Shedding light on biostimulants

In this issue...Flexible friend page 32On-farm verdict for new Fastrac

Grassweed grapple page 8

Ways with maize page 49Eight-page special insight on energy crops

Potato potential page 81

Volume 18 Number 9October 2016

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

National Farm Research Unit 2014

Editorial & advertising salesWhite House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY5 8LP

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

Reader registration hotline 01743 861122Advertising copy

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CPM Volume 18 No 9. Editorial, advertising and sales offices are at White House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury SY5 8LP.

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

and farm managers in the United Kingdom.

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

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

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

EditorTom Allen-Stevens

Technical EditorLucy de la Pasture

Sub editorCharlotte Lord

Writers

Design and ProductionBrooks Design

Advertisement co-ordinatorPeter Walker

PublisherAngus McKirdy

Business Development ManagerCharlotte Alexander

To claim two crop protection BASIS points, send an email [email protected], quoting reference CP/51831/1617/g.

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

Rob JonesLucy de la Pasture

Mick Roberts

Tom Allen-StevensOlivia Cooper

Nick Fone

TechnicalWeed control - Blackgrass future in growers’ own handsMid-October marks the start of the drilling window for blackgrass-affected fields.

OSR agronomy - A case of compromise Weed control in oilseed rape was a hit-and-miss affair for many last season.

Agchem news - Global giants set forth product prospectsA glimpse of what’s in the pipeline from Bayer and BASF.

Yield Enhancement Network - Out of the box thinkingEach year since its launch in 2012, the YEN has got bigger.

Theory to Field - Shedding light on biostimulantsClarity on this murky pool of products and where the benefits lie.

OpinionTalking Tilth – A word from the editor.

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

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

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83

8

14

18

22

26

Machinery news - JCB launches flagship FastracsTwo new 8000 series tractors are unveiled; precision guidance is refined by Case IH and John Deere; an insight into tyre-maker BKT.

On Farm Opinion - One tool for all tasks?The JCB Fastrac 4000 series, now with CVT transmission has been billed as the most versatile and productive tractor ever made.

On Farm Opinion - Making the most of Massey muscleWhen one large farming business invested in a flagship Massey Ferguson MF 8737, it was given plenty of work at two separate locations.

Tyres - Agronomy focus for tyre developmentChanging agronomic practices and the need to improve soil structure are driving a new wave of tyre development across the industry.

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44

FeaturesSpring barley - Boom time for barleySpring barley is gaining in popularity, and blackgrass is the main reason, according to a CPM/RAGT survey.

Tech Talk - Synergies enhance yieldA more holistic approach to growing crops is capable of delivering cost-effective yield benefits to growers.

On-farm innovator - A bounty for birdsFor the past 13 years, work undertaken at Rawcliffe Bridge in E Yorks may literally have helped shape agricultural policy.CropTec - Innovations on show at CropTecA preview of the experts and developments growers can expect to see.

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70

SpecialCPM special insight - Energy cropsWith the help of our sponsors, we’ve brought together some of the latestdevelpoments in this eight-page feature.

49

Machinery

3crop production magazine october 2016

RootsInnovation Insight - Clever thinking drives harvesting evolutionGrimme has earned a number of industry awards for developments to its potato-harvesting technology.

Potato varieties - Spraing to mindIt may not have turned out to be a season with big spraing problems, but free-living nematodes haven’t gone away.

Potato markets - Production ebb sees prices firmPotato prices are the highest they’ve been for this time of year since 2013, so what does the season ahead hold?

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confirm that it exists, as if it’s suddenly dropped off your

farm, too.The new one is the

Twitter guise, that can bequite helpful. Did youknow that the covercrop you’ve just put in

the ground is the onethat counts towards the

EFA area you put on yourform back in May? I didn’t, untilthe tweet from the ministry put me right (although it then followed me on Twitter, which I’mnot sure I’m comfortable with).

Another guise of the man fromthe ministry is George Eustice,who actually looks strangely similar to the caricature in BigFarm Weekly, albeit without thebowler. I remember with somefondness the picture he paintedback in May of a post-Brexit UK in which the extra cash wecurrently give to the EU wouldcome to farming.

It was a nice fantasy while it lasted, but it kind of came to earth with a thud at theConservative party conferencerecently. While George Eusticeand Andrea Leadsom seemed tobe busy in one fringe meetingtrying to shape a post-Brexit UKrural support policy, the rest oftheir cabinet colleagues werebusy in another discussing howto carve up farming’s cash.

We now at least have reassurances that the rural potwon’t be plundered until 2020(although since I have a signedcontract that guarantees my environmental payments until2020, I’m not sure quite how theTreasury was going to wriggleout of that obligation anyway).After that, it’s pretty clear farmers

will be pitched against nurses inour bid for public cash, andfrankly I don’t fancy our chances.

There is the strong case thatencouraging people into thecountryside and through moreactive rural communities, we canaddress some of the nation’shealth problems, such as heartdisease and obesity. That couldeasily save the NHS the billions itcould be allocated if subsidy waswithdrawn from farming. But dodirect, or even environmentalpayments actually help thatcause?

One person who’s workedhard to demonstrate the publicbenefit of what farmers do isJames Hinchliffe (see article on p66). He’s not just trialled different practices and monitoredthe results, but brought key influencers onto his farm to showthem. Interestingly, though, hedoesn’t think public funds shouldbe spent on such measures ––

I think my first recollection ofthe ‘man from the ministry’was probably a cartoon in BigFarm Weekly, of a civil servantin a dark suit and bowler hat,holding a briefcase with MAFFscribbled on the side. He’dcome to the farm hopelessly ill-prepared for a rural visit and so was treated with duedisdain by the farmer.

Nowadays, the man from theministry appears in many guises,and I’m not sure any of them areany less alien. There’s the onethat phones you up or emails youwith extraordinarily benign andpedantic questions, for example.Recently I was asked to send inreceipts for grain we’d beenfeeding under the CountrysideStewardship supplementaryfeeding of wild birds option. It took a while to explain that farmers are usually blessed with a store containing severalhundred tonnes of grain, so don’t need to nip down to Pets at Home to pick up a bag of bird food.

There’s the one that rings upto say that field number SU 29947336 has just disappeared fromtheir computer and wants you to

farmers have to be interested inbiodiversity, rather than the cashon offer, to make a real difference,he says.

Which leaves the question,what is the unequivocal publicbenefit all farmers provide?Perhaps it’s under our very noses–– we’re very good at producingcrops for safe, wholesome food.In fact, we’re the best in the world,and if there’s one thing peopleneed more than their health, it’sfood in their bellies. So if there’sone thing we should focus on, it’sensuring we remain the best inthe world at what we do. And asfor the man from the ministry, let’smake darn sure he knows it.

Who is the ‘manfrom the ministry’?

I know it’s rude to brag, but I’mgoing to anyway. CPM’s picked upanother British Guild of AgriculturalJournalists award, this time the inaugural Red Tractor PublicEngagement Award, sponsored by Assured Food Standards. It recognises excellence in the reportingof farmer initiatives that tell the public about food production.

The award was for an article on Herts farmer Ian Pigott thatappeared in the magazine in May2016 as part of a BASF-sponsoredinitiative profiling on-farm innovators.

Over the past five years, CPM has won five BGAJ awards thatrecognise writing excellence,including the Yara Arable Technical

Writer of the Year award two years in succession in 2014 and 2015.That’s five awards – just so youknow…

Another award for CPM

Tom Allen-Stevens (left) receives hisaward from AFS vice chairmanAndrew Blenkiron.Photo: Ruth Downing, Rural Pictures

Tom Allen-Stevens has a 170haarable farm in Oxon, and would like to reassure the man from the ministrythat the EFA error was the only onemade on this year’s forms.

[email protected]

(or how to lie whiletelling the truth)

I’m never sure whether I enjoy or endure harvest,either way it’s now all safelygathered in.

For those of you in Eskimocountry still mopping up thecombine season, I apologisefor appearing so ruddy smug. I know from personalexperience in farming thatwhat lifts my mood is the sightof my neighbour’s combine up to its axles trying to harvest in Oct when I’ve finished. On the other hand,the reverse scenario is the last thing I want to hear about.

None the less, yields herehave proved ‘mixed’ which is probably another way ofsaying things are pretty average. Combine that withsome rather average-lookingprices then I suspect harvest2016 will soon become forgotten amidst the blur of previous unremarkable harvests.

The problem with ‘average’harvests is how to presentthem to one’s peers. Whendoing so I’m reminded of a

survey taken a few years ago which revealed 75% of

people think they areabove average when itcomes to intelligence.You suspect farmerssuffer the same

syndrome when it comes to harvest

performance. With the average UK wheat yield being around 8t/ha then my guess is at least 75% of wheat farmers reckon they achieve well above the average national yield. We’veall heard of 10-12t/ha cropsbut somehow the sub 5t/haones that must counter balance to achieve the average are wiped from thenational farming collectivememory.

Of course when it comes to the public discussion ofyields, we are on sensitiveground. The language used in public discussion can become positivelyeuphemistic. Never let it besaid one is an underachieverin one’s field –– far better tosay something along the linesof ‘we successfully managedto optimise our oilseed rapeproduction margins this year’.That’s code for admitting yourOSR yields averaged lessthan a 2.5t/ha. In the case ofwheat, never say ‘we averageless than 7.5t/ha’. Far betterto say ‘on this farm, we specialise in growing highprotein milling wheat.’

Akin to this is farming ‘double speak’ which borrowsfrom George Orwell’s conceptof ‘double think’ devised for his novel 1984. Doublespeak is basically the abilityto conceal a lie within a truth.For instance, when a grainmerchant rings you up to tell

Harvest doublespeak Email your comments and

ideas to [email protected]

Guy Smith grows 500ha ofcombinable crops on thenorth east Essex coast,namely St. Osyth Marsh ––officially the driest spot inthe British Isles. Despitespurious claims from othersthat their farms are actuallydrier, he points out that hisfarm is in the Guinness Book of Records, whereasothers aren’t. End of.

you your load of wheat hasbeen rejected for excessivelyhigh admixture and woefullylow specific weight you replyquite truthfully: “well, that’svery strange because it camefrom exactly the same heapas all the previous loads andthey went in alright”.Meanwhile, at the back ofyour mind you know damnwell it was from the back ofthe heap where all the chaffcollected.

While Brexit has brought in asense of immense change and anew government at Westminster,one element of continuity is thepresence of George Eustice asminister for agriculture at Defra.

But the irony here is thatMr Eustice is a major advocate forchange. A die-hard Euro-sceptiche clearly doesn’t like the old CAPmodel of direct support throughacreage payments and is keen toconsider North American-stylecrop-insurance programmesinstead as a basis of support forBritish arable farmers.

The question is whether theseNorth American concepts would

have a good fit in the UK.Have we the necessary yielddata to underpin the way they work? Is it clear if theinsurance premium comes from the farmer’s pocket or from Government’s? How bureaucratic would they be in their operation?

We need to be askingsearching questions here beforesuch ideas gain momentum.On the other hand, while marketvolatility has proven one of themajor challenges in running an arable business in the lastten years they may offer a way forward.

6 crop production magazine october 2016

TechnicalWeed control

Mid-October marks the start of the drilling window

for blackgrass-affectedfields. CPM asks Dr Stephen

Moss his thoughts on controlling the weed

he’s studied for years.

By Lucy de la Pasture

It’s important for growers to spend

time finding a solutionthat fits their own individual farm.

Blackgrass futurein growers’ ownhands

“

”

It’s been an epic battle in which the ingenuity of man is pitched against thesurvival instincts of a grassweed thatBear Grylls would be proud of. So far the weed, which is of course blackgrass,seems to have the upper hand, withhuman intellect being outsmarted timeand time again.

One man who has applied his grey matter to help discover a hole in thedefences of this pernicious weed is Dr Stephen Moss. After 40 years of

research dedicated to the study of blackgrass, there’s not much he doesn’tknow about the weed. So what does he consider the key agronomy pointersthat have come from his blackgrassresearch legacy?

Slow to change“The main messages on blackgrass control aren’t new but in some places,growers have been slow to adopt changeslike delayed drilling and spring cropping,believing that these things were impossibleon their soil type. Now these practices are accepted as a means of reducingblackgrass pressure but it’s sometimesbeen a case of forced change becausethe problem has become so great,” he explains.

Having been pressing home the samemessages for many years, evidentlyStephen Moss feels some frustration thatsome parts of the country are in the position they’re in, but he’s quick to admitthat it’s not an easy task to always getthings right. So with backs firmly against

the wall, where do we go from here withthe blackgrass battle?

“Understanding herbicide activity on a field-by-field basis is fundamental to getting good blackgrass control. It’simportant for growers to spend time findinga solution that fits their own individual farmand the more time invested, the better thechances of discovering the best tactics ineach field,” he suggests.

Even with this field-specific knowledge,the challenge is understanding how theweather also influences herbicide activity,points out Stephen Moss.

“This year has been troublesome forblackgrass control and comparable to that seen in the 2012 season. Trials haveshown blackgrass with twice as manyheads per plant as normal, which is what’sbeen causing the challenge,” he explains.

Blackgrass heads which were massivelylonger than normal were also widelyreported from the field this summer, whichbegs the question why was 2016 such afavourable year for blackgrass growth?

According to Stephen Moss, this is


s


Stephen Moss warns that resistance to flufenacetcould develop as usage levels increase in theever-expanding stack.

Understanding herbicide activity on a field-by-field basis is fundamental to getting goodblackgrass control.

Improving the standard of ploughing, so that full inversion is achieved, can achieve betterblackgrass control.where the over-riding influence of the

weather plays a role and he believes themild weather last winter had a profoundeffect on the levels of blackgrass controlachieved in the field.

“My theory is that a mild winter allowsblackgrass plants to recover from residualherbicides. If followed by cool, dampweather in the spring, then blackgrassplants and seed heads continue to grow,which is what we saw this year.”

It’s become normal practice to apply a stack of herbicides to get the desiredeffect on blackgrass seedlings. After aseason like last season, where the controlachieved was often disappointing, thevalue of the herbicide stack can come intoquestion, particularly as post-emergenceherbicide performance continues to decline.

Although pre-emergence herbicidescan’t eradicate blackgrass on their own,including active ingredients in the stackthat haven’t shown any signs of breakingdown is a sensible approach, he believes.

“Flufenacet has a strong profile andresistance doesn’t appear to be buildingyear on year as with some other actives.

This means there’s a much lower risk of resistance to flufenacet developingquickly,” he believes.

With the arrival this autumn of new post-emergence herbicide, Hamlet(iodosulfuron+ mesosulfuron+ diflufenican),growers may need to watch their rates of DFF and carefully consider whichherbicide can play ‘Ophelia’ andsequence with it. A full rate of Hamletapplies 75g/ha of DFF, but if sequencedwith 0.6 l/ha of Liberator (flufenacet+ DFF),you’ll be over the typical advisory limit of120g/ha at which there may be harm to afollowing oilseed rape crop.

Straight flufenacet“The recent availability of straight flufenacet options, such as Sunfire, meansa stacked programme of different modesof action can be mixed and matched. Theadvantage is that it provides choice andflexibility for agronomists and growerswhen considering their approach,”he says.

But it’s important to consider resistanceto flufenacet could develop as usage levels increase in the ever-expandingstack and not be lulled into a false senseof security, Stephen Moss warns.

“In trials at Rothamsted, over the pastfew years we detected a shift in sensitivityto flufenacet in blackgrass populations. So don’t be fooled by the fact that theflufenacet shift isn’t on the same steepcurve as Atlantis was. We need to getaway from being wedded to the idea thatadding to the stack of pre-em herbicidesis the answer to blackgrass control,” he adds.

Cultural controls remain central in any blackgrass control strategy, heemphasises. Rothamsted Research wasone of the very first to prove that delayeddrilling reduces blackgrass pressure.

“This was reiterated in the latest AHDB-funded project I coordinated, which also indicated delaying drilling frommid-Sept to mid-Oct consistently resultedin better control from pre-emergence herbicides.” (see Theory to Field in CPM,Sept 2016 issue).

“Some of our most significant work hasalso been on blackgrass seed persistencein the soil,” he reflects. Research showedthat only 3% of seeds survive being buriedfor three years, which is crucial knowledgefor growers considering ploughing as amethod of burying seeds that have beenshed on the surface.

“Relatively short-lived seeds are the oneweakness blackgrass has and growers

must exploit it to win the battle. You canreally make a difference over a few yearsthrough minimising seed return.

“I’d recommend growers use ‘opportunistic ploughing’ for blackgrasscontrol, which will include ploughing everythree to four years, so as not to unearththe seeds when they’re still viable.”

Finding the ideal conditions for effectiveploughing can be a challenge, but improving the standard of ploughing, so that full inversion is achieved, is anarea where many growers could helpthemselves achieve better blackgrass control, he believes.

So how does Stephen Moss see hislegacy of research into blackgrass beingevolved further? Cultivations, drilling techniques and herbicide usage are allareas where he considers there are furtherdiscoveries to be made and moreresearch is needed. Understanding moreabout the biology of the weed will alsohelp pinpoint any further weaknesses that growers could potentially exploit, he believes.

“Issues such as when to use staleseedbeds to reduce the viability of freshand historic seeds will continue to be animportant topic. Drilling techniques for different soil types and the interaction ofseed beds with weed control is also anarea where advances will continue to be made.

“There’s a lack of good independentresearch available and the waters aremuddied by one-year studies. Farmerscould do more themselves to evaluatesome of the different approaches that arebeing put forward as adding to blackgrasscontrol, such as nozzle design and use of

Weed control

s

When discussing herbicide programmes, productsare frequently described as adding 5% here or10% there. But there can be a lack of precisionwhen talking about percentages that can lead to misunderstandings about a product’s performance.

Bayer’s new herbicide Hamlet (mesosulfuron+iodosulfuron+ diflufenican) is a case in point. Mostpeople will have picked up that Hamlet offers 10%greater control of blackgrass compared to Atlantis(mesosulfuron+ iodosulfuron), all of which seemsclear enough but what does it actually mean? We asked Bayer’s Dr Gordon Anderson-Taylor toclear things up.

“Take a simple example and assume that thereare 100 blackgrass plants/m2, which is made upof a population carrying moderate to high levels ofherbicide resistance. Atlantis WG is applied andcontrols 60 of them, so a simple calculationmeans Atlantis gives 60% control,” he explains.

So what control will Hamlet give you? “Youcould see it as 10% more in absolute control inwhich case control from Hamlet is 70%. But otherpeople may work it out as 10% more than Atlantisand come up with the figure of 66%,” he says,explaining how confusion can occur. “When wecompare products in Bayer herbicide trials, we talk about absolute level of control, so in theexample we’re discussing the correct figure would be 70%.”

Herbicide programmes are another area wherepeople need to watch how percentages are usedaccording to Gordon Anderson-Taylor. “Each timean additional product is added to a programme,you really need to look at how many of the survivors it controls.”

As an example, a pre-em application ofLiberator (flufenacet+ diflufenican) gives 75%control, so out of 100 plants, 25 remain. A programme of Liberator followed by Hamlet gives90% control so 10 plants remain. Quite often inthis situation Hamlet would be credited as ‘offering15% control’, he says. “But this isn’t quite correct.In the example, Hamlet controlled 15 out of 25plants that survived the pre-em, which is 60%control of survivors.”

Replicated trials at three sites in Lincs andEssex in 2015/16 with difficult EMR-type resistantblackgrass illustrate the gain from a post-emapplication.

Untreated plots averaged 131 blackgrassplants/m2, those that received 0.6 l/ha Liberator atpre-em averaged 37 plants (72% control), whilethe plots that were treated with a pre-em and apost-em of Atlantis at GS11 (0.4kg/ha + Biopower1 l/ha + Liberator 0.3 l/ha) averaged 19 plants,meaning the herbicide programme delivered 85%control in total. The post-em contributed 13% tothe total programme but controlled 48% of thesurvivors, which are the only plants the post-emhad the opportunity to control –– the others werealready eliminated at the time of application,he says.

“In the 2015/16 season, we continued to useAtlantis to test herbicide programmes because wewere still waiting for approval for Hamlet when weplanned the trials last year,” explains GordonAnderson-Taylor. “Put these results with theimprovements Hamlet offers and we can see thatwe’re approaching the magic 95% control, evenon difficult sites.”

The bigger picture is that there are relativelyfew options to control blackgrass in the crop, so at all the timings it pays to put the most effectiveproducts into the tank because there’s no other

Percentage perfect

way to get that control later on. At the pre-emtiming, there’s been a real focus on stacking andsequences, but last year showed how it can’tcomplete the job, he says.

“I think that people concentrate on the gainsat pre-em because it’s perceived as more reliable–– but last year it showed its limitations. Therewere good seedbeds and good application conditions and actually very good control levelsfrom pre-ems. However, the blackgrass recoveredbecause mild winter conditions meant less winterkill of weeds weakened by the pre-em and it thentillered significantly through the spring,” he says,in full agreement with Stephen Moss.

Gordon Anderson-Taylor assures growers thatthe additional 10% control promised by Hamletis a true 10%.

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0Untreated Liberator 0.6 L/ha pre-em Liberator 0.6 L/ha fb Atlantis WG

0.4 KG/ha + biopower 1 L/ha +Liberator 0.3 L/ha GS11

72% control

48% control of survivors

Bla

ckg

rass

pla

nts/

m2

Source: Bayer; results from three independent trials in Essex and Lincs, 2015/16

adjuvants. These seem to show goodresults, but may not be statistically significant or are only based on one season’s work so need to be trialled further,” he says.

“It’s also important growers are givenaccurate information. I often read thatblackgrass is a marsh weed. It’s not –– itlikes damp, wet conditions so maintainingdrainage is important but that doesn’tmean it’s a marsh weed!” he concludes. n

Weed control


Spring barley pointersAre you considering putting land into springbarley and wondering what the options are?KWS has just added information about itsspring barley variety, KWS Irina to its website,and will be updating growers through its web-based Cultivent service over the next few months. See the story on the new CPMwebsite for details. www.cpm-magazine.co.uk

According to a recent survey conducted bySyngenta, UK growers are upbeat about their capability get on top of blackgrass.

Growers were asked to rank effects out of 10and blackgrass scored 9.7, with less than 2% ofrespondents seeing little or no impact on their farm. But encouragingly 75% of farmers nowbelieve they have the tools and measures to getback in control of blackgrass in the future, reportsSyngenta’s Cat Gray.

“A quarter of all growers who completed thesurvey highlighted the situation has actually beengetting better on their farms,” she says. “Utilising a range of integrated agronomy tools, alongside an effective herbicide strategy, appears to be paying dividends.”

Digging further into the methods growers arecurrently employing, the survey reveals that delayed drilling and growing more spring cropswere seen as the most popular agronomychanges, both adopted by nearly 90% of respondents.

There was a perception among growers thatdelayed drilling wasn’t having the desired effects on blackgrass populations, with only 23% believingdelayed drilling was proving highly effective. On the other hand, 80% of them considered springcropping was effective or highly effective with 57% of respondents growing hybrid barley in a bid to gain a greater effect on the blackgrass byincreasing the crop’s competitiveness.

Ploughing and rogueing were questioned fortheir usefulness in blackgrass control strategies.By contrast, sacrificing the crop by applyingglyphosate to bad infestations was viewed as a positive move.

“Ploughing is still widely used, on more than80% of farms. But less than a third of growers see it as effective or highly effective, with 25%believing it has limited value in the overall programme,” reports Cat Gray.

“Rogueing is less popular and is also seen as of limited value, especially when compared with the burn-off of infested crop patches, which over

60% of respondents say is effective or highlyeffective.

“What’s clearly apparent from the survey is thatgrowers are now using a wide range of agronomytools in developing a truly integrated approach tolong-term management of blackgrass,” she adds.

Increased herbicide stacking was being usedby 85% of growers, with a similar number usingincreased seed rates to further reduce blackgrasscompetitiveness and seed return. The report alsohighlights that over half of growers are now usingfour or more herbicides in a programme.

Pre-emergence application timing is the mostpopular, applied by 96% of growers, along with85% using post-em treatments. Peri-emergenceherbicide treatment is least popular.

“Interestingly, while a high number of growers still apply post-em treatments, 59% ofthem consider the applications of little or limitedvalue,” says Cat Gray. “However, 86% of thoseusing pre-em applications report effective or highly effective results, with just 2% seeing limited value.”

The efficacy of post-em treatments possiblyreflect the fact that some 94% of respondentsbelieve they could be suffering from herbicide-resistant blackgrass. However, only aquarter (28%) had populations regularly tested,

with the majority reporting anecdotal reduction in herbicide efficacy.

For nearly half of farms (47%) blackgrass is aproblem right across the farm. The survey alsoshowed that most growers are now seeking tomap the extent of blackgrass populations on thefarm, to assess the success of control strategies.The majority is undertaken manually while cropwalking, with around 10% of growers now usingnew technology, such as drones, to furtherincrease accuracy and record keeping.

Cat Gray notes that growers perceive thatdelayed drilling isn’t having the desired effects on blackgrass populations.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

It’s getting worse andout of control

It’s getting worse, butwe think we have

measures to control it

No significant change

It’s getting better andthe measures appear to

be working

It’s significantly betterand we have it under

control

0 1 2 3 4 5

Pre-cropstubble

Pre-emergence

Peri-emergence

Post-emergence

In-croppre-harvest

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Yes - because we havehad our blackgrass

resistance tested

Yes - because we haveseen reduced efficicy

from herbicides

Not sure

No

How would you describe your blackgrass experience over thepast three seasons?

Do you consider you have resistant blackgrass?

When do you apply yourblackgrass herbicides?

Source: Syngenta

Source: Syngenta

Source: Syngenta

Weed control

Majority of growers believe they can beat blackgrass


A case of compromise

TechnicalOSR agronomy

Weed control in oilseed rapewas a hit-and-miss affair formany last season. CPM finds

out how the new crop is faring and the prospects

for keeping it clean.


OSR shouldn’t be the weak link in therotation as far as weed

control goes.

“”

Oilseed rape crops have got off to abumpy start in some areas of the country. A dry Aug was a blessing for the wheat harvest but didn’t greatly helpOSR that was drilled very early, explainsProcam agronomist, Tom Scotson.

“Some growers got their OSR in but itdidn’t germinate because of the lack of soilmoisture. The east coast and parts of Kentwere particularly badly affected,” heexplains. “Although these have now comethrough after some Sept rainfall, they’re

very small so equivalent to a late drilledcrop even though they’ve been in theground for longer than most.”

Some growers have already given up on some fields, especially where cabbagestem flea beetle activity is providing a double-whammy effect, he reports. A smallOSR plant makes for a slow-growing crop,which at this stage in the day is one thatneeds careful consideration.

Ground cover“Plants need to have made good groundcover by mid-Oct, otherwise pigeon grazing can become a big battle until thespring. Deciding whether or not to stickwith the crop or cut your losses and getsomething else in the ground is a very personal decision. It’s not black and whitebut either way, herbicide inputs will need tobe considered, whether sticking with thecrop or ripping it up,” he says.

Not long ago, the standard approach to the OSR herbicide programme was to

apply a pre or early-post emergence product. In recent seasons, uncertaintiesabout crop establishment have led to a total change in strategy, with many growers now adopting a wait-and-see attitude before spending money on herbicides at a stage when survival of the crop is far from certain.

In situations where the crop fails andmetazachlor has been applied, it’s reallyimportant to consult the label of themetazachlor product used, becauserestrictions on re-planting following cropfailure vary widely between products,warns Paul Cartwright of Frontier.

“Where Butisan S has been used, fieldscan’t be replanted with cereals, pulses, linseed, maize or potatoes until six monthsafter the product was applied, and thenonly after ploughing. However, the label for Sultan 50SC allows for winter wheat orwinter barley to be replanted in the sameautumn following a crop failure and alsohas a requirement to plough, with a wider


OSR agronomy

Paul Cartwright advises growers to checkmetazachlor labels for cropping options becauseproduct restrictions vary.

Oilseed rape provides an ideal opportunity forsome alternative modes of action in the rotationto tackle blackgrass problems.

range of cropping options the followingspring. So the labels vary even thoughboth products contain the same activeingredient,” he explains.

“If quinmerac was applied with themetazachlor where cleavers are an additional problem, then cereals can bedrilled two months after ploughing or threemonths after minimal cultivations.”

Other growers are having the oppositeproblem with their OSR crop this autumn,adds Paul Cartwright. “Some crops weredrilled very early during the first week ofAug. These got away too well, the canopy

becoming so big that growers were facingPGR decisions towards the end of Sept,”he says.

Where soil conditions remain dry or anearly herbicide wasn’t applied, there are a number of things to consider becauseherbicide decisions are more difficult.

Too late“Once cranesbill and blackgrass arethrough, then it’s too late to get optimalcontrol of these more difficult weeds and a degree of compromise will need to bemade. The level of weed-seed dormancyneeds to be factored in because there’ll be some blackgrass still to emerge, meaning germination will be protracted.This makes timing really important and ifan earlier herbicide was applied, it’ll mostlikely run out of steam before all the weedsare through.

“Where seedbed conditions are dry, it’squestionable whether an early residualshould be applied and in Kent, where thishas been the situation, Frontier agronomistsdecided to hold off because there wasn’tenough active growth,” he says.

As crops go further into the autumn,post-em herbicide decisions will very much depend on knowledge of the farm,weed burden and ability to control certainweeds in other crops in the rotation,acknowledges Paul Cartwright. “OSRshouldn’t be the weak link in the rotation as far as weed control goes.”

Undoubtedly OSR was just that last season, with some very dirty crops aroundat harvest. Doubly unfortunate becauseOSR provides an ideal opportunity forsome alternative modes of action in the

rotation to tackle blackgrass problems, he adds.

That’s something Don Pendergrast,product development manager for ArystaLife Science, wholeheartedly agrees with.

“It’s essential to control blackgrass at allstages of the crop, pre and post drillingwhere possible, and the battle continuesthroughout the whole rotation. Ensuring thatthe levels of control in OSR are as good aspossible is key to this,” he says.

With that in mind and an increasing number of acres relying on the activity of herbicides containing carbetamide(such as Crawler) and propyzamide (such as Kerb) for mainstay weed control,understanding how they work is key to getting the best out of them.

The window for carbetamide applicationhas moved earlier in recent years, partlydue to stewardship issues around water s

Wrong on so many levels – Astrokerb washed outof waterlogged soil in 2015 before a lethal dosewas accumulated and blackgrass wasn’t beingcontrolled as a consequence.

but also because its performance isn’t as temperature regulated as that of propyzamide, explains Adama’s OSR technical specialist, Kully Mudhar.

“A sequenced approach using Crawleras an early application (pre-em to four true leaves of the crop), followed by propyzamide when conditions are suitable, is a good strategy for blackgrasscontrol. The carbetamide is aimed at shallow-rooted blackgrass, in the top 2cmof the soil profile, and has a sensitisingeffect on any blackgrass emerging from a lower depth.” he explains.

“Carbetamide is highly mobile in the soil,though does still need some soil moistureto enable uptake by the roots of weeds,”he adds.

Centurion Max (clethodim) may be thepreferred option as a follow-up to Crawlerin the window up to the end of Oct, thoughPaul Cartwright points out that it shouldn’tbe relied on as a sole approach to blackgrass control.

“Centurion Max works in some situations and still offers a useful level ofcontrol but it’s important to use it sensiblyas part of a sequence. Because it’s a contact herbicide, the blackgrass needs to be actively growing so dry weather conditions can be a problem,” he explains.

The ‘dims’ are a group of actives that areaffected by ACCase target site resistance inblackgrass. Although clethodim is a ‘dim’, it’s proven itself to be more effective againstresistant blackgrass than other herbicides of the same class, such as tepraloxydim(Aramo) and cycloxydim (Laser), adds Dr Stephen Moss.

Consequently, even growers who knowthey have ACCase-resistant blackgrasspopulations shouldn’t be put off using theproduct as it can still improve control.

“A worldwide research review consideredclethodim to be the lowest resistance riskACCase inhibiting herbicide, with only two

of the 11 known target site mutations conferring high resistance to it,” he says,adding the proviso that its relative efficacy in the field is likely to be stronglyinfluenced by the dose used, weed sizeand time of use.

Another point to be aware of when using clethodim is that hard water affectsits efficacy, mentions Paul Cartwright, advising the addition of a water conditionerto the tank will rectify the situation.

Tricky timingPropyzamide takes the last curtain callbefore the spring, with a tricky spot interms of timing. The soil temperature needsto be 10°C at a depth of 30cm, which typically occurs around 10 Nov, explainsDow technical specialist, Peter Waite.

“Last year, conditions weren’t suitablefor propyzamide application until muchlater than normal and some growers couldn’t travel in the early part of the herbicide window,” he says. “It’s a time of year when spray days are few and farbetween and there has to be some degreeof compromise between what’s practicaland what needs to be done.”

The reason the soil temperature needsto have cooled down before applyingpropyzamide is down to the half-life of theactive ingredient, explains Peter Waite.

“When the soil is 15°C at 30cm depth,propyzamide has a half-life of 60 days butat 10°C the half-life is 100 days. Thatmeans you get more like three months ofactivity from the herbicide when weeds will continue to pick up propyzamide andaccumulate a lethal dose.

“Even as weed growth slows withdecreasing temperatures, weeds continueto take up propyzamide through their roots,it just takes longer to reach a lethal dose,”he explains.

Many growers experienced patchy control where propyzamide was appliedlast season, so why was this? One possible reason for patchy control is where there’s a less competitive OSR crop, suggests Peter Waite.

“But in the main, we had unusually warm temperatures last autumn and thepropyzamide application period wasn’treached until 24 Nov in all areas other thanthe North. In Dec, there was unseasonablywarm weather and weeds continued togrow,” he reviews.

“When applied to warm soils, it’s notonly persistence that can be compromisedas the propyzamide breaks down relativelyquickly, but also the lethal concentration ofpropyzamide itself in the rooting zone ofthe blackgrass,” explains Peter Waite.

Another situation where propyzamideperformed less well than expected waswhere it was applied to wet soils, addsPaul Cartwright. “Where we saw somemediocre levels of weed control frompropyzamide was where soils were still too wet which compromised its efficacy.Ultimately the propyzamide can ‘runthrough’ very wet soil so there isn’t enoughconcentration of active ingredient left forweeds to accumulate a lethal dose.

“This highlights the importance of soil conditions as well as soil temperaturewhen considering propyzamide applications.Good stewardship practices are essential,not just to protect water but also to get thebest activity on weeds,” he emphasises.

Peter Waite reminds sprayer operatorsto make sure they leave a six metre bufferzone if there’s a watercourse and not toapply propyzamide to land that has beenmole drained or when heavy rain is expected to follow after application –– always a difficult call if a small spraywindow opens up and there’s an abundanceof blackgrass to get on top of.

Where broadleaf weeds, particularlypoppy, mayweed and sow-thistle are themain targets, Astrokerb (propyzamide+aminopyralid) is the product of choice, says Peter Waite. Groundsel and pansy arealso controlled, with additional control ofchickweed coming primarily from the propyzamide element in Astrokerb.

Where weeds had become big lastseason, Astrokerb was still effective onmayweed and poppy with 7-8 true leaves and pansy with two true leaves, he notes.

“Because Astrokerb has contact activity,it needs to hit the weed but crop-shading isn’t necessarily an issue. Studies haveshown that the aminopyralid will movethrough the OSR plant to find equilibrium in

There were some very weedy crops around atharvest this year.

OSR agronomy


s

Even as weed growth slows with decreasing temperatures, weeds continue to take up propyzamide through their roots, it just takes longer to reach alethal dose.

Cranesbill is a broadleaf weed that has reached enemy number-one spot inmany agronomists opinion because it’s so difficult to control.

the soil, where it’s picked up by weeds,” he explains.“Aminopyralid sits in the plantso it’s not necessary for theplant to be actively growing atthe time of application. It’ll acton the plant as soon as growthrecommences.”

Enemy number oneCranesbill is a broadleaf weedthat has reached enemy number-one spot in manyagronomists opinion becauseit’s so difficult to control. Bifenox(as in Fox) is useful in situationswhere cranesbill is a problem,advises Paul Cartwright.

“Bifenox is fairly flexible, youcan split the dose or hang onand then add oil in order to hotit up. But the key thing whenusing bifenox is the condition of the crop, which needs to bewell waxed up. Avoid tank-mixingif in any doubt because cropsafety will be less certain.”

Other weeds where bifenoxcomes in handy are the brassica weeds –– hedge mustard and shepherds pursein situations where clomazonewasn’t used earlier, but resultscan be variable, he says.

The option for using Galera (clopyralid+ picloram)disappeared last season after its label changed on re-registration. It can now onlybe used after 1 March, remindsPaul Cartwright. “It’s a very difficult timing if crops are veryforward. They can be beyondthe latest safe growth stage forapplication when the calendardate arrives.

“The ideal timings for herbicide application in OSRare often compromised by otherissues –– so far this season it’sbeen slugs, flea beetle andestablishment problems thathave affected herbicide decisions.” n

TechnicalAgchem news

The crop protection industry could be set for

seismic change followinglarge takeover deals andmergers. CPM travels to

Germany to find out whatnew developments we can

expect from BASF and Bayer.

By Tom Allen-Stevens and Lucy de la Pasture

Global giants set forth product prospects

It’s the most exciting pipeline I’ve

ever seen.“

”

Against a backdrop of some of the biggestglobal corporate takeover deals ever witnessed, Bayer and BASF each invitedthe world’s press to their German headquarters last month for a glimpse at what will flow from their richly fundedproduct pipelines over the next decade.

Senior management at Bayer remainedtight-lipped about its $66 billion acquisitionof Monsanto, while the deal’s pored over by the US Securities and ExchangeCommission. BASF indicated it’s in the market for what may spin out of the deal, in terms of acquisition opportunities and in-licensing agreements, and the same goesfor any fall out from ChemChina’s $44 billiontakeover of Syngenta and the $130 billion

merger of Dow AgroSciences and Dupont.But Harald Schwager, who sits on the BASFboard of directors, refused to be drawn onwhat these may be, nor did he hint at areaswhere the company’s keenest to invest.

What is on its way from BASF, however, is a brand new herbicide for blackgrass,revealed the president of the company’scrop protection division Markus Heldt. Along with Revysol, its new ‘blockbuster’ triazole fungicide, a number of biologicalinnovations and a host of other new actives,that amounts to a €3 billion crop protection product pipeline set to bring new chemistryto farms over the next eight years, he claimed.

Exciting pipeline“It’s the most exciting pipeline I’ve ever seenin BASF. Revysol will be our largest launchever, that we’re expecting in 2018-19. And this innovation comes in spite of a very difficult regulatory environment.”

But it was the “herbicide for blackgrasson its way”, dropped into his presentation,that piqued the interest of the British contingent at the global gathering of almost100 journalists at the company’s headquartersin Ludwigshafen, near Frankfurt.

“It’s a new mode of action for cereals in the UK –– a residual, pre-emergenceproduct. We’re expediting development and regulatory work and will be submittingthe dossier for assessment in 2017,” he told CPM afterwards.

It was “too early” to share details on efficacy, he said, nor was there any information on just what this new mode ofaction does. What’s more, it won’t appearbefore 2020, and it’s more likely to be 2022before it’s licking up blackgrass.

But it’s likely to sit at the base of theautumn herbicide stack, and there are hintsit’s akin to a new-generation flufenacet. Ittackles resistant grassweeds and has agood regulatory profile, assured MarkusHeldt. “That gives us confidence.”

So why’s it taken so long to bring on a new product? “Herbicide research wasscaled back as a result of GM crops and thedominance of glyphosate,” he explained.

Markus Heldt said the launch of BASF’s newtriazole fungicide Revysol (foreground) will be the biggest ever.


s

News of a new mode of action on blackgrass piqued interest amongjournalists who gathered at BASF headquarters.

Expect to see oilseed rape seedcoatings combining chemical fungicidewith biological activity as early as2018, said Philipp Rosendorfer.

“More recently, we’ve significantly increased our investment in this area.”

Bringing a product to marketmay get even tougher postBrexit, however. He indicatedstrong concern for how the likesof France, Germany and Swedenwill pull the regulatory frameworkonce the UK’s CRD is no longerat the table. “Without the UK, I’dexpect the regulatory circuit tobe more hostile –– that changing

landscape is one of our biggestchallenges,” he said.

Hopefully that won’t take thewind out of the sails currentlygusting Revysol ever closer tomarket. Due to appear in the UKas early as 2019, it’s the first in anew class of isopropanol azoles,explained BASF’s Rolf Reinecke.

“In response to the tough regulatory environment, we tooka fresh approach to R&D thatlooked not just for high activity

on fungal targets, but also at side effects.”

As an azole and a DMI fungicide, it works on the C14-dimethylase enzyme. But ithas a unique isopropanol moiety.“The triazole ring sits on the neckof the slim isopropanol. Thisallows the molecule to form a‘hook’ that blocks the site of theenzyme a hundred times betterthan other azoles,” he claimed.

Tests have shown it’s highlyeffective against all strains ofseptoria, including those thathave developed mutations andare exhibiting resistance to existing azoles. “Prothioconazoleand epoxiconazole still havegood protectant properties, but they’re not such good eradicants,” noted Bill Clark of NIAB, who’s seen the new fungicide perform in trials.

“Revysol works on septoriapopulations that are highly resistant because the populationhasn’t adapted to it yet. It’s goingto be a really good partner forSDHIs, matching them on efficacy.”

Expect to see biologicalscreep in with the chemistry overthe next few years, said PhilippRosendorfer, of BASF’sFunctional Crop Care division,especially in seed coatings. The company’s opened its newbiological crop protection andseed solutions centre at its facilityin Limburgerhof.

Here the company’s developing new uses for biological pesticides and microbials. Perhaps of particularinterest is the biofungicideSerifel, based on the bacteriaBacillus amyloliquefaciens. “Itcan be combined with a broadvariety of chemical fungicides orinsecticides, such as in Xanthion,an in-furrow fungicide thatincludes pyraclostrobin.”

While a fungicide is targetspecific and acts on a pathogen,the bacillus is broader spectrumand builds plant defences.“Typically it will settle on a rootand help the plant develop,” he said.

Oilseed rape is likely to be the combinable crop that will

Agchem news

benefit first from these new products, he added. Combinedwith pyraclostrobin or fluxapyroxad,2018-20 is when they’reexpected to appear.

Changes ahead in Bayerproduct pipelineA slick, inspiring and strangelyreassuring keynote address fromBayer president, Liam Condon,opened the company’s ‘Future of Farming Dialog 2016’ inLeverkusen, near Cologne.

His message was that the solutions to the challenges aheadlay in “shaping the future of farming”. He advocated a proactive approach, using multiple technologies to ensure“innovative integrated solutions”,rather than relying on chemical ina can and discovery of the nextnew molecule.

That’s not to say that R&D doesn’t still lie at the heart of theGerman giant, as Liam Condonreassured. “The combination of over €1 billion per annum invested in R&D, with additionalinfrastructure investments, will help ensure a continuous innovative product pipeline thatcan meet the challenging needs of growers around the world.”

So what does that actuallymean to farmers globally? In theshort term, new active ingredientsdon’t feature highlyin Bayer’s product pipeline, with


s

The message from Liam Condon was that thesolutions to the challenges ahead lay in shapingthe future of farming.

Adrian Percy is focused on developinggermplasm with higher yielding capabilities,which go beyond the heterosis achieved inBayer’s hybrid programme.

Agchem news

two new actives for disease and pest control expected in 2019. But beyond 2020, thereare more than 20 targets in the chemicalcrop protection pipeline, so it’s a case ofwatch this space.

Biologicals and traitsPerhaps the most exciting growth areas in its R&D are in biologicals and traits, however, reflecting how important Bayerviews these technologies in future crop production strategies. They include targetedgenome optimisation – gene editing, genesilencing and gene stacking are just some of the ways in which this can be done to find new, non-GMO traits for varieties of the future. Liam Condon describedComputational Life Science (CLS) as theglue in the high-tech breeding programmethat will hold everything together by managing the R&D data.

Bayer head of seeds, Frank Terhorst, told CPM that their hybrid wheat-breedingprogramme was well underway, with the firstnew hybrid varieties scheduled to come tothe market in 2023.

“We’ve passed the first milestone –– technical proof of concept –– so can produce a hybrid wheat with heterosis(hybrid vigour) that has higher yields, whichwas one of the major challenges. A secondbreakthrough was to produce seeds at acompetitive price which we now believe we can do,” he explained.

The traits programme in wheat is just atthe beginning and there’ll be much more tocome, with €1.3 billion scheduled to beinvested over the next decade. Efforts focuson developing germplasm with higher yielding capabilities, which will go beyondthe heterosis achieved in the hybrid programme, added Bayer head of R&D Dr Adrian Percy.

Other products which will be popping outof the pipeline are styled as ‘major life-cycleinnovations’. With more than 100 life-cycle

management projects underway, this isanother area where significant advancesmay be made.

One notable development is Bayer’srecognition that collaboration betweenorganisations is a key part to developingsustainable agricultural solutions. It’s put€200M into digital farming technologies todevelop a digital support system for farmers,free for them to use, to “enhance crop protection strategies across the world”.

With an aim of a ‘clean field’ as the resultof this approach, it’s an ambitious project butachievable in 3-5 years, according to TobiasMenne, Bayer head of digital farming.

Liam Condon also touched on this theme in his address. “The challenges for agriculture are too large for any one company, institution or even country to solve. We need to collaborate with the best

available partners externally to ensure wecan find even more innovative and moresustainable solutions to the challenges weface in agriculture,” he said. n


Technical YieldEnhancement Network

Each year since its launch in2012, the Yield EnhancementNetwork (YEN) has got bigger.CPM asks two northerly growers what it brings to the table.


Out of the boxthinking

While yield is by no means everything,research suggests that yields achieved in practice fall short of their potential.

Undoubtedly there are many factors atplay, some controllable and some not, butthe Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) wascreated to help growers bridge the gapbetween actual and potential yield. It givesgrowers the opportunity to put some sciencebehind their crop production and look moreclosely at what they’re doing, explains YENmember, David Fuller-Shapcott.

He farms a 240ha mixed enterprise near Kelso in the Scottish Borders, mostlyarable but with 32ha in permanent pasture, used to finish pedigreeAberdeen-Angus cattle for the premiumbeef market. A further 200ha is farmedunder rental and contract farming agreements.

Asked why he got involved with YEN,David Fuller-Shapcott’s response wasinstant. “Because I wanted to push theyield envelope and the YEN project makesme think outside of the box, question howwe do things and how we can do thingsdifferently to get more yield. It’s both educational and constructive,” he says.

So what has his involvement in YENbrought to the table in terms of his farmingpractices?

“We’ve identified possible fertility problems in wheat ears as a result of thecrop report which was generated by YENlast season. Tissue tests indicated lowzinc levels but we didn’t do much with theresults. This season we’ve done muchmore to monitor and correct zinc levels in the crop using regular tissue testing,”he explains.

David Fuller-Shapcott’s membership has been sponsored by one of the YEN corporate sponsors, BASF. “As a consequence, I benefit from a secondagronomist on the farm from BASF, whichis great for generating discussion andbouncing ideas off one another,” he says,adding that challenging the way youapproach things is an important part toworking out how to do things better.

Cost of productionWhat’s more, he’s costed his YEN inputsand compared them to his input costs

across the rest of the farm and they’vecome out favourably, resulting in a

lower cost of production on aper tonne basis –– another

benefit from pushing theyield envelope.

One of the biggestchallenges in his arableenterprise is achieving

earliness and a late harvest has knock-on

effects that feed through to subsequent seasons, he

explains. With four fields of wheatstill to harvest in the third week of Septand spring crops to go on to, harvest is

David Fuller-Shapcott identified possible fertilityproblems in wheat ears as a result of the cropreport generated by YEN last season.

I wanted to push the yield

envelope and the YENproject makes me think outside of

the box.

“

”


s

Yield Enhancement Network

The Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) is entirelyan industry initiative with 15 commercial andresearch sponsors, explains ADAS research scientist, Dr Daniel Kindred. It connects agricultural organisations and farmers who are striving to improve crop yields and is open to any interested individual or organization –– commercial, academic or other, he adds.

“The YEN provides a framework for growersto understand the limitations on yield and whatthe actual yield potential of the crop is. Theideas on how to remove these limitations arejust as likely to come from YEN growers as theyare from researchers.

“Innovators do things differently and we canall learn from them, which is what YEN is allabout. The focus of YEN is driven by the networkand the growers are the integrators (of researchand practical application), pulling the whole system together,” he adds.

So what do growers get for their membershipto YEN in addition to the regional meetings,ideas labs and the competition element, whichculminates in an awards and results meeting in Nov?

“Each member gets a site-specific reportwhich details information on their soil; includingtexture, analysis, organic matter and soil biology.This data tells us about the soil type and is usedalongside Met Office data to generate the yieldpotential,” explains Daniel Kindred.

“The grower collects data at specific growthstages through the season, and uploads a phototo the YEN website after ear emergence. Weanalyse grab samples to determine yield components (grains per ear, individual grainweight and ears per square metre), harvestindex, biomass, grain protein content, strawnitrogen concentration and nitrogen uptake,”he explains.

From this information, ADAS generates areport for the grower which tells him how thecrop is performing and where the likely yieldlimitations will be, along with suggestions abouthow this may be improved.

David Fuller-Shapcott finds this reportextremely useful. “There’s a lot of things aboutfarming that you can’t change. By that I meanthings like your soil type and the weather. Themotto of my local agricultural society sums the

Getting the gen through YEN

principle of YEN up nicely –– ‘It’s no what yehae, it’s what ye dae wi what ye hae.’l YEN sponsors include ADAS, AG Space,AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds, Adama, Bayer,BASF, Hutchinsons, Limagrain, Syngenta,NIAB TAG, NRM Laboratories, NFU, Yara,De Sangosse and Rothamsted Research.www.yen.adas.co.uk

The ideas on how to remove yield limitations arejust as likely to come from YEN growers as theyare from researchers, notes Daniel Kindred.

In spite of being in Border country, the yieldsachieved on the farm earned a bronze medal spot in last year’s YEN competition.

a much later affair than in the bread basket of England and at a time whereday length is diminishing fast.

“This has been the first year that we’reclear of the effects of the late harvest in2012. As a consequence of the difficultweather conditions that year, we couldn’tget some autumn crops in and even lastyear we had spring wheat in the ground,that ideally wouldn’t have been, whichwasn’t cut until the third week of Oct.”

The rotation David aims for is oilseedrape, followed by two years of soft millingwinter wheat. “The next crop in our five-year rotation is spring-sown maltingbarley, aimed at the malt-distilling marketfor whisky. Lastly, before returning to OSR,

we have an autumn-sown crop of barleyused in two ways –– about half is used by amajor Tyneside brewer for beer production,and the rest goes as pearling barley for usein soups and baby foods,” he explains.

Bronze medalIn spite of being in Border country, theyields achieved on the farm are veryrespectable, with a bronze medal spot inlast year’s YEN competition for gettingclosest to the crops potential. This seasonyields are down but wheat is still comingoff at over 12t/ha.

“I’m looking at tweaking our rotation totry to get autumn crops in earlier byincreasing the winter barley area, so thatthe OSR goes in earlier and is earlier toharvest. Last year we got some wheat inearly for us –– by mid-Sept –– and this wasconsequently harvested earlier, yielding inthe region of 13-14t/ha. This autumn,ground conditions have prevented us fromworking the ground as early, which ispushing drilling back later again,” he says,with a bit of frustration.

“I want to min-till after OSR but thisautumn it hasn’t been an option. Therewas a mat of annual meadow grass in thebase of the OSR stubble, a consequenceof not being able to get an autumn herbicide on in 2015. We had to plough

the OSR stubble so turned up wet soil,which we’re now having to wait for.”

His soil is predominately heavy clayloam soils of the Whitsome association,technically described as having ‘impedednatural drainage’–– that’s to say that itdoesn’t dry out very fast, he says.

Adopting min-till before spring crops isanother change to the ploughing regimethat has traditionally taken place on thefarm. “This should mean we can getspring crops in earlier which will benefitthe whole rotation,” he reckons.

Spring weed control in his cereals isanother idea he’s toying with. Somethinghe’s able to consider because blackgrassisn’t a factor on his land, he says.

“I wasn’t able to get an autumn herbicide on some of the winter wheat last year and ended up applying Othello(diflufenican + iodosulfuron-methy-sodium+mesosulfuron-methyl) in the spring, whichworked really well.

“It got me thinking that if we could leavethe weeds over the winter, they would actin the same way as a companion crop andtheir roots could benefit the soil structure.Any weeds could be killed off in the spring before they become competitivewith the crop and their residues wouldsupply an additional source of nutrients,”he suggests.

s


Could annual meadow grass act in the same wayas a companion crop if its control was left untilthe spring?

Brian Matheson, with wife Caroline, is the mostnortherly YEN grower.

Brian Matheson is the most northerlyYEN grower, farming on a medium sandyloam soil in the Black Isle in the North ofScotland. He runs a mixed enterprise of332ha, with predominantly spring barley(190ha), grown for malting and certifiedseed, in rotation with OSR (25ha) and winter wheat (42ha). The farm also lets35ha for potatoes and carrots and carriesout the contracting for the carrot growingand operates a mobile grain-dressingservice. In addition, 40ha of permanentpasture carry 140 Texel cross ewes andhe has 100 over-wintered cattle on B&Bfrom Nov-March.

Late harvestHis farm is 90m above sea level and thelateness of harvest in his part of the worldalso has knock-on effects on his plannedrotation. Last year no OSR went inbecause it got too late to plant it. This season, OSR has found its way back into the rotation thanks to more averageconditions, he says.

Winter wheat is a marginal crop at hisBallicherry Farm, which is also one of theAHDB Monitor farms. “Winter wheat makes up 15-20% of our cropping but ourmajor market has recently disappeared,making the crop on the fringe of beingeconomically viable for us to grow. Part of the reason for joining YEN was that weneed to look at the yields we’re achievingand see how we can get the best out ofthe crop,” he says, adding that it’s a subject that generates good discussionwithin his Monitor farm group.

“As a result of our YEN involvement,we’re digging soil pits and looking at theprofile –– something we wouldn’t normallybe doing. We’re also using more tissuetesting and as a result, applying extra

bittersalz (magnesium sulphate) andboron, along with other trace elements,”he explains.

AHDB’s Emily Smith points out there are a lot of synergies between the YENconcept and the Monitor Farms, a numberof which have become YEN membersunder AHDB’s sponsorship.

“YEN helps growers interrogate theirown management practices and see howsmall changes can produce large results.The Hereford Monitor farm has introduceda benchmarking element so that it’s possible to see how much extra yield isneeded to make any change in inputscommercially viable.”

Over the season, a number of YENregional workshops are held at Monitorfarms around the country in conjunctionwith ADAS. The purpose is to dig into the

detail of plant growth, the crop’s ability tocapture light and water and keeping thecanopy green for longer, she adds. n

Yield Enhancement Network

It’s very difficult for growers and agronomists to understand which products work and

which don’t.”

“

In the effort to produce high qualitycrops, the promises offered by biostimulant products to overcome a range of problems are extremelytempting. They’ll help plants toleratestress, take up nutrients more efficiently,give you higher marketable yields and so on, according to those who sell them–– the list of remarkable feats is endless.But knowing which ones will work andhow they are affecting plants can be bigproblems for growers.

The degree of research behind the vast

When it comes to this murkypool of products, it can be

unclear just where the benefits lie. CPM finds outabout a review aiming to

sort the wheat fromthe chaff.

By Lucy de la Pasture.

array of products falling into this categorycan be anything from a promise and aprayer to a published, peer-reviewed pieceof science. With the biostimulant marketshowing huge growth and forecast to reacha value of €1bn in 2019, AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds thought it was time to siftthrough the available evidence and establish some facts.

Broad rangeOne of the major challenges with productsunder the ‘biostimulants’ umbrella, is therange of product types it covers –– it’s sobroad, it can be confusing.

In an attempt to throw some light on thesubject, AHDB asked ADAS to define theterm ‘biostimulant’ properly, group them by mode of action and identify whereknowledge gaps exist in an attempt toidentify where further research is needed,notes AHDB’s Dr Sajjad Awan.

To complicate matters, in the UK currently there are no requirements toprove the claims made by biostimulantmanufacturers. The situation’s very differentin other EU countries, particularly France,Italy and Hungary, where the biostimulant

Shedding light on biostimulants

market is both buoyant and better regulated. In those countries a list of ingredients is required, as well as empirical evidence to support any claims,he explains. But the UK situation shouldchange in 2018.

“The European Commission is intendingto revise Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 ofthe European Parliament (the FertiliserRegulation), to extend its scope to

The European Commission is intending to reviseregulations governing biostimulants in Jan 2018says Sajjad Awan.


may be doing in plants,” explains Kate Storer.

Although the amount of academic literature on biostimulants has increasedmarkedly in parallel with the growth of thebiostimulant market, there’s still littleresearch of direct relevance to growers of field-scale crops, she says.

“We looked at all the academic andgrey literature available and soon realisedthat there just wasn’t enough informationon cereals and oilseed rape, so weexpanded the review to all crops to get abetter idea of how different product typesmay affect plants.”

Biostimulant products often contain arange of product types, the most common

include plant biostimulants (among othermaterials). These regulations will comeinto effect in Jan 2018 and then all biostimulant sellers will have to complywith the new regulations, which is goodnews for levy payers,” he says.

What this means is that all biostimulantproducts will require evidence of efficacyfor any claims made. Even after the UK leaves the European Union, these regulations will apply to products that aresold elsewhere in the EU, thus it is likelythat most products produced and sold inthe UK will need to fulfil them, regardlessof whether the UK retains this legislation or not, he explains.

In the meantime, work to demystify the field of biostimulants is already

underway, with the first step to clarify its definition, explains ADAS research scientist, Dr Kate Storer, who led theAHDB project.

“The term ‘biostimulant’ covers everything that can be added to the plantor soil to enhance plant growth beyondfertilisation alone, except those productsthat have a definite ‘pesticidal’ action. So it’s very difficult for growers and agronomists to understand which products work and which don’t, or in which situations the products work best,as there is very limited independent information available,” she notes.

DefinitionAfter reviewing a range of definitions, the reviewers settled on the EuropeanBiostimulants Industry Council (EBIC) definition –– ’a material that contains substance(s) and/or microorganismswhose function, when applied to plants or the rhizosphere, is to stimulate naturalprocesses to benefit nutrient uptake, nutrient efficiency, tolerance to abioticstress, and/or crop quality, independent ofits nutrient content.’, adding the provisothat biostimulants may affect plant growthas defined by other sources.

The next challenge was to group product types and define which naturalprocesses they may be stimulating.“Products can be a single type or a mixture of biostimulant types so groupingthe main product types (see panel below)will help growers understand what they

Kate Storer has been working to demystify thefield of biostimulants, to group product types anddefine which natural processes they may bestimulating.

Theory to Field

Group Product type Definition

Non-microbial Seaweed extracts Products that have been extracted from seaweed (e.g. Ascophyllum nodosum extracts)

Humic substances Extraction product of humus (e.g. humic or fulvic acids)

Phosphite and other inorganic salts Salts that do not contain carbon

Chitin and chitosan derivatives Chitin is an abundant natural polysaccharide. Chitosan is a deacetylated form of chitin

Anti-transpirants Product that reduces transpiration by plants

Protein hydrolysates and free amino-acids Protein hydrolysates are produced from a variety of animal and plant residues. Free amino acids are single amino acids that require no digestion

Non-essential chemical elements Elements that are not required by all plants but can benefit plants (e.g. Silicon)

Complex organic materials Broad range of products that contain material derived from the remains of organisms (e.g. plants)

Microbial Plant growth promoting bacteria Bacteria which benefit plant growth (e.g. Bacillus/Rhizobia spp.)

Non-pathogenic fungi A wide range of fungal species that have no direct pathogenic effect on plants (e.g. Trichoderma spp.)

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Common type of endomycorrhizal fungus that forms a symbiotic association with plant roots. (e.g. Rhizophagus irregularis)

Protozoa and nematodes Protozoa are single celled rhizosphere organisms. Nematodes are non-segmented worms

Defining biostimulants

The problem with seaweed extracts is that theyare inherently variable as they are derived fromdifferent species and by different extractionprocesses. s


AHDB Project 214-32125, A review of thefunction, efficacy and value of biostimulantsavailable for UK cereals and oilseeds, ranfrom Nov 2015 to Jul 2016. Its aim was tointroduce and define the term ‘biostimulant’,summarise availability, regulation and use,group the products in terms of mode ofaction, and assess scientific understanding.The project was led by ADAS and cost£27,014, funded by AHDB Cereals &Oilseeds.

Research round-up

but more research and funding is neededacross the industry.

“Some of the microbial biostimulantshelp release phosphate in the soil which isoften locked up so plants can’t use it. Theimplication of this would be less relianceon imported inorganic phosphate fertilisersfrom turbulent parts of the world. Anotherstep towards sustainable intensification,”he notes. n

The thinking agronomist is probably one of thebiggest sceptics when it comes to products thatdon’t have independent science behind them,believes Dr Paul Fogg, cereal crop productionspecialist at Frontier.

“We’re entering an era of marginal gains and as a result, interest in nutritional and biostimulant products is increasing as a possiblemeans of making them. The problem is that inorder to recommend a product confidently, it hasto have a technological benefit and we need tounderstand how it works. Everything that goesinto the tank needs to be justifiable at the end of the day,” he says.

“The ADAS review is at last a piece of workthat’ll start to put the flesh on the bones bygrouping biostimulants and review possiblemodes of action, an area where there is a general lack of understanding.”

The current market place for these productsis chaotic, with a range of different producttypes all bundled under the term ‘biostimulant’,he believes. To make matters even more confusing, the terminology isn’t standardised,with some products also known as biologicalslumped in under the general biostimulant label.

“Biostimulant products can have a range ofuses; some support crop growth, some helpplants withstand stress and increase resiliencein these situations, further products help plantsaccess nutrients better and others are more

often considered as nutritional-type products (eg seaweed extract),” he says.

As far as using biostimulant products goes,Paul Fogg reckons that our basic understandingis better for some products than others.Phosphites are one example of a biostimulantproduct that is now being widely used andagronomists know how to use them.

But there are a wide range of other types ofbiostimulants that could potentially complementtraditional chemistry although we’re not so surehow to exploit them. According to Paul Fogg,there’s a growing awareness of the importanceof crop health and an interest in producing cropswith less reliance on traditional chemistry.

“Elicitors look interesting because they canstimulate the plant’s natural defences to combatdisease. That could help take the pressure offfungicides which are increasingly at risk fromdeveloping resistance. The R&D pipeline has alsoslowed down, so fewer new active ingredientsare coming onto the market,” he comments.

“Other biostimulants could have a role inincreasing efficient use of inputs. For example,pyroglutamic acid (PGA) plays a central role innitrogen metabolism as a protein-forming aminoacid. Supplementing levels of PGA can helpplants utilise N more efficiently and cope betterwith stress.

“Some products trigger biochemical processes in plants, such as auxins and

For Paul Fogg to recommend a productconfidently, it has to have a technological benefitand he needs to understand how it works.

An era of marginal gains

cytokinins, which could be used to get the sameeffect as PGRs but at the moment we’re just notsure where to use them strategically in crops,”he says.

“No two products appear to be the same and work needs to be done to understand what each one brings to the table and how they interact with one another. We need tounderstand inter-season and inter-crop effectsand above all, biostimulant products should payfor themselves. They have the potential toincrease our ability to extract the genetic potential from crops but their adoption must be evidence led,” he concludes.

research base is still developing, but there’sdefinitely enough evidence of efficacy to warrant further research in cereals andoilseed rape crops. What’s needed is field-scale research to verify whether theresults of glasshouse experiments arerepeatable in a field situation,” she says.

Seaweed extract is probably the biostimulant most familiar to growers, as it’s been available for many years. Theproblem with seaweed extracts is that theyare inherently variable as they are derivedfrom different species and by differentextraction processes, so will have differentextract stability properties.

The majority of research on seaweedextracts has been on plants other thancereals and OSR. Looking at the data available, the ADAS review identifies significant increases in above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass and yield,with significant yield responses of up to34%, reports Kate Storer.

Sajjad Awan believes that emergingbiostimulant technology could have potentially huge uses for levy payers

product types are summarised in thepanel on p27, though this list is notexhaustive.

When the reviewers turned their attention to efficacy and mode of action of the different product types, Kate Storeradmits that as scientists are by naturesceptical until scientifically proven, theywere actually surprised at the results ofthe work they were reviewing.

“It’s an emerging sector and the

Some of the microbial biostimulants help releasephosphate in the soil which is often locked up soplants can’t use it.


Theory to Field

s

Two new 8000 series tractorshave been unveiled by the

Staffs-based manufacturer,while precision guidance has

been refined by Case IH andJohn Deere. CPM has also

travelled to India for an insight into tyre manufacturer BKT.

By Tom Allen-Stevens

MachineryMachinery news

JCB launches flagshipFastracs

Under the skin, the new Fastracs

have engines with more power and

torque.”

“

JCB has marked the 25th anniversary of its Fastrac tractor with the launch oftwo new powerful models. The new 8000 Series tractors take the peakperformance of the range to 348hp under full load, representing a 14%increase to its flagship line.

The most obvious changes are the distinctive styling and new Command Pluscab. But under the skin, the new Fastrac8290 and 8330 have engines with more

The new 8290 starts at £176,244, while the8330 will set you back £183,869.

power and torque, a new high speedapproved hydrostatic steering system and new tyre options. There’s also a morecompact front linkage and pto packageand a larger deck area behind the cab.

Fastrac journeyThe global launch at its headquarters in Staffs earlier this month is the latest iteration in the 25-year Fastrac journey andfollows on from the launch of the newFastrac 4000 two years ago –– a movethat’s been well received by seasoned andnew Fastrac users alike, according to JCBAgriculture general manager John Smith.

“Now we’re introducing several ofthat tractor’s appealing features to ourbiggest Fastrac models to increase theirversatility and further improve the operatorexperience while also raising performancelevels.”

Under the hood, the two 8000 newcomerscontinue with the 8.4-litre, 6cyl engine butit now meets Euro Stage 4/US Tier 4 finalemissions standards. This delivers morepower and torque, using a twin-turbochargerinstallation that JCB says responds fast

when the operator requires increased power.At rated speed, the Fastrac 8290’s

engine develops 209kW (280hp) to matchthe output of the outgoing Fastrac 8310,with engine power peaking at 228kW


s

Case IH has struck a deal with OrdnanceSurvey (OS) to use its network of reference stations to correct signal loss for those withRTK-based precision farming equipment. Thedeal gives growers with Case IH’s AdvancedFarming System (AFS) technology access to theUK’s widest network of stations that can helpdeliver repeatable 2.5cm accuracy guidance.

OS Net’s national network of globalnavigation satellite system (GNSS) referencestations comprises 110 masts and offers seamless switching between reference stationsas you move to different base-station coverageareas. It brings the positioning data supplied by GPS satellites together with the RussianGLONASS satellite network and the developingCompass (China) and Galileo (Europe) satellitesystems.

This should provide optimum signal

availability, regardless of the topography saysRoss Macdonald of Case IH. “There’s no needfor the operator to manually switch across reference station as the system automaticallydoes this. The Case IH AFS+ system uses aroaming SIM card, which ensures it alwayslooks for the best available GSM data signal.”

Case IH’s UK agreement with OS forms partof the Europe-wide Case IH AFS RTK+ networklaunched early in 2015. This is compatible withthe majority of guidance equipment available intoday’s market, says the company, and alsoopens up the network to provide access to non-Case IH equipment users. AFS RTK+ isavailable 24 hours a day, 365 days a year andis delivered via the GSM mobile phone network.

“As a result, it offers a repeatable accuracysolution that’s affordable not just for larger farmbusinesses, but also for smaller units, where

RTK finds its way thanks to OS network

the benefits of RTK repeatability are just as valuable,” says Ross Macdonald.

Annual user subscription for the OS-supportedCase IH RTK+ signal costs £850 including SIM card.

Growers with Case IH’s AFS technology can nowuse the OS network of reference stations tocorrect signal loss.

John Deere’s new generation StarFire 6000satellite receiver will be making its UK showdebut at CropTec on the East of EnglandShowground, Peterborough, in Nov.

As the successor to the StarFire 3000receiver, the newcomer features an improvedantenna and updated global navigation satellitesystem (GNSS) signal-processing technology.A new optional locking device for better theftprotection is also available.

Russian GLONASS satellite compatibility andintegrated terrain compensation module (TCM)remain as standard. What’s more, the newreceiver is available with an improved, free SF1correction signal (+/-15cm, reduced from23cm), an all-new SF3 signal with +/-3cmpass-to-pass accuracy and a number of majorRTK (+/-2.5cm) innovations.

The StarFire 6000 features a new ‘tripleStarFire accuracy’ mode, which now tracksthree geostationary satellites in parallel insteadof one. This provides three times more signalstability in shady conditions and the potential to

switch to a back-up satellite 80% more quicklythan the previous model, says John Deere.

It locks onto the new SF3 correction signalthree to four times quicker, so you spend lesstime waiting for the receiver to achieve fullaccuracy and can get high-precision jobs started faster.

There’s in-season repeatability up to ninemonths, says John Deere, so the SF3 signal canbe relied on to prevent guidance-line drift. Thismeans you can use AutoTrac to create guidancelines during drilling or planting, and then use thesame lines to complete subsequent jobs suchas fertilising, post-emergence spraying and harvesting.

RTK customers have a longer RTK Extendmode of up to 14 days, so if the line of sight to the base station or the mobile network connection is lost, full accuracy and repeatabilityare maintained.

A new John Deere 4G LTE (long-term evolution) mobile RTK modem with two highperformance antennae supports the latest 4G

New StarFire receiver makes UK debut

mobile communication standard, as well as 3G and 2G standards. You can also move theStarFire receiver system from machine tomachine in less than a minute.

The new John Deere mobile RTK signal is also compatible with the JDLink modulartelematics gateway (MTG) controller, so you don’t need to invest in a separate modem and SIM card with a data plan.

The StarFire 6000 receiver features an improvedantenna and updated GNSS signal-processingtechnology.

Machinery news

(306hp) as revs are pulled down underheavy draft or towing loads. The new 8330model has a rated speed output of 250kW(335hp) rising to 260kW (348hp) under full load –– a new peak performance forthe range and 32kW (42hp) higher thanpreviously.

At the same time, peak torque goes upby 10% to 1440Nm at 1500rpm, whichgives the tractor even greater ability to‘hang on’ as conditions become more

challenging or the tractor faces a climb,says JCB.

Power is put to the ground via the company’s multi-mode V-Tronic continuouslyvariable transmission. Different modesselected by the operator using theFastrac’s touch-screen display prioritiseoptimum engine and transmission settingsfor power, economy, constant PTO speed,constant field speed or road travel. Thesystem can operate automatically or

used manually to deliver either seamlessspeed changes or in steps to emulate a powershift.

One notable feature is JCB’s ActivTraction, which helps Fastracs with CVTtransmissions retain grip during heavydraft applications. It draws informationfrom a radar speed sensor, hydraulicsposition control and cruise control to manipulate engine torque and maintain traction for the most cost-efficient


s

BKT tyres has revealed it’s set to launch a rangeof VF (very high flexion) tractor tyres at the SIMAshow, Paris, in Feb 2017.This will sit alongsidethe Agrimax Spargo VF tyre for sprayers and rowcrops as part of the Agrimax range, launched in2004 and now a best seller, claims the company.

The India-based manufacturer has rapidlyincreased market share of agricultural tyres since it opened a new $500M manufacturingplant in Bhuj, North West India, that was officiallyinaugurated in Dec 2015. During a tour of theplant and a briefing last month for selected members of the world’s press, BKT claimed itnow has the largest capacity of off-road tyre production in the world.

“We set out to be a main player in off-roadtyre manufacture,” said joint managing directorRajiv Poddar. “Step by step we’re achieving that.But Bhuj represents a game changer.”

The site is truly vast –– the biggest manufacturing plant in Asia in one location,claims BKT. It covers an area of 126ha, 45ha of

which are buildings. These include the factory,an R&D centre (still under construction), a 760mtest track and its own 20MW-capacity powerplant. There’s even a township area –– a 6ha purpose-built village of 400 family homes and 90 apartments, designed to attract the best white-collar talent from across India and furtherafield. The factory has 2000 employees in total.

The output is equally impressive √ 175t of finished tyres leave the Bhuj plant every day, andthis is set double when full capacity is reachednext year. Around 85-90% of BKT’s total currentproduction of 600t per day from its four Indianfactories is exported to 130 countries. The company prides itself on its range of off-road andspeciality tyres –– there are 2300 different typesin total, including 215 agricultural tyres that makeup 60% of its $840M turnover.

But there’s also pride in the process, with 450 quality tests carried out from raw material tofinished product, points out BKT Europe managingdirector Lucia Salmaso. “We live on the qualitychecks, and it means no tyre leaves the plantunless it’s completely reliable. As a result, ourclaim rate in the field is just 0.25% –– no othercompany has a claim rate that low.”

This is reiterated by BKT’s director of technology Dilip Vaidya, who took the company’styres into the off-road sector in 1995 and hasdeveloped the agricultural range since. “When an agricultural tyre fails, typically this will be aseparation on the sidewall or the crown. Any failure will be down to a slip in the manufactureprocess, which is why it’s absolutely crucial to have a complete track of quality control,”he explains.

“There are manufacturers who have reduced

their quality checks to make their products morecost effective, but we monitor the entire process–– it’s one thing we’ll never compromise.”

The IF (improved flexion) and VF tyres have a tougher bead and stronger sidewall so they can operate at the same tyre pressure both in the field and on the road.In addition, VF tyre lugsare designed wider to support heavy loads on the road, at up to 70km/h (45 mph), notes Dilip Vaidya.

“IF tyres can operate at 20% higher and VF40% higher rated load than standard metric tyresat the same inflation pressure. The advantage for farmers is improved grip for less wear, moreflexibility but less soil compaction.”

BKT’s Agrimax Force range, designed for high-power tractors, currently includes 15 IF tractor tyres and two IF implement tyres, with fourmore sizes available soon. There are four VFAgrimax Spargo tyres.• BKT’s entire range of specialist tyres, includingits agricultural ones, can now be browsed on asmartphone or tablet via its recently launchedmobile website. This brings you all the detailedinformation you may need, including photos andvideos. m.bkt-tires.com

Covering an area of 126ha, the BKT plant atBhuj is the biggest manufacturing plant in Asiain one location.

New production plant is a game changer, says BKT

With four plants in India, BKT produces 600t ofspecialist off-road tyres every day.

The operator sits a little further forward thanbefore, and the additional space allows for a mounted sprayer, supplementary seed orfertiliser hopper.

Machinery news

performance, making the most of Fastrac’sbalanced weight distribution.

The new 8000 models get theCommand Plus cab, used on the 4000series and claimed to offer space, comfortand practicality. The operator sits a littlefurther forward than before, and the additional space liberated behind the cabmakes it practical to install a mountedsprayer, supplementary seed or fertiliserhopper.

The Fastrac 8000 Series continues withcoil spring and damper front suspensionand active rear-axle suspension to maintain the even ride height and standard of comfort that Fastrac operatorshave come to value.

But steering has taken a turn with ahydrostatic dual-steering system, whichreplaces the power-assisted mechanical

system used previously. Effectively twohydrostatic systems in one, it uses a control valve to continuously monitor pressures and flows in both systems.

Failsafe requirementsThe result, says JCB, is the operator experiences a combination of precision,feel and low effort whether on the road at speed or repeatedly manoeuvring, while the system also meets the failsaferequirements for a tractor capable of theFastrac 8000’s 70km/h top speed in theevent of hydraulic or engine failure.

Tyre manufacturer BKT has joinedMichelin and Trelleborg in developing highspeed-rated tyres suitable for the JCBFastrac 8000 tractor’s weight, speed andpower. The ‘E’ rated (70km/h) BKTAgrimax Sirio is a new design in 540/65

R38 front and 710/70 R38 rear sizes with a tough carcase featuring a highly flexiblesidewall. It’s now available as a factory-fittedalternative to the Trelleborg TM800 HighSpeed. n


The JCB Fastrac 4000 series, with its all-round

suspension and now withCVT transmission has beenbilled as the most versatileand productive tractor ever

made. CPM visits a Worcsfamily farm that’s had one

for just over a year.

By Nick Fone

MachineryOn Farm Opinion

One tool for all tasks?

Having one machine on farm that’s capableof performing virtually every task seemslike something of a pipedream. But for one Worcs family farm it’s come one stepcloser to reality.

With 400ha of arable cropping and 140 head of beef finishers on the books, J H Wormington and Son Ltd needs a versatile machinery fleet. But when IanWormington returned full time to the familybusiness a year ago and started to take morework back in hand, he was conscious that

splashing out on hefty machinery purchasesto get all the work done wasn’t going to helpwith the health of the farm balance sheet.

“Having worked away for a number ofyears and then come home, I didn’t want tochange everything at once but clearly wedid need to alter the way we were doingthings to make best use of our skills.

Fully trained agronomist“I’m a fully FACTS and BASIS-trained agronomist and have continued to keep upto date with that, doing two to three days aweek for Agrii. Because of that it clearlymade sense to bring the spraying back in-house. We’d had a local contractor doingit and we have such a good relationship with him that we didn’t want to lose that. Westill use him for all our high clearance work–– oilseed rape desiccation and late beanfungicides.”

With that intention in mind, IanWormington needed to source a machinesuitable for the lion’s share of the farm’sagrochemical applications. He didn’t feel thebusiness’ acreage could justify the expenseof a self-propelled machine but also wasn’tkeen on a trailed or mounted sprayer.

“When I’m crop-walking I see way toomuch damage done by trailed machinesbacking into corners or even just in theheadland turns, despite having trackingdrawbars or steering axles.

“Even with front and rear tanks, mountedset-ups always seem to suffer a compromisewith weight distribution so I wasn’t keen on

The Fastrac has the power to do heavy

cultivation jobs and cantread lightly for delicate

top work.

Ed Wormington (left) rates the Fastrac 4220 asthe most comfortable tractor he’s ever driven,while Ian Wormington (right) puts it to work as a sprayer platform.

”

“


s

Un-hitching the demount spray rig, specced with 600 l/min centrifugal pump, auto-sectionswitching and the 30m aluminium booms,is a 20min job.

The Fastrac’s combination of light footprint andrelatively high power make it ideal for pulling theWormington’s 6m Horsch Sprinter drill.

that option either but that didn’t leavemany other choices. In fact, the only thingleft was a Fastrac de-mount.”

The timing of the sprayer search wassomewhat fortuitous. JCB had just launchedits new 4000-series Fastrac with self-levellingsuspension and stepless CVT gearbox.Having driven a demo machine in the field,Ian Wormington was convinced it was theright tractor for the family business.

“When you get in a 4000 and drive it for the first time it feels revolutionary. Thecomfort at speed is just unbelievable –– I was immediately sold on the concept.

“You can operate the Vario gearbox so itdrives just like a self-propelled’s hydrostatictransmission – ideal for speed-sensitive worklike spraying. Four-wheel steer makes itsuper manoeuvrable.

“But more important than all of that, theFastrac is capable of doing virtually everyjob on the farm. It has the power to do heavycultivation jobs and can tread lightly for delicate top work.”

Convinced that yellow was the colour, he then had to track down an appropriatede-mount spray-pack for the tractor.

“It’s traditionally either Knight or Landquipthat have built sprayers for mounting on theback deck of the Fastrac so there wasn’t

heaps of choice. When it came down to it wewent with Landquip because they offeredaluminium booms. Not only did I want tokeep weight down but I also had in the backof my mind that we might one day want togo down the liquid fertiliser route and so corrosion-proof aluminium was a priority.”

With that decided, an order for a 1500-litrefront tank and 2500-litre rear deck tank with30m booms was placed at the same timethat the Wormingtons signed up for a 217hpFastrac 4220 with local dealer LowerQuinton Garages.

Hours clockedNow, 14 months since delivery, the tractorhas clocked some 1300 hours, just over halfof those accrued without the sprayer.Alongside a 269hp Deutz Fahr X720, theJCB is regularly hitched up to one of a pairof 3m Sumo Trio sub-soiler combination cultivators and has the job of getting nearlyall the farm’s arable crops in the ground witha 6m Horsch Sprinter tine drill. Right upbehind that it switches to a 10.3m set ofOpico HeVa rolls which, allowing for a bit of overlap, fit perfectly with the sprayer’s30m tramlines.

On top of that it occasionally gets coupledup to a 6m power-harrow and through harvest pulls a 14t Weeks trailer.

“Being relatively lightweight for the power,the Fastrac packs quite a punch and muchof that’s down to the Sisu engine. It’s incredibly torquey despite only being the6.6-litre block. We’d had the 7.4-litre inMasseys before and the JCB is more than comparable for lugging ability,” saysIan Wormington.

“Coupled up to the Fendt Vario gearbox it makes for an impressive combination.

On Farm Opinion

The option to run it in various modes meansit can be incredibly fuel efficient or you canset it for all out pulling power.”

In its most basic guise for haulage, theJCB in-cab controller is used to select ‘Drive’mode. Like an automatic car, that means adose of right boot gets the tractor up tospeed while a touch of the brakes slows it.For spraying and cultivations work he tendsto switch to manual operation with enginerevs and gearbox controlled independently.With the forward speed set through cruisecontrol, it’s just a case of easing back on the headlands.

For spraying in particular, the ‘speed hold’function means the tractor will automaticallymaintain forward travel and up revs asrequired when hills are encountered.

“The gearbox control software is very simple to use but clever in how it operates.For chemical applications it’s brilliant in holding a steady pace and despite runningat 10-12km/h, the engine is generally only ticking along at 1300rpm. That means it really uses very little fuel for that type of work.

“With the KRM fertiliser spreader hitchedon, I run it in rev-hold mode so that it keeps the pto speed constant while varyingforward travel up and down banks. Forheavy cultivations it can get a bit more thirstyand slightly frustratingly, the 390-litre fueltank needs re-filling after 12 hours.”

For that work it’s often Ian’s father, uncle or cousin –– James, Michael or Ed– who arein the driving seat. They tend to opt to runthe transmission in ‘Power-shift’ mode withsimulated steps making it act more like aconventional, more mechanical set-up.

“The controller’s menu screens are easyto navigate –– it’s very intuitive, even for less

l Model: 4220l Rated Power: 217hpl Max Power: 235hpl Max torque: 950Nm @ 1450rpml Engine: 6.6-litre Sisu (Agco Power) with

AdBluel Transmission: Two range Fendt stepless

Vario CVTl Suspension: Double-acting hydro-

pneumatic self-levelling all roundl Hydraulics: 145-litres/minl Rear linkage lift: 8tl Wheelbase: 2.98m

Tech specs: JCB Fastrac and Landquip sprayer

l Turning circle: 9.8ml Weight: 8.3tl Service interval: 500 hoursl List price: £138,596

Landquip demount sprayerl Tank capacity: 2500-litre demount with

1500-litre front tankl Boom: Tri-fold 30m Pommier Alu-light

boom with Norac boom height controll Pump: 600 l/min centrifugall Section control: GPS-controlled 10

section air auto-switching; continuous boom recirculation


s

computer-literate drivers,” continues IanWormington.

“But it’s not just the gearbox softwarethat’s clever. The load-sensing, self-levellingsuspension means the tractor sits and gripslike a much heavier machine.”

A hydro-pneumatic, double-acting set-upwith a ram at each corner connects thechassis to the axles. The suspension sensesthe weight the tractor is carrying severaltimes a second and diverts the flow of oilaccordingly. Not only does this keep thingslevel and true but, by powering the wheelsdown into constant contact with the ground,it maintains traction –– something previousFastracs could reputedly struggle with.

“The 4000 grips where you would oftenexpect it to spin. The Deutz uses its sheerbulk and weight to gain traction whereas the Fastrac is smarter. It would outpull a conventional tractor of a similar size and weight.

“Being load-sensing, the JCB just picksup the mounted Trio and as you pull forwardit levels itself out. And on the sprayer that’s a brilliant facility to have –– if you have different mixes on board you can empty therear tank first and then switch to the frontwithout having to worry about weight distribution – you know you’ll always get

traction. That’s all down to the suspensionand tyres.”

When the Fastrac first arrived it wasdelivered with two set of wheels –– standard600/70 R30s plus a set of 380mm wide row-crops on 34in rims. While theseanswered the requirements of most operations, for certain jobs something altogether chunkier was required.

“Despite the 600s having a relatively big footprint, for herbicide applications inlate Jan they just couldn’t carry the weight of the tractor and sprayer,” explains Ian Wormington.

“It’s a big ask to bear over 8t of tractorplus 4000 litres of spray liquid across twoaxles on soft, wet ground and we were making too much of a mark. So in addition to the other two sets of wheels, we ordered a set of 750s which do a brilliant job ofspreading the weight. It might seem like anextravagant expense but they’ll outlast thetractor and can be used for all the plantingduties too. What price do you put on limitingdamage to the soil?”

Compaction and soil care are big issuesfor the Wormingtons and spending moneyon decent rubber is not something they shyaway from. The standard super singlewheels on the farm’s 14t Weeks grain trailers

have been swapped for 560mm wideMichelin Cargo Xbibs and where possiblethey’re limited to running on existing wheelings. Although not a true controlledtraffic system, the use of GPS has meantdrivers can stick to the same runs to avoidunnecessary compaction.

“If you’re going to criticise the Fastrac in any way, it’s the lack of an integratedISOBUS and GPS controller. To start with wewere making use of Landquip’s Arag controlbox with an EGNOS position feed but wewanted something a bit more sophisticatedand accurate.

“We ordered a Trimble TMX 2050 screenand receiver with the Fastrac which we use for just about every job. It acts as an

The front and rear tanks give the Landquipsprayer a total capacity of 4000 litres – morethan a match for a self-propelled.

On Farm Opinions

Despite only having half a tonne on the nose,thanks to double-acting suspension the Fastracdoesn’t ever struggle for traction with the Sumo Trio.

JH Wormington and Son, near Bromsgrove, Worcsl Farmed area: 400hal Cropping: Winter wheat 200ha (Skyfall

for seed and Siskin for Group 2 buy-back);oilseed rape 90ha (HOL V316); marrowfat peas 45ha (Wherry and Sons); winter beans 45ha (Tundra seed crop); rotational silage leys 15ha plus permanent pasture

l Stock: 140 head of Belgian Blue X heifers finished at 18-20months,approx 70/yr

l Soil type: Medium to heavy clay loamsl Staff: Ian, James and Michael

Wormington full time plus Michael’s sons Tom or Ed seasonal as required

l Mainline tractors: JCB 4220 Fastrac,Deutz Fahr X720

l Loader: JCB 541-70 Loadalll Combine: New Holland CR9070 with

9m headerl Sprayer: Landquip demount for Fastrac

with 2500-litre rear-deck tank and 1500-litre front tank and 30m booms

l Drill: 6m Horsch Sprinterl Cultivations: 2x 3m Sumo Trio plus 7f

Lemken plough

Farm facts

750mm-wide Mitas rubber keeps the tractor frommaking a mark in delicate top work.

ISOBUS implement controller for thesprayer and drill and with Trimble’sRangepoint correction we get 100mm accuracy.

“That means we’ve 10 section auto shut-off for the sprayer and for cultivationswe can miss every other bout. That worksreally well when we’re running the two Triostogether. With no GPS in the Deutz, it canrun up and down every missed passbetween the Fastrac’s satellite-positionedruns.”

The investment in a high specificationspray pack has proved particularly worthwhile in Ian Wormington’s eyes. High capacity spray lines and a 600 l/mincentrifugal pump mean flow rates are neveran issue and, alongside the aluminiumbooms, should the farm convert over to liquid fertiliser there’ll be no need for anupgrade. Norac auto-height control keepsthe variable geometry Pommier booms at aneven height across the full width regardlessof undulations. Front and rear tanks haveseparate clean water tanks and wash-outnozzles so while one is used to supply the booms, the other can be rinsed with the washings sent straight through the spray lines.

Hitching and unhitching is reckoned to bea 20min job, pipework for the front tankremaining on the tractor and quick connectors making coupling up a

straightforward job. To get the rear tank off,the tractor’s suspension is jacked right up,legs attached to the frame and the fourretaining bolts are removed. Having uncoupled the hydraulics and ISOBUS plug, it’s then just a case of unlatching the rear-deck locking pins, dropping the suspension down and driving out.

“Landquip have worked hard on making itas simple as possible to drop the sprayer onand off which means it doesn’t feel like achore. That all helps in making the Fastrac a truly versatile machine and ensuring it can be used for other work unlike a self-propelled sprayer.”

Ground clearanceOf course the downside of the set-up compared to a dedicated, standalonemachine is the lack of ground clearance. But with the 34in row-crops and an under-belly sheet the Fastrac is able to make all the applications to the cereals and does everything in the rape right up tosclerotinia flowering sprays. That just leaveslate bean fungicides and OSR desiccationfor a high-clearance machine –– a relatively inexpensive contractor’s bill in the grandscheme of things.

On the subject of costs, Ian Wormingtonbelieves the financial justification for the JCBand Landquip rig is relatively straightforward.Even with the tractor coming in somewhereclose to £120,000, the fully-loaded spray-pack around £55,000 plus extrawheels and GPS adding a further £15,000,it’s still reckoned to be a cheaper set-up than a self-propelled of equivalent capacity.And of course, being so much more versatileand able to perform a much wider range of tasks, the cost can be spread that much further.

“The overall outlay is quite scary but itshould be clawed back relatively quickly insaved contractor’s bills. The spray rig isprobably slightly over capacity for our needsas they stand right now but it means weensure timeliness and, actively looking formore contracting farming opportunities, we have the ability to cover extra ground as required.

“With the JCB we’ve pretty much fixedcosts too. We opted for the 4000-hour, four-year warranty so we won’t have anynasty unexpected surprises.

“When we reach the end of that term we’llprobably swap the tractor for another of thesame but keep the sprayer, wheels and GPSso that their cost can be spread yet further.”

As regards reliability, there’s very little toreport. In the Fastrac’s 1300 hours atPatchetts Farm there have been a few

simple hydraulic weeps and leaks to sort plus a gearbox re-calibration. LowerQuinton’s team have been quick to respondto any issues and generally have sortedthings within a couple of hours. On thespray-pack there were a few teething troubles getting the Arag controller to talk to the Trimble GPS box and the Norac auto-height sensors have required someadjustment. That said, all in all it’s felt that it was definitely the right move.

“The main driver for the purchase of theFastrac was a change in system with mecoming back to the farm and bringing thespraying back in-house. High speed wasnever a major requirement for us –– our furthest ground is only six miles away –– but it certainly helps at harvest.

“Much more significant is the tractor’s stability at speed thanks to the suspension.That means we can comfortably travel atpace and it provides a steady base for thesprayer boom. The other major benefit is theway it generates traction –– it’ll pull like amuch heavier machine. It’s capable of doingproper field work and with the CVT it’s asgood as a hydrostatic for speed sensitivejobs. Add the four-wheel steering into themix and it’s the ideal spraying platform.” n

On Farm Opinion


s

Making the mostof Massey muscle

When one large farming business invested in a

flagship Massey FergusonMF 8737, it was given plenty

of work in diverse croppingat two separate locations.

CPM finds out how it got on.

By Mick Roberts

MachineryOn Farm Opinion

There’s plenty of grunt when you

need it.”“

Sitting at the top of a fleet of nearly 20tractors owned by E.C. DrummondAgriculture, a Massey Ferguson MF 8737earns its keep first planting potatoes inHerefordshire before moving south to continue working in Hants.

E.C. Drummond Agriculture is a familyowned business that runs four main divisions –– potatoes, arable, fruit and poultry –– at various sites in the UK. Themain arable and root crops are grown eitherfrom its base at The Homme, Ross on Wye,Heref or at the Manydown Estate, nearBasingstoke in Hants.

The farm is a truly diverse enterprise,which grows a range of arable crops, potatoes, sugar beet, maize, soft fruit and cider apples. It also has 2.4 million chickens at sites in Heref, Glos, Worcs,Norfolk and Suffolk. The busy and variedwork employs 60 full time staff and 350 seasonal workers.

The management strategy is fairly clear. While other farming businesses may specialise in one area of production,

E.C. Drummond Agriculture has decided it’sstill very important to have a diverse range ofcrops and enterprises.

At the same time, it aims to be in theupper quartile of whatever it does andensure each enterprise has the correct levelof dedicated management and investment tomake it a success.

That continuing investment includes newrenewable energy facilities, construction ofreservoirs to secure the farm’s water supplyfor the future, as well as production systemsfor the soft fruit.

Herefordshire baseAt its Heref base, the farming operation’scropping includes 1000ha, grown on its ownland, and on Farm Business Tenancy (FBT)and contract. This land, in the Wye Valley,supports 640ha of combinable crops ––wheat, oilseed rape and spring barley –– as well as 280ha of potatoes, 50ha ofstrawberries and 30ha of cider apples.

In 2009 the company took the opportunityto contract farm the Manydown Estate, nearBasingstoke in Hants. Here the farmed areahas now expanded to 2250ha with furtherland being taken on both a managementand FBT basis. Cropping here is made up of wheat, OSR and grass seeds. In additionto this, rye, grass, maize and sugar beet are grown to feed a local anaerobic digestion plant.

Unsurprisingly, this workload calls for awide range of equipment. The majority oftractors are Massey Fergusons, which aswell as the MF 8737 also include a 7726, six MF 7720s, an MF 7840 and five other

four-cylinder MF 5455 and MF 5612 models,as well as a Fendt 936 Vario and a Fendt210F, which works in the fruit crops.

This line-up was supplied by the localAgco dealer, Ross Farm Machinery, whichas well as selling Massey Ferguson andFendt tractors also holds franchises forChallenger as well as JCB handlers.

It’s here the business turned to when looking for the new mainline tractor. But thedecision to buy the MF 8737 can be tracedback ten years, to 2006 when the farm wasrunning another brand with powershift transmissions.

“We decided to move to continuously variable transmissions, which are particularly suited for potato planting andharvesting,” explains Ben Drummond.“Although this didn’t necessarily also mean achange of colour, we took the opportunity tolook at what the main suppliers had to offer.

“After demonstrations of a number ofbrands, we decided to go for the MF 7485Dyna-VT. We felt it offered the smoothest


Ben (left) and Eric Drummond have a fleet of MFtractors used across the large and diversefarming business.

s

The MF 8737 handles heavy mounted equipmentincluding a bed tiller and 6m mounted Claydondrill.

Strawberries are an important crop for thediverse business, which grows 50ha in the Wye Valley.

Phil Thompson (left) and operator GrahamProsser (right) are pleased with the tractor’sperformance, comfort and reliability.

CVT and provided the power we needed,too. Later, in 2008, when we moved up to a three-row bed tiller, we needed a 300hptractor, and at that time we decided to go for a Fendt.”

When the business took on the Hantsfarm, three years later, it inherited a range of John Deere and New Holland tractors. As these came up for replacement, theywere swapped in for new Massey Fergusons with Ross Farm Machinery, however as thedealer is 125 miles away, they arranged forthe local branch of Lister Wilder to look afterthe tractors.

The Hants farm now has three MF 7720sand a hired tractor at its disposal. The JohnDeere 8530 remained as the prime mover in

Hants, but was also moved up to Ross onWye to operate a bed tiller.

“We like to get the planting done in sixweeks and then move the tractor back again–– it works well,” explains Ben Drummond.“So when we looked for a replacement forthe JD 8530, our brief was to find a tractorthat best handled the bed tilling in the springand was capable of rapidly cultivating andplanting in Hants.

“During the past ten years we’ve hadmany Massey Ferguson CVT tractors andwe couldn’t fault the transmission or the Sisudiesel engines. So why wouldn’t we considerthe 370hp flagship, MF 8737?”

Ross Farm Machinery set up a demonstration, the farm was happy with its performance, confirmed the order and it arrived in time to start bed tilling in March.

“The Dyna-VT transmission is ‘perfect’ –– it’s so smooth. We also like the idea of a‘European-built’ tractor, which is compactand light, and offers good manoeuvrability.The three-point linkage, hydraulics and pick-up hitch are also more suited to ouroperations than a typical American-built tractor,” he explains.

Both farms are on relatively light land andthey both now operate 6m wide Claydon,

strip till drills. These were bought to not onlyreduce establishment costs, but alsoimprove the soil structure.

Both the drills and the bed tillers are fullymounted, but handled easily by the linkage’s

On Farm Opinion

New reservoirs secure the water supply for thebusiness’ 280ha of potatoes at its farm nearRoss on Wye.

The Autoguide automatic steering receives RTKcorrection signals from a mobile base station inHeref and SIM card in Hants.

12t lift capacity. This also increases theimportance of the tractor’s ability to shedand gain weight to suit operations, says Ben Drummond.

“The tractor weighs less than 11t, but has

the capacity to carry heavy loads and canhandle either the mounted implements oryou can ballast it with external wheel weightsand a front block for draft work,” he adds.

GPS positioningNearly 90% of the potato planting is carried out without destoning, which not onlyreduces costs, but also helps protect the soil structure. To keep equipment on trackthe farm uses RTK GPS positioning for automatic steering. “Five years ago weequipped all the mainline tractors withTopcon terminals, with the RTK correctionsignal received via mobile data SIM cards,”says Ben Drummond.“It did work, but the signal wasn’t reliableand it was annoying when you lost it. So when we ordered the MF 8737, wespecced it with a mobile RTK base station

as well as factory-fitted receiver. The signal’s now perfect and we’ve been able to cut the clutter in the cab by using the tractor’s own Datatronic 4 screen to display the Autoguide steering,” he says.

When the tractor goes to Hants it revertsback to using the RTK SIM card for drilling,because the signal in the area is strongerand more reliable than it is in Heref. Thebase station remains at Ross on Wye and is also used for drilling.

Farm Foreman, Phil Thompson, says during potato planting the MF 8737 was a ‘top performer’. “It can really put down itspower and outperforms both the John Deere8530 and Fendt 936, yet surprisingly, it’s no thirstier than the Fendt but, perhapsunsurprisingly, drinks less than the Deere,”he adds.

The farm specified standard 710/75 x 42tyres because they felt this option gave themthe flexibility to plough in the furrow and bedtill in ridges. They’re also large enough tospread the weight when drilling and retainthe manoeuvrability.

“The Sisu engine is a ‘proper powerhouse’,” adds Phil Thompson. “And there’s no diesel particulate filter (DPF) and we like that. Quite apart from the costs and maintenance, there’s none of that ‘regen’ business. You canalmost feel the engine saving fuel as the electronics automatically govern theengine in relation to the forward speed.

“Also the maximum power is at PTOspeed and that’s ideal for bed tilling.Although the 370hp is well on top of the job,the electronic boost to 400hp does help. The flat power curve also gives us the performance for cultivating and drilling,”he explains.

Operator, Graham Prosser, says the MF8737 is a ‘really nice tractor to operate’. “Thecab is quiet, uncluttered and ‘wide open’,with great all round visibility and the backwindow opens fully,” he comments.

The headland management system, headds, is easy to use and he likes the way

On Farm Opinion

s

E.C. Drummond AgricultureHomme Farm, Ross on Wye, Herefordshirel Farm size: 1000hal Soil type: sandy loaml Cropping: wheat, oilseed rape, spring

barley, potatoes, strawberries, cider applesl Mainline tractors: Massey Ferguson

8737 (shared with Hants farm), MF 7726,3x MF 7720, MF 7480, 5x MF 4cyl tractors (MF 5455/5612); Fendt 936 Vario, Fendt 210F (specialist fruit tractor); plus two hired tractors in summer

l Combine: New Holland CR 980l Handler: 2x JCB 536-70 Loadallsl Drill: Claydon 6m Hybridl Cultivators: 4m Simba SL; 8m rolls

Manydown Estate, Hantsl Size: 2250hal Soil type: Chalk loamsl Mainline tractors: MF 8737 (shared

with Heref farm), 3x MF 7720, John Deere8530; plus one hired in summer

l Sprayer: 36m trailed Horsch Leeb with 5000-litre tank

l Combine: 2x New Holland CR 980l Handlers: 2x JCB 536-70 Loadallsl Drills: 6m Claydon Hybrid; Horsch CO6l Cultivators: 6m Köckerling; 12m rolls

Farm facts

Despite its relatively low weight, the MF 8737has an impressive 12t lift capacity.

it also includes the Autoguide steering operation. “It’s a nimble tractor, made evenmore so with the help of the SpeedSteer system, which cuts the number of steeringwheel turns you have to make when turning at the headlands. And the joystickcontrol makes it easy to operate,” he says.

Graham Prosser also appreciates thecomfort, which he puts down to the amountof travel on the front axle suspension as wellas the four-point hydraulic system for thecab. All theoperators like this, he adds.

The engine provides plenty of power, he continues: “There’s plenty of grunt when you need it and I like the true CVTtransmission, which pulls away from a standstill without any wheelslip and thecruise control certainly helps improve theconsistency of the work.”

For Ben Drummond the equipment reliability is one of his most important considerations. “With the large area of potatoes in the cropping it means we’reexceptionally busy, we definitely don’t wantany downtime. The MF 8737 has clocked upmore than 1000 hours and, apart from aminor oil weep, hasn’t given us a minute of trouble.

On Farm Opinion

“But we’re very relaxed about the possibility of any problems we mayencounter. Based on past experience withRoss Farm Machinery and Lister Wilder, weknow it’ll be dealt with swiftly,” he says,

The farm endeavours to keep the tractors for 4500 hours and cover their life onthe farm with warranty, buying the MF 8737with Massey Ferguson’s ‘Manager’ extendedwarranty. “It’s not too costly to extend this.But, more importantly, it’s an all-inclusivepackage, in the past we’ve had some badexperiences with other brands, finding thattheir ‘extended warranties’ were riddled withexceptions and excesses,” he explains. n

Changing agronomic practices and the need toimprove soil structure are

driving a new wave of tyredevelopment across the

industry. CPM finds out howone leading manufacturer

is responding.

By Rob Jones

MachineryTyres

Tyre development can no longer exist in a

vacuum if manufacturersare to genuinely contribute

to solving the problemsgrowers face.”

“

Agronomy focus fortyre development

Value, longevity and reliability may be the traditional areas on which tyres arejudged, and remain key buying criteria for growers. But the main focal point forengineers and new product developmentteams is now in improving the functionalityof tyres to make them as relevant to futurefarming solutions as possible.

This is the view from Mitas UK managingdirector Jon Ward, who claims the rate of

development in tyre and traction solutions for agriculture is now outstripping that ofpractically any other sector.

“So much has changed in the past fewyears with regard to machine size, powerand road speed that modern agriculturaltyres are almost unrecognisable in construction and performance terms fromthose of just 25 years ago,” he says.

Growers’ prioritiesThat may be just as well, because growers’priorities are changing too, he continues.“Moving forward, the challenge is to build onthe technology we’ve developed and look forways this can contribute to more sustainableproduction in the future.”

Such areas could involve working withagronomists to understand how soil conditions affect blackgrass and nutrient utilisation or looking at modern rotations tofind out how cultivation timings may bechanging, he explains.

“There are a lot of reports how blackgrassfavours wet conditions and this could well be


The challenge for Jon Ward is to build on thetechnology the tyre industry has developed toensure more sustainable crop production in the future.s

harvest operations) tyres resulting from thepartnership give growers up to 20% moreharvest days than a conventional tyre in acatchy year.

“The big advantage of these tyres is thatthey can be run at a much lower inflationpressure in the field than you would neednormally.

“This is important because inflation pressure is directly related to ground pressure, so the lower it is the less compaction and damage you’ll cause in


Tyres

The advantage with VF tyres is that you optimisethe pressure for fieldwork knowing you can stilluse this on the road without problems.

Despite a higher payload, new generationharvesters will do much less damage to soil than those from 20 years ago, reckons Adam Hayward.

made worse by deep compaction limitingthe natural drainage.

“Equally, we’ve worked with soil specialists who tell us such soil structurecreates poor conditions for fertiliser utilisation. Worse still, it can result in greater

levels of greenhouse gases being releasedinto the atmosphere.

“The simple truth is tyre development canno longer exist in a vacuum if manufacturersare to genuinely contribute to solving theproblems growers face. Collaboration andintegration of ideas is the way forward.”

Combining technologyAdam Hayward of Claas UK agrees –– alarge combine with a full grain tank can nowtip the scales at 30t, he points out. But newgeneration harvesters will do much lessdamage to soil than those from 20 yearsago. This is down to combining technical initiatives in tyre technology with modernharvester control systems, he believes.

“The significant increase in size of combines over the past 15 years has been a major development in terms of improvingharvest efficiency, but it has put pressure onengineers and tyre manufacturers alike.”

Working with Claas, Mitas has now helpeddeveloped harvester-specific tyres designedspecifically to keep combines rolling on daysthat would have previously been consideredmarginal.

According to Kirk Walker, technical manager for Mitas UK, the CHO (cyclical

s

Kirk Walker has seen inflation pressures being safely reduced by between 0.6 and 1.1 bar which is around 35% less compared with tyres used just a few years ago.

East Yorks grower Andrew Burrellreckons there’s a differencethat’s immediately noticeablewhen you step up to VF tyretechnology. He operates a 275hpNew Holland T8030 as the maincultivation tractor at BoythorpeFarm near Driffield, and switchedto Mitas VF600 70 R30s on thefront and VF710 70 R42s on theback last year.

“You can see that there’s simply more tyre on the floor for a start. But the biggest difference is the reduced slippage when ploughing –– there’s so much more grip than we had previously.

“Before we’d have to putmore air in the tyres to do serious roadwork but we’ve completely done away with thatnow –– even when using thetractor with a 16t grain trailer.”

Andrew admits he was previously aware of the potentialdamage the heavy equipmentused on the farm was doing tothe soil.

“I think it’s something you’realways aware of. We havearound 400ha of arable land to

prepare each year and use aDowdeswell 6f reversible ploughon all our second wheats andbarley land plus a Cousins 3.8mcultivator on our first wheats.

“In previous years we’vegrown sugar beet, too, so you’rehaving to go in with big tackle at difficult times of the year andyou can see the affect it has onthe land. We’re definitely treadingmore gently on the land nowwhile still using the same big kit.”

Andrew Burrell has noticed thebiggest difference using VF tyresis the reduced slippage whenploughing.

the field and that’s the real benefit of these tyres.”

For Adam Hayward, suchintensive joint efforts promiseeven greater technicalimprovements for the future.

“We’re already seeing inflation


Tyres

pressures being safely reducedby between 0.6 and 1.1 barwhich is around 35% less compared with tyres used just a few years ago, and that’s happened at the same time asthe equipment has grown in size.

Softer tread from tyre switch

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PneuTrac units can be run at roughly half the normal inflation pressure, givingit a footprint over 50% greater than a standard tyre of the same wheel size.

“Minimising soil damage is currently a great area of interest–– the growing number ofrequests we get about whetherour headers are compatible withcontrolled traffic systems isample testament to this.” Theinterest goes further, he adds,with growers more aware of howreduced traction and road

With AirCell, tyres can be run at lowpressure in the field with air beingreleased on demand for rapidpressure increase ahead ofroadwork.

efficiency can affect fuel consumption and tyre wear.

The concerns about increasedequipment size damaging soilsand the consequent losses inproduction are also fuelling thedevelopment of low flexion tyretechnology for cultivation tractors, Kirk Walker points out.

“The fundamental differencewith low flexion VF tyres is thatthe sidewalls can deform to amuch larger degree than conventional tyres without causing structural damage to the carcase.

“This means you can reduceoperating pressures significantlyand achieve a much bigger footprint in the field to minimisesoil damage and improvetraction, but then you can usethis set-up for roadwork withouthaving to re-inflate.”

He reckons such technologyis underutilised, however. “Veryfew growers actually adjustpressures between differentjobs –– I think most still set thebest operating pressure for the

road and then use this in thefield without appreciating howmuch soil compaction this cancause and how much extra fuel it uses through reducedtraction.

Optimise pressure“The advantage with VF tyres isthat it allows you to think theother way around and optimisethe pressure for fieldwork knowing you can still use this on the road without problems.”

But some of the biggest developments in the future willcome from thinking about tyres in a completely different way,believes Jon Ward.

Working with Fendt, Mitas hasdeveloped AirCell technologywhich is based on a rigid innertyre that can be pressurised to8bar. When some of this air isreleased it can inflate large agricultural tyres by +/- 1bar(from 0.8bar to 1.8bar) in lessthan 30 secs –– more than tentimes faster than current methodsof inflation.

“The Mitas AirCell is locatedon the rim inside the tyre andoccupies about 30% of the volume of the tyre.

“Tyres can be run at low pressure in the field with air fromthe AirCell being released ondemand for rapid pressureincrease in the agricultural tyreitself ahead of roadwork. It canthen be lost quickly again via a specially developed valve.

“As the AirCell is constantlyrecharged, the inflation/deflationcycle can occur as often as the

operator wishes.” Mitas AirCellwill be available for the Fendt900 Vario equipped with Mitas710/75 R42 SFT starting nextmonth, says Jon Ward.

But perhaps one of the moststartling developments is thePneuTrac, a joint initiative fromMitas working with GallileoWheel. “We’ve talked about the concept of a tyre running on standard rims with the characteristics of a track for acouple of years but field testinghas been so encouraging we’renow aiming for full commerciallaunch in the next couple of years.”

Initial testing has shown a170% improvement in lateral stability for PneuTrac over a conventional tyre. “It can be run at roughly half the normalinflation pressure, giving it a footprint over 50% greater than a standard tyre of the samewheel size,” he reports.

Field testing has shown it’spossible to run PneuTrac at0.5bar in the field, compared with1bar on a standard tyre. There’salso an improvement in tractiveforce of 25% over a standard tyre and 15% more than a highflexion tyre.

“With PneuTrac, you choosethe optimum pressure for fielduse safe in the knowledge thatthis will also be perfect for theroad because of the design’sinherent rigidity. You have theadded benefits of better handlingand an improved ride and what’smore, it’ll run flat if you’re unluckyenough to need it.” n

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Tyres

Trials results have shown hybrid rye has put in a strongperformance this year. CPM reports.


New hybrid rye varieties have madestrong advances in 2016 trials, both inthe UK and in Germany, in spite of a difficult growing season. The wholecropperformance of leading varieties grownfor anaerobic digesters now rivals maizeand hybrid rye should be considered as avaluable addition within an energy croprotation, according to Elsoms Seeds.

“This year has seen a slight decrease in wholecropand grain yields for commercial hybrid rye crops,”reports the company’s Jonathan Baxendale. “ButSaaten Union varieties have stayed at the top of thedata tables, and looked well in all field trials.”

SU Performer is the high yielding star for 2016,adds Elsoms’ Heather Oldfield. “It topped the Germanofficial winter rye trials, while harvest results from

Saaten Union varieties have performedparticularly well across UK and European hybrid rye trials.

AHDB Recommended List winter rye Descriptive List trials put the variety eight points ahead of the site mean.”

This high grain yield is reflected in the variety’swholecrop performance. Preliminary results from official German winter rye trials put SU Performer topat 106%, in terms of average dry matter (DM) yield.

Across Elsoms UK trials network and in independent UK trials, SU Performer’s wholecrop yield has been equally strong, reports Heather Oldfield.“Our Crowland site in South Lincs puts varieties to thetest in a high blackgrass situation, with large-scaleplots to replicate on-farm scenarios,” she explains.

“The site was foraged on 22 June –– about 10 days too early for hybrid varieties –– to suit theGenerator conventional rye grown on the rest of thefarm. But SU Performer still came out on top at 107%of site mean, in terms of adjusted DM yield. This is a shade ahead of SU Cossani, which is another promising candidate variety from the same breeder.”Tests carried out on samples of blackgrass seedstaken from the Crowland trial showed they didn’t germinate, she adds.

David Leaper of Agrii, who’s visited the site, wasimpressed at how the hybrid varieties performed in the large strip trials under high blackgrass pressure.

“To top it all, we’re seeing some really encouraginggains in brown rust resistance,” he notes.

This is a feature also picked up by Craig Green ofAgrovista. SU Performer and SU Cossani came out firstand second at the company’s Great Ellingham trials inNorfolk, yielding 32t/ha and 31t/ha respectively(adjusted to 32% DM). “SU Cossani has been thecleanest rye this year with the strongest tiller ability inthe spring, making it very competitive and suitable tolighter land,” he says.

“SU Performer with its stiff stem, good disease

Rye smiles forenergy growers

49

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Rye smiles for energygrowersTrials results for 2016 hybrid rye crops.

High speed key tomaize drill boostHow a Norfolk farming business achieved a competitive edge with its contract maize enterprise.

Seeking the finest chopExpert advice for growers and contractorson forage-harvesting energy crops.

Sponsored by:

A CPM special insight

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49crop production magazine energy crops

Feedstock comparisonDry matter yield (t/ha) Methane yield (m3/t) Methane yield (m3/ha)

Low High Low High Low HighMaize 10 20 106 117 1060 2340Hybrid rye 13 21 100 108 1300 2268Source: Saaten Union trials, 2010-2014

resistance and prolonged growth, preferred the better bodied soil –– it could be visually picked out asa strong plant at the beginning of stem extension. SUCossani captured any nitrogen left over in the soil during the autumn before all the winter rain, with themost notable effects seen on the lighter land.”

Drilled following a winter cereal crop, the hybrid ryereceived 100kgN/ha, but looked hungry towards the endof the season due to the wetter than normal conditions.“The learning points we took away included the importance of early N application as soon as you cantravel in Feb to build and retain tiller numbers,” he notes.

The UK and European trials, along with field experience, have highlighted a number of key points inthe agronomy of hybrid rye, continues Heather Oldfield.“The best time to drill the crop is 15 Sept, with a sowingrate of 2.5 units/ha. This should be increased by 10%every 10 days thereafter to achieve maximum yields.After late Oct, it’s more financially viable to switch intotriticale or conventional rye, depending on conditions.”

Rye has a weaker coleoptile than wheat and barley so shouldn’t be drilled any deeper than 2cm,she adds. “The crop begins growing at far lower temperatures than other cereals, so apply fertiliser as early as possible in the spring –– Feb is ideal,should conditions allow. The yield plateaus occur

for hybrid rye at approximately 180 kg N/ha.”In the digester, wholecrop rye has been shown

to ferment at about the same rate as maize, with asimilar starch to cellulose ratio. “When maize is mixedwith a wholecrop cereal, it should produce the maximumamount of methane yield per ha,” says Heather Oldfield.“European growers and AD managers’ report that thiscombination provides a higher yield per tonne of inputmaterial than maize fed on its own.”

Elsoms Seeds and Saaten Union have been screening a number of maize varieties in the UK overrecent years. “Following this process we now have afull range of maturities we can confidently bring to the

marketplace for planting in 2017. Sulano, with an FAO of 210-220, looks particularly well again this year,”she adds.

Colin Button of Hutchinsons has visited the maizevariety trials and agrees the variety shows promise.“There’s a strong growth of biomass and cob production

When maize is mixed with a wholecrop cereal,it should produce the maximum amount ofmethane yield per ha, says Heather Oldfield.

and seemingly not too late a maturity at FAO 220. I’msure we’ll be incorporating this into our trials for 2017,”he says.

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Precision planting is an important aspect of good maizeestablishment, but how doesthis fit in with the low cost, high output system requiredin combinable crops? CPMvisits a Norfolk farming business to find out.

By Rob Jones

Charles Saffell has seen prospects for his maizecontract business grow following the purchase ofhis Tempo T precision drill.

While maize is proving to be a valuablecropping option for many growers in theEastern Counties, establishment canpose a problem. Seed-depth accuracyand spacing are widely advised asabsolutely crucial factors to ensure agood plant stand and to optimise yield–– more so than in combinable crops.

So it was the purchase of a high-speed precisionseed-drill that helped Norfolk contractor and arablefarmer Charles Saffell of H C Beales and Co develop hiscontract maize business. He says his six-row VäderstadTempo T drill he bought last year ensures exact seeddepth and spacing to such an extent it’s given him acompetitive advantage over other contractors.

The family farming partnership was started by HenryBeales and currently runs to 240ha of combinable cropsplus sugar beet based at Crown Farm, Great Ellingham.A share farming arrangement with a neighbouringfarmer E F Shingfield and Son adds a further 400ha.All machinery purchases across both farming enterprisesare owned on a 50:50 basis.

Cropping on the home farm includes oilseed rape90ha, sugar beet 90ha, 150ha winter wheat, winter barley 25ha, potatoes 40ha and vining peas 30ha. Soiltypes are predominantly medium loam to heavy clay,which achieve an average wheat (Santiago) yield of10t/ha.

“Most stubbles are cultivated with a 4m VäderstadTopDown to produce a stale seedbed before burning offwith glyphosate,” says Charles Saffell. “We’re trying toavoid using the plough because the price of wheat justdoesn’t justify having one. We do have some blackgrassbut we’re on top of it by double spring-cropping worstaffected areas.”

Two years ago, he introduced 360ha of contractmaize, grown for anaerobic digesters, into the farming

High speed key to maize drill boost

operation. This is spread across six different farmingoperations including 60ha on E F Shingfield’s land and10ha on the home farm. The crop fits in well with thefarming system, both in terms of rotational benefits andmachinery utilisation, says Charles Saffell.

“The majority of cultivations are carried out in thewinter, freeing up the spring to concentrate on the maize operation. After maize we move into grass silagefollowed by wholecrop rye, before the cereal harveststarts and then the maize in mid Sept.”

Drilling the maize posed something of a problem,however –– an existing 12-row Accord drill was used for establishing the farm’s sugar beet acreage, but itcouldn’t drill maize. That’s what led the farmingpartnership to purchase a six-row Väderstad Tempo T

precision air drill –– it offered the flexibility of drilling notonly both sugar beet and maize, but potentially also OSR,and all of this could be carried out at speed.

“Our Accord was only three years old but it couldn’tdrill all the crops we needed it to and those that it coulddrill, it couldn’t drill at 15km/h or accurately enough.Output hasn’t been compromised having gone from a 12 to six-row machine because the speed has doubled.

“Seed placement and seed-depth accuracy hasmuch improved since switching to the Tempo T.On sugar beet we’re now achieving at least 90% establishment compared with about 80% with the Accord.

“We’ve looked at crops established with other drills in the area, but they’re not a patch on the Tempo. Wefeel that the drill gives us a competitive edge,” saysCharles Saffell.

“We tried a Kverneland seed drill as an alternativebut the seed placement was an issue. We also work veryclosely with our local Väderstad dealer and help deliverhis kit around the area.”

The Tempo T can drill in virtually any condition andcultivation system he says. This is an advantage becausehis customers use a multitude of establishment systemsbased on no-till, min tillage and the plough.


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Farm factsH C Beales and Co, Crown Farm, GreatEllingham, Norfolkl Area farmed: 525ha + 400ha share

farmed + 290ha contract maizel Cropping: winter wheat, oilseed rape,

sugar beet, vining peas, winter barleyl Soil type: medium loam to heavy clay

Forage harvester: John Deere 8600Share-farmed machinery portfolio:l Combine: Claas 750 Lexion with

9.1m headerl Mainline tractors: Fendt 828 and 724,

JCB 4220 Fastracl Drills: 6m Väderstad Rapid, six-row

Väderstad Tempol Cultivations: 4m Väderstad TopDown,

4.6m Simba Xpress, 6f Kverneland plough,3m Sumo Trio, 12m rolls

l Sprayer: 36m Landquip trailed

One of the key features of the Gilstring seedmeter is the pressurised PowerShoot seedtransport, that blows the seed to the coulter.

“The configuration of the seed unit makes it possibleto drill in virtually any condition. It’s heavy and well regulated to ensure it doesn’t lift out of the ground onlight land, while on the heavier soils the weight helps topush the unit into the ground. The depth is thereforekept constant at about two inches (50mm).”

Accurate seed depth is achieved with the Tempo Tdespite travelling at forward speeds of over 16km/h.Linked to the three-point linkage on the tractor, CharlesSaffell explains that the drill travels well with a muchtighter turning circle on the headlands than an equivalentdrawbar mounted drill.

A compact drill, the Tempo T has a 1t fertiliser hopper and independent coulter system that’s positionedat the front of the drill, where it carries out a smallamount of cultivation by slicing up clods before the seedcoulter accurately places the seed. Fertiliser placementcan be altered to suit different crops by adjusting thecutting angle of the disc.

PowerShoot technology, that uses air pressure to‘shoot’ the seed down the pipe, makes the coulterinsensitive to vibrations, says Väderstad, so drilling accuracy isn’t compromised at higher speeds. The seedmeter is made of aluminium and has an emptying hatchfor easy cleaning when changing crops.

“The Accord is a gravity and electric-fed seed drillthat just isn’t as accurate as the air-assisted Tempo,”says Charles Saffell. “Applying seed and fertiliser at the same time cuts out one pass and saves about£22/ha –– equivalent to around £8000/yr in establishment costs.

“When we bought our six-row machine, the 12-rowversion wasn’t available and this would have saved useven more money on establishment costs. It has a front mounted fertiliser hopper which is slightly morecomplicated and time consuming to take off.”

Despite the smaller capacity six-row machine,he says he confidently expects it to achieve at least 800ha/yr. “The market for AD plants is growingslowly but if we were able to get another 400ha of

contract maize we might trade the six-row in for a 12-row Tempo.”

The Tempo T is pulled with the firm’s Fendt tractorwhich uses about 120 l/day of fuel and is controlled viaa Bluetooth-compatible Väderstad iPad.

“Väderstad supplied the iPad holder which sits on abracket in the cab,” says Charles Saffell. “It can also beused to run the new version of the Rapid drill, but oursisn’t old enough to change yet.”

52 crop production magazine energy crops

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Seeking the finest chopWhether using your own kit or bringing in contractors, harvest is the key to successwith an AD unit. CPM asks forage-harvesting experts Krone for advice.


Harvesting any arable crop successfullyrequires a number of key criteria to fall in line: there’s the condition of thecrop, the skill of the operator to set the harvester correctly, and of course the technology and capacity of themachine itself.

With energy crops, what arguably makes harvest that much harder is that you’re probably dealing with an unfamiliar crop, and almost certainly a different harvesting machine. But while the rise of anaerobicdigesters may have cast many arable farmers, especiallythose in eastern counties, into unfamiliar territory,harvesting maize, wholecrop cereals and grass (for dairy cows, for example) is an area in which plenty ofexpertise exists in other sectors of the industry acrossthe UK.

James Duggleby, of forage harvester specialistsKrone, points out the company has amassed considerable experience in this area. AD plants in particular have been part of the arable scene in Germanyfor the past 20 years, he points out, and Krone hasdeveloped machines specifically for this market. So weasked him what the key considerations are to achievethe best diet for the concrete cow.

What machinery works best for forage harvesting?If you’re growing a forage crop, the only practical way toget it from field to clamp is with a self-propelled forageharvester. Really the questions are what sort of self-propelled unit you need and what capacity to go for. Whether you’re using your own equipment or planning to bring in contractors, an informed idea of your requirements will ensure best results.

So consider what crops you’re planning to passthrough the harvester and your harvest window. Withmaize in particular, you can be faced with shorter daysand short periods in late autumn during which field conditions are suitable. Chop quality is also an importantconsideration with energy crops. Both of these factorswill have a direct bearing on the horsepower you require.

What header works best?It makes sense to consider requirements from the frontof the machine to the discharge spout, starting with theheader. Your choice here will depend on the crop, andthere are some key design details to look for. But for allcrops it’s a good idea to choose a wide header andprogress through the crop at a slower forward speed –– this helps the machine work at optimum efficiency.

A maize header should cut the crop and present ituniformly to the feed rollers, stalk first. Krone’sEasyCollect header has knives that work in a scissoraction to cut the crop, with two rows of chains to transfer it towards the centre, where it’s turned through90° and pulled in lengthways. It’s a relatively lightweightdesign, so while a typical width may be 9m, you canupgrade to a 10.5m header without putting considerableweight on the front.

For wholecrop cereals, such as hybrid rye, the headerusually has a reciprocating knife or mower discs, with

an auger to pass the crop to the centre. While a reciprocating knife may work well on the dry brittle cropencountered by a combine, mower discs, such as thoseon Krone’s 6.2m XDisc, are better suited to harvestinggreen stalks. The auger should also be large enough tocope with the high volume of material you’d expect withhybrid rye, that may be 2.5m tall.

Pick-up headers for mown grass can include camtracks or guide rollers to help control the grass collection, although the camless design of Krone’sEasyFlow header ensures a faster operation and less maintenance.

What about the intake system?The job of the feed rollers is to present the choppingdrum with a uniform, consistent mat of crop. Bearing inmind there’s up to a 10.5m width of 2.5m tall maize thatmust compress down to a chopping face just 800mm by 170mm, it’s not a job to be underestimated. So the

The key questions to answer are what sort ofself-propelled unit you need and what capacity to go for, reckons James Duggleby.


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Advances in technology help Steve Suggitt keepahead in an increasingly competitive market.

Contract services to the biogas industrydemand the highest possible standards and the ability to offer high work rates, reckonsSteve Suggitt of Suggitt Farm Services ofAttleborough, Norfolk. That means if you usethe most advanced machinery on the market,it gives you a significant business advantage,he argues.

The business harvests 6000ha/yr of feedstock for anaerobic digesters, comprising400ha of grass, 1400ha of rye and 4250ha of maize, all with a Krone BiG X 770 forageharvester.

“We built our own AD plant in 2011 after 10 years of research and now specialise insupplying feedstock to AD plants, alongsidestraw baling and muck services, and applyingAD digestate,” he explains.

The company’s first Krone forager was purchased after a visit to the factory in Spelle,Germany, which left a highly positive impressionon Steve Suggitt.

“The build quality of the feed roller area isbetter than any other machine on the market–– they’re so heavily constructed. Presentationof crop to the drum is also superior and this isreflected in the crop flow and the uniform chopquality,” he says.

Advances in technology made by Krone also help him to keep ahead in an increasinglycompetitive market.

“The Krone 770 forager has a 36-knifeMaxFlow drum, and you notice the increase inperformance and chop quality thanks to its

redesigned knives –– it means a significantincrease in crop carrying capacity. More horsepower also gives more torque which handles heavier crops better –– there’s moreback-up in the engine,” Steve Suggitt points out.

He also likes the adjustable plate(StreamControl) in the discharge chute whichallows him to increase or decrease the blow asneeded. “You can get right over the top of thetractor and into the trailer when opening up a field.”

With the tight harvest windows imposed onbiogas contractors, minimising downtime is crucial and Steve Suggitt is full of praise for theback-up offered by Krone.

“The forager was supplied by Pecks AgriTracwho offer a very good service. But we do a lot ofthe work on the machines ourselves, and there’salways someone to answer the phone at Kroneif we need help – even on a Sunday evening.”

One feature picked out for particular praise isthe compressed air system which blows out thefeed rollers on a timed circuit.

“It keeps the dust and chaff away from the knives which is paramount for efficientsharpening.”

He comments that the BiG X is very much anowner-driver’s machine offering all the creaturecomforts needed.

“It’s very easy to operate and seems morerefined than other foragers on the market. Wework some long hours in the season but the cabis very comfortable, has good suspension, airconditioning and a fridge.”

Control of the header makes for easier working in changeable crop conditions, with variable header speed to match the forager’sforward speed.

“When the going is good, outputs can be up to 60ha/day,” comments Steve Suggitt.

“And in the wet, the Krone is the go-tomachine. With big 800 tyres on the front and750s to the rear, we never get stuck, and thecrop processing system is so good that we’venever blocked a Krone forager up.”

Steve Suggitt has the full suite of Krone headers, and says that the grass pick-up hasproved very reliable, while the X-Disc wholecropunit performs really well, leaving a very even stubble.

“We specified a 12-row maize header to minimise compaction, and it’s a highly productiveoption,” he adds.

Contractor favour for the BiG X factor

Krone’s EasyCollect header (left) has two rows ofchains to transfer crop, while the XDisc has anauger large enough to cope with a high volume of material.

six feed rollers in Krone’s BiG X forage harvester, forexample, apply a pressure of 4.6t to the crop.

As well as compressing the crop, the feed rollers hold it in place. Think of a chef chopping leeks –– youwon’t achieve a consistent, fine and uniform chop

unless the crop is held firm, so it’s worth ensuring the pre-compression chamber is a reasonably generouslength.

Chopping drums come with a different number ofblades, depending on the job they’re doing. Generally, themore blades, the finer the chop, which is what you wantto aim for with AD, although changing the speed of thecrop-intake feed rollers has a similar effect. Krone’sMaxFlow 36-blade drum would be suitable for energycrops, producing a length of chop (LOC) between 3-17mm, dependant on the rate of crop intake. DedicatedBiogas drums with 40 or 48 blades are also available.

Maize, being tougher, requires a knife blade with athinner profile and harder steel. Soft grass that may have stones in it would soon shatter such metal, so softer-steel blades are better. Wholecrop comes somewhere in between, so the choice of blade will oftendepend on what else you’re cutting at the time.

It’s crucial to have sharp blades, so the harvester hasan active knife sharpener on board. This means a bit ofdowntime in the field while you sharpen the knives, butdoing so little and often –– several times a day –– is wellworth it. A good operator will keep the knives at optimumperformance, and a good forage harvester will ensure that’s a quick and easy process.


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Forage harvesting for AD:top tipsl Select the right machine and set-up.

This is based on header width and drum configuration, which will determine the horsepower requirement.

l Ensure the correct chop length. It will be shorter than for livestock forage and it’s worth checking the consistency and making adjustments until it’s exactly right.

l Have the capacity to harvest in the right conditions. For best results, the crop should be at the right stage, while finding a suitable harvest window can be tricky.

l Consider productivity. Ensure that the capacity of all the harvesting machinery can comfortably achieve the required work rates

l Maintenance is key. Keep the blades sharp and the machine well serviced.

Tech Specs: BiG X Precision-chop forage harvester600 700 770 850 1100

Engine 8-cyl, 16-litre 12-cyl, 24-litreEngine output (hp) 624 707 753 850 1110Ground drive Infinitely variable hydrostatic drive up to 40 km/hPre-compression Six rollers applying 4.6tLOC adjustment Steplessly from cab in 0.1 mm incrementsChopping drum blades 20, 28, 36, 40 Ditto + 48LOC range (mm) 5-29/4-21/3-17/2.5-15 Ditto + 2-12.5Corn conditioner 250mm diameter roller; 0.5-10mm clearanceWeight w/o header (kg) 14,350 14,800Starting price (excluding header and VAT)Header width (m)EasyFlow (grass) 3-3.8EasyCollect (maize) 6/7.5/9 7.5/9/10.5XDisc (wholecrop) 6.2

A forage harvester takes up to a 10.5m width of2.5m tall maize and compresses it down to achopping face just 800mm by 170mm.

The six feed rollers in the BiG X forage harvesterapply a pressure of 4.6t to the crop.

Spring-loaded floors beneath the chopping drum (left) and behind the accelerator help even out lumpsand bumps.

How is the seed processed?Important for AD, maize seed and to a certain extentcereals, must be split open. Uncracked seed can cause blockages in the plant, but it’s also a waste of utilisable energy. This is the job of the corn conditioner,that comes in after the drum.

The crop passes through two fluted rollers, with theribs set horizontally, which travel at different speeds to rip the seed case. But there’s a gap of typically 1-2mm at this point, so the crop experiences massiveconsolidation and blockages can occur. It’s down to theexperience of the operator whether to bring the cornconditioner into play, but a good forage harvester willhave enough technology on board to ensure a blockage

on a well operated machine is a rare occurrence.Finally, there’s the accelerator that fires the crop up

the spout. Again, consistency of crop is vital, althoughthat can be difficult to achieve, especially in a variablegrass crop. Krone’s Varistream helps even out lumps andbumps with spring-loaded floors beneath the choppingdrum and behind the accelerator.

There’s also StreamControl, which allows the operator to adjust the aggressiveness of the accelerator.This means the crop can be thrown further –– whenopening up the field with tractor and trailer following theharvester, for example.

Why is chop length important?This is the key difference between forage for livestockand for the AD plant. With cows, the aim is to maximisemilk production, so the forage element in a total mixedration releases its energy at the right rate to do this.With AD, you’re looking to maximise gas production and expose the maximum surface area of the forage tothe bacteria.

Ideally a chop length of 3-5mm will achieve this, butsuch fine material will behave like water when you’retrying to clamp it, so realistically 8-12mm gives the bestof both worlds.

It’s worth being fastidious over the chop length ––follow the harvester for the first few lengths of the fieldand regularly inspect the result. A good machine, set upcorrectly and well operated, will achieve an LOC in a

tight range, with minimal over lengths and well crackedgrains. Sets of sieves are available to check a sample –– don’t skimp on this aspect as LOC can make a worldof difference to the performance of an AD plant.

When’s the crop ripe?This largely comes down to experience and there’s no rule of thumb. Generally, you’d harvest maize orwholecrop hybrid rye earlier for a digester than for livestock forage –– typically for maize achieving a drymatter of 29-34% for AD, compared with 32-38% for silage. In the cob or ear, the grain will be at thecheesy-ripe stage and will show your thumbnail, but will be too hard to squash. The foliage will have gone off green, but won’t be golden.

What about ensiling?Silage is made in the clamp and the process requiresthe right bacteria to work in anaerobic conditions. Thatmeans mud must be kept out of the clamp, as this introduces the wrong bacteria, and the material must be compressed.

A big and heavy farm loader can do the job, whilesome use a large tractor, such as a Quadtrac. A blade ona loader is a useful tool for maize, and it’s best to layerthe clamp, packing down material as each trailer load isemptied to achieve a uniform compaction.


POA £326,565 £334,625 £404,420 £414,055

Spring barley is gaining in popularity, and blackgrass is

the main reason, accordingto a CPM/RAGT survey. But

failing to meet contract speccould be putting a dent

in returns.


FeaturesSpring barley

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Spring barley has moved from a Cinderella cropin quite low demand right up to a mainstreamcereal option, says Adrian Fisher.

Boom time forbarley

The UK could be heading towards itsbiggest ever spring barley crop, if theresults of a recent CPM/RAGT survey ring true. Over 90% of growers whoresponded said they intend to includethe crop in their plans for 2017. But

experts have cautioned that growersshould consider the market and look tosecure a contract before placing theirseed order.

Increased areaAccording to the survey, around a third of growers have increased their area ofspring barley, while for half of the respondents the area cropped hasremained roughly constant. Just 5% have reduced the area grown, while 11%haven’t grown the crop in recent years.

Jonathan Arnold of Robin Appel notesthe figures of the survey may be skewedtowards growers with an interest in springbarley, but says he’s seen the crop grow in popularity in recent years.

“I’d say 70-75% of growers are including

spring crops in the rotation nowadays, withthe majority choosing barley. We’ve

seen the crop spread from thetraditional areas of East Anglia,

the Yorks and Lincs Wolds,Hants and Wilts towards therest of the arable area. It’snow commonly grown bythe big-yielding wheatgrowers with heavy land,”

he says.The increase in the area

grown will be met with mixedfeelings by traditional malting barley

growers, reckons Stuart Shand ofGleadells. “Domestic demand is around1.85M tonnes but in the past few years,there’s been as much as a 750,000t surplus. Unless like this year there’s a big demand for export, it keeps a lid on premiums.”

But it’s not all good news for the newcomers, either, he notes. “We’ve had a couple of years of good yields, but thedownside is that rejection rates have beenhigh, particularly for those with blackgrasswhere ergot has got into the sample. It’svery important for growers to pay attentionto achieving the contract spec.”

The agronomic argument for growingspring barley is a compelling one, however,and the survey backs this up, with 43%saying the fact the crop is a key toolagainst blackgrass is their main reason for growing it. What’s more, of those growers, almost half reckon it’s the bestcrop in the rotation for that reason, while a further 43% say it’s the best spring cropagainst blackgrass.

Spring barley is gaining in popularity, and blackgrass is

the main reason, accordingto a CPM/RAGT survey. But

failing to meet contract speccould be putting a dent

in returns.


FeaturesSpring barley

It’s veryimportant for

growers to pay attention to achieving

the contract spec.”

“


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Spring barley

Which best describes how much of your croppedarea has grown spring barley?

What would be your main two reasons for growingspring barley?

Spring barley trends

It’s a key tool againstblackgrass

It helps pread theworkload

It’s a relativelyprofitable crop

Our land suits the crop

We can easily achievea malting premium

We’re good at growing it

We wouldn’t grow it

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Primary Secondary

Aside from this, spreading the workload,crop profitability and land suitability werecited as key secondary reasons for growing spring barley. But just 7% saidthey’re growing it because they can easilyachieve the premium.

The trend is likely to continue, believesStuart Shand. “We’ll see a further reduction

in the winter malting area –– maltsters arenow struggling to find room for those varieties. Also, breeders in the main havestopped investing in the crop as hybridvarieties have taken over the winter area.”

The picture for spring barley, on theother hand, is quite different, notes AdrianFisher of Openfield. “For growers, it’s

moved from being a Cinderella crop inquite low demand right up to a mainstreamcereal option. The crop has developed,and a lot of that’s down to the effort ofbreeders –– we’re seeing varieties comeon the market that are pan-European, orhave even global appeal, which makesthem reliable and consistent.”

Blackgrass, and a determination to beat thegrassweed, lay behind Andrew Crossley’s decision to grow spring barley on the ThurlowEstate, based in Suffolk.

“We’re trying a number of techniques tocombat blackgrass. Spring crops are not bestsuited to our predominantly heavy soils, and itwas almost by accident that we ended up withan area we drilled to spring barley. But thefarm’s grown the crop in the past, so I was confident we should achieve the grade,”he says.

With 5100ha farmed across Suffolk, Essexand Cambs, that puts immense pressure on the autumn cultivation window. “We’ve beenpushing drilling dates back on fields with badblackgrass. But there were 180ha we didn’tmanage to get drilled last autumn as the conditions deteriorated.”

Barley looked to be the best spring option,but new to the crop, Andrew Crossley wasaware there were risks involved. “My main concern was whether spring barley would yield,

especially if conditions turned dry. There wasalso the question of a market for the crop.”

After consulting with Openfield, he decided toopt for RGT Planet with a view to supplying localmaltsters through one of the Openfield’s pools.“This seemed a relatively low risk option. At thetime, Planet didn’t have full IBD approval, butthe variety looked as though it had the rightcharacteristics with yield potential,” he says.

“We didn’t manage to drill until relatively latein the spring. But in the end the crop gave us adecent return – 6.72t/ha and it should go formalting. What’s more, there was no blackgrassseed return, despite being grown in fields with a history for the weed.”

With a grain N of 1.62%, the crop’s now in store, due to be moved in Nov and Feb,with a contract spec for malting of 1.75%N.“Getting the right grain N is down to the nitrogenrate and timings –– you just have to know what you’re doing. We’ve an on-floor, ventilatedstore and were careful to bring the crop in dry and are keeping it cool and well ventilated,

so it’s effectively inert,” he notes.Spring barley is now in the cropping plan for

2017, says Andrew Crossley. “We’re going to go with RGT Planet again, but this time we’reaiming to drill earlier, having already created a partial seedbed in the autumn.”

Andrew Crossley focuses on getting thenitrogen rate and timings right and storing hisspring barley crop properly.

A professional approach ensures success from spring barley

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What is your main concern about growing spring barley?

He says Quench was probably the first variety thathad such broad uptake, andmarked a step forward for thecrop. “A lot of varieties hadQuench in their parentage, butthey didn’t make the grade.Now we’re seeing breedersdeliver more consistency, sovarieties like RGT Planet andKWS Irina will be grown acrossthe world –– that wouldn’t havehappened 20 years ago.”

Contract specDespite this high level of consistency from modern varieties, failure to meet thecontract spec is clearly a problem, with 36% highlightingit as their main concern. Morethan a quarter of growers saybrackling is their main concern,but only 5% highlight storageissues.

“Brackling will make or break a variety,” points outJonathan Arnold. “But one that’s susceptible to it simplywouldn’t get on the AHDBRecommended List, these days. Disease resistance is lessof a priority than it is in a wintercrop –– rhynchosporium is theone to watch, but modern varieties are fairly robust andwe still have a good chemicalarmoury for barley disease.”

He notes that some growersin non-traditional spring barleyareas are struggling to achievethe quality and consistencyvarieties are capable of. “But

the crop has a clear attraction,aside from the blackgrass element –– it takes the pressureoff the autumn workload, andallows for some over-wintergreen manuring, such as covercrops, which are increasinglypopular. A spring crop also gives you plenty of stubbles which can help withcompliance in the various environmental schemes.

“So there’s a wide array ofreasons to grow spring barley,but there are also a lot ofoptions for marketing the crop.There are now some fantasticframework agreements andfarmers who want to improvereturns should align themselvesbetter with specific malting barley contracts.”

It’s an issue that hasn’t goneunrecognised, with 58% ofgrowers citing market outlet asthe most important attribute fora spring barley variety, afteryield. A variety must have fullInstitute of Brewing andDistilling (IBD) approval, say54% of survey respondents,and a further 22% say it must at least be on test or have provisional approval. Aroundhalf of respondents feel exportpotential is important.

“Market outlet is key,” agreesStuart Shand. “There’s no pointgrowing a variety your localmaltster or shipper won’t take.For brewing or export, currentlyPropino is still the one thateveryone wants. After that, s

After yield what is the most important attribute tochoosing a spring barley?

What’s your view of IBD approval for a spring barley variety?

Variety choice

RGT Planet and then KWS Irina wouldbe my choice.”

Meeting the contract spec is also key formaking the most from the crop. Currentlythe malting premium looks attractive, ataround £25-30/t, but is expected to slip toa more average £20/t for next season’scrop. The market is split between the low1.5-1.6%N distilling crop that heads forScotland, and the other half, going forbrewing or export at around 1.85%N, with some contracts as high as 2%N.

“Firstly, it must be stored well,” advisesStuart Shand. “It’s a living product andcan’t all be shifted close to harvest.

Congratulations to Beds grower AllanMcNicoll, who’ll be receiving 5t of RGT Planetspring barley seed, worth £2000, for takingpart in the CPM/RAGT spring barley survey.

He completed the survey and gave theanswer judged best to its tie-breaker question: “the key to success with growingspring barley is to outcompete blackgrass,have a fairly broad sowing window, meet

specifications and be profitable”.Three other lucky respondents will each receive

a case of delicious RGT Planet ale –– full detailscan be found at www.cpm-magazine.co.uk.All four prize-winners responded to an email nviting them to take part in the online survey.To take part in the next survey, make sure we have the correct details for you by [email protected]

Sowing seeds of success

Aim to serve up a variety your local maltster orshipper will take and find a contract withflexibility, advises Stuart Shand.

Secondly, if you’re a new grower be carefulwhat you promise contractually –– you maybenefit from a contract with flexibility or lowrisk, such as pool marketing, and it’s wellworth discussing your options with a malting barley specialist before putting inyour seed order –– you may be growingthe crop for agronomic reasons, but don’tlet your agronomist choose the variety.”

Pass rateNationally the pass rate for meeting contract spec varies year on year, butaverages around 75%, reckons AdrianFisher. “Dyed-in-the-wool spring barleygrowers rarely fail to meet the requiredstandard –– they’ll stick with the varietythey know and will probably achieve a consistent result. It’s the nouveau growerswho are more prone to failure and maywant to consider the balance betweenyield and achieving the premium.”

They should look firstly for IBD approval,he says. “This is also an indicator of export

potential, which may not be a concern inEast Anglia where there are local maltsters.But for Wilts, Hants and Lincs growers,especially, export potential is extremelyimportant.”

RGT Planet and Octavia have nowjoined the list with full approval, thatincludes Propino, KWS Irina, Concerto andOdyssey. “But it’s not just about approval.The maltster wants consistency of supply,so Propino or Concerto are the mainstreamvarieties in the UK today. But these arenow significantly lower yielding than RGT Planet, which will be forced in foragronomic reasons.”

Much comes down to the individualgrower, he says. “If a malting sample isyour thing, you’ll probably stick withPropino for brewing or Concerto for distilling. If you’re not sure you’ll meet the contract spec, it may be worth growing for out-and-out yield, in which case Planet or Irina would be a better choice.” n


s

Spring barley

Tudor Dawkins has been looking atdifferent ways of getting the best outof the chemistry available to unlockhidden yield potential.

different ways of getting the bestout of the chemistry available may be the route to unlock someof this hidden yield potential,believes ProCam technical director, Dr Tudor Dawkins.

Why look at micronutrients?It’s a well-known fact that a healthy crop is better able to resist pests and diseases. It’s alsoan established fact that correctnutrition is an integral part of keeping a crop healthy.

The key to building both cropyields and plant performancecould be a change in approach to

Micronutrient crop nutrition, in the conventionalsense, involves applying nutrients to either correcta deficiency that is evident in a crop or to ensurethat yields are not limited by insufficient access toessential trace elements.

In recent years, however, ProCam has developed a different approach by screening products that not only deliver vital nutrients but also interact with other cropinputs, such as fungicides andemerging biologically active substances, to contribute significantly to overall yield.

Plant breeders have done a greatjob producing varieties year on year with improved yieldpotential. The big problem growers and agronomists face is delivering the potential yieldcapability of these varieties –– the failure to get anywherenear the genetic potential of our cereals is widely discussed inagronomy circles.

Set against a background of increasing problems with resistance, a decreasing numberof active ingredients to draw onand a world slump in commodityprices, achieving yield increases is becoming harder. Looking at

Synergiesenhance yieldA more holistic approach to growing cropsis capable of delivering cost-effective yieldbenefits to growers. CPM discovers how tounlock yield potential.


the nutritional support of plantsand it’s something ProCam hasbeen working on, in conjunctionwith Dr Steve Rossall at theUniversity of Nottingham.

Identifying interactions betweenmixtures of micronutrients andfungicides which can enhance fungicide efficacy has been one of the areas studied in ProCam trials, with further work planned to establish where biologicals mayfit into the equation.

A key part of the process has

been creating an independentscreening process to test theveracity of the plethora of nutritional and biological productson the market and identify whichbring benefits to growers in a field situation.

What was previouslyknown?Micronutrients are essential to biochemical processes withinplants but aren’t required in thesame quantities as the better considered macronutrients.Traditionally most crops haven’treceived the same nutritional support when it comes to trace elements, with crops first exhibitingdeficiency symptoms before anapplication was considered to correct it. By this time, the crop has become stressed and yieldpotential is already lost.

The new approach to micronutrition is much more proactiveand broad spectrum in itsapproach, relying on soil and tissue testing in an attempt to prevent the troughs of ‘hiddenhunger’ from robbing yield.

Benefits from applying micronutrients with fungicides at the key fungicide timings hadbeen seen in ProCam trials and

Improving fungicide efficacy


the results were repeatable. Yet product efficacy and cost-effectiveness still remainsmostly shrouded in a veil of muckand mystery, especially where biologicals such as seaweedextract are included in the mix. Aninjection of science was needed.

What did early resultsshow?Early ProCam field trials workestablished a significant yield and quality benefit from a micronutrient programme. Furthertrials highlighted the potential ofplant stimulants and micronutrientsto reduce the effects of disease in second wheats. Clearly something was going on.

As a means of assessing howproducts work, glasshouse trials atthe University of Nottingham wereestablished to screen productsacross a range of pot-grown crops–– winter wheat, maize and oilseed

With margins being squeezed acrossthe board, the knee-jerk reaction is to cut input costs, explains ProCamagronomist Nigel Scott.

“It’s easier to drop nutrients out ofthe programme than fungicides butwhen you look closely, the benefits of proactive nutrition on yield and disease control are so significant it’sactually non-negotiable,” he says,pointing out that margins should bethe focus rather than input costs.

To prove his point, Nigel Scott

persuaded one of his growers,William Maughan, to do a trial acrosstwo fields, applying a nutritional programme alongside his fungicideprogramme on one field and not the other.

“When Nigel asked me to do a trial,I was happy to because we’re alwayslooking for things that will give us anedge and increase margins,” heexplains. “But I thought it would be abit of fun if we made it a blind trial soNigel didn’t know which field we putthe nutritional programme on and hadto pick it out.”

It was a challenge Nigel Scott readily accepted. “Having seen the potexperiments, I was pretty sure I couldtell the difference by pulling plants andcomparing the growth,” he explains.

To eliminate as many factors aspossible that could potentially skewthe trial, both of the fields chosenwere of similar size and medium loam soil type. Both were mapped forphosphate and potash levels as wellas assessed for nitrogen values, witha bit of help from satellite-generatedprecision maps to make sure thefields nutritional base was as even as possible.

“I chose KWS Lili as the variety

because it has good all round diseaseresistance so any yield differences atthe end of the day wouldn’t be due todisease control,” he says.

The chosen field had a nutritionalprogramme of Universal Bio applied at T0 and T1 timings, followed by anapplication of Kudos at T2. Both fieldsreceived a full fungicide programme,with two SDHIs, and remained cleanthroughout.

According to William Maughan,Nigel remained non-committal onwhich field was which until the T3timing when he staked his reputationon his choice.

“I made green leaf area assessments at T1, T2 and T3 andthere was a big difference in thegreen leaf area lower down the stemin the field I thought had received thenutritional programme. Here leaves 4 and 5 were still intact whereas inthe other field only leaves 1-3 werefully green,” explains Nigel Scott.

At the T3 unveiling of the trial, itwas confirmed that Nigel had madethe correct choice. When the trial wastaken through to yield the field withthe additional nutritional programmeyielded 11.69 t/ha compared to 10.99 t/ha with fungicide alone.

“The extra yield came from thebushel weights, which were higher in the treated field. More green leaf retention means better light interception,” he explains. What’smore, a few loads from the treatedfield also reached milling spec, whichwas a bonus.

So what did William Maughan makeof the trial? “Next year I’ll be includingthe nutritional programme on a muchbigger area,” he concludes.

Glasshouse trials at the University ofNottingham were established to screenproducts across a range of pot-growncrops.

Nigel Scott didn’t know which fieldreceived the nutritional programmeand had to pick it out.

The key to building both crop yields and plant

performance could be achange in approach tothe nutritional support

of plants.”

“

As a result of the trial, WilliamMaughan will be including thenutritional programme on a muchbigger area next year.

rape. Using clay beads as a substrate, instead of soil, enabledmeasurements of root and shootgrowth to be taken without beingskewed by differences in basenutrition.

By a process of elimination, themost interesting products havemade it to ProCam field trials anddemo sites and subsequently tofarm-scale trials.

So what’s working?There are a number of areas where strategic use ofmicronutrients and/or plant stimulants can deliver benefits in a field situation. Roots form an important part of the yieldequation, with a 12t/ha crop ofwheat having about 30km ofroots/m2, whereas a 10t/ha cropwill have about 20km/m2. Much ofthe potential of stimulants lies inencouraging root growth.

One of the two more promising

A nutritional eye-opener from blind trials

products identified by the Universityof Nottingham glasshouse trials contains mycorrhiza (a soil fungus). This encourages the development of better root andshoot growth by helping the plantsscavenge for phosphate from thesurrounding soil.

A second promising combinationis an NPK foliar feed with additional


Tech Talks

Improve fungicideefficacy: top tips

trace elements and seaweedextract, which last year gave ayield response of 0.9t/ha whenused in the absence of fungicidein ProCam trials. When used within a fungicide programme, anadditional 0.7t/ha was achieved.

What about mycorrhiza?With the evidence stacking up thatsome stimulant and micronutrient

ProCam’s work with developingagronomic approaches that integratefungicide programmes with nutritionand other cost-effective inputs toincrease enterprise performance,is a good example of its overall crop-production philosophy.

The company’s primary objectiveremains to deliver knowledge-drivensolutions that help growers producehigher yields and minimise cost pertonne of crop output.

It’s an approach that has beenproven to deliver significant benefitsover the years.

In 2015, ProCam 4cast analysisshows the average winter wheat

Sponsor message

l Plan to include a micronutrient strategy as part of a programme – use products that have been demonstrated to improve rooting early in the crop’s life-cycle to get it off to a good start.

l Use regular tissue sampling during the season – to establishif crops are running short of key nutrients.

l Apply nutrients together with fungicides – to get the best out of both.

yield achieved by its customers was10.08t/ha compared to a Defranational average of 8.8t/ha for theyear with its top 25% of producersproducing 11.4t/ha.

Looking at the past 15 years of ProCam 4cast data shows its customers achieved on average0.8t/ha more wheat than the Defranational average with the company’stop 25% producing 2.2t/ha more.

combinations are very effective,could we still be missing a trickwhen it comes to biologicals likemycorrhiza and rhizobia?

Mycorrhizal fungi are naturallypresent in healthy soils and form asymbiotic relationship with theroots of many crop plants, thoughoilseed rape isn’t one of these.

Using advances in technologyto inoculate winter wheat with mycorrhizal fungi in theNottingham glasshouse trials has shown improvements in shootand root growth, but would thisshow a benefit in the field usingsoil-applied mycorrhiza? Early indications on spring barley showa yield response of 0.6t/ha.

One of the main advantages ofmycorrhiza is that they effectivelymine phosphate, meaning theysupply crop plants with phosphatewithout the crop having to rely onthe supply of phosphate in the soil,where it is often inaccessible toplant roots or ‘locked up’.

What about rhizobia?Researchers at the James HuttonInstitute have discovered a strainof elite rhizobia bacteria from highyielding crops of beans. Thesehave the potential to improve theefficiency of atmospheric nitrogenfixation so that all bean cropscould benefit and is somethingProCam have in trials this season.

Beans are a crop where it’s difficult to get a reasonable return,but using the most efficient strainsof naturally occurring UK fungi andnitrogen-fixing bacteria may just tipthe balance.

Field beans in the ground thissummer which received strains ofboth mycorrhiza and rhizobia at drilling were showing double the number of pods per node, indicating there may well be a synergistic effect from using thetwo biological systems.

What conclusions canbe drawn?From the results so far, consistentbenefits in yield can be obtainedby changing the approach to nutrition, particularly by adopting aproactive approach to the needsof the crop. Additional yieldresponses are possible by aggregating trace elements andcombining them with a plant stimulant, which makes them work more effectively.

Using natural soil inhabitants,such as mycorrhiza and rhizobia,to do the work for you in setting up the plant to make access tonutrients as easy as possible, looks promising. A combination of these approaches, tailored to

crop need, together with targeting other inputs more intelligently appears to be a realstep forward in bridging the gap in achievable crop yields and yield potential.

Integrating existing fungicidetechnology with specific trace element treatments can add up to 1.2t/ha to wheat yields. Theinteractions between fungicidesand micronutrients appear to deliver benefits greater than thesum of their two parts.

Where next for thisresearch?With the increased interest in plantstimulants and micronutrients,maintaining a screening process is an important part in helping to identify new products withpotential and understand how they are influencing plant growth.

Further work with mycorrhizaand rhizobia on a field scale is the next step to make sure the advantages promised willscale up. n


The field beans on the left received strains of mycorrhiza at drilling.

Much of the potential of stimulantslies in encouraging root growth –here, the pot on the right has beentreated with a product containingmycorrhiza.

No fungicide was applied in this field trial, but the crop on the left received a fullprogramme of micronutrients and foliar feeds.

s

Tech Talk

For the past 13 years, workundertaken at Rawcliffe

Bridge in E Yorks to developunderstanding of how

farming and wildlife interactmay literally have helpedshape agricultural policy.

CPM visits the driving force behind it.


It’s a lot better to show

someone how it’sdone than to tell

them.”

“

As we near the bottom corner of thefield, heading towards the same point as the advancing combine, the crop suddenly bursts into life. A covey of greypartridge flutter, dash and tumble fromthe Fuego spring beans, making theirway towards the relative refuge of thewild bird cover crops that surround thefield edge.

From the combine, David Hinchliffe’svoice crackles over his brother’s walkie-talkie. “Look! There they are, James –– there must be a good 20 ofthem. That’s a grand sight.” JamesHinchliffe is clearly pleased. “You seesomething like that, or hear a skylark

A bounty for birdsOn-farminnovator

singing, and it brightens your day,” he beams.

But it’s no twist of fate that’s brought the birds to Rawcliffe Bridge near Goole in E Yorks. Since 2003, the family farmingpartnership has worked with BASF to monitor the farm’s wildlife and developsmall changes in practice and specificseed mixtures that help encourage it.

“We were already doing on-farm trialswith BASF, looking at the use of strobilurinfungicides, mainly,” explains JamesHinchliffe. “For them, I guess it’s part ofthe work they’re doing globally to promotebiodiversity. But I have a real interest inthe farm’s wildlife, especially farmland


numbers have fluctuated, and that canoften have little to do with farming practice,” he explains.

“Lapwing and yellow wagtail seem toprefer min-till or no-till situations, and have benefited as we’ve gone down thatroute. Grey partridge are very weatherdependent. Skylarks are holding their own–– they like to get their territory and they’rethere until they die. Corn bunting numbershave plummeted and we don’t know why.We didn’t have many in 2003, but we havevery few now.”

birds, and I think you need that.”Even within his own family business he

admits he’s probably the one who drivesthat aspect forward. The partnership,including brother David and nephewRichard, farms a total of 560ha, based atBank House Farm. Most of the land here is fine alluvial silt –– warp land developedfrom carefully controlled flooding some 2-300 years ago. Nearby is Dikes MarshFarm, with predominantly high magnesiumclay, while there’s a sandy bar running

Since 2003, the Hinchliffes have worked withBASF to monitor the farm’s wildlife and developsmall changes in practice and specific seedmixtures that help encourage it.

James Hinchliffe was keen to show wildlife canthrive alongside intensive farming on good land.

through parts of the farmed area.Winter wheat, oilseed rape and winter

and spring beans rotate around the farm,with 10-12t/ha wheat crops the norm onthe warp land, while the sandier soil suffers badly in drier years, notes JamesHinchliffe. “This is where we’ve focusedour environmental work –– the wild birdcover crop areas are all in one 2ha block.”

Baseline levelThis work started with some monitoring –– the first task was to assess a baselinelevel of wild birds, butterflies and moths,mainly. “I was fed up of people sayingintensive farming on good land kills all thewildlife and was keen to show that wasn’tthe case. Once we started looking for people who’d do the work, it’s surprisingjust how many interest groups there are,and we weren’t short of volunteers.

“As well as monitoring actual numbers,they ringed the birds to track migratorypatterns –– I never realised just how manybirds are passing through the farm. It’s apopulation that’s constantly on the move.”

His main interest lies in what he calls“the true farmland birds” –– yellow wagtails, skylarks, corn bunting, lapwingand grey partridge. “It’s interesting how

On-farm innovator

s


Sunflowers tend to be the most popular – like thesteak and chips of the bird-food world.

Fodder radish is least liked, but following a harshwinter, it can be the only seed available and avaluable lifeline.

Over the years, they’ve tried a numberof practices on the farm and assessedwhat difference these may have made.Nesting boxes were introduced for treesparrows, for example, and there are now100 dotted around key areas of the farm.

“In the early years, we had great success with up to 80% occupancy. But

then in 2008, numbers went down. They’regoing up again gradually now, but it canbe hard to know what’s driving it andwhether you can influence the change.”

Other practices are more easy toexplain. “We put up a dozen nestingboxes for owls and didn’t get a single barnowl. But tawny owls are dominant here –– you get to understand the habits of yourlocal wildlife.”

One practice that’s yielded surprisinglygood results, however, is supplementaryfeeding. “The key period for farmlandbirds is Nov through to June. On a typicalarable farm with winter cropping, therecan be very little seed about for birds toforage. Even where you have a reasonableamount of hedgerow and wild bird cover,there’s a hungry gap from around Feb. Ina harsh spring, grey partridge in particularcan suffer,” explains James Hinchliffe.

“I’d heard of another farmer who’d carried on feeding through until June and we tried it here. We scatter a bit of grain regularly on a hard track and the difference it makes is quite remarkable.”

But perhaps the main focus of the workat Rawcliffe has been the wild bird seedmixtures themselves. “In the first year, weestablished strips of individual plant types–– about 18 in total. We monitored which

birds favoured which strips and when theywere foraged.”

Sunflowers tend to be the first to go, he reports. “Green and gold finches lovethem – it’s like the steak and chips of thebird-food world. Fodder radish is leastliked, and can be left altogether. But it hasits place –– following a harsh winter, it canbe the only seed available and a valuablelifeline.”

Some birds are drawn in by specificadditions. “Gold finches and reedbuntings are attracted by teasels –– thesehave a small, hard-to-get seed that only

On-farm innovator

Like many farmers, James Hinchliffe hasrecognised how low-yielding areas of the farmcan deliver considerable benefits for wildlife,according to Graham Hartwell of BASF, who’sbeen closely involved with the work at Rawcliffe Bridge.

“But the real innovation here is how that’sbeen integrated with the farming system andhow he’s harnessed the potential for thoseareas to help change public perception, andgain a closer understanding of how wildlifeinteracts with farming,” he says.

“What’s also of great value is how he’s tested locally the plant species that can workwithin field margins to increase biodiversity.When it comes to wildlife, a ‘one-size-fits-all’approach is not the ideal solution and localexperience is crucial.”

He reckons it sits well with the Hinchliffes’desire to run a successful, sustainable familybusiness. “They recognise that profitability is the first step to sustainability and that deliveryof a sustainable biodiversity and protectingresources are key aspects of modern agriculture.”

But these theoretical aims need a practicaltouch to deliver results on farm, which allow for the farm location, soil type and weather conditions, he notes. “James’ way to createsolutions to challenges is to innovate in a pragmatic way. Together we’ve come to decisions on how to progress the systemthrough discussion, reflection and his no-nonsense approach to delivery, coupled with a drive to make things happen.”

This has helped the shared approach BASF has adopted with its involvement atRawcliffe Bridge, he explains. “We work with independent experts, NGOs, NFU, water companies, universities and research organisations, among others, to ensure all decisions on farm are interrelated and fall within Integrated Farm Management concepts.

“The recognition that best practice agronomycan coexist with best practice biodiversity on aprofitable modern farming system is a strongmessage for sustainability for BASF and its customers. We can demonstrate that to many of the influencer visitors to Rawcliffe.”

That means industry benefits, in terms of a

better understanding at policy-generation levelhow the effects of government decisions impactdirectly at farm level and what it looks like, headds. “Many policy decisions have national implications but need to fit at local level in termsof farm and local landscape. As we move into apost-Brexit environment we’ll need more than everan appreciation of this that helps governmentframe better and more workable policy.”

Many policy decisions have nationalimplications but need to fit at local level interms of farm and local landscape, notesGraham Hartwell.

It’s not just about the birds – it’s about changing perception

s

On-farm innovator

Farmers are constantly innovating to improvetheir businesses, which is why BASF is committed to investing 10% of its sales revenues into R&D to deliver new technologiesfor farming. BASF’s new innovations includepioneering agricultural chemistry, as well asInnovations Beyond Crop Protection like biologicals, bacteria, soil and water management and renewable technologies.Our future is firmly focused on deliveringtowards farming’s future.’’

On-farm innovation

Innovations Beyond Crop Protection

Teasels have a small, hard-to-get seed and are also favoured by a certain type of moth, and its larvaeprovide another valuable food source for birds.

particular birds will go for. They’re alsofavoured by a certain type of moth, and its larvae provide another valuable foodsource for birds.”

Different mixturesCurrently, different mixtures are grown inthe strips. Along with sunflowers, teaselsand fodder radish, mustard, chicory andphacelia are species that have done welland found favour with the birds andinsects that thrive within them. “Borage isalso good, but once you’ve grown it, you’llnever get rid of it,” notes James Hinchliffe.

About half of the patches are re-established each year. “They providecover as well as food. They can lookuntidy, and my brother and father aren’tkeen on them. But we also have a pollen-and-nectar strip right next to the road which can look stunning.

“That in itself has changed attitudeslocally – I’ve had several offcomedens(townies) who’ve pulled off the road and

asked about it. You get a greater respectwhen you pass people on the road in atractor as a result.”

It’s the public relations potential of the work at Rawcliffe which hasn’t goneunderplayed. It’s helped the farm host various local community groups andexplain farming practices. Several ministers and MEPs have also visited,points out James Hinchliffe.

“There was a time when a senior Defracivil servant was here –– the mustard wasin full flower and covered in pollen beetle,which was a great opportunity to explainthe balance farmers are trying to achieve.Then a flock of upwards of 500 swiftscame over –– it really was quite a sightand clearly made an impression on theDefra lady, who had been quite a doubterto begin with. It’s a lot better to showsomeone how it’s done than to tell them.”

Some of the work has indeed directlyinfluenced farming policy on the environment, he notes. “The difficulty

1. Experiment. Try out different practices andseed mixtures and don’t be wary of tryingsomething new.2. Get a baseline. Start by finding out whatyou have. Monitor numbers and keep a track of how populations change.3. Don’t focus on just one area. Biodiversity is about creating a balance, and if you concentrate your efforts just on the more visible farmland birds, for instance, there could be a rare moth that’s overlooked.4. Look around for help. There are plenty ofspecial-interest groups and volunteers who’llgladly contribute time to help develop your

system. This also has huge benefits for community relations.5. Realise the public perception potential.Don’t underestimate the value of just planting a pretty pollen-and-nectar mix next to a mainroad. Make the most of your efforts to helpchange attitudes and put the positive side offarming forward.6. Get enjoyment out of it. Don’t do it if allyou’re after is the Countryside Stewardshippayment. But if this is where your interest lies, it’ll make you want to go to work in themorning.

How to be an on-farm innovator – James Hinchliffe’s top tips


The pollen-and-nectar strip right next to the roadcan look stunning and has helped changeattitudes locally towards farming.

I have with the Entry-Level Scheme is that ifall you’re doing is putting field margins full of cocksfoot around fields, you’re achievingvery little for biodiversity.”

A strong supporter of Brexit, he recognises it’ll result in a shift in farmingpolicy, but doesn’t believe greater fundingfor environmental measures will bring bestresults. “Money isn’t the answer –– you’reeither keen on the environment or you’renot, and any amount of funding won’tchange that.

“The environment is a ‘nice-to-have’, but public money should be spent on preserving vulnerable areas, such as theUplands, and ensuring we can feed thenation. Arable farmers can cut their clothaccordingly, and it’ll be those of us who recognise the benefits of a diverse environment who’ll continue the goodwork.” n

Next month’s CropTec showpromises to bring leading

experts and technical developments in front ofgrowers. CPM previews

the highlights.

By Rob Jones

FeaturesCropTec

Innovations on show at CropTec

In just three years CropTec has picked upa reputation as a key innovative technicalevent for arable farmers, advisers andassociated industries. Taking place atPeterborough showground on 29 and 30 Nov, the event remains free for farmers and agronomists to attend,provided tickets are booked in advance.

At this year’s show, more than 140exhibitors will display advances in scienceand technology designed to help the combinable crop sector remain profitable.Meanwhile, seminars and hubs will featureviewpoints on a range of arable topicsdelivered by leading specialists.

Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, of show organiserBriefing Media Agriculture, is hoping visitors will find ideas, inspiration andanswers at the event, on crop protection,nutrition, plant breeding and soil management.

“But it’s very much a two-way process–– CropTec creates a forum for visitors,exhibitors and researchers to exchangeideas and experiences for their mutualbenefit.”

The show’s headline sponsor Adama is looking to discuss best practice for septoria prevention in cereal crops, as well as its range of oilseed rape, roots andpotato fungicides and herbicides, saysmarketing director Ali Bosher.

“We’ll also be promoting the responsibleuse of metazachlor and metaldehyde byfocusing on our joint Metazachlor Mattersand Get Pelletwise campaigns, as well asAdama’s own WaterAware and SlugAwarestewardship schemes.”

Seminar discussionsThe seminar programme addresses four key areas of crop production: establishment, nutrition, protection andbreeding.

Prof Andy Whitmore of RothamstedResearch will be presenting work on soilorganic matter, while Lincs grower TomHawthorne will be giving his experience ofcontrolled traffic farming. Andrew Blazeyof Prime Agriculture will also explore how totake the risk out of growing oilseed rape.

Crop establishment session chair and Herts grower Andrew Watts reckonsit’ll touch on areas that are highly topical talking points in the arable

sector. “People accept that soil organicmatter is a critical component of soils, but there’s still a lot of confusion aboutmanaging it,” he notes.

RB209, the long-established guide forcrop nutrition, is being revised next year,so in the seminar session, experts willexplain why change is required, theimpact on crop profitability and how youcan have your input on such areas as software compatibility.

“At the seminar, researchers responsiblefor the rules will describe them, and otherspeakers will discuss their view of the findings and implications for UK arablefarmers, as we approach what looks like anew agricultural world.” says Rosie Carne,of session sponsor Yara.

A crop protection think-tank panelincludes Bill Clark of NIAB TAG, GuyGagen of NFU, Jon Knight of AHDB,James Taylor of Newcastle University andSimon Leak of Belchim Crop Protection.The panel session explores what the futureholds for UK growers.

“We have some fantastic varieties withhigh disease-resistance scores at our disposal, but we’re still being told we needvery robust disease-control programmesto get the best out of them,” notes Lincs grower and session chairmanAndrew Ward.

“I’ve cut back on inputs, partly as aresult of being in a discussion group.


s

Two new knowledge hubs havebeen introduced for 2016. Eachhub contains a series of topical15-minute presentations.

The blackgrass hub collates the latest thinking on blackgrasscontrol and provides opportunitiesto discuss control strategies forreducing populations.

The grain marketing and storage hub focuses on grain and oilseeds markets and marketing options, and highlightssome of the technology to aid

grain store management.In spraying technology,

outdoor spraying demonstrations,commentaries and presentationson the latest buffer-zone information, plus a host of other stewardship advice can be gleaned.

Growers can reflect on theirfarm’s performance in the businesshub and discuss cash-flowdemands and investment opportunities with a range of financial and business advisers.

Spraying technology features as one of the knowledge hubs.

Knowledge hub to address the rub

CropTec creates a forum for

visitors, exhibitors andresearchers to exchangeideas and experiences

for their mutual benefit.”

“

The seminar programme addresses four keyareas of crop production.

CropTec 2016 takes place at the East ofEngland Showground, Peterborough, onTuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 Nov.

Seminars, featuring over 20 speakers covering four key areas –– crop breeding,crop protection, crop nutrition and crop establishment.Exhibition halls, with more than 120 suppliers of the latest technology,products, machines and services from acrossthe arable sector.

Knowledge hubs, delivering short, sharp

presentations on blackgrass, grain marketingand storage, spraying technology and business.

Sprayer demonstration, offering an exclusiveopportunity to test drive sprayers, with a livefeed on various points on a sprayer’s boombeamed to screens in the hall, demonstratingboom control and drift.

A maximum of six BASIS and six NRoSOpoints per day are on offer. For further information and to pre-book free tickets go to www.croptecshow.com

CropTec 2016 summary

Comparative on-farm trials tell me I’m notcurrently losing out, but it’s an area I’d like tosee explored further.”

In the crop breeding session, Will Gemmillof Strutt and Parker will be planning the following year’s rotation, taking blackgrasscontrol and other management constraintsinto account. Independent wheat consultantBill Angus will be revealing his high hopesfor hybrid wheat, while Helen Sang of theRoslin Institute will show how new breeding technologies, such as gene editing, couldimprove growers’ competitiveness and profitability.

Choosing a variety is one of the mostimportant decisions growers can make,notes session chair Susannah Bolton of AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds. “When they

purchase seed they are not only buying the potential for a good harvest and a marketable crop, they are also purchasingthe end result of many years of researchinvestment and innovation from the plantbreeders.

“As breeding technologies advance, theoptions become even greater. This sessionexplores those options, ranging from rotation planning through to the potential of hybrids to manage sowing date and the exciting future that new breeding technologies could offer in pest and disease resistance and resource-use efficiency.” n

The event remains free for farmers andagronomists to attend, provided tickets arebooked in advance.


CropTec

s

you want to adjust one side individually toprevent excessive digging –– Delta controlallows you to do that,” he explains.

A lot of the developments start with theoperator, continues Adam Johnson. “If acustomer has a problem, we’ll always get to the bottom of it. If it can’t be addressedthrough adjustments or settings on themachine, that’s when we bring in the designteam from Germany who look into it.”

If there’s a design change that solves theissue, this will be put in place –– sometimescarried out on an individual machine, andoccasionally over an entire range. Otherwisethe team works on developing a solution,that may be rolled out on a future model.

“I don’t think there’s anything we can’tachieve, once we set our mind to it,” saysAdam Johnson. “The haulm extraction is a good example.”

s

Among the brand new and older Varitronself-propelled potato harvesters you’ll find at Grimme UK’s headquarters atSwineshead, Lincs, are a few in the workshop that have spilled their sides fora repair or modification that’s in progress.

But you get the impression the technicians aren’t so much servicing amachine as tending to a valued member of the team –– there’s a palpable pride in the technology that’s disassembled on the concrete floor, summed up by Adam Johnson from the Grimme UK marketing team as he searches around for a cut-away cylinder that illustrates the firm’sTerra-Control.

“There’s some really clever thinking that’sgone into these machines,” he says. “It’slargely taken for granted, but it’s not until you take one apart that you appreciate just how much our harvesting technologyhas evolved.”

He joined the firm six years ago as anengineer at the firm’s York depot, and confesses he’s an enthusiast for the innovations on the potato harvester range,and for those he’s seen develop since.“Terra-Control, for example, remains one ofthe most advanced systems on the market–– it’s not just about autodepth,” he says.

Silver medalTerra-Control earned Grimme a DLG silvermedal when it was unveiled at Agritechnicain 2005. The system uses special hydrauliccylinders, guided by the diablo as it runsover the ridge, to set the depth of the share(see panel on p76).

“The really clever bit is the strip of sensortape inside the ram that monitors the diabloposition as it moves up and down and passes this information through to the control panel,” notes Adam Johnson.

Within Terra-Control there are three functions –– depth control, ridge pressure and depth sensitivity. The system allows the operator to adjust the depth controlaccording to field conditions. So if workingon sandy conditions, for example, additionalpressure can be added to the potato ridge to improve flow without effecting digging depth.

More recently, Delta control has beenintroduced to the system. “While the diablosmove independently, they set the height ofthe shares on a plane. But sometimes, dueto a damaged ridge or spray wheelings,


It’s not until you take a Grimme harvester apartthat you appreciate just how much thetechnology has evolved, says Adam Johnson.

Grimme has earned a number of industry awards

for developments to its potato-harvesting technology.

CPM peers inside themachines for an insight

into what they do.


RootsInnovation Insight

I don’t think there’s anything we can’t achieve, once

we set our mind to it.”

“

Clever thinking drives harvesting evolution


The swing frame (1) is held in position by twocylinders (2). When Terra-Control is used, thediablo rollers (3) are supported on twohydraulic cylinders that have an integratedpath-measuring system (4).

These hydraulic cylinders register everydeviation of the ridge crest height and transferthe signal electrohydraulically to the two swingframe cylinders. This means the digging depthand diablo pressure remain constant at alltimes, and with every soil contour.

How Terra-Control sets the depth

The segmented roller, followed by a fluted roller,creates a ‘back-and-forth’ movement that helpsremove the haulm.

The technology that’s been developed inthe Multisep has been introduced into thehaulm-extraction element that follows the firstmain web. “We used to have a solid haulmroller directly against the web, but it was tooaggressive and have high wear rates instoney soils. So we put a segmented roller–– similar to those found in the Multisep, buta bit harder –– between the web and thehaulm roller.”

The single segmented roller, followed by a fluted roller, creates a ‘back-and-forth’movement that helps remove the haulm, heclaims. “As a result, you now get the best ofboth worlds –– haulm is extracted from thepassing crop flow but due to the collapsiblesegments, only the area opens, unlike thetraditional haulm roller where the full rollerwould move away from the main web. Thisgives excellent haulm separation whilstbeing very gentle with the crop.”

Monitoring what’s going on at this point is crucial, he reckons. “That’s why Grimmeintroduced cameras to cover key areas ofthe machine. We’ve now taken that one stepfurther with Visual Protect.”

This is another innovation that wonGrimme a DLG silver medal in 2007. “The

cameras are all very well –– six come asstandard and you can have up to eight. But we found operators generally had themtrained on just two areas –– the main weband on the separator, flicking to the cart elevator when unloading.”

So Visual Protect overrides which view the operator sees if a problem is detectedanywhere on the machine, explains AdamJohnson. “If the Multi-sep begins to back upwhile the operator is focused on unloading,for example, the monitor will switch automatically to show that view and the terminal beeps so the operator can take the appropriate action.”

But problems associated with unevencrop flow have been minimised thanks toDriving Speed Control, he continues. “Themain webs are driven by hydraulic motors,maintaining a constant speed, irrespective of forward speed. But if the crop intakebecomes lighter, the operator may want tostep up the forward speed.”

On Grimme harvesters, the speed of themain intake web is matched to the forwardspeed, allowing for a more constant speedof crop throughput. “This also means theintake slows down if the harvester comesacross a thick patch and the operator dropsthe forward speed –– it’s one less thing toworry about.”

Autosteer functionAn option on the Varitron 270 is Autopilot.This is an autosteer function, guided by twofingers that drop down at the front either sideof the row. “GPS-guided autosteer doesn’treally work because the row may not beexactly straight,” points out Adam Johnson.

Advances have also come towards the rear of the machine. “Self-propelled harvesters have a ring elevator at the rear tohandle the harvested crop. It’s made of adurable material, but if it’s damaged, it canbe a lengthy job to repair.”

Optibag was developed, initially as a

more hard-wearing solution. The crop is heldin a mesh, rather than a solid sheet, whichenables further soil separation. “The reallyclever bit is how it’s put together,” he says.“The pockets are made up of individualsheets that are clipped to the frame –– toreplace one is a ten-minute job and the webis half the weight of a standard unit.”

Although an option, few harvesters arenow specced without Optibag, he says.“When it was first introduced in 2011, manygrowers viewed it with scepticism. Therewas a test machine that went up to a Yorksgrower with flinty soil, for example. He didn’tthink it would solve the problems he’d hadwith damage to the ring elevator and said I’dbe taking the new machine off him beforethe end of the season. But when I got intouch later that harvest, he’d completelychanged his view –– he said he couldn’tbelieve how well it worked.”

The willingness by growers to try newdevelopments has helped bring them on, headds. “I think growers buy Grimme becausethey trust us. They’ll see a change, and theymay be sceptical about it at first, but they’reprepared to give it a whirl because they trustus to deliver on what we promise.”

In a number of areas, the company worksclosely with the industry to develop solutionsto ongoing issues. Bruising is a good example, notes Adam Johnson. “It’s a

Visual Protect overrides which view the operatorsees if a problem is detected anywhere on themachine.

Autopilot is an autosteer function, guided by twofingers that drop down at the front either side ofthe row.

Innovation Insight

1

234

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CPM would like to thank Grimme UK for kindly sponsoring this article, and for providing privileged access to staff and material used to help put the article together.

Innovation Insight

Optibag holds the crop in a mesh, which enablesfurther soil separation, in pockets made up ofindividual sheets that are clipped to the frame.

Claiming a potato harvester ‘can walk on water’ may be bordering on exaggeration whendescribing the way a self-propelled GrimmeVaritron 270 keeps going in soft ground conditions. But, Gary Adamson, operations’ manager for Fridlington Farms, based in the Vale of York is clearly impressed with his.

“We grow 120ha on the home farm and rentground from other farmers in the district to makeup the 250hs acres,” he explains. “Grown on contract to McCain Foods and Walker Crisps, thevarieties are main crop and include those such asLady Rosetta, Hermes and Royal.”

The decision to invest in a self-propelled potato harvester was made because of previousexperience of harvesting in the wet with two-rowtrailed machines that needed trailers to run alongside them, which made the going very difficult, he says.

“The Varitron 270 is a two-row machine powered by a 280hp Mercedes Benz engine.Diablo rollers are used to lift the crop onto thehydraulically driven first main web and this has a speed-adjustable rocker agitator. The secondweb takes the crop to the double MultiSep unitwhich then delivers the potatoes to the large picking off table.”

The potatoes are then conveyed to a flatfloored bunker having a capacity of 7000kg and,for unloading, a three-section web conveyor.

“I like the reversible unloading web on thismachine that allows the outgoing crop to bereturned to the bunker when the trailer or boxeshave been filled,” he says. “This then means thedelivery end of the bunker-loading conveyor fromthe picking table can return to a position justabove the potatoes which reduces the drop heightand the risk of bruising.”

The usual unloading routine is for the trailersloaded with boxes to line up in a row and for the harvester to move along filling the boxes as it does so. In difficult conditions the trailersremain on the headlands and the harvester runs to them.

The running gear on the Varitron is one of themain reasons behind Gary Adamson’s decision topurchase the machine. There’s a single fronthydrostatically driven wheel with demand traction control and then, on the rear right, is asecond wheel, while on the left a rubber track900mm wide and 2970mm long. For steering, thefront wheel can turn to an angle of 70° and therear to +/-13°, which results in an inner turningradius of only 2.5m.

Tracked self propelled harvester asset in wet conditions

“The weight loading is just so good,” heenthuses. “Not only does it ensure theharvester keeps moving in marginal conditions, it also reduces the damage to the soil so that following crops don’t suffer fromthe aftermath of harvesting.”

For the operator, there’s a degree of comfortnow considered to be essential for such highprofile machines. “The best feature of the cab isthe tremendous vision it provides of the intakeunit and the first web, and the fact that it really isa comfortable place to be.”

Gary Adamson likes the reversible unloadingweb on his Varitron, but it was the running gearthat was the main reason for the purchase.

particularly acute problem for UK growers,and has been the subject of AHDB-fundedresearch. We’ve always aimed to beinvolved in those projects so we can be at the forefront of developments.”

This contributed to the development ofSpeedtronic on trailed harvesters, thatgained Grimme a DLG silver medal in 2011.“When the crop hits the elevator, that’s adirection change, which has been found tobe a key damage area. With Speedtronic,two sensors monitor how full the pockets are,and you can adjust that from the cab. Thespeed of the elevator is then automaticallyset to ensure optimum fill of the pockets,which reduces bruising,” he explains.

Such industry involvement is just part ofthe £10M the company spends on R&D

every year, he notes. Design tweaks are rigorously tested and scientifically evaluatedin field trails before they’re rolled out commercially.

“One development I think growers willreally like is Ergodrive, that’s due to belaunched at Grimme Technica next month,”notes Adam Johnson. “It’s among changesto the new Varitron Platinum range that wasunveiled two months ago.”

Alongside a new Tier 4-compliant engineis a new control system and command armthat’s been adapted from Grimme’s sugarbeet harvester. “While before you had to siftthrough screens on the control panel to getto the setting you want, you can now putthem close at hand, and programme thecommand arm so they’re at your fingertips.It’s a lot more user friendly –– functions like Cleancontrol are available at the flick of a switch.”

The new Varitron Platinum range will beon show for the first time in the UK atLAMMA in Jan 2017, says Adam Johnson,and he reckons it’ll draw some attention. “We know we make a premium product at a premium price, but growers know they get cutting-edge technology from that investment and unrivalled back-up and support. We not only introduce innovations,we’ll stand by them, whatever, and it’s that

reassurance that allows growers to get thebest performance in the field,” he says. n


Innovation Insight

It may not have turned out tobe a season with big spraing

problems, but free-livingnematodes haven’t gone

away. CPM looks at managing the threat.


RootsPotato varieties

The challenge for breeders is to maintain all the

end-user requirements in a variety while

introducing traits for resistance to pests

and diseases.”

“Spraing to mind

As all potato growers know all too well,it’s a peculiar market where varieties are concerned. It’s not just about characteristics when it comes to whichvarieties to plant. There’s a huge elementdown to consumer and supply chainacceptance, especially for packing potatoes.

This makes it considerably different tochoosing a cereal variety, where its yield anddisease characteristics can make or breakthe decision. All too often, growers have to learn to cope with the agronomic disadvantages of a variety because it’s what the market wants.

To prove the point, Maris Piper is still themost popular potato variety grown in the UK,according to figures recently released byAHDB Potatoes. That’s in spite of the factthat Maris Piper is notoriously susceptible toslug damage and to Globodera pallidaPa2/3,1. Foliar blight, common scab andPVY aren’t its strong points either. Maris

Piper’s success is down to its versatility forthe end user, explains AHDB analyst AmberCottingham, whose stats show the area ofMaris Piper grew by 5% in 2016 (see tableon p79).

Biggest moversOne of the biggest movers in the top tenwas processing variety, Royal, with an areaincrease of 38% which moves it up sixplaces to reach the top ten for the first time.Interestingly one of the traits of this variety isa good resistance to potato mop top virus(PMTV) which causes spraing symptoms intubers. Another top mover is Taurus whichhas a resistance (8) to powdery scab, whichacts as the vector for PMTV. Could that be acoincidence or a reflection that growers dowhat they can within their market when itcomes to variety selection?

“The main problem at present with varieties is getting them accepted by the end user. They may be resistant toeverything but if they don’t taste, cook and process right then they’ve no chance,”explains independent potato specialist, John Sarup.

One of the key things growers aim to doto counter agronomic weaknesses in thevarieties they’re growing is to match themwith fields. This is particularly importantwhen it comes to spraing control, believesJohn Sarup but he reckons that PMTV isn’tthe biggest cause of spraing symptoms.

While fields that harbour powdery scab

are often well known to growers and managed accordingly, the second and mostimportant virus causing spraing symptoms,tobacco rattle virus (TRV), is transmitted by a group of tiny soil inhabitants, the free-living soil nematodes, which are lesswell understood, he explains.

Potato plants become infected with TRVfrom nematodes in the soil that feed on thedeveloping tubers, explains Dr Roy Neilson,nematologist at the James Hutton Institute.

“Not every species of free-living nematode can carry TRV. Transmission is by free-living nematodes of the generaTrichodorus sp. and Paratrichodorus sp.(stubby root nematodes) and tends to be agreater issue on light, sandy soils,” he says.

So far this season, John Sarup has seen very few spraing issues, especiallysurprising after the lack of Vydate (oxamyl)in the spring which is normally applied in aneffort to control free-living nematodes. Sowhy does he think this is?

“One of the main factors is probably theadded focus we had on matching the rightvariety to the right field because we neededto manage the crop without Vydate beingavailable. Now we’ve gone through this targeting process, it’s something we should continue to do as a matter of goodagronomic practice and consider the use ofVydate as an additional insurance measure,”he says.

“Another big factor was probably theweather. It was dry during tuber initiation


If a variety doesn’t taste, cook and process rightthen it has no chance of market uptake, saysJohn Sarup.

Potato mop top virus (PMTV) causes spraingsymptoms in tubers.Photo: SASA

which means the nematodes wouldn’t havebeen able to move around and transmit thevirus at this important time,” he suggests.

Nematodes favour wet conditionsbecause they can only move around in soilwater, so heavy rainfall or over irrigation canalso exacerbate incidence of spraing insome seasons.

One of the big factors when it comes tofield selection for spraing-prone varieties isweed control. Host weeds for TRV can be a major factor and eliminating the greenbridge is something to be mindful of, advises John Sarup.

“TRV virus has been shown to have a verybroad host range and can infect over 400plant species. These include many commonfield weeds including fat hen, chickweed,knotweed, bindweed, groundsel and dandelion,” he explains, adding that some of these weeds are common in grassland so virgin potato ground can’t be assumed to be free from virus vectors where TRV is concerned.

It’s currently thought that there are threetypes of response to TRV by different potatocultivars. Some cultivars, such as Record,are immune to TRV infection, although isolatesof TRV have arisen that can overcome thisresistance, explains Roy Neilson.

A second group of cultivars, whichincludes King Edward, Sante, Nadine,Shepody, Saxon, Marfona and Rocket, are completely susceptible to TRV.

“This means that the virus spreadsthroughout the infected plant causing little or no observable symptoms but the plant issystemically infected. Work at the JamesHutton Institute has shown that infected seedcan be an important mode of transfer for thevirus and after several generations suchpotato plants produce smaller and moreirregular tubers.”

The third group of cultivars, whichincludes Pentland Dell, react to TRV infectionby producing arcs of discolouration (spraing

symptoms) inside the tubers, as well as surface lesions and malformations.

Testing for free-living nematodes has traditionally been carried out under themicroscope but this season, growers havean additional molecular option developed at the James Hutton Institute, with the collaboration of a number of industry partners, and launched in Aug at Potatoes in Practice.

Stubby root nematodes“Until now, when growers submit a soil sample, they get a result that indicates thenumber of stubby root nematodes detectedin the sample. The problem is that a numberof stubby root species coexist with the twospecies of free-living nematodes that areTRV vectors. Under the microscope it’s notpossible to distinguish how many are virusvectors and how many aren’t,” explains Roy Neilson.

Funded by AHDB Potatoes and InnovateUK, he describes the new molecular DNAdiagnostic test as a real step forward.

“The new test will differentiate betweenthe different species of FLN so gives growers more pertinent information. It’squicker and potentially cheaper because the throughput of samples that can beanalysed in a day is much higher than performing taxonomy using a microscope,”explains Roy Neilson.

The diagnostics has undergone threeyears of validation and been tested againstapproximately 5000 soil samples from potato-growing areas of the UK. In parallel,this has enabled scientists at James HuttonInstitute to potentially identify molecularmarkers which will facilitate future breedingof new potato varieties with resistance toTRV and to develop strategies for controllingfree-living nematode.

“Free-living nematodes have always beenendemic in UK soils but the focus has

always been on potato cyst nematodes(PCN). There’s been a sharper focus on free-living nematodes over the past fewyears with the realisation that the chemicalcontrol options available are likely todecrease dramatically,” he adds.

This realisation has been further sharpened by forecasts that the numbers offree-living nematode species are likely tocontinue to increase as the effects of climatechange influence the dynamics of our soilfauna and flora.

Sue Cowgill, crop protection scientist atAHDB Potatoes, explains that the moleculardiagnostics is just one component of a muchlarger five-year research programme toaddress the free-living nematode problemand is the first to reach completion.

“A second component of the project is looking at the broader community of free-living nematodes that attack potatoroots and cause losses in yield and quality.

Potato varieties


s

Rank Variety name % change Movements1 Maris Piper 5% Non-mover2 Markies -4% Non-mover3 Maris Peer 5% Non-mover4 Melody 5% 1 place5 Lady Rosetta -20% 1 place6 Estima -10% Non-mover7 Pentland Dell 4% 1 place8 Taurus 32% 6 places9 Royal 38% 6 places10 Marfona 3% Non-mover

Source: AHDB Potatoes

The movers and shakers

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Source: AHDB; results from a site in Shrops (2012); presence of TRV confirmed using diagnostic tests performed by SASA.

Work at the James Hutton Institute has shownthat infected seed can be an important mode oftransfer for tobacco rattle virus.

In an average year, damage from free-livingnematodes isn’t as substantial as we originallythought, says Sue Cowgill.

Untreated

Vydate 10G

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

%S

pra

ing

P.Dell

Casab

lanca

Onnovato

r

Harmony

Mar

kies

Crisp4A

ll

Mar

isPiper

Shepody

Melo

dy

Saxon

L. Rose

tta

Shelford

Potato varieties exhibiting spraing symptoms

The current information we have regardingnematode thresholds for damage and when a nematicide treatment should be considered is old, so this is in the process ofbeing updated,” she explains. “We’re lookingto see how plants respond to free-livingnematodes in field trials at four sites, from Norfolk to Scotland, with 12 cultivars at each location.

“We’ve observed that conditions whichaffect the speed of plant emergence andearly growth can affect the severity of nematode damage, but in an average year, damage isn’t as substantial as we originally thought. But there will be situationswhere there’ll be a benefit from using anematicide,” she says, adding that a riskassessment will ultimately be produced sothat growers can better identify the risk on a field-by-field basis.

John Sarup believes that looking at theeffects of the free-living nematodes beyondthe transmission of spraing is importantresearch. “It’s the whole umbrella of free-livingnematodes we need to understand moreabout. There are issues around direct feedingdamage to the roots, which also creates apoint of entry for pathogens. Of particularconcern is the ‘early dying complex’, whichconsists of a number of pathogens includingverticillium and rhizoctonia,” he says.

The third component of the AHDBresearch is looking at the variety responsesto TRV infection to identify markers to use inbreeding programmes. “It’s impossible to beprescriptive where free-living nematodes are

concerned and each field needs to beassessed on the basis of its history, soil typeand condition and whether TRV is present.

“The solution will be a very integratedapproach and there’s a lot more to come inthe future from cultivars, which will aidspraing control in particular,” she believes.“The challenge for breeders is to maintain allthe end-user requirements in a variety whileintroducing traits for resistance to pests anddiseases.”

In the meantime, autumn is a good timefor taking soil samples to test for free-livingnematodes, advises Roy Neilson.

“Autumn and spring are the best times ofyear for getting representative samples fromthe field, when temperatures aren’t bakingand there’s enough moisture in the ground. If growers can get samples in as soon aspossible it helps with field selection for nextyear’s potato varieties,” he adds.

On a cautionary note, John Sarup suggests growers send any potatoes withinternal browning for testing to make sure it’s spraing they’re dealing with. “Internal rust spot and spraing can easily be misdiagnosed and while the marketing implications are the same, it’s important toestablish whether the cause is related to acalcium problem or is a symptom of a viralinfection,” he says.

“If you have spraing, it means that youhave free-living nematodes that are carryingTRV. The implication is that weed controlneeds to be a priority throughout the rest of the rotation, otherwise the virus will still be there when the field comes back intopotatoes again,” advises John Sarup. n

Potato varieties

s

Resistant Spraing sensitive TRV susceptibleRecord (9) Pentland Dell (1) King Edward (6)

Saturna (7) Maris Bard (2) Sante (6)

Nicola (8) Picasso (1) Nadine (6)

Lady Rosetta (8) Russet Burbank (1) Shepody (6)

Fianna (8) Saxon (7)

Marfona (6)

Rocket (5)

Source: James Hutton Institute, based on the results from field trials. NIAB TAG rating provided in brackets.

Spraing sensitivity

Potato prices are the highestthey’ve been for this time ofyear since 2013, so what does the season ahead hold?CPM finds out.

By Olivia Cooper

RootsPotato markets

In the longer term, I

can’t see prices falling far.”

“Production ebbsees prices firm

The new season potato campaign startedon a high note this year, with strong oldcrop prices and tight stocks making for a bullish market. According to AHDBPotatoes, the GB planted area was 4% upon the year at 116,000ha, but that wasstill the second lowest area on record.And lower yields mean production couldactually fall below the 2015 figure of5.43M tonnes.

“If we have average yields that’ll moreor less offset the increased area,” saysArthur Marshall, analyst at AHDB Potatoes.“But most farmers are reporting averageyields at best.”

As of 17 Sept, farmers had lifted about29,000ha –– similar to the same time lastyear. Most remaining crops were senescingor had been burnt off, although those thathadn’t were reportedly suffering following theprolonged hot, dry conditions. “Crops areincreasingly being lifted into stores, thoughthere are some concerns over the high fieldtemperatures possibly affecting storagequality,” he explains. “Yields are variable,with tuber counts generally on the low side.”

With the dry weather, bruising is a concern, with other waste mostly fromgrowth cracks and greening. “There have been reports of growers delaying

lifting, which could support prices in theshort term.”

Indeed, although the GB weekly average price –– which reached £268.50/tex-farm in late June –– followed the usualseasonal trend downwards as new croplifting got under way, it rebounded in theweek to 16 Sept, rising £2/t on the week to £167.12/t. The free-buy average alsoimproved, gaining nearly £5/t to £185.30/t,although contract trade continued to makeup most of the sample.

Similar production“In the longer term, I can’t see pricesfalling far –– it would stand to reason that if we have similar production to last yearthen prices shouldn’t be too different,” he adds.

One of the strongest sectors in the market remains packing whites, whichdrove prices up sharply in the spring and remains firm relative to other productareas. Although typically Maris Piperwould command a premium to packingwhites, that’s no longer the case, saysArthur Marshall. “Two years ago when the price was very low, people droppedpacking whites and focussed on MarisPiper –– the massive area cut from 2014

to 2015 was predominantly in packingwhite varieties.”

In 2015, the area of potatoes destinedfor packing fell by 11% to 38,000ha. Thatrebounded to 43,000ha this year, drivenby high prices for best quality whites andbaking potatoes in late 2015/16. However,while the overall area has increased, thegeneral packing-white share remainssmaller, leading to tight supplies againstdemand, he explains.

Plantings for the fresh chipping sectoralso increased this year, up 9% to thehighest area since 2013, driven bystronger prices in 2015/16, says AmberCottingham, analyst at AHDB Potatoes.“The seed-potato area also appears tohave increased by 13% to about17,000ha.” The area sown for processing


s

Packing whites remain one of the strongestsectors in the market, which drove prices upsharply in the spring, says Arthur Marshall.

Yields are down and wastage is high so themarket is expected to be firm.

Although retail demand for fresh potatoes hasbeen drifting in recent years, it improvedmarginally last year.

increased slightly, whereas potatoes destined for fresh bags and ware both fell.

As of 16 Sept, free-buy demand forpacking potatoes remained good, withbest quality stocks in tight supply.Wholecrop Charlotte salads were fetchingaround £230/t ex-farm, with 45mm downCharlotte at £325-£395/t. Grade one redswere trading at £220-£270/t, with generalpack Maris Piper at about £145/t. White baking varieties were priced at £240-£260/t, with grade one whites at £160-£230/t.

New Scottish packing supplies with correct skin set were limited, with somesamples proving small with low baker content. Grade one Maris Piper and whiteswere fetching £190-£200/t, with 45mmdown Maris Peer at £300-£320/t.

In the bagged sector, chipping priceswere under pressure in mid-Sept, withdemand subdued in some areas. In theEast, Maris Piper for chipping remained

firm at £140-£210/t ex-farm, with wareMarfona easing to £120/t in the West.“Bagged ware isn’t a huge part of the market now –– the long-term trend is slowing,” says Arthur Marshall. InScotland, low volumes of Isle of Jura weremoving to Glasgow fruit market at £160/t.

Although retail demand for fresh potatoes has been drifting in recent years,it improved marginally last year, he adds.And despite last year’s small crop size,exports actually increased. “Exports aren’tso much associated with the surplus size –– it’s more down to demand fromimporters.” By mid-Sept this year, shipments were under way to Ireland, theCanaries, Netherlands, the Faroe Islandsand Belgium. Frying varieties to Irelandwere trading at £140-£200/t, with ware tothe Canaries at £210-£350/t, depending on variety.

UK competitionSo what about the UK’s competitors?According to Arthur Marshall, last year’shigh prices encouraged growers toincrease plantings in all the North-WesternEuropean Potato Growers (NEPG) countries (GB, France, Belgium,Netherlands and Germany). The total areawas 4.8% up on last year, with Belgiumshowing a 12.5% increase. “However,yields are expected to be lower in allcountries, suggesting production will be tighter than last year and below thefive-year average,” he says.

The NEPG’s latest estimate put totalproduction at 24.91m tonnes –– 1.6%down on the year and 2.2% below the five-year mean. Processing yields havebeen good with high dry matter, but there’sbeen a lower proportion of large tubers.“Due to low yields and very dry soil conditions the harvest is behind schedule,with most of the potatoes still in the fields,which increases the risk of bad harvestconditions,” says the report.

“Potato prices on the free market arestill quite firm after last season, and maybe supported by the lower production thisyear,” it adds. “However, growers with contracts might have difficulties becauseof the lower yields and possible qualitypenalties, which causes lower profitability.This would also mean more demand fromprocessors on the free market.”

So for growers with stocks in the barn,what does that mean for future priceprospects? “In the short-term, there couldbe some harvest pressure,” explainsArthur Marshall. “But stocks got very tight last season and if supplies are

down again it could be interesting comeMarch/April time.”

Alan Birch at potato merchant MaincropPotatoes reckons it’s still too early to confidently predict the market. “We’ll knowmore once the crop is in the barn. Butyields are down and wastage is high sowe’d expect that the market is going to be firm.”

In Yorks, wastage hasn’t been as highas in East Anglia, where some crops arelosing 40-50% to growth cracks, saysChris Yardley, technical director atWholecrop Marketing. “And I think we’ll have there or thereabouts an average yield.”

However, seed will be tighter than normal due to the poor growing season. “If controlled varieties are short it’ll makefree varieties keener; I don’t think it’ll becheaper than last year.”

Estima in particular is tight, althoughthere are new varieties coming through, he adds. “Supermarkets are reducing theirvariety acceptance lists, which will takequite a few varieties out going forward,although they’ll have to be as good or better than traditional varieties.”

It’ll be interesting to see if buyers have to lower their quality acceptancestandards, given the difficult year, saysChris Yardley. “If the price goes one waythey’ll be more tolerant because there isn’t the spectrum on the Continent to fallback on.”

Although it’s still relatively early in theseason, export demand to the Continent isgood, he adds. “We’re exporting table aswell as processing varieties, which we’venever done before; there’s a good tablemarket over there.” n

Potato markets


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Never one to jump on the bandwagon, I’m not embarrassed to say that I’ve only recently lost myTwitter virginity.

It’s not that I’m technophobicin any way, in fact I’m usuallyan early adopter. But as far as Twitter went, I just really didn’t quite get it. Some of thefuturistic concepts in digitalfarming, I must confess, I’mfinding equally difficult to getmy head around.

Last month I spent a fewdays in Germany, along withjournalists from around theworld, learning about futureinnovations for farming. So Iunderstand the possibilities areendless when it comes to usingsatellite imagery. We can tellhow green a crop is, where thesprayer had a miss, when oneof the locals has popped in todig up some spuds for theirtea. Put that together with somenifty innovations on the groundthat can catch disease-causingspores, a spot of weather dataand the brain of a computer,then that could well take some of the guesswork out ofdisease-control strategies.

But Bayer’s aspirations fordigital farming go so much further, with the ultimate aim toprovide a ‘clean field’ throughusing the technology they’redeveloping. That means noweeds, no diseases, no pests.Clever stuff. So if you’ve been

struggling with blackgrass,got flea beetle chewing

off your rape fasterthan Usain Bolt canrun 100m and yellowrust evolving faster

than lightning, then we’ll be laughing. What’s

more, will we even need an agronomist?

Before we get too excited,there’s an obvious problem.Take blackgrass. Even if every weed plant is mapped,plugged into the sprayer software and herbicide appliedwith pinpoint accuracy, surelyit’s not going to work as a concept when we come to tacklethis particular thorny problem.Not if we don’t have any chemistry that’ll actually kill it.Or am I being a bit negative?Would better targeting help ourexisting chemistry do a betterjob and save a few pennies atthe same time by only sprayingwhere it’s needed? In my mind, the jury’s still out on a ‘weed-free’ crop in our UK situation.

It’s an interesting idea andperhaps more so when itcomes to diseases. Satelliteimagery could alert us to disease in a field before any

Going digital

Based in Ludlow, Shrops,Lucy de la Pasture hasworked as an agronomist,while among the Twitterati,she’s @[email protected]

symptoms are actually visible.Staying on top of diseases likeseptoria, or light leaf spot, thathave a long latent period wouldbe easier. Imagine pinpointingthe start of blight in a potatofield and being able to knock iton the head before an epidemicgets legs. It’s not far away.Perhaps checking satelliteimages on the laptop is as likely to become as part of thedaily routine as reading ourTwitter feed. This technologycould really lead to using fungicides differently.

Crop production is entering areally exciting time and some ofthe biggest advances are goingto be in helping the crop tohelp itself. Take the growth inbiostimulant products overrecent years –– it’s an areawhere the big manufacturersare all now investing. So they’reputting their mega bucksbehind this technology, whichuntil recently has been in therealms of muck and mystery.That means they see realpotential there.

After all, plants have theirown defence mechanisms,using a sophisticated system of signalling and employingsecondary metabolites that act

in much the same way as ourimmune system. As scienceunravels more about how theseresponses are elicited, we’ll beable to harness them to keepcrops healthier. Perhaps we’lleven establish some sort ofhomeopathy for plants!

There’s definitely a move afoot in agronomy which is more akin to eastern medicine, where the focus ison keeping plant systems inbalance to stay healthy. It’s adeparture from our westernapproach, where we treatsymptoms of a disease in isolation without necessarilyunderstanding what hascaused the imbalance thatallowed the disease to get afoot-hold in the first place.

So I’m looking forward toseeing what pops up in myTwitter feed as we go hi-techdigital farming. It could give awhole new meaning to lookingover the neighbour’s hedge!

Will a move to digital farming really help against blackgrass, or will we just end up with more bearded blokes withiPads squatting in our crops?


Shedding light on biostimulants

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