Pages 44-51 Pages 28-43 Tillage Potato t potential · 2016. 12. 5. · (p28), or find ways to fend...

Profitable crops through better management

Crop Production October 2011Magazine

Focused on improvingreturnsFocused on improvingreturns

Pages 28-43Pages 28-43Pages 44-51

Digging deep for soil solutions

Digging deep for soil solutions

Pages 44-51

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http://www.michelin.co.uk

Talking TilthA word from the editor.

Smith’s SoapboxViews and opinions from an Essexpeasant…..

The truth behind thenumbers

Ahead of next month’s publication of thenew HGCA Recommended List, CPMseeks to interpret some of the factorsthat support a wheat variety’s inclusion.

Feeding the hiddenhunger

New formulations of nutrients and newtechniques of using them could showthe way to the next step-up in cropperformance.

OSR yields more thanjust pub talk

Top up your pint –– following an oilseedrape harvest that’s thrown up someremarkable yields, it’s time to indulge insome pub talk, and delve into the detailsof what delivered such colossal crops.

Furrow fervourAt the recent Tillage-Live event inOxon, higher prices appeared toencourage investment in more flexibleapproaches to crop establishment,along with a resurgence of interest in ploughing to help weed control.

Tillage trail for new ideas

New at Tillage-Live was a KnowledgeTrail, with experts on hand to relay thelatest related research, innovations andfundamentals on soils and spraying.CPM sought out the highlights.

CPM Crop Production Magazine

Editorial & Advertising SalesWhite House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury,Shropshire. SY5 8LP

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

Reader Registration Hotline 01728 622521

Advertising CopyBrooks Design, Scotts Mansion, 24 Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. SY1 1RD

Tel: (01743) 244403Fax: (01743) 244365E-mail: [email protected]

Editor Tom Allen-Stevens

Sub Editor Charlotte Lord

Writers Tom Allen-StevensRobert HarrisSimon HenleyRob JonesMick RobertsAndrew Watts

Design and Production Brooks Design

Advertisement Co-ordinator Peter Walker

Publisher Angus McKirdy

Volume 13 Number 9

October 2011

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CPM Volume 13 No 9. Editorial, advertising and sales offices are atWhite House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury SY5 8LP.

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

and farm managers in the United Kingdom.

In no way does CPM Ltd endorse, notarise or concur with any of the advice, recommendations or prescriptions reported in themagazine. If you are unsure about which recommendations to

follow, please consult a professional agronomist. Always read thelabel. Use pesticides safely. CPM Ltd is not responsible for loss or

damage to any unsolicited material, including photographs.

Crop Production Magazine –– October 2011 3

Potatoes in FocusPotatoes in FocusPooling resources

A report from the EnvironmentAgency has reiterated the need for farmers to protect their water supplies by investing in winter storage. CPM examines what can be done.

Crop criminalsCombating the threat of new andexisting pests and diseases will come under the spotlight at BP2011,the potato industry’s biennial showcase even in November.

Make the gradeAn on-farm potato grader plays anessential role in maintaining qualityand presenting the customer with anexemplary sample, according to twoCheshire growers.

Genome unlockspotato potential

The recent sequencing of the potatogenome could revolutionise breedingand deliver many benefits to the UKpotato sector. CPM discovers what’sin store.

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Autumn attackDon’t leave blackgrass control untilspring, say experts. Best use of contact chemistry can make all the difference.

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FeaturesFeatures

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Talking Tiltha word from the Editor

How will you spendyour extra cash?It’s a bit of a facetious question, and onethat probably deserves a metaphoricalslap around the face, with a reminderthat such talk could cost us our sacredSingle Payment.

But let’s face it, with good yields andgood prices, times have rarely been sogood and we should be enjoying it whileit lasts. Because, despite the promisesfrom every economist that high grainprices are here to stay, it’s an inevitablefact that they aren’t.

Money’s often squandered becausepeople think the good times will last forever –– think of the dot-com boom time, for instance. And do youremember when banks were rich and justthe murmur of the word ‘diversification’would bring you unfettered six-figuresums at ‘favourable agricultural rates’?

So the good times are when youmake your wisest, or your worstdecisions – those who ride out the bad times that follow are theones who used the good times tobest effect.

So I ask again: how will you spendyour extra cash? It was evidently on theminds of both visitors and exhibitors tothe recent Tillage-Live event in Oxon(p44-51). Extra cash is an opportunity to change the cultivation strategy, and itwas clear that many are moving awayfrom min-till and digging a little deeper.But how much of this is a sound, strategic and progressive move that willsee an agronomic step change, and howmuch is just pandering to a desire tosmash up soils with some meaty kit?

Then there’s autumn weed control (p8):

you can now justify a really robust expenditure on taking out a good proportion of the weeds that have haunted you for years. But will it be asound investment in a well calculatedstrategy that reaps rewards for years tocome? Or will you stack every expensivechemical under the sun on to your crop in a forlorn bid to stop snideremarks about weed ears floating above your wheat?

There are opportunities and pitfalls inpotatoes, too. Before there’s a secondmetaphorical slap, although potato margins may be far from rosy, general

4 Crop Production Magazine –– October 2011

arable profitability offers the opportunityof investment, nonetheless. Next month’sBritish Potato event in Harrogate is achance for potato businesses to takestock. Should you improve marketabilityby investing in a grader, for example(p36), boost production with a reservoir(p28), or find ways to fend off rising disease and pest threats (p32)?

And there’s now the leeway to do thereally interesting stuff: explore varietyoptions and traits perhaps you hadn’tconsidered before (p14), and tinkeraround with the nutrient balance of yourwheat to see if you can unlock that extratonne of performance potential (p18).

Good times indeed, and to givean illustration of how we got here,don’t miss the unadulterated pub talk on this year’s rapeseedharvest (p23). Then, when the dark times draw in again, you’llhave fond memories of theseheady days and the wise decisions you made.

This bizarre autumn weather hassomewhat confused the ox-eye daisies that have decided to flower again in awildflower margin. A heavy burden ofthistles last year was choking them out, sothese were topped, then spot-treated withDow Shield (clopyralid) –– and it’s workeda treat.

New look for a New YearFor most men, when the wife asks “I’m thinking of new look, what do youthink?”, panic sets in. Say “that’s agood idea”, and you’re accused of finding her dull and boring. Say “I likeyou the way you are”, and you’re dulland boring.

The truth is, changing the look probably won’t make any difference tothe underlying status quo that you’vegrown rather fond of. Experience tellsyou a little change is always a goodthing, but there are some little things

you like that you’d rather not lose.So it’s with a little trepidation that

CPM hereby reveals we’re going tohave a redesign in the New Year. Thereare probably bits that you reckon arelong overdue an overhaul. Equally,there are aspects you probably ratherlike, and would miss if they’re gone.

So please tell us your likes and dislikes –– email me at the addressbelow. We’ve got our ideas on areas forimprovement, but equally would reallyvalue any input or feedback. And behonest, even brutal –– we promise notto storm off in an emotional [email protected]

Tom Allen-Stevens has a 170ha farmin Oxon, but doesn’t have a lot ofcash to squander at the momentbecause he’s just paid the equivalentof a small country’s national debt toone fertiliser company.

http://www.johndeere.com

Number crunchingHard sums never were my strong point.It probably goes back to those mathsclasses, when staring out of the windowseemed to occupy most of my time. In those days, if you struggled to concentrate in class, you were shoutedat for being a fidget and put into detention. No doubt if it was today, I would’ve been diagnosed as havingADHD and given a classroom assistant.

Nonetheless, this year’s oilseed rapeestablishment has seen me labouringover some complicated figures. Not thatlong ago, we were drilling OSR at15kg/ha in the hope we could establish100 plants/m2. With our droughtyautumns on our poorly structured clay,germination was often as low as 25%. It was a matter of throwing down plentyof farm-saved seed, in the hope some of it would find enough soil contact to sprout.

Nowadays, I try to be a bit more judicious in the way I use seed, partlybecause the new hybrids seem to prefera much lower density, but mainlybecause bought-in seed’s so ruddyexpensive. This year we were down to 4.5kg/ha, and when the weather gods were merciful enough to give us an inch of rain in late August, weestablished plant counts averagingaround the 60/m2.

Although this still only represents amediocre 65% germination rate, the concern is that I might’ve overdone things,as the crops are too thick for their owngood. Even worse is the thought I’ve wasted£10-20/ha on over-seeding. But when I plod around the fields with my square, I note the plant’s not very even, and thereare still plenty of patches with significantlyless than the optimum 40 plants/m2.

I vaguely remember from my mathsthat there’s an important differencebetween mean averages and medianaverages. The trouble is, I reckon I was probably looking out the window,watching the fifth-form girls doing PE, at the time the difference was beingexplained back at the blackboard.Consequently, I’ve decided to stop theagricultural number-crunching and goback to relying on good old commonsense, straw in my hair, and farminglore, such as ‘better a crop’s too thickthan too thin’.

The other tricky issue is whether to give the crops any autumn N. Last autumn, we didn’t put any on, and the crops seemed to come out of the winter in decent shape. But I note the general received wisdom is to put on 30kgN/ha. So we’ve decided to run with the herd and apply somediammonium phosphate (DAP).

Having said that, I note another schoolof thought that says the autumn rate ofN should be higher, at 60kgN/ha. As weall know, 60kgN/ha would breach NVZregulations, unless of course you couldin some way band-apply it on plantsdrilled on wide row spacings. But thatsounds mighty complicated to me.

However, I did look twice as I walkedpast Dad’s old Bettinson drill, that sits in the brambles round the back of theold barn. The drill has dual hoppers –– one for seed and one for fertiliser.

Are we really heading back to stickingthe seedbed fertiliser ‘down the spout’?

Smith’s Soapboxby Guy Smith

6 Crop Production Magazine –– �October 2011

As you’ve probably noticed from the photoabove, we’ve given our OSR a tasteful hintof variegation, following some rather late-applied clomazone. I’m assured by themanufacturers that there’s no yield penaltyinvolved. Despite this reassurance, I’m leftwith a nagging doubt that if you take awaya plant’s chlorophyll, you’re impeding itsability to photosynthesise. With regard tothe mottling effect, I was asked by a curiousnon-farming neighbour about it and Icouldn’t stop myself but to explain it wasour attempt to ‘Christmas up’ the crop asan early seasonal gesture.

Email your comments and ideas [email protected]

Pond larksGreat excitement was caused recentlyby the arrival on the farm of scores of the ornithological paparazzi. Thecause of the minor invasion was theappearance of a very rare Pallid Harrieron our marsh. In a curmudgeonlymoment, I did consider charging £10 for entry and £5 for car-parking,but then I remembered that these tax-paying twitchers are already payingme for delivering environmental goodsthrough ELS and HLS. Despite all thecommotion, it has to be said they are a

rather dull species, only occasionallygiven to exposing themselves. Butthat’s twitchers for you.

http://www.frontierag.co.uk

Weed controlWeed control

‘The bigger the blackgrass, the tougher the kill.’


Don’t leave blackgrass control until spring, sayexperts. Best use of contact chemistry can

make all the difference.

By Tom Allen-Stevens

Autumn attack

hink blackgrass, think Atlantis, think autumn. If you’re consideringleaving control of the weed until

spring, the message from all corners of the industry is simple: don’t, if you canpossibly avoid it. Atlantis (mesosulfuron+iodosulfuron) is still the product of choiceon blackgrass, although there are newoptions and recommendations, especiallyfor those with a wider weed spectrum (see panel on p10).

“Apply Atlantis to small blackgrass,which for normally drilled crops meansspraying in the autumn,” advises MarkHemmant from Agrovista.

Tim Horton of Masstock agrees: “All theevidence suggests you get better results if you go in the autumn, with the best control in Nov.”

Bob Mills of Frontier adds: “Get it on in good time in the autumn. In spring, it’s sometimes good, but it’s sometimes a disaster.”

T

And yet on average, contrary to all this advice, a staggering 85% of Atlantisis applied in the spring, according to manufacturer Bayer CropScience.

Resistance risePerhaps it’s not so surprising –– introducedin 2003, Atlantis was found to offer exceptional control of blackgrass, Britain’snumber one arable weed. At the time, itwas showing widespread resistance to herbicides such as Cheetah (fenoxaprop-p-ethyl) and Topik (clodinafop-propargyl).Even when applied to well tillered blackgrass in the spring, Atlantis wasfound to offer good control.

But in recent years, its efficacy’s waned–– Bayer’s own testing of 200 samples,sent in by growers concerned that theyweren’t getting the level of control theyshould, has confirmed resistance toAtlantis is rising.

So how concerned should growers be?“The trouble is, there isn’t any new contact chemistry coming through to control blackgrass, as there always hasbeen in the past,” notes Chris Cooksley ofBayer CropScience. “But it’s not the endof the world. Generally, most growers arestill getting good control. Where it’s a challenge, it means attention to detailbecomes all the more important.” s

http://www.fastrac8000.com


stage more important than temperature,according to Bayer trials. GS11-13 is theweed’s most susceptible growth stage,advises the company. Leave it until springand the same trials show control can slipback to below 50%, particularly in badblackgrass situations.

Masstock trials have shown similarresults, says Tim Horton. “If applied inNov, the control achieved, at 93%, is 5%better than next best timing in early

Control of blackgrass on a par with Atlantisand the added benefits of sterile brome,ryegrasses and some broadleaf weed control are the claims Dow AgroSciencesmakes of its broad-spectrum herbicideBroadway Sunrise (pyroxsulam+pendimethalin).

These are bolder than the attributes promoted when the product was launchedat Cereals 2010, particularly in terms ofblackgrass control. So are they justified?

“We’ve got some hectarage under ourbelts now and the feedback has been verypositive,” says the company’s VaughnStansfield. “Pyroxsulam’s a highly effectivetool. Used as part of a programme, we feelour chemistry fits very well into the autumnspray programme and independent trialsback this up.”

In both ADAS and NIAB TAG 2010/11trials, Broadway Sunrise did indeed perform well. Across four ADAS sites, from Cambs to Yorks, an average 98%blackgrass control was achieved from an autumn programme of flufenacet+diflufenican (DFF), followed by BroadwaySunrise. This compares with 95% whereAtlantis was used.

The two NIAB TAG sites received a pre-em of tri-allate and PDM, followed by a peri-emergence treatment of Liberator(DFF+ flufenacet), before the Nov-appliedcontact material. With Broadway Sunrise,this achieved 99% control of blackgrassagainst Atlantis’ 96%.

With results deviating by no more than2-3%, the product performed consistently,too, notes Dow technical manager StuartJackson. “It performs on a par with Atlantisand the feedback we’re getting agrees.

“But it must be applied correctly –– the blackgrass should be actively growing and the product works best in the autumn, at 1-2 leaves. BroadwaySunrise must be applied before GS24 of the weed and before GS29 of the

crop, since this is the cut-off for PDM.”The full dose of 3.5 l/ha applies

1099g/ha of PDM, so it cannot be used if a full-rate PDM was used as a pre-em, and Dow strongly recommends the full-ratepre-em dose of 240g/ha flufenacet.

There are benefits too, claims StuartJackson. “You get superior control of bromeand blackgrass, broadleaf weed control andexcellent tankmix compatibility.” There are noissues with PGRs and organo-phosphateinsecticides, he confirms.

It can be used in the spring, but controldrops back, and the autumn-applied pre-emis still a must –– trials suggest 90% overallcontrol is the best you can hope for. “Againthis is on a par with Atlantis. Pyroxsulam’sthe same ALS-inhibitor chemistry, so itwon’t give any greater control where resistance has been identified, and theneed to get it on while the plant is small is key.”

Dow also has another product in itsarmoury –– GF-2070 sees pyroxsulammixed with flupyrsulfuron-methyl, betterknown as the pre-em herbicide Lexus.There’s no proper name yet becauseapproval, granted in June 2010, was something of a surprise to Dow, revealsStuart Jackson: “We didn’t expect it to getapproval as soon as it did.”

What it brings is more flexibility withflupyrsulfuron –– under a separate CRDapproval, you can now use it in sequencewith Atlantis, while GF-2070 allows a post-em tank-mix with the residual ALSinhibitor. “It gets on top of blackgrass andoffers much stronger performance on othergrassweeds, including brome, bent, canarygrass and broadleaf weeds –– it’s a prettycomprehensive package.”

Adding PDM to the mix is also recommended, but one advantage over the Lexus/Atlantis sequence is that youcan come in with an ALS inhibitor forbroadleaf weed control in the spring.

But the option of GF-2070 isn’t available to those who have already applied Lexus as a pre-em treatment.

Yet neither Broadway Sunrise nor GF-2070 can be relied on for blackgrass control, says Tim Horton. “In good growingconditions, on straightforward blackgrass,GF-2070 can work as well as Atlantis. Butit’s much more sensitive to timing andapplication conditions, and I wouldn’t wantto use it in more challenging blackgrass situations.”

Bob Mills agrees: “In a high blackgrasssituation, go with the best material available, and that means Atlantis. If youhave more marginal blackgrass that’s relatively easily controlled, GF-2070 has some useful benefits in terms of its broader spectrum.”

In many areas, this will give both pyroxsulam-based products a key advantage, points out Mark Hemmant.“Both 2070 and Broadway Sunrise havegood activity on brome, wild oats and ryegrass. They fit well in the north andwest of England, in Scotland, and on thelighter soils of eastern England. Whereblackgrass isn’t the main enemy, and growers have tried Broadway Sunrise, it’s picking up a loyal following.”

Broadway reviews reposition its focus

Superior brome and ryegrass control arepyroxsulam’s strengths, say experts.

Advice on mixing and sequencing has beenignored, fears Chris Cooksley.


First and foremost, that means anautumn application, he stresses. “The bigger the blackgrass, the tougher the kill.Wait until the spring and you won’t have a cat in hell’s chance of achieving goodcontrol where resistance has a good hold.”

The optimum timing is Nov, with growth

s

Dec. Nov is 40% better than an Aprilapplication. The plant needs to be growing well and you get best activity at 2-3 leaves, although I’d aim for 1-2 leaves to take account of any delays.”

Weed size is important, confirms Bob Mills. “We’ve probably been too concerned about temperature in the past. Certainly don’t go if it’s very cold but the size of the weed should ultimatelydetermine the timing –– with two leavesbeing the optimum.”

The second fundamental is to includeresidual chemistry, both as a pre-em andas a partner to the post-em treatment.“Atlantis was never intended as astandalone product, always as part of a programme,” he stresses. “We fear that’s been ignored. But then if you’vebeen getting 97%, you wouldn’t considerdoing anything different.”

By the time the post-emergence herbicide goes on, the blackgrass shouldalready have been exposed to a robustpre-em, and before that, as much as possible should have been removed withglyphosate, he says. “If you’ve still got100s of blackgrass plants/m2, 97% control will still leave a mess.”

Mark Hemmant suggests that a


The more blackgrass there is, the moreimportant timing, tank-mix partners and weed size become.

peri-emergence treatment, before themain post-em spray, can add an extralayer of control to your pre-em mix.“Avadex (tri-allate) can have a useful role here if it’s applied before the weedemerges, and if the post-em goes on within six weeks. We’ve also had good results from Auxiliary (clodinafop-propargyl+ prosulfocarb).”

Auxiliary is also useful as a partner forAtlantis, he adds. “If the weather getscooler it’s more reliable than just addingthe pure residual.”

Different chemistryThe standard residual addition ispendimethalin (PDM), he says. “Thiscould be different chemistry to what wasapplied at the pre-em, or topping up levels to ensure more consistent results.The maximum dose is 2000g/ha per season, so if the pre-em treatment was PDM-based, make sure this isn’t exceeded.”

It’s a similar story for flufenacet, henotes. “Flufenacet is the most effectiveresidual, so the post-em is a chance tobring the total applied up to the full rate –– the guidance on this is 360g/ha. So you could apply a full rate of Trooper

(flufenacet+ PDM) followed by 0.3 l/ha of Firebird (diflufenican+ flufenacet).”

He also notes that blackgrass is more dormant this year, so it may pay to put more residual into the post-em than usual.

This may put those who had usedLiberator (diflufenican+ flufenacet) at anadvantage, note Bob Mills. “It meansthere’s a fair amount of PDM you canapply at the post-em timing.”

Vigon (diflufenican+ flufenacet+ flurtamone) proved very useful as a pre-em in 2010, he notes. “You could use it post-emergence, although the s

http://www.bayercropscience.co.uk

Size of weed, rather thantemperature, should determinetiming for Atlantis.

A small target means sprayerset-up and spraying conditionswill make all the differencebetween achieving good controlof autumn grassweeds and awasted application. Here’s around-up of the key advice:l For Atlantis, aim for a dry

leaf in Nov, preferably actively growing, but weed size is the key determining factor (i.e. aim for a small target).

l For Broadway Sunrise and GF-2070, a small target’s also best at a Nov timing, but the plant must be actively growing.

l High dormancy this autumncould bring a range of weedsizes –– keep focused on controlling plants when they’re small, i.e. two leaves.

l For Atlantis, Agrovista recommends using a blue, flat-fan nozzle (medium/finequality) at 3 bar, 150 l/ha water volume and a 10km/hforwards speed.

l Advice from NIAB TAG for grassweeds is similar, with perhaps a lower water volume, at 100-120 l/ha, and a forwards speed of 12-14 km/h

l Don’t use air-induction nozzles –– fine sprays are twice as effective as coarseon grassweeds, according to NIAB TAG trials.

l Angling nozzles alternately forwards and downwards (not backwards) improves results.

l Keep the boom height to 50cm –– raising it by just 20cm will bring a four-fold increase in drift.

l Watch out for the wind speed –– drift brings a 20%drop-off in control, accordingto Agrovista trials.

l Always add an oil to improve uptake and efficacy.

(Advice from Paul Miller, NIAB TAG; Mark Hemmant,Agrovista; Stuart Jackson, Dow AgroSciences; Chris Cooksley, BayerCropScience)

Application essentials

Correct set-up is vital forgood grassweed control.

Tim Horton’s finding Picona(picolinafen+ PDM) is givingthe best results as a follow-upaddition at the post-em timing.“It’s good on broadleaf weeds,particularly cleavers.Picolinafen has limited activityon blackgrass, but when in the mix with PDM and oils, it gives an additional boost.”

Another approach is tocome in early post-emergencewith some chlorotoluron, thenfollow up with Atlantis. “We gotsome excellent results, but youhave to wait six weeks betweenthe two treatments –– there’ssome antagonism. You mightfind your blackgrass is too bigbefore you manage to get backin with the Atlantis.

blackgrass would need to be settled and established and it can’t be included in a mixwith Atlantis.”

s


A new grassweed emergence monitoringservice has been set up by ADAS andDow AgroSciences, following a pilot carried out in 2010, to help growerschoose the right time to spray.Blackgrass, Italian ryegrass and sterilebrome will be monitored across five winter wheat sites, with weed populations

of 80-300 plants/m2 from Kent toHumberside. Information on percentageemergence will be relayed weekly to agronomists and via the farming press from emergence to mid Dec, then mid Feb until early April. See cpm-magazine.co.uk for updates.

Monitor autumn emergence

Early chlorotoluron works well for Tim Horton.

Think carefully what tankmix partnerwould work best, advises Mark Hemmant.

So it may be best to load up the pre-emand concentrate on getting the timing spoton with the post-em.”

But with the best will in the world, a fairproportion of the blackgrass will emergeand live out the winter untouched by a contact chemical. So how can youimprove your chances of control if you leave it until spring?

Dry leaf“Your sole aim should be to achieve thebest application you can on to the targetweed,” says Chris Cooksley. “Go as earlyas you can, so if you get a chance in Janor Feb, take it. But you want a dry leaf,and that doesn’t often happen at that timeof year. Ideally, the blackgrass should begrowing, but it’s more important to hit itwhen it’s small.”

The residual in spring is less of arequirement, but watch what you put in the tank-mix, he stresses. “The efficacy of Atlantis drops if you add bulkyformulations, such as chlorothalonil, andthere are crop safety implications frommixing in some emulsifiable concentrates,such as growth regulators and somefungicides. It’s best to concentrate ongetting the Atlantis on first, then worryabout other spring applications.”

Mark Hemmant echoes this advice.


“Watch out for wheat bulb fly in particularand avoid dimethoate products in thetank-mix. There’s a temptation to put theT0 on at the same time as Atlantis, butthere’s antagonism with chlorothalonil, andtebuconazole has come off the approvedtank-mix list as well.” n


http://www.berthoud.co.uk

http://www.cpm-magazine.co.uk

Ahead of next month’s publication of the newHGCA Recommended List, CPM seeks to interpret some of the factors that support

a wheat variety’s inclusion.

By Andrew Watts


The truth behindthe numbers

‘Varieties with strong disease ratings can be used

in strategic locations as a risk-management policy’

sk any grower what’s the firstscore they look at on the HGCARecommended List and you’re

likely to get the same answer: yield. For many it’s the biggest factor whenchoosing between varieties, and withwheat trading at a three-year high, it’s a good time to have a big heap of grainto sell.

But with a difference of often just a few per cent separating varieties, analternative approach may be to lookbeyond the yield score and considerother performance indicators.

A

“Lodging rates, maturity scores anddays taken to reach growth stage 31 are all important variables worthy of due consideration,” notes Ron Grangerof Limagrain. “But it’s perhaps the disease scores that truly influence a variety’s potential to meet growerexpectations.”

Take the Group 4 category as anexample, he suggests. “It’s the most popular category of wheat in Great Britain,with 17 varieties on the 2011-12 list, splitbetween 8 soft and 9 hard derivatives.Yield ranges from 99-108% of control. But each variety has very different characteristics with disease resistance ratings ranging even more widely.”

The scores for Septoria tritici, for example, range from 4.4 for Conqueror, to 7.7 for Stigg. Yellow rust scores show an even greater variance. Oakley and

Robigus score just 2, while Stigg is againthe highest scorer at 9.

“Yet, despite its mediocre disease rating, Oakley has enjoyed great popularitywith growers because it was, untilrecently, the highest yielding variety on the list. In the field, the differencebetween varieties is often harder to discern. In Masstock variety trials, forinstance, Oakley’s treated yield wasalmost matched by untreated Stigg.”

Under considerationSo what is the story behind the numberson the Recommended List (RL)? Are growers right to give such emphasis toyield ratings, and how should other scoresbe interpreted when selecting varieties?

These are issues under considerationby HGCA, confirms RL manager SimonOxley. Giving the scores greater meaningis likely to be addressed when the nextseries of RLs are published in Nov.

“The challenge is to make the RLinformative for users of all types. There’llbe agronomists who are fully acquaintedwith the RL and have no problem interpreting the data. But there’ll besome growers who only refer to it once a year for whom it can seem confusing,”he says.

When reviewing any variety it’s

important to view the numbers in context, says Simon Oxley. If a varietyhas a low disease score then it will needclose attention. But high scores don’tguarantee an easy ride.

“A 9, for example, suggests that avariety has extremely strong resistance to a disease, but what that doesn’t tellyou is whether it’s single or multi-generesistance.

“When we identify a new strain of a disease we often see the score of ahighly resistant variety plummet. It canbe more reliable to go with a variety that has a rating of 7 or 8 because thatsuggests there’s more than one genecombatting the disease.”

The RL doesn’t currently consider the nature of a variety’s resistance, but it is something the HGCA is open toincluding if breeders are able to supplysupporting evidence. “Maybe in thelonger term this is something we canconsider, but I suspect that our level of understanding is just not there yet,”says Simon Oxley.

Another area that can cause confusionis that not all scores are calculated usingthe same scale. It’s easy to assume

Don’t underestimate the relevance diseasescores have to overall performance, saysRon Granger.

that a disease score of 4 should be given equal weighting to that of a 4 forlodging resistance, but that’s not thecase, says Simon Oxley. “With diseasewe say that a score of 3 or 4 needs careful management, but with lodging we are saying that 5 is poor.”

EvolutionHow to present this data in a format that growers find more informative is currently under review, but it is likely to be a case of evolution, rather than revolution. “We radically alter the RL atour peril. But what we’ll be trying to do isgive growers more clarification. One wayforward, and something we’re keen todo, is have regional tables. It may be that we produce additional informationspecific to certain situations, but we also need to consider grower attitudestowards risk.”

Nor can the scores be considered in isolation –– managing risk has muchto do with keeping the equilibrium of the growing environment. Change onecomponent, such as plant disease, say scientists, and one or more othercomponent must change to rectify the

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HGCA is aiming to give Recommended List scores greater meaning, according toSimon Oxley.

maintains Mark Hemmant of Agrovista.“There are block-buster varieties andthere are those which can be utilised asa management tool, whether it’s diseaseresistance or earliness to harvest; it’sabout choosing varieties that fit your system,” he says.

“Claire, for instance, isn’t a high yielder,but finds favour because it’s a consistentvariety, performing well on farms in theearly sown slots.”

There are also marketing issues to be considered. “Some Group 3s can bestored together, which raises their appealto growers seeking a simple system.Similarly, there are Group 4s which can be stored together.”

Understanding how a variety is likelyto perform under a commercial fungicideregime, rather than the £180/ha programme applied in official trials, is another factor, especially if you haveoutlying land that’s difficult to reach, or limited spraying capacity.

“All varieties respond to a robust fungicide programme, but varieties withstrong disease ratings can be used instrategic locations as a risk-management

policy. And while most varieties grownunder a commercial fungicide programmetend to perform in a similar manner tothose in official trials, some have beenseen to underperform in official trials.

“Grafton, for example, has performedbetter on farm because it rarely receivesthe full growth regulator programme.”

Fast movingStrategic use of varieties to manage disease may become increasingly important, says Dr Rosemary Bayles of NIAB TAG. Responsible for the UK’scereal disease virulence survey, she saysthe recent confirmation of a new strain of brown rust, that has overcome the 9 ratings of Stigg and Warrior, is evidencethat these diseases are fast-movingpathogens. But the chance a variety’s natural inherent disease resistance may be overcome at some point shouldn’t beseen as a reason to ignore disease scores.

“Growers need to take a pragmaticview. It’s for the grower to select a varietythat’s likely to perform in their region and respond well to a comprehensiveagronomy programme. The RL is an

Andy Stirrat of Fingask Farm, Rhynd, nearPerth, is very clear on his requirementswhen choosing new varieties: “We can getunprecedented rainfall in Perth. Over fivedays in Aug we had over 4.5 inches(11mm), so the conditions are challengingand I need varieties that can cope.”

He grows about 120ha of soft wheatacross three units. “It’s critical that any of the varieties grown here have good

distilling properties to meet the marketspecifications, that they have robust disease-resistance ratings, particularly for septoria, and variable ripening rates.While yield is an important factor, it’s thesecharacteristics that determine the successof the variety for me.”

If a variety has a yield of 108, but ratings of only 3s or 4s for disease resistance, it becomes too difficult underhigh disease pressure conditions to manage, he points out. “Then the inputcosts will override any yield benefits. But if a variety has 102 for yield and ratings of more than 4 or 5 for diseaseresistance, then I’ll consider it as an overall better balance.”

That’s not to say he doesn’t use arobust fungicide programme. “I always do,and I adapt it according to the season. But the basic disease ratings have to be in place to provide the platform for thefungicides to work. Also, having a range of drilling dates and ripening dates isimportant, for management reasons.

“Having a choice of varieties on the RL with a range of characteristics that suit particular situations or conditions issomething I believe passionately about.”

Through his position on the HGCA RLwheat board, Andy Stirrat feeds his viewsback into the decision-making process. He is also a host farmer for Limagrain and Frontier demonstration sites.

“The plots give me a good insight into current and upcoming varieties. The untreated plots especially give me the opportunity to see first-hand how the resistance ratings really perform under pressure.

“When a new variety comes along thatinterests me, I’ll always trial it over a smallarea for the first year and will then decidewhether to include it or drop it for the following season depending on its performance here on my farm.”

Wet weather challenge

Varieties must be able to cope withchallenging conditions north of the border, says Andy Stirrat.

Trials on his farm let Andy Stirrat see howresistance ratings perform under pressure.

balance. This strengthens the case for understanding the disease threat in a specific region in order to identify varieties best suited to a grower’s farm.

Ensuring a diversity of varieties givesgrowers a broad range of options,

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The numbers haze: disease scores shouldn’tbe given the same weighting as lodging.

Rosemary Bayles advises growers to take the fast-moving nature of pathogens into account.

indicator of a variety’s potential, but the variables of season and grower management will determine whether its potential can be achieved.”

She points to additional tools that help growers manage the threat posed by specific diseases such as yellow rust. NIAB classifies winter wheat varieties according to the race of the yellow rust pathogen to which they are known to succumb. This means growers can choose varieties from different categories to limit their risk (see www.niab.com/uploads/files/WHEAT_YR_2010RLjan2011minus_rats.pdf formore details).

Fungicide spendHowever, growers may prefer to spendmore on fungicides to deliver the bestfinancial return, rather then select the most resistant variety, concedes Ron Granger. “For the majority the fungicide strategy will be the sameacross the portfolio anyway, with the possible exception of a T0 or a T3 where milling varieties might receive a more robust programme.”

But external interests represent anothercompelling reason for growers to lookbeyond yield ratings when choosing a variety, he says. “Millers need quality whileenvironmentalists want disease-immunevarieties that require little or no pesticides.

“The focus on yield leaves other traitsundervalued, and that leaves UK growersat odds with the political agenda inEurope,” he says.

“I think it’s crazy that a variety only has to score above 2.5 to get on the list.There’s no reason why we shouldn’t havea minimum standard of 4 for diseaseresistance. Other European countries areasking growers to cut fungicide use, butwe’re actually increasing the reliance onchemicals by approving varieties withsuch poor resistance.”

The advent of marker technology andthe ability to stack genes mean breeders

can produce varieties with above averageresistance scores to the major diseases,such as S tritici, he adds. “All breedersare using these technologies, so why nottake it as an opportunity to raise the barto a level that delivers superior varieties?”

Mark Hemmant sees merit in this suggestion. “We’ve probably missed out on some very good varieties simplybecause they didn’t yield 3% above thecontrol varieties.”

Rosemary Bayles would support callsfor a review of the testing regime if it was to lead to varieties with improvedqualities, but warns that while prioritiesmay evolve there needs to be a degree of continuity. “There’s currently muchtalk about scoring a variety’s droughtresistance, for example, so a balancehas to be achieved.” n


http://www.fpu.org.uk


New formulations of nutrients and new techniques of using them could show the way

to the next step-up in crop performance.


aster the delicate balance ofnutrients your crop takes up, andhow it utilises these, and you’ll

not only boost your yield. You could savethe world.

It sounds an implausibly magnanimousvision. But there are a number of cropnutritionists and agronomists, involved in field trials, who believe a plant’s truepotential lies beyond blindly feeding it

the basic N, P and K, and covering for any deficiencies.

Chris Rigley, of Yorks-based CNIAgronomy, has been running field trialsfor over 10 years, looking into what hecalls a proactive approach to nutritionalagronomy. “Most growers will recognise a nutrient deficiency and treat against it.We’ve taken a step back and asked howelse we can use nutrients for the benefitof the crop.”

Early nutritionIt’s a gap known as the ‘hidden hunger’,he explains. A crop may not show a deficiency, but will nonetheless benefitfrom the correct nutrient applied at theright time and in the right form –– a bitlike giving an athlete a protein drinkbefore a major competition.

“Early, available nutrition, within thefirst 40 days is critical. This has massivemileage to take us to the next level interms of crop yield and quality,” he says.

“But it goes even further. A lack ofzinc in diets is the world’s number onepublic health concern. And 20% of children in the UK are anaemic from alack of iron in their diets. We thereforeneed to look at how we can make thesenutrients available in the plant, that willthen transfer to our food.”

His ‘Eureka moment’ came aroundseven years ago when he was evaluatingdisease control options in winter wheat.“We looked at a range of existing chemistry and compared it with areduced input programme, bolsteredwith nutrients. The reduced rate withnutrients gave far better green leaf retention showing that, if we can produce a plant that’s nutritionally balanced, it will be robust enough to resist disease.”

OutperformingOn average, the plots given the nutrientboost, together with a full fungicide programme, outperformed those that just received the fungicides by 8-10%.

So which nutrients are most effective,and when should they be applied?“Establishment’s the time when we cancapture the potential of a crop, so getthe nutrient applied to the seed, but also in the soil immediately around it,”maintains Chris Rigley.

“The main benefit is enhanced growthof root hairs –– and the bigger the root,the better the nutritional uptake. A 25%increase in root is achievable, helps theplant withstand dry conditions better,

M‘If every tonne of wheat we grow isnutritionally enhanced, we won’t

have to grow so much to feed theworld. The skill’s knowing what

to apply and when.’

Feeding thehidden hunger

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http://www.carrs-fertiliser.co.uk

Trials have shown the right balance ofnutrients in the first 40 days of a plant’s life can boost root growth by 25%.

and also take up extra nutrients.”Trials using phosphite, manganese

and zinc have shown particularly goodresults. Phosphite’s a different form ofthe cation from the phosphate mostgrowers are familiar with (PO3 rather

than PO4). “Phosphite has no nutritionalbenefit on its own. But it’s a brilliant carrier, conveying other nutrients with it, while phosphate materials can beimmobile, so don’t get into the plantearly or easily.”

Quick uptakeSo linked with a metal ion, such as zinc, manganese, magnesium, iron, copper or boron, and applied around the seed, you can get these nutrientsinto the plant more quickly, he maintains.“It can be critical to get a quick uptake in situations where you get nutrient lock-up. On the Yorks Wolds, for example,phosphate applied as triple super phosphate (TSP), although cheap, willreadily combine with the chalk in the soil to become calcium phosphate –– aform of the nutrient that the plant can’ttake up. We’ve tried over 60 differentphosphites, but there are only a handful

which achieve what we are looking for.”Chris Rigley uses a Nutri-Feeder,

developed by his own company, retro-fitted to a Horsch drill to applynutrients direct to the seed. The resultshe’s achieved include a crop of springbarley that yielded 7.51t/ha last season,when treated with potassium phosphite,phosphate, a magnesium and zinc formulation, and another phosphite currently under development, at drilling.That compared with 5.83t/ha for a conventionally fed crop, grown on thesame site.

“You could see when you pulled upthe plants how the roots had developed.The idea is to get nutrition into the cropfrom day 1 to day 40. This can rule outfoliar applications –– there isn’t enoughgreen leaf.”

Independent wheat-breeding expertBill Angus agrees that it’s time to move toa more sophisticated way of growing wheat.

New formulations aren’t restricted tomicronutrients. For example urea, which is commonly associated with gaseousvolatilisation is now available with a prill coating that inhibits these losses. One example is Nutrisphere from Carrs Fertilisers.

“NutriSphere-N is a dual-action ureaseand nitrification inhibitor, which reduces therisk of both ammonia volatilisation andnitrate leaching,” explains Peter Scott of Carrs.

“It’s a polymer which is coated directly onto the urea granules before being bagged. Itworks by temporarily sequestering essentialmetals in the urease enzyme, so it slows

down the hydrolysis process long enoughfor the ammonia to be protected fromvolatilization and washed into the soil for plant uptake.”

Independent trials results suggest ureadelivers a yield benefit of just under 1t/ha,compared with AN, with the coated ureayielding 1.3t/ha better than AN, for a cost per kgN that’s marginally lower, says PeterScott. “The results clearly showed a yieldbenefit for urea plus NutriSphere-N, compared with both AN and urea whenapplied in a single, early season application.”

However, results from three years of Yara trials suggest quite the opposite, saysthe company’s Ian Matts, with AN outyieldingurea by 0.97t/ha. “At current nitrogen andcrop values, using urea rather than a nitrate-based product would cost in theregion of £50-70/ha in lost revenue.”

Jes Hansen of Tyneholme Estates,Antas in Suffolk was recently persuaded to put the new coated urea to the test. As a grower of top quality Hereward forWarburtons, maintaining grain protein is a key requirement from his fertiliser, thatusually centres around calcium ammoniumnitrate (CAN).

“It performs well in the dry conditionsthat often affect this part of the country,and has the benefit of additional calciumand magnesium.” He also grows springbarley for malting contracts throughOpenfield.

The new urea fertiliser –– KochAdvanced Nitrogen (KαN) –– uses Agrotainstabilising technology. Trials carried out by ADAS and others confirmthat it significantly reduces volatilisationlosses. “To be honest, I was sceptical, soonly took a 30t trailer-load to see how itwould perform,” says Jes Hansen.

Half was used at Tyneholme, and halfon the lighter soil of an 800ha Norfolk farm,Saham Grove near Watton, which isfarmed within the group. The fertiliser wasused mostly on quality wheat varieties likeHereward and Viscount.

Jes Hansen split the spreading on some winter wheat fields between CANand KαN. “However, it was the spring barley that really tested its viability. It saton bone-dry soils for 5-6 weeks before therain came, but it seems to have had the full effect”.

The KαN’s spreadability was a surprisetoo, he admits. “We usually avoid usingurea because it’s so light but we spread itto 32m at the Suffolk farm for the first timeand it was fine.”

At a concentration of 46% N, the urea-based fertiliser needs less storagespace and can be spread faster, he notes.“As for yield, there was no difference onthe split field –– both fertilisers achieved an average of 8.2t/ha, mainly on secondwheat. Moreover, the grain met the qualityspec too.”

New technology rekindles interest in urea

Jes Hansen compared the new ureafertiliser with calcium ammonium nitrate.


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Chris Rigley uses phosphite to boost cropperformance.

“It’s as if the smartphone technology’savailable, but growers are still on dial-uplandlines. This is a very exciting time andthe right time to be investing in wheat,and answering some of the challengesthe world faces.”

Micro-nutrients can have a hugeimpact on how a plant develops, andtherefore on its yield potential, he says.“Copper and boron, for example, areboth essential parts of the complex biochemical pathways a wheat plantgoes through when it flowers. A wheatthat doesn’t flower consistently, won’tyield consistently, so you have to ensureit’s nutritionally well balanced.”

That’s not just a case using of plentyof nitrogen, he adds. “It’s a bit like feeding fast food to a plant –– unlessthere’s a good balance of the right nutrients, it becomes big and lush and full of disease.”

Bio-fortificationThe potential is there to go further,he says. Work carried out by the Instituteof Food Research in Norwich has shownthat increasing the amount of seleniumin our diets can reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. “We have fluoride in our toothpaste, so why notselenium in our bread? This can’t bedone genetically yet, but it’s a hugeopportunity if we can do it through the nutrients we feed our crops.”

There’s also potential for this bio-fortification to answer the world’s biggestnutritional problem –– a lack of zinc inthe average diet. “It’s within the realm ofgovernment-funded research to explorethis, but the delivery mechanism’s simpleand potential benefits immense. If every

tonne of wheat we grow is nutritionallyenhanced, we won’t have to grow somuch to feed the world. The skill’s knowing what to apply and when.”

Proactive approachPeterborough-based start-up nutritioncompany Safagrow is developing a rangeof crop nutrition products with CNIAgronomy. Sales and marketing directorAndrew Low is a keen advocate of proactive agronomy. “Hidden hunger is the concept that application of keynutrients, at the right time in crop development, can often lead to increasesin yield or quality, even in crops thataren’t showing deficiency symptoms.Using micronutrients in particular is alltoo often focused on avoiding deficiency,


One shake and the suspension concentratetransforms into a flowable liquid, saysAndrew Low.

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The Nutri-Feeder delivers nutrients directto the seed and the soil it’s placed in.

The potential goes beyond maximisingplant potential, believes Bill Angus.

but ignores the potential yield benefit of optimising the nutrient balance across the season.”

Brixworth Farming Company, based inCreaton, Northants is trying a new way tofeed its 650ha oilseed rape crop, usingconventional ammonium nitrate and phosphate fertiliser.

For the past few seasons, the crop’sbeen established using a modified sub-soilerwith a seeder unit to band the seed in rowsbehind the legs, which are set at 67cmapart, reports Ian Matts of Yara, who also works as agronomist for Brixworth.

“In general, the establishment’s beenvery good using this technique, but we’veseen large differences between soil types.In heavy clay, the leg leaves the soil veryopen causing too much seed to fall to wellbelow the optimum depth of 3cm. Also,such a wide row width of 67cm has causeddifficulties with pigeon control in some seasons where the plants haven’t emerged

as quickly as we would’ve hoped andlacked vigour in the autumn as the rowstook a long time to close.”

This year sees a Sumo Trio fitted with a custom-built Chafer Quickstart tank andtwo Stocks seeder units delivering fertiliser,seed and slug pellets all in one pass. Thelegs are spaced 50cm apart, followed by a stream of fertiliser delivering nitrogen and phosphate close to the seeds.

“The fertiliser’s lightly mixed in the soilby a row of discs with the seed beingdropped in rows behind the legs beforebeing consolidated. Finally slug pellets, if needed, are banded again in rows, in line with the seed.”

The aim is to achieve a more uniformdepth of seed and to provide best soil conditions for efficient rooting. “Ensuring a supply of available nitrogen and phosphate, close to the emerging plants, at the critical time for these nutrients isvital,” notes Ian Matts.

“Phosphate mobility in soil is low, movingonly 1-2mm from the roots. So applicationclose to the seed is important to ensure it’sused efficiently, rather than being absorbedto soil organic matter or locked up by othersoil nutrients such as calcium. Applyingsmall amounts at establishment will hopefullylead to a larger root mass capable of extracting more nutrients and moisture from the soil and making better use of all nutritional inputs during the course of the season.”

Another change is to switch from rotational applications of phosphate to targeting it just where soil is at a P index of 1, while also feeding the crop phosphateduring the season.

On the nitrogen side, recent Yara trials show optimum nitrogen rates atestablishment is around 65kgN/ha.“Farming in an NVZ, we’re unable to applymore than 30kgN/ha within the closed period, so by banding it close to the seedwe can use it more efficiently, getting closer to the optimum rate without exceeding the N max limit for nitrogenapplied over the total hectare.”

Novel way to feed OSR

The Sumo Trio is fitted with ChaferQuickstart tank and two Stocks seederunits, delivering fertiliser, seed and slugpellets all in one pass.

Good establishment has been achieved,says Ian Matts.

The firm’s now launched a range ofsuspension-concentrate (SC) formulations.“Aloy’s a new development that holds the SC in a mousse-like structure butwith one shake, it breaks into a flowableliquid that is less viscous than otherproducts. That means it overcomes the problems often associated with traditional SC formulations –– their tendency to glug when pouring, and tosettle out of the mixture, making the candifficult to empty and clean.”

Shelf-lifeIncluding soluble materials, such asmanganese nitrate in the ManganeseAloy for instance, speeds uptake into the plant, while the shelf-life is alsomuch longer, claims Andrew Low –– thistypically ranges from 18-24 months foran SC, but Aloy formulations last for atleast 30 months, he claims. “But it

retains the benefits of an SC formulation–– high loading of the nutrient, meaningfewer applications, and a good tank-mixprofile, with phenoxy herbicides, forexample.”

Manganese, copper, magnesium and sulphur are currently available,exclusively through Agrovista, with calcium and zinc to follow. n


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Top up your pint –– following an oilseed rape harvest that’s thrown up some remarkable yields,it’s time to indulge in some pub talk, and delve intothe details of what delivered such colossal crops.


elcome to the CPM Lounge Bar.The topic of conversation is theexceptional yield achieved by

some rapeseed growers this harvest, andyou’re just in time to hear some of themost staggering stories of barn-bustingprowess.

But there’s no exaggeration here –– the growers we’ve talked to havechecked and double-checked their figures. The highest confirmed yield is 6.33t/ha over a 13.5ha block of ESAstrid, although CPM’s also receivedreports of some fields achieving 7t/haand more. So just what drove theseyields to such dizzying heights?

“A lot of it was down to the weather,”believes Philip Marr of Masstock. “Theaverage temperature during floweringand pod fill was 4°C higher than normal,which may have created a lot more fertilepods. But I’d say around 60-70% of itwas down to how growers managed their crops.”

Those with the highest-yielding cropsmanaged their canopies correctly, hemaintains. “The best crops were drilledat 35-40 seeds/m2, and the plant population was managed correctly so itdidn’t create too big a biomass in spring,so the light could get right into thecanopy. How it was established wouldalso have been critical–– you need to geta good root down before winter sets in.”

Pete Berry of ADAS agrees that

canopy size was key this year. “The cold winter and dry spring restricted the growth. This resulted in canopy sizesat flowering which were close to the optimum size, although some canopieswere below average size in the east. Thishelped the majority of crops set moreseeds and have a high yield potential.

Canopy size“In most seasons, a large proportion of crops exceed the optimum canopy size and, as a result, they don’t set asmany seeds.”

A very sunny April –– the main podand seed-setting period –– helped, headds. Sunshine hours for the monthwere 49% above average for England,which would have further helped thecrops set more seeds.

“It’s possible these prolific crops havea higher photosynthetic rate during seed-fill, the high seed number causinga positive feedback mechanism. Thiseffect has been proven in wheat and

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‘I was thinking “this can’t be true”. But it all tallied up right.’

OSR yields more than just pub talk

may also be present in oilseed rape.”Higher-than-average sunshine hours

in May and June helped fill the seeds,although was somewhat counteracted by warmer-than-average temperatures,which would’ve shortened the seed-fillingperiod. “The rain came early enough inJune for most, but not all, crops to allowthat high yield potential to be realised.”

And that’s what happened this summer at Ivy House Farm, Laxfield, in Suffolk. Manning the weighbridge,Stuart Baker couldn’t believe his eyes as yet another laden load came out ofthe same 13.5ha field of ES Astrid. “I was thinking ‘this can’t be true’. But it all tallied up right. I even checked the weighbridge calibration the next day with some bags of fertiliser.”


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The final yield was 6.33t/ha, he says.“We’d always averaged around the 4.8-4.9t/ha mark in the past –– onlyonce going over the 5t/ha barrier,although we’d always aim for it. But it was different this year.”

Stuart Baker puts it down to establishment. The field lies on somemedium clay-based loam –– “Laxfieldland is reputed as the best in Suffolk.”This was worked to a depth of 250-350cm with a 3m Sumo Trio. “It’s a fantastic bit of kit –– it loosens the soil but leaves the moisture behind.The land we ploughed didn’t even reach 5t/ha.

“The crop established quickly, grewwell and put its roots down –– just aswell because it was like a dust bowlaround here in the spring –– just 9mm of rain fell between 12 Feb and 15 June–– but that crop just kept on growing. We threw everything at it, in terms of inputs –– if our rape crops need anything, they get it. And by harvest, youcould tell it would fill a trailer or two.”

VigorousAll 52ha of his rapeseed has gone inwith the Sumo this year, and he’s alreadyconfident about prospects for the crop.“We’ve got Astrid again –– we’ve alwaysgrown it as it’s easy, very vigorous, itgrows like crazy, combines well, andalways yields well. There’s also Visionand we’ve got some ExPower as well thisseason. I’ve never been keen on hybridsin the past, but my nervousness of themhas gone –– every seed has grown andthey’re all looking fantastic.

“I’ve got a friend who calls me JREwing after our success with the OSRthis year –– it’s remarkable and quiteembarrassing. Whether it’ll happenagain, I just don’t know.”

ES Astrid is a low-biomass variety

that’s always been a high performer on yield, says Neil Groom from breederGrainseed. “It does better in dry conditions than other varieties ––while they put on plant growth, Astridgrows seed. It’s also good at putting its root down and scavenging for soilmoisture and nutrients.”

Near Peldon in Essex, RobertDavidson and Son achieved “spot on6t/ha” from a 15ha block of Sesame,according to James Faulkner who wasdriving the combine. “We had to go slow–– it was like combining tree trunks.We’d desiccated it three weeks beforebut it was still green. In the end, we just combined the top off and topped it afterwards.”

The crop was grown on virgin land ontheir marshy, London clay soil. “I thinkthe fresh land had a lot to do with it,along with plenty of sunshine. It hardlyhad any N –– we put a variable rate ofurea on, but it didn’t take much. It wasquite a shock when we saw what theyield monitor was telling us.” The farm’sfive-year average OSR yield is 4-4.5t/ha.

At establishment, an 8m VäderstadRapide drill follows a 7m Topdown and a 10.3m Rexius Twin. “We’re thinking

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Father and son Stuart (left) and EddieBaker couldn’t believe how well their ES Astrid was yielding.


http://www.dowagro.com/uk

Nurturing the crops and monitoring their growth is something of a passion forMartin Smart, who manages share-farmingagreements across 1600ha in total.

“OSR is like managing livestock –– youcan’t neglect it over winter or it’ll suffer.Then you’ve got to give every plant plentyof room, like Christmas trees, so they’vegot enough space to branch out andmake a good shape.”

He’s convinced the secret to a highOSR yield is to establish the right plantpopulation, with the canopy then managedcarefully, so every developing pod receivesenough light to fulfil its potential.

“We’re aiming for 32-38 plants/m2 inMarch and we get all the plots N-min tested before the top-dressing starts. I’vetaken loads of photos so I can relate theground cover and canopy penetration of all the crops to how they performedyield-wise. One thing I noticed was that theflowering period of the Compass seemedlonger than the rest.”

And it was the Compass that had one of the lowest plant populations, too.“Across the varieties they ranged from38-50 plants/m2, so there’s room forimprovement here.”

An increased amount of hybrid seed

Chicken manure at establishment andsulphur later on helped Nick Rowsell’s OSRsmash the farm’s previous record yield.

about putting a Biodrill on theTopdown for a one-pass operation, but we aren’t there yet.”

The emerging crop took up sufficientmoisture following rain at the end ofAugust, and never looked back. “The bigdifference was that we had no lodging.We put a PGR fungicide on, which we’lldefinitely be doing again. And the variable-rate nitrogen helped, too.”

But they won’t be growing the Sesame

again. “Wheat varieties seem to bematuring earlier while rape is gettinglater. There’s too much cross over, so weneed earlier varieties. This year, we’vegot PR46W21, Expower, Excalibur andCamelot. They’re already up and away,and they’re looking good –– I’ve got highhopes for how they’ll do.”

MeticulousAs the leading variety on the HGCARecommended List, it’s no surprise forStuart Cree from Ebbage Seeds that anumber of growers have achieved topyields with Sesame. “The combination ofa large-canopy type variety and the rightgrowing conditions, and Sesame has thecapacity to yield its head off, especiallyon virgin land. We’ve heard of smalleracreages that have yielded more this year–– a 4ha pony paddock achieved 7t/haand we’ve even heard of a 1ha ex-gamepatch in Lincs that yielded 8t/ha.”

Meticulous care has gone into themanagement of six 100m by 12m stripsof OSR at Ashton Farms, Trowbridge,Wilts. Compass yielded the highest at6.1t/ha, although across the farm, it was the 100ha block of Dimension thatperformed on top at just over 5t/ha.

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Low disease levels last yearcontributed towards the highyields, points out PeterGladders of ADAS. “Earlyphoma was controlled withautumn fungicide and the dry spring checked the development of light leaf spot and sclerotinia.”

But phoma will soon bemoving through this year’scrop, he warns. “We had plentyof rain for air-borne spores tostart maturing on stubbles andthere may have been someinfection spread into the newcrop. There were no signs ofleaf-spotting before the recentdry weather, but that’s not tosay the infection isn’t there. A couple of wet days could see an explosion of the

disease about 10 days later.”On the plus side, there are

plenty of well established, larger crops that’ll not be sobadly hit if infected now as fungicide timing is less criticalthan on small plants. “Stayalert for local phoma out-breaks, look out for updatesthat will come through thefarming press and other channels, and apply fungicidesas soon as there is a threat.Those who have had light leafspot in previous years will most likely need to treat againthis year.”

For the latest developments,go to the OSR section of the CPM website www.cpm-magazine.co.uk.

Phoma threat

has been drilled earlier thanusual this year notes MichaelMann of DSV. “Growers needto keep on top of canopygrowth before the winter. Oneof the key benefits of hybridsis that they appear to havebetter establishment across a wide range of drilling datesand conditions –– mosthybrids offer the possibility of a later sowing date.”

Even cropNick Rowsell’s 60ha of DKCabernet at West Stoke Farmin Hants leapt away from its10-year average of 4.04t/hathis year, yielding a mighty5.38t/ha. “What surprised memost was how even the cropwas across the whole fieldthroughout the year. When it came into flower, it wasalmost painful to look at, it was so bright.”

The medium soils over chalk with flints are “nothingspecial”, he says. “It may’vebeen the chicken manure thatmade the difference. It was anew routine for us, but one I’lldefinitely repeat. You get thephosphate to get the rootgoing and the nitrogen to kick it up the backside.

“We had a kind autumn,

and by the time the springcame, the work below groundwas done and the droughtnever affected it.”

The other key ingredient isplenty of sulphur, he says.“We put all the spring nitrogenon as Double Top, which givesus at least 90kgS. But all theevidence says the more S you put on, the more yield you get.”

All the OSR land is min-tilledto no more than 50mm depthwith a 4.6m Simba Express,and then drilled with a 6mHorsch Sprinter. This yearCabernet remains the “mainstay” variety withCamelot and PR46W21 alsogrown. “It was slightly laterdrilled, but it’s up with plentyof moisture and looking good.”

Cabernet’s proven to be aconsistent performer for a lotof growers, confirms PhilipMarr. “Varieties like Cabernetdon’t have too much apicaldominance, but push a lot ofgrowth out into the lateralbranches. In a favourableyear, this allows plenty of podsites. One to watch this year isDK Expower –– it’s done wellin HGCA trials and I think we’llsee it performing strongly.” n

http://www.agriguard.ie

http://www.cpm-magazine.co.uk


Pooling resources

Potatoes in FocusPotatoes in Focus

Picture courtesy of Miles Waterscapes

A report from the Environment Agency has reiterated the need for farmers to protect theirwater supplies by investing in winter storage.

CPM examines what can be done.

By Robert Harris

‘Water needs to be treated as a key raw material’

he dry spring was a close call formany farmers in the key potatoand vegetable growing areas of

eastern England. Prolonged periods without rain are not uncommon, but this year was an exception.

East Anglia had its driest spring onrecord, with just 21% of average rainfall,while the south-east of England andparts of the Midlands fared little better.Reports suggest that irrigation startedexceptionally early in many areas, andlittle or no rain fell to replenish supplies.This left many surface water abstractorsfacing the threat of widespread irrigationrestrictions and potential bans.

Some farmers implemented voluntary

T

restrictions, such as irrigating only atnight to reduce evaporation. But accordingto the Environment Agency (EA), about170 abstractors were restricted or prevented from irrigating through so-called hands-off flow conditions orsection 57 notices. These are imposedby the EA to protect other river users and the environment when rivers drop to a certain level or flow.

Further action –– with potentially disastrous consequences for crops ––was avoided just in time as rain returnedmid-June to lift water flows.

Whether droughts as severe and prolonged as this are set to become thenorm is unclear, says Mark Harvett at the EA.

“But statistics show that climatechange could reduce average summerflows of rivers in England and Wales by50-80% by 2050. By the same time, our

population could increase by 20m, puttingeven more pressure on resources.”

Even if those figures turn out to beoverly pessimistic, it’s prudent to assumethat surface water supplies will get a lottighter within a few years. EA figures suggest that already almost a quarter of all irrigation abstraction licences inEast Anglia and the east Midlands arelocated in areas defined as over-abstracted,and almost half in areas defined as over-licensed.

Work togetherA potential water shortage was recognised in the recent EA DroughtProspects report. Commissioned byDEFRA in response to the widespreadspring drought, it recommended thatfarmers should take action by constructingreservoirs and working together to maximise water resources.

“Water needs to be treated as a key raw material,” says Mark Harvett.“Many farmers really need to considertheir plans more closely.

“Just under 30% of the 7500 licensedirrigators have reservoirs, of which about1000 are in East Anglia. There’s certainlypotential to increase this, but farmersneed to weigh up the costs and benefitsof reservoirs, as they’re not a viableoption in all areas.

“There’s a lot of scope for farmers tocollaborate, perhaps setting up waterabstraction groups to share the cost ofreservoir construction and associatedinfrastructure like pumps and piping.”

Most of the UK’s six current waterabstraction groups were started by farmers concerned about licensingrestrictions. Many growers are also nowinvolved in catchment management,helping to influence decisions on licenceapplications and managing waterabstractions in times of shortage.

“We believe abstraction groups are a great way to achieve more efficient allocation of water –– both geographicallyand during periods of drought. And they’rean excellent way of establishing modernregulation and getting farmers involved in discussions,” says Mark Harvett.

A recently announced, two-yearDEFRA project on water-supply efficiencywill focus on the scope of on-farm waterstorage. It will explore ways to improveon-farm storage capacity, identify barriersto construction and ways to overcomethem, examine the cost:benefits andinvestigate funding mechanisms.

Importantly, it’ll also look at the scope

Pooling resources

for collaborative approaches to share the cost of water collection, abstraction,storage and distribution.

Melvyn Kay of the United KingdomIrrigation Association (UKIA), an independent body representing irrigatorinterests and promoting good practice,welcomes the project.

Irrigation imperative“The report will provide some muchneeded guidance on winter water storageand the issues that are holding growersback. The collaboration aspect is verywelcome –– water abstraction groupshave been on UKIA’s and the EA’s wishlists for a long time, and DEFRA nowseems to be getting on to it.

“If Government wants the production of vegetables, potatoes and fruit to continue in the UK then it needs to get serious about irrigation –– it’s thebackbone of a lot of East Anglian andMidlands farming.”

Many farms could benefit from thereport’s findings, believes Melvyn Kay.“The bigger units have tended to be thefront runners and have planned wellahead. But a lot of smaller farms have not yet woken up to the fact that water

supplies are set to tighten, which will put a lot of pressure on summer abstractionlicences.

“Those farmers should start by talking to the EA to get a clearer picture of theircatchment and the likely pressures it’llface. They should also talk to neighboursto identify common goals and how theycould work together to share costs and time.

“All this improves the chances of finding a good site for a reservoir that’sacceptable to the planners, EA and otherinterested parties, and delivering it at

Decreasing rainfall and rising waterdemand will put pressure on agriculturalusers, warn experts.

Get good advice from the outset. Underthe current Reservoirs Act, if you’re goingto construct a reservoir capable of holdingmore than 25,000m3 of water above naturalground level then you must appoint a construction engineer. You must also comply with the requirements of theReservoirs Act (note the qualifying capacity may be reduced to 10,000m3).

Planningl How much water do you need? Assess

current plus future use, and maybe include the neighbours.

l Is water available? Talk to the Environment Agency for licensing advice, and try to assess the dependability of existing and proposed future extractions.

l How big a reservoir do you need? Large ones provide scope to expand and offer more protection against climate change.

l Where should it go? Identify several sites wherever possible, preferably clay soils on a flat site, central to anirrigated area.

PermissionsMain areas to consider include: l Abstraction licence –– contact EA to

discuss proposal, and consult local Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy report.

l Planning consent –– most reservoirs require local authority consent. A pre-planning enquiry can help a full planning application succeed.

l Local concerns –– incorporate desirableenvironmental features into your plans.

Design and constructionKey things to consider include:l Soils and geology –– finding out what

lies below is crucial.l Lined or unlined –– it can add

considerably to the cost.l Balancing cut and fill –– cheapest

where soil excavated equals amount need to build embankments.

l Dead storage –– allow for evaporation, seepage and residual water to prevent clay base drying or hold down liner.

Source: Thinking about an irrigation reservoir? Cranfield University

Reservoirs –– the right approach


Irrigation is the backbone of East Anglianand Midlands farming, says Melvyn Kay.


s

http://www.rotam.co.uk


Farmers face a number of barriers, notesJenny Bashford.

Building a reservoir can make a big difference to crop yields and quality, as well as providing key marketing advantages and adding capital to a farmingbusiness. But careful budgeting is vitalbefore proceeding with such a major capital project, says Charles Whitaker of Brown and Co.

“Broadly speaking, you need 250m3

to spray irrigate 25mm/ha, and you’ll need120-150mm for potatoes, carrots, parsnipsor onions in a season.” For every 40ha,that’s 50-60,000m3, plus an allowance fordead storage (also see panel).

Clay-lined reservoirs typically cost £800-1300 per 1000m3; and if no clay isavailable, a butyl liner will be needed, whichpushes the cost up dramatically. “These’llcost from around £2000 per 1000m3 andonly have a 20-year life expectancy, muchlower than a clay-lined construction.

“You’ll need to get a geological surveycarried out if you’re planning to use clay to identify its suitability and extent. Thenthere’s the question of planning consent.This can be done quickly and easily underprior notification if you’re fortunate with thelocation. If not, a full application will berequired, which can involve anEnvironmental Impact Assessment.

“Anything above 5ha will normally

trigger an EIA, as will reservoirs sited close to SSSIs, other environmentally sensitive areas and housing. This can add £20-50,000 to costs and can delay the project by months –– or even years.”

Infrastructure costs can also mount quickly, he notes. Pumping capacity andconnections start at around £20,000 for abasic set-up but can cost at least five timesthat for a large reservoir (e.g. 250,000m3)with a fully automated system. Three-phasepower connection can cost a similar amount,so hired or owner-generated capacity can be cheaper.

“You might spend a further £100-150,000for pipework to reach 200ha from a typical 250,000m3 reservoir, at £15-20/m.Overall, you can expect to budget from£500-600,000 for a clay-lined reservoir of that sort of size.”

Grants are currently not available following the ending of the regional enterprise schemes. But with winter storage being a DEFRA-stated objective,Charles Whitaker expects the 30-40% competitive funding on all capital works thatwas available under these schemes to beavailable next year. “I currently have four£500,000 schemes waiting to go but we’veput them on hold.”

Collaboration is likely to attract

preferential consideration for grants, he adds. “If you can provide a scheme that benefits third parties –– be that neighbouring farmers, the local communityor others in the supply chain –– then yourapplication will be viewed more favourably.

“Given that, plus the capital cost of theseschemes and the increased chances of getting the best possible site for a reservoir, I think it’s a prerequisite that you talk to your neighbours to find out what their future needs might be before considering any new scheme. “

So is it worth it? As a rule of thumb, irrigation can increase the earning potentialof let land for root crops by £600/ha compared with combinable crop use (also see table opposite). “That represents a return on capital of 10-15% or more when you take all costs into consideration if starting from scratch,” concludes Charles Whitaker.

“If you already have irrigation in place butare protecting your business from increasingrestrictions on summer abstractions, the paybacks will be longer. But if it meansbeing able to grow and market quality crops,or not growing crops at all, the chances are it’ll be money well spent.”

Profit pool or sinking fund?

likely to be a key concern, she says.“Some catchments are over-abstractedand agriculture seems to be first in linewhen it comes to restrictions –– it’s theobvious target.”

BarriersWinter storage could be an effective solution, but several barriers are hinderingprogress, she maintains. “One of themain concerns is the length of the winterabstraction licences being granted. Oftenthese are for 5-10 years, compared witha 20-50 year life for a reservoir, so it’svery difficult to show you’ll get yourmoney back, and very difficult to secureany borrowing you may need.”

Licences need to be more flexible, continues Jenny Bashford. “Currently,most reservoirs are filled on winterabstraction licenses, and traditionally this was the time of high flows, but climate change is already affecting rainfall patterns, and the last three winters have been unusually dry.

“We’re seeing more high-flow periodsin the summer months, and water is


a cost that’s much more acceptable tothe businesses involved.”

The NFU has recently launched its latest water use survey, which it carries out every five years. As well as obtaining an up-to-date picture of current use, it aims to identify plans and pinpoint concerns farmers have inimplementing them, says water policyadviser Jenny Bashford.

Stricter catchment management is

going to waste. The EA did act this yearto benefit a small group of farmers –– wehope this might be the start of somethingmuch bigger.”

A change to reservoir safety legislation isanother concern. Revision of the ReservoirsAct 1975, currently undergoing enablinglegislation, contains a provision to reducethe capacity at which a reservoir will beregulated from 25,000m3 to 10,000m3.

“Most farm reservoirs are much largerthan this, so they’ll be unaffected by thechange. But this has raised alarm bellsin some communities, sending out themessage that reservoirs are inherentlydangerous structures,” says JennyBashford. “We fear this could lead to more people saying ‘not in my back yard’.”

It’s a myth that must be dispelled, sheadds. “We’ve had a run of dry wintersand two dry springs, and the last onewas the driest since records began. If wehave another dry winter then we couldbe looking at a very different scenarionext summer.

“Water companies were only a week

s

away from introducing restrictions thisyear. If that happens in 2012, agriculturalabstractions will be severely curtailed. It’s a scenario that could become a lot morecommon as climate change progresses.”

Competition in some catchments is now so intense that farmers are competing for the last bit of spare water,says Andrew Alston, farmer and chiefexecutive of the Broadlands AgriculturalWater Abstractors Group.

“With 8-10 weeks of dry weather last year and 10-12 weeks this year,everyone is thinking about what to do,”he says. “The EA says reservoirs are theway forward but the water’s not alwaysthere. Only recently, we had a reservoirapplication turned down for that reason.

“We could also find we’re not going toget long-term licences –– or if we do, we won’t be able to use them. I reallyworry farming’s going to be pushed into a corner as the environment, industryand public all take precedence.”

In catchments facing this sort of pressure, it may be too late to buildreservoirs, he adds. “They’ve an important role to play, but if we thinkthey’re the only solution, we’ll run

This reservoir near Swaffham, Norfolk,constructed by Miles Waterscapes, holds320,000m3 of water and involved moving300,000t of soil. Clay was moved to form a liner at the upper level where the soilswere permeable.

IT and automation to apply the rightamount of water when the crop needs it,to growing crops on suitable soil typesand in the right rotations to ensure theymake the best use of that water.” n

Potatoes in FocusPotatoes in Focusinto a brick wall eventually.

“We also have to look at ways of making more efficient use of the water we have, from investing in betterirrigation systems that make full use of


Existing crop net margin (cereals)* £422/ha

Irrigated crop land use returns (average**) £1040/ha

Net additional land use return £618/ha

Annual irrigated area hectares *** 243/ha

Total additional return £150,000

Capital spend Butyl-lined (£) Clay (£)

Gross 1,157,500 782,500

Total additional return 150,000 150,000

Net returns Without Grant

Finance costs (@5%) 57,875 39,125

Depreciation of facility (@5%) 57,875 39,125

Return net of depreciation and finance (no grant) 34,250 71,750

Return on capital (simple terms) 3% 9%

Net Returns With Grant

Grant assumption – 35% 405,125 273,875

Net cost 752,375 508,625

Finance costs (@5%) 37,619 25,431

Depreciation of facility (@5%) 37,619 25,431

Return net of depreciation and finance (with grant) 74,794 99,169

Return on capital (simple terms) 10% 19%

* Average 2011-12 forecasts** Average figure –– typical ranges are potatoes £980-1050/ha; carrots/parsnips

£980-1600/ha; onions/other veg £740-870/ha*** Assumed restricted to 10% less than full capacity

Worked example

Net returns without grant

Net returns with grant

A land-owning cereal grower decides to invest in a 340,000m3 reservoir to supply 270ha at125mm/year. He rents this land to a vegetable or potato grower for a rental value based ontypical irrigated crop land use returns of £1040/ha plus £100/ha per 25mm of waterapplied. The application charge simply covers the costs (pumping, abstraction licence,electricity, application equipment depreciation, etc), leaving the rental value to cover capitaloutlay and income foregone.



hen it comes to tackling potatocyst nematode, prevention’s farbetter than cure. But eventually,

even the most thorough defences arelikely to be breached. As the pest cannever be eradicated, once this happens,only the best management will suffice if profits are to be maintained, says Dr Pat Haydock of Harper AdamsUniversity College.

“If your land’s currently free of PCN,you should do everything possible tokeep it that way,” he stresses. “Muddy

Combating the threat of new and existing pests and diseases will come

under the spotlight at BP2011, thepotato industry’s biennial showcase

event in November. CPM gets a preview.

By Robert Harris

‘In most cases, regulation doesn’tprovide sufficient protection, so

the industry must do all it can to protect itself’

W

tractors and cultivation equipment arethe most common way of transportingthe pest from one plot to another.Growers need to take precautions ifthey’re using contractors who may’vebeen using their machinery on infestedware land.

“This autumn, with the land being sodry in many parts of the country, there’san additional risk of cysts being carriedbetween and within fields in wind-blownsoil. This was a particular issue on 12 Sept when potato areas in theMidlands and Lincs were hit by galesfrom the tail end of Hurricane Katia.”

However, PCN is now so widespreadin the UK that most growers have toreduce its effects to produce profitablecrops, says Pat Haydock. In a very practically focused seminar aimed atgrowers, he’ll examine the control of

Photo courtesy of: Pat Haydock


Crop criminalsPCN through integrated management at the British Potato 2011 event inHarrogate, Yorks on 23-24 Nov.

Substantial loss“There’s a constant need to keepreminding people of the basics of management –– not only because of the turnover of staff within the industry,but also to give impartial advice aboutnewer techniques.”

PCN is the most important potatopest in the UK. There are two species –– Globodera rostochiensis andGlobodera pallida –– both equally damaging to potato plants.

“In Scotland, infestation is lower due to the amount of high-grade seedproduction, but most land in Englandand Wales used in a potato rotation is infested.”

PCN can cause substantial yield loss–– the Potato Council PCN model showsthe effect of not treating, even at 1 egg/gof soil, can reduce the yield of a susceptiblevariety like Maris Piper by 6%. “At 8 eggs/g, still a low infestation, a third of the yield could be lost,” he notes.

PCN damages plants by invading theroot and migrating through it, limitinguptake of water and minerals, andreducing tuber yield. Symptoms arestunted, wilting and yellowing plants in patches where populations are high.By July, tiny cysts (0.5mm across) canbe seen on roots.

There are several ways to reduce theimpact of PCN, he explains, includingrotation, variety choice and the use ofnematicides. “Using all of these in anintegrated approach will help suppressthe pest and allow growers to continue to produce profitable crops.”

Long rotationRotation is key –– the longer betweenpotato crops, the better, advises PatHaydock. “Every year, a small proportionof nematodes will hatch from cysts and,because no host is present, they’ll die.Also, there’ll be some parasitism by soil organisms.

“In general, the decline rate for G. pallida is less than for G. rostochiensis,so a grower with a high population of100 eggs/g soil of G. pallida and adecline rate of 20%/year would have to wait over 10 years for the populationto fall below 10 eggs/g; and with a similar G. rostochiensis population and a decline of 30%, this would beachieved in seven years.


Do everything you can to keep out PCN,says Pat Haydock.

“When it comes to variety choice,growers need to know which PCNspecies is infesting their land, as resistance is species specific.”

Tolerant varieties are relatively unaffected by PCN damage as they produce more root, he notes. “Cara, for example, is very tolerant of G. pallida and suffers proportionally lessyield loss when compared with MarisPeer, which is very intolerant.

“However, this extra root production (in a non-resistant variety) also supportsmore females, so more cysts and eggs arereturned to the soil after harvest, effectivelyincreasing both the population and thethreat to subsequent potato crops.”

Resistant varieties differ in that theyreduce the multiplication rate of PCN, he continues. “Juveniles still invade and damage the roots, but cyst and egg production is reduced with partiallyresistant varieties and prevented withfully resistant ones.

“But resistance to G. pallida is only partial and varies between varieties.”Examples of varietal tolerance and resistance and the effect on yield andnematode population can be seen in the table on below.

Varietal tolerance“Choice of variety will depend on thespecies of PCN present and at what density, on agronomic and marketrequirements, and on previous history,”says Pat Haydock. “And the same partially resistant variety shouldn’t beplanted in successive rotations as there’sa danger of selecting out resistantspecies or pathotypes.”

Nematicides can reduce PCN populations and have a major effect onware yield, but they’re expensive. “Therelationship between PCN populationand yield loss also varies between variety,field site and years, so there’s no firmguidance on the population density atwhich chemical control is cost-effective.The decision will depend on the soil population, variety, length of rotation,cost of the chemical and application,and predicted potato prices.”

Three types of granular nematicide are available nowadays –– fosthiazate,ethoprophos and oxamyl. These workafter the nematodes hatch, provided they

Varietal tolerance and resistance to PCNVariety Tolerance status Resistance Yield (t/ha) Eggs/g

Maris Piper Intolerant 1 33.5 46

Estima Intolerant 1 33.5 46

Sante Intolerant 6 33.5 12

Valor Tolerant 4 39.5 22

Effects after a six-year rotation, based on a sandy loam with 8 eggs/g initial population of G. pallida, no nematicide and an expectation of 50t/ha yield (data from Potato Council PCN model).A tolerant variety will have a better yield in the presence of PCN than an intolerant variety; a resistant variety will help to moderate PCN multiplication. PCN resistance is scored on a scale of 1-9 (1= No resistance; 9= Fully resistant)

remain at a high enough concentration.“But the hatching period can be prolonged, particularly with G. pallida,and nematicides do degrade, so timingand placement are critical,” advises Pat Haydock.

Growers should ensure applicators are correctly calibrated, with chemicalsbeing applied as close to planting time as possible. “They should be thoroughly mixed in the top 15-20cm of soil where most hatching takes place.


s

BP2011, 23-24 November British Potato 2011, organised by thePotato Council and sponsored byBranston, takes place on 23-24 Nov at the Yorkshire Event Centre, Harrogate.

According to the organisers, the entireUK potato industry conducts business atthis event. Not only will it feature exhibitsand machinery from over 150 of Europe’sleading potato companies, but also thoseattending have the opportunity to discoverthe latest research-related news anddevelopments from the country’s leadingauthorities and how to apply these to theirown businesses.

As well as having a chance to makenew business contacts, and renewacquaintances, there’s also the opportunityto attend the biennial industry dinner. You can register for free tickets online at www.potato.org.uk/bp2011


Increasing international trade and climatechange mean the threat of invasion bypests or diseases is rising all the time, saysMark Prentice of Potato Council. A specialseminar at BP2011 by Colin Jeffries, of UKPotato Quarantine Unit, and Jane Chard, of SASA, will explain some of the risks thenew threats pose and the importance ofavoiding them.

“Pests and diseases can be brought inon ware or other plant material. But thegreatest risk is with seed, given that it’sused for multiplication, so it’s the quickestway to spread a problem,” explains MarkPrentice. “Seed-borne problems are at thetop of the priority list.”

Potential threats include bacterial diseases, such as ring rot, brown rot andDickeya solani, as well as the root knotnematode, a key pest of crops worldwideand endemic in continental Europe. “These could have severe consequencesfor the seed industry and ware growerstoo,” he comments.

Other threats more likely to be introducedon ware potatoes include Epitrix, the potatoflea beetle, which has been found inPortugal and Spain. It produces tunnels and holes in tubers, seriously affecting

crop value and reducing yield. “Worryingly,it has no quarantine status in Europe, so there’s no requirement for testing oreradication, although Fera’s leading thefight in Brussels to have this pest added to the EU quarantine list.”

Then there’s the zebra chip, thought to be caused by bacteria transmitted by aplant louse which affects sugar levels andfry colour. “This is another threat that needsto be taken seriously. It’s currently found inthe western USA, Central America and isthought to be in eastern Europe. It also costNew Zealand an estimated £20m in lostcrop exports after it was discovered there in 2008.

“Often, because names are unfamiliar, wetend not to worry about them, but sometimesthey’re not as far away as we think. In 2004,there were three separate findings of ring rotin England. And there are still regular findingsin continental Europe. Look what’s happenedwith Dickeya –– it was first seen in Europe in2005, now it’s the most common form ofblackleg there.”

The consequences of introducing quarantine diseases, like ring rot, brown rot and root knot nematode, would be devastating, he adds. “We must rememberthat quarantine organisms cause 100% lossin a crop as it has to be destroyed, and thecosts don’t stop there. Safe disposal andthorough cleaning up also have to be paidfor by the grower. And how much will thestigma cost a business?”

The Scottish government has imposedzero-tolerance measures for the presenceof Dickeya on imported seed, he reports.The country also has a long-standing industry ban on using imported seed. “In most cases, regulation doesn’t providesufficient protection, so the industry must do all it can to protect itself.”

Although potatoes imported from Europe are subject to phytosanitary controls, requiring testing for quarantine

diseases, sample sizes may not be largeenough to monitor pests and diseaseseffectively, notes Mark Prentice.

“It’s impossible to test every tuber.What’s more, bacterial diseases like ring rot are often latent in the tuber, and it cansometimes take several generations of seed for the disease to become visible. It’s up to every grower to take responsibilityfor the seed they purchase and plant.”

Safe Haven SchemeThe Safe Haven Certification Scheme provides a way to overcome some of these seed-borne risks, he says. “It wasestablished to offer protection from ring rot and its strict, scientifically robust protocols also offer those sourcing seedthrough the scheme a good defence against Dickeya, brown rot and root knot nematode.”

Scheme protocols aim to ensure onlyseed growers with the highest hygiene standards are accepted. They have to follow strict procedures on seed origin,hygiene, machinery, transport and storage,which are all reviewed prior to certificationbeing awarded.

More than 60% of commercial varieties are now available under the scheme. “Waregrowers will only need to ask their normalsuppliers for Safe Haven certified seed.”

Vigilance needed against overseas threats

The greatest risk is with the seed, saysMark Prentice.

Crop damaged by Dickeya solani.

Reasonable results can be achieved by applying in front of a bed tiller.”

Following the suspension of the registration of Telone (dichloropropene),the only fumigant currently available is metam sodium, which needs to beapplied by a specialist contractor. “It’s costly at £500-600/ha, but it can reduce losses by up to 10t/ha, so can still be cost effective,” reveals Pat Haydock. Further research will


been showing encouraging results.Commonly known as sticky nightshade,the crop stimulates hatching but prevents PCN from multiplying in theabsence of a host. It can cause a sharpdecline in the population but needs toreplace a summer catch crop.

Biofumigation is another potentialoption and work is concentrating onmustard, which stimulates the productionof isothiocyanates, a natural nematicide.

examine appropriate conditions for use. However, all current nematicides

will be up for registration review by 2017, and future availability is by no means certain.

As a result, other potential PCN management methods are being studiedfor their effectiveness and will be discussed at BP2011 in November.

Trap-cropping using a relative of thepotato, Solanum sisymbriifolium, has


s

When a field’s infested with PCN, growersshould follow best-practice advice for its suppression, integrating variety selection with the use of long rotations

and a nematicide, says Gary Collins ofPotato Council.

“Although Potato Council is updating thePCN model –– it should be available atBP2011 –– the original model shows verywell the effect of resistance and tolerance,and how both need to be considered in thePCN-suppression strategy. It can be used to test the effect of various inputs both onlong-term population trends and yields.”

Information needed includes soil type,PCN population at planting, cultivar toleranceand resistance, estimated maximum yieldwithout PCN and the length of the plannedrotation. Intended chemical treatments andtheir efficiency and population decline rateare also required.

Copies are available from [email protected] or from the Knowledge Hub on the new Potato Council website www.potato.org.uk.

LegislationEU Council Directive 2007/33/EC states that:l all potatoes planted for seed may only

be grown on PCN-free soill farm-saved seed is only exempt from

regulations if planted at the site of production

l ware potatoes may only be grown in an infested field if an approved control programme’s used, and must be graded and processed at a plant with suitable waste-disposal facilities

l An official survey for PCN must be carried out annually on at least 0.5% of land on which ware potatoes have been grown.There are differences in the regulations

for Scotland, compared with England andWales. Further advice can be found atwww.sasa.gov.uk and www.fera.defra.gov.uk

Model ways to combat PCN

PCN cysts on a potato tuber.

Photo courtesy of: Pat Haydock

using a naturally occurring soil fungusPochonia chlamydosporia. It attacks the female PCN, and has reduced multiplication rates by 50% in field

Potatoes in FocusPotatoes in Focus“Initial results show great promise inglasshouse trials, although further workneeds to be undertaken.”

Other biological control includes


experiments in commercial crops makingit almost as effective as fosthiazate. This potential control strategy doesn’t yet have a commercial sponsor. n

http://www.opico.co.uk/he-va

http://www.potato.org.uk

http://www.sasa.gov.uk

http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk

Martyn Read’s grader has “revolutionised”the job.

Make the gradeAn on-farm potato grader plays an essential

role in maintaining quality and presenting the customer with an exemplary sample,

according to two Cheshire growers.

By Rob Jones

‘There’s very little point makingsupreme efforts to produce well

shaped tubers if the resulting quality is poor and no one

wants to buy them’

n a competitive potato market, wheregood or mediocre quality can make thedifference between profit and loss, the

importance of minimising damage causedby handling cannot be overstated.

While this is true for all potato growers,it’s perhaps particularly relevant for MercianPotatoes, a buying group based in thenorth-west of England which specialises inproviding potatoes for the crisping market.

“The ability to provide good-qualitypotatoes for manufacturers is essential,”says Gary Stanier, one of Mercian’sfounder members. “They have no qualmsabout rejecting loads which fail to meettheir required production standards.”

Potato prominenceNow in its seventh year of trading with amuch expanded nationwide membership,the company has annual crisping contracts to supply more than 150,000t to major crisping manufacturers –– principally Walkers –– and a turnoverapproaching £30m.

That means Gary Stanier’s life revolvesaround the production, handling andstorage of potatoes. He typically grows180ha/year from his base at Chelfordnear Macclesfield –– mainly on landwhich he rents within a 20-mile radius.

“Finding suitable land to rent for potato production is becoming more difficult. I think the increase in cerealprices may have something to do with it.But, this aside, there now seems to bean increasing reluctance to let land.”

He tries to find lighter land whereverpossible but Cheshire is better known asa grass-growing dairy county and isn’trenowned for having large areas of suitablearable land –– soil type can change fromone end of a field to the other. The PCNcount, as well as soil type and locationwould normally determine the rent heagrees with the landowner.

Land down to grass is sprayed off with glyphosate before the plough moves in. Once ploughed, it’s treated to a one-pass operation which sees it cultivated, ridged and dosed with fertiliser and a nematicide. Prior to planting, the land is also de-stoned.

High dry matterAbout 60% of the crop area is plantedwith Lady Rosetta –– a specialist crispingvariety with a high dry matter and lowreducing sugars. It’s also early maturingand is suitable for crisping from freshpotatoes, as well as from short-term storage. The rest of the crop is down to Lady Claire and Lady Jo which can be stored longer producing round, uniform-sized tubers.

“We also grow a few acres of Amora

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–– a high-yielding early maturing variety–– to see if we can cash in on the earlymarket,” says Gary Stanier. “It’s something

of a gamble which can pay off in some years.”

Successive plantingTo achieve a spread of harvesting, the first28ha of Lady Rosetta planted are fromchitted seed. It means harvesting can startin early July and, with successive planting,spread through to mid-Sept or Oct. This is carried out with a Grimme 170M–– a two-row machine, which has as itsprimary cleaning element two of themanufacturer’s Multi-Sep units. Thesehave eight roller pairs that can be set torun at different speeds and distances tohandle various crops and conditions.

From the harvester, the potatoes arebulked back to the yard where they’reoff-loaded into a hopper which feeds into

the grader –– a Grimme RH 2460.“To my mind, there have been two

major developments in potato growingthat have made major contributions tothe quality of the sample we present toour purchasers,” says Gary Stanier. “Oneis the de-stoner system which takes theclods and stones out of the ridge, andthe other is the grader which can removeany remaining clods and ensure we havea clean and even-sized crop.”

He sees the grader as the interfacebetween farm and consumer –– the pointwhere the growing cycle is completedand the goods are prepared for the market. “There’s very little point makingsupreme efforts in the field to producereasonable yields and well shaped tubersif the resulting quality is poor and no one

Fellow Mercian director Martyn Read alsoputs a big emphasis on producing a highquality sample. With margins most yearsbeing relatively tight, he maintains that itwould be folly to risk having loads rejectedbecause of a poor sample.

Based at Alderley Edge, Chelford,Martyn Read grows about 283ha of potatoes on land he rents from farmerswithin a 15-mile radius. All the potatoes aredestined for crisping, so varieties such asLady Rosetta, Lady Claire and Lady Jotend to dominate.

“Many of the farmers I rent land from aredairy farmers who use the potato crop as abreak for their grass and move a set areaaround the farm each year,” he explains.“It’s a system which suits both the farmerand me –– and even more so if the land is a good workable light loam.”

He always has the land tested for phosphate and potash indices, along withPCN levels. Preparation for planting beginswith a glyphosate spray and a pass with a

rotary cultivator to break up the turf. Next in is the plough, followed by the one-passbed-tiller/ridger and then the de-stoner.

“We apply fertiliser from a front-mounteddispenser as we plant the potatoes. We can also apply nematicide if required at the same time.”

Harvest starts in the first week of July,performed by a two-row trailed Grimme harvester complete with twin Multi-Sepcleaner units. Bulked back to the farm, thefreshly harvested potatoes are tipped intothe receiving hopper of a Grimme 2460grader –– its elevator ensuring that there’ssufficient capacity to hold a 12t load.

“Compared with the labour-intensivesystems we’ve used in the past, this graderhas revolutionised the job,” he says. “Itsability to clean, grade and minimise labourrequirements and do it in a way whichdoesn’t bruise or blemish the tubers isquite extraordinary.”

This ability is mainly down to the grader’sMulti-Sep unit, he points out, which can beadjusted to suit a wide variety of conditions.“It even handles those irritating haulmstrands which seem to defy the efforts of all other cleaning systems.”

After passing through the Multi-Sep, the crop moves over a coil cleaner for afinal clean up –– with the gap between therollers being adjustable to remove the‘smalls’. Extensive use of hydraulic drivesallows infinite speed adjustment of individualcomponents within the grader. There are normally four people on the pickingtable to ensure the final product is of therequired standard.

As with Gary Stanier’s operation, earlylifted ‘green tops’ normally leave the farmas soon as the graded potatoes exit thewashing unit. But by mid-Sept, potatoesare passing into store.

To fill the store with potatoes leaving the grader, Martyn Read uses a Grimmeelevator and conveyor system –– the elevator has a sensor which not onlyensures they have just inches to fall, but can also be programmed to fill thestore to a set height.

“It’s quite a remarkable system whichcan load about 1800t of potatoes into storewithout any human intervention,” he says.“The elevator moves across the width ofthe store delivering potatoes to therequired height, then shunts back a coupleof feet and makes another pass –– thehead of the elevator is always only a fewinches from the top of the heap.”

The winter months sees loads beingremoved from the climatically controlledstore and passed once more through thegrader –– not that there’s much for it to doother than to shake off the odd patch ofdried soil.

“It’s really just a convenient way of feeding the washing unit. We turn up thethroughput to about 50t/hr so it doesn’t take long to load the lorries.”

With the 283ha crop typically yieldingabout 12,500t, annual throughput of thegrader is an impressive 18,000t. “It really is an essential piece of machinery. At theend of the day, there’s little point spendingvast sums of money growing potatoes if thefinished product ends up being rejected.”

Labour-saver for a quality job

Martyn Read’s grader handles18,000t/year.

The grader is the interface between farmand consumer for Gary Stanier.



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Is it time to upgrade the farm’s potato grader? Perhaps this is a new purchasethat’s now needed. Ralph Powell ofGrimme provides some pointers on what you should be looking for:l Make sure your grader can

demonstrate a gentle and even crop flow, with minimal rolling of the potatoes. This is achieved with deep and soft lamella pockets.

l An electronic-sensor system can help keep an even crop flow.

l Infinitely variable distances between soft, polyurethane coils and rollers will ensure loose-soil extraction and gradingof a smalls fraction are possible.

l Look for an automatic coil-cleaning facility, such as the Turbo Clean, so youdon’t have the hassle and downtime of doing it manually.

l A useful feature is a versatile cleaning system after the coils, such as the Multi-Sep, that improves haulm, weed, small tone and clod removal.

l It’s essential for operator health and safety that picking areas on the grader are ergonomically designed –– check this feature with the manufacturer.

l You’ll want a control-box system that’s clear and precise, and allows the operator(s) to see exact settings of each grader component.

l Look for rubber grader webs –– these have a big impact on improving the gentle action of the grader.

l A grader which is made on one chassis and is completely mobile offers greater flexibility.

l Much greater control of all settings of speed, position and angle of the individual components on the grader comes if you have hydraulic drives frompower packs.

Getting a great grader

Look for rubber grader webs, says Ralph Powell.

wants to buy them,” he says. “It’s likebuilding a top-of-the-range car and thenfitting dented doors and not botheringto paint it.”

Within the Grimme grader hopper is achain-driven conveyor belt with full-width,deep-lamella pockets which moves thepotatoes away from the trailer as it emptiesand fills the hopper. At the top of theconveyor, potatoes arrive at the Multi-Sepcleaner unit which, as on the harvester,is hydraulically driven and can be set tohandle a specific crop’s requirement, in terms of soil, clod or trash removal.

Sufficient time“The condition of the crop also dictateshow many people we employ on thepicking table,” says Gary Stanier. “It canbe as few as two in a relatively cleancrop and as many as four when moreattention is required. We can also slowdown the throughput to allow the pickerssufficient time to do a good job, but I’dexpect a throughput bordering on 50t/hrif the sample is reasonably good.”

A lot of the early season potatoes gostraight out of the yard –– Walkers, forexample, takes what it requires on theday to the company’s factory at nearbySkelmersdale. But before loading, thetubers are passed over the grader andwashed using a water-and-brush unitwhich ensures they arrive at the factoryin a bright, clean condition.

As the season progresses, potatoesstart to be loaded into store, after passing through the grader but not thewasher unit –– wet potatoes aren’t goodnews when they’re to be stored for anylength of time.

“We have purpose-built, insulated storeswith forced ventilation and temperaturecontrol where the potatoes can be storedsafely. In a normal year, we’d be loadingout of store from November through toApril, which means we can be planting thenew season crop while we’re still loadingup the previous year’s.”

Outward journeyOn their way out of store, the potatoespass once more over the grader and arewashed before they are loaded onto lorries. “They can be passed through the grader so much more quickly on the outward journey. A rate of more than50t/hr is possible and I usually only haveone man keeping an eye on things at thepicking table.”

The grader handles about 12,000t/yrin total –– 8000t off the field and 4000t

when taken out of store. There’s a further4000t loaded directly on to lorries as thepotatoes are harvested.

So, what does the grader actually contribute to the business and what wouldbe the penalties if it wasn’t available?

“The vast majority of crisp manufacturershave a no-tolerance policy, which meansthat if the sample doesn’t meet theirrequirements, the load is rejected out of hand and it’s on its way back home,”explains Gary Stanier. “But there are thosewho have a more moderate approach.”

One example is his Walkers’ contract,which has a quality-bonus scheme basedon defect percentages to encourage growers to maintain high quality standards.

“This bonus payment is very important–– it can make a big difference to theoverall profitability of the whole enterprise.

There is no doubt the grader has theability to make a major contribution to potato quality and, as a result, the bottom line of the operation.” n

A mobile grader offers greater flexibility.

The Multi Sep unit can be set to handle a specific crop’s requirement.




The recent sequencing of the potato genome couldrevolutionise breeding and deliver many benefits

to the UK potato sector. CPM discovers what’s in store.

By Robert Harris

Genome unlockspotato potential

‘We must ensure the genome information is acted upon and

put to good use.’

fter five years of intensive research,an international team of scientistsfrom 14 countries announced this

July that it had succeeded in mapping the genome of the potato.

Researchers now possess a very powerful tool. Unlocking the potato’sgenetic blueprint means they now knowwhere all the genes sit in the crop’sDNA. As these genes control differentaspects of how a potato plant grows

and develops, scientists could speed up the development of new varieties with enhanced traits, such as improveddrought tolerance, better nutritional quality and improved resistance to pests and diseases.

The key now is to turn this scientificleap into practical and commercial reality, to ensure the UK potato sectorremains globally competitive, says Dr Mike Storey, Potato Council’s head of research and development.

Freely available“The sequence information is freelyavailable –– it can be used by geneticistsand breeders worldwide. That’s why it was important to be involved in the first place –– if the UK hadn’t been, wewouldn’t have picked up the skills andknowledge we now have in this area andwe could’ve fallen into the second divisionwhen it comes to potato expertise.

“To maintain that advantage, we mustensure the genome information is actedupon and put to good use.”

As well as pushing development of thegenome work through its own projects,Potato Council is supporting initiatives topromote commercial uptake, includingseveral Technology Strategy Board projects(see panel on p42).

“We’re also in discussion withresearch councils to see how they can support the industry through theirinitiatives that build on this genomeinformation, –– especially in areas likesustainability, and food quality and safety which are in these councils’longer-term agenda,” says Mike Storey.

If all goes to plan, growers and consumers could benefit from a range oftraits much sooner than would otherwisebe possible. “The mapping of the potatogenome is a tremendous breakthrough.It has the potential to reduce the time it takes to develop a new variety from 12 to 6-8 years, depending on the traits involved.

Innovative breeding“By making it easier to identify genesand genetic markers for specific traits,the technology will facilitate innovativebreeding techniques. Breeders couldsoon be offering growers access to varieties that are more drought tolerantor resistant to diseases such as blight, or potato cyst nematodes.

“These findings will also lead to morein-depth understanding of potato biologyand how the environment affects it.

A


“It has the potential to reduce the time it takes to develop a new variety from 12 to 6-8 years,” says Potato Council’s Mike Storey.

This could result in more efficient use of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides, helping growers minimise their cultivationcosts while maximising sustainable yields.”

Faster breeding cycles will help theindustry introduce key traits more quickly.Breeders could be more responsive to the market place, for example tailoringprocessing quality to meet changing consumer needs, says Mike Storey.

“Storage is a particularly challengingarea, and we hope the new technologywill help us exploit the link between storage temperature and crop sugar levels to minimise acrylamide levels incooked potato products.

“It could also help us react morequickly to environmental challenges ––the sustainability agenda is becomingmore important, so traits that contributeto more efficient production will haveparticular value.

“We’re going to see increasing pressureon resources, so improving water useefficiency and better exploitation of fertilisers would be of key value.”

Fast-changing pathogensAccelerated breeding programmes will also help potato breeders tackle fast-changing pathogen populations suchas blight, which has become much moreaggressive in recent years, by identifyingand introducing a broader range ofresistances, he continues. “As well ashelping farmers, this also reinforces thesustainability agenda –– as pesticides are coming under increasing pressurefrom legislators.”

Genome mapping will also helpresearchers exploit existing germplasm,notes Mike Storey. “For example, we’relooking at alternatives to chlorpropham(CIPC) such as ethylene as a sprout suppressant. We know there are differences between varieties associatedwith ethylene sensitivity, so if we knowwhich genes are involved that would give us an immediate steer on whichother varieties are most suitable for this technology.”

Dr Glenn Bryan of the James HuttonInstitute, who led the UK research team,describes the sequencing of the genomeas a huge step in understanding potatobiology.

“It’s a real starting point to puttingmore science into the sector and makingbreeding programmes more effective for the future,” he says. “The use ofgenetics-based selection methods is very promising and technology to exploit

the genome sequence is already beingprepared in the UK and elsewhere.”

It’s vital that the UK maintains thisearly momentum, he believes. “TheNetherlands, for example, is a key competitor that will make good use of this information very quickly ––their breeding companies are veryswitched on and have excellent accessto genetic experts. The challenge is forUK breeders to use it to compete, and to prevent the Dutch increasing theirmarket penetration.”

One way of doing this would be for UK breeders to work collaboratively to introduce baseline traits, such asnematode resistance, that growers willwant in their varieties, suggests GlennBryan. “They could carry out other


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breeding work at the same time to introduce their own specific traits.”

Sharing resources like this could

Douglas Harley, of potato breeding business,Cygnet PB, hopes the sequencing of the potato genome will help breedersunderstand some of the more complex traits,such as those involved in yield and quality,

which tend to involve several genes or several sites on the chromosome.

The company is already pushing ahead todevelop the technology, leading a three-yearproject to develop new diagnostic markers.Partners in the project include the JamesHutton Institute and McCain Foods.

“We believe we’re up with the worldleaders on this –– we’ve made a decision tocompete and invest,” says Douglas Harley.“No-one knows quite what the results will be–– potato breeding is extremely complicated,which is probably why we haven’t seen abreakthrough until now.

“But we believe the new technology could deliver the answers we’re hoping for in 2-5 years, and could find its way in to new varieties within a decade.”

The project was awarded funding throughthe “Genomes UK: Exploring the potential ofhigh throughput sequencing” competitionfrom the Technology Strategy Board (TSB).

Dr Tom Jenkins of the Biosciences

Knowledge Transfer Network, a companyfunded by the TSB, worked with the projectpartners to help them understand better the TSB competition process and how government funding can be used to help UK companies become more competitivethrough new bioscience-inspired innovation.

“The project is very exciting because of its potential to significantly reduce the time it takes to develop new potato varieties, with improved traits which are of benefit to growers and industry end-users.

“The Technology Strategy Board funding in this project is important becauseif investment isn’t made in the UK, wecould lose competitive advantage in thepotato breeding industry to internationalcompetitors, –– and once that happens, it’s very difficult to catch up.”

“By bringing all this knowledge together in this project, the results will produce significant benefits to farmers and shouldalso add value to the crop.”

UK project underway

UK scientists and breeders are keen to keepthe competitive edge they have now gained.


Potatoes in FocusPotatoes in Focussave a great deal of time and effort, asthere’s still much work to be done to turn the science into commercial reality,he explains.

“We now know pretty much exactlywhere each of the 40,000 genes in apotato chromosome are, but we don’tknow what they’re all doing. The tricknow is to relate these genes to traits,such as drought tolerance or diseaseresistance. So we won’t see a hugeimmediate effect, but in 5-10 years, we’llstart to see it making a real impact.”

Given that it can take 18 months toidentify what trait a gene is responsible for,that might seem an optimistic timeframe.However, researchers can employ someuseful shortcuts.

Mapping the genome could help scientistsdevelop traits that contribute to more efficient production.

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The international Potato GenomeSequencing Consortium (PGSC) is a collaboration between 16 research groupsin 14 countries; UK, Argentina, Brazil,China, Chile, India, Ireland, Italy, TheNetherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Poland,Russia and the United States.

Each partner raised the funding neededto contribute to the project independently,mostly through grants from government

research agencies and industry bodies. In the case of the UK, this was provided by the Scottish Government, the BBSRC,DEFRA and Potato Council.

Work began in 2006 once funding wassecured and the potato genome assembly,and other resources, are now available atwww.potatogenome.net, where a completelisting and contact details for all PGSCmembers can be found.

Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium


Using GM technology will be crucial indeveloping traits, says Dr Glenn Bryan of the James Hutton Institute.

They already have a good steer fromother sequencing projects on what genesin certain areas of a plant’s DNA do, he explains.

“We can often guess what a gene isdoing because the DNA sequence issimilar to that already identified in otherplants or animals. A lot of genes alsocontain a motif –– a small sequence ofDNA which is peculiar to them. These aidsgive us a broad idea of what’s going on,helping to target further investigation.”

Genetic markersOften, the exact gene responsible forconferring a trait doesn’t need to beidentified, he notes. “Instead, geneticmarkers can be used, which are specificDNA sequences which have a knownlocation on the chromosome and areassociated with a particular gene or trait.

“Identifying the position of genes on thegenome will allow us to develop thesediagnostic markers much more quickly –– we now know of 10,000, and thisshould speed up the selection process.”

Once the position of the trait has beenidentified, it then has to be implementedinto the breeding process. Steps are alsobeing taken to speed this up, along withother steps in the breeding cycle, toensure the industry can reap the benefits of new genome technology as quickly as possible.

Unlike cereals, back-crossing can’t be used, so it can take a long time tointroduce a gene by conventional means,says Glenn Bryan.

“Having access to GM technologycould be crucial in speeding up thisintroduction. We’d really like the optionto be able to use this as it’s especiallyuseful for traits that are more difficult towork with conventionally, such as goodnematode resistance.”

“Once you’ve introduced a gene, youthen have to prove it’s really fulfilling theexpected function. That’s difficult to do

in any plant, but we’ll use GM, purely in the laboratory, to either over- or under-express the gene –– effectivelyknocking it out or exaggerating its effect.If the plant does what you expect, thenyou know you are on the right track.” n


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http://www.potatogenome.net

Furrow fervour

hile other industries may be struggling to cope with the age of austerity, UK agriculture made

its cuts many years ago. Now, it appears,growers and contractors are investing some of the better returns from grain and oilseeds on ways to improve theirestablishment regimes.

But there appears to be a switch from the min-till and other lower-input cultivation systems that have enjoyedpopularity in recent years –– it’s estimatedthese still only account for about half of all the land cultivated in the UK. As the chemical armoury diminishes andresistance to popular herbicides rises, rotational ploughing is becoming an increasingly important weed-control weapon.

At the recent Tillage-Live event in Oxon, higherprices appeared to encourage investment

in more flexible approaches to crop establishment, along with a resurgence of

interest in ploughing to help weed control.

By Mick Roberts and Simon Henley

‘Weed control is an important reason –– diesel, even at 60p/l, is

cheap compared with Atlantis.’

“Today’s grower has the cultivation toolsavailable to exploit and combine both minimum-tillage and deep-cultivationmethods into the establishment plan,” said James Woolway of Opico.

“Traditional crop rotation, with ploughingevery third or fourth year, is increasinglynecessary for effective weed control andgood soil management, depending on thetype of land.”

The interest in this deep cultivationapproach at Tillage-Live suggested somegrowers viewed min-till purely as a way tolower production costs, and were neverthat committed to it. A trend this autumnof rising sales of ploughs, and more traditional equipment, appears to back up the notion.

“Sales of power-harrow combinationsare up 50% this season and we’ve alsoseen quite a large number of former min-tillers moving back to the plough –– particularly 6-7f machines,” said

Mark Ormond of Lemken UK. “In somecases, these are being accompanied by6m-wide power-harrow/drills.

Investing more“When wheat was £80-90/t, the focus wasvery much on costs. But now, with pricesup around £150/t, some growers are willing to invest a little more on trying toimprove yields –– £30-40/ha can berecouped with just 0.25t of wheat. Weedcontrol is also an important reason whysome farms are switching to rotationalploughing, with pre-emergence sprays alsousually more effective in finer seedbeds.

“While fuel costs are higher for traditional establishment systems, diesel,even at 60p/l, is cheap compared withAtlantis (mesosulfuron+ iodosulfuron), andthere are also resistance issues to tackle.”

Tim Holliday from Kuhn had alsonoticed the move to min-till slowing downand said the company’s sold a number of


Better grassweed control was temptingmany growers back to the plough,said Kuhn.

W

Some farms had moved completely frommin-till back to more traditionalcultivations, said Lemken.

large, semi-mounted ploughs in the regionaround the Tillage-Live site near Abingdon,Oxon. “These are the first big ploughs soldin this area for a while and all are beingused to help control blackgrass. There’s anoticeable move to ploughing at least 20%of the ground, or one in five years.Growers simply don’t have the chemicaltools available any longer.

Flexible“These aren’t huge ploughs –– up to 8f ––and are pulled by tractors of about 200hp,with the semi-mounted arrangement beingfavoured for its easier handling. But as the big tractors move on to pulling big cultivators or drills later in the season,these ploughs need to be flexible enoughto work with smaller tractors, and someusers may drop off a furrow,” he explained.

Like those from other manufacturers,Kuhn drills are able to work in a range ofseedbeds. The firm’s popular model forlighter soils is the pneumatic Megant tinedseeder. There’s also the Speedliner rangefor minimum cultivations.

“Kuhn also has a strong reputation forpower harrows and drill combinations,which’ve always remained popular withsmaller growers. But in the eastern area,

we’re now getting requests for power harrows up to 6m in width, requiring280hp or more. This indicates that eventhe larger arable growers are going back tomore traditional plough-based cultivations.The cost of ploughing is higher, but it’snow being seen as necessary. Importantly,they still want to use the min-till type drillson these seedbeds.”

Although ploughs don’t feature inAmazone’s comprehensive cultivationequipment line-up, the company’s recentlysold its first 6m-wide Cirrus Activ trailedrotary cultivator-drill combination, saidSimon Brown of Amazone. In Scotland, its

Cayena tined seeder is now becoming amore popular way to drill rape with moreprecision, as well as with fertiliser.

Many of Amazone’s new-generationdrills made their working debut at Tillage-Live. All machines in the D9, AD, AD-Pand Cirrus ranges now use a new RollerDrill System (RDS). This combines theaction of a consolidation roller with theRoTec Control Coulter. Designed to work

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will appreciate the Alitalia’s quick releasesystem,” said James Woolway. It’s also available with the optional ORSO,super-duty power harrow, suitable forextreme conditions.

Trash clearanceThe Primavera drill is a min-till tine seeder,aimed at those looking to work at highspeeds. Available in 4m, 4.8m, 5m and 6m widths, this hydraulic-folding,three-section drill features four rows ofspring-reset tines for good trash clearance.It’s available with either disc or Suffolkcoulters, and, like the Alitalia, featuresMaschio’s Genius-Lite control box, whichuses radar to monitor speed to offer variable-rate capability. The full Geniussystem, with full GPS control, is an option.

Alongside the recent rise in plough salesto larger-area growers looking to controlweeds, some exhibitors noted there’sstrong interest in single-pass cultivations,particularly from smaller operators, whoare keen to keep a lid on rising fuel costs.

Brian Knight, of Knight Farm Machinery,was demonstrating the firm’s new, fullymounted Raven cultivator at Tillage-Live.Available in working widths of 2.5m, 2.8m and 3.4m, it’s designed to meet the demand from users with smaller,150hp tractors.

Up front is a row of deep-looseningSpeed-loc tines. These are followed by tworows of rubber-cushioned, offset discs anda large-diameter packer with V-shapedrings, both of which are controlledhydraulically from the cab. Indeed, both the discs and packer can be liftedcompletely out of work. The packer alsofolds onto the frame for transport, with the neat touch of integral roadlights beingrevealed in this position.

Weather proof“The Raven isn’t a subsoiler, but carriesout deep loosening, with the followingdiscs levelling the surface,” said BrianKnight. “With the packer roller, it leaves a firm and weather-proof seedbed, butbecause both elements can be lifted inand out completely, it’s very flexible andcan be set to match conditions.”

With a seeder mounted to the mainframe, the Raven can also be used to sowoilseed rape. Users can choose to placethe seed distribution outlet either in frontor behind the packer.

Chris White from Teagle said the moveto one-pass drilling would continue, particularly on smaller farms. “The growingquality of soil is in the top few inches, and

The Alitalia power harrow combination,previewed by Opico, is one of a new rangefrom its recent agreement with Maschio.


without blocking in large amounts of surface residues, the coulters form a seed furrow with a coulter disc on one side and a furrow former on the other. A polyethylene disc in between preventssoils sticking to the disc and maintains thecorrect sowing depth. Row spacings of

12.5cm and 16.6cm are now availableacross the range.

Opico previewed two brand-newMaschio seed drills at the event: thePrimavera and the Alitalia. “These arecompletely new drills to the UK market,and we think they’ll compete well withexisting products in this competitive market when they’re officially launchednext year,” said James Woolway.

The new Alitalia is a power-harrow combination pneumatic drill, available in 3m and 4m widths. Built aroundMaschio’s well proven DMR power harrow, the drill –– which has a 1500-litrehopper –– is mounted directly onto thepacker roller, so it floats independentlyfrom the tractor linkage.

“Anyone who’s struggled to remove anair drill from a power-harrow combination

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The 7.5m wide Claydon Straw Rakespreads straw, controls slugs and creates atilth for volunteer and weed germination.

producing a good tilth quickly and effectively is very important. There’s nodoubt the current fuel price is makinggrowers think very hard about how muchmoney they’re spending on establishingtheir crops.”

The event saw the debut of Teagle’sTulip Multidisc Vario cultivator, which nowfeatures a row of 560mm diameter serrateddiscs positioned in front of the subsoilertines. The new, discs-first concept disturbsthe soil and chops the stubble ahead ofthe tines, helping to prevent blockages.Currently available in fully mounted, 2.5m,3m and 4m widths the Vario now hashydraulic break-back tine adjustment and can be fitted with a seed hopper forsingle-pass drilling operations. Teagle alsoplans to introduce a trailed version.

Finer finishPhilip Watkins has also noted increasinginterest from customers looking to drillrape with his Tri-Till cultivator. He took theopportunity of Tillage-Live to demonstratethe machine, equipped with a new Güttlerpress-roller option in place of the standardpacker roll, or Simba Double-D rings. Thisleaves a finer finish for those establishingrape using a seeder, that can drop seedeither ahead or behind the roller.

Otherwise the Tri-Till cultivator remainsthe same, with its auto-reset subsoil tines, followed by two rows of 510mmdiameter scalloped discs, mounted onrubber suspension. The discs level thesurface and create a seedbed in the top50mm-75mm of the soil.

The same subsoiler-disc combinationformat is at the heart of the Sumo Trio,which is increasingly being used also toestablish rape. At Tillage-Live, the Yorks-based manufacturer was demonstrating its latest 3m-wide trailed Trio, which nowhas hydraulic break-back subsoiler legswith auto-reset as standard. As well asadjustable release-pressure, the system’sdouble-acting rams also enable the tines

Fast and shallow cultivation is the aim ofthe Väderstad Swift.

to be folded up for transport. Another new,standard feature for the 3m Trio is theLinkage Mounted Drawbar (LMD).

“The LMD system not only improvesmanoeuvrability, it allows the tractor linkage to respond to the draft load of the implement,” said Peter Homer of Sumo. “Used with the tractor’s wheelslip-monitoring system, this increases workrate and saves fuel.”

Fast operation, producing a high outputwith low fuel consumption, is the aim ofthe latest Väderstad Swift trailed cultivator.Available in a range of widths from 5.6m to8.7m, it’s the first from the firm to be builton a tubular frame.

Designed for working to a maximumdepth of 15cm, it cultivates with two rowsof vibrating spring tines, set 650mm apart.These have MixIn shins for mixing andspreading soil and trash across the

surface, and the tines can be fitted with a range of points including 50mm for standard work or 80mm for going deeper.There’s also the option of a goosefootshare and a Marathon point for longer life.

At the back is a row of large diameter,offset levelling discs, which can be adjusted hydraulically from the cab.


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http://www.claydondrill.com

Amazone’s RoTec coulters havea polyethylene disc to maintaindepth and prevent soils stickingto the coulter disc.

There’s also a drawbar at the rear for attaching a packerroller for consolidation.

Zero-tillage advocate Claydonused Tillage-Live to demonstrateits 7.5m-wide straw rake. Thefirm had already sold morethan 250 of its tine seed-drillsin the UK, it said.

“The rake forms a tilth thathelps control slugs, pullsbindweed and is a very effectiveweapon against blackgrass,”said Jeff Claydon.

Hydraulically folding, the long-tine harrow, which hashydraulic tine-adjustment, isused at high speed (up to25km/h) on stubbles to createa micro-tilth stale seedbed forweeds and volunteers, beforespraying and then followingwith the drill.

Following a different furrow

Dowdeswell said integrated front linkage systems made iteasier to control push ploughs, which can boost output and cut fuel use.

With the renewed interest inploughing comes a couple of alternative ways to turn a furrow.

Dowdeswell drew crowdspreviewing its 3f, 105 Series P (push) plough, designed towork with a 5-6f rear-mountedplough. Although this is thefirst push-pull combi ploughfrom the firm in 20 years,technical manager JasonStringer said he believed it’s right for today’s market.

“Ploughing’s increasinglybeing used for weed control.With a modern tractor’s integrated front-linkagedesigns, push ploughing’snever been more viable.Preliminary tests show that

a 180hp tractor pulling six furrows and pushing three canplough up to 50% more in aday, but consuming only about15% more fuel.” Dowdeswellwill reveal more informationabout the new plough next year.

Another unusual option on show was the MerloMultifarmer, working with both a plough and power harrow.Designed to combine the bestfeatures of a 120hp tractor and3t capacity telehandler, theMultifarmer has a hydrostatictransmission, an integrated CatII rear linkage and a two-speed,mechanically driven PTO. In tractor mode, the rear axlelocks into position, but can behydraulically levelled.


“It complements the zero-tillsystem, which works well in a peri-emergence spray programme. Establishmentcosts can be £28-32/ha lessthan plough-based regimesproducing similar yields.” n

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ramlines may account for less than 5% of the field area. But onmoderate slopes they can account

for 80% of surface run-off, suspendedsediment and phosphorus losses, according to research carried out by ADAS.

It’s a statistic that a group ofresearchers and innovators, fundedunder an industry-wide LINK project, are determined to reduce, using someingenious new techniques. Visitors to Tillage-Live saw the initial fruits of their labours, and the results are verypromising, reported project leader,Martyn Silgram of ADAS.

Tillage trail for new ideasNew at Tillage-Live was a Knowledge Trail, withexperts on hand to relay the latest related research,innovations and fundamentals on soils and spraying. CPM sought out the highlights.


‘The majority of run-off from wintercereal fields that ended up in riverscame from tramlines’

“Just using correctly inflated lowground-pressure (LGP) tyres can reducesoil compaction and cut run-off by morethan half. But we’ve managed to get substantially better results by applyingsome sort of simple shallow cultivation.”

Tramlines act as a channel, drawing in water from up to 0.5m either side of a wheeling, potentially transferring herbicides and nutrients towards thefield edge. A slope of just 3° is enough to cause the movement.

“The vulnerable time is autumn andearly spring when travelling on the fieldscompacts the soil. Using sediment fingerprinting, ADAS studies showed

Tthe majority of run-off from winter cerealfields that ended up in rivers came from tramlines, so there’s a heavy environmental cost, as well as the loss of nutrients and fertile topsoil.”

The £1.4m, 5-year project is funded byHGCA, Defra and the Scottish Government.It’s testing three methods over four sites,on a variety of soil types across the UK,using a series of gutters and pipes to

Philip Wright talked through the essentialsof subsoiler set-up.


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Soil experts on Tillage Live’s KnowledgeTrail found the site’s heavy soils ideal toillustrate the perils of compaction.

Take care over the depth you set yoursubsoiler, warned cultivation specialistPhilip Wright. “Set too deep in soft soil andit will create a compacted layer, rather thanloosen one. Check that the wings aren’t settoo steep, which will give you an aggressivetine that boils the soil. You want a moresubtle lift, that introduces vertical cracksbut maintains the structure.”

Tim Chamen of Controlled TrafficFarming didn’t have to look too far for acompacted layer. “The soil looks friableenough near the surface, but dig down a

little deeper and you find most of the fieldhas compacted, platey layers that rootswould find hard to penetrate. Limiting alltraffic to fixed tramlines reduces compactedareas to just 17% of an average field.”

Spray technology was also on show,with a Knowledge Trail focus on speed offill-up and cleaning of pesticide containers.

Stomp Aqua encapsulates thependimethalin (PDM) active ingredient,which cuts the time taken to empty andclean a 10-litre can by half, compared withold Stomp, said Paul Miller of NIAB TAG.“This also has an effect in the field. In min-till systems, much of the PDM can bindto straw residue, rather than ending up inthe soil matrix where you want it.” BASFtests have shown 90% of Stomp Aqua isrecovered from residue, compared with65% of Stomp.

The container and rinsing-bowl designcan make all the difference where there’s a tight turnaround, noted independentsprayer expert Bill Taylor. “Look for a canthat doesn’t have high shoulders andplaces that are difficult to reach with yourrinsing jet. If it’s made from one plastictype, it will be worth more when recycled.

“In the bowl, look for good jets –– theideal is to have one that spins, and anotherthat projects a high-velocity blade of water.A downward-facing jet at the bottom to disperse granules is also useful, and youwant a coarse sieve that catches a strayfoil but won’t encourage solids to bridge.”

Compaction caution

Compacted soil was easy to find, said Tim Chamen.

Paul Miller demonstrated the benefits of Stomp Aqua.

The spiked cultivator reduces run-off fromtramlines, said Martyn Silgram.

measure the run-off from 100-270m long field sections. “We’ve now got veryrobust data on the effectiveness of theLGP tyres,” reported Martyn Silgram.

Michelin Xeobibs, inflated to 15psi,were used on a standard MasseyFergusson tractor pulling a Chafersprayer. The control was the same set-up on ordinary tyres inflated to 23psi. The aim was to cut the pressurebut to retain the grip and control,explained Laurent Mozziconacci ofMichelin. “You have to use a tyre thathas enough flexing in the side wall. The Xeobibs are suitable because they’re stronger but softer.”

CompactionTwo years of trials have shown using correctly inflated, low ground-pressuretyres worked well, noted Martyn Silgram.“They minimised the risk of causingcompaction, while the other methodswe’ve evaluated helped alleviate it.”

Better results have been achievedusing a spiked cultivator, mountedbehind the tyres. It’s offset, so there

are no problems with wheel slip, and its set-of-three tri-spiked plates havebeen developed through a number ofprototypes so they are self-cleaning.

“The idea was to put pock marks into the tramline so the water infiltratesthe soil. Only a small surface area wasaffected, and it stopped water fromponding on the surface but didn’t let the soil get mushy, which would’vereduced the stability of the tramlines for future passes.”

One of the most effective tools was the wheel-track roller, brainchild ofretired N Yorks farmer Charles Creyke.Inventor of the Aqueel, a roller which has proven itself as a tool that reduceserosion, he’s turned his attention to tramlines and has crafted a tool of equal ingenuity, if trial results are anything to go by.

“Two subsoil tines at an angle aredesigned to cut a drainage channel either

Easy-clean containers save time, said Bill Taylor.


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The power of smartphone technologymeans you can now carry an entireweed encyclopaedia in your pocket.What’s more, BASF’s Weed id App willmap your weeds for you as well, saidthe company’s Sarah Mountford-Smith.

Released for the iPhone in Oct andfor Blackberry and Android-basedsmartphones by the end of the year,it’s been developed with ADAS usingthe HGCA Weed Encyclopaedia. Drill-down menus help you find theright weed image –– there are 143grass and broadleaf weeds included in the database. On GPS-enabledphones, you can also log coordinatesand size of patches, so you can comeback at a later date and use your weedmap to spot-treat what you’ve found.Cost is £2.99.

Weed id

Sarah Mountford-Smith with the iPhone version of the Weed id App.

Charles Creyke with his patented WheelTrack Roller.

side of the tramline,” he explained. “This drained the water away for the benefit of the adjoining crop, but left thecentre of the tramline undisturbed and the soil structure intact.

“The roller pressed the soil into a convex shape, to direct water away from the centre. It’s made from a specialnon-stick plastic and angled at 20°, with a slipping action to encourage self-cleaning, leaving the surface fissured, not smeared.”

The prototype is a separate implement,currently requiring an extra pass. “It’s successfully set the principle. There’spotential to integrate it with a drill, forexample, for a one-pass operation,” saidCharles Creyke. The design is patented,but he had yet to sign with a manufacturerto take it beyond prototype.

The results from the cereal trials showsthat it was almost as effective as no tramline at all, in terms of run-off, reportedMartyn Silgram. “We’re very pleased withthe results from all the methods tried sofar –– they’re very consistent across arange of soil types.

“The prototype wheel-track roller is theonly method that has the added cost of an extra pass, but it may be particularlycost-effective in a potato system since the tubers near the tramlines are so susceptible to damage from compaction.”

As well as concluding on the efficacyand limitations of different systems,researchers were hoping the most cost-effective options could be givenincentives under Catchment SensitiveFarming or environmental stewardshipschemes. n

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Transcript of Pages 44-51 Pages 28-43 Tillage Potato t potential · 2016. 12. 5. · (p28), or find ways to fend...