remains the priority. “Before we can deliver our policy, we need to leave the EU,”he said.

Soil health ‘not a public good’, says minister

Efforts to improve soil health would notnecessarily result in ELM payments, said Robert Goodwill – the Government’s looking for outcomes.

Cereals 2019

chemical control to complement cultural methods. “The rate needs to beadequate to kill the grassweeds, so 540gglyphosate/ha for seedlings but 720g once

tillering has commenced. The pressureneeds to be kept low to produce a coarseto medium droplet which can be applied in a water volume of 80-250 l/ha. Critically,

no more than two applications should bemade,” he advised.

Nitrates in groundwater is the latestissue that the UK’s water companies are


s

Simple management tweaks can help build pollinator numbers on the farm.

Mark Dodds and Andrew Newby from KWS receive the NIAB CentenaryCereals Cup for Robigus from NIAB chairman Jim Godfrey. The varietyfeatured on the HGCA Recommended List between 2003 and 2011,while around half the current varieties have Robigus in their parentage.Originally bred in the Netherlands by Wiersum Zelder, it was selected byCPB Twyford, now KWS. A cross between two breeding lines, it broughtin novel yield and agronomic traits from wild emmer wheat.

seeking to work on together with the farming community,according to Tim Stephens ofWessex Water. It’s a problemthat’s on the rise, partiallybecause the take-up of nitrogenfertilisers is an inefficientprocess and partially a legacyissue, with nitrates slowly working their way down into thegroundwater, he explained.

“We’re likely to see anincrease in NVZ restrictions,particularly where water isabstracted from boreholes. It’s a direction of travel that’s indicated in the new AgricultureBill,” he said.

The water company focus ison informing growers abouttheir water quality, catchmentmanagement and fine-tuning of nutrient management withadvice focused beyond compliance to help them

achieve water quality. Their aim is to help growers accessmore specialist advice andincentivise change with financial support and capital grants.

Dorset farmer, John Martin,farms in a water safeguardzone with ground running downto the Milbourne St Andrewborehole. He’s undertaken a 5-year plan with Wessexwater to reduce his soil mineral nitrogen by limitingnitrogen applications to150kgN/ha/annum, growingover-winter green cover andbuilding soil organic matter.

He’s achieving this by growing a non-legume wintercover crop and cropping theland in continuous spring barley which has enabled him to reduce his inputs to125kgN/ha. n

You don’t really have to give it very much attention for it to power away

and perform for you.

“

”Among the many candidateslined up to join the Group 4

hard wheat market is onehigh performer that seems to

look after itself. CPM visitsan Oxon farm business

making a conscious moveback into hard feed.

By Tom Allen-Stevens

TechnicalFit for the Future

Energy with less effort

As you turn up at the farm office of theHildred Partnership near Wallingford,Oxon, you can’t help but notice the crop ofoilseed rape on the slope facing you that’sbeen hit hard by cabbage stem flea beetle.

“It’s there to remind me never to grow thecrop again,” says Guy Hildred. “It was theone field that appeared to grow away fromCSFB last autumn, so we decided not to pullit up. But that was a mistake.”

Contrast that with a nearby field of KWSKinetic winter wheat, drilled on 17 Oct, thatfaced a similar dilemma at the start of theyear, after it was hit hard by crows over thewinter. “In places you could barely see the crop in the rows, and we very nearlyabandoned it. But it took off in March, andnow you can hardly tell the differencebetween it and our other field that wasn’taffected.”

It’s part of a seed crop of the new Group4 winter wheat variety that currently leadsthe AHDB Candidate line-up (see panel on

The field of KWS Kinetic that was hit hard bycrows is set to perform as well as the nearby field that was unaffected.

p18. Hildred Partnership has around 200haof winter wheat grown for C2 seed in theground for harvest 2019, with the KWSKinetic sitting alongside KWS Barrell, RGT Gravity and Costello.

Conscious move“We’re making a conscious move back toGroup 4 varieties, having grown qualitywheats for seed over a number of years,”says Guy. “There’s nothing wrong with them,but the milling premium is no longer sufficient. It’s best to focus purely on theyield, getting the wheat harvested and fillingup the barn.”

With land that varies from gravel to chalk,and not a single water course across its800ha, yields for the farm range from 7-11t/ha. The rest of the wheat area is alsohard Group 4, while winter barley is alsogrown for seed. The business has an anaerobic digester, pumping out 2.1MW ofgas to grid, fed with maize and rye, whilepoppies form the only other non-cerealbreak in the rotation.

The partnership is part of HBH (Farming),a joint-venture concern with a number ofother partner businesses. HBH arable farm manager Mike Goodenough now takes day-to-day responsibility for the management of Guy’s wheats, and with anutrition programme that revolves around thedigestate from the AD unit, that can be achallenge, he says.

“The biggest issue with the digestate isthe haulage –– the timing of the applicationisn’t decided by when the crop’s ready, but

by when the digestate has to be spread.”That’s carried out by local contractor

Charlie Baker with a tanker spreader fittedwith a 30m boom. The application is usuallymade to the wheat in April, and at a rate of30m2/ha, the effect on the crop must be factored in, says Mike.

“It’s easy to put the wrong amount on andit will react with the soil in a different way ––the available N might be 65kg/ha, it might be70kg/ha, depending on the temperature. Thenice thing about the Kinetic is that it behavesvery similarly to other KWS feed varieties –– you don’t really have to give it very muchattention for it to power away and performfor you.”

Generally first wheats are direct drilledwith the 6m Horsch Sprinter after maize,while the second wheats may well beploughed. Otherwise the cultivation for mostcrops is a 3.5m Simba Solo followed by a


s

While some growers have moved away from theGroup 4 hard feed market, there’s every reason to take another look, believes Agrovista head ofseeds Tom Nickerson.

“We’ve seen one or two game-changing quality wheats that yield well which have temptedgrowers towards milling varieties. But gone arethe days when farmers looked for feed wheatsthat were purely high input, high output. Whatwe’re seeing on the AHDB Recommended List,and especially among the candidates, is a newgeneration of hard Group 4s that offer good agronomics and appropriate grain quality, as wellas the high yields growers expect,” he says.

These are the ones now taking market share,and offer additional benefits for those growerswho can use their good grain quality in local premium markets, he adds.

Among the RL candidates, it’s KWS Kinetic thatcurrently leads the pack. So what’s Tom’s take onthe variety? “It’s certainly one to watch,” he says.“There’s a limited tonnage available for 2019sowings, but my feeling is that it’s one for 2020,by which time we’ll have a full set of data on it,and growers will be able to make a moreinformed choice.”

KWS Kerrin, meanwhile, delivers on the yieldand has plenty of data to inform the grower looking to move into these wheats, he notes.“Kerrin’s shown it can yield consistently, so it’s my pick for this autumn. What Kinetic offers in

addition is a considerable step-up in specificweight. It also has a maturity rating that will bring itto harvest a day or two ahead of most other hardGroup 4s. So perhaps one to line up for nextautumn.”

KWS took the unusual step of releasing seed of Kinetic for multiplication before it completedNational List trials, notes Will Compson, KWScereal and sales manager. “This means growerswill have access to seed for commercial production this autumn,” he notes.

“KWS Kinetic combines a high treated anduntreated yield, good disease resistance and thebest combination of protein, Hagberg falling numberand specific weight of any candidate variety.”

A cross between Reflection and KWSSilverstone, Kinetic has orange wheat blossommidge resistance and has performed strongly in allregions, adds Will, although its highest yields havecome in the East and West.

“At 105% of controls, its treated yield is at thetop of the group, but it will be its stiff straw, earlymaturity and high specific weight that will capturegrower interest –– so it not only yields, but theseare bankable yields.”

Senior wheat breeder Mark Dodds notes thatthe dry-down evaluation carried out by KWS putsKinetic on a par with Skyfall in terms of earliness.“It comes down to 15% moisture five days earlierthan Gleam or RGT Gravity and has an untreatedyield similar to KWS Siskin.”

Nevertheless, seed availability is likely to betight for autumn 2019, so product developmentmanager John Miles suggests KWS Kerrin as theGroup 4 hard feed variety of choice if Kinetic’s notavailable.

“They are quite different –– Kinetic is anupgrade of Reflection, inheriting its high yield,short, stiff straw and earliness, but bringing itsdisease resistance from Silverstone,” he explains.

“Kerrin has KWS Santiago in its parentage. Theyield isn’t quite at the same level as Kinetic, butyou get the consistency growers enjoyed inSantiago. It’s also very flexible in terms of whenyou can drill it –– whenever the seed turns up,you can put it in the ground and it’ll perform.”

Moderately stiff, disease-wise Kerrin may needwatching for yellow rust, especially in easterncounties, notes John, but its strength is brownrust. “It has the strongest brown rust score of theleading Group 4 varieties on the RL,” he adds.

Kinetic is the ‘one to watch’ among the hard Group 4s

Digestate is a key source of nutrients for thecrop, but the timing of the application is decidedby when it has to be spread, rather than whenthe crop’s ready.

With Reflection in its parentage, Kinetic has an erect growth habit (left), while it’s been no trouble tokeep the crop free of disease from flag to foot (right).

6m Horsch Joker to make the seedbed if needed.

“The aim is for an established populationof 355 seeds/m2, and we’ll go as low as100kg/ha or as high as 150kg/ha to achievethis. The prime time for drilling would be firstweek of Oct, although we’d go later whereblackgrass is an issue. The Kinetic came upreasonably well, with the more gravelly soilahead of the rest,” says Mike.

In the spring, concerned that the crow-damaged piece might not take kindly to the digestate, it was given a larger-than-normal dose of N in Feb to help itrecover, then ammonium sulphate before itsmain dose of N as ammonium nitrate in lateMarch, with a total of 160kgN/ha applied.The fuller crop of Kinetic received the usualprogramme for a feed wheat crop to meet itsexpected yield (see panel on p19), includingthe standard dressing of digestate.

Tebuconazole was applied at the T0 timing, with Adexar used at both T1 and

T2. “We’ll give it a cheap and cheerful tebuconazole at T3,” he adds. “Chlormequatwas applied at both T0 and T1. This isn’t thestrongest ground and Kinetic seems verystiff-strawed, even where it grew fast afterthe crow damage.”

There’s now very little difference betweenthe two fields, both are free of disease andMike expects them to perform well atharvest. “We have two Claas Lexion 770combines with 12m headers and the seedcrop always gets priority. But if the Kineticholds its Hagberg like KWS Trinity and with a


It not only yields, but these are bankable yields,says Will Compson.

Fit for the Future

s

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

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

KWS is a leading breeder of cereals,oilseeds, sugar beet and maize. As a family-owned business, it is truly independentand entirely focussed on promoting successthrough the continual improvement of varieties with higheryields, strong diseaseand pest resistance,and excellent grain quality. We’re committedto your future just asmuch as you are.

Fit for the Future

Mike Goodenough (left) and Guy Hildred aremaking a conscious move back to Group 4varieties, having grown quality wheats for seedover a number of years.

specific weight higher than nearly everythingelse on the AHDB Recommended List, I don’t expect it’ll mind waiting at harvest.”

For Guy, Kinetic fits the mould of the manyother KWS varieties he’s grown in the past.“It’s not quite like KWS Santiago, but we’vetreated it very similarly to the KWS Lili wegrew two years ago (see panel on right) ––although a Group 2 variety, we grew it as aGroup 4 as it was the yield we were after,”he says.

“Naturally we’d have to reserve judgementon the Kinetic until the combine goes in, andyou can’t base your impression of it on justone year. But if it does well, we’d certainlyconsider rolling it out over the rest of the

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

07-Oct KWS Lili 140kgHerbicides £75Insecticides £2Fertiliser £160

17-Feb Urea 46% N 100kg18-Apr Digestate 31m3

19-Apr Urea 46%N 213kgFungicides £90

10-Apr T1 – Keystone + CTL 0.8 +1.0 litre05-May T2 – Adexar + CTL 1.25 + 1.0 litre02-Jun T3 – Toledo + Comet 0.45 + 0.25 litres

Growth regulators £1 10-Apr T1 – Chlormequat 0.8 litres

Standard TOTAL VARIABLE COSTS £433 05-Aug Harvest 10.5t £1659**

GROSS MARGIN £1226

Digestate – total applied: 80kgN/ha, 26kg SO3/ha, 127kg K2O/ha, 47kg P2O5/ha; CTL –chlorothalonil; Keystone – epoxiconazole+ isopyrazam; Adexar – fluxapyroxad+ epoxiconazole;Toledo – tebuconazole; Comet – pyraclostrobin; *price for C1 seed; **based on ex-farm price of£158/t

Hildred Partnership’s programme for high-yielding wheat, 2017

KWS Kinetic KWS Kerrin AHDB Winter Wheat List Source for data* Candidate 2019/20 Recommended 2019/20Yield mean of controls (t/ha) 10.4 11.2UK treated yield (% control) 105.1 103.7UK untreated yield (% treated control) 86.3 81.3Hagberg falling number (sec) 279 150Specific weight (kg/hl) 78.8 76.5Resistance to lodging with PGR - 6.9Lodging % (treated) 1.9Height without PGR (cm) 83.3 83.7Maturity (days+/- JB Diego) 0 1.2Disease resistanceMildew 6.1 6.7Yellow rust 6.4 7.0Brown rust 6.2 6.8Septoria tritici 5.8 5.0Eyespot - 4.7Fusarium ear blight - 5.8OWBM R R

*Note: Yield data are not comparable as varieties were assessed in different trials using different controls

KWS Group 4 wheat leaders at a glance

wheat area. We’ve not spent any more timeor expense on it than we have for any of ur other wheats –– it’s a wheat that looksafter itself.” n

Kinetic has the high yields growers have come toexpect of Group 4 varieties with considerably

improved grain quality.


Fit for the Future

Rethinking OSR?

It’s been a torrid season foroilseed rape with many

growers questioning its placein their rotation. But should it

be discarded on the back ofan exceptional season or canthe crop be managed better?

CPM finds out.

By Lucy de la Pasture

TechnicalOSR planning

A series of unusual weather events created a perfect storm for cabbage stemflea beetle (CSFB), says Dr Sacha White,senior research entomologist at ADASBoxworth in Cambs. A very dry summerwhich extended well into the autumnmeant many oilseed rape crops had a difficult time establishing due to lack ofmoisture and adult flea beetle damage.

“Another warm winter meant that adultswere able to continue egg laying for longer than usual, which resulted in recordnumbers of larvae and additional crop

Sacha White believes cultural controls with adelay in drilling is the best strategy to reduce theimpact of CSFB on crops.

losses this spring,” he says.CSFB has become OSR’s number one

enemy since the loss of neonicotinoid seedtreatments, with 5% of the national crop lostin 2014/15 and 9% in 2016/17. This yearAICC estimate that 11% will be lost on thebasis of a survey conducted last winter,equivalent to £79 million. But it’s likely thatthis is an underestimate as larval numberscontinued to increase into the spring andcrops were still being written-off as late asApril, suggests Sacha.

Pyrethoid resistanceIn recent times the solution to nearly everyagronomy problem has been to rely on apesticide as a first line of defence, but with increasing resistance to pyrethroidinsecticides this is no longer a strategy that will work.

“Pyrethroids used to get control of CSFBadults and larvae if they were well-timed, butresistance was first detected in 2014 and isbecoming widespread. We don’t yet know ifthe larvae are resistant as well as the adults,but we suspect that they are,” he says.

In spite of this, pyrethroid applicationshave tripled from 2010 to 2016 but applying

them may be counter-productive, Sachapoints out. “Making more than one pyrethroidapplication is just selecting for resistance and killing the natural enemies of CSFB, such

as ground beetles which play a veryimportant role in eating eggs over

the winter period.”So without any effective

chemistry to save the day, what can growers do to mitigate the effects of CSFB?Sacha believes there is no

single solution but by adoptinga number of cultural control

options with the optimum agronomic approach then damage

can be limited. It’s similar to the approachgrowers have adopted to blackgrass, wherea combination of different methods can addup to give the desired level of overall control.

Modelling carried out as part of the AHDB-funded IPM project, suggests that the onlyconsistent agronomic approach that affectsCSFB pressure is the date of drilling. Theadvice used to be to drill OSR earlier so thatthe crop established before the main periodof CSFB migration (usually late-Aug) but inrecent years it’s the larvae which havebecome the biggest threat.

“A survey of 1100 sites over 14 yearsshowed a clear trend in larval reduction bydrilling later. Newly planted crops avoid themain adult migration, so CSFB arrive later incrops. This results in later egg hatching anda slower rate of development of both larvaeand eggs as temperatures cool off in theautumn. We’ve seen the effect carry throughto spring populations.

“We need to better understand OSR variety selection as some are much bettersuited than others for later drilling,” he adds.

There’s also a disease consideration


More than one pyrethroid application

is just selecting for resistance.

“”

s


OSR varieties that develop more rapidly in theautumn and earlier in the spring can substantiallyreduce damage from cabbage stem flea beetlelarvae as well as adults, according to the latestresearch from agronomy specialists Agrii.

Used alongside the most appropriate seedbedmanagement, drilling practice, early nutrition andinsecticide treatment, they offer growers a goodway of countering the recent upsurge in the pest,in the view of view of technical specialists, JimCarswell and David Leaper.

They point out that, just like blackgrass andseptoria, a thoroughly integrated approach toagronomy can help manage the flea beetle threat and ensure OSR retains its place as thefirst-choice break in most winter cereal rotations.

“We have undertaken almost 40 specific fleabeetle management trials since 2009,” says R&Dmanager, Jim. “These have explored a wholerange of approaches to dealing with the pest –– from sacrificial field boundaries to companioncropping and various ways of disguising theemerging crop as well as improving its establishment and early resilience.

“It’s crystal clear from this work that no singleapproach offers the consistency of the seed treatments we no longer have. Anything that getsin the way of early crop growth –– like lastautumn’s serious lack of moisture –– can significantly increase flea beetle impact. So thefocus has to be on the key elements of agronomythat prove most effective in ensuring rapid andreliable establishment and autumn development.”

Drilling in the first 10 days of Aug to achieve arobust canopy ahead of the main late Aug/earlySept flea beetle migration has proved its worth in maximising early crop survival in Agrii’s experience.

But early drilled crops tend to carry greater larval burdens than those drilled in early Sept.The downside of later-drilled crops is that theycan develop less rapidly, making them more vulnerable to attack.

“Whenever you drill, the most important thingis to drill into moisture. In the six weeks betweenthe start of Aug and mid-Sept there will almostalways be a time when your ground is carryingsufficient moisture. Regardless of calendar date,that is the time to drill,” says Jim.

“Almost regardless of drilling date, I also favourfast-developing varieties,” adds seed technical

manager, David. “They give the crop the bestchance of growing away from any setbacks. Ifconditions allow, they may put on a little too muchautumn growth. But we can always give them atimely check as well as a useful rooting boost withan early PGR.

“We also know from our trial work howvaluable such varieties can be in minimising the

larval damage which put paid to so many cropsthis spring. Current trials across more than 40 varieties on four sites significantly affected byflea beetle, have indicated a clear associationbetween the level of beetle damage and speed ofcrop development.

“We’ve long found the fastest developing varieties in the autumn are better at growing awayfrom adult grazing. These trials show the earliestto grow away in the spring –– most notably DKExpedient, DK Exclaim, DK Exsteel, Inv1035 andAmbassador –– also suffer the least stunting andmain stem loss. Again this seems to be due totheir superior ability to compensate through earliercanopy development.”

As far as cultivation is concerned, there’s goodfield evidence that crops established under no-tilland reduced tillage systems generally suffer lessfrom flea beetle. Better moisture conservation islikely to be important here, says Jim.

At the same time, the Agrii work suggests thatlonger cereal stubbles, an even spread of choppedstraw and chaff across the surface and the leastsoil movement at drilling are valuable in disguisingthe green-on-brown visual attraction of theemerging crop to adult beetles.

“Good seed-to-soil contact at drilling, lack ofcompaction to limit root development and a soilpH which doesn’t limit nutrient availability are vitalfor the best establishment,” he adds.

“Treating the seed with Take-off PGA or thenew biological dressing, Integral Pro, can furtherimprove rooting and early canopy development ata very modest cost. But the single most beneficialaid to establishment we find is a well-balancedseedbed fertiliser” he says.

“Resistance means insecticides aren’t performing as well as they used to,” Jim agrees.“Even so, they remain vital to crop survival, withour trials showing valuable advantages from a quality pyrethroid such as Cleancrop Argent (lambda-cyhalothrin) as well as adjuvants thatimprove uptake and coverage. Anecdotally, it may

be preferable to spray at night for the best targeting. “Including garlic and other solutionswith strong odours in the spray tank may also beuseful to mask the smell of OSR that is attractiveto adult beetles. Again, though, we don’t yet have sufficient scientific evidence here.”

Companion cropping is another area of agronomy where Agrii has growing evidence offlea beetle management value. But only with the right companions and providing they areestablished sufficiently well.

“You need to have a mix that fools the beetles but isn’t too competitive with the crop,” explainsDavid. “Over the past three seasons, we’ve hadgreat success with carefully selected varieties ofbuckwheat and vetch that are established stronglyin cereal stubbles and readily eliminated by earlyfrosts or herbicide treatment.

“In several cases, this companion cropping hasallowed our agronomists to establish excellentOSR crops with minimal insecticide use whileneighbouring crops were completely lost to beetle infestation.

“Crucifers like white mustard and turnip rapehave proved diversionary when grown withClearfield varieties and easy to eliminate in the system. But they are best avoided in ourexperience because they can be much too competitive with the crop,” he advises.

“We find faster-developing Clearfield varieties like DK Impressario CL can also have a clearedge for their tolerance to ALS inhibitor residueswhen grown in reduced tillage systems wherethese herbicides have been used; especially iflate-spring applied in a dry season.”

Countering flea beetle pressures

Jim Carswell (left) and David Leaper have beenlooking at a number of approaches to reduceCSFB damage.

when looking at drilling date, adds Dr Faye Ritchie, plant pathologist at ADASBoxworth. “On balance, later drillingdecreases the risk of light leaf spot and clubroot while earlier drilling decreases the riskof phoma leaf spot/stem canker.

“Leaf size is an important factor when itcomes to phoma, the larger the leaf then thelonger it takes the fungus to spread throughthe leaf and petiole and then into the stem.Late sown, small crops are at a higher risk,”she says.

Light leaf spot is a very different diseaseand its airborne ascospores, which causethe primary infection in OSR crops, can bereleased from July onwards. This means earlier drilled crops are exposed to higherlevels of inoculum. By late Oct there’s a

OSR planning

s

Faye Ritchie says the effect ondiseases needs to be consideredwhen drilling early or later thannormal.

switch in the lifecycle and thefungus produces conidiosporeswhich are dispersed by rainsplash, meaning infection spread is more local.

“Phoma is the easier of thetwo diseases to control with goodsingle gene and quantitativeresistance available in varietiesand effective control from fungicides,” says Faye.

Light leaf spot has a polycyclic lifecycle and is more difficult to control. “Using varieties with a high resistancerating delays the epidemic, withbig differences in disease levelsseen in trials between varietieswith an AHDB RecommendedList resistance rating of 7 andthose with a lower rating of 5.

“Fungicides generally onlycontrol 50-60% of a light leaf spot epidemic but can still provide a cost-effective yieldresponse,” she adds.

Genetic traitADAS have looked at the attractiveness and palatability ofdifferent varieties to CSFB andhave so far found no significantdifferences, but this may not correspond to work being carriedout elsewhere. A point in case isresearch at John Innes Centre islooking to find a genetic trait thatmay ultimately be used to conferresistance in new OSR varieties,points out Sacha.

“We’ll also be looking atwhether some varieties are betterable to tolerate damage than others in the IPM project,” he adds.

Vigour has been suggested asa useful characteristic to helpcrops grow away from flea beetledamage and Sacha agrees thatthis is true. As well as autumnvigour, the ability to grow awayquickly in the spring could be asimportant, he says.

Dr Carol Norris, agronomicservices manager for BASFwhich has the InVigor range of hybrid OSR varieties in itsportfolio, highlights work carriedout in 2013/14 by Dr Pete Berryand Liz Hudson of ADAS. It gave an insight into the impactvigorous hybrids can have on

drilling date and yield, with somevarieties having an apparent tolerance to delayed sowingdate, she says.

“I’m often challenged as towhether hybrids really are morevigorous than open-pollinatedvarieties. The answer is generally ‘yes, they are’, buthybrids vary in their vigour.

“Some hybrid breeding programmes have clearly developed heterotic pools whichmaximise the hybrid effect, whichis why we tend to see the InVigorvarieties standing out in theautumn for vigour next to someother hybrid varieties.”

Carol is advocating a move toa later drilling for OSR as ameans of limiting CSFB damage,and she believes choosing theright hybrid variety can help

balance the establishment risk with potential gross output.

“What we suggest growersshould be doing is looking atwhether they are prepared tocompromise their establishmentfor the chance of a couple of %in gross output. Choosing a variety such as InV1035, withhigh early vigour lowers theestablishment risk and can stillproduce a high output,” sheexplains.

Increasing seed rate is of nobenefit where CSFB larvae areconcerned, explains Sacha. “We looked at seed rates of 10-120 seeds/m2 and found no difference in the larval population/plant between seed

s

rates. This suggests there’s no benefit to be had from ramping up the seed rate in terms of larval load and a positive disadvantage in that there are morelarvae/m2 where there are more plants/m2,

which also means higher pest return forfuture years.”

Cultural approaches to limiting CSFB arealso being evaluated by ADAS and ‘trapcropping’ and ‘defoliation’ are both showingpromise.

The trap cropping trials have made use of the OSR volunteers that emerge after harvest so that adult CSFB will fly in andfeed on them when they begin to emerge in

All hybrids have vigour but not all have the sameamount of vigour at the same time, points outCarol Norris.

early Aug, before the new crop has beenplanted.

“Once the adults have flown into the trapcrop, they start to lose wing muscle sobecome less able to migrate. By delayingburning off OSR volunteers until late Sept, itshould be possible to reduce the number ofadults that will affect the newly plantedcrop,” explains Sacha.

Results so far have given significantreductions of adults throughout the wholetrial, even after the OSR volunteers werecontrolled, and there’s been a correspondingreduction in the population of larvae incrops, he highlights.

Trap crop“We’ve seen benefits in four of the six pairedfields (OSR vol/new crop) with up to 89%fewer adults, 74% less adult damage, 39%more plants, and 67% less larvae. The trapcrop effectively breaks pest life-cycle.”

Taking a broader view, Sacha points outthat we still need to understand the factorsthat reduce effectiveness, such as the areaof volunteer OSR area left as the trap cropand the drilling date of the new crop.

Faye has a few concerns about leavingOSR stubbles for longer on the surfacebecause they act as a source of airbornespores to infect neighbouring crops and volunteers as a green bridge for somediseases.

“A balance needs to be reached when it comes to controlling diseases whereinoculum can build up on stubbles and volunteers, such as phoma stem canker andlight leaf spot. Club root is another risk andleaving uncontrolled volunteers long enoughwill potentially allow the disease to gothrough another cycle,” she says.

Another cultural approach that has movedfrom trial plots this season into commercialfields under the Innovative Farmers FieldLab initiative is defoliation.

“The Field Lab is looking at the effects ofdefoliation on eight farms in 12 fields. In plottrials there were significant reductions in larvae (31-55%) when the crop was mownoff, with the highest yields when defoliationtook place in Dec. The Field Lab growersare looking at different methods, includinggrazing by sheep, and initial assessments

OSR planning

s

Summary of drilling dates and disease risk

Disease Drill (to decrease risk) Why?Phoma leaf spot/stem canker Earlier Larger leaf size

Light leaf spot Later Less build-up of disease

Clubroot Later Lower soil temperaturesSource: ADAS, 2019

Results show the impact of volunteer OSR on numbers of adult CSFB.Source: ADAS, 2019

Trap Cropping 2017/18

There was up to 77% reduction in larvae where crops were defoliatedcompared to untreated, with a mean reduction of 40%.Source: ADAS, 2019

Defoliation Field Lab results

Results show CSFB larval damage v speed of development in the spring.Source: Agrii, 2019

Speed of spring development

show that all but one of the sitesthat were defoliated have fewerlarvae than undefoliated plots,”he explains.

Ultimately when consideringthe prospects of OSR for nextseason, Sacha believes the season needs to be kept in perspective and it’s not a forgone

conclusion that the next OSRcrop will be under the samepressure as the one that will soon be harvested.

“Larvae aren’t invincible –– thisseason everything has worked intheir favour. Weather may notprove so favourable next timearound.” n

Frustrated by the performance of winterbarley and no longer able to grow oilseedrape, Colin Mitchell, farm manager atMeikleour Estate in Perthshire, has beensearching for a new crop to extend thefarm’s rotation. Although not the completeanswer, hybrid rye is proving to be arewarding discovery.

“Farmers in Scotland need an alternative to wheat,” he says. “It isbecoming harder to keep clean of foliar diseases that limit yield, and thisis making it expensive to grow. Theobvious choices aren’t that attractive.”

The Meikleour Estate covers about800 hectares and its fertile loam soilssupport a diverse range of cropsincluding potatoes, energy beet andcarrots, cereals perform as a diseasebreak for higher value crops but muststill pay their way.

Spring barley, winter wheat, winterbarley and winter oats are alreadygrown on the farm, but performance isvariable, and the latter is vulnerable tofrost damage.

Oilseed rape too is no longer a practical option due to severe clubrootproblems and a desire to reduce disease risk from sclerotinia in highvalue root crops.

Like many farmers in Scotland, Colin Mitchell’s interest in hybrid ryewas aroused after he was approachedby a neighbour in need of feed stock

for an anaerobic digester.“We took a conservative approach;

our 25 ha was modest in comparisonwith what some others were putting in.For many, it was the most profitablecrop on their farms, and it can be, but you must properly account for thepotash removed. This can be as muchas 285kg/ha with a 50t/ha (AD) crop,”says Mr Mitchell.

This brief experience was enough tocapture his interest and he began toinvestigate other possible markets forthe crop.

“It grew well, and I was impressedby its performance, but because we

want the straw to cover the carrots, wedecided we’d rather grow it for grain.Straw is important to us; we use about50t/ha to protect the carrots againstfrost, which equates to 4000 Hesstonbales each year. Hybrid rye producesabout 25% more straw than winterwheat so there is obvious appeal.”

He contacted Scottish Agronomy to discuss which varieties were bestsuited to grain production and soonlearned that there was much to consider.

“Rye is susceptible to ergot, but thedevelopment of PollenPlus varietieshas done much to remove this risk.

“Scottish Agronomy has long-term trials data on a range of varieties at twosites in Scotland so we knew straightaway which variety to grow, what seedand nitrogen rates to use and howmuch growth regulator would be needed.”

Growing rye for grain however, meant first finding a buyer for it.

“A favourable amino acid profilemeans it is particularly well suited topigs so that was our first thought, itwasn’t to be unfortunately. Eventually,we found a market for human consumption through a local merchant.This, however, is a limited market soI’m still working on other outlets.”

As his confidence with the crop hasgrown, so has the sown area and thisyear covers 110ha.

“In 2016 the crop yielded an average 7.7t/ha though this was onsome of the farm’s least productivesoils. The best-performing field managed 8.3t/ha. This made us startto take it seriously as the best cropwe’ve ever had in that field previouslywas spring oats which managed about6t/ha. In 2017 it achieved the sameaverage but then in 2018 it gave 8t/hawith the best field at 10.48t/ha.”

This compares with a three-yearwheat average yield for the same period of 8.3t/ha. In the drought of2018 wheat at Meikleour managed just7.54t/ha and cost roughly £100/hamore in variable costs.

“It appears to be the one crop where real progress is being made year-on-year to improve agronomiccharacteristics, such as disease andlodging resistance. This year I’m

Rye in Scotland

ADVERTORIAL

Colin Mitchell, farm manager at MeikleourEstate in Perthshire

Could hybrid rye be the new cropfarmers have been looking for?

growing KWS Edmondo and haveentered a field in the ADAS YEN competition.”

“For us, it yields on a par with firstwheats, but is cheaper to grow becauseit needs less nitrogen fertiliser and fungicide. It has already replaced somewinter barley and I’m starting to thinkit could replace second wheat too.”

The market for human consumptionis limited, while other outlets needdeveloping before the crop is likely toappeal beyond AD growers, concedesColin Mitchell.

“The big opportunity is in pig feed.Rye is a staple of a pig finishingrations across Germany and Denmark.More interest from feed compoundersor pig producers milling their own feedwould encourage me to grow more.

“There is a small, but valuable market for rye as a distilling grain.Bourbon is an increasingly populardrink and Scotland has the distillinginfrastructure to produce it so why notgrow rye in Scotland for distilling inScotland? Perhaps, someone will have the confidence to give it a go,” he says.

At 10t/ha hybrid rye out-doeswheat

Continental pig producersimprove performance withhybrid rye

Crop management

ADVERTORIAL

David Lord farms near Clacton on Sea, Essex,and sees hybrid ryes benefits under dry conditions

Hybrid rye is grown on around 5 million hectares worldwide – the majority of which is combined forgrain production

Annoyed by the under-performance of winter malting barley, David Lorddecided to investigate hybrid rye after a discussion with a neighbour. It’s nowfour years later and the area grown hasexpanded to 40 hectares as demandhas increased.

It was the low water requirement – at 300 litres per tonne of grain produced its moisture needs are typically 25% lower than that of wheator barley – and early maturity thatappealed in the first instance.

“I was looking for a crop to fit thelight land rotation of potatoes, wheat,peas/onions, and wheat. Rye had gooddrought tolerance and the straw is useful for the cattle enterprise thoughwe are careful to follow it with potatoesto replace the phosphate taken off(with the straw) and control the volunteers.

“We budget for yields of about8.5t/ha, but it often exceeds this. Ingood years it does 10t/ha or more andas our contract sees us paid the sameas feed wheat it often produces a better gross margin because it is

cheaper to grow,” he says. It has since become an established

crop and his 350-400 tonnes annualproduction is sold locally to a specialistfood ingredients business.

“It does better than wheat on thesame ground and is earlier to mature,but later than oilseed rape, so helpsensure a smooth harvest,” he says.

Ergot is the curse of rye, but sincemoving to a fully hybrid variety this hasbecome less of a concern.

“We moved to KWS Bono a fewyears ago partly for the higher yieldpotential, but also because the higherquantities of pollen these PollenPlusvarieties produce means there is a far

lower risk of ergot infection occurring,”he says.

“It’s not completely risk-free, butwith milling wheat on the farm too weneed to be proactive and PollenPlusvarieties have helped greatly.”

Just as the arable sector faces its own challenges with loss of activeingredients and pressure to find a moresustainable rotation, the pig sector isundergoing its own challenges.

Sowing is much the same as any othercereal and Mr Lord will either drill itconventionally after cultivations ordirect into stubble depending on theworkload at the time, the field andweed burden to be considered.

“It’s certainly easy to grow. We sow it in early October, normally apply two fungicides, though it hashad only one in 2019, as mildew and brown rust are the main diseasepressures, and a single application ofChlormequat to keep it from lodging.About 150kg N/ha is applied in twosplits and that’s it.

“It matures evenly which makescombining easy and stores better inbins as it doesn’t heap that well. Thissuits the customer as they can take itas and when they need it,” he says.

ADVERTORIAL

What could rye offer thatwheat or barley don’t doalready?

Breeder investment

KWS key growth markets for rye include someof Europe’s most intensive pig producingregions Graphic source: Statistical portrait of pig production in Europe(sows by region) EUROSTAT, 2014

John Burgess – KWS UK Hybrid Rye ProductManager says rye sales for the company grewby over 30% last autumn. Worldwide hybrid ryeis also the fastest growing cereal seed withinthe groups’ cereal portfolio.

KWS own view is that the UK pigsector is well placed to drive up itsown quality standards, which arealready enhanced by our Red Tractorassurance.

Pig producers will be all too aware ofthe need to reduce antibiotic use – towhich the UK is probably ahead ofother European countries, whilstenhancing gut health at the same time.

Similarly there is increased focus onlowering ammonia emissions from pigproduction principally through usinglower protein feed.

Finally, the major ongoing issue isincreased welfare in the productionsystem, eliminating tail biting, aggression in sows and finishers andreducing gut ulceration are all key concerns for any pig farmer.

UK producers only have to look to ourDanish counterparts for clear proof asto the benefits of rye.

In Denmark, Germany, Russia,Poland and Spain, rye is an

established component of pig rations as it leads to less aggression,lower ammonia emissions and addedbenefits in gut health, without compromising growth rates or finishingcosts.

It is also attracting interest amongpig producers and feed compoundersin North America for the same reasonsit is already widely used in continentalEurope.

Research has identified several positive benefits from feeding rye:Such effects are:l Positive behavioural effects via

satiety inducement (especially in finishers and dry sows)

l Reduced gut ulceration and positive promotion of hind gut and colon health;

l Low non-essential nitrogen and reduced faecal losses resulting in lower ammonia emissions

l Higher straw yield for environmental enrichment

l Similar copper and zinc mineral content to wheat, barley and oats, but higher Vitamin E content

l Inherently high fructan and phytase levels both of which aid gut health and phosphorous metabolism

Given the loss of CTL, growing pressure on ramularia and septoriacontrol – growing hybrid rye has come at the perfect time for UK arable farmers.

Given it’s a totally separate specieswith added benefits in terms of take-all, straw yield, earliness to harvest and big savings in nitrogenuse.

Rye is also well known as being very drought tolerant.

“Our remit is to expand the marketaway from the traditional AD feedstockand the relatively limited Ryvita contract, into novel flours and grainand malt whisky and beer – we’realready seeing this take place inIreland and Scotland.

“Our biggest efforts right now are totarget rye’s natural home in the feedmarket for dry sows and finishing pigs.

Some might suggest rye could displace oilseed rape, but our view at KWS is it may help broaden therotation and help OSR establishment”.

By leaving the stubble height taller

with rye, there are indications of bettermasking effects from flea beetleattack, whilst growers would not suffer from any loss in straw as a cashincome, as rye has a straw yield ofaround 4-5t/ha alone.

KWS has recently published a fullyupgraded rye brochure – with thelatest information on agronomy and end uses – including a brandnew sections on rye flour, alcoholapplications and the benefits of ryeto the pig sector.

For more information pleaseemail [email protected]

It’s a problem that’s probably been

evolving fordecades.

“

”

The erucic acidproblem

Albert Einstein once said, ‘If I had an hourto solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutesthinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.’ For the OSR industry the problem has beenunexpectedly high levels of erucic in seedgoing to the crush, but the true source of the problem remained a mystery –– a situation which meant the solution wasfar from clear.

So AHDB commissioned NIAB to find outthe answer to the million-dollar question:where are these elevated levels of erucicacid in OSR loads actually coming from?

Double-low varieties of oilseed have anerucic acid content which is inherently in theregion of 0.1%, well below the current limit of5%. Even though the percentage of loadscoming in with high erucic acid has beenlow, it’s a situation that has become

magnified by a proposed lowering of thelegal limit for erucic acid to just 2%, posingpotential problems for crushers and OSRgrowers alike, explains AHDB’s manager forquality and safety research, Dhan Bhandari.

Finger pointing“There was a lot of finger pointing going onin the supply chain but with no hard proof, itwas impossible to pinpoint the most likelysource of contamination. Possible causesincluded contamination from high-erucicacid (HEAR) seed in accidental mix-ups onfarm or at merchants’ stores, incompletecleaning of seed, and wild cruciferous seeds with a naturally high erucic acid content, such as mustard and charlock,” he comments.

“Other possibilities included cross-pollination between double-low varieties and either wild crucifers or volunteer OSR plants, and the presence ofHEAR volunteers in the crop, which werewidely grown before the introduction of double-lows, as well as more recently forindustrial usage and renewable fuels,” says Dhan.

“The researchers at NIAB have expertisein erucic acid and have been carrying outthe testing on certified OSR seed for years,”he adds.

Leading the research was oilseed andpulse specialist Simon Kightley, whoexplains the 2% limit for erucic acid in seedisn’t new.

“It’s been in the Federation of Oils, Seeds

Simon Kightley says that better testing equipmenthas probably highlighted a problem that haspreviously gone unnoticed.

and Fats Association (FOSFA) contract forrapeseed for many years, in line with the 2%limit for National Listing of low erucic acidvarieties when they were introduced in the1970s,” he says.

“In the absence of sufficiently sensitivetesting equipment at intake, the limit hadalways been applied with a degree of tolerance. More recently (2015-2017), spikesin the erucic acid content of extracted oiland the introduction of improved near-infared spectrophotometers (NIRS) created awareness of a problem that had previouslygone unnoticed,” comments Simon.

The erucic acid problem remains small,with currently around 1.5% of loads beingpenalised or rejected in the UK, but it’s significant, says Simon.

“Even after mixing in with the generalheap in communal stores, the problem was

Finding a solution to a problem is almost

impossible when the causehasn’t been established. CPM

takes a look at the latestresearch into elevated erucic

acid in rapeseed and howthis has resulted in new

advice to growers.



s


Theory to Field

beginning to show. It only takes one fullyhigh-erucic acid seed with a level of 50% in 50 seeds to raise the level to 1%. Two orthree seeds and you’re going to be over the limit.”

And this is what Simon and his teamlooked at in the research. In the forensicinvestigation, a set of 50 samples from commercial OSR crops was taken duringharvest 2017 and provided the core of thestudy; which looked at the different testing methodology and the presence of any high-erucic weed seeds in the samples. A further subset of 12 samples was thenlooked at in detail, with examination of 50 individual seeds to identify whether anycross-pollination or volunteer contaminationwas occurring.

The initial analysis of samples showed a variation in erucic acid contents whichhighlighted farm-saved seed as being at thehighest risk of testing high, with Clearfieldand hybrids varieties at the other end of the spectrum, testing well within erucic acid limits.

“The results identified a small risk fromerucic acid presence in sown seed, particularly farm-saved seed, and this gives

rise to the advice that seed for sowing shouldbe tested for elevated erucic acid and rejected if it’s more than 1%, although hybridseed appears to be very clean in thisrespect,” explains Simon.

“As well as testing any seed intended forhome-saving, it’s important to stress theimportance of seeing a test result for anybought seed,” he adds.

But it was the study of samples looking at

Research shows that OSR volunteers are themain source of raised erucic acid levels inrapeseed.

Even though the UK’s largest rapeseed crusherhas reported an improving situation in comparisonto previous years, OSR growers are being urged tocontinue the progress made in reducing levels oferucic acid.

High levels of erucic acid is bad news allround, believes Martin Farrow, general manager ofADM Erith. For growers it could lead to deductionsor outright rejections which in turn leads to supplyissues for crushers, he explains.

“While the legal limit on erucic acid in rapeseedoil products across Europe is currently set at amaximum of 5%, there are EU proposals to reducethis to 2%, which brings it in line with FOSFAcontracts and the industry in general.

“Growers who have concerns about their levelswill be reassured to know that ADM Erith Crushhas no plans to apply claims to deliveries of rapeseed which have less than 4.99% erucic acid content. It’s encouraging that we’ve seen a reduction in the number of loads over 2% incomparison to last year,” he comments.

Although Martin’s comments provide somereassurance to OSR growers’ concerns, OwenCligg of United Oilseeds says it’s important that

the progress in reducing erucic acid levels continues and the work funded by AHDB will bereally helpful for growers in understanding theproblem better.

“Background levels have generally been on anupward trend over the past five years but there’snow evidence of a decline, possibly because ofmore awareness of the issue and growers takingaction,” he says.

The research carried out by NIAB advisesgrowers should ensure that any seed –– purchased or farm-saved –– has been tested and shown not to pose a risk by exceeding erucicacid levels for seed.

Owen reinforces the report’s conclusions,saying the best cultural practices to minimise volunteer OSR in crops is crucial where anybackground threat exists. He also advises thatsamples from every load transported to crushersshould be retained for reference in the event ofdisputed test results.

He subscribes to the view that volunteer OSRcross-pollination has contributed to the issue andan increase in the planted area of Clearfield OSRhas helped combat the problem. So-called ‘weed

Progress in reducing erucic acid must continue

Number 16 15 8 7 1 4 2

% Erucic acid

Mean 5.85 3.86 4.55 2.63 1.06 0.09 0.13

Maximum 35.80 12.08 19.88 6.96 - 0.12 0.14

Minimum 0.13 0.13 0.23 0.23 - 0.05 0.12

Categorised by seed production type, for 15 samples of certified oilseed rape grown from differentvariety types and of 16 crops from farm-saved seed (% erucic acid).Source: AHDB Project report No 602

seed’ and higher erucic acid rape (HEAR) varietiesgrown for industrial use are also possible causes.

United Oilseeds has implemented testing of allloads destined for storage to ensure an accuratepicture of erucic acid levels is understood beforeloads are delivered to the crush, he adds.

Owen Cligg says it’s important that the progressthat’s already been made to reduce erucic acid in samples continues.

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Erucic acid content of harvested crop

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Keeping representative samples from each fieldcan help identify where problems arise andprovides the opportunity to retest in case of dispute.

Ask for the erucic acid analysis for any certifiedseed and keep a sealed sample.

Adopt strategies to minimise seed loss beforeand at harvest to reduce volunteers in the future.

AHDB Project No 21130055, ‘Investigation ofhigh levels of erucic acid in consignments ofdouble-zero oilseed rape varieties’ was carriedout by NIAB in partnership with Campden BRIand ran from March 2018 to Feb 2019 at acost of £46,000.Guidelines to minimise the risk of erucicacid in double-low oilseed rape are

available at ahdb.org.uk/erucic-acid and havebeen produced in association with AgriculturalIndustries Confederation (AIC); British Societyof Plant Breeders (BSPB), National Associationof Agricultural Contractors (NAAC); NationalFarmers Union (NFU); NIAB TAG; Official SeedTesting Station (at NIAB) and Seed Crushersand Oil Processors Association (SCOPA)

Research roundup

l Seed source – ask for a written declarationof erucic acid content for certified seed and send any home-saved seed for testing. Keepa sealed sample of any seed used in case oflater dispute.

l Pre-planting – assess risk from farm cropping history (ideally 15 years). Volunteer OSR poses the greatest risk so delay any cultivations for one month after harvest so any seed buried has dormancy and spray offany emerged OSR volunteers and weeds with a non-selective herbicide.

l Established crops (weeds and volunteers)– consider wider row spacing for inter-row hoeing or use Clearfield varieties.

l Harvest – adopt strategies to minimise seed shedding from pod shatter and segregate all double-low rapeseed from any HEAR or home-saved seed. Keep representative samples from each field.

l Contracts – retaining representative samples provides the opportunity to retest in case of any disputes and to identify fields with specific problems.

Risk points for high erucic acid

every single seed that started to explainwhat may be happening in UK crops as faras erucic acid is concerned. “The resultsshowed that in all 12 samples, contaminantseeds with varying levels of erucic acid elevation were identified, and it was clear itwas these that were responsible rather thana drift in the erucic acid content of the cropas a whole,” explains Simon.

“Most of the seed were at or below thelimit of detectability of 0.1% erucic acid content. This gave a very clear indicationthat the low-erucic acid trait itself is verystable. The contaminated seeds came fromhigh-erucic volunteers or from crossingbetween volunteers and the sown crop, possibly over repeated rotations,” he says.

These varied in proportions between thesamples studied but were found at levels upto 50%. Simon says the result of the studypoints to the most likely cause being thatcrops have bred and cross-bred with volunteers from high-erucic acid OSR cropswhich have resurfaced, often many yearsafter they were originally grown as a crop.

“Growers should be aware of these fromtheir farm records and will have to learn to live with them but exercise very tightagronomy to restrict their numbers,” he suggests. “The move to very low target populations makes this harder becausethere’s a greater influence from any

volunteers that become part of the crop.”But looking back further in time, it’s

possible to see that the volunteer problemisn’t all down to the past few rotations, it’s aproblem that’s probably been evolving fordecades, believes Simon.

Dominant trait“Before the low-erucic acid varieties wereintroduced, a lot of the early varieties werearound 40% erucic acid. Seeds from thesewill have come up every time OSR has beengrown in a field and, with the high-erucic trait being dominant, will have perpetuatedthemselves and crossed into the low-eruciccrop,” he explains.

The other source of contamination was the period of industrial cropping, on set-aside, from about 1994 to 2002, pointsout Simon. “Quite a lot of high-erucic rapewas grown as industrial contracts at thattime and my feeling is that it wasn’t alwaysrecorded as such.”

One of the expected sources of high erucic acid from wild brassica weed seedswas found not to be responsible for elevatederucic acid in this research, but Simon highlights they could pose serious potentialthreats if uncontrolled.

“Of the few charlock seeds that we foundand tested, the erucic acid came out atabout 42%. Controlling brassica weeds isoften difficult in mild winters, when the fewavailable herbicides can’t be used until the

crop is sufficiently waxed-up, after frost, togive it sufficient protection.

“This is where cropping with Clearfieldvarieties and the associated herbicidescome in. The imadazlinone-based herbicides can be used from establishmentonwards to take out brassica weeds andnon-resistant OSR volunteers,” he says.

For growers with very high levels of erucicacid in recent crops, Clearfield varietiesmight now be the only way forward, hebelieves. But he adds a word of caution: notall brassicas are as susceptible as others.

“This year we found to our cost at one of our Norfolk sites, that runch (Raphanusraphanistrum) is far less sensitive than charlock (Sinapis arvensis) to Cleranda(imazamox+ metazachlor) and needs taking out a lot earlier, at around the 2-leaf stage.” n

Theory to Field


It’s crunch time for OSR.“ ”

crop, the survey shows most want to stickwith it, with the probable aim of getting abetter result. Just how much is establishedthis autumn will still largely depend on howcrops do at harvest, however.”

CFSB damageThe survey gives an indication of just howmuch OSR growers are losing, and what’scausing these losses (see chart on p33).Most lose up to a quarter of their cropthrough cabbage stem flea beetle (adult orlarvae), pigeons or as the result of apoor/dry seedbed. Adult CSFB damage isseen as causing the most damage, with thisincreasing, and a significant number ofgrowers lost up to half their crop to the pestin autumn 2019. But larval damage is alsorising significantly, while growers struggledwith dry seedbeds in the autumns of 2016and 2018.

“It’s the combination of the two factors atestablishment that’s noteworthy,” says Clare.“A crop drilled in dry conditions will reallystruggle to grow away from CSFB.”

ADAS entomologist Dr Steve Ellis agrees.“Studies we’ve carried out show that OSRreally is very robust and even small plantscan withstand significant damage from adultCSFB without affecting yield. But this doesrely on the plant having enough moisture togrow away –– this is critical.”

The effect of larval damage may havebeen underestimated in the past, he adds.“I’ve always considered damage from adultsto be the most significant cause of losses.But there’s evidence from grower reports thatthis year larval damage is equally significant,

With the UK oilseed rape areafalling back, and some

growers considering exitingthe crop, a recent survey of

cropping intentions flags up tactics to help ensure

success for those stickingwith it. CPM reports.


Almost a third of growers have reducedthe area they’ve cropped to winter oilseedrape in recent years, and a further thirdplan to reduce this further or stop growingthe crop altogether. This is among thefindings of a recent survey undertaken byCPM and BASF to understand plantingintentions following one of the most difficult growing seasons of recent years.

The respondents represented around84,000ha of UK arable cropping, of whicharound 11,000ha are currently growing OSR.But only around half of the respondents areplanning to maintain their cropped area (see chart on p33), with 23% intending toreduce the amount of OSR grown and 8%exiting the crop. Just 6% of respondents areplanning to increase their OSR area.

“It’s crunch time for OSR,” notes BASFOSR technical manager Clare Tucker. “A lotof growers are broadening their rotations,and while some are walking away from the

and may even be more damaging.”Suffolk-based agronomist with Prime

Agriculture, Marion Self, agrees that larvaldamage is on the rise. “In previous years,growers in my area have tolerated the moderate amount of damage they’ve seen.But this year, there’s been a significantincrease and quite a few crops acrossSuffolk and Cambs look as though they’ll disappoint. A better understanding of thisaspect will be crucial for next year –– mostgrowers want to stick with the crop, but wantto be able to grow it better.”

She also echoes comments on dryseedbeds. “You must have your eye on theweather forecast before drilling. Seedbedconditions with adequate moisture and goodseed-to-soil contact are absolutely crucial togive the best chance of good establishment.

Technical OSRintentions survey

OSR nears its pivotal point

It’s the combination of drilling in dry conditionsand pressure from CSFB that really caused cropsto struggle, says Clare Tucker.


OSR intentions survey

Oilseed rape cropping intentions

How has your winter OSR area changed in recent years?

Do you plan to change it?

n=100

60

40

20

060

40

20

060

40

20

0CSFB (adults)

autumnCSFB (larvae)

springPigeons Poor/dry seedbed

None

0-25%

25-50%

50-75%

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

Proportion of OSR lost and main causes

Fertility is another important factor,says Marion Self, with an applicationof poultry manure or seedbedfertiliser giving plant establishment a good boost.

“A crop in a dry seedbed maywell pull through, and one ingood growing conditions canwithstand a heavier CSFB infestation. But if you have both,that has a huge impact.Although, if you’re going to losethe crop, it’s best to lose it early–– that way you can at least drillsomething else and the costwon’t have been too high.”

So this puts the focus ondrilling date. The survey showslate Aug as the most popular timing, with 46% of growerschoosing this window (see charton p34). Earlier in the month(27%) is preferred to leaving ituntil Sept (16%). Looking ahead,22% of growers plan to drill earlier this autumn, with just 5%intending to go later.

Popular timing“Mid to late Aug is the most popular timing,” says Clare. “Butlarval damage is also related todate, and crops drilled early arepotentially most at risk. A morestrategic approach, such asstaggering the establishmentdate, may work better than simply drilling early.”

Marion reckons mid Aug is stillthe best timing, with the hope ofavoiding the main migration period of the end of Aug. “Thecut-off date for most growers isaround 10 Sept, but I’ve seencrops established after that datethat have gone on to performwell. You can miss the CSFB epidemic altogether by drillinglate, but this carries too much risk from unfavourableestablishment conditions, pestdamage by slugs and pigeonsand other winter losses.”

Another important factor is fertility, she continues. “An application of poultry manuregives a good boost, althoughseedbed fertiliser, ideally placedwith the seed, can also help thecrop get established. Careshould be taken to stay withinNVZ guidelines, however.”

Steve believes we still don’tknow enough about the migrationof CSFB to be able to guidedrilling date. “In most seasons,migration occurs towards the end

of Aug, but we don’t know whattriggers it, nor enough yet aboutwhat draws beetles into the newcrop –– it’s not as predictable aswith pollen beetle, for example.”

Adults hatch during the summer and stay in the crop untilharvest, when they move intofield edges and hedgerows. “Weknow that brassica odour drawsthem, and that once they migrateinto a new crop, they will stay init. We also know that the impactof the pest and pest pressure isdependent on temperature.

“There’s some evidence thatleaving volunteers to germinatein OSR stubble can give you asuccessful trap crop, but thisdoesn’t work in all cases, andwe’re not sure yet what stage ofthe plant is most attractive tobeetles –– they may ignore a thick crop of established volunteers in favour of youngcotyledons.

“They appear to be less drawntowards direct-drilled crops, however, and that may be related to the length of the cereal stubble.”

Although you can’t predicthow CSFB adults will behave,Steve does think varietal choicewill influence how your crop is able to tolerate damage. “A crop with vigour will growaway from damage, especially if sowing later.”

Respondents in the surveyappear to be leaning towards

It’s reduced It’s increased It’s stayed roughly the same

Plan to maintain Plan to increase To early to say

Plan not to grow OSR Plan to decrease


s


Drilling date intentions

Drilling date for 2018/19

Intended date for 2019/20

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%Clearfield

hybridInVigor hybrid

Other hybrid

Certified OP

Farm-saved seed

2018/19

2019/20

Winter OSR types

Not enough work has been done onintegrated pest management,believes Steve Ellis, leaving a lot still be learned about CSFB.

hybrids, rather than conventional varieties, to deliverthe vigour to pull the cropthrough (see chart left). In total, 59% of the OSR areadeclared is currently croppedwith hybrid varieties, with this figure rising slightly to 61% this autumn, according torespondents’ intentions.

“InVigor varieties fit really wellin the later drilling slot,” notesClare. “The comments made inthe survey indicate that manygrowers are drilling earlier andusing higher seed rates of farm-saved seed to counter theeffect of CSFB. But our feeling isthat doesn’t necessarily reducepest pressure, and can actuallyincrease larval damage. The best tactic is to stick to sensibleseed rates.”

Move to hybridBut Marion’s surprised that growers appear to be movingtowards to hybrid varieties. “My impression is there are moreopen-pollinated varieties andfarm-saved seed grown at ahigher seed rate. The lower plantpopulations usually establishedwith hybrids result in less plantsto spread around the pressurefrom CSFB.

“If planting a conventionalcrop, it’s still important to beguided by agronomic principlesof establishing the right cropcanopy, so you should never drill too much seed. But a goodstrategy against CSFB would bea robust rate of a conventionalvariety.

“Equally, vigour is important,both in autumn and spring, andbetter information on which varieties deliver this, whetherhybrid or conventional, would be really helpful.”

In trials, ADAS has found thatlarval populations per m2 aregreater in crops drilled at higherseed rates, says Steve, althoughlarvae per plant are similar. “Butthere’s still a lot to learn aboutthis pest. Not enough work hasbeen done on integrated pestmanagement as historicallygrowers have been able to rely on pyrethroids and

neonicotinoids to keep adult populations below threshold levels for larval damage.”

There is evidence to show thatdefoliating a well establishedcrop helps, he notes. “The larvaeare removed with the choppedstems and don’t re-infest thecrop. A well established crop willthen grow away in spring, and ifthe defoliation is timed right, yieldwon’t be affected.

“You could argue that pigeondamage could have the samebeneficial effect, although patchiness is a problem –– youwant to go into the spring with aneven crop.”

One aspect that appeared to go relatively smoothly lastautumn was weed control, withover 80% of respondents satisfied with their weed controlprogramme. Charlock, cranesbill,cleavers and mayweed wereidentified as the main culprits,alongside blackgrass. A smallnumber (less than 4%) admittedto receiving a penalty for erucicacid contamination from the 2018 harvest.

“The national figure for erucicacid exceedances is actuallyaround 13%,” notes Clare. “Thethreshold is coming down to just2%, and you don’t need manyvolunteers to contaminate a sample.”

Marion believes this maycatch out quite a few growers.“Many don’t realise quite howclose they are to triggering anexceedance, so this maybecome more of an issue.”

Late Aug Early Sept Late Sept Not applicable

Early Aug Mid Aug

Stay the same Drill later Don’t know/not applicable

Drill earlier


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Perceived benefits of the Clearfield system

Congratulations to our lucky winner, AlexBorth from Lincs, who responded to theCPM/BASF survey on growing oilseed rapeand has won the fabulous prize of a GoProHERO 7 plus accessory pack.

Alex responded to the survey and completed the tie-breaker question,explaining the secret to good weed control.While there was a wide selection of stronganswers, Alex’s response: “Integratedapproach, attention to detail, knowing fieldhistory and use of pre-em as a base to program,” stood out to judges as a comprehensive and informed line of attack.

The aim of the survey was to exploregrowers’ attitude and approach to growingoilseed rape in search of the best strategy to producing a successful crop. To take part in the next survey, make sure we have your correct details by [email protected]

Winner announcement

The weed spectrum highlights those thatare prevalent in her part of the world. “Youcan see it makes sense for some to move to Clearfield varieties. That way, you don’thave to spend up front on pre-emergenceherbicides, but can wait to see if your cropestablishes.”

The area grown to Clearfield varieties is set to rise from 19% to 22%, according to thesurvey. The top two benefits identified aremanagement of brassica weeds and of volunteers, with post-emergence weed control coming a close third (see chart right).

There’s a good choice of Clearfieldvarieties on offer, notes Clare. “All of them are tolerant of any sulfonylurea residues left in the soil from previous crops and so willgrow away unimpeded. Some varieties alsohave strong autumn vigour as a specificcharacteristic.”

Both Cleranda (imazamox+ metazachlor)and Cleravo (imazamox+ quinmerac) offereffective control of a wide weed spectrum,controlling broadleaf weeds and volunteercereals, she adds. “Cleranda will provide abit more residual activity given itsmetazachlor component.”

Target timing on the weeds is 1-4 trueleaves during Sept or Oct. “It’s the onlyanswer to some tricky weeds such as runch.But this quickly develops a resilient tap rootso ideally it needs spraying at 2-3 trueleaves. Both herbicides can be used insequence with Kerb (propyzamide) orAstrokerb (with aminopyralid) to cover blackgrass control.” n


Alexander Döring says breeding fordisease resistance and agronomictraits that limit the reliance onpesticides has really come of age.

Genetics are coming to the fore in oilseedrape breeding. CPM talks to breeders DSV todiscover the traits hybrid varieties now offerand how these are useful to growers as thecrop faces new challenges.


international OSR product manager at plant breeder DSV, explains the progress made in hybrid breeding and Mike Mann, managing director of DSV UK highlights, how thesecombinations of traits will benefitOSR producers.

What traits are availablein OSRModern hybrids have come a longway from the tall, high yieldingvarieties that were first introducedseveral decades ago. Difficulties inestablishment and variabilities inOSR yield have always been twoof the main drivers in plant breeding but losses in the armouryof plant protection products and resistance have becomeincreasingly influential.

Recognising this, DSV

Hybrid oilseed rape varieties initially gained popularity with UK growers because of their improved vigour over conventional varieties, which in the field led to greater establishment reliability andhigher yields.

As the regulatory climate haschanged and pesticide resistancehas become commonplace, growers have looked more andmore to plant breeders to providegenetic solutions to agronomicproblems to reduce their relianceon pesticides. This is wherehybrids have the distinct advantage because new traits canbe introduced in a fraction of thetime it takes using the ‘trial anderror’ approach of conventionalbreeding.

Dr Alexander Döring,

introduced key characteristics intoall their new hybrid OSR varieties toensure they were well equipped forthe post-neonicotinoid (PNN) era.The characteristics identified to give PNN varieties the edge are asuperior primary response (vigour inthe first 40 days), enhanced solarcapture, performance stability andoptimum pod presentation.

With these four characteristics as a foundation, varieties are nowbeing produced with other genetictraits ‘layered’ on top. As new varieties are coming through thenumber of layers is becoming morecomplex, with the first quad-layeredvarieties soon to reach the market.

Some of the key traits currentlyavailable to plant breeders areresistance to phoma stem cankerand light leaf spot, TuYV resistance,tolerance to verticillium wilt, pod

shatter resistance, club root resistance and ALS-tolerance inClearfield varieties.

OSR agronomic traits

Tech Talk

Strong spring vigour, is at least asimportant as autumn

vigour.”“

The future lies in layers

As one of the leading breeders of recent years, DSV has been a pioneer of high- performance hybrid oilseed rape with thedevelopment of their new ‘layered’ varieties, featuring optimumcombinations of disease resistance and beneficial physicalproperties, now accelerating as demands for ‘drill and forget’cropping grows.


Mike Mann says that quad-layerhybrids will be available in the very nearfuture, making varieties even morerobust.

Hybrids allows plant breeders toincorporate traits much more quicklythan in open-pollinated varieties.

With 950ha of OSR in the ground, theopportunity to cut inputs and achievegreater consistency of production hasreal appeal to Lincs grower, AndrewHarker of H. R. Bourn and Sons.

He’s currently growing double-layervariety Temptation, which he reports islooking good, and in the autumnAndrew plans to add the triple-layervariety Darling into the mix.

When it comes to OSR, establishmentis key, he believes, so the high earlyvigour at the heart of the new layeredvarieties is important to him.

“Our land is spread across 40 milesand we’ve got a real range of soil typeswithin that –– from light, sandy soil toheavy clay and everything in between.It means the varieties we choose haveto establish reliably in a range of conditions.

“Flea beetle is an issue here but thelack of water after drilling was a biggerproblem last year. Slugs can be anissue as well, so we want something

that has the vigour to get growing rightaway and the strength to keep going to fend off disease and pest threats,”comments Andrew.

“Spring vigour is also important, sowe get good canopy development andpod fill as the season develops.”

Genetic resilience is becomingincreasingly significant now varietieshave to cope with a wider range ofgrowing conditions than ever before,Andrew believes.

“This year we were able to start ourspring drilling in Feb, whereas last yearit wasn’t until April because it was socold. We also seem to have more‘blocks’ of very different weather, so you have to make full use of availablewindows. This can make timings ofapplications difficult as well as testing a variety’s ability to cope with differentstresses.

“So as well as cost-savings fromreduced inputs, layered varieties shouldmake day-to-day management easier,”

he adds.Pod shatter resistance as part of the

layered approach has real benefits, hebelieves. “With such a large area toharvest, pod shatter resistance is agood insurance policy for us. We reallydon’t want to lose any yield throughshedding before we can harvest thecrop.”

In terms of disease control, Andrewviews the stem canker and light leafspot resistances in the triple-layeredvarieties as welcome, but he believesthe TuYV element is probably evenmore important.

“TuYV seems to be one of those hidden diseases that you don’t reallysee but it’s there in the background,just nipping away at your yields withoutyou knowing about it. It’s another keyinsurance policy which I think willbecome even more important in the future.

“We’re all going to have reduce ourdependence on chemistry not just

because of product revocations andenvironmental considerations, butbecause we have to move to lower costmethods of production and the layeringapproach makes perfect sense to me.”

“It’s always tempting to say weshould save a bit of conventional seedand see if it germinates before spendingany money on it. But in reality, we haveto grow better varieties, with higher performance potential and the in-builtreliability needed to address the challenges growers now face.”

Andrew Harker says everyone willhave to reduce their dependency onchemistry and move to lower costmethods of production.

Why are they important? OSR has historically had a relativelyhigh need for fertilisers and cropprotection products but, since theintroduction of a hazard-basedapproval process in the EU, products are being lost at a fasterrate than new chemistry canreplace them.

A diminishing pool of crop protection products has come at a time when resistance too has limited effective control of importantpests, such as cabbage stem flea beetle and the aphid virus

vector Myzus persicae which isresponsible for spreading the disease, turnip yellows virus(TuYV).

A changing climate is an addedpressure, with light leaf spotbecoming problematic throughoutthe UK where it was once a disease confined to the North. Its polycyclic life cycle has putpressure on the triazole chemistryused to control it and there’s evidence that fungicide resistancein now present within the pathogenpopulation.

For a crop where obtaining yieldreliability under UK conditions hasalways been a challenge, growingOSR successfully and profitablyhasn’t become any easier in thepast decade.

This is where hybrid breeding to introduce disease resistanceand agronomic traits to limit thereliance on pesticides to tacklethese problems has really come of age.

What is ‘Triple Layer’protection? All DSV varieties have the PNNgrowth characteristics and the first layer to be added was a

multi-gene resistance for phomastem canker and light leaf spot,with Dariot the first DSV variety tooffer single-layer PNN.

Any trait can be added to offera double-layer PNN variety suchas DSV Temptation, which featuresresistance to phoma stem cankerand light leaf spot combined withTuYV resistance.

DSV Darling and Dazzler areboth candidates on the AHDB’s2019-20 candidate list and aretriple-layer varieties, with TuYV andpod shatter resistance stackedwith multi-gene resistance tophoma and light leaf spot. Thesevarieties herald the dawn of a newgeneration of OSR hybrids which combine traits to supportdependable high yields with lowerinputs, making them suitable forintegrated pest managementapproaches.

Are additional layersavailable? In the very near future quad-layervarieties will be a very realprospect and are expected tobecome commercially available in2020. These will have verticilliumwilt tolerance and clubroot

resistance added to the mix and there are currently two newquad-layered varieties now entering the UK testing system.

The first is a high output hybridOSR, featuring multi-gene phomastem canker, TuYV, pod shatter andclubroot resistances.

With clubroot an increasing problem in the Borders andScotland this will be a variety particularly relevant to the North ofthe country, although it is clear thatthe disease is becoming an issue in other parts of the UK.

What about Clearfield? A similar approach to breeding is being taken in the Clearfield programme, with additional traits

Layered genetics help save costs and ease management


Tech Talks

OSR agronomic traits:top tips

l Make good use of traits – selecting a hybrid variety with layered traits can help ease management and reduce costs.

l Reduce reliance on insecticides – hybrids with inbuilt TuYV resistance means an insecticide isn’t needed to control its aphid vector, allowing predators to build up.

l Harness hybrid vigour – vigorous growth in the autumn and in spring gives the crop the best chance of growing away from CSFB damage.

DSV’s new layered varieties are a great example of how therequirements of growers, theopportunities offered by advancedtechnology and the vision of forward-looking companies canalign themselves to respond to the challenges posed by modernagriculture and the environment inwhich it operates.

The way we farm is changingand fast. Whether it’s revocation of chemistry, impact of climate change, environmental considerations or the best way to protect our soils, everything is

Sponsor message

being stacked in new varieties.Phoenix CL is the first DSV

Clearfield variety to include podshatter resistance and new variety,Plurax CL, takes this a step furtherfeaturing a strong tolerance to verticillium wilt as an additionallayer.

The second quad-layered variety just entering the trials system is a Clearfield variety whichfeatures phoma stem cankerresistance together with TuYV and pod shatter resistance. Thiswill sit well alongside the other layered varieties in the Clearfieldportfolio and the incorporation ofTuYV resistance will reducedependency on insecticides tocontrol the vector of what isbecoming a significant disease in the UK.

How do you get the bestfrom them? Darling has been noted for itsstrong spring vigour, which is atleast as important as autumnvigour when considering damagefrom cabbage stem flea beetle(CSFB) larvae. Trials evidenceshows that OSR hybrids that arefaster to develop before winter andthe start of stem elongation can

markedly limit the damage fromlarvae.

Darling’s high spring vigourmeans it can often benefit from aPGR application to ensure thecanopy is optimised and wellbranched.

Dazzler is one of the fastestgrowing autumn varieties available, a characteristic whichcan mitigate the effects of adultCSFB damage as it can quicklygrow new leaves. But it also getsaway quickly in the spring whereit’s among the earliest varieties toflower.

Both are triple-layer varietieswhich have TuYV resistance andthis protects the plant throughoutits lifecycle. Plants with high levelsof TuYv infection find it much moredifficult to deal with ‘stress’ –– forexample high levels of larvae damage.

Dazzler’s good standing powermeans it can tolerate higher seedrates, though may require a springPGR if higher populations comethrough the winter. The addedbenefit of pod shatter resistanceprovides protection against summer storms and delayed harvesting.

Double-layered variety,Temptation, offers flexibility, versatility and outright vigour,meaning growers can choose thebest drilling date for their situation.It shows good early vigour butwithout the tendency to overgrowand exhibits strong compensatorygrowth.

up for debate.In such a future the key words

of resilience and reliability becomeincreasingly important as these givegrowers greater security and safety interms of their overall production andbusiness viability.

The opportunity to grow stronghealthy crops, less reliant on inputsand management intervention is a real game-changer for crop producersand this is precisely why high performance ‘layered’ varieties willbecome increasingly important in the challenging future we all face.

A key characteristic ofTemptation is its strong, dark blueleaves that help fill the pods andproduce seed with high TGWtogether with a good oil contentand gross output. n

How PNN layering works

Source: DSV.

Source: Data on Temptation from AHDB 2019/20 Recommended List and on Darling and Dazzler from

AHDB 2019/20 Candidate List.


Two new triple-layer varieties, Darlingand Dazzler, both have TuYV resistanceand are currently on the AHDBcandidate list.

Varieties with strong vigour in thespring have been noted to grow awaybetter from larval damage this season.

How do these varieties perform?

Name Type Features Gross Oil content Vigour Lodging Verticilliumoutput profile resistance wilt tolerance

Temptation Double-layer muli-gene 101% 46.0% outstanding 8 medium/goodphoma stem growth incanker and both autumnlight leaf spot and springTuYV resistance

Darling Triple-layer Rim7+ 105% 45.9% high in both 7 good/very goodphoma stem autumn andcanker springTuYV resistancePod shatterresistance

Dazzler Triple-layer Rim7+ 104% 46.0% exceptional 7 medium/goodphoma stem early vigourcanker with strong

spring growth

DSV layer varieties at a glance

TuYV resistancePod shatterresistance

Tech Talk

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Technical Better buying, better selling

No one doubts it’s been achallenging year for oilseed

rape. Openfield, however, hasapplied its resources to pullout positive lessons to drawfrom it. CPM gets exclusive

insight.


This year in particular, farmers will be facing a tough

choice on OSR.

“”

Lessons learnedare hard won

Whether you grow oilseed rape for nextharvest may depend on how badly youwere burnt by the crop this year. LeeBennett, Openfield’s head of seeds business, is keen to see that growersdress the wound properly and put theirscars into perspective when consideringwhat to put into the ground for harvest2020.

“How deep is the wound?” he asks.“Some growers were singed, while otherssuffered first degree burns. But even in theabsence of cabbage stem flea beetle lastautumn, many crops were put into aseedbed with insufficient moisture. Some ofthe deepest wounds were suffered by thosewho had a good crop before Christmas, justto see it destroyed by CSFB larvae in thespring –– could this have been avoided?”

Lee freely admits that OSR is a crop inwhich he has a strong interest and he’s also

keen to share the knowledge and resourcesOpenfield has with the 6000 farmers in totalwith whom the co-op does business. As thelargest farmer-owned co-operative, referredto as a partnership, it sees itself as having aunique outlook on the industry, and aresponsibility to its 4000 farmer membersthat goes beyond maximising shareholdervalue.

Well informed opinionTo Lee, that translates into providing an honest, but well informed opinion. “I’m notgoing to dress a pig up as a cow –– I say itas I see it. But anything we do is wellresearched and technical before it’s commercial,” he continues.

“This year in particular, farmers will befacing a tough choice on OSR. The ultimatedecision about whether to grow the crop willbe up to them, but where we can help is tobring the knowledge and resource we haveto ensure it’s a well informed choice. Forthose who stick with the crop, we can help with product choice and guidance,combined with a grower’s experience, tobring the best results next harvest.”

Lee prefers to start by looking at the overall market for OSR, combining knowledge from the seed-sales team withthat of Openfield’s grain-marketing team.Senior OSR trader John Thorpe pegs theOSR area for 2019 harvest down 10%, compared with last year, at 505,000ha.

“That gives us a production of around

Even in the absence of CSFB last autumn, manycrops were put into a seedbed with insufficientmoisture, notes Lee Bennett.

1.7M tonnes. Assuming domestic demandremains constant, there’ll be a deficit of300,000t. The question is where that willcome from,” he says.

“The EU crop is also estimated to fall, andglobally everything in oilseeds is changingas a result of the ongoing trade war betweenChina and the US. The EU will be looking toimport 5M tonnes, and inward supplies fromsome countries are limited by GM issues.”

The volatility of sterling and continueduncertainty over Brexit further cloud the picture. “Chances are, the market for newcrop will be tight, so one thing you can sayabout rapeseed is that it won’t struggle tofind a home.”

The same can’t be said of OSR alternatives, with the market for both beansand oats fairly finite and easily pushed into


s

Ambassador (LG) – It has the get-up-and-goin both the autumn and spring. Build in TuYV resistance, the RLM7 gene for phomaresistance, pod shatter resistance, and the highest gross output for the East and West, andthis is a variety that many growers may havebeen waiting for.Darling (DSV) – The variety that has stood outin trials since it first appeared alongside others, itgrows like stink, and has the vigour you’ve onlyever seen in the leading hybrids –– this is thereason to stay excited about OSR. TuYV resistance, RLM7 phoma genetics and pod shatter resistance make it the complete package.Aardvark (LG) – Limagrain’s found a seam ofcoal with its varieties and this is the conventional

that thinks it’s a hybrid. Autumn and springvigour go hand-in-hand with a stiff stem andgood disease resistance. A very high gross output in the East and West and joint highest inthe North add to the reasons to choose it.

oversupply. “Niche crops are called niche for a reason –– the produce can be difficult to market, although if you’re determined to switch out of OSR, talk to us first about where the best opportunities lie,”advises John.

But it makes well established OSR thebest chance of success with a break cropthis autumn, and to achieve that, Lee pointsfirst to crop fundamentals. “Moisture is theabsolute number one priority for your crop ––seed has to be put into a soil with sufficientmoisture, and that is likely to dictate the dayon which you drill.”

For CSFB, it’s important to know yourenemy, he says. “The larvae emerge as juvenile adults towards the end of June intothe existing crop and after a spell of timespent grazing, they will then enter a periodof enforced dormancy called aestivation.This is an essential phase in their lifecycleand is unaffected by any environmental conditions.

“Around the third week of Aug, they’llreappear as full adults, ready to eat andlooking to mate, and they’ll travel up to three

miles to do so. This is when they migrate intocrops, attracted by the volatiles emitted fromthe OSR plants’ glucosinolates –– it’s like amoth to a flame. Once they find a new home,they won’t fly again, as their flight musclesatrophy, or wither away. Just how active theyare depends mainly on how warm it is.”

Up to 1000 eggsFemales can lay up to 1000 eggs in a season, placed in the soil, and the larvaethat hatch can travel up to 50cm to find ahost plant. “Planting in early Aug reducesthe effect of damage from the adults,because the plants are big enough to withstand it, but that’s where the highest larval populations are most likely to be. Soyou’ll have a lovely crop before Christmas,

only to see it wiped out later,” notes Lee.Late Aug, when most OSR is drilled,

coincides exactly with CSFB migration. “The difficulty we had last year was that itwas dry with a cooling seedbed, which is why many crops planted then were hammered by adults.

“So the beginning of Sept, for much of the UK, is looking like the safest bet. But thatstill very much depends on moisture –– don’tplant if it’s too dry. And the cut-off date formost is mid-Sept.”

Lee regards trap and companion crops with a healthy degree of scepticism. “Somespecies of mustard have been shown to bebeneficial, but it grows faster than OSR, somake sure you can take the companion plantsout –– Clearfield is the most reliable route.

Darling has the vigour you’ve only ever seen inthe leading hybrids.

OSR choices for 2020 – Lee’s top three tips

Openfield combines knowledge in seed sales withthat of its grain-marketing team to offer growersa unique outlook on prospects for the OSR crop.

Better buying, better selling

s

Just what role do seed coatings perform? It’s anarea that’s becoming more complex, but could beincreasingly important to ensure the OSR cropgets off to a good start.

The difficulty is knowing which, if any, to go with, notes Lee. “We’ve had all and sundryknocking at the door promoting the benefits ofbiologicals and biostimulants. So we thought thebest course of action was to commission someindependent trials to tease out the benefits.”

These have been carried out by Dr SteveRossall at the University of Nottingham. “Growersare struggling with less actives available andresistance management, emphasising the needfor enhanced plant vigour. Weather extremes arealso now more commonplace, so good cropestablishment has become vital,” he says.

Many of the seed coatings claimed to help areclassed as biostimulants, he notes. “But just whatare these? You could consider them a new groupof crop production chemicals, different from pesticides and fertilisers. However, some work andothers don’t –– some of the claims are bold, andthe industry needs standard assays by which to

assess them, to back up these claims.”Steve’s involved in a joint BBSRC and

industry-funded research programme that aims to bring some clarity, and he also carried out thework for Openfield, putting 19 commercially available seed coatings through a series of rigorous tests.

“We sowed Aardvark OSR seed in plugs andthen transferred these at the two-leaf stage into a hydroponic medium that allowed ready assessment of root growth. We also looked atspeed of germination at low temperature, and tolerance to drought stress after withdrawal ofwater in a field soil-pot experiment.”

And the conclusion? “There are real statisticaldifferences between the products. In fact, four or five stand out as ‘premier league’ and do anoutstanding job in helping rapid germination,early root development and drought tolerance,”says Steve.

In the root-growth trials, for example, the maximum response was a whopping 65% overuntreated, where plants were growing under optimum conditions. “This isn’t just down to plant

Trials apply clarity to coatings

“Also, mustard is highly attractive to CSFBadults, which may save your crop from earlyautumn grazing, but larvae prefer to burrowinto OSR. Not enough is known about thetrue effects of trap and companion cropping,so my advice is to wait for more trials evidence or do your own.”

He’s also cautious about establishing ahigh seed rate. “You may feel you’re givingyour crop more of a chance, but the moreseed you sow, the more glucosinolate


There are real statistical differences betweenseed coatings, says Steve Rossall.

nutrition –– some of these products are doingsomething more fundamental, and science is only just beginning to unravel what it is,”he notes.

The trials have been an eye-opener for Lee.“It’s confirmed some of our suspicions and highlighted where we should be going in thisarea.” There are two new products Openfield willbe launching this autumn, he adds.

volatiles it produces, and the more adultsyou’ll bring in. The only benefit of plantingplenty of cheap seed is potentially the cost.”

By far the better route is to look for a cropwith get-up-and-go, and that usually meansa hybrid, Lee points out. “Vigour shouldcome first, second and third on your list ofpriorities, and ideally you’re looking for avariety that shows vigour twice –– in theautumn to get ahead of the adults and in thespring to grow away from larval damage.

“Success with hybrids is quite a lot higherthan conventionals –– as well as growingfaster, they put on bigger cotyledons andleaves.” There’s only one scenario that youwouldn’t want the vigour, he adds, and that’sif you were planning to sow at the beginningof Aug –– even then you’d still look for springvigour.

After that, the traits on offer come down topersonal preference, or “blonds andbrunettes”, as Lee terms it. “Fungicides now s

To remain at the forefront of arable farmingand to maximise the value from every hectareof crop grown requires a keen understandingof the grain market, the seed to supply it, andthe fertiliser to feed the crop. Through thisseries of articles, CPM is working withOpenfield to provide a market insight and helpfarmers to focus on these major businessdecisions to ensure better buying of inputs,and better selling of the produce.

Openfield is Britain’s only national farming grain-marketing and arable inputs co-operative, owned by over 4000 arablefarmers. Openfield’s team works with a totalof 6000 farmers to supply some of thebiggest and best-known names in the Britishfood and drink manufacturing industry.

Openfield also supplies seed and fertiliser,provides grain storage and offers expertadvice on grain marketing and risk management to deliver innovative supplychain solutions to its farmers and clients.


Openfield carries out extensive on-farm trials toassess the potential of new varieties.


A reduced OSR area and crop failure puts thelikely production figure around 300,000t belowthe domestic demand.

have limited effect on light leaf spot, so avariety with a high disease rating may be apriority. On phoma, RLM7 gives you majorgene resistance, but not all have multigenicresistance, too –– it’s essential to have both.”

Standing power comes next on his list of

favoured traits, especially for those on fertilesites. Pod shatter resistance gives you avariety that “waits for you” at harvest time,and more and more varieties are now offeringresistance to turnip yellows virus (TuYV).

“We’ve done a lot of testing on virus levelsin current crops, and while the results wouldnormally be around 20-40%, this year we’reseeing crops that are 100% infected all tooregularly, across a broad area of England.TuYV tolerance is fast becoming a must-have trait.”

But somewhere way down on the prioritylist comes yield. “If you don’t have the traitsand behaviours that will deliver a resilientcrop, you won’t have a crop at all, so outrightyield becomes a secondary requirement,”says Lee.

Perhaps of more relevance are Clearfieldvarieties, which exhibit tolerance to

sulfonylurea herbicides. “They’re known asthe charlock killers, but there are so manyother reasons why you might choose to takethe Clearfield route. One of the main ones isthat you can delay your herbicide spenduntil your crop has emerged.”

And in many ways, that’s the quandarywith OSR, and for Lee, makes it a crop worthkeeping in the rotation. “I’ve seen crops thathave grown back from nothing and deliver adecent yield, as well as promising canopiesthat have disappointed. Think carefully aboutwhat you want the crop to achieve, andmake the most of the advice available, and you’ll find it’s a crop that’ll continue todeliver,” he concludes. n


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Just as oilseed rape is losingthe last of its established

seed treatments a newoption, Integral Pro, will beavailable this autumn. CPMfinds out how the UK’s first

biological seed treatment inOSR works and what to

expect from it.


TechnicalSeed treatments

Adrian Cottey says Integral Pro will offer benefitsto growers that will be complementary to otherseed treatments as they come through theinnovation pipeline.

BAA acts as an elicitor and

triggers the plant todefend itself.

“”

This autumn heralds the arrival of a newera in crop protection with the approvalof the first biological seed treatment,registered by BASF for use on winteroilseed rape seed. Integral Pro containsBacillus amyloliquefaciens (BAA) and will be widely available at a time whenthe two established fungicide seed treatments are being phased out underthe regulatory framework.

BASF’s head of seeds, Adrian Cottey,describes Integral Pro as an interestingproduct which has arrived at just the right time.

“In the past we were blessed with theneonicotinoid seed treatments whichformed the basis of OSR seed treatment

for years. More recently, the reliance hasbeen on fungicide seed treatments but thiram, the last registered fungicide seedtreatment, is now in its final autumn ofuse,” he says.

“When thiram has gone, that leaves asituation where there are no currently registered insecticide or fungicide seedtreatments for OSR. It’s a time when we’retruly looking down the barrel of the gun forcrop establishment,” he adds.

Approval processFortunately Integral Pro has gone throughthe approval process in time to fill the gap,but Adrian believes the biological will still have a place when other new seedtreatments eventually come through theinnovation pipeline.

So what exactly can Integral Pro beexpected to do? “It’s best described as a biofungicide,” he says. “So it has thepotential to replace the seed treatmentswe’re losing but it also does a little bitmore.”

Adrian’s very clear that as a biological,it would be unrealistic to expect 100%control but when compared with thiramseed treatment in trials, it’s been prettyequivalent in all cases.

BAA is a gram-positive bacterium that’sactive in the rhizosphere and is commonlyfound in soil ecosystems worldwide. Itsgrowth begins underneath the outermost

cells of primary plant roots at the pointswhere lateral roots grow and then spreadsalong the root surface.

“This creates a protective physical layer(biofilm) around the root, which is the firstmechanism to help stop fungal infectionas the BAA outcompetes other seed-bornemicrobes, such as Phoma sp. andAlternaria sp.,” explains Adrian.

The biological seed treatment alsobrings with it some natural fungicidalchemistry, namely iturin and surfactin.

Biological works uniquely


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These are secondary metabolites produced by BAA as part of their owndefence mechanism and both are potentantifungal cyclic lipopeptides.

“In petri-dish studies, there’s a visible‘zone of protection’ formed around theroots in exactly the same way as if you’dused a synthetic fungicide substance,” he explains. “We’ve found BAA has activity on phoma (on the label), alternaria andrhizoctonia but there’s no activity on pythium, which causes damping-off inseedlings.”

The third way that the BAA bacteria inIntegral Pro work is an interesting one,highlights Adrian. “BAA acts as an elicitorand triggers the plant to defend itself(plant-induced systemic resistance). Withphoma for instance, there’s not just areduction in the seed-borne phase but anongoing reduction in stem canker which

lasts throughout the season.”With all three defence mechanisms in

play, the biological also adds another layerof protection by stimulating the OSR plantto grow, explains Adrian. “Bacteria have adynamic relationship with the plant and inexperiments carried out by the Universityof Nottingham, we’ve seen improvementsin the top growth and statistically clearincreases in the below ground root growth.

Speeding up emergence“The work at Nottingham also demonstrateda speeding up of emergence. We testedfour different hybrids and saw this effecton each one of them, with the biggesteffect on the slowest emerging varietywhen compared with untreated seed. The response was even greater whencompared with seed which had beentreated with an experimental insecticide,which slowed growth slightly,” he explains.

“That’s good news for growers lookingto get crops out of the ground and established quickly and a more robustplant because of its enhanced root and shoot growth. This is why I believe that

Integral Pro will have a place even whenother conventional seed treatments comealong which can be used alongside it,” he adds.

There’s a lot of grower interest in usingsome treated OSR seed imported from EU Member States where Lumiposa(cyantraniliprole) insecticide seed treatment is already registered and Adrianconfirms that Integral Pro can be usedalongside it, as well as be coapplied withnutrient-type seed treatments.

The expectation is for Integral Pro to be used on 5-10% of OSR seed in its firstseason, with BASF aiming to treat most of its InVigor varieties. There’s also been

l The first biological Bacillus sp product,Alinit, was marketed in 1897 by a German company which is now Bayer and was found to raise cereal yields by 40%.

l Bacillus amyloliqufaciens (BAA) is a gram-positive, aerobic, endospore-forming bacteria.

l BAA forms biofilms and supports plant growth as well as suppress plant pathogens in the rhizosphere.

l BAA strains synthesise a range of secondary metabolites (not required for the plant’s primary functions of growth,developments and reproduction).

l These secondary metabolites have antimicrobial activity or enhance growth.

l BAA triggers induced systemic resistancein plants, stimulating their own defences to resist infection.

BAA at a glance

With the loss of neonicotinoid seed treatments the options to protect against fleabeetle damage are limited, or non-existentwhere pyrethroid resistance is a problem.

No seed treatments are licensed in the UK for protection against flea beetle, but Lumiposa(cyantraniliprole), a systemic seed treatmentfrom Corteva Agriscience has been developed toprotect OSR seedlings up to the two-leaf stageagainst cabbage stem flea beetle, cabbage rootfly and turnip sawfly.

A spokesperson for Corteva doesn’t expectLumiposa to receive a UK registration (that permits application to seed in the UK) until atleast 2020, but it was first approved in the EU in

2017 and is authorised for application to winterOSR in some EU countries including Poland,Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Ireland.

That means that even though OSR seed can’thave Lumiposa applied to it within the UK, it ispermitted under EU legislation for treated winterOSR seed to be imported from countries whichhold an approval and sold within the EU28.

Corteva says Lumiposa ‘isn’t a silver bullet’but is a valuable addition to the crop protectiontoolkit for UK growers if it’s used as part of anintegrated strategy to manage cabbage stem flea beetle.

Advice from the NFU to growers is that asCorteva have no guardianship of the imported

Legalities of Lumiposa

treated seed, any UK growers who purchaseimported seed and have enquiries about its performance will need to contact the seed merchant who supplied the seed.

Lumiposa is under review by many EU MemberStates but can be imported when seed is treatedin a country which has already granted anauthorisation of use.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens works in a number ofways to protect plants from disease, one of theseis to create a protective biofilm around roots.

The biggest effect was on the slowest emergingvariety when compared with untreated seed.

Seed treatments


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wide interest from other breeders, withAdrian believing most will apply IntegralPro to some seed which means it’ll get agood test.

He also believes that farmers are wellplaced to get the best out of a biologicalas this forms the basis of their whole

Seed treatments

New biostimulant seed treatments JumpStartWT and ProStablish WT from Bayer could helpgrowers increase cereal yields by improvingnutrient and water uptake through better rooting,says Claire Matthewman, campaign manager forseed treatments.

“Getting cereal crops off to the best possiblestart is a key first step in setting yield potential.Single purpose seed treatments, such as RedigoPro (prothioconazole+ tebuconazole), are anessential protection against damaging soil- andseed-borne diseases, such as loose smut, buntand leaf stripe.”

But Bayer, through its collaboration withNovozymes, an established leader in agriculturalbiological solutions, has also been researchingways of helping crops establish a more effectiverooting system using biostimulant seed treatments, she explains.

One area of key interest is how to improvephosphate availability. Phosphate becomes boundto cations, such as calcium, iron, manganese oraluminium, in the soil depending on soil pH, whileavailability to plants also reduces in lower soil temperatures and soil moistures.

“In some situations, up to 90% of phosphatefertiliser can be unavailable to crops in the yearit is applied,” says Claire.

The active ingredient in the new product,JumpStart, is the naturally occurring soil fungusPenicillium bilaiae, which produces organic compounds that break the bonds between phosphates and the cations, so phosphate canbe taken up by the plant.

“Effectively we are jump-starting the crop byhelping to make phosphate more available,” sheexplains. “But at the same time we also need toaddress the issue that phosphate doesn’t movein the soil, so roots are only able to take upphosphate in the immediate root zone.”

That’s where the second biostimulant product,ProStablish comes in, which is co-applied withJumpStart and a single purpose seed treatment.

“ProStablish is a messenger or signal compound, which stimulates mycorrhizae fungito germinate and colonise roots,” explains Claire.

Inside the roots the mycorrhizae form structures that help transfer nutrients, includingphosphate, to the plant, while outside of the rootthey encourage the formation of networks ofhyphae that increase the effective root area,

New biostimulant seed treatments

allowing plants to take up nutrients from outsidethe root’s physical range.

“By applying the combination of JumpStartand ProStablish, it makes phosphate more available to be taken up by the roots and easierfor the crop to access it, which results in bothbetter nutrient and water uptake and a moreeffective root system.”

In trials across Europe, results have revealed a 3% yield improvement from ProStablish andJumpStart co-applied with a single purpose seedtreatment (SPD), over the SPD alone, she says.

“In the UK we’ve seen similar results in asmaller number of trials and have also observedpositive effects on rooting,” adds Claire.

Both products will be available for applicationthis autumn through Frontier. Cost will be at asmall premium over the cost of a single purposeseed treatment.

BAA is a gram-positive bacterium that’s active inthe rhizosphere and is commonly found in soilecosystems worldwide.

BASF’s InVigor varieties will be treated withIntegral Pro this autumn but it will be widelyavailable on varieties from other breeders.

Claire Matthewman says getting the crop off toa good start is the first step in achieving its fullpotential.

The combination of JumpStart and ProStablishmakes phosphate more available to be taken upby roots and easier for the crop to access it.

farming system anyway, so they understand the interaction better than most.

“It’s difficult to be black and white aboutany biological system because there are ahost of factors which affect it. All biologicalsystems are variable and it’s difficult to pindown a natural defence mechanism interms of exactly when you’ll see an effect and what to expect.

“Because the biological forms part of aliving system, what we do know is that towork best the BAA need the same conditions required for good plant growth.As long as the crop is growing then theBAA is able to drive the defence againstdisease,” he comments.

The Integral Pro label also claims apotential reduction against damagecaused by cabbage stem flea beetle butAdrian cautions growers not to expect asignificant effect under the high pest pressure currently experienced in the UK.

“Where damage from cabbage stemflea beetle is low then you may see an

effect but to promise one would be reckless.The data for the label was generatedacross Europe where flea beetle isn’tsuch a big problem,” he says. n


Single purpose seed dressings are one of the cheapest

insurance policies you canbuy in terms of

protecting crops.

“

”

apart from the royalty. However, to give a fair comparison of which is the most economically viable option, it’s important to consider the associated costs of farm-saved seed.

“When you buy seed from a merchant,there is a very clear, set figure for thatseed, which is not always seen when usinghome-grown produce,” explains Jonathan.“To make it a fair comparison, it’s a goodidea to consider the real cost. For example, if you’re taking tonnes of seedout of the barn to drill, you’re losing thevalue of what the grain is worth.

“There is then also the additional cost oftesting and treating farm-saved seed ––and a farm saved seed payment –– so it all

Many factors that contribute to overallcrop performance –– like temperatureand rainfall –– are out of growers’hands. But one area they do have reasonable control over is how well –– or poorly –– a crop is established.Soil structure, mechanical operationsand robust varieties all feature asaspects to consider to get the best froma cereal crop.

Even so, they are still often faced withthe threat of disease during the criticalestablishment stage.

Using farm-saved seed in a bid to cutcosts may increase the risk further frompotentially unknown disease levels, warn

experts. To combat this, the industry hasseen new seed treatments come onto themarket which promise a number of benefits–– from increased root mass to protectionagainst a range of seed-borne diseases ––but are growers making best use of them?

With this in mind, a recent survey carriedout by CPM and Syngenta explored exactlywhat farmers’ buying habits are when itcomes to deciding on the type of seed touse. Interestingly, the survey revealed afairly even split between those in favour of using farm-saved seed and those whoprefer the safety of certified seed, at 43%and 57% respectively.

Key driversSo what exactly are the key drivers behindthis split? According to the results, 56% ofgrowers opt for certified seed for bothquality and safety reasons, whereas thoseusing farm-saved seed do so on thegrounds of reduced costs and ease.“There are pluses and minuses for usingboth types of seed,” explains JonathanRonksley, field technical manager atSyngenta. “From my point of view, the bestoption in terms of ensuring quality andmanaging risk is to buy certified seed. By doing so you’re more likely to guaranteethe cleanest source of seed, and it’s testedfor good establishment.”

An advantage of farm-saved seed is that it’s often deemed as ‘free’. Grown by the farmer, there is no physical, fixedexpenditure as with purchased seed,

Jonathan Ronksley reckons the best option interms of ensuring quality and managing risk is to buy certified seed.

With many factors duringcrop establishment working

against growers, what canthey do to ensure every

single plant is given the beststart to life? CPM explores

the current solutions andlooks at how using a singlepurpose seed dressing this

autumn could protect againstyield-robbing diseases.

By Charlotte Cunningham

Technical Cereal establishment survey


Start with the seed

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drilling is important, he adds.“Make sure you get it tested tosee if it’s a sensible option fordrilling and use a fungicidalseed dressing to minimisefuture complications.”

While testing offers an insight into disease risk frompathogens that can be isolated,previous disease incidence andseverity can also provide usefulinformation for decision making,explains Rumiana Ray,University of Nottingham. “A good starting point is toknow what the previous problems were with last year’scrop. Look at the cost of testingfor disease in comparison withthe cost of seed treatment. If anissue is likely it may be morecost-effective for small seed lotsto be treated anyway.”

Key diseasesSome of the key diseases to be concerned about arefusarium and microdochiumseedling blight which can significantly impact on establishment and ultimatelyyield, Jonathan explains. “Ear diseases like smut and bunt don’t appear until earemergence and can havesevere consequences.”

Identifying fusarium andmicrodochium seedling blightscan be difficult, so it comes asno surprise that 59% of growersnoted that they wouldn’t be confident identifying them in acrop of wheat. “The symptomsare reduced emergence, wiltingand seedling death leading toestablishment loss, but unlessthere’s a heavy incidence of

Although a bad case of loose smut could be disastrous, and literature suggests could very likelywipe out a crop of barley, the survey revealed that 16% of growers had seen it themselvesover the past two years. So shouldwe be concerned about this yield-robbing disease? “Loose smut has actually been gettingworse,” explains Jonathan.

needs to be taken into consideration.”

For those growers who do

prefer the ease and cost-savingbenefits of using farm-savedseed, testing the seed before

Cereal establishment survey

If we go back to the old days,pre-neonics, farmers were usingseed treatments as the first line ofdefence, says Chris.

Sussing out smut

Registered for use on winter wheat,winter triticale, winter rye and springoats, Vibrance Duo from Syngenta is the UK’s first seed treatment touse brand new SDHI fungicide,sedaxane. Combined with fludioxonil,the dressing controls a wide range of key diseases like fusarium,microdochium, seedling blightsincluding microdochium, Septorianodorum smut and bunt. The dressing aids speed of emergenceand with the added benefit ofimproved root development leads tostronger, healthier better-establishedcrops, according to Syngenta.

“Farmers are always keen to see

a return on investment quoted inpounds, but sometimes there areadditional benefits that can’t alwaysbe quantified, and that’s the casewith Vibrance Duo,” says Chris.“The seed treatment goes aboveand beyond the work of an SPD andaids deep rooting and the speed ofestablishment –– particularly instressful situations.

“Through both Syngenta’s workand our own farmers’ trials, it hasproven to do exactly what it says.When this is translated into yield figures, it does show a comfortablereturn on investment.”

Vibrance Duo – everything you need to know

Will you be planting/advising farm-saved seed or certified seed this autumn (2019)?

disease, it can be quite difficultto diagnose –– particularly ifother pathogens are present,”explains Rumiana. “Therefore,we need to look at other factorsif we decide not to test to helpwith our decision making.

“The risk of infection is morelikely if you had a previous cereal crop with high fusariumhead blight disease severity,and the weather can also havea significant impact. This year,there has been a lot of rainfallclose to flowering, but it hasalso been relatively cool so wecould end up with fusariumhead blight caused byMicrodochium spp. Out of thetwo Microdochium spp., M. nivale is most aggressive in causing seedling blight oraffecting seed viability.”

If this is the case this year and growers see a lot offusarium head blight symptoms–– and are planning on using

“Syngenta has been samplingfor resistance and has found a sensitivity shift towards triazole-based seed treatments.We are continuing to monitor thisfor now, but in the meantime theyremain the most effective option so it’s vital that farmers make useof the products available to them to reduce the further spread of smut.”

What is your reason for using/advising farm-saved seed?


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farm-saved seed next year ––Rumiana recommends testing,cleaning and treating the seedto minimise issues with qualityand disease.

Seed dressings and treatmentscertainly appear to be popular,with the vast majority of growers(82%) planning to use a single-purpose fungicide seeddressing (SPD) this autumn ––but what effect will this have?

When asked about the purpose of an SPD, 75% ofgrowers use it to protect against seed-borne diseases,while 58% believe it lays thefoundations to maximise cropyield and quality. Just over half(55%) link the use of an SPD toreducing the impact of somesoil-borne pathogens and afurther 19% believe it canenhance the speed of crop

establishment. “It’s clear that growers are

aware of what SPDs do and allthe factors listed really are thekey benefits,” explains ChrisGuest, head of seed at ADMAgriculture. “They can make a real difference in terms of protecting the seed, particularlyat the key establishment stage.If we go back to the old days,pre-neonics, farmers were usingseed treatments as the first lineof defence.”

Protection against seed-borne diseases and soil-borne pathogens arearguably two of the biggestbenefits of using an SPD, withproven control of a wide varietyof issues including Fusariumseedling blight, Microdochiumseedling blight, loose smut and bunt.

Are you planning to apply/advise a single purpose fungicideseed dressing (SPD) to your cereals this autumn?

What do you think a single purpose fungicide seed dressing does?

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If growers can find a seed treatment that willcover them against key pathogens that willhamper establishment then it’s a good idea toinvest, says Rumiana.

Of the growers not planning to use anSPD this autumn, 37% were testing graininstead. “If growers are using clean seed,then they might not be thinking about usingan SPD. It’s good to do a seed test, butyou can’t 100% rely on it, so seed dressings offer another level of protection,”says Jonathan.

“Accurate test results heavily rely ongood, representative sampling and all diseases are not necessarily tested for. As well as this, even if the seed is clean,there is still a risk of issues from soil-borne

Cereal establishment survey

diseases if the soil is infected.”Of course, seed dressing comes at a

cost, so it’s no surprise that 10% of growers who weren’t planning on using an SPD this autumn said they couldn’t justify the return on investment. “Looking at the economics, an SPD is actually one of the cheapest insurance policies you can buy in terms of protecting crops,”warns Jonathan.

Value for money“Seed dressings are good value for moneyand provide excellent control levels. Whileyou won’t suffer from disease every year, itcan lead to devastating yield losses whenyou do. For those who aren’t already planning on using some kind of protectiveproduct, I can’t stress enough how critical it is to control soil- and seed-bornediseases.”

Deter was a long-standing tool in thearmoury for arable producers, but since itsloss it seems some growers are unsureabout a suitable alternative. The surveyrevealed that 37% of growers who don’tplan on or are unsure about using an SPDthis autumn are unsure of the best choice.“Deter has become such a standard partof crop protection that many growers haveforgotten there was a single-purpose element in it,” explains Chris.

While there’s no insecticidal seed treatment alternative for issues like BYDV,other seed dressings will still provide manybenefits. “Products like Vibrance Duo (fludioxonil + sedaxane) from Syngenta are a premium [price] over an SPD but theestablishment and rooting benefits are so phenomenal that it makes sense to use itas a single purpose dressing,” he adds.“I’d advise it [Vibrance Duo] as a standardapplication –– much in the same way asDeter was previously advised.”

Rumiana adds: “If growers can find a seed treatment that will cover themagainst key pathogens that will hamperestablishment –– as well as protectionagainst diseases like, smuts, bunts andSeptoria seedling blight –– then I think it’sa very good idea to invest.

“Particularly in situations with frequentcereal rotations or minimum cultivationswhere the risk of soil borne disease is alsogreater, seed treatments are very useful.”

As with everything in crop production, timing is key, so we asked growers if theyplan on using a fungicide SPD at all drillingtimes. More than half of growers (65%)said yes, while 6% suggested they’d onlybe doing so when delaying drilling against8% who will only use it when not in a

s

Congratulations to our five luckywinners A J Butler, Dorset; IainRobertson, Dorset; Ian Lutely,Cambs; Helen Parkin, Devon andJohn Fenton, East Yorks, whoresponded to the CPM/Syngentasurvey on cereal establishmentand have each won the fabulousprize of a £50 Amazon voucher.

All winners responded to the survey and completed the tie-breaker question, explaining inless than 20 words the key benefitsof fungicide seed treatments.Answers were varied, but all five

winners impressed the judges withtheir knowledge of how treatmentscan aid disease control, protectagainst establishment issues andhelp to maximise yield.

The aim of the survey was tolook at cereal establishmentissues and explore how the useof fungicide seed treatments canhelp growers tackle difficulties.To take part in the next survey,make sure we have your correct details by [email protected]

Winner announcement

delayed drilling situation. Sowhat is the best approach? “I recommend using an SPD at all times,” says Jonathan.“Seed-borne infections are anissue regardless of drill timing.”

While the prophylactic use ofcrop protection products is notdeemed as favourable and isparticularly high on the EU’sagenda, it’s the best approachwhen it comes to using SPDs,explains Chris. “We have to givethe seed the best possible startin life. Yes, using seed treatments is prophylactic, butwe can’t go backwards. If we

find we’ve got a problem post-drilling then there’s nothing we can do about it, somaking sure you’re protectedagainst any potential issues is critical.”

Increased riskWhile infections can occur atany point, with many growersheading towards delayeddrilling for grassweed controland aphid avoidance, there ispotentially an increased risk of disease. According to thesurvey, 33% of growers believe that crop establishmentrisk from diseases likemicrodochium and fusarium is higher in a delayed drillingsituation, while 44% believe it’s lower.

“I think there is a slight lackof understanding as to whetherdisease risk is higher whenyou’re drilling later,” explainsJonathan. “If you’re delayingdrilling, crops are likely to takelonger to establish. Diseasessuch as microdochium aremore favoured by the coolweather which delays cropdevelopment, so it’s importantto keep that in mind and use astrong, reliable seed treatmentto ensure this doesn’t affectestablishment.”

Rumiana agrees: “If you havecool, delayed drilling conditionsthen you are more likely to experience slow emergence that favours Microdochiumseedling blight in turn affectingcrop growth.” n

Vibrance Duo can have a majorimpact on rooting depth as shownhere (right) on a Skyfall certifiedseed plant, compared with anapplication of SPD Redigo Pro (left)

Tests have revealed the blackgrass has hightarget site resistance and there are patches in the field where the population is worryingly high.

Technical Partners in Performance

In recent years, Cambs grower Paul Drinkwater has

been one of many in the areawho have struggled to keep

blackgrass in check in somefields. CPM visits and joinsthe Task Force engaged to

help him put a plan in place.


Blackgrass under pressure

Looking across Paul Drinkwater’s field ofSkyfall winter wheat, you can’t deny it’s ontrack to yield, but there are some worryingpatches of blackgrass.

“I guess I’ve been managing the seedreturn but not stopping it,” he says. “Thething is, I go to all the open days and hearabout all manner of good systems for sortingout your blackgrass. But it’s easy to end upwith no system at all, because you worry thatif you start mixing and matching these ideasit’s a recipe for disaster.”

The 30ha field at Abbots Ripton, nearHuntingdon, Cambs, forms part of 3500hamanaged by Paul for Abbots Ripton FarmingCompany and Lavenham Farms. The soil

type across this block is a consistentHanslope series boulder clay –– easily capable of yielding 12t/ha of wheat, butequally prone to harbouring a heavy blackgrass burden.

“I have photos going back over 40 years,and the blackgrass hasn’t moved. It’s justthe severity of the weed patches that’sgrown or reduced over that time,” says Paul.

“But chemistry’s always kept it in check.When I came into farming, that was whenisoproturon (IPU) arrived –– it was marvellousstuff, and herbicides just moved on fromthere. Atlantis (iodosulfuron+ mesosulfuron)was so effective you didn’t even have tothink about blackgrass management.”

Gradually crept upTests have shown his blackgrass now hashigh levels of target site resistance, however.“It’s gradually crept up on us, and we’ve hadsuccesses as well as bad failures. But ifBayer was to come out with a new herbicide,I know we’d make it almost ineffective inaround five years. So we’ve gone back toproper farming –– making good use of therotation and drilling dates while relying lesson chemistry.”

It’s a good start, but Paul himself recognises it’s a long way from an integratedstrategy that will keep the grassweed

sustainably under control. So his is one oftwo farms that have become the focus ofBayer’s Blackgrass Task Force. Joining himis Ben Coombs, Bayer herbicide campaignmanager, NIAB TAG’s John Cussans andPhilip Wright of Wright Resolutions. The aimis to provide some recommendations, specific to the field situation, which will help manage its blackgrass burden.

“It’s pretty well understood now how todrastically reduce blackgrass, and there’s awhole stack of trials that can give you a‘recipe’ for sorting out a problem,” says Ben.“But the challenge lies in translating that into a successful on-farm strategy –– fewcommercial farms have a blackgrass teamto run a trial.”

So a suitable approach is one that canapply trials-based advice on a field scale,

It’s pretty well understood now

how to drastically reduceblackgrass, but the challengelies in translating that into a

successful on-farm strategy.

“

”


s

Grégoire Besson Discordon toprepare the ground, plungingdown to 200mm with a chisel tine that boiled the soil, allied torelatively deep working discswhich increased the mixingthrough the profile –– totally thewrong thing to do in a bad blackgrass situation, accordingto Philip. “That gets a one or twoout of ten. The aim should be tostop the soil horizons mixing

roguable levels, and this certainlyisn’t one of them.”

The Task Force agrees thatcommercially the best option atthis stage is to let the seed falland deal with it after harvest,although spraying off bad areas should be considered in following crops.

CultivationsTraditionally Paul has used a

Paul Drinkwater (far left) is getting expert advice from Bayer’s BlackgrassTask Force: Philip Wright (inside left), John Cussans (inside right), and BenCoombs (far right).

he says, in a way that can be practically managed andmonitored over a number of seasons. “The key principles forthe Task Force are that we’ll cometo recommendations, rather thanobligations, with the farmer making the decisions. Thesefocus fields are commercial ––we’re not trying to turn them intoa trials site. But this is a teameffort –– everyone contributes toan approach, which we’re hopingwill suit all.”

The Task Force has chosenStephen Moss’ 5for5 approachas the framework (see diagramtop right). This initiative aims toencourage growers to adopt five different control strategies,only one of which is based onherbicides, and maintain aplanned, integrated approach at the individual field level for atleast five years.

The field in question is 30ha that came out of oilseed rape into wheat, drilled on 24 Oct at 400 seeds/m2, reports Paul. “It’s not one of our worst for blackgrass, but we didn’t get good control with the Kerb (propyzamide) in the OSR twoyears ago, and the resulting seedreturn was a bit of a wake-upcall.”

Last autumn’s stale seedbed was followed with a pre-emergence stack of 0.6 l/haof Liberator (flufenacet+ diflufenican), 4 l/ha of Defy(prosulfocarb), with 0.12 l/ha ofHurricane to bring up the DFF.“The Avadex (triallate) wasdelayed, applied just as the cropemerged on 14 Nov. But we gota good result from 0.33 l/ha

Monolith (mesosulfuron+propoxycarbazone) applied at the beginning of Feb.”

So what are the recommendations from Bayer’sBlackgrass Task Force?

Stop seedingPaul may be pleased with whatthe chemistry’s achieved, but it’snot good enough for John, who’sbeen studying the plant andhead count assessments (see panel right). “There’s anaverage of five plants/m2 whichcan be a problem. That’s certainly the case in the patcheswith more than 10 plants/m2,” he says.

“What’s interesting about thecounts is the varying number of heads per plant –– a largenumber of plants doesn’t alwaysequate to a high population ofblackgrass heads. But at anaverage across the field of 47 heads/m2, there will be a large seed burden to manage.”

There are still options to prevent seed shedding this year–– it’s not too late to spray outpatches or rogue, or even takethe field as wholecrop for ananaerobic digester, for example.But Paul dismisses these suggestions.

“If I was to patch spray, I would have done so back inFeb before I’d spent too much onthe crop. What’s more, this is adecent crop –– the yield may beknocked back by a tonne or twoin the patches, but these areasare still set to bring in 8-10t/ha,which I won’t get if I spray themout. As for roguing, there are fewfields in Cambs with a burden at

Partners in Performance

Source: Stephen Moss Consulting and Tom Allen-Stevens, 2017.

The 5for5 approach for beating blackgrass

Source: Bayer, 2019. Each bar in the chart corresponds to an assessment point in the field. Thedarker the colour of the markers, the higher the number.

Abbots Ripton blackgrass plant and head counts


s

together,” he says.Now the chisel tines have been replaced

by Paul with Tillso Sabre tines, that lift thesoil, but keep the lower horizons intact.“That’s more like a five out of ten, but thediscs are still going deeper than they haveto at 100-120mm.”

His preferred tool is the farm’s KnightTriple Press or Horsch Joker. “With a goodoperator, you can move just the top 50-75mm and achieve a good tilth –– an eight out of ten. A top score would beachieved if a consistent shallow surfaceaction could be limited to 50mm. Any areasthat require deeper lifting can be pulledthrough afterwards, being careful not to turn the soil.”

But an inspection of the site reveals deeplifting probably won’t be necessary.“Essentially it’s in good nick –– the weatherover the past 12-18 months has been idealfor these Hanslope soils to self-structure,with the wetting and drying doing a far betterjob than any shape of metal. We should becareful to look after the structure we have.”This attention starts at harvest, he adds,while the weather will always play its part too.

Moving to minimum disturbance is something Paul’s gradually warming to.“We’re so used to shifting plenty of soil it’singrained. But doing as little as we can get away with and spraying off the chittedblackgrass just once before drilling is whatwe now favour. I like to get cultivations doneearly because you don’t know what theweather will bring.”

Here John sounds a note of caution.“Sometimes the best course of action after harvest is just to leave the surfaceuntouched, especially if it’s dry. Much of theblackgrass seed just dies on the surface oris predated, although it’s difficult to tell asyou can’t see it.”

He agrees with Philip that shallow cultivations keep the blackgrass in the surface where it can be controlled. “Onlycultivate when there’s enough moisture tomake a good seedbed, and if making morethan one pass, a sound principle is toreduce intensity,” he advises.

Sowing datePaul’s decided to put the field into springbarley. “We used to think these soils wouldn’tgrow the crop, but proved that’s not thecase. It means we’ll be in no hurry to cultivate and can leave it until Sept or Oct if we get another dry summer.”

The farm has a choice of three 6m drills–– a Väderstad Rapid, a Pöttinger Terrasemand a Horsch Sprinter. “The key aspect with

spring drilling is minimum disturbance ––you don’t want to wake the blackgrass,”says Philip.

“So probably the Rapid with the toolbarlifted out would be best. If you want tines,the Sprinter, replacing the Duett coulters withminimum disturbance banding openers.”These are due to be replaced with BorgaultVOS openers.

CompetitionThere’s a plan to drill a 36m wide strip ofcover crops, covering around 4ha of thefield. This is to see if it has any effect onimproving the competitiveness of the following spring barley crop. “I’ve read allsorts of claims for cover crops and neverbeen convinced, but now I’ve a good reasonto give them a try,” says Paul.

Phacelia, black oats and vetch areplanned for the mix, drilled soon after harvest, unless it’s too dry. Philip has concerns for the cover, however. “Althoughthe roots will do some good, covering thesesoils with a thick canopy over the winterwon’t help them self-structure, so keep aneye on how the crop grows. If it’s vigorous,spray it off around Christmas or considermob-grazing with sheep.”

John agrees. “A cover crop is a fantasticway to get a spring crop off to a good startwith minimum disturbance, provided you getthe technique and management right.”

HerbicidesShoot samples of blackgrass have beentaken to test for herbicide resistance, which have confirmed a high level of bothACCase and ALS target site resistance and a low level of ALS metabolic resistance,notes Ben.

“The tests indicate a reasonable proportion

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

It started in 2011 with split-field comparisonsof the Xpro range of fungicides, and over time has developed into a much wider set offield-scale trials. Each year the farmers meetto discuss results, listen to guest speakers anddebate winter wheat management issues.

Bayer’s Blackgrass Task Force project is the latest initiative under the Partners inPerformance umbrella, taking two fields withdiffering blackgrass challenges and workingwith a team of experts to manage the fieldover a longer-term period. The objective is to

see whether industry research can successfullybe applied to a commercial field.

For arable farmers to continue to be profitable with support payments forecast to reduce, tackling challenges, such as blackgrass, requires the whole industry towork together to share and implement the latest research and thinking, exchange ideasand experiences.

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


The Hanslope series soils are in good shape andhave self-structured, so the emphasis is topreserve this.

of susceptible individuals in the population,however, which may explain why Paul is stillgetting an adequate level of control withMonolith. The important thing, though, is toprevent surviving plants going to seed asthat’s how resistance builds.”

Paul plans to knock out any blackgrassthat emerges over the autumn and winterwith just one robust application ofglyphosate before drilling. With fewer optionswhen it comes to chemistry for a springcrop, compared with one established in theautumn, this will be followed with a 0.3 l/hapre-em base of Liberator. Small plots withother herbicides stacked on top are going tobe trialled within the field.

“There is an optimum level of herbicidewith spring barley,” notes John. “Put on toomuch and it hits the crop, which can then do more harm than good in terms of competition. The trials will help us determinethat balance.”

Paul’s more concerned about moisturelevels. “The danger with a spring crop iswhen it goes dry after drilling. But we have aplan set up and it’s a question of followingthrough with the components, keeping it flexible enough to adapt to whatever challenges the season may throw at us.” n



TechnicalGrassweed control

Grassweeds waving theirheads above cereal crops

may be a reminder of howdifficult they can be to

control, but also present anopportunity to get to improve

targeting in the future.CPM reports.

By Rob Jones

Weed seed heads provide the

ideal opportunity toplan ahead and target

management.

“

”


Grassweed controlstarts in July

July is the most important month of theyear for grassweed control, according toRoundup technical manager, Barrie Huntwho co-ordinates the national GrassweedAction management resource. And what’smore, it may involve absolutely no fieldwork, with the possible exception of pre-harvest oilseed rape spraying.

In Barrie’s experience, July is a monththat’s critical to the success of every elementof the entire year’s cultural and chemicalcontrol programme.

“Fundamental to keeping on top of problem weeds like blackgrass, bromes andItalian ryegrass in the most sustainable wayis knowing exactly what infestations youhave and where they are,” he says.

“June and July are the only months whenyou can really tell this, especially in cerealswhere the distinctive weed heads stand outabove the crop for all to see! It certainly isn’t

Barrie Hunt suggests turning the appearance ofweed seed heads above the crop into a positiveby taking the opportunity to map where they are.

comfortable having your agronomic failureson such public display.

“But unlike OSR, which can hide a multitude of sins beneath its canopy, weedseed heads above the cereal crop canopyprovide the ideal opportunity to plan aheadand target management for the best andmost cost-effective control,” he comments.

“We know that different weed speciesneed different approaches but so do different levels of infestation –– whether on a whole field or individual area basis.”

So what exactly does Barrie recommend?“Essentially it’s a matter of getting out intoyour cereal crops and doing two things ––identifying the precise weed species presentand mapping where they are,” he says.

Better field viewMapping the infestations is best done from the tractor cab because it gives you a far better field view, he suggests. Barriebelieves accurate mapping of weed infestations is the only real way of monitoringhow successful –– or otherwise –– yourgrassweed controls are.

“Not all fields will require the same intensity of grassweed management,” hereasons. “So traffic light coding each fieldevery season on the basis of its weed riskmeans you can concentrate the most rigorous controls on the worst-affectedground, where they are most needed.

“Red-coded fields are almost certainlybest ear-marked for rotational ploughing,delayed winter cereal sowing or springcropping, together with the most robust

pre-planting, pre-em and post-em herbicideprogrammes,” he says.

“On the other hand, fields with less pressing problems may be drilled earlier inthe autumn and with less intensive pre andpost-em herbicide programmes for valuablesavings in both cost and hassle.

“The apparent absence of grassweeds in a single season should not automaticallyresult in a green coding. Instead, it’s important to consider the history of eachfield in your planning.”

The accurate mapping of weed problemsacross individual fields has become infinitelymore practical and valuable with the digitaltools increasingly available to growers. Thisallows fields to be zoned and sprayed fortheir specific weed burdens –– either using a

Grassweed control

Grassweed Action is a special on-line resourceproviding arable managers across the countrywith a structured approach to regaining controlover their most damaging grassweeds basedon the best available intelligence.

Developed with national weed authority,Dr Stephen Moss, it provides well-researched,practical frameworks for regaining control overblackgrass, Italian ryegrass, bromes, wild-oatsand couch, that can be implemented by

growers and their advisers in ways which best suit their own farm conditions and circumstances.

The free-to-use resource available atwww.monsanto-ag.co.uk/grassweed-actionincludes a knowledge hub providing the bestcurrent understanding of each weed and a newsroom offering the latest controlintelligence and advice.

Targeted action

July is a good month to take samples ofblackgrass to send for resistance testing.

precision agronomy service or manually –– to concentrate the chemistry even more precisely to where it’s most needed for the greatest financial and environmental sustainability.

“Satellite, drone or ground-based imagingcan be useful here in some cases. Butthere’s still a lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ with thesetechnologies. So there really is nothing tobeat getting out into your crops in July andrecording exactly what’s going on. In myview, it remains the ‘number one’ essential to keeping your grassweed problems firmlyunder control.”

Equally important is accurately identifyingthe different weed species present in the

field, adds Barrie. “Most of us can distinguish blackgrass,

brome and Italian ryegrass easily from thecab,” he notes. “But the five brome speciescan be difficult to tell apart, even oncethey’ve headed in the summer. The two maingroups of bromes need quite differentautumn cultivation and pre-planting controlstrategies, and the different species have different susceptibilities to post-em herbicides, so taking the time to carefullyidentify which species you have is essential.

“This is particularly important where youhave mixed populations of weeds. With sterile or great brome on the headlands andblackgrass across the rest of the field, it will

pay to shallow-till the entire area immediatelybehind the combine to establish a staleseedbed,” he says.

“If you have meadow, soft or rye bromeon the headlands, it’s best to leave theseareas for around a month before cultivatingso you don’t induce dormancy,” he adds.

“With herbicide resistance a problem inboth blackgrass and Italian ryegrass andsuspected in brome, resistance testing everythree to five years can also save a lot ofunnecessary chemical expense. In whichcase, you’ll need to take a sample of ripeseed from across the field.” n

TechnicalSpring peas

Peas are a notoriously difficult crop to grow, but

experience through YEN suggests they can shine alight on limitations acrossthe rotation. CPM visits an

Oxon grower who’s looking to gain an insight.


The crop’s sometimes referred toas the canary down

the mine.

“”


There’s something to be said for the satisfaction you get from a well established, even pea crop –– one that’s set its stride and appears to haveeverything it needs to fulfil its potential.

That’s probably why David Passmore isonly too pleased to bring you to his crop,that sits like a thick, sprung mattress acrosshis shallow soils, lying over chalk nearWallingford, Oxon. “Peas are a crop youeither love or hate,” he says.

“They’re probably not for the huge farming enterprises with just one combine,that need crops to fit their system. But ifyou’re someone who celebrates that they’vedrilled or harvested on the right day, it’s acrop that can be immensely rewarding.”

For David, for whom peas have been partof the rotation for the past ten years, thoseare the two days that matter in the life of the

Get a pea crop right and it can be immenselyrewarding.

crop. “They’re a good crop to have on thefarm and get you away from a winter rotation. Some of our best yields have followed a pea crop,” he says.

If you get them wrong the crop will punishyou, though, which is why he believes there’sso much to be learned by getting it right.“The trouble with peas is the huge variabilityof yield. Our average is 4.5t/ha and our bestis 5.7t/ha. But last year we achieved just3.4t/ha.”

Seed cropsWith 300ha of cropped land, PassmoreBrothers specialises in seed crops. Thereare 12ha of Mankato peas –– a pre-basic tobasic crop grown for KWS. A similar area ofCampus winter oilseed rape, grown for seed,is carefully rotated around the farm, with100ha of winter wheat (KWS Crispin, Kerrinand Firefly) and 50ha of KWS Sassy andIrina spring barley.

But an important ‘crop’ for David is hislivestock –– the spring barley’s undersownwith grass that’s grazed for two to threeyears with 160 head of Limousin beef cattleand 200 breeding ewes, before returning toa wheat crop. “On our lighter soils, we putforage rape into the ryegrass after its cut of silage, then back into spring barley,achieving three crops in two years.”

David credits the livestock in the rotationfor his very low level of grassweeds. “There’sno blackgrass on the farm and this is something we’re meticulous about –– we’ll

always rogue any plants we see and in myfarming career I’ve only ever used two cansof Atlantis (iodosulfuron+ mesosulfuron).”

His rotation, with its inherent focus on soilhealth, brings him some impressive yields ––an ardent member of the Yield EnhancementNetwork (YEN), his wheat came fourth lastyear with a 14.01t/ha crop of KWS Kerrin.This year, he’s also joined the pea YEN (see panel on p62), but that’s not about thecompetition, he says.

“What I like about YEN is being involved–– what you gain from it is what you put into it. So the pea YEN is less about thecompetition and more a learning exercise.

“The theory of growing peas is really very simple –– the day you plant it has itsmaximum potential yield, so everything you do after that is aimed at retaining thatpotential. YEN helps you break it down soyou can focus on what’s important. The firstthing it teaches you is that you only see halfyour crop –– the rest is underground, but

A barometer on crop potential

Spring peas

that’s almost the most important part.”The fortunes of the pea crop itself are

largely determined at drilling. The roots areincredibly sensitive to compaction, andDavid takes great care to preserve the soilstructure. “Peas are the most critical crop we grow for planting conditions, and youcan’t go by calendar date. 90% of its yield potential is determined on the day you plant.”

Preparations for this start the previousautumn. Land is generally turned with a 5fKverneland plough in Oct or Nov and leftover winter. “You can min till other crops, butthe old adage ‘you have to plough for peas’still holds true, and while we do have catchand cover crops that we graze with sheep,not before peas.”

The aim is to prepare the ground in winter, including perhaps a pass with a 4m Flexi-Coil, so the 4.8m Kverneland tine seeder drill can go straight in when conditions are right. That was 28 March this year, although David had to wait until 20 April last year.

As in the wheat YEN, the key to a high-yielding pea crop is to maximise cropcover. “Biomass drives yield, and there’s nocorrelation with thousand grain weight –– it’s down to seeds/m2. The theoretical yield

potential is 11-12t/ha, and while I know I’llnever get anywhere near double figures I’mintrigued to know where I’m going wrong.”

This theoretical yield is broken down topeas per pod, pods per plant and plants/m2

and David’s been following the protocol tosee how he can lift crop prospects at everygrowth stage.

Seed rate riseThat starts with seed rate. “We’ve raised the seed rate on the back of YEN –– it usedto be 80 seeds/m2 but now we drill at 100 seeds/m2.”

Nutrition is of vital importance to a high-performing pea crop. “We haven’tapplied any P and K recently because ourlevels are good, although I am considering

some Polysulphate next year. One aspectwe have taken advantage of, though, is thetissue testing service through YEN.”

Two leaf samples are taken for analysis ––one at second node, just before floweringand the other just after flowering. “The analysis showed up a lack of boron, so we applied this with magnesium in May.We’ve also applied Photrel Pro, which is acombination of micronutrients,” says David.

“YEN is showing us that, while the returnyou get from one micronutrient applicationmay be insignificant, making many littlesteps builds crop momentum and delivers asignificant yield benefit overall.” Marsh spotis also a concern, with a dose of manganeseapplied at the end of April, followed up witha second in June.

David Passmore’s pea crop sits like a thick, sprung mattress across his shallow soils.

s

Spring peas

Disease pressure varies considerablyyear-to-year. “Last year, we got away with a dose of Alto Elite (chlorothalonil+cyproconazole). But this year, botrytis is

what worries me, with the damp weatherduring flowering, so we’ve applied Amistar(azoxystrobin).”

David’s more reluctant to apply

insecticides however. “Pea moth is the mainconcern. We’ve had traps out and haven’treached threshold levels. I have seen aphidsin the crop, which is a worry, but I’m holding

Peas are the crop that can tell you more about the health of your soils that perhaps you want toknow, suggests independent consultant KeithCostello. “The crop’s sometimes referred to as thecanary down the mine. Some crops will tolerate acertain amount of extremities, peas will not. Youhave to think ahead to give them the best chanceand the attention they deserve when it’s needed.”

Keith’s been helping PGRO and ADAS set upthe pea YEN and adapt the basic principles of YENto the crop. There’s a core group of growerswhose crops he’s visited each year to makeregular inspections. That’s now developed into a protocol, and farmers have been invited fromfurther afield to take part, with the aim of improving yields.

“The average yield for dried peas rose steadilyfrom the 1980s at around 3t/ha to a peak at theturn of the century of about 4t/ha. But since then,it’s settled back down to close to 3t/ha. So why isthat? My aim is to help growers identify the keyfactors and bring yields back up again,” he says.

The maths is fairly simple: a healthy pea plantwill usually grow four pairs of pods per plant,with seven peas per pod. “That should bring 50-55 peas per plant, but typically you get a thirdof that, hence why we’re averaging a third of thecrop’s potential yield. If you understand what’sgoing on in the plant and why it decides to set alower number of peas, you can identify ways toincrease this,” he reasons.

So as well as monitoring crops for their establishment, pod and pea set, Keith’s beenassessing what key factors set these critical contributors to yield to help growers monitor and benchmark their own performance.He’s concluded there are five:1. Establishment – This is absolutely critical,

says Keith. Conditions have been kind this year,with dry soils allowed to self-structure and fieldwork completed without damaging their integrity. But that wasn’t the case last year, so akeen focus on maintaining structure will make all the difference at establishment.

2. Roots – Keith’s observation is the rhizosphere below a pea crop today is not as fibrous as it once was. He speculates this may be down to heavier machines bringing more compaction to soils with lower organic matter content,restricting the sensitive roots. But very little research has been carried out in this area, so more work is needed to understand the rhizosphere.

3. Viruses – the incidence of some of the common pea viruses, such as pea initiation mosaic virus, and the prevalence of its aphid vectors has increased, Keith believes. A badly affected plant will produce significantly fewer peas, sometimes into single figures. Rather thanstraight treatment, he’d like to see more growers adopt an effective integrated pest management strategy across the rotation.

4. Nutrition – Sampling across crops at different growth stages is highlighting a surprisingly high number of incidences where crops are low or very low in certain nutrients. What’s less clear iswhether these apparent deficiencies are relevant and at what stage they limit the performance. The first step for growers is to carry out leaf tissue analysis to put themselves in the picture.

5. Knowledge exchange – passing on experience and advice within the business and from farmer to farmer is key with a crop like peas, that may drop in and out of the rotation and is a somewhat specialist crop. This is particularly important in large farming businesses where farm managers retire or move on, without the succession of knowledge that may happen more naturally within a family business, Keith suggests.He recommends two routes for growers to get

more out of their pea crop. “Firstly take advantageof the technical information on offer from PGRO.Once you look in detail at your crop, you can identify the technical aspects to address, and theinformation is available to inform this.

Monitoring sheds light on key factors for peas

Tissue analysis, at flowering

“Secondly, share ideas. Increasingly within YENit’s this two-way exchange of knowledge that ishelping those growers who are involved makebetter decisions going forward. That’s even moreimportant in peas where we have less of the specialist knowledge that perhaps we once had.”

And for those who have given them the attention they deserve, Keith believes theprospects this year are good. “When peas perform, they’re a marvellous crop, and there’severy chance that most growers will enjoy thatsatisfaction this year. So fingers crossed.”l There’s more information on the pea YEN protocol and how to get involved in the new beanYEN, which has similar objectives, in the currentissue of The Pulse Magazine, that accompaniesthe July issue of CPM. There’s more detailedtechnical information for growers, while the PGROwebsite and new app have updates on key diseases and pests, such as pea moth.

Keith Costello has been helping PGRO andADAS set up the pea YEN and adapt the basicprinciples of YEN to the crop.

Grower

Phosphorus (%)

Nitrogen (%)

Potassium (%)

Calcium (%)

Magnesium (%)

Manganese (ppm)

Boron (ppm)

Zinc (ppm)

Iron (ppm)

Copper (ppm)

Molybdenum (ppm)

Sulphur (%)

A B C

ˇ˚

D E F G H I J

Very low Low Slighty low Normal High

Source: Yara, 2017; leaflets sampled from across field of 10 Pea YEN growers.

s


Spring peas

(/ha)Pea seed (Mankato) £112.50

Trace elements £3.88

Herbicides £38.15

Fungicides £15.07

Insecticides £13.46

Variable costs £183.06Pea yield (t) 3.4t

Pea price (/t) £340.00

Output £1156.00

Gross margin £972.94Source: Passmore Brothers, 2018 harvest

Passmore Brothers large bluepeas: how the finances stack up

The two most important days in the life of a pea crop are when it’s drilled, here (left) with dual wheels toavoid compaction, and when it’s harvested, with the aim to keep it standing.

back from spraying to allow beneficial numbers to build. It also helps in the following wheat crop if you’ve used lessinsecticides.

“You have to be on the ball with peas,though. It’s a crop that moves fast, so you make one fungicide application, forexample, and find it needs another in as little as two weeks.”

Timeliness is absolutely critical when itcomes to harvest, he says. “You have to put

the combine through the day they comeright, which for peas is below 18% moisture.The key aspect with blue peas if you wantthe premium is to retain the colour. If theystay out in the field, this bleaches the peas.Harvest is the second of the key days in apea crop’s life.”

Another reason to harvest when the time’sright is to catch the crop when it’s standing.Much of this is down to variety, says David,and Mankato is one that he’s found standswell. While the combine will fly through astanding crop, it can take many times longerto pick one up off the floor.

Once the crop is harvested they’re put ona drying floor with ambient air blown throughuntil the crop reaches around 14% moisture.

“They need to be stored in the dark, but arerelatively easy to dry,” he says.

After last year’s disappointing yield,David’s current crop looks set for a goodresult. What’s more he’s hoping the extra attention he’s given it throughout the growing season as a result of YEN will also pay dividends. If not, at the very least he will be able to benchmark his performance against others to see whereimprovements can be made.

But perhaps it’s the value over the rotation where the crop delivers the most. “Over a farming lifetime, you learnwhich are the right things to do,” he says.“That’s where peas fit in –– they’re good forthe farm.” n


Robotics in agriculture willbring about the same kind ofchange as mechanisation in

the 20th Century – but it’shard to predict exactly what

that future will look like.CPM joins a seminar at theCereals Event to gaze into

the crystal ball.

By Olivia Cooper

Machinery Cereals report

Gazing into a robotic future

Farmers around the world are alreadyusing a lot of robotics and precision technology –– but we’re still at the forefront of what autonomous vehicles canreally deliver. So what direction is it likelyto take? Is the future one of swarmingdrones and little field robots or will we seelarge-scale autonomous vehicles sittingalongside more conventional machinery?

According to Prof James Lowenberg-DeBoer from Harper Adams University, thatcould depend on where you are in the worldand how open you are to change. AndBritish farmers, it seems, are alreadyembracing future technology, with a Defrasurvey in 2012 showing that 46% of arableproducers were using GPS, 38% were soilmapping, 25% yield mapping, and 31%were using variable rate technology (VRT) –– among the highest VRT adoption in the world.

Unsurprisingly, larger arable farms aremore likely to adopt precision ag techniques–– and if US trends are anything to go by,then autosteer will become increasinglywidely used. In 2016, 59% of US maize wasplanted using satellite guidance, althoughVRT lagged slightly behind, being used on29% of the maize area.

Become more comfortableSo if precision agriculture is here to stay,where do robots fit in? Farmers are clearlybecoming more comfortable with the idea of robots doing jobs for them: In the dairyindustry milking robots have been aroundsince 1992, and by 2015 a quarter of thecows in the Netherlands and Denmark weremilked by them.

Drones have also become widely accepted –– although their future useremains questionable, says James.“Worldwide, agriculture is fascinated bydrones, but struggles with finding profitableuses. In 2017, 24% of US ag retailers offered

It’s hard to predict what the future may look like.

drone services –– but only 20% of thosedealers reported that drone use was profitable to them.” Around half were beingused for aerial imagery, with 22% offeringsoil electrical conductivity mapping.

However, the cost of gathering droneinformation has to be compared with alternative sources of information, he adds.“And the value of the information dependson how it affects decisions.” Satelliteimagery is generally cheaper, so drones may end up being used less for informationgathering and more for spot spraying andother ‘delivery’ activities.

That said, using drones for early diseasedetection could be a viable option, with thecapital costs more than outweighed byspending less time field walking andreduced fungicide use, for example.“Precision agriculture is a toolbox, and farmers are picking and choosing whatworks for them.”

Ultimately, demand for crop robots will bedriven by the cost and availability of farmlabour, as well as greater efficiencies yieldedby targeted plant management, explainsJames. And the type of technology thatfarmers adopt will shape the future of thesector. “Farmers and agribusinesses seldomuse technology exactly as the developersintended,” he notes. “Farmers are very creative and often use technology for newpurposes, which the developers neverthought of. But production systems maychange substantially when robotic systemsbecome available.”

In an attempt to model what that future


Precision agriculture is a toolbox,and farmers are picking

and choosing what worksfor them.”

“

s

human supervision, compared withconventional working times of 10 hrs/day,

and modelled working field days of 18-22 permay look like, Harper Adams has used its

Hands-Free Hectare (HFH) project to

extrapolate different farm scenarios.“Retrofitting existing equipment is a plausible first step towards robotics, and themedium-small equipment mimics a swarmrobotics scenario,” explains James. It’s also easy to calculate the costs of initialinvestment, repairs and reliability, with conventional production practices allowingeasy adoption and understanding.

The team based their calculations ongrowing a rotation of wheat, oilseed rapeand barley, using autonomous equipment.They assumed robotic field work times of 22 hrs/day with 10% of machine time for

Drones may be best used for ‘delivery’ services.

Drones may be best used for ‘delivery’ services.

Precision farming could provide the answer tothe yield plateau seen in arable crops over thepast 16 years, with increasingly sophisticatedtechnology offering industry-scale solutions.

According to Andreea Ailenei, UK digital programme manager at Rhiza, the poorest 10%of fields yield 45% less on average, while inputcosts remain the same. “Rhiza can help identifythe underlying issues and come up with solutions–– do you take that land out of production or target treat it?”

The product of a merger between Soil Questand Intelligent Precision Farming in March 2019,Rhiza combines satellite data analysis with soilscanning and nutrition services, bringing togetherdifferent technologies for greater accuracy. Andhaving been developed alongside farmers andagronomists it provides a comprehensive, reliable,and easy-to-use suite of tools, she claims.

Working with partners including CranfieldUniversity and James Hutton, Rhiza is combiningsoil brightness data with existing physical soil survey datasets to create a UK-wide precision soil

Shatter the yield plateau with precision power

map, explains Andreea. “The aim is to make itcheaper and easier for farmers to adopt precisiontechniques.”

Farmers using Rhiza technology over the pastthree years are twice as likely to have soils on target for P and K indices than the UK average, byincreasing applications in areas of deficiency andreducing them where indices are high. And wherethey have adopted variable seed rates they haveboosted winter wheat yields by an average of4.7% to 10.21t/ha, generating a return of £69/ha,says Rhiza business manager Max Dafforn. “That’sa real tangible benefit.”

By measuring the green area index (GAI) ofoilseed rape, it’s possible to calculate the nitrogenrequired to build a canopy with a target GAI of 3.5at flowering: 50kgN/ha builds one unit of GAI, headds. Using variable rates helps farmers to cut back on the thickest areas and increase applications where the canopy is thin, potentiallysaving N costs and boosting yields.

Rhiza’s Contour web platform and app featureslocal weather data, pest and disease models, high

resolution satellite imagery, SAR (radar) data andyield prediction, as well as precision soil zoning,soil analysis and variable rate nutrient planning.

“We believe we’re on the cusp of the fourth revolution in agriculture,” notes Max. “Digital tools can help minimise environmental pollution,optimise the production of safe food, improve theefficiency of agri inputs, maintain soil fertility,improve data flows and management practice,and ultimately, increase farm profitability.”

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Conv. Robots

Precision farming is proven to boost efficiencies.

UK wheat cost curve (£/t)

Cereals report


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Robots could change farm structures, saysJames Lowenberg-DeBoer.Harper Adams University is running a

three-week course with the WorshipfulCompany of Farmers, on Adopting PrecisionTechnology in Agriculture. It comprises threeindependent weeks of study in the UK andthe Netherlands, and aims to fill the gapbetween research, science and technologyand the farmers who might use those newtechnologies. Applications for the first courseclose on 31 July - for more information visitharper.ac.uk/apta.

On course for technology

Cereals report

month, with harvesting over 10 hrs/day toavoid overnight dew.

They tested four farm sizes: 66ha, 159ha,284ha, and 500ha, and considered fourequipment sets: l Manual 38hp tractor – investment per set

£59,900 l Autonomous 38hp tractor – £64,750 (x2

for 284ha farm and x3 for 500ha farm)l Conventional 150hp tractor – £389,500l Conventional 300hp tractor – £723,500

Working out the cost of production forwinter wheat, the robots consistently undercut conventional systems (see graph

on p66). “The whole farm analysis suggeststhat swarm robotics may enable smallerfarms to lower their cost of production andcompete. Swarm robotics could also reducefarm equipment investment by over 70%,” notes James.

This could see a move towards smallerfarms, as there is less need to spread theoverheads of expensive, large, machinery –– something which could render the UKand EU more competitive against majorexporting nations.

The analysis assumed that robots areowned by the farmer, but there could be an even more economical option along the lines of Uber rentals. It also assumed thatinsurance is comparable, constant humansupervision is not required, and commercialmanufacturing and sale of robotic equipment achieves economies of scale.

Admittedly, that is a lot of assumptions.But the next step of HFH will see multiplecrops grown on irregularly shaped fieldsacross a 35ha farm –– providing anotherstep towards robotics becoming a reality.“HFH shows that making field crop roboticsautonomous is possible and relatively inexpensive. And swarm robots could potentially reduce costs of production andinvestment for UK farmers,” predicts James.

“My bet is that in places where conventional mechanisation works really well(large rectangular fields), we’re going to seemore automated large equipment like smartgrain carts, which arrive at the press of a button and sync to the combine. Where youhave smaller, irregular-shaped fields there ispotential for the use of more, small robots in the next five years.” n

There was plenty of new kiton offer at the Cereals Event,

with everything from compact drills to high

capacity combines. CPMtakes a look at just some of

the options.

By Olivia Cooper

MachineryCereals report New kit at Cereals

The weather may have been inclement at Cereals but it didn’t dampen the spiritsof farmers on the lookout for their nextnew purchase. Whether upgrading to the latest precision technology or justtweaking the performance of existingmachinery, there was plenty to look at.

ClaydonOn view for the first time at Cereals,Claydon’s new 6m Hybrid T6c compacttrailed drill is the latest addition to theOptiTill stable. More than 20% lighter andmore compact than the Hybrid T6 model,the T6c combines the high output of a 6mseeding platform with the nimble handlingand maneuverability of the 4m T4, onwhich it is based, says chief executive Jeff Claydon.

“Capable of drilling 45ha per daybehind a 300hp tractor, this model is

designed to appeal to farmers who valuethe combination of lower cost and greatermaneuverability over ultimate hoppercapacity and output.”

Carried on lower link arms, the T6c features a fully floating seeding chassiswhich follows field contours, ensuringaccurate seeding depths. Providing a hopper capacity of 3500 litres it weighsabout 7900kg unladen, and can delivereither seed only or a 60:40 seed: fertiliser combination. It will sow directly into stubble, in min-till situations or on

ploughed/ cultivated land, while theISOBUS-compatible RDS Artemis controlsystem provides tramlining and variableseed rate capability.

KuhnTargeting the growing conservation agriculture sector is Kuhn’s new Aurocktriple disc seed drill, which can establishcrops under cover, in minimum tillage ordirect drilling conditions. Launched in a6m format, it’s available with single anddual metering units and hoppers of

Claydon’s new 6m Hybrid T6c drill is over 20% lighter than the T6 model.


s3500 litres and 5000 litres,respectively. This allows fordual cropping or alternative row drilling with independentmanagement of seed depth.

Designed for low horsepower requirement, it needs a modest180hp to operate. With a modular design, growers canopt for an integrated cutterroller with adjustable pressurefor all cover types, alongsideeither 460mm diameter corrugated discs for working inprepared soil or for soil mixing,or 430mm embossed discs forcutting residues and minimisingsoil ejection.

ISOBUS-compatible, a simple press of the button atthe headland allows successivelifting of the front tools, thenstops the metering unit,

ensuring no seed remains onthe surface, right to the edge of the field.

Stocks AgFarmers who are looking forimproved accuracy whenspreading granules and small

Stocks Ag’s new controller improvesspreading accuracy.

Kuhn’s new Aurock triple disc seed drill targets the conservation ag sector.

LED lights enable spray operators to work in low light conditions.


Cereals report

s

Visitors were keen to see Fendt’s new Ideal combine.

Cereals report

seeds could find recent updates toStocks Ag’s Fan Jet Duo twin applicator of interest. It launched a number of new features at Cereals, designed to improveoperation ease and accuracy.

The new controller comprises a singlescreen terminal on which users can bothcontrol the applicator and observe coverage mapping, enabling variable rateapplication with repeatable accuracy ofless than 1m against 10m with the previous system.

Other improvements include a rearcamera to observe the spread pattern and internal hopper lighting to aid filling at night.

Knight Farm MachinerySpray operators are increasingly workingat night to reduce the risk of drift, soKnight Farm Machinery is now offeringboom lighting on all of its sprayers. Thesystem can be supplied from new or retro-fitted, and shines powerful LED bluelights through the spray pattern, enablingoperators to check that all nozzles areperforming efficiently at all times.

“Spraying conditions are often at theirbest towards the end of the day and intothe early evening, when the wind often

drops,” says marketing manager DavidMain. “This system will enable operators tomake best use of those working windows.”

FendtVisitors were, as ever, drawn to thebiggest bits of kit on show, and Fendt’sIdeal combine did not disappoint. On display in the UK for the first time, this newcombine has been designed from scratch.The company claims that it’s all about efficiency, high quality grain and straw and reliability, with simple operation andunique sensor technology for automatedmachine configuration.

With up to a 12.22m PowerFlow table

feeding into a giant Superflow augur, thisbehemoth should eat up the hectares. The header adjusts laterally by up to 80

to cope with sloping fields, and can becoupled on within five seconds using theoptional Autodock feature.

But what Fendt claims makes the Idealstand out from the crowd is its single ordual Helix rotors, providing maximum output with gentle crop handling and lowenergy consumption. The convex and concave grain pans reduce grain losseson slopes, and with a tank capacity of upto 17,100 litres and a discharge capabilityof 210 litres/sec, the Ideal can handle awhopping 200t/hr. n

s

A basic weather station – Raincrop – whichmonitors humidity, air temperature and rainfall– costs £380 plus £150/yr subscription.Windcrop – which monitors windspeed,direction and gusts – costs £330 plus£150/yr, while Sencrop Plus – Raincrop and Windcrop together – costs £699 plus£180/yr. A leaf wetness sensor is also available for orchards and vineyards. For more information visit sencrop.com.

Further information

James Robinson replaced a manual rain gaugewith two Sencrop units at his farm in Cambs,after he acquired another site 20 miles from thehome farm. “It made sense to have more reliabledata about weather conditions without having todrive out to collect it,” he explains. “Having liveweather data is really helping to inform our management decisions on farm, improving ourday-to-day operations. Knowing that it’s toowindy to spray at the remote site saves time and fuel.”

He anticipates the local data and seven-dayforecast will be particularly beneficial this harvest, helping to inform his combining operations and cultivations –– and he’s keen for

Weather information to rely on

James Robinson finds it easier to manage remote sites.

other farmers to come on board. “Sometimesshowers can be very localised, and on a day-to-day basis it would be helpful to see local rainfallpatterns.”

Farmers can now access real-time in-fieldweather and soil information following the launch of affordable and portable monitoring stations, with linked-up datagiving a reliable local picture.

Launched by Sencrop at the CerealsEvent, the weather stations enable farmers tosee what field conditions are like at any pointon the farm, enabling more efficient sprayingand harvesting operations. But the real power comes from the ability to share datawith other producers, offering a detailed picture of weather on a local, regional andnational level.

“Installing a Sencrop unit in one or more fields puts the grower in immediate possession of data unique to that location,”says Fred South at Sencrop. “Automatedanalysis of this continuous data stream opensup a new and far more objective approach to field operations. Now there’s no need totake a chance on spraying and fertiliser applications with a forecast based on observations from several miles away.”

The stations measure parameters like windspeed, gust and direction, air temperature,

Crowdsourcedweather data drives decisions

humidity, rainfall, soil moisture and soil temperature. And there’s no need to rely onpatchy 3G phone coverage or wifi –– the unitsuse a low power, long-range network whichgives coverage almost anywhere. Theportable stations are battery-powered –– with rechargeable batteries costing £30 andlasting 3-4 years –– meaning they can bemoved around the farm according to the crop rotation.

“Previously, weather stations were difficultand costly to install –– the whole aim for uswas to have something that’s cheap andportable,” explains the firm’s Amber Ogborn.“They are all GPS positioned so you knowexactly where they are.” Installation takesaround 10 mins, with data online within 15mins and updated every quarter of an hour,giving real-time information as well as historicdetails on your computer or smartphone app.

Sencrop has already installed 7000 stations across Europe, where potato growers

have cut out up to three blight sprays fromtheir programmes, because the conditionsweren’t serious enough to merit spraying ––saving them €160/ha (£143/ha), adds Fred. “It gives a new meaning to ‘decision support’.? Farmers can choose to share thedata with their agronomists, field operators,and other stakeholders, with both live rainfall monitoring and a seven-day forecast makingfor information-driven decisions.

It’s also possible to set alerts for any combination of weather conditions –– likefrosts, minimum temperature, rainfall over aset period, and rising humidity, for example.In this way, farmers can ensure herbicideapplications are made at the most effectivetime, and they can also monitor critical stagesin cereal disease development, for optimalspray timings.

“But while the super-localised data streamis invaluable in supporting the individualgrower, our system excels when it can number-crunch across multiple streams ofdata from multiple locations,” notes Fred. “It’s more than a farmer and his neighbourssharing data for their own good; this is aboutcreating a pool of data that has benefitsacross the industry.” n


Accurate, real-time weatherdata is vital to farmers, but

until now it’s been expensiveand difficult to source. CPM

takes a look at a new option:Individual farm weather

stations which link up to give a detailed local picture.

By Olivia Cooper

Machinery Cereals report

When buying a new cultivatoror plough, there’s a massive

variety of tine and discdesigns to choose from – so

how can you be sure that theequipment will do the job you

want? CPM offers a guide tocultivator design and

innovations.

By Olivia Cooper

Machinery Cultivatorsand ploughs

Top tips for tines and discs

You should only ever cultivate

as deep as necessary.”

“

Shallow and fast, or deep and slow?Serrated discs or curved? Narrow tinesor duckfoot shares? Oh, and what type ofroller would you like with that? Thechoice of cultivator set-up can be quitebaffling, particularly when most farmshave one piece of kit which is meant tocarry out a multitude of tasks.

So how do you go about choosing thebest equipment for your farm? We caughtup with a few manufacturers to get theirtop tips and latest developments.

The first step, according to AndrewGamble at Väderstad, is to ascertain what it is you want to achieve. “Dig a hole and figure out what you’re trying to do with themachine –– it needs to link to your

There are more than 40 different tine and discoptions for Väderstad cultivators.

agronomy.” Are you looking to move a lotof soil on the surface, to chit grassweeds,or do you need to go deep to remove compaction?

If breaking compaction is the aim,Väderstad’s BreakMix point –– intended forheavier soils –– could be an option. This provides deep loosening (30cm) withoutmixing at depth, while at the same time mixing intensively in the top 10cm of soil tospeed up residue decomposition. In thisway, it doesn’t bring clods of earth to the surface, and creates a fine seedbed aheadof drilling.

Crenelated discAt the other end of the scale is theCrossCutter Disc for ultra-shallow cultivation. Designed for use in covercrops, maize and oilseed rape stubble, this crenelated disc cultivates the entireworking width at only 2-3cm depth, crushing and mulching crop residues without mixing them in too deep. This ensures good oxygenation for decomposition, and also chits weed seedsin the soil surface without bringing up dormant seeds lower down in the profile.

For organic producers, it could be wortha look at the new Goosefoot share, fitted to the NZ harrow for mechanical weed control. This broad yet shallow share slicesoff weeds at the root and leaves them onthe field surface without mixing the soil.

Or to add a mixing effect, the VäderstadTopDown fitted with wing shares is an alternative choice.

There are more than 40 different tine anddisc options to fit to Väderstad cultivators–– and they are easily changeable so youcan tailor the set-up to suit requirements.Discs with bigger scallops should be used to cut heavier trash, larger discs aresuitable for deep working while smallerdiscs are for shallow operations. “It’s thesetup that’s important –– point and discchoice is key to getting the results yourequire.”

Running too wide a point too deep willcreate too much ‘boil’ in the soil, and willincrease fuel consumption, warns SimonBrown at Amazone. “You should only evercultivate as deep as necessary, so it’s


When choosing a plough, Rob Immink atMaschio will take a farmer through several stepsto identify the best option. Available horsepowerand field size are two –– influencing the size ofthe plough –– followed by soil type. “If you havestony or heavy clay soils you’ll probably wantautomatic reset –– other soils will get away withshear bolts.”

Those with variable soil types may benefitfrom hydraulic width adjustment, while manualadjustment is suited to more uniform soils.Sticky soils work best with slatted boards,whereas whole boards are fine for other soiltypes. “If you’re ploughing for potatoes you’llneed a deep board, while cereals want a wider one.”

Most farmers nowadays are using ploughingto control grassweeds, he adds, so are lookingfor complete inversion to bury the seeds. Thatwill affect the mouldboard design –– helical for

Plough set-up

shallower working depths or cylindrical for deeper inversion –– while skimmer choicedepends on the residue; are you ploughingmaize stalks or short barley stubble?

“There are a lot of factors that determinewhat plough you need, so it’s important to weighup all the considerations.”

Consider soil type when choosing a plough,says Rob Immink. Only ever cultivate as deep as necessary, says

Simon Brown.

Cultivators and ploughs

important to match the style of point to thedepth. But very few people change pointsaccording to what they need.”

So should you choose a tine or a disc cultivator, or a combination of the two? “

A tine is rigid, so it can dig deep or skip on the surface in undulating fields –– it’snot really designed for really shallow cultivation,” he notes. “On the other hand,compact disc harrows have the ability to

go shallowerand follow contours acrossthe full width.”

If cultivating to encourage straw decomposition, Simon offers a useful calculation: 1cm of depth per tonne ofstraw/ha. “So if you have 10t/ha of straw, cultivating at 12cm will be ample –– if yougo too deep the straw is outside of the aerobic zone and so won’t rot.”

Shallow tine cultivation should aim to cut off the root ball, provide straw-to-soilcontact to trigger decomposition, and promote grassweed growth. “My favourite

s


A key aim is to loosen the ground without‘boiling’ the soil.

He-Va’s CombiDisc can subsoil, cultivate andconsolidate in one pass.

The CrossCutter Disc mulches crop residueswithout mixing too deep.

Cultivators and ploughs

is a duck foot point as it has a flat profileand cutting action.” It can be mounted toachieve either a full or partial workingwidth, depending on requirements.

For something that loosens the soil atdepth, a narrow 40mm tine will do the jobdown to 30cm. “By narrowing the point youwon’t need much more horsepower as it’snot moving too much soil. With a slightcurve you’ll get a little bit of lift, but the aim

is to shatter the soil sideways, not bring thelower soil to the surface,” explains Simon.

When it comes to disc choice, smallerdiameter discs with a smooth surface aresuitable for fast, shallow work. Serrateddiscs provide a bit more bite for heavierland, while larger serrations on biggerdiscs help with mulching stubble and digging down deeper.

On the Catros and Certos disc harrows,the front row of discs are mountedstraighter for more aggressive action onunmoved soil, while the rear row is angledmore to work across a broader width andlevel the soil. “They also have rubber blockmountings to allow more movement.”

Consolidating the soil after cultivation isimportant to ensure residue-to-soil contact,as well as breaking up any clods.“However, you don’t want to seal the soil

as it’s important to draw oxygen in,”explains Simon.

Depth controlOpen rollers are cheaper and providegood depth control, but they block easily inwet conditions. Rubber rollers are good forlighter land, while DW rollers are a betterchoice for heavier soil types. “If you reallywant to rip the soil up and leave it toweather then you can remove the rolleraltogether.”

A key aim of many modern cultivators isto loosen the ground and produce adecent seedbed without ‘boiling’ the soiland mixing the profile. KRM’s Maximulchuses a combination of low disturbance TCS tines with a wide share and 560mmconcave discs to lift the soil profile andcreate vertical fissuring while leaving alevel surface behind. The cut-out discsbreak up any surface panning and stubbleresidue, while the TCS tines can be adjusted down to a depth of 30cm.

“The discs are mounted on pigtail tines,

so they can move in three directions ratherthan just two,” says manging director KeithRennie. “This gives greater soil shatter andenables them to skip over stones.”

For a truly multipurpose piece of kit, takea look at He-Va’s CombiDisc. Designed tosubsoil, surface cultivate and consolidatein one pass it can be set up in differentways to work at any depth from the surfaceonly down to 35cm. The subsoiler legscome with either shear-pin or hydraulicreset, and can be lifted altogether for shallow disc cultivation if required. Thediscs can be adjusted to work at anythingdown to 12cm, and work independently ofthe frame to follow contours, explainsOpico’s Richard Amphlet.

By using a sabre disc rather than amore concave one, and mounting it on acurved arm, the disc is more upright whenworking on the surface, breaking soil sideways rather than scooping and smearing it. And when working at greaterdepths it is pulled to a steeper angle forimproved residue incorporation, he adds.

“Farmers need a cultivator that cancope with a massively changing industryas well as all conditions. Rather than having five cultivators you can have onethat works in five scenarios.” n

s

As contained systems, grain is inaccessible topests in the Danagri 3S silo.

Getting a crop to harvest isenough of a challenge for

growers, but for those dryingand storing their own grain,

the story doesn’t end withthe combine. CPM takes a

look at grain stores andgadgets to make the

process work for you.

By Melanie Jenkins

Machinery Storage and drying

The systems work with a huge amountof data, but the app will

just supply the farmer withwhat they need or want

to know.”

“

When operating a grain store, there’s a lot to think about; from grain movement to drying, moisture testing and systemcontrols. So what options are out there to maximise grain quality with minimalinput?

Danagri-3S While grain store design hasn’t changedmuch in recent years, it’s all about adoptingthe most efficient system for your farm.Danagri-3S specialises in silos, with mostsales in the UK from 250-1000t.

“With these, there’s the option to includean in-bin stirring machine which evens outthe moisture content,” explains the firm’sMark Unitt. Using this system, either an

ambient or gas heater can take the moisturecontent of feed wheat down by 2% throughout the whole bin within 24 hours. “If you need a slower drying rate for millingwheat, malting barley or oilseed rape, it canusually reduce moisture content by 0.5-1%per day,” he explains.

As a contained system, grain is inaccessible to pests, and in the winter, coldair can be vented through to reduce the riskof mycotoxins building up, he adds.

When it comes to filling the bin, you caneither use an auger or install an intake pit,speeding up harvest operations, says Mark.There are options of above-floor pits, level-floor pits or a dry pit system.

Above-floor pits comprise a hopper ––from 1m to 10m wide –– and are designedfor trailers to back up to and dump into.Conveyors with capacities from 25-150 t/hrthen transport grain to the silo.

Level-floor pits are becoming increasinglypopular where underfloor pits can’t be useddue to water table restrictions. The top of theintake conveyor is placed at floor height andcan be 12-30m in length according to itsstrength and capacity. This enables farmersto put in a large enough pit to accept a full trailer or lorryload. The conveyor thenempties the pit and can be turned off via a sensor when it’s empty.

The latest pit system is a dry pit fromJEMA. This is a modular build, sunken intakepit designed to avoid water ingress and

allow for conveyor servicing. It’s boltedtogether, sunk into a vertical concrete pitand then the edges are filled in with cementso there are no horizontal surfaces. The drypit system fits with the JEMA chain and flightconveyors T45, T49 and T57 and capacitiesrange from 12.7-48.3m3.

“When it comes to emptying the silo,Dangari-3S has a simple sweep augermachine which is carried into the silo oncethe grain has reached its angle of repose,”explains Mark. “It then circulates and dropsdown within the remaining grain and augersback to the centre sump leaving only a simple manual sweep-up operation.”A more popular method, and the latest trendin bin emptying, he says, is for a direct drivePowersweep system to be fitted in the bin.Remaining in the bin at all times it’s operatedby an electric motor on the external power

crop production magazine july 2019 75

More to the grainstore

s

The PLC dryer control panel sends alerts on dryerstatus, with all data logged for farm records.

Perry of Oakley’s automatic moisture controldetects incoming and outgoing moisturechanges.

Storage and drying

head. These sweeps are available in 6”,8” and 10” diameter for unloading speedsup to about 80 t/hr.

In the next year, Danagri-3S is looking toupdate its electronic systems to ease theflow of information to the farmer. “This will

make data on grain more accessible andautomate moisture readings using sensors,”explains Mark.

BDC Systems BDC Systems has developed an automaticsampling unit that can supply farmers withmoisture content readings as grain passesthrough the dryer.

It takes samples from the incoming wetgrain and outgoing dry elevators, which itprocesses through a multi-chamber ductincorporating a Sinar moisture probe specifically designed for this application.

Live readings showing the moisture content of both samples are displayed on a screen along with a graph showing the moisture trend, while historical data is storedfor future reference. It can also be linked toBDS’s control panel and data can be viewedremotely. “This information can be used toadjust dryer settings which will save moneyand ensure grain goes into storage at itsoptimum moisture content,” says Matt Graineof BDC. “The ultimate aim is to automate theentire process.”

Perry of OakleyPerry of Oakley’s PLC dryer control panelputs connectivity in the farmer’s hands,

using a 12-inch touch screen to regulatehandling and the dryer operations. The system can send over 70 alarms and messages relating to the dryer status, with all data logged for farm records.

The operator can enter crop type, intakemoisture content and target moisture content, and the panel then sets up thedryer parameters, with temperature and fanspeed set to suit crop type.

The auto discharge control system uses alist of adjustable parameters –– including thesensitivity, rate of sampling and target hotgrain temperature –– alongside the exhaustair temperature –– to control the process andmaintain a consistent moisture content of the

s

Dicam 2 has been made to peer-to-peer network,meaning it can connect with other systems like itself.

Storage and drying

discharged grain.The panel can also provide automatic

moisture control, which monitors the top and bottom of the dryer to detect incomingand outgoing moisture changes, thereby controlling the discharge speed accordingly.According to Perry of Oakley, the sensor isaccurate to 0.5% between 5% and 18%moisture content and within 1% between18% and 40%. Though it’s fully integratedwith the PLC control software, it can alsobe installed with any make of existing drieror standalone system.

Mobile phone app technology has finallymade its way to the grain store with Perryof Oakley’s app allowing farmers to viewthe plant control panel and have full remote control of the dryer from any smartphone or computer.

When it comes to physical grain drying,Perry’s Savannah series features fanswhich are controlled by an inverter, meaning there could be potential to savepower and crop lift off by running the fans at a reduced speed. The fan selectionhas been revised on previous models toreduce overall power consumption, giving a maximum fitted power of 22kWper fan.

The drier has been built with a 2mmthick grain column for additional strengthand longevity, while the top ducts are 3mmthick to prevent deformation and wear.

For handling very wet grain, the dryersare all fitted with Perry’s pneumatically controlled Shutter discharge to keep grainmoving down the column.

Farmex Farmex is soon to replace its process controller, Dicam, with an upgraded model.Used to regulate any process involving sensors, actuators, fans, heaters andbeyond, the firm claims the product has a strong track record in crop storage facilities. “It was built as a flexible agricultural control unit, so there’s no limitto what sort of sensors can be connectedto it and there’s no restraint to the capacityof the load,” explains Hugh Crabtree ofFarmex. Sensors can be used in read- and display-only mode or used as a function of process control.

Dicam 2 is due for commercial releasein 2020. It has been constructed to

peer-to-peer network, meaning it can connect with other systems like itself, totalflexibility regarding sensors and what it can control. However its processing andmemory are more powerful so iIt has many more connectivity options. Thismeans it can connect to other systems

on the farm and could become the datacapture platform for the whole site, says Hugh.

One of the main changes that end userswill see is that access to the system is available via a new mobile app. “Instead of going to the unit to change the settings,these can all be done remotely, as long as there’s network connectivity,” he adds.

Through the app, users will have accessto full functionality of their dryer, and willalso be able to use a limited range of data analysis tools. The unit collects an in-depthrange of data, but further analysis and subsequent access are granted through a subscription service, so the farmer cantailor access to their needs. “The systemswork with a huge amount of data, but theapp will just supply the farmer with whatthey need or want to know.” n

crop production magazine july 2019 77

The all-new FPT Industrial V20 engine is a 20.1-litre V8 behemoth that delivers a mighty911hp maximum power and 4095Nm maximumtorque.

Whether for the anaerobicdigester, silage clamp or

straw stack, the technologyfor gathering in forage has

moved on. CPM attends ademonstration day in Sussex

and reviews the latest balers.


MachineryForage and balers

We’ve focused on the

torque. But you needefficiency too.”“

Bring in the biomass

The pick-up reel drops into its pre-setposition, and the New Holland ForageCruiser settles back effortlessly to a pre-determined working speed, the chopping cylinder humming as it chewsthrough the grass swath.

“If you look at the power curve on thedisplay, you can see how she makes themost of the torque available,” notes product specialist Brian Magee. Which isall very well, but why is this flagship FR920self-propelled forage harvester a “she”?

Brian smiles. “Because if she wasn’t,she’d be nothing like such a joy to handle.”It’s true that this ease of operation, underpinned with a plethora of intelligentfeatures, has enabled a complete novice totake control of its joystick, buttons andtouchscreen interface after Brian’s brief five-minute introduction. These operate

perhaps one of the most powerful agricultural machines likely to passthrough Britain’s fields, which is currentlygathering up an organic grass ley of theGoodwood Estate in Sussex. It’s part of afield day put on by New Holland todemonstrate its range of agriculturalequipment.

Chop qualityLaunched at Agritechnica 18 months ago,the FR920 extends New Holland’s ForageCruiser range at the top end. It promisesbest-in-class chop quality, with a choice of two crop processors, all available in different roll configurations, claiming tocover every requirement from biogasapplications to shredded silage.

Underneath the yellow-and-blue liverylies CNH’s all-new FPT Industrial V20engine. This 20.1-litre V8 behemoth delivers a mighty 911hp (670kW) maximum power at 1600 to 1800 rpm,4095Nm maximum torque and a productivity-boosting 48% torque rise at 2100-1500 rpm.

The power curve has been specificallymapped to match the precise requirementsof foraging applications, explains forage andhay product marketing specialist Ian Bourke.

“We’ve focused on the torque –– youneed a good torque growth to handlelumps as they pass through the machine.But you need efficiency too.”

DLG tests have shown New Holland’s

Forage Cruiser range brings in a maizecrop with a fuel expenditure of as little as0.45 l/t. The V20 engine delivers its mostfuel-efficient performance in the 1600-1900 rpm working range. This,together with the low maintenance costs,results in a low total cost of operation,notes Ian.

The overall feeding system now featuresa 12.5% bigger intake channel thanks tohigher lifting potential of the intake rolls.There’s thicker steel at the front end, particularly on the back roll, which is now more aggressive. This upgrade inmetalwork and general build extendsthroughout the direct driveline of the FRForage Cruiser to ensure that all the powerfrom the mighty V20 engine is efficientlytransmitted to the driven parts.


A new heavy-duty four-wheel drive system, developed to deal with theincreased power and traction requirements,also delivers this to the ground, increasingthe maximum torque transferred to thewheels by 60% compared with the standard four-wheel drive system.Terralock automatically activates and

deactivates the four-wheel drive axledepending on the steering angle setting.

Also new for the FR Forage Cruiser aretwo new crop processors, bringing a totalof three available across the range. TheDuraCracker system has been designedwith reinforced frames and drives, raisingthe opening force by 50%. This delivers

Forage and balers


Large square bales with a higher density canreduce transport and storage costs. So how dothe leading manufacturers pack in more punch?

Intelligent densityKuhn’s LSB 1290iD (intelligent-Density) balerincorporates the company’s Twinpact plungersystem to pack in the force required to createhigher density bales. The machine’s drivelineand transmission upgrades create further benefits, says the company, allowing a 200hptractor to produce bales of over 500kg.

The LSB 1290iD is fully ISOBUS compatibleand can be controlled from an ISOBUS terminalon the tractor or via Kuhn’s CCI 1200 or CCI 50terminals.

Ultra main gearboxFendt claims its Squadra 1290 UD square balerdelivers the best bale density available on themarket today. The Squadra is fitted with an ultramain gearbox that packs in a press force of760kN, producing straw densities of up to245kg/m2.

Hot off the press is a new feature Fendt’s calling Intelligent Hay, which collects and processes information about each square bale.During the baling process, the baler collects bale-specific data on the quality, GPS position,moisture content, bale flakes, as well as information about additives and the bale lengthand weight. With the third or fourth twine, a special weather and temperature-resistant twinefitted with an RFID chip is cleverly woven intoeach bale. The RFID chip allocates a metric toeach bale, stored in a cloud memory, that can bescanned to access its data and displayed in theBaleLink app on a smartphone or tablet.

Crop compressionNew features on the intake of John Deere’slarge square baler range include a driven crop compression roller positioned behind the standard roller crop press. This improvescapacity in large windrows by up to 10%,says the manufacturer.

The three models in the range are the L1524(70x120cm), L1533 (90x80cm) and L1534(90x120cm). All three models feature a 2.3m

Intelligent ways to denser bales

five tine bar pick-up which incorporates the highcapacity inline auger and rotor design.

The driveline design features individual camclutch protection on the pick-up, rotor and feeder fork, meaning there’s no downtimechanging shearbolts should a blockage occur.The pre-chamber design is fitted with trip platespositioned at the top, designed to improve baleformation and consistency, regardless of swathsize or forward speed.

The L1500 Series large square balers areISOBUS compatible with most adjustments controlled and monitored directly from the cab.

Intelligent features New Holland’s BigBaler 1290 Plus features an80cm longer baler chamber over the priormodel, which, along with a number on intelligentfeatures, deliver up to 10% higher density saysthe manufacturer.

The BigBaler has IntelliCruise that automatically regulates tractor ground speed to maximize baling capacity and uniform baledensity, and SmartFill feed flow indicators thattell the operator in real time which direction they should drive over the swath for even baleformation.

There’s also the MaxiSweep pick-up designthat tackles high tonnage windrows with common components –– tine bars and reelbearings –– from the self-propelled forage harvester pick up. The plunger stroke rate per minute and the in-line crop flow, guided bythese features, combine to produce the higheroutput, says New holland.

The BigBaler is fully ISOBUS compatible forsingle screen technology, and be used with theIntelliView IV monitor in the tractor cab.

Integrated bale weighingThe Claas Quadrant 4200, 5200 and 5300models now include integrated bale weighing forthose who want to keep a close eye on balequality during the baling operation. Using scalesfitted in the bale ramp, the actual weighingprocess takes place automatically as part of theformation of each bale. Bales can be weighed at vehicle speeds of up to 20km/h, says Claas.

The driver can read the individual bale weight

directly from the ISOBUS control terminal displayin the cab or using the Claas Telematics you can generate the total area yield and the yielddistribution by individual field, showing the balelocation and the individual bale weights, alongwith its moisture level.

The Squadra is fitted with an ultra main gearboxthat packs in a press force of 760kN.

New on the intake of John Deere’s L1534 is adriven crop compression roller which improvescapacity in large windrows by up to 10%.

The Claas Quadrant 5300 now includesintegrated bale weighing.

uniform kernel cracking and a better processing performance to match the highoutputs of the most powerful model. TheDuraShredder adds rolls with additionalspiral cuts that shred the crop and delivermore intensive processing to both kerneland stover.

These processing systems, combined

s

The DuraCracker system, has been designedwith reinforced frames and drives.

The terracotta T6.180 is a Special Edition tractor rolled out to mark 100 years of parentcompany Fiat.

Forage and balers

with NH’s HydroLoc technology, ensureconstant chop length independently ofthroughput and crop type, says Ian, whilethe ActiveLoc system automatically adaptschop lengths to moisture content.

Up front, a new 9m maize headerequipped with six big drums is designedfor a tall crop and matches the capacity ofthe FR920. The header features a fast double-folding function and a fully hands-freesupport-wheel attaching function.

Tractor testNew Holland has widened its T6 range of tractors with three new six-cylindermodels: the T6.180 Auto Command,T6.180 Dynamic Command and T6.160Electro Command.

Seen first at SIMA in Paris earlier thisyear, it was a T6.180 Special Edition withDynamic Command that was available fora drive at Goodwood. Four Special Editiontractors have rolled out of the Basildonplant to mark 100 years of parent company Fiat –– two in New Holland heritage blue livery and two in a striking

terracotta colour.The new models have a NEF six-pot

6.7-litre engine under the hood, a provensource of power with NEF models widelyadopted on T6 and T7 tractors. It features an optimized EGR-free (exhaust gas recirculation) combustion for efficient operation, coupled with an HI-eSCR (selective catalytic reduction) after-treatmentsystem to comply with Stage IV (Tier 4B)emissions standards.

The more powerful engine block delivers a maximum torque of 740Nm at1500rpm, compared with the 700Nm of the4cyl. You notice this, with a low-end endtorque that significantly helps in pullingaway performance, and increased torqueat mid-engine speeds, which improvesengine lugging in transport and field applications.

The Dynamic Command transmissionlets you shift between eight gears underload, without having to change ranges.This is coupled with NH’s Ground SpeedManagement (GSM), and at SIMA, GSM IIwas launched. This brings CVT logic to a powershift tractor –– using a combination of data relating to engine load, forwardspeed and operator setting, it managesboth engine and transmission speeds tooptimise performance and economy.

The interface is similar to the AutoCommand, with speed adjustment on theCommandGrip joystick, target speedsadjustable on a thumbwheel, CruiseControl, and a logical layout on the display. The performance can be adjustedto prioritise Power/output or Economy.

Where the T6 is optioned with IntelliTurn–– automatic, repeatable end-of-row turns–– there’s now the option to automate thestart of the HTS II function (Headland TurnSequencing), based on distance from the

headland or field boundary when used inconjunction with IntelliTurn. The integrationof these two functions results in a completely automated end-of-row turn and implement function sequencing.

Pay attention, 007The AgXtend range is where New Hollandplaces its next-generation and precisionfarming gadgets. Sensor-based technology delivers real-time data on cropbiomass, soil or surrounding conditionsthat can be used to adjust inputs or informdecisions, and it was the CropXplorer thatwas available for a test drive atGoodwood.

This is an Isaria attachment, mountedon a standard three-point hitch or frontweight, that comprises two optical sensorsset 6.9m apart on a foldable boom. Thesehave their own light source and scan thebiomass of the crop, sending data back tothe cab via Bluetooth. The Map + Overlay


s

Having a separate wrapper in the field whenbaling up forage ties up an extra tractor andoperator and causes extra trafficking, but anumber of manufacturers offer combinationmodels with their round balers.

Kuhn’s range of baler-wrapper combinationsincludes the i-BIO+ and FBP 3135 BalePack.All have a standard 2.3m wide pick-up, IntegralRotor intake system and hydraulic dropfloor, aswell as a choice of two OptiCut intake rotorsand Kuhn’s IntelliWrap system.

The i-BIO+ is an ultra-compact lightweightand manoeuvrable machine ideally suited tosloping ground, smaller fields and areas withrestricted access. The first combination baler-wrapper to offer Kuhn’s film-binding system, it also operates with conventional netbinding with a simple switch between them.The FBP 3135 BalePack is a fixed-chamberround baler-wrapper combination designed forhigh output working. Both designs handle bales

Combi solutions to pick up, roll and wrap

up to 1.25m in diameter.Pöttinger has two baler-wrapper combination

models in its Impress range of variable chamberround balers. The 155 VC PRO produces balesup to 1.55m in diameter while the 185 VC stepsthis up to 1.85m. There’s a smooth bale transferto the company’s twin satellite wrapper unit,which features satellite arms mounted frombelow the table to increase wrap stability andapplication, says the company.

John Deere’s C451R and C461R variable-chamber wrapping balers feature a full-frame chassis and use the Fast ReleaseSystem in conjunction with a high capacity feeding system. The balers now feature a 15%faster wrapper working at 40rpm and an 18%faster table transfer system compared with theprevious C440R model. These new wrappingbalers are also available with a tandem axle asstandard.

Fendt’s solution is the Rotana Combi

machine. A moving transfer arm pushes the baleonto the lower table. To prevent it from slipping,the bale transfer ramp is also equipped withmoving side parts. The tilt angle of the mainchamber has also been reduced to 8° toimprove stability on slopes and the throughput ofthe combi-machines. all Rotana Combi machineshave a film preload as standard and there’s achoice of three different spans, depending onthe type and quality of the film.

Claas has its Uniwrap, available for the fixed-chamber Rollant 455/454 and 375 balers.The wrapping process has been accelerated byover 30% –– just 23 secs for six layers of film–– while bale transfer takes 12 secs.Pre-stretching of up to 82% ensures airtightbale wrapping and reduced film consumption,says Claas.

The FBP 3135 BalePack is a fixed-chamberround baler-wrapper combination designed forhigh output working.

The Crop Xplorer is an Isaria attachment,comprising two optical sensors set 6.9m apart on a foldable boom.

There’s a smooth bale transfer on the 155 VC PRO to the twin satellite wrapper unit.

Forage and balers

mode of the on-board software allowsfarmers to use yield potential maps in combination with the sensors for on-the-go adjustments to N applications.

Designed to be easy to set up and use, no calibration is required, and it’scompatible with ISOBUS fertiliser spreaders as well as most of the non-ISOBUS spreaders capable of variable rate application.

SoilXplorer consists of a contactless,front-mounted soil sensor using electromagnetism to measure soil conductivity at four different depths:0-25cm, 15-60cm, 55-95cm, 85-115cm.These measurements can be used for twomain purposes: mapping to determine soiltype and heterogeneity as well as relativewater content, and detecting areas ofcompaction for variable depth soil cultivation.

There’s also the NIR sensor that can bemounted on all types of equipment, suchas forage harvesters, combines, balersand slurry tankers, and feed back on

criteria such as yield, moisture as well ascrop constituents. On forage harvestingmachines, it can determine ADF (aciddetergent fibre), NDF (neutral detergentfibre), starch, ash and crude fat. Used ona slurry tanker, it monitors the amount ofnitrogen applied.

The FarmXtend App is a weather stationusing a number of connected sensors tomonitor in-field conditions. WeatherXactmeasures temperature and humidity at aheight of 1m and at crop level. RainXact is a rain gauge, while SoilXact records soilmoisture and temperature at differentdepths. Bringing the data together is aclever app that can determine diseasepressure (based on temperature andhumidity) for a variety of crops as well as optimal time for spraying.

The Xpower’s a little bit different andmay be the most intriguing of the bunch.It’s an electro-herbicide –– rather thanspraying the weed, it zaps them, and iscapable of destroying the complete plantdown to the roots, with no environmental

pollutants or residue. It consists of electrodes that pass over and come incontact with the weed to complete the circuit and deliver the shock that fries it.Application booms are available in different working width from 1.2-3m.

The AgXtend range of products can befully integrated into New Holland’s existingPLM precision farming platforms. n


The use of telemetry for wireless two-way instanttransfer of data between

farm kit and computer tech is on the rise. CPM visits a

Cambs farming operationwhere John Deere and its

local dealer are helping toget the most from the

technology.

By Martin Rickatson

MachineryOn Farm Opinion

We’re keen to tap into the

data accumulated inrecent years and gain

more from such technology.”

“Telematics proves its worth

Between thumb and forefinger, Ed Kingholds up and examines a computer memory stick. One of the smallest day-to-day implements of modern farmmanagement, it’s an easily recognisabletool of the trade for those who practiseprecision farming, with its ability to storeand transfer records, field maps and ahuge amount of information.

Yet for all its capabilities, it’s delicate,easy to lose, can become corrupted andstill has to be moved physically betweenfarm office computer and tractor, sprayeror combine when up or downloading data.While the latter doesn’t sound like a bigundertaking, you could be left in a field anhour from the farm, with a corrupted orincorrect stick, or without one at allbecause it’s been mistakenly left behind.

Ed King (right, with John Hall) has been chargedwith driving an initiative to help realise the valueof telemetry and telematics across the Sentrybusiness.

This means wasted time and fuel returningto base or having someone deliver it to themachine.

Sentry’s Cambs farming business is moving to make the memory stick largelyredundant, however, using telemetry tomove, process and present data. It’s valued by arable manager Ed King for its ability to wirelessly and immediatelytransfer data from machine to computerand vice-versa. This is not just for record creation but also to allow remotemonitoring of ongoing activities andmachine health both by himself and –– with his permission –– by the dealer. Underthe guidance of regional director John Hall,Ed’s driving an initiative to help realise thevalue of this technology across the Sentrybusiness.

Reference farmWith the help of John Deere and its localdealer, Ben Burgess, the aim is to create a‘reference farm’ at Sentry’s Chatteris baseto show the full capabilities of Deere’s suiteof Agricultural Management Solutions(AMS) precision farming systems and technologies, under which its telematicstechnology falls. From there, the plan is to help roll out use of the technologyacross the wider Sentry business.

“We’ve been increasing our use of precision farming technology across Sentryarable units year-on-year,” explains John.

“That began with yield mapping, and progressed to auto-steering using John

Deere’s AutoTrac technology –– Deere isSentry’s preferred tractor supplier. Morerecently we’ve begun variably applying seed and nutrients.

“The development of telematics and thegreater levels of data management andanalysis it brings means we’re keen to tapinto the data accumulated in recent yearsand gain more from such technology. WithEd working alongside Ben Burgess andJohn Deere to create a model reference farm here for AMS and its FarmSight tools,including JDLink telematics for use in job,field and fleet management, we have theopportunity to find out what’s possible, setsome standards and apply them across all our farms.”

Comprising 300ha farmed around


AMS allows Ed to monitor ongoing activities andmachine health remotely and – with hispermission – so can the dealer.

Using the MyJohnDeree app on his smartphone,Ed can remotely check work progress, fuel levelsand other data.

Chatteris for multiple landowners, plus a further 300ha nearby at Downham Market, Sentry’s Cambs operation growscombinable crops, with crop establishmentservices carried out on another 250ha, and the business also providing individualcontract operations. With soils spanningclay loam through to sand over gravel,yield mapping has been used for someyears to identify areas of significant variation. Over the past year, this has been supported by fully-updatedSOYLsense soil analysis and mapping plus variable-rate drilling.

“Two years ago we began talking withDeere and Ben Burgess about the costs and benefits of bringing more aspects of precision farming into our everyday practices,” says John.

“The offer was made to help us set up a‘reference farm’ to identify the equipmentwe required, and increase our knowledgeof and confidence in the capabilities andvalue of telematics, so we could aid theadoption of the technology on other Sentryunits.

“As a recent recruit to the team, joiningus four years ago as a trainee, Ed brings a new skill set, and being young and especially proficient in this area of technology, he’s taken on the mantle ofprecision farming specialist within Sentry.As he develops his knowledge of its usesand benefits here, he’ll use that experienceto help other managers.”

With the farm’s purchase two years ago of a John Deere 750A direct drill tominimise soil movement for blackgrasscontrol, one of the first moves in the step

up in its precision farming activity was anupgrade from 15cm auto-steering signalguidance to full 2.5cm RTK for the farm’sdrilling tractor, in order to also switch tocontrolled traffic.

“We plough and use an Amazone Cirruscultivator drill for winter barley and peas onour lighter soils, but are gradually workingtowards full direct drilling on our heavierland,” explains Ed.

Switch to RTK“In the same year as the switch to RTKguidance, via a mobile RTK solution signalsupplied from our dealer Ben Burgess’sRTK network, fields were mapped and,pre-drilling, tramlines established on thefarm PC, this information then being accessible remotely by the drilling tractor.Wireless data transfer means this mapping,

traffic paths and tramlines can be sharedacross all of our tractors via theMyJohnDeere telematics portal.

A central, secure web portal accessible via a PC, tablet or smartphone that

On Farm Opinion


s

A move to RTK and progress towards CTF followed the purchase of a JohnDeere 750A direct drill.

connects users to data fromtheir machines, MyJohnDeere.comis used for up/downloading field, fleet and machine info, monitoring machines andanalysing data. Deere’s FarmSight portfolio encompassesthe maker’s machines, AMS precision farming technology and dealer-driven remote services. At JDLink’s launch, Deere committed to all-makes connectivity to any machine

with a power source, systemopenness, seamless integrationof products and systems and transfer of data, and comprehensive data privacy and security.

The company also promisedto work with firms such as implement manufacturers, inputsuppliers and software providers.It’s taken an ‘open system’approach and inviting virtuallyany firm to become a John Deere

partner by implementing a datacommunication interface to the Operations Center inMyJohnDeere.com. It also created a physical data storagelocation in Europe, in which itpromises full data security and privacy.

Paul Moss is FarmSight specialist with Ben Burgess, andguided Ed through the initiallearning/training process oncethe business had subscribed toJDLink and remote data transferand analysis could commence. “A single login leads to the various John Deere appsonMyJohnDeere.com, such asthe JDLink telematics app andthe Operations Centre app,which provides an overview ofmachine location and workprogress,” he explains.

Data handling“The Data and AccountManagement system withinMyJohnDeere.com ensuressecure data handling and protection, and accounts are set up so that only the customercontrols data access.

“There are two JDLink subscription levels. Free, entry-level JDLink Access + RDAprovides remote machine moni-toring and location-based data.Using the machine’s CANbussystem, analysis of engine loadhelps identify the time spentdoing different tasks and onidling, to target improvements inworking efficiency.”

The RDA element (remote display access) enables the

On Farm Opinion


owner/manager and/or dealer to remotely access the display toprovide operator assistance,monitor and possibly addressissues with the tractor withoutattending site, saving downtimeand service costs, says Paul.

“The second version, JDLinkConnect, which Sentry Cambs isusing, is a subscription-basedservice that provides all theJDLink Access benefits pluswireless data transfer for sending/receiving agronomicdata such as prescription andas-applied maps.”

Co-ordinating the farm’s new RTK-accurate A-B lines with SOYL-derived nutrient mapping, both uploaded toMyJohnDeere.com on the officePC and then accessible throughthe John Deere GreenStar terminal in the tractor cab, hasmeant that this year for the firsttime the farm variably-applied nutrients.

“Throughout the year, satellite imagery uploaded toMyJohnDeere helped gaugeeach field’s additional nitrogenneeds, allowing us to variably-apply accordingly,”says Ed.

“Similarly, for pretty much anyfield task that relies on data, fieldmaps and/or guidance, therequired information is availablevia MyJohnDeere at the touch of a screen button on the terminal in the tractor cab as well as on the farm PC and myphone. The only information I can’t see on the latter are themaps.

Land farmed by Sentry Cambs comprises a block around Chatteris and oneat Downham Market, plus crop establishment and contracting for others.

s

Sentry Cambridgeshire, Chatteris, Cambsl Area farmed: 600ha plus a further

250ha of contract crop establishmentl Soil type: Clay loam through to sand

over gravell Cropping: Winter wheat, winter OSR,

winter barley, spring barley, spring peas,plus land let for parsnips and potatoes

l Staff: Ed King and one full time arable operator

l Tractors: John Deere 7290R, 6215R,6210R, plus harvest/autumn hire of 320hp crawler

l Combine: 9m Claas Lexion 580+l Sprayer: 36m Horsch Leeb GS trailedl Drills: 6m John Deere 750A, 6m

Amazone Cirrusl Key cultivation equipment: Kuhn 6f

plough, 6m Väderstad Carrier, 6m Grange low disturbance toolbar, 3m Sumo Trio

Farm facts

A modular telematics gateway (MTG) box willallow the JD StarFire receiver to be used with the tracked tractor hired in this summer.


“With the spread of land we work across,it’s good to not rely on a memory stick, withthe associated risks of damage or the wronginformation, and it’s reassuring that datatransfer is guaranteed 100% reliable andinstantly up-to-date. In addition to our ownwork, that’s particularly important for the contract tasks we undertake when it comesto logging jobs and billing. With RTK mapping and instant data recording, we know exactly how much work has beendone.”

Part of the Operations Centre of theuser’s personalised MyJohnDeere.comweb portal, the MyJobsConnect job management tool can be accessed either from the office computer ortablet/smartphone app, with transmittedinformation including job type, customerand field names, product application (egseed or fertiliser rates) and the equipmentused. It also makes possible viewing ofmachine locations and work progress.

“Being able to track location is especiallyuseful when carting –– I know exactly wheretrailers are and how soon one is likely toreturn. It’s also handy for seeing how muchof an operation has been completed, knowing when fuel is required and spottingan issue with a tractor or implement, perhaps before the driver has had time tocontact me.”

Conversely, he’s also received occasionalnotifications from his dealer of tractor issuesthat required attention.

“Dealer monitoring, for which we’ve givenpermission to Ben Burgess, has proved itsworth a couple of times when they’ve notifiedus of machine operating issues, which we’vethen been able to investigate.”

Further supportOf the further support available from hisdealer, Ed says he has had little need of it yet, but reckons the initial face-to-facetraining with someone who knows the system well was useful in helping learn toget the best from it.

“We’ve probably not yet used anywherenear all of what the system can do –– thingslike finding and ordering parts is one area,although we do use it to check parts numbers when ordering on the phone,” continues Ed.

“The next step would be linking what our sprayer is doing wirelessly toGatekeeper, which we use for crop recording, and then link to our stock recording and auditing throughMyJohnDeere. Currently I’m manually entering agronomist recommendations into Gatekeeper.”

There is a compatibility issue, however.“Although the GreenStar 4600 terminal usedin our sprayer tractor is the latest version, itcannot talk to Gatekeeper, while the olderGS2630 used in our other main tractor can.Ultimately this should be addressed so wecan make this a completely paperless andwireless process, from recommendations tojob recording.”

He notes that Deere’s compatibility claimis borne out by the fact the farm’s trailed36m sprayer is of a different make.

“We run a Horsch, operated via ISOBUSthrough the Deere GS4600 terminal, andhave had no compatibility issues, either withoperating the sprayer or recording andtransferring operating data. Wireless data transfer really comes into its own when spraying, for things like sendingfield/tramline maps and recommendations.Once it’s mapped and its tramlines areplaced and recorded the first time, any new contract land is instantly logged into

our system.”Compatibility will be further tested when

the farm takes on a 350hp tracked tractor ofa different make on a short-term hire thissummer, primarily for soil loosening with a12-leg/6m Grange toolbar.

“We’ll require a modular telematics gateway (MTG) box to marry the tractor tothe John Deere StarFire receiver andGreenStar terminal that we’ll put on thetractor in order to transfer data wirelessly, butwhile we won’t be able to monitor the tractoritself, once this is installed the field datatransfer to MyJohnDeere.com should workas well as with a Deere tractor,” says Ed.

“As a contract farming company this datamanagement is just as important to us as ifwe owned the land –– it makes us moreefficient. Our farming is based on short-termagreements, but we farm for the long term,targeting the best returns by using the rightequipment. The management of data accumulated, though, remains ultimately withthe farm owner, to whom it would pass werewe to leave a farm.

“Telematics isn’t so much about hardware–– we already had the necessary satellitereceivers, in-cab terminals, office PC and smartphone. It’s about a little extrainvestment in software to help get muchmore out of the technology. It means I’m able to do more management from thetractor seat –– there are only two of us

full-time.”John says long-term relationships

between Sentry, Ben Burgess and JohnDeere have been instrumental in helping put in place a system he believes has thepotential to bring about significant savings in management and maintenance costs.

“This pilot project to allow us to assessthe benefits of telematics required a three-way commitment between us, makingdealer and manufacturer trust essential, but we’ve seen tangible results that haveconvinced us of its value.” n

The Operations Centre app on MyJohnDeereprovides an overview of machine location andwork progress.

On Farm Opinion

Sam Watson-Jones believes the change currentlyunderway in agriculture’s fourth industrialrevolution is far more fundamental than just an upgrade in tractor technology.

Politicians enthuse about it,but whether farming will

embrace the fourth industrialrevolution or sit sceptically

behind the curve may dependon a change of mindset. CPM

explores the World ofOpportunity.


MachineryDigital Direction

Farmers in 20 years’ time will

think of themselves in acompletely different

way.”

“Mind out for 4IR

As a CPM reader, who leans towards the progressive side of agriculture, thatheadline probably drew you in. But haveyou truly considered what farming’sfourth industrial revolution (4IR) couldmean for your business, how you interactwith your land, with society and yourfamily, and how you will exist as afarmer?

That may sound a bit touchy-feely for anindustry that talks in terms of hp per mwidth, that seeks to shave a few % off fueluse, and which applies an agrochemicaljust in time for an incremental yield gain.But 4IR could do away with all such measures and more, and leave in its wake

Photo: Shutterstock (Visual generation) and Tim Scrivener

a generation of producers searching for anew paradigm of what it actually means tobe a farmer.

It’s this complete change of mindsetthat lies at the heart of the farming visiontowards which the Small Robot Company(SRC) is striving, explains co-founder andShrops farmer Sam Watson-Jones. “It’s allvery well developing a new concept and anew service that will carry out field work.But the danger is that the industry will simply look on Small Robots as tractorreplacements –– the change is far morefundamental,” he says.

Team of farmbotsSRC launched around 18 months ago withthe concept of a new service where fieldwork would be carried out by a team ofthree farmbots: Tom, Dick and Harry willplant, feed and weed arable cropsautonomously, while Wilma is the AI (artificial intelligence) brain behind theoperation, gathering and storing data andapplying algorithms to decide tasks. Theaim is to cut chemicals by up to 95%, prevent soil erosion and run-off, andreduce cultivation emissions by up to 90%.Significant cost-of-production savings areon the cards for farmers.

Since its launch, SRC has attracted£2.5M in funding, both from private

investors (mostly farmers) as well as government funding through its IndustrialStrategy. Some of the UK’s brightest brainsin robotics and AI are now working withSRC on developing the prototypes andalgorithms (see panel overleaf).

But Sam believes it’s just part of a seismic change agriculture will undergoover the next 10-20 years. “The whole


concept of the digital farm opens up acompletely new range of possibilities,” he says. “The most successful farmers willbe those who look beyond the boundariesthat currently limit what the business does.They’ll take on new measures towardsachieving a different set of goals –– farmers in 20 years’ time will think of themselves in a completely different way.”

And there’s the rub –– farming, morethan other industries, has historically been relatively reluctant to change, hesuggests. “If my great grandfather was tocome back to our farm today, I reckon itwouldn’t take him long before he was upto speed with how the business operated.Compare that to a pre-war doctor or engineer –– technology has transformedbeyond recognition the way in which somany other industries operate.”

It’s a concern shared by Defra andAHDB –– both have commissionedresearch to explore farmers’ decision-makingbehaviour. Dr David Rose of the Universityof East Anglia has led some of this andhas more recently looked at how the farming industry can overcome some ofthe barriers to change.

“It’s a big problem in agriculture,” hesays. “Companies like Apple and Google

know how to market their innovations andhave an infrastructure in place that setsout to understand end users, their needs,and preferences. This ultimately makesuptake of their products far more likely.”

In agriculture, however, so often theinnovations are developed with no farmerinvolvement at all, so adoption can be aslow process. “The user-centric design isso important, but one of the difficulties fora manufacturer bringing a new product tomarket is commercial sensitivity –– that’swhy so much innovation goes on behind

closed doors,” explains David.Defra-funded work, published in

Nov 2016, identified 15 factors that areinfluential in convincing farmers and advisers to use decision-support tools.These are seen as a route to lead usersthrough decision-making, but similar factors influence uptake of innovations.The core factors are:1. Performance expectancy – the desire

for a tool to perform well2. Ease of use – instantaneous results

from a tool that’s user-friendly

Britney (left) and Rachael – the two prototypes of farmbot Tom who will monitor fields on a plant by plant basis.

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Digital Direction

3. Peer recommendation – endorsement from another farmer or through an adviser network is a key determinant

4. Trust – there must be faith in the sourceof the tool

5. Cost – a free tool is more likely to be tried

6. Habit – whether it fits in with a farmer’s usual routine

7. Relevance to user – it should be flexibleto serve the needs of the individual

8. Farmer-adviser compatibility – it works well when both use the same tool


Digital Direction

SRC has had an intensive year of gathering dataand putting the technology through its paces, withthe two current prototypes of Tom –– Rachaeland Britney. The engineering and AI team is nowjust about to start a ‘Super Secret Summer Camp’at its new headquarters in Salisbury.

“It’s a bit like a hackathon,” explains SRC co-founder Ben Scott-Robinson. “We have a vastamount of data to process which is shaping thealgorithms. There’s also the design of Tom himselfto refine. The team will hunker down and focus ondelivering a pre-commercial service to our FarmerAdvisory Group (FAG) members this autumn.”

Since SRC started, it’s captured huge interestand publicity as well as picking up a raft of technology awards. This has been important to draw in funding, as well as to help recruit leading-edge talent in robotics and AI from acrossthe UK and further afield, says Ben. “The visibilitywe’ve had across all sectors has brought inexpertise and innovations from a far broader fieldthan just agriculture.”

It means the two prototypes are equipped withan impressive array of gadgetry that tells therobot exactly where it is, as well as sensors andcameras to capture crop growth and status. “Forfull autonomy, precise geo-referencing is essential

The robotic route – evolution of a pioneering technology

–– that technology has come on in leaps andbounds so that Tom is now navigating with muchgreater accuracy and efficiency,” he continues.

“He’s also about to acquire a nose –– we’reworking with partners developing a sensor thatdetects volatile organic compounds that will bringvaluable data on soil health and nutrient status.”

The first prototype ‘T4’ has also been trialled.The Tactical Tall-Tom Trolley is a somewhat largerfour-wheel-steer high-clearance bot, designed tocapture data from up to a metre above the croplater in the season. “Over the summer we’ll beworking on the redesign of Tom so he’s ready to go for the start of the next cropping season,”says Ben.

The prototype of Dick and Harry –– Jack ––was seen first by farmers at last year’s CropTec.This is an arachnid, four-legged design that foldsin for transport and will soon carry up to a one-tonne payload. “We’ve been carrying out load and motion testing with the aim of bringing a moving Jack into the field this autumn,”he reports.

“Now electronic weed-zapping technology is under development for next year.”

But it’s the AI brain behind the bots, Wilma,who may have received the biggest transformationover the past 12 months. “The first step sheachieved last year was to recognise wheat fromnon-wheat. She’s made huge strides this seasonin weed recognition, and our focus now is onblackgrass –– the first service we’ll be rolling out will be reliable weed recognition and geo-location.”

Ben’s tight-lipped on details of just what sort ofservice farmers can expect to see this autumn.“What’s exciting is that there really is nothing elselike this in agriculture at present. We’ve also beendeveloping a web-user interface that will bringfarmers and agronomists into Wilma’s world.”

This is the area that could see a dramatic leap forward in the near future, and not just inagriculture, he enthuses. “Augmented and virtualreality (AR and VR) systems are being developed in

other sectors. We’re looking at how we can use VRfor example to give agronomists a better remoteview of crops than the poor resolution, top-downview offered by satellites and drones. AR couldgive you an insight into your crops you’d never get with the naked eye.”

SRC is also working with others across industryto develop a set of human-robot interaction (HRI)protocols. “We don’t want to be on the back footwith legislation; that’s already caught out dronetechnology. The aim is to develop rules proactivelythat regulators will accept as industry standard.”

With the technology advancing at such a pace,however, Ben admits it’s a challenge just to stayfocused. “This is where the farmer involvementthrough the FAG has proved invaluable, and wherethe Hundred Club will also come in –– everythingcurrently is driving towards delivering a servicethat will be valued by farmers as soon as possible.It’s a massive task we’ve set ourselves, but I’mactually surprised how much we’ve alreadyachieved, and that buoys us towards our goal.”

Jack, the prototype of Dick and Harry, first seenat CropTec, has an arachnid, folding designand will soon carry up to a one-tonne payload.Photo: StillVision Photography

The visibility SRC has had across all sectors has brought in expertise and innovations from a far broader field than just agriculture, saysBen Scott-Robinson.

A number of factors modify the strengthof the core factors: age, farm size, farmtype, and level of IT education. Facilitatingconditions, such as broadband availabilityand ability to use the tool in wet weather,affect use. Finally, there are driving factors,such as whether its use is needed forcompliance purposes and the level of marketing a tool receives.

But once it reaches the farmer, how canyou tell if you’re someone who’s morereceptive to new thinking? “The first pointis that it doesn’t have to be about new

technology –– it’s the enquiring mind,”David says. “So simply introducing a newsystem to monitor a key variable, such astiller counts, could be just as innovative asusing a drone or an app.”

Ask yourself if you regularly try something different, he suggests. “If youmake mistakes, that’s good, as long asyou learn from them.”

Collaborative outlookAnd a crucial aspect is to look beyond the farm gate and to have an open,

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David Rose says there’s much to be learned fromcompanies like Apple and Google, who know howto market their innovations.


Digital Direction

collaborative outlook. “The peer-to-peerapproach is one of the strongest drivers ofchange in agriculture. Those who leave thefarm to go to farmer meetings, who joinfarmer networks, with the aim of learningsomething new –– as well as sharing knowledge –– are most likely to catch thebow wave of positive change.”

So what’s his verdict on SRC? “Perhapsthe biggest challenge it faces is deliveringon performance expectancy –– provingthere’s value to a system that’s still verymuch at concept stage will be key. On top

Introducing a new system to monitor tiller countscould be just as innovative as using a drone or an app.

of that, there are fundamental issues that alloperators in this space face –– whetherautonomous technology is safe to use, andthe socio-economic impact on the industry.”

But David believes some of the difficulties new technologies struggle withmay be managed through SRC’s Farming asa Service (FaaS) concept –– the farmerdoesn’t buy the robots, but pays for a service to be delivered, with all the technicalintricacies of the technology handled bySRC engineers. “This service-based modeladdresses big barriers, such as lack of technical knowledge, and so long as there’sacost-benefit, the initial cost of buying thetechnology is minimised.”

What makes SRC stand out in his view isthe collaborative approach, however. Theconcept started through a series of farmerinterviews, and a farmer advisory group isregularly consulted and kept up to date withprogress. “There seems to be a real appetiteto consult and engage with the farming community, shown in the way SRC has setout to understand farmers, the problemsthey face and address them. This user-ledapproach has a lot going for it, and I thinkthe work they’ve done so far is interesting,although there’s always the challenge of

making sure you are consulting all types of farmers, not just the keenest ones,” notes David.

Sam points out the farmer involvement isbeing expanded, through SRC’s HundredClub. This panel of additional farmers willjoin the initial 20 and come on board as thefirst to trial SRC’s robotics service when it’sready for large-scale commercial trials in2021, as well as helping the technology take

For farmers with the right mindset, the thinkingstrategies are far more valuable than anytechnology they’ll take on and adapt in the future.

shape. “But we’re very much focused onseeking out the keenest farmers who willchampion the technology going forward,”he adds.

Farm Ambition BlueprintHe’s taken the focus on mindset one stepfurther, too, with the Farm Ambition Blueprint(FAB). This is a series of full-day, quarterlyworkshops that take place over the course ofthree years. The purpose of the programmeis to develop thinking about how new technologies could change your businessand open up new opportunities.

“As farmers, often we’re so wrapped up in

Digital Direction

addressing the hundreds of operationaldecisions we take every day, we ignore thetwo or three big ones that really pointtowards achieving our goals,” explains Sam.

So the workshops aim to give participants more clarity about what they want their farm to become and a better focus on activities that add the most value. This is all presented within the context of technology convergence,

which is where SRC’s specialist knowledgecomes in.

“There’s never been a better time to reallyexplore this,” enthuses Sam. “We’re living inan age where robotics are at a level that’sactually useful for farmers. Couple that with our ability to gather data, and it nowreally is possible to think of a crop on aplant-by-plant basis. But alongside this, AIhas developed to a level where many of the

The Hundred Club – a wider advisory panel offarmers, who are regularly consulted as thetechnology takes shape and will trial SRC’srobotics service when it’s ready for large-scalecommercial trials in 2021. Contact SRC for further information and the application form tojoin the group.Farm Ambition Blueprint – a business coaching programme designed to develop yourthinking about how new technologies couldchange your business and open up new opportunities. Similar to Harper Adams’ newAdopting Precision Technology in Agriculture(APTA) course, FAB focuses on personal development. Full-day quarterly workshops over

The Small Robot Company – how to get involved

three years, starting Nov 2019. Cost: £1200/yr,with a tenfold return guarantee.Farmer investors – join the hundreds of farmerswho took a stake in farming’s future and investedduring the recent Crowdcube funding campaign,which raised £1.2M in equity. The campaign hasclosed, but there will be future opportunities toinvest. Contact SRC to join the prospectiveinvestor list.l For more details on how to get involved with The Small Robot Company and to view The Ambitious Farmer, a book which explores the personal journal of technological change, go tohttp://www:smallrobotcompany.com/farmambition


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What makes SRC stand out is the collaborativeapproach, with farmers such as Andrew Hoad,of Waitrose’s Leckford Estate, one of its farmeradvisory group.

As arable farms progress towards a digitalfuture, it can be difficult to know which forms ofdata generation, capture and analysis provide areally worthwhile benefit to the business, andwhich are costly and time-wasting distractions.CPM is working with some of the industry’sleading companies in this area to bring growerssome Digital Direction. These articles track thesignificant steps on the journey towards thedata-enabled farm, and also explain and profilethe technologies involved.

CPM would like to thank the Small RobotCompany for sponsoring this Digital Directionarticle and for providing privileged access to staffand material used to help bring it together.

Digital Direction

Small Robot Companyis reimagining farmingwith robotics and artificialintelligence. Its farmbotsTom, Dick and Harry willplant, feed and weedarable cropsautonomously, with minimal waste. This willenable farmers to bemore efficient, more precise and more productive, and is also kinder to soil and theenvironment.www.smallrobotcompany.com

Digital Direction

hundreds of decisions needed to nurtureeach of these plants can be done withoutfarmer involvement.”

And potentially, that redefines entirely therole of the farmer itself, he argues. “FAB isabout focusing on the farm business ratherthan being lost within it.” He accepts thatfew farmers, “only the most ambitious”,would stump up the £1200/yr total cost ofthe workshops, but is offering a tenfoldreturn guarantee.

“Over three years of investing in FAB,we’ll give you ideas and strategies that, if executed, can create a minimum of a tenfold return on your total investment in the programme. If, at the end of the firstyear, you don’t feel that you’re on the wayto realising this and you’re not getting value from the tools and techniques we’reoffering, we’ll provide you with a fullrefund,” assures Sam.

But he’s confident that it’s those who


invest in their personal development who’ll bethe ones who’ll reap the rewards from 4IR.“For the right farmer, with the right mindsetand right approach, the thinking strategiesare far more valuable than any technologythey’ll take on and adapt in the future.” n


Have you driven past a crop of barley as it’s coming intofull ear, looking great, then aweek later you drive past thesame field and it looks as ifsomeone has sprayed it withglyphosate? That’s how quicklythe devastating effects oframularia can take place.

Ramularia is fast becoming a global problem in winter andspring barley production, and is now present in 14 countries.It’s quite easy to confuse thedisease for net blotch and otherabiotic leaf effects, although the5R rule helps (see picture).

Having been to two ramulariaresearch meetings in the lastsix months, agronomists andresearchers from as far afieldas New Zealand and Uruguayare saying the same thing:there’s no genetic resistanceand there’s broad-based resistance to strobilurins, triazoles and SDHIs. Ramulariais classed as a high-riskpathogen to resistance, equalto septoria, and investigationshave shown that many differentmutations to the key fungicidesall co-exist.

The only fungicide that offersany control is chlorothalonil,soon to be lost throughoutEurope due to regulation. Thisis a shame as I’ve seen severalfungicide trials on winter barleyover the past few years, andwhere ramularia was present,

yield responses from the addition of CTL were on average over 1t/ha. There wasn’t a similar response fromthe inclusion of other multisitefungicides available such as

folpet or mancozeb.So what exactly makes

it a unique and difficult disease to control?

The fungus is predominantly seed-borne,

and it grows systemically andasymptomatically in the plant.It’s undetectable until the plantchanges from vegetative toreproductive growth, and some“stress event” takes place.Stress triggers the productionof toxins called rubellins, whichcause the chlorosis and necroticspotting on the leaves.Flowering can be enough totrigger this response, butthere’s also evidence thatwaterlogging and possibly lateseason PGRs can also act as a trigger.

More knowledge is neededas to what physiologicalchanges occur in the plant that induce the changes in the behaviour of the fungus, i.e. the point it changes from endophytic to necrotrophic.

It’s also thought that theexpression of rubellin and theleaf symptoms are dependenton light intensity. Laboratory trials have shown that lightintensity prior to inoculationproduces greater rubellin production than plants grownunder low light conditions.Could chlorothalonil be actinglike a sunscreen and preventingsome UV light penetration into the leaf tissues, therebyminimising the stimulation of rubellin formation? Leaf wetness around flowering isalso a key influencer in theamount of disease expression.

Logically, one would havethought that a seed test could determine the risk of the disease, with it being a

seed-borne disease.Unfortunately, research to datehas not established a good correlation between the quantityof ramularia DNA in the seedand how much eventuallyappears in the leaf of an infected plant.

Wheat, oats, and rye can all get ramularia, but the whole rubellin mechanism issupressed in those crops,resulting in no leaf symptoms.This maybe an important clue to enable scientists tounderstand how the diseasecan be supressed and whethera microbiological mechanismcan be introduced geneticallyinto barley either through geneediting or genetic modification.

There are no varieties withresistance to ramularia withinthe UK, nor globally. AHDBwithdrew their resistance ratings as they were proving tobe unreliable between years,and within a season betweentrial sites. One fact that doesseem to receive unanimousendorsement from the scientists, is that varieties withthe mildew resistance gene(mlo) are more susceptible to the pathogen, although the reasons are not well understood. There also seemsto be a resistance gene that

Formerly technical director at Velcourt, Keith Norman is an independent consultantwho avidly pursues innovation in agriculture.

@KeithNorman_Ag

The new globalthreat to barley

The five tell-tale signs of ramularia: Rectangular lesions, Ring of chlorosisaround the lesion, necrosis is Right through the leaf, Reddish browncolouration, and Restricted by leaf veins.

works at the seedling stage,but plants with this gene aremore susceptible to later infections.

Are there other means ofcontrolling the disease throughan integrated managementapproach? There’s a definiteneed for investigations ofdrilling date, rotation, cultivationmethods, bio-pesticide useand resistance elicitors suchas laminarin. Seed treatmentsusing microwaves, steam andhot water have been testedwith varying degrees of success.

All in all, this is a disease with some real concerns in theabsence of the only fungicidethat controls it. The only positivenote is that there are many ofthe best research scientists andplant breeders in the worldworking together on developingsolutions that will hopefully bewith us in the not too distantfuture.

Rather as a schoolteacher might passthrough the classroom, Célia Bequainpasses through the ear rows of RAGT’swheat-breeding program at Ickleton,Cambs.

This is the very first venture out into thefield for these wheat crosses, each rowgrown from just a single unique ear, andthey’ve recently come into ear themselves.As senior wheat breeder, Célia’s checking tosee how they perform, stooping occasionallyto take a closer look, to straighten a flag leafor inspect their stems.

In one row, she bends a wheat ear andsmiles. “It’s lovely to see the progeny ofSkyfall. It may be the number one wheat butI know what I have here is an improvementon its quality, yield and disease resistance.”

It’s one of hundreds of progenies from thelandmark variety which was awarded the

Each row in these plots is grown from just asingle unique ear.

NIAB Cereals Cup in 2015 for its outstandingmerit and value in the marketplace. Butyou’d hardly recognise the distinctive parentfrom the variety of wheats that scatter thisfield.

“When I look at wheat, what I see is diversity –– all the phenotypes and all thepotential,” enthuses Célia. “So the height,the strength of the stem, whether the flagleaf is wide and floppy or narrow and erect.Does the ear have close, compact florets, or is it more lax? I look for the lovely, evenrectangular shape, rather than a tapered ear,that may produce poorer grain set at its tip.”

Breeding technologyIt’s the breeder’s eye, combined with the latest breeding technology, that deliverswhat RAGT believes is its ability to put intothe marketplace the best wheats in the UK.There are tens of thousands of combinationsmade every year and it’s the skill of thebreeding team to whittle that down to the fewstar performers that may one day take poleposition on the AHDB Recommended List.

Skyfall itself is a cross of Hurricane withC4148. “It came from our N Europeanbreeding centre at Prémesques, near Lille.C4148 is from an exotic background, bredespecially to bring in new genetics, andthat’s probably why Skyfall has been so successful,” explains Célia. “It was tested in both France and the UK, but showed upearly on as one that performed well in theUK, particularly well suited to our climate.

“What I like about Skyfall is the way itlooks –– lovely short, stiff straw, with good fertile, well shaped ears. It’s notable for the

way it grows –– it’s erect with the earsbunched up, unlike others that spread out into the space available.”

But Skyfall didn’t jump out of the ear rowscompletely by chance. Like most modernvarieties, it was screened using geneticmarkers to help breeders zero in on wheatsof interest. The DNA of a variety is assessedearly on for alleles, or gene sequences, thatmatch with known phenotypic traits.

In Skyfall’s case, the genetic markersidentified little more than its resistance toorange wheat blossom midge and to eyespot. But the technology has come on inleaps and bounds in recent years as morehas been understood about the wheatgenome, and the cost of unravelling its complex chromosomes has come down.

“The beauty of our facility here at Ickletonis that we apply the genetic markers earlyon. We now have a very strong base of

The science ofselection

There’s an art to choosingpotential winners from the

hundreds of crosses a modern plant breeder makes

every year, but increasinglygenetics and clever science

put confidence into the decisions made. CPM visits

RAGT’s UK plant-breedingstation to get an insight.


When I look at wheat, what I

see is diversity – all thephenotypes and all the

potential.”

“


Innovation Grow the best wheat

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As head of genotyping for cereals at RAGT, ChrisBurt puts the data behind the breeder’s eye. Heruns the genotyping lab at Ickleton, one of twooperated by RAGT in Europe, the other being inFrance. Here, winter wheat, winter and springbarley, pasta wheat and triticale are the main croptypes pulled apart, scrutinised and annotated.

“A trait the breeder spots phenotypically in the field, I want to understand genetically, anddevelop ways to track it through molecular markers,” he says.

For some traits, this is now relatively easy andsaves a huge amount of screening and time, heexplains. “Orange wheat blossom midge (OWBM)is associated with a very narrow part of the wheatgenome, so the genetic marker for this trait isnow well established –– it’s why the proportion ofvarieties offering OWBM resistance has shot up inrecent years. But it’s one of the most difficulttraits to identify phenotypically in the field.”

However, traits such as septoria resistance and baking quality are more complex. “Septoria

Science puts confidence into the art of the breeder

resistance is controlled by a number of differentgenes, which each have a moderate effect –– it’snot absolute like OWBM resistance. The genesalso have an effect on yield and other traits. But aswe understand more about the wheat genome andapply this though our models, we’re improving thegenetic markers we use, and are getting better atreliably identifying the varieties with promise.”

Increasingly, he also produces whole genomeprofiles of varieties and breeding lines. “This feedsour GS models and also helps us focus in on specific areas of the wheat genome we’re interested in, such as areas we know have a linkwith yield.”

The material he receives comes mainly fromwithin RAGT, which operates 17 research stationsacross Europe, servicing the company’s 300breeders and technicians. “We also analyse otherbreeders’ varieties –– under Plant Variety Rights(PVR) any variety on the EU Common Cataloguecan be crossed with our lines to generate newvarieties. We also bring in material from further

phenotypic data that gives us real confidence in what the data tells us,”explains Célia. This is the breeder’s proprietary knowledge –– RAGT has associated what’s seen in the field by thebreeder with the data coming through on its genome. It allows for an effective and reliable way to screen the millions of initialprogenies the breeder generates every yearand discard those that will clearly nevermake a variety of note, she says.

“We’ve really focused on making sure thephenotypic data is robust. All of our strongbase of knowledge is linked back to thegenetic base, and we now apply thesegenetic markers at every level, starting withthe parents.”

This follows down through the generations

and there are usually seven or eight before avariety enters National List trials, by whichtime the millions of potential new lines thatstarted off the programme have been narrowed down to just ten.

Single seed descent“We accelerate the programme through single seed descent, which allows us togrow two to three generations in a year, but itstill takes over six years to stabilise a varietyenough to meet DUS (distinctiveness, uniformity, stability) standards. I prefer not to use double-haploid (DH) techniques, to give us the chance to observe morerecombinations –– at early generations I canchoose tens of lines from any of the close to1000 crosses we made. With DH, the costand reduction in genetic variation meansthat the technique is better limited to specificcrosses.”

But one new technique Célia does put to

Célia Bequain with the progeny of Skyfall –crosses that promise an improvement on theparent’s quality, yield and disease resistance.

Plant breeders accelerates the programmethrough single seed descent, that allows them to grow two to three generations in a year.

Florets are more spaced out on a lax ear (left) while a tapered ear (right) may produce poorer grain set at its tip.

good use is genomic selection (GS). “Thisputs all of our phenotypic and genotypingdata through a software model –– it’s a bitlike a virtual breeder, although it relies on theskill of a breeder to input good information.Initially we used it towards the end of a programme, but increasingly it’s helping usidentify parents to cross with.”

afield, such as CIMMYT (the International Maizeand Wheat Improvement Centre, based inMexico). We’re constantly looking for novel material to enrich our breeders’ programmes.”

Chris sits on the breeders’ panel of theDesigning Future Wheat programme –– aBBSRC-funded programme spanning eightresearch institutes and universities which aims todevelop new wheat germplasm containing thenext generation of key traits. “We prefer to be as open and collaborative as possible with ourpre-breeding work.”

Chris believes the application of science andgenetics RAGT puts to its breeding programmeshows through in the way the company consistently brings forward leading varieties.“There’s still every chance we’ll spot the happyaccident in an ear row or cross made in theglasshouse. Now we can apply robust geneticmarkers and analysis to what we’re seeing in the field and that puts more confidence into thedecisions made early on.”

Grow the best wheat

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This allows RAGT to bring greater diversity into its lines. Célia feels the currentRL is too reliant on the progeny of just oneparent variety –– Robigus –– and believes it’sthrough introducing new genetics that willbring superior performance.

The GS model is proficient at giving clarityto results that may have been achieved fromtwo very different growing seasons, and thisgives the breeding team confidence whenthey believe they’ve identified a potentialwinner. “RGT Gravity was the first where we really put the model to the test. GS confirmed what we were seeing in the field,and that gave us confidence to multiply upseed and bring it to market a year early,”notes Célia.

“Gravity has helped validate the model,

but it’s one that is constantly evolving andimproving as we understand more about the wheat genome and relate this to our own knowledge on how wheats behave. We can now trust it and use it in more creative ways.”

And the fruits of this bold reliance ontechnology, backed up with the breeder’seye, are in the plots and waving in the wind,

vying for her attention. “Genomic selectionhas undoubtedly helped us select the Skyfallcrosses we now have, the first of which havenow entered NL trials. But no matter how fartechnology comes, nothing will replace thefeeling you get as a breeder being here inthe field, seeing how the variety expressesitself, getting to know its character andwhere its true strengths lie.” n

Chris Burt aims to understand genetically a traitthe breeder spots phenotypically in the field, anddevelops ways to track it through molecularmarkers.

RAGT has four wheat varieties vying for a placeon the AHDB Recommended List for 2020/21:RGT Saki – This Cougar/KWS Santiago cross isthe one Célia is most excited about. That’s downto its combination of high treated and untreatedyields, which is backed up by an impressive arrayof disease scores. OWBM resistance rounds off apromising package.RGT Wasabi and RGT Lantern – Two hard feed varieties yielding a shade beneath RGT Saki, but both with a very attractive agronomicoffering, reckons Célia. RGT Wasabi is aRevelation/Santiago cross, with OWBM resistance,as well as the Pch1 gene for eyespot resistance.RGT Lantern has KWS Kielder and Relay in itsparentage, with OWBM resistance, and performsparticularly well as a second wheat.RGT Blossom – This is the big quality hopeful of the 2019 candidates, with a yield matchingSkyfall. Its parentage is complicated, says Célia,with Gladiator, Solstice and Cordiale crossed withGallant, and each bringing their strength into the

Breeding pipeline leads with strong wheat candidates

result. Boasting a bullet-proof Hagberg, it stayedtrue in 2017, when other varieties lost theirs.Baking trials are showing RGT Blossom up as aconsistent, top quality performer.

Horizon hopefulsLook out for RW41723, which is currently in NL2and showing real promise as a good quality variety, says Célia. But perhaps what’s most interesting here is its complicated parentage –– it’s part of RAGT’s parental development programme which brings in some exotic lines toadd some aspects you may not have seen before.Current yield scores put it 2% above Skyfall, with a 7.5 for septoria and a 9 for both rusts.

Three RGT Illustrious x Skyfall lines are in NL1.They’re all a step-up from their prestigious parents, in yield, disease resistance and quality,reckons Célia. All boast good treated and untreated yields and all have Pch1 eyespot resistance as well as OWBM resistance.

A modern arable business relies on its maincash crops to deliver to a high and consistentstandard, and it’s the genetics it uses thatunderpin this performance. Modern breedingtechniques have delivered outstanding varietiesin recent years, and an insight into how this isachieved can help identify the leading lines ofthe future.

In this series of sponsored articles, CPM hasteamed up with RAGT to explore how a variety isselected and how science improves the reliabilityand the speed with which a winner’s found andbecomes a farmer’s favourite.

One hundred years of farming excellencestarted for RAGT in 1919, with the creation ofRAGT Plateau Central, a farmer co-operative insouthern France. It became a private companyin 1944, with plant breeding starting in 1962.

Since then, RAGT has built up an enviablereputation for excellence among the agriculturaland related industries. In the UK, a significantstep for the company was when it bought

Grow the best

the cereals breeding programme from Monsanto in 2004. This brought with it all thebreeding excellence and experience fromCambridge-based Plant Breeding Institute (PBI),which defined the post-war UK plant-breedingscene, and provided the backbone to the cerealvarieties still in use.

Today, nearly one hectare in every five growingwheat across Europe has been sown with anRAGT variety, while in the UK strong offerings in wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape are consistently among the leaders in the AHDBRecommended Lists.

RGT Saki is a Cougar/KWS Santiago cross withhigh treated and untreated yields, backed up byan impressive array of disease scores.

One of three RGT Illustrious x Skyfall linescurrently in NL1, this is a step-up from itsprestigious parents, in yield, disease resistanceand quality.


Grow the best wheat

More than 20 years ofresearch into ferric

phosphate has resulted in a formulation that’s theworld’s market leader.

CPM talks to the companythat first introduced ferric

phosphate and discovers howresearch knowledge has been

transferred into successfulslug control in the field.


InnovationResearch Briefing

Research shows no increase in

efficacy from includingattractants in the

formulation.”

“


A pellet for all weathers

Ferric phosphate has been available to UKarable growers for more than a decade, butits heritage stretches back to 1997 when itwas first introduced as a molluscicide.

The company behind the discovery andpatented formulation of ferric (III) phosphate,is German manufacturer Neudorff, a company that specialises in natural productsand is better known in the UK for their presence in the home and garden market.

“Although we introduced ferric phosphatein the home and garden market initially, ourfocus changed when we saw a demand inagriculture and horticulture for an effectiveand environmentally friendly molluscicide. So we set about developing a form of ferric

Peter Baumjohann says independent researchshows slugs move randomly and test potentialfood before deciding to eat it.

phosphate that was appropriate for agriculture,” explains Peter Baumjohann,head of technical support at Neudorff.

A mutual pedigree in biorational productsmade Certis the perfect marketing partnerfor a professional ferric phosphate product,which was first registered in the UK in 2005for horticultural use as Ferramol, formulatedwith 1% of the active ingredient.

New formulation“The 1% pellet is applied at a dose rate of up to 50kg/ha which isn’t economic orpractical on broadacre crops. So we developed a 3% formulation of ferric phosphate for use in agriculture which has a dose rate of 7kg/ha and this gained UKapproval in 2008 as Sluxx,” he explains.

“We set out to find a molluscicide formulation that was suitable for all temperature situations in agriculture. Thepellet needed to perform over a huge range –– from the high temperatures oftenencountered where slug control is neededin potatoes or during oilseed rape establishment, to the much colder temperatures when slug control is often necessary in cereal crops,” he comments.

Peter highlights that Neudorff now haveferric phosphate registrations in more than20 countries and are the market leaders inEurope, the United States and Japan. Theirlegacy of research into ferric phosphate anda programme of ongoing studies gives thecompany’s product an edge when it comesto field performance, he believes.

“The formulation of Sluxx has improved

over the years. The most recent formulation,Sluxx HP has improved resistance to moulding which means it remains palatableto slugs even when it’s lain on the soil surface for several weeks,” he says.

A high-quality pellet is a prerequisite forsuccessful slug control and Peter points outthat formulating a palatable pellet is no easytask. Sluxx HP contains durum wheat, whichseems to be a favourite meal for slugs, andNeudorff have experimented with several different qualities of flour to find the onewhich they find the tastiest.

But unlike other pellets, Sluxx HP doesn’tcontain a specific attractant which Peterconsiders isn’t necessary in their formulation,an opinion based on both field experienceand scientific research.


Research Briefing

Dr Keith Walters, professor of invertebrate biologyand pest management at Harper Adams University,has been looking at how slugs behave afteringesting ferric phosphate.

“Slugs spend a large proportion of their lifeunder the soil surface, so when you’re trying tolook at how they move and disperse around afield, it’s very difficult to see what they’re doing.We came up with the idea that if we used radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, thesame kind of technology that the vet uses tomicrochip your cat or dog, and put them into slugs then we could track them undergroundusing an antenna, without having to dig them up,”he explains.

To carry out the study, a large number of greyfield slugs were collected from a commercial fieldand brought back to the laboratory where theywere left to acclimate and then divided into sixgroups. Slugs were then released five at a timeinto plastic containers, filled with soil from same

Electronic tagging reveals slug behaviour

field as the slugs were captured, which had an airspace left above them.

“The results were remarkably clear,” says Keith. “The slugs which hadn’t eaten any ferricphosphate seemed to behave quite normally, inaccordance with what we know they do in thefield. They would go periodically beneath the soil surface to hide from predators and avoiddehydration but would come to the soil surface at regular intervals in order to feed.

“The group of slugs that fed on ferric phosphate behaved very differently and they eventually retreated below the soil surface anddidn’t come back up again. For the first threehours we looked at them intensively and theirbehaviour didn’t seem to differ from the controlgroup.

“But thereafter they began to quite rapidlymove below the soil surface and, after the firstday, 50-60% of the slugs were below the soil surface. That proportion increased until almost

every slug was below the surface 2-3 days afterthey’d eaten ferric phosphate.

“At the end of the experiment, we dug outevery last slug and found very high mortality in the group which had ingested the ferric phosphate pellets.”

Chipping slugs with RFID tags shows how slugsbehave after ingesting ferric phosphate, saysProf Keith Walters.

Laurence Power points out that the Sluxxformulation performs better than metaldehydewhen temperatures fall to 100C.

“Studies have looked extensively at slugbehaviour and have found that slugs don’tdetect food over a long distance. They move randomly and test the objects theyencounter by chance using their lower pair of sensory tentacles, only then do they decide whether to eat them or not,” he explains.

“In laboratory studies, there’s been no significant difference in slug preference forSluxx HP or a competitor’s ferric phosphateproduct, which corresponds with our ownresearch that shows no increase in efficacyfrom including attractants in the formulation.”

Because there is no plan to their movement it means that the number of baiting points is an important factor,he adds.

“The more baiting points there are, thegreater the chance of a slug coming acrossa pellet as it moves around looking for something to eat. The 7kg/ha rate of ferricphosphate gives approx. 60 pellets/m2,which provides an additional 17 baitingpoints when compared with a competitiveproduct.”

Another of the challenges in formulating a ferric phosphate pellet is to maintain its palatability while also being able to withstand periods of rainfall without losingefficacy. The fact that Neudorff’s ferric phosphate formulation is used for snail control in the paddy fields of Japan bearstestimony to the fact that this balance hasbeen successfully achieved.

Understanding what the research means

in practice is the key to getting the best performance out of ferric phosphate,believes Laurence Power, technical managerfor Certis.

“Research has shown that when slugsfeed on ferric phosphate they go belowground and die which is why there is no visible sign of dead slugs on the soil surface,” he explains.

Pathological changesThe slug behaviour is a direct result of themode of action of ferric phosphate whichacts on multiple organs within the slug, addsLaurence. “At first, ferric phosphate irritatesthe slug’s mouth and crop, causing the slugto stop feeding. Ferric phosphate leads topathological changes on cellular level in the hepatopancreas, the central organ of the slugs, causing the slug to effectively‘internally bleed out’.

“The slug can no longer produce theslime that it needs to keep cool, so it retreats underground in an attempt to thermo-regulate,” he adds.

That means the symptoms of successfulslug control are at the opposite end of thespectrum to metaldehyde, which causesexcess slime production and dead slugs are readily found on the soil surface.

“With ferric phosphate the opposite happens, with the only visual sign being thatthe crop is no longer being damaged so isgrowing away,” explains Laurence.

Over the many years of trials that havebeen carried out, ferric phosphate has

consistently demonstrated an efficacy on apar with metaldehyde, he explains.

“But the Sluxx formulation has a keyadvantage over metaldehyde when temperatures begin to fall. At 200C bothactive ingredients offer similar levels of slugcontrol, but at 100C the ferric phosphate formulation is much more effective.

“The low temperature performance isimportant, especially since the loss of neonicotinoid seed treatments and a shift to later planting to help control BYDV andblackgrass in crops,” says Laurence.

To get the best levels of slug control it’simportant to adopt cultural approaches to slug control and only use slug pellets as the last resort in an integrated pest s

Research Briefing

To help growers get the best out of technologyused in the field, manufacturers continue toinvest in R&D at every level, from the lab toextensive field trials. CPM Research Briefingsprovide not only the findings of recent research,but also an insight into the technology, to ensurea full understanding of how to optimise its use.

CPM would like to thank Certis for sponsoringthis Research Briefing and for providing privileged access to staff and material used to help bring it together.

As the market moves from metaldehyde toferric phosphate slug pellets the principles ofgood slug control remain exactly the same.Certis have been marketing ferric phosphate pellets in the UK for over 10 years and today’s

Research Briefing

high-quality products (like SluxxHP) are equallyeffective as metaldehyde.

Adopting an integrated pest managementapproach will improve overall control. Culturalcontrols are a key part of IPM but choosing the right quality of pellet is also important.A good slug pellet needs to be spreadable,durable, and palatable to work well.www.certiseurope.co.uk/slugforce

The way ferric phosphate works means the onlyvisual sign of slug control is the crop growingaway.

Three slug pellets of each formulation and a plant in the plastic box.The positions of pellets and plants were randomized for every repetition.Source: Certis, 2019

Does an attractant make a difference?

Source: Certis, 2019

Results showed attractant does not influence slug feeding behaviour

management strategy, he highlights.“IPM is critical to successful slug control

and growers need no reminding of the cropswhich offer slugs an ideal habitat and foodsource. OSR is a classic, being very vulnerable to seedling attack between emergence and the four true-leaf stagebecause the growing point is exposed.

“But OSR also offers slugs the ideal habitat for them to survive and breedthroughout the year. OSR debris provides agood food source, which makes successivecereal crops more vulnerable to attack.”

Recognising the fields at increased risk is a first step and then planning a multi-pronged strategy to limit slug damage.

“Cereal seed in loose or cloddy seedbedsis particularly undesirable as the UK’s mostimportant slug species, the grey field slug(Deroceras reticulatum), is responsible formost of the grain hollowing and is veryactive in the layer of soil where the seed is placed.

“A single slug can hollow out 50 seedsduring the vulnerable stage, which meanscultivations play an important part in slugcontrol,” comments Laurence.

Cultivations directly impact slug populations in a number of ways, includingdirect mechanical damage and burying theplant debris that acts as a food source andprovides shelter.

“The aim should be to create a fine tilthwhich inhibits slug movement and reducesthe spaces where slugs can hide. My view isthat setting up the machinery properly andworking the ground at the right time is muchmore important than the type of tillage practiced.

“There’s an old adage that the mostimportant day in a plant’s life is the day youplant it, which is also very pertinent when itcomes to slug control,” he comments.

In the effort to produce a fine and firmseedbed, rolling is an important tool and is

known to reduce slug damage. “There’veeven been anecdotal reports that rolling atnight can help squash slugs while they areon the surface feeding,” he adds.

Significant riskEven having adopted cultural controls theremay still be a significant risk of slug damagein some fields. In these situations, Laurenceadvises monitoring the slug population using traps and then applying pellets prior to feeding damage and ahead of any predicted periods of wet weather.

“Don’t allow slug populations to build –– go early and go hard,” he suggests.“When you adopt this approach with ferricphosphate, repeated applications are oftennot always necessary.”

Sluxx HP is manufactured using a wetprocess which provides the pellets with highlevels of durability and rainfastness, as wellas the consistency critical for good ballistics,explains Laurence. As with all pesticides,formulation is only half the story and good

application is just as critical. “Always recalibrate the applicator when

using ferric phosphate, even between different brands as the pellet size varieseven if the application rate is the same.Quads will spread differently to a sprayer-mounted applicator because of thedifference in battery power, which is anotherfactor to be aware of,” he comments. n

Experimental set-up:l 3 slug pellets of each

formulation and plant in the plastic box

l the positions of pellets and plants were randomized for every repetition

l Pellets and plants were placed with 5 cm distance to the rim


s

Bracebridge in Lincs and Aspall in Suffolk,had an average of 39% infection in untreated plots.

“The average figure hides the true range ofdisease between sites which was 17% for theBracebridge trial, assessed on 31 Oct, and60% for the Aspall trial assessed on 25 Sept,” he says.

“The evidence demonstrating thebenefits of fungicide protection

across contrasting seasons is now overwhelming,” he claims.“For the greatest yield protection Escolta (cyproconazole+

trifloxystrobin) should beapplied at the first signs of

disease and then again about fourweeks later.”

Where applications of Escolta were well-timed –– which was late July and late Aug in 2018 –– disease control reached 94%,whereas relying on a single application ofEscolta in early July meant control slipped to65% at Bracebridge and 85% at Aspall intothe early autumn.

“The point to note is that there’s no set datewhen Escolta should be applied, it needs tobe applied at the first signs of disease. Thistypically occurs in the latter half of July, thoughcrops should be monitored from the start ofsummer in readiness for fungicide to beapplied when disease appears.

“The advice given to growers over the past six years remains valid and, where it’s followed, it has consistently delivered high levels of yield protection,” says Ed.

While rust was reported in all fields, therewere also sporadic levels of cercospora leafspot (Cercospora beticola) last season, withthe disease found at low levels in Notts, Lincsand Cambs.

“Conditions were largely unfavourable for cercospora in 2018, its occurrence not

Mark Stevens says there’s some evidence tosuggest yield potential is negatively impactedbefore symptoms become visible on the plant.

Roots Sugar beet fungicides

With sugar beet crops now atthe stage where they’vedeveloped mature plant

resistance to aphids andhence virus yellows, the

focus turns to disease control. CPM talks to BBRO.

By Lucy de la Pastureand Rob Jones

Attention turns to disease

Growers will need to monitor crops closely if fungicides are to be well-timed andcanopies kept clean of disease, according to advice from British Beet ResearchOrganisation (BBRO). Recent weather hasprovided plenty of moisture and it’s beenfollowed by warm air which has created thehumid conditions that favour disease development.

For those with sugar beet, it means conditions potentially favourable to rust(Uromyces betae) which remains the principaldisease threat to crops based on recent seasons. Many growers will no doubt still be concerned by the threat posed by virusyellows and the unprecedented numbers ofpeach-potato aphids (Myzus persicae), thedominant vector for virus transmission, but with most crops now at full canopy their focus will switch to disease control, says Mark Stevens, head of science at BBRO.

“Crops are growing well but some are atvarious stages of development, with the mostbackward just meeting within the row. The

more forward crops met across the row several weeks ahead of the longest day. Add in the virus threat posed by abundantnumbers of peach potato aphids and it’s clearthat many crops are under more pressure frompests and diseases this year,” says Mark.

The rain in early June will have helpedcrops move on but has also ensured conditions favourable to disease spread.

“Conditions appear to be conducive forrust,” he says. “Research shows that if cropsare to be protected, the first fungicide shouldbe applied at the initial signs of disease, typically July, and a second spray appliedabout four weeks later,” he adds.

Rust concernsWith much to ponder, what are the main pointsgrowers need to consider if crops are to besuitably protected? First, rust is still the diseaseto look out for. “The threat posed previously by powdery mildew has not manifested forseveral seasons, with the exception of 2018,so rust should be the major concern. It waslate coming in last year, but that doesn’t meanit will be in 2019,” he says.

Secondly, Mark points out that even low levels of disease can affect yield. “The impactof low levels of disease on crop performancecontinues to be an area that we’re researchingand this includes looking at differences in varietal susceptibility. But there is evidence to suggest that yield potential is already negatively impacted before symptomsbecome visible on the plant, in some seasons,” he says.

The third point to consider is the timing offungicide applications, he suggests. Bayer’sown fungicide trials last year highlight theimportance of application timing, adds EdwardHagues, Bayer campaign manager for rootcrops.

The two trials, which took place at


The first fungicide should be applied at the

initial signs of disease.”

“

s

Cercospora hasn’t been as much of a threat tocrops in the UK as in mainland Europe but is adisease not to overlook.

Rust has become the principal disease threat inrecent seasons and fungicides need to be appliedat the first signs of disease.

few new fungicide products on the horizon,”he adds.

Mark says that fungicides do more than justprotect against yield loss. Fungicides also helpthe crop in other ways –– they can enhanceplant growth through their physiological effectsand also play a role in reducing frost damageby maintaining good crop foliage into the winter.

Morley trial data from 2016-18 shows a20.6% uplift in yield from using a two-sprayfungicide programme, which is the BBRO recommended approach.

One of the difficulties the UK’s Europeanneighbours encounter with cercospora is fungicide resistance, though the disease canstill be managed by alternating fungicides withactive ingredients belonging to differentgroups. It’s one of those diseases that hasshown insensitivity to successive fungicidegroups, with QoI and azole resistance the

proving damaging to sugar beet crops lastyear,” adds Ed.

That’s not to say the potential impact of the disease should be underestimated, withsugar yield losses of up to 40% possible, compared with 20% from powdery mildew and14% from rust, clarifies Mark. It’s the reason why cercospora tends to grab theheadlines, even though it’s much more of a threat in continental Europe than it hashistorically been in the UK.

It isn’t a new disease to the UK and wasfirst identified in the 1930s, he explains. “In2017, increasing amounts were found in UKbecause the warm, moist autumn conditionswere conducive to its development.”

Cercospora needs hot and humid conditions, with periods of leaf wetness.Although the weather was hot in 2018, it wasn’t accompanied by moisture which waswhy infection was only present as a sprinklingin some crops, whereas levels of powderymildew was higher than in the previous fiveyears and rust came in late.

“As our climate changes, we need to continue to have cercospora in mind, particularly with a diminishing pool of activeingredients, increasing resistance and very

Sugar beet fungicides

There’s been a new phenomenon occurring in afew sugar beet fields over the past couple ofseasons. Symptoms present as ‘silver’ beet,which starts as a blue-grey matt colour andbecomes increasingly silver as the leaf grows.

Affected leaves crack in a way that looks similar to the damage caused by hail or thevoracious Silver Y moth. Leaf veins may go yellow and roots fail to fully develop, with browning in the root tissue.

So what’s causing it? Researchers in Belgiumhave concluded that it’s caused by a bacterium,Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens, which appearsto be associated with the seed, explains Mark.

“It’s not a new disease and was first recordedin the UK in the 1940s and 1950s in red beet. It

was reported randomly last year across all fourfactory areas so BBRO are keeping an eye on itbut only single plants appear to be at low levelsso we don’t think it will cause significant yieldissues,” he concludes.

The curious case of silver beet

A bacterial disease which causes silvering ofbeet leaves has been cropping up in UK fieldsover the past couple of years.


latest problem as they are the foundation ofmost UK fungicide programmes.

“As an industry we need an integratedapproach to disease management and todevelop disease-resistant and tolerant varieties,” concludes Mark. n

s

Roots Potatoagronomy

Since maleic hydrazide’sapproval was renewed with

the proviso that treated cropscan’t be fed to livestock

there’s been a lot of confusion. CPM gets someclarity on where it leaves

growers this season.


Metabolitescause mayhem

As potato crops continue to bulk up thismonth, thoughts begin to turn to maleichydrazide application. For many growersit’s a useful strategy to suppress sprouting during storage and reduce thenumbers of volunteers in subsequentcrops which carry over a host of diseaseand pest problems.

Maleic hydrazide has been winding itsway through the increasingly complex corridors of the EU pesticides regulationsunder (EC) No 1107/2009. It successfullygained Annex 1 status on its reapprovallast year, but the new regulatory requirements placed on all maleichydrazide products have been causingsome confusion in the industry, explains

head of technical services at UPL, Don Pendergrast.

Like many other active substancesgoing through the re-approval process, thedifficulty has arisen not due to the maleichydrazide itself but the regulatory focus onits metabolites, he explains. The expertreview by European Food Safety Authority(EFSA) has identified data gaps concerningthe metabolites which has led to the imposition of a restriction preventing anycrop wastes (peelings or stock feed potatoes) being provided as livestock feed.

Incomplete testingEven though the genotoxicity and toxicity testing didn’t reveal any concerns, thetesting was viewed as ‘incomplete’, whichin EU regulatory speak means there’s some uncertainty remaining over its probablesafety in the food chain because there’s a possibility that 3-pyridazinone ‘may’ beproduced during farm livestock digestion.

The current situation for growers is thatthere’s ‘old’ and ‘new’ label product available this season, with old label product in the use up period (which endson April 30, 2020) and product that’s beenmanufactured under the new label.

“All new label product has a statementsaying, ‘Do not feed treated crops tolivestock’ so growers are going to need

to check their labels carefully and keeprecords to identify where old and new label stock has been applied in order tocomply with the legislation,” he advises.

AHDB released a statement last monthsuggesting growers should contact their supply chain customers to find out their position on maleic hydrazide treated potatoes. “It’s anticipated that very few, ifany, will accept crop treated with the newlabel as most businesses are not able tosegregate waste.”

Specialist potato agronomist, JohnSarup of Spud Agronomy based in Yorks,

The work is being done to provide the EU with thedata needed to lift the livestock feeding restriction on the maleic hydrazide label, says Don Pendergrast.

Some processors have alreadycontacted growers to say

they will only accept potatoes treated with

the old label.”

“


says many of his growers have a stock ofold label product to use up this season.“For those who haven’t got any old stockmaleic hydrazide, there’s always the dilemma whether to risk applying new label to crops. But some processors havealready contacted growers to say they willonly accept potatoes treated with the oldlabel and will be carrying out due diligencechecks during the course of the season.”

The industry statement goes on to say,“The owner of the potato crop has theresponsibility to ensure that potatoes thathave been treated with new label maleichydrazide products don’t enter the livestockfeed supply chain. This means you mustinform anyone who buys potatoes from you if they’ve been treated with new labelproducts. The owner of the potatoes alsohas the responsibility to avoid on-farmwaste and out grades being fed to livestock.”

With all the emphasis being on the grower, it leaves them in a tricky positionwhich is something Don fully recognisesand has been working together with othermanufacturers to get the restriction liftedby submitting new data, but it has becomeapparent that there won’t be any prospectof a label change before application thisseason.

The necessary trial work on feedingtreated crop to livestock and the subsequent detailed risk assessment isunlikely to be complete until later this year.It could then take another 12-18 months for EFSA to respond to the findings.

“We acknowledge that this is a disappointing outcome and have worked to ensure it’s as easy as possible for growers to distinguish between the two product variants, by providing an alternative MAPP number for Fazor. Ourtechnical team is also on hand to answerquestions regarding the product and itsstewardship,” says Don.

“We’ve highlighted our concerns

regarding the livestock feeding provisionand are now working together as an ndustry task force to produce the datanecessary to potentially lift the restriction.”

The new maleic hydrazide label situationhas a potential knock-on effect for blight control where growers stop applying it thisseason to ensure their customers willaccept the crop, believes John Sarup.

“Maleic hydrazide provides control of volunteer potatoes and these are thebiggest problem we have as they’re theprimary source of late blight inoculum, aswell as carry-over of rhizoctonia and pestproblems such as free-living and potatocyst nematodes.”

The prospect of large piles of wastepotatoes left to rot down in the corner ofthe farm because they can’t go as stockfeed, is not going to help the fight againstblight. The first genotyping results fromsamples of blight collected by blightscouts has revealed the aggressive strain36_A2, which has proved difficult to controlin recent years.

Genotype 36_A2According to Dr David Cooke, of theJames Hutton Institute where the AHDB-funded testing is conducted, of the 15 samples confirmed as blight to date, sixhave been genotyped. The first samples from cull piles in South East England weregenotype 36_A2.

“The other more recent samples fromEssex and Suffolk have been confirmed as36_A2 with a further one from Kent being amix of genotypes 36_A2 and 6_A1.

“It’s too early to draw conclusions abouthow the national picture will look, but thisgives growers, particularly those in theSouth East and Eastern England,

l Gemini Itcan SL270Both ‘old’ and ‘new label’ products share same MAPP number: 17957Read the label

l Certis Crown MHBoth ‘old’ and ‘new label’ products share same MAPP number: 18018Read the label

l UPL (Arysta) Fazor‘Old label’ MAPP numbers: 13617‘New label’ MAPP number: 19074Read the label

l Drexel Source IIBoth ‘old’ and ‘new label’ products share same MAPP number: 17858Read the label

The EU has announced the non-renewal of CIPCso this will be the last season of use in stores.

John Sarup says most growers have stocks of oldlabel product to apply this season.

Heavy rainfall during June has triggered a numberof Hutton Criteria warnings across the country.

advanced warning of the strains in their area.”

The heavy rain in June has ramped upthe blight pressure in many areas, just atthe time when many blight crops are goingthrough rapid canopy expansion.

In the Waveney Valley, Norfolk, fullHutton Criteria were recorded for June 11,12 and 13 (just as the heavens well andtruly opened), with more occurring duringthe month as the rainy conditions continued.

Hutton Criteria occurs when a locationexperiences two consecutive days with a minimum temperature of 10°C, and at leastsix hours of relative humidity (90%). Thismethodology came about followingresearch funded by AHDB Potatoes,undertaken by the James Hutton Institute.It’s believed that this is one of the mostaccurate ways of forecasting potato blight,

Potato agronomy

Popular products containing MH available in the UK


s

Pam Chambers reminds growers that as amultisite, mancozeb is a useful tool in resistancemanagement.

explains UPL’s Pam Chambers.“Despite the warm dry weather last year,

three newer clones (EU_36_A2, EU_37_A2and EU_41_A2) increased in frequency.The survival and spread of these clones,when others are decreasing or have failed to establish, suggests they are evolutionarily fit and could prove morechallenging to manage.

“Wageningen University carried out a number of studies on mancozeb for UPLEurope and concluded that the fungicide is effective against all strains of late blight.In addition, it’s a critical component ofresistance management and integrateddisease management programmes for bothearly and late blight,” she adds.

“Although mancozeb prevents sporesfrom germinating and infecting the potatoplant when applied prior to spore release,once infection has occurred and penetratedthe leaf, it will no longer control the

disease. This means that timing of mancozeb is important, as is the selectionof partner actives.

“A combination of propamocarb with cymoxanil, such as in Proxanil (cymoxanil+ propamocarb hydrochloride),offers excellent protectant and curative properties, which may be crucial this season. With a 14-day harvest interval anda maximum individual dose of 2.5 l/ha,Proxanil can be applied up to four timeswithin a blight programme,” she adds.

Exceptionally dryLast year saw the approval of new blightfungicide, Zorvec Enicade (oxathiapiprolin),but the exceptionally dry season meantthat the product wasn’t in the demand thatit would have been in a more blighty season. 2019 is proving very different, withheavy rain and waterlogged ground inmany areas stretching blight spraying intervals while the crop was growing rapidly.

Corteva Agriscience’s field technical manager Craig Chisholm suggests growersconsider the length of protection they needand whether their chosen blight spray hasany curative properties.“The potential for a high blight pressure

year was already present due to theincrease in volunteer potatoes across therotation, coupled with the mild winter. Dryconditions and recent cooler temperatureskept a lid on it.“But the deluge of rain in June and rising

temperatures triggered warnings acrossmany key potato areas. Growers will be particularly concerned about this as manycrops are at rapid canopy stage and needprotection of vulnerable new growth.”Where sprays have been postponed

by the conditions, a product with somecurative activity will help tackle any blightinfection already developing in the crop, he says. “Choosing an active ingredient with

curative properties will ensure growersclaw back some of the days of lost protection.”Flexibility on timing future sprays is also

part of the conundrum, he points out. “Theefficacy of most blight sprays burns outafter seven days. By including a moleculesuch as oxathiapiprolin in a programme,growers will be better able to cope withinclement weather because it has a 10-dayspray interval, providing flexibility for growers.“Under high blight pressure when

agronomists would generally be looking at reducing spray intervals to five days, therobustness of oxathiapiprolin will enable growers to stick with their seven-day schedule, enabling crop coverage to be maintained.” n

Potato agronomy


The aggressive new strain of blight 36_A2 hasalready been detected on early samples of blightthis season.

Maleic hydrazide plays an import role insuppressing sprouting in store.

On 17 June it was announced that chlorpropham (CIPC) is to be withdrawn after it was decided not to renew its approval. TheEuropean Commission has effectively taken thedecision to ban CIPC itself as previous votes onthe matter at EU Standing and AppealCommittees failed to reach a qualified majority.

It’s a move that’s been widely anticipated bythe industry after a draft banning regulation wasput forward by the Commission around the turnof the year. The withdrawal period stated withinthe regulation is 8 Jan 2020 with storage anduse-up by 8 Oct 2020 at the least, with CRD stillto confirm the exact dates that will apply toproducts in the UK.

“Early use of CIPC is likely to be needed this

Last storage season for chlorpropham

season, especially where maleic hydrazide hasn’tbeen applied to crops because of the new labelrestriction,” predicts John Sarup.

“We’re looking at storing processing potatoesat cooler temperatures and then warming themup in store to burn off any of the sugars they’veaccumulated under the cooler conditions, whichwould result in dark fry colours normally. It’s atricky one because once the potatoes have beenbrought back up in temperature then they willneed to be moved out of store in a fairly shorttime-frame,” he explains.

John expects a lot more usage of alternativesprout suppressants, such as spearmint, this yearas growers move away from CIPC.

s

So far, this year stands out for the difficulties beingencountered controlling pests.Cabbage stem flea beetle havecaptured the headlines and it’sbeen a war that some havelost with many wounded cropslimping home.

Aphid virus vectors havecaused sugar beet growers tobe on high alert with regularpatrols to check for an invasion.The one thing both pests havein common is widespreadresistance to pyrethroids ––these spineless little guys actually have so much backbone that they’re seemingly indestructible.

To add to the growing threatof the insect enemy, thisautumn will also be the firstwithout a neonicotinoid seeddressing in cereals, meaningBYDV will have to be in mindwhen planting decisions aremade. Even though its aphidvectors aren’t showing thesame resistance to pyrethroids,there’s no guarantee that sprayapplications will be timely at thetime of year. It could be trenchwarfare just when they needcontrolling the most.

It may be a woeful situationbut it’s perhaps important torealise that it’s one of our ownmaking where a relatively

cheap pyrethroid has been added to the mix as ‘aninsurance’. And now we’re paying

that premium. But is all lost?

No, it’s not but perhaps there’sanother way of thinking thatputs consideration for predatorsat the heart of every insecticidespray decision? These littleguys are actually on the sameside but very few of us couldget beyond identifying a hoverfly or a ground beetle, let aloneknow anything about the countless other invertebratesthat are capable of interruptingthe life cycle of pests throughmany devious and daringmeans.

That leaves us playing catchup and on a steep learningcurve as to how best to givethese friendly bugs everythingthey need, recruit them to thepest control regiment and harness their elite attackingforce behind enemy lines. Forstarters, a ‘friendlies’ ID bookwould be useful so we all get toknow what our own forces looklike. We wouldn’t want themcoming under friendly fire but all too often that’s what’shappening, we’re dropping thebomb without bothering to discover whether the snipers onthe ground are actually gettingon top of the situation.

These guys need back up.That is, food and shelter tokeep them strong and theseneed to be scattered at strategic locations so that theycan take cover, rest up in relative safety and gathertogether a kindred force ofother resistance fighters behind enemy lines.

They need to be able tomove quickly and take out theenemy before they even knowthey’re there. These elite bugsare experts at hitting the target

Nature’s specialforces

Based in Ludlow, Shrops,Lucy de la Pasture hasworked as an agronomist,while among the Twitterati,she’s @[email protected]

hard and then melting out ofsight.

It’s a case of going back tothe drawing board and learnhow we can support thesedaredevils that are puttingthemselves on the line to keepour crops safe. That meanslooking after the solitary guysthat prefer to fight their ownbattles but also provide theright back up for the oneswhere teamwork is the order ofthe day. These more sociablechaps like to plan their attackfrom all sides.

Not so many years agohedges provided cover for thecovert ops teams on theground. It meant it didn’t takelong to get to where the actionwas, no 100-acre fields wherethere’s little hope of getting tothe middle and back to coveragain without being taken outby the fella that’s hunting them.

While major planting ofhedges is an unlikely scenarioin modern times, perhaps replicating this patchwork withstrategically placed RV-pointsof biodiversity amongst the

monoculture is possible. It’s a meeting of agriculture and ecology that few have yetmanaged to achieve but theknowledge is out there, it justrequires embracing –– not as another cost but as an insurance premium that willactually pay out in time.

We’re not there yet –– thepredator special forces aren’t insufficient numbers to make thedifference in all crops. But nexttime it’s ‘back against the wall’time and the first instinct is toreach for the insecticide can,spare a thought for these bravelittle chaps who would rescueyour crops in a heartbeat if theyhad the chance.

Ladybird larvae are deadly aphid predators but need to be allowed to buildup in crops.


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