In this issue... Buzzing with prospects page 18 New OSR varieties, new IPM ways Soil-led solutions page 74 - cpm magazine
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In this issue... Buzzing with prospects page 18 Soil-led solutions page 74 New OSR varieties, new IPM ways Worcs farmer pioneers carbon culture Robot farming page 60 Virus-beating beet page 77
Opinion
4 Talking Tilth - A word from the editor.
Volume 23 Number 6
6 Smith’s Soapbox - Views and opinions from an Essex peasant…..
May 2021
58 Tech Respect - CPM ’s machinery editor surveys the search for UK Ag’s next step.
72 Trade Talk - Industry views from AICC chairman Sean Sparling
91 Last Word - A view from the field from CPM’s technical editor.
Technical
8 Crop Doctor - Disease slows in dry April
The cool, dry April has slowed crop growth and disease development.
12 New fungicide - Flag leaf gets new option
Univoq brings a new site of action to T2 fungicide programmes.
14 Bioscience Insider - Finding the unicorn
The story of one of the more recent discoveries in plant physiology.
18 Battling the beetle - Cover all bases
There’s a whole host of measures currently surfacing that seem to help.
CPM would like to thank Jake Freestone for supplying the stunning front cover 22 Insiders View - Something to get Excited about…
photo. At his request we have donated £50 to the Mind your Head campaign Improved genetics may encourage oilseed rape growers.
Editor 26 Innovation Insight - A breakthrough in genetics
Tom Allen-Stevens Two OSR varieties contain a new resistance gene – RlmS.
Technical editor 30 Regenerative agriculture - Biology comes first
Lucy de la Pasture Wheat options for the regenerative agriculture grower this autumn.
Machinery editor
Charlotte Cunningham 34 Insiders View - Sky-high resistance
A Group 3 offering which claims the title of the best septoria resistance.
Writers
Tom Allen-Stevens Charlotte Cunningham 38 Fit for the Future - An integrated approach
The role genetics and variety choice play in IPM strategies.
Mike Abram Lucy de la Pasture
Rob Jones 42 Real Results Pioneers - Tools for a new way of farming
Spring barley has been part of the cropping mix on a Shropshire farm.
Design and production
Brooks Design
46 Rotational Resilience - A rye resurgence?
Elsoms has been investing in the crop’s research and genetics.
Advertisement co-ordinator
Peter Walker
50 Agri-intelligence update - Stewarding the Transition
The mist is beginning to clear on environmental enhancement.
Publisher
54 Theory to Field - The rise of bromes
Angus McKirdy Results from a four-year AHDB project.
Business development manager
Charlotte Alexander
To claim two crop protection BASIS points, send an email to
Machinery
linda@basis-reg.co.uk, quoting reference CP/100659/2021/g.
60 Smart technology - Driving evolution
To claim two NRoSO CPD points, please send your name, The global requirement for more sustainable agriculture is driving innovation.
NRoSO member number, date of birth and postcode to
angus@cpm-magazine.co.uk 64 Material handlers - Lessening the load
The right handler can bring a multitude of benefits on farm.
*the claim ‘best read specialist arable journal’ is based
on independent reader research conducted by 68 On Farm Opinion - Consistency pays off
Running a fleet of efficient tractors brings huge benefits.
McCormack Media 2020
Editorial & advertising sales
CPM Ltd, 1 Canonbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 7AG Innovation
Tel: (01743) 369707 E-mail: angus@cpm-magazine.co.uk
74 Climate Change Champions - An active community
Reader registration hotline 01743 861122 The thriving soils of a Worcestershire estate are carefully managed.
Advertising copy
Brooks Design,
24 Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 1RD
Roots
Tel: (01743) 244403 E-mail: fred@brooksdesign.co.uk
77 Sugar beet varieties - Virus tolerance makes debut
CPM Volume 23 No 6. Editorial, advertising and sales offices are at The 2022 BBRO/BSPB Recommended List was released last month.
CPM Ltd, 1 Canonbury, Shrewsbury, SY1 9NX England.
Tel: (01743) 369707. CPM is published eleven times a year by 80 Potatoes - Alternaria – another evolving threat?
CPM Ltd and is available free of charge to qualifying farmers Early blight has become a more significant disease in some varieties.
and farm managers in the United Kingdom.
In no way does CPM Ltd endorse, notarise or concur with any of the 84 Research Briefing - Blight wars: late blight strikes back
advice, recommendations or prescriptions reported in the magazine. Latest analysis of blight strains shows a further evolution of the pathogen.
If you are unsure about which recommendations to follow, please consult
a professional agronomist. Always read the label. Use pesticides safely. 88 Pushing performance - Getting the most from chemistry
CPM Ltd is not responsible for loss or damage to any unsolicited The odds of hitting your target go dramatically up when you aim at it.
material, including photographs.
crop production magazine may 2021 3
CPM (Print) ISSN 2753-9040 CPM (Online) ISSN 2753-9059
accuracy of what he’s doing, inefficiency. He also needs to up by fourth generation
is stupefying. learn to do the job while he’s farmer Sam Watson-Jones
Tom’s ready for moving along, which will be no and tech entrepreneur
commercial roll-out. You mean feat, considering he has Ben Scott-Robinson, who
don’t buy him, but hire to remain well earthed while formed the Tom, Dick, Harry
him in, under the zapping and needs pinpoint and Wilma vision and the plan
Small Robot Company precision. to commercialise it as a
(SRC) Farming as a Harry will complete the trio service. Presented just three
Service arrangement, of trundling farm bots and will years ago at Oxford (still with
which works a bit like plant the seeds. He’s still in no prototype) importantly
Is robot contract farming. The price development, says SRC, but farmers have led its
farming real? paid by Hants grower Craig rumours suggest he’ll use a development since.
Livingstone, who’s been trialling novel low-draught planter unit So it genuinely was a very
the service, is £40/ha, and for to ensure the system keeps its moving milestone moment to
I think it was a bit of a that he receives four scans in low ground pressure promise see Tom operate autonomously
milestone moment. the autumn and three in the –– Tom puts less impact on the and Dick actually kill weeds.
Tom was shuffling about on spring. Over a 6ha field, Tom’s soil than a human foot. The technical barriers they’ve
the headland, his AI somewhat found 12.7M plants, around So why’s this a milestone overcome have been numerous
laboriously lining him up for the 250,000 of which were weeds. moment? I’ve followed the and immense, and the doubts
next bout he was due to scan. These are analysed by concept ever since it was that it could never happen have
Dick meanwhile had gathered Wilma, the AI brains of the presented by Prof Simon been overcome. It makes you
his spiderlike frame over a patch operation, who can now Blackmore at the Oxford wonder where agri-tech will
of weeds, sank in his earth rod, distinguish between wheat Farming Conference in 2014. take us next.
and three fast-moving probes and grassweeds, including Interestingly titled ‘Farming
were seeking out the weeds, blackgrass. What you get is a with robots 2050’, the idea was
Tom Allen-Stevens has a
frying them with a crackle and per-plant map of your fields. brilliant –– why use heavy,
170ha arable farm in Oxon
spark of electricity, much to Dick is only at the prototype expensive and damaging
and is an investor in the
the delight of the onlooking stage, says SRC. Guided by machines when the job could
Small Robot Company.
journalists. Wilma, this is the weeding be done far more efficiently
For those a bit perplexed, bot which uses technology with a swarm of robots? But it tom@cpm-magazine.co.uk
we’re talking robots. Last month developed by Rootwave to put was pure sci-fi. @tomallenstevens
saw the commercial launch of an 8kV electric charge through Inspired by this, it was taken
Tom, an orange-bodied cross the weed, effectively boiling it
between a deer and an ATV, that so it dies. It runs off a Tesla
Tom the scouting bot and Dick, armed with weed-zapping probes.
autonomously prowls the crops battery, and the aim is to get
up to GS30, mapping everything the weeds when they’re small,
that he finds. Covering 20ha which requires a zap of only
in an 8hr day, he gathers a around 10W for 0.5s. How long
staggering 6TB of data –– this the battery will last presumably
includes the pinpoint position of depends on your weed burden.
crop plants and importantly, Dick’s going to be tested this
exactly where the weeds are. autumn. His handler, senior
He’ll spot a slug, a lapwing robot engineer Andy Hall,
nest, a beetle. Give him a nose assures that he’s very accurate
and he’ll smell your soil, ears at locating weeds in the X, Y
and he’ll record the birdsong. plane (forwards, sideways),
The potential for this fledgling but still has to perfect the Z
bot, still nervously righting his movement (up and down) of
wheels and gathering his his three probes –– a spark,
position, keen to be sure of the although exciting, is a sign of
sweet smell of first-cut silage of intervention support and longer reverberate with the
and oilseed rape pollen has laid protective tariffs. song ‘Hooray, hooray, the first
across the mid-spring air, there For the farmers these were of May, subsidy form-filling
has been a less noble heydays largely free from red begins today’.
fragrance of paperwork tape when the financial support But the question remains,
filling the farmyard during arrived embedded in the grain although by the mid-2020s
the fifth month of the year. cheque. All the farmer had to most of us will be free of this
Since the early 90s, May do was grow the crop and sell May-time task, what new
has been the month when the produce. But for three tangled bureaucratic labyrinth
you need to get the support decades now, with the advent will have replaced it? With new
May the mayhem payment applications in. of set-aide and area payments convoluted tiers of countryside
There was a time called the introduced in the early 90s, stewardship alongside an ever
diminish 1980s, almost forgotten now, forms and maps have been longer list of equipment grants
when life for the arable farmer found strewn across the farm not to mention the SFI, the FSF,
was remarkably free from form office desk every May. the FIF and whatever new three
For a generation of farmers filling. In these times subsidies For those of us who can letter acronyms are coming
the merrie month of May isn’t vital to most farm’s income were remember those A3-sized IACS over the hill –– one suspects
just associated with emerging paid somewhat covertly through forms with their endless lines of the paper chase is not likely to
barley awns and fungicide a price support system called eye-boggling boxes to fill in, diminish in the future.
applications to wheat flag intervention buying. When world today’s BPS form seems a walk Of course, we are promised
leaves but it has also become grain prices slumped towards in the park, especially this year a post-Brexit world of simpler
a month of last minute form the £50/t level, UK farmers with no EFA to worry about. forms and lighter inspections.
filling. along with their EU brethren Things used to be a lot more I suspect I’m not the only one
For thirty years now, as the could achieve £100/t because nerve-jangling where a slip of who will only believe these
the pen or the striking of a Brexiteer promises when I
wrong calculator button could actually witness them firsthand
lead to mayhem more prickly on my farm. Outside of these
than a maybush. hopes of a simpler life not
How many of us in the past dogged by worries as to
have tarried around the post whether we have got our
box before inserting a massive applications in on time and
envelope stuffed with forms correctly done, I have one more
and maps or hovered an index wish of the new system and
finger over the ‘submit’ button that is that it no longer haunts
torturing ourselves with the my once favourite month of
thought we have made a the year –– that being the very
schoolboy error that will have merrie month of May.
consequences far worse than
a school detention? I’ll admit to
nightmares where my name is
to be found in the local papers
under the headline ‘Local
farmer in subsidy fraud
scandal’ merely because
I’d got a decimal point in the
wrong place or rubbed out Guy Smith grows 500ha of
the wrong line on a map. combinable crops on the north
But now, of course, we have east Essex coast, namely
the prospect of life without St. Osyth Marsh –– officially the
driest spot in the British Isles.
IACS-cum-SPS-cum-BPS forms
Despite spurious claims from
dominating our May-time frolics. others that their farms are
Maybe we will be able to get actually drier, he points out
back to proper farming as well that his farm is in the Guinness
as those other outside activities Book of Records, whereas
that traditionally start in May. others aren’t. End of.
In a few years hopefully the @essexpeasant
farmhouse kitchen will no
6 crop production magazine may 2021
Disease slows in dry April
“ There’s a
lot of leaf death and
it’s damage that’s
completely unrelated
to disease.
”
Technical
Crop Doctor
The cool, dry April has stress from the abnormally cool weather. sampling of the newest leaf layers has
slowed crop growth, disease “There’s been less than 5mm of rain detected no yellow rust so far this season
at Cawood so far this month, though the and septoria levels appears to be static in
development and T1 forecast today gives a 40% chance of the crop. It all adds up to making fungicide
fungicide applications. CPM showers. It’s also been cold with frosts decisions at T1 much more tricky than
at night, but daytime temperatures have normal, says James.
joins the Crop Doctors as improved so far this week,” says “Even though there’s septoria bubbling
they get back out into the James Howat, Bayer commercial technical away in the lower canopy, it’s difficult to
manager (CTM). know whether the lesions are active
field to see how different enough or whether it will be wet enough
varieties have fared at Yellow tipping to spread up the canopy.”
Wandering into a plot of KWS Palladium, a There’s clearly going to be a call on
Cawood, Long Sutton, Callow hopeful for the AHDB Recommended List, T2 decisions too. Plots will get Ascra
and Great Tew. Fiona has a closer look at the yellow (prothioconazole+ bixafen+ fluopyram) but
tipping. “You can see clear crimp marks James will use at the minimum 1.0 l/ha rate
By Lucy de la Pasture on the leaves where the growth has been if it remains dry and septoria pressure
checked by either a frost or a PGR in the upper canopy isn’t a serious
application in the cold weather. A lot of the concern. “At the 1.0 l/ha rate it still delivers
As the country begins to open up after varieties are showing tipping, but the a 65% azole dose, in line with stewardship
lockdown, the Crop Doctors are able to get degree probably varies between varieties recommendations.”
back out into the field to assess the Bayer because they will have differed in growth Fiona’s thoughts are that it will need
regional trials sites, albeit not as their stage at the time of the stress, making particularly ‘splashy’ or sustained rain
usual double act. SRUC’s Prof Fiona some more susceptible than others.” events for septoria to make the jump from
Burnett visits Cawood in North Yorkshire Another leaf effect visible in some wheat leaf six to the newly emerging leaves,
and Long Sutton in Lincolnshire on varieties, KWS Firefly in particular, is with leaf three emerging at the time
27 April, while ADAS’s Jonathan Blake abiotic spotting –– further indicating that of her visit and leaves four and five
reports from the Callow site in the weather during April has been a long appearing clean. But even so, it’s not a
▲
Herefordshire and the Great Tew Estate way from the norm. In the barley plots,
in Oxfordshire on the second day of physiological spotting is even more
the tour. prominent, she notes.
As far as disease goes most of the
Nowt brewing in Yorks varieties look relatively clean, explains
At the end of March the Crop Doctors gave James. “The plots received 1.0 l/ha Aviator
the winter wheat and barley sites at XPro (bixafen+ prothioconazole) at T1 on
Cawood an almost clean bill of health. 25 April. We’ve found around 80% of plots
The prolonged dry period in April means have mildew lurking at the base of the
very little has changed on the disease front canopy on lower leaves and stems, some
but the soil is now visibly cracked, more septoria is present on leaf six but there’s Mildew is lurking at the base of the majority of
reminiscent of June than April, and both very little yellow rust to be seen.” varieties at Cawood, pictured here in Crusoe.
wheat and barley are showing signs of The Rapid Disease Detection (RDD)
8 crop production magazine may 2021
Crop Doctor
good reason to take out the T1 in “You don’t expect yellow rust to go from
▲
her book. being present at that level at the end of
“Septoria is pretty visible, even though March to being not much of an issue by
low down, and there is also mildew there. the end of April. It would normally have
It’s worth remembering that chlorothalonil been catastrophic in the untreated plots by
gave fungicide programmes invisible help now but this season the frost has controlled
in the past, effectively propping up it as well as any fungicide,” he says.
programmes. To get to the same point Although yellow rust could still be found,
without it will mean making the best use of most noticeably in KWS Zyatt but also
the available chemistry, and that probably present in Gleam, Shabras and KWS
means using an SDHI plus azole at T1 at a Kinetic, the infection is in distinct foci
site like this but moderating the dose due to rather than being widespread, notes Eyespot lesions were hard to spot but the
the lower-than-normal disease pressure.” Darren. The dead leaves in the lower eagle-eyed Crop Doctors found some
canopy and leaf scarring in Zyatt are non-penetrating stem-based browning in
Behind at Long Sutton evidence of the disease that has been Skyscraper at Long Sutton.
Further south at David Hoyle’s farm in Long and gone.
Sutton, South Lincolnshire, the wheat is Septoria is even harder to find at the day before is like comparing apples
about two and a half weeks behind where it site, where even KWS Barrel –– one of the with pears.
would normally be at the end of April and best indicators of septoria pressure –– Drilled at the end of September, the
T1 sprays are still a good week away, says appears to be remarkably clean. Darren Callow plots have much thicker, bolder
Darren Adkins, CTM at Bayer. reports that the RDD sampling has found canopies than the later drilled Lincolnshire
“The site received a T0 on 13 April and it zero latent septoria infection present on site. With just 22mm of rain during March
hasn’t really moved on since then due to leaves four and five, confirming that, for and a further 11mm in the form of snow
the dry and cold.” now, disease pressure is low. during April, the cracking in the ground
David confirms that so far there have For David, the T1 spray will be more bears testimony that the western site is
been 15 frosts during April, often a cold about the physiological benefits than also dry for the time of year. Even so,
northerly wind and just 5mm of rain since disease control and he is cutting back his septoria is surprisingly easy to find and
15 March. Potash applied on 23 March is fungicide spend at this timing. “I’m planning more active than at the previous sites on
still evident on the baked soil surface, on using either prothioconazole on its own or the Crop Doctor tour, says Jonathan.
further evidence of an April without with tebuconazole or a strobe as a partner “Where septoria was found on leaf six
showers. or with folpet as well, depending on the at the other sites, here there are active
The wheat plots were muddled in at the variety. I’m saving the better chemistry lesions on the tip of leaf five which is
end of October after veg, he adds, leaving for later, using an SDHI at T2 and T3 as close to the newly emerging leaves and
a crop that Jonathan Blake describes as historically we’re often wet here during increases the risk of septoria spreading
‘open’. He had called into the site a few June, so we can capitalize on the soil’s up the canopy.”
days earlier on 23 April and he joins his natural water holding ability and keep the In spite of differences in the canopies
fellow Crop Doctor virtually to compare crop greener for longer to drive yield.” between varieties, with KWS Barrel low and
notes on disease levels at the site. The bigger decision is which PGR to flat to the ground and KWS Extase looking
“There’s a lot of leaf death at Long Sutton use, he adds. “Crops are small and upright and knee height, there’s very
and it’s damage that’s completely unrelated stressed now, but if it becomes warm and little difference in their physiological
to disease. It’s the leaf tipping that makes it wet then they’re going to romp through development, with leaf three emerged,
a difficult crop to look at.” their growth stages and fall over.” says Gareth. He reports the site received
Dissecting plants, Jonathan finds leaf Comparing the site to her earlier visit its T1 spray the previous day, in advance
four emerging –– making leaf emergence at to Cawood Fiona says the tipping isn’t as of the light rain that fell overnight and into
the site a leaf behind the more northerly site evident at Long Sutton, but that’s because the morning of the visit.
at Cawood. During the Crop Doctors last it’s slightly hidden by the leaf above it in David adds that most of his crops in his
visit, yellow rust was the biggest concern the canopy. “The openness of the crop North Herefordshire/South Shropshire/
and was readily found in a number of means there’s very little humidity in the
varieties. canopy to get disease cycling.
Consequently it’s less evident than at
Cawood, which although a low disease
site I consider warrants a reduced rate
of SDHI. I would agree that here at
Long Sutton a lighter touch is justified.”
Septoria lurking at Callow
On day two of the Crop Doctor tour
Jonathan Blake visited his local Bayer
Wheat is being irrigated at David Hoyles’ farm as
trials site at Callow in Herefordshire, Yellow rust had largely been subdued by the night
part of an AHDB project, even though costs vary
accompanied by Bayer CTM Gareth Bubb frosts but was still bubbling away in KWS Zyatt at
from £80-400/ha depending on the water supply
and AICC agronomist David Lines. Long Sutton.
and infrastructure.
Comparing the site with Long Sutton the
10 crop production magazine may 2021Crop Doctor
Worcestershire patch are levelling up when Wolverine is another variety to watch
it comes to growth stage, with even the carefully, believes Jonathan. “It was drilled
late-drilled wheats now with leaf three early because of its BYDV resistance
40-50% emerged. but has since had its septoria rating
Yellow tipping and leaf scarring is downgraded on the RL to 5.2, which when
evident at the Callow site, similar to the combined with early drilling will accentuate
two sites visited the previous day, but the problem.”
some varieties stand out for all the wrong Yellow rust is almost absent, with
reasons. Jonathan describes Costello as the exception of KWS Kinetic –– an
looking particularly ‘ugly’, RL candidate observation which could mean something
variety RGT Bairstow as ‘not pretty’ and interesting is going on with yellow rust
Kinetic as ‘yellow from a distance’. strains since none of the other susceptible
LG Skyscraper has easy to find septoria varieties have infection, points out Gareth.
and noticeable leaf scarring, Graham is “At Callow it’s not a protective scenario
far from clean and Gleam has a structure for septoria as it was at Long Sutton, so it
where the septoria infection is particularly warrants an SDHI at T1 in many varieties,”
close to the emerging leaves, he notes. says Jonathan. “With some of the more
In contrast, septoria resistant variety septoria-resistant varieties you can
Septoria is evident in both early and later-drilled
Theodore stands out as ‘green and clean’. probably get away with a lower input
Gravity at Great Tew in Oxfordshire.
strategy because although it’s still possible
to find septoria, it will progress more slowly
in the crop as there will be less latent Even in later-drilled fields, Gravity has
infection than usual.” active septoria on leaves five and six,
Gareth adds that the interval between he says.
T1 and T2 is likely to be much closer than Having seen three of the four sites for
normal this spring but warns that, whatever himself, Jonathan’s of the view that visible
happens, not to be tempted to compromise disease levels aren’t that dissimilar to
the timing of the T2 –– which remains the normal on the lower leaf layers at Great
most crucial timing in wheat, even if it’s Tew and Callow, but the big difference is
less than three weeks after the T1 goes on. likely to be lower levels of latent infection
on leaves five, four and newly emerging
Promise at Great Tew leaf three, a result of the predominantly
Final destination on day two is Colin dry weather during April.
Woodward’s farm at Great Tew in Ben agrees and adds, “Leaf four has
Oxfordshire, where he takes Jonathan and been present for 3-4 weeks this spring and
Bayer’s Ben Giles for a whistle-stop tour of normally that would result in plenty of latent
At Callow, septoria lesions on the older leaves of some of his wheat in the welcome rain. septoria in the leaf, but this year the results
Skyscraper are right next to emerging leaves due Jonathan reports ‘substantial levels of from the RDD sampling have consistently
to the structure of the canopy. septoria’ in September-sown Gravity, which picked up no latent disease across sites
is always a good barometer for septoria. and varieties on leaf four.”
He highlights the most recent RDD
National septoria snapshot – April 2021, week three results from five varieties at the local Bayer
site, Hinton Waldrist, from testing earlier in
the week. “As an example, RGT Saki had
visible septoria on leaf six, the RDD results
showed latent infection on leaf five but zero
infection on leaf four.”
Ben believes it’s important not to be
lulled into a false sense of security
because, even though the dry weather has
paused the spread of infection, septoria is
present in crops and the important leaves
are about to emerge. Much will hinge on
the weather during May, he says.
The rain has certainly made the T1
decision much easier for Colin, particularly
for the Extase which hasn’t received any
fungicide up until now. “With wheat prices
at around £200/t it’s going to be worth
looking after crops this spring and
Source: Bayer Rapid Disease Detection monitoring – samples of the newest leaf layers are taken from single commercial fields and maintaining green leaf for as long as
are not representative of the whole country.
possible,” he says. ■
crop production magazine may 2021 11“ Inatreq is
in a new chemical
class.
”
Flag leaf gets
new option
Technical
New fungicide
Univoq has been launched by Greg explains that fungicides are Greg notes the shrinking chemical
Corteva Agriscience, bringing grouped by the Fungicide Resistance Action armoury as actives lose approval and
Committee (FRAC) according first to their pathogen resistance builds to those
a new site of action to T2 biological effects on the fungal cell, so remaining. “As remaining chemistries come
fungicide programmes. whether they have an effect on respiration, under increasing selection pressure, it’s
steroid biosynthesis, or perhaps cell division. important we protect them, and that’s where
CPM finds out how it works, They’re then classified according to QiI will come in,” he says.
how it performs and how to target site and cross-resistance with those “But history teaches us the risk of
target sites. resistance to single-site inhibitors is high and
look after it. FRAC assumes for QiIs it is medium to high.
No cross-resistance So Inatreq needs a robust resistance
By Tom Allen-Stevens “Inatreq affects respiration, sitting in the management strategy, particularly for
C4 Group 21: complex III cytochrome bc1 septoria.”
Cereal growers have a new fungicide for ubiquinone reductase group. Cyazofamid Only one QiI-containing product may be
the flag leaf spray and a new site of action and amisulbrom, both used for potato blight, applied to a cereal crop in a season, and
on septoria –– the first to be registered in also sit in this group. But unlike Inatreq, they dose should be adjusted appropriately ––
the UK for 15 years. have no practcal activity on ascomycetes 1.5 l/ha is likely to be right for susceptible
Univoq combines Inatreq, the new and basidiomycetes fungi. So although they varieties and locations where septoria is a
active from Corteva Agriscience, with sit in the same group, there’s no risk of significant problem, he says, while a typical
prothioconazole. It offers curative and cross-resistance because they’re not used dose is likely to be 1.25 l/ha.
protectant control of all septoria strains, in the same market segment.” “Always apply it in a mixture with different
as well as label approval for other major As for its mode of action, Inatreq affects MoAs at balanced doses. Use other
diseases in wheat, rye, triticale and durum the mitochondria –– the power station of integrated strategies, such as resistant
wheat. Univoq’s iQ-4 formulation is designed fungal cells. It blocks fungal respiration and varieties and decision support systems.
to ensure it sticks to and spreads across reduces the ability of a cell to produce All of these elements should be folded
the leaf. adenosine triphosphate, inhibiting growth into an effective resistance management
“Inatreq is the first example of a new so the fungus dies, continues Greg. strategy,” stresses Greg.
chemical class –– the picolinamides and “Strobilurins also bind at complex III, but Available as the co-formulation Univoq,
its active ingredient is fenpicoxamid,” on the outside of the membrane (QoI) while this offers effective control of major diseases
explains Dr Greg Kemmitt, global fungicide SDHIs target complex II. So there’s no in wheat, notes Stuart Jackson, Corteva
development lead at Corteva. target-site cross-resistance to other technical lead for cereal fungicides.
“An interesting aspect is that it’s derived chemistries.” He points to 2019 trials with KWS Barrel at
from fermentation. We take streptomyces Tests on UK septoria isolates were carried
bacteria and ferment it to produce an out at Rothamsted Research by Prof Bart
antibiotic –– UK-2A. Then there’s a Fraaje. All had G143A mutation for strobilurin
single-step modification with this to deliver resistance and various mutations in Cyp51,
Inatreq. When it’s sprayed in the field, the conferring varying levels of resistance to
novel element is that it converts back to the triazoles. These were very effectively
natural product UK-2A inside the plant or controlled by Inatreq and fluxapyroxad.
fungal tissue, which has the fungicidal activity.” Against isolates exhibiting overexpression
There’s also a new target site –– the first in and one that may also contain a non-specific
nearly two decades in cereals. Inatreq is a efflux pump, Inatreq again showed very
quinone inside inhibitor (QiI). “This brings it good control, reports Greg. “When tested
outstanding curative and protective activity on isolates that show a degree of resistance Outstanding is how Stuart Jackson describes
against septoria as well as useful activity on to the SDHI bixafen, Inatreq again gave Univoq’s level of control of septoria in wheat.
leaf rusts,” he says. good control.”
12 crop production magazine may 2021Sawbridgeworth near Stansted trials in 2019 at Bishop’s Frome,
airport comparing T2 doses Herefordshire, on some
of Univoq at 1.25 l/ha, 1.5 l/ha Reflection with very high levels
and 2 l/ha against a 75% dose of yellow rust. Elatus Era and
of Ascra (bixfen+ fluopyram+ Ascra gave good control when
prothioconazole), Elatus Era assessed 50 days after
(benzovindiflupyr+ prothiocona- application and Univoq per-
zole) and Librax (fluxapyroxad+ formed at least as well as Elatus
metconazole). Era in the trial,” says Stuart.
“There were very high levels Brown rust trials were carried
of septoria in the untreated plots. out at Little Clacton, Essex in
Univoq showed outstanding 2020 on Crusoe. “Assessed 57
disease control when assessed days after treatment was applied,
at 40 days after application, Univoq was every bit as good
significantly better than the as the standard Elatus Era
current SDHI offering. This treatment.”
manifests into grain in the shed Univoq contains 50g/l of
–– significantly increased yield fenpicoxamid and 100g/l of
over Ascra,” he adds. prothioconazole with only one
In 2020, Univoq was dose allowed at a maximum rate
compared with Ascra and of 2 l/ha. It can be used from GS
Revystar XE (fluxapyroxad+ 30-69 to control septoria, yellow
mefentrifluconazole) at Ivington rust, brown rust, fusarium, tan
near Leominster in AICC trials spot and powdery mildew in all
again on Barrel. Here it gave winter and spring varieties of
noticeably better control than wheat, rye, triticale and durum
Ascra and Revystar, reports wheat. There’s an aquatic buffer
Stuart, and again the benefits zone of 12m and for the first
came through in yield response. 30m, 3* low-drift nozzles should
“We put Univoq in yellow rust be used. ■
Trial comparisons give Univoq the edge
A summary of 24 trials in 2020, in a partner fungicide for brown rust
which disease was present or follow up with a T3 spray. It was
throughout the season, compares the out-and-out septoria trials
Univoq at 1.25 l/ha with Revystar where Univoq performed better
at 1 l/ha (chart below). 58% of the than Revystar.”
trials showed a yield benefit for In 2019, Univoq at a 62.5%
Univoq, delivering an overall average dose was compared with an 80%
yield advantage of 0.14t/ha. dose of Ascra in 60 trials from UK
“The trials where it didn’t and Ireland. 73% of trials showed
perform as well as Revystar were a yield advantage of Univoq over
brown rust trials where we Ascra Xpro, delivering an overall
deliberately didn’t apply a T3 spray,” average benefit of 0.25t/ha. Again,
notes Stuart. “Univoq offers about Ascra performed better in brown
3-4 weeks control of brown rust. If rust trials, while it was the septoria
you need extra protection, the dose trials where Univoq came to the
should be increased to 1.5 l/ha, add fore, notes Stuart.
Univoq trial comparison with Revystar XE, 2020
Source: Corteva Agriscience, summary of trials in UK and Ireland.“ The
trehalose
pathway maintains
the balance between
the source and
sink.
”
Technical
Bioscience Insider
Finding the unicorn
One of the more recent What does the science say? Such is the interest in T6P that there’s now
an abundance of peer-reviewed research
discoveries in plant It’s widely accepted that T6P is an indicator
that demonstrates the role it plays in crops
of the sucrose status in plants. It inhibits
physiology is the trehalose SnRK1 protein kinase, which acts as a and the potential T6P offers to optimise the
genetic yield potential of crop plants by
metabolic pathway. CPM metabolite sensor to constantly link supply
manipulating its levels.
and energy demand. Together the two
finds out how one of its systems form a feedback loop which signals In a paper published in Plant Physiology
in 2018, this was explored by a team at
signalling molecules can be to the plant where it needs to allocate its
Rothamsted Research, led by Dr Matthew
resources.
used to help crops recover An easy analogy that illustrates the Paul. He noted that the T6P pathway may
widely impact crop improvement.
from drought stress and importance of the T6P metabolic pathway is
The authors also state that increasing T6P
to consider it as the fuel gauge, it tells you
yield more. how much is in the tank and how far you promotes biosynthetic pathways associated
can travel, explains John. with grain yield, such as starch synthesis,
By Lucy de la Pasture T6P is formed from glucose-6-phoshate pointing out that ‘crops are not yet optimized
and UDP-glucose (derived from sucrose). to maximize their biosynthetic pathways for
“So important is T6P in crop plants that yield in sinks and growth recovery that are
For over a century it’s been known that it’s emerged from relative obscurity to be promoted by high T6P, or for the mobilization
trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) is produced recognised as an essential signal metabolite of reserves and sugar transport that can
in some primitive plants, such as moss, in plants, with influence on growth
liverworts and ferns, but the general and development that rivals any other
consensus among scientists was that it signalling molecule, including the major
wasn’t synthesised in higher, flowering phytohormones.
plants. On the rare occasion when traces “T6P signalling regulates metabolism
of the metabolite were found, it was in the light of carbon availability and
quickly dismissed as being a result of reprogrammes metabolism between
microbial contamination. The existence of anabolic or catabolic pathways depending
T6P in higher plants was truly as mythical on the carbohydrate status of the plant.
as a unicorn. It’s particularly supportive during times of
The nature of scientists is to be curious late drought stress as T6P coordinates
and probe the limits of current knowledge, carbohydrate partitioning to maintain yield,”
but it wasn’t until relatively recently, just explains John.
20 years ago, that a T6P synthesis pathway “It acts as the key regulator in the balance
was found to exist in flowering plants. between primary and secondary metabolism
This discovery opened the door to the and upregulates photosynthesis to T6P is so important in crop plants that it’s
unexpected and far-reaching effects that can compensate for any stresses plants are emerged from relative obscurity to be recognised
be achieved from tinkering with the plant’s under, so maintaining growth and grain as an essential signal metabolite, says
metabolism, says John Haywood, director development while using resource to John Haywood.
of Unium BioScience. combat the stress.
14 crop production magazine may 2021Bioscience Insider
Regulation of source-sink relations by T6P/SnRK1 Effects of T6P on chlorophyll
The effects of T6P on chlorophyll levels in Winter Wheat
Suffolk June 2019
0.06000
0.05500
0.05000
0.04500
0.04000
0.03500
0.03000
0.02500
0.02000
Unt T6P GS 37 T6P GS 37 & 59
Source: Matthew J. Paul et al. Plant Physiol. 2018;177:12-23 Source: Unium trial, Suffolk 2019
enable resilience that are has been widely researched and the more we can see its impact
promoted by low T6P.’ numerous peer-reviewed papers on the plant’s ability to achieve its
Through understanding the have been produced describing potential by managing sucrose
effect of T6P on the plant, it’s its importance, how to practically levels effectively and maintaining
possible to see how it could make use of T6P’s undoubted them in balance.”
be applied to enhance plant potential in crops has been So in theory, supplementing
performance. “Increasing T6P largely ignored, explains John. plants with exogenous
levels promotes flux through “Increased chlorophyll levels applications of T6P should bring
the biosynthetic pathways and green leaf area duration advantages but manufacturing it
associated with growth and yield, supports the impact T6P has isn’t an easy process, explains
whereas decreasing T6P levels upon source-sink relations, John. But having cracked it,
promotes the mobilization of ie between the photosynthetic Unium now have the first
carbon reserves and the factory and grain production. commercially available product
movement of carbon associated The enhanced movement of containing the metabolite,
with stress responses. carbohydrates to the grain is namely 3Alo-T6P. Elevating levels of T6P during the
“Low T6P levels decrease supported by increased flowering period alleviates
gene expression for primary photosynthetic rates and Proving the concept physiological stress.
metabolism (owth) and increase duration.” Taking 3Alo-T6P into the field
gene expression for secondary Because this pathway is the threw up a number of questions could prevent exogenous
metabolism. This particularly key regulator of the carbohydrate when a small number of crops applications of T6P from
occurs during flowering periods, management in plants, by didn’t show the improvement overcoming any shortfall of
so upregulating T6P at this time stimulating this at the correct in yield that the majority of the metabolite in crops,”
will promote primary metabolism timing it’s possible to influence others were. explains John.
for longer, thereby increasing plant metabolism, gene “It wasn’t until Unium started “By looking at the pathway
yield.” expression and overall growth. to examine the T6P pathway in detail, it’s evident there’s
It also plays a key role in starch with leading plant physiologists a cascade effect from an
From Science to production and amino acid in the US, that several ‘pinch application of the stimulatory
Bioscience metabolism, explains John. points’, or other key limiting metabolite. By careful
Even though the T6P pathway “The more we learn about T6P, factors, were discovered that considering the rest of the
pathway, it was possible to
Yield response to 3Alo-T6P look at what the next ‘limiting’
step may be so that could be
overcome as well. This
approach has helped build a
more robust, reliable treatment.
“Our detailed, in-field
research also discovered a
link with nutrition –– we know
manganese and boron, in
particular, are very important in
carbohydrate management and
an insufficiency in either of
these will reduce the effect of
the T6P, hence why this is
clearly stated on the label.
The negative responses were all found to correlate with manganese/boron insufficiency This is the first time there’s
been label recommendations
Source: Unium trials, 2018-2019
which link use of a biostimulant
▲
crop production magazine may 2021 15the balance between the source
and sink so crops can withstand
drought impacts. By making
sure the supply of T6P is
elevated, the flow of
carbohydrates to the grain
is maintained, reducing the
impact of drought on yield.”
Initial proof of concept
The beneficial effects of 3Alo-T6P work was carried out by
will be negated if crops are low in CMI/Greencrop in the UK and
manganese or boron. Advanced Crop Chemicals in
the USA, adds John.
to specific nutrients in “When T6P precursor
▲
the UK.” molecules were applied to
Typical effects when Unium’s wheat, a ‘pulse’ was created.
T6P is applied are enhanced This resulted in sucrose being
root development, improved drawn into the grain to make
shoot development and darker starch, which increased grain
leaves due to enhanced size and yield by 20%.”
chlorophyll production, Further trials have shown an
increasing the photosynthetic average 8% increase in yield
capacity of plants. Typical T6P from 3Alo-T6P application over
deficiencies are the opposite –– 69 trials, producing a return on
pale, larger and thinner leaves. investment of £64/ha, proving
Similar impacts have been seen itself to be very consistent and
in potatoes when unirrigated, reliable, he adds.
he notes.
Flowering is a critical time in Pioneers in the field
a crop’s development and it’s The science behind T6P is
also a time when the crop is exciting and it appears to be
very sensitive to environmental doing something different to
stresses, such as drought –– other biostimulants on the
which is something that seems market, says Mark Hemmant,
to be occurring more regularly technical manager at Agrovista.
during British summers. This But turning field trials results
can result in reduced seed set, into reliable field-scale
a reduction in the number of treatments doesn’t always
grains per ear, smaller seed follow suit, which is why
size and grains of lower nutrient Agrovista invest in further
content. Numerous research development work before
studies have shown the positive adding biostimulants products
impact T6P has on drought to their Innovation range.
tolerance, he highlights. “Last year was the first year
Wheat grain has three we had T6P in trials and it was
phases of development; a challenging season all round.
pre-grain filling (first 10 days We had some really good
after anthesis), the transition anecdotal evidence in oats that
phase to grain filling and the there was an uplift in quality as
desiccation phase (30 days well as yield,” he says.
after anthesis), explains John. “The oat seeds had higher
The levels of T6P are at their specific weights where T6P
highest in the pre-grain filling had been applied and that’s
phase, falling dramatically from important in a crop where so
10 days post-anthesis. So by much depends on getting a
maximising the T6P levels milling premium. Oats are one
during this period by applying of those all or nothing crops
3Alo-T6P at the T2 timing, it’s where a small difference in
possible to help mitigate grain quality can make a big
drought stress and maximise difference to the price you can
yield, he believes. sell it for.”
“The T6P pathway maintains The influence T6P has ongrain quality is an area
Agrovista intend to explore
further in trials this year. “We’ll
be investigating the impacts on
grain quality on various cereals
–– particularly where achieving
milling spec is critical for
profitability of the crop. It
could be a game changer,”
says Mark.
More work is also going into
finding the best timing and
whether there is any synergy to
be had in sequencing different
biostimulants in the spring.
“We’re looking at whether the
best effects from T6P are at T2 Mark Hemmant believes that the
or T3 or by applying it at both grain effects noted in the field after
timings. We also found in last T6P application in oats could be a
year’s trials that the biggest game changer if consistent.
yield response was from a
sequence of products, with an the drought, which makes a
amino acid at GS30, Klorofill at recommendation a difficult call
T1 and T6P at T2. at this stage.
“We’ll be trying to understand “Because environmental
better whether this was an stresses are so difficult to
accumulative effect or due to predict, our advice is to target
one part of the programme in biostimulants during periods
particular, though it’s likely that where the crop comes under
there’s also a seasonal effect to physiological stress, such as
take into account too.” stem extension and during
The science behind T6P is flowering. For that reason,
also strong when it comes to applying T6P at T2 is a good
drought recovery, though Mark timing to help the crop deal
feels that a lot may depend with any stresses associated
on the timing and duration of with anthesis.” ■
Bioscience insider
As the chemistry toolbox continues different seasons.
to shrink, a mesmerising array of Its impact on
new bio-solutions are coming to seed quality is
market, offering a range of benefits of additional
and complementary additions. importance for
Evaluating just how effective they farm-saved seed when 3Alo-T6P
are, and where they’re best placed is applied to the mother crop,
can be tricky, however. increasing yield and nutrient density
This series of articles opens a of the seed, which has a knock-on
window on the science behind effect on the daughter crop
these innovations. CPM has performance. This effect amounts
teamed up with Unium BioScience to an average 9% increase in gross
to explore the background, unravel margin across both crops. This was
the physiological processes and confirmed in YEN analysis, where
provide analysis on the results of T6P increased the grain nutrient
trials. Above all, these articles give content by approx. 15-20% across
the grower an inside view on the board, giving a more nutrient
some of the exciting opportunities dense seed and grain.
biosolutions offer in the field. Learn more by joining
3Alo-T6P has proven a very the Unium technical group
consistent and reliable product in https://www.uniumbioscience.com/
Unium trials over several unium-technical-group“ It’s not
just the variety that
makes the difference –
it’s everything you do
around it.
”
Technical
Battling the beetle Cover all bases
There’s a whole host of other year rotation with wheat and spring strength and ability to crack on rapidly in
measures currently surfacing barley. It’s a strategy he’s sticking with, the spring.
along with rejecting early drilling as a way “We’re not fans of PGRs, so we don’t want
that seem to help oilseed to battle CSFB. our crops over-growthy ahead of the winter.
rape through those crucial “Our establishment recipe saw last After the Proline (prothioconazole) they
year’s Marshchapel crop through alarming get with their Astrokerb (aminopyralid+
early stages. CPM talks to levels of flea beetle,” explains Mark. “But propyzamide) in late November we don’t
two growers for whom it’s harvesting delays meant we sowed later spray them again until mid-flowering. So,
and into less good conditions than we like. good light leaf spot resistance and stem
not so much which, but Then it was overwhelmed by a combination strength are vital. We also really value the
how many of these are of intense slug pressure and winter flooding pod shatter resistance that allows us to
on the heavy ground. hold-off on combining for the highest
implemented that “We went out of OSR 20 years ago yields without added risk.”
brings results. because our original plough-based regime Keen not to have their OSR too forward
wasn’t performing. But almost every year too early, 12 August is the earliest date the
By Tom Allen-Stevens since we’ve come back into the crop with Stubbs family are prepared to sow. They
modern hybrids and single-pass seeding, aim to finish before the final week of the
and Rob Jones we’ve averaged 4.5t/ha or more across our month to get their crops established
farms. And, despite some early flea beetle ahead of the early September peak of
For many oilseed rape growers 2020 damage, we took the bronze YEN award flea beetle migration.
harvest was a disappointing one, but for with 6.77t/ha from our DK Exclaim entry in
some this led to a determination to 2019, going one better last season with
improve chances of a good crop this year. V316OL averaging 6.71t/ha for the silver.”
Finding a combination of measures and A&C Stubbs and Sons currently have
implementing them carefully looks as 50ha of DK Exclaim and 160ha of HOLL
though it may pay off come harvest. –– mainly the latest variety, V367OL ––
in the ground. With fewer early pest or
YEN-winning defiance establishment pressures, the 2021 crops
Last season was the first time Lincs are looking especially promising, boding
grower, Mark Stubbs had any oilseed rape well for overall farm performance as well
fail since his family partnership re-introduced as further YEN success.
it 10 years ago. But this certainly hasn’t “We deliberately chose hybrids for our
deterred the double Oilseeds YEN award return to OSR growing, starting off with
winner from growing the crop. Excalibur and now DK Exclaim, together
Based at Marshchapel, Calcethorpe, on with high value HOLL-growing,” Mark
Mark Stubbs received a YEN silver award for his
the Wolds near the coast, he grows the says. “Dekalb varieties have always suited
2020 oilseed crop and a bronze award in 2019.
crop on a tight one-in-three or once every us well for their consistent all-round
18 crop production magazine may 2021Single-pass seeding, aim to finish drilling before the final week of August are
among measures that ensure successful establishment at Marshchapel.
Taking care to preserve canopies we know deliver best
soil moisture and maximise with our three-split, 210kgN/ha
seed-to-soil contact in their liquid fertiliser programme.
establishment, they are never “We generally set the low
afraid to drill when the soil disturbance legs at about 15cm
surface is dry either, providing but can go deeper to deal with
rain is forecast. That way they any compaction. Dropping the
know the crop is ready to go as seed behind the packer into the
soon there’s enough moisture 25cm grooves created by the
for germination. DD rings we’ve fitted ensures
Their successful main it goes in at a consistent 2-3
defence against CSFB is crops cm before being pressed firmly
that come through evenly and into place with the double set of
all at once, growing away DD rings we tow behind
rapidly to establish themselves the machine.
strongly below ground more “After extra consolidation
than above it. and slug pelleting from the
Mark believes that building Cambridge roll within 24-48
soil structure and health over hours, followed by 125kg/ha of
the past 10 years has really DAP, we leave the crop to do
helped. The least possible what it does best. Falcon
tillage in the rotation, winter (propaquizafop) ensures we
covers ahead of spring keep on top of cereal volunteers,
cropping and regular organic with Centurion Max (clethodim)
manuring, has seen soil organic a key element in our
matters climb from around 2% programme ahead of the
to over 6%. Astrokerb for the blackgrass
“We bale all our straw control that’s one of the main
because we don’t want it reasons we grow the crop. We
interfering with establishment or only use an insecticide when
providing shelter for the slugs,” we can’t avoid it.”
he explains. “However, we As the family have a good
leave 10-15cm of stubble to local source of poultry manure
protect the soil surface from and application without
drying out and give our OSR incorporation is permitted after
seedlings the best micro-climate. sowing, they’re planning to try
“Our one-pass modified this instead of the DAP in the
Discordon works well, coming autumn for some extra
following the baler as closely CSFB deterrence.
as possible and sowing at Although large amounts
45 seeds/m2 to deliver our target of shot-holing are seldom
population of 20-25 plants/m2. apparent in them, Mark
With the spring development believes his policy of only
ability of our preferred hybrids, spraying off OSR volunteers
this gives us the really from his previous crops a week
thick-stemmed, well-branched or so ahead of early October
▲Battling the beetle
believes will see it through any CSFB
damage.
Based at Topps Farm on the 550ha
Breamore Estate near Fordingbridge,
Hants, David’s no stranger to predatory
damage in his OSR crop. “We have a lot
of pheasants who can graze it down to
nothing in places. So I’m used to putting
in place inventive measures to ensure a
good establishment,” he says.
“The difference with CSFB is that it’s over
the whole field, rather than just the margins.
Varieties with pod shatter resistance allow
But just as with pheasants, you can’t afford
combining of the Marshchapel crop to be held
to start off the season on the back foot.”
off for the highest yields without added risk.
Last year, he had 109ha in the ground,
in a rotation that includes winter wheat,
winter and spring barley, linseed and on growth quickly in the spring, with a
A trial field of DK Exsteel that performed twice spring oats, with occasional poppies. The medium harvest,” notes David. “We drilled
as well as the rest of the 2020 crop convinced soil type overlying chalk is mostly medium at 40 seeds/m2, aiming for an established
David Northway to stay with OSR. loam with some gravel and a little clay. crop of 30 plants/m2. Most of the crop was
“There were lots of reasons why autumn direct-drilled and we tried to leave a long
wheat drilling almost certainly helps 2019 was a poor year for the crop. Over stubble as we think that helps, too.”
▲
to divert CSFB from his new seeds. most of the area it yielded just 2t/ha. But David believes a consistent seed depth
In addition to preventing canopy growth we had one trial field of DK Exsteel. It is important, and this is an aspect he
until he really wants it in the spring, not wasn’t in the best place, drilled into struggles to achieve with the farm’s 6m
drilling in the first part of August also north-facing white chalk, but it performed Amazone Cayena drill. “The two banks of
means few, if any problems with CSFB head and shoulders better than the rest tines don’t work independently, so you do
larvae; certainly none that are any threat and came off the field at 4.1t/ha. need a level seedbed. We subsoiled a fifth
to the well rooted and resilient stands “That convinced us it was worth staying of the area which, although it established
achieved by his establishment regime. with the crop, so we put the whole 52.5ha with more vigour, appeared to thin out
into Exsteel this year, although it’s not just more from CSFB.
Multiple measures the variety that makes the difference –– it’s “An interesting factor this season was
Like many growers, David Northway everything you do around it.” the cover crop, established right next
suffered heavy losses with his oilseed In autumn 2020, the crop was drilled door to the OSR about ten days later
rape crop last year. So he’s put in place on 22 August. “The variety fits with our and containing two types of radish and
a number of measures this year that he system as it’s an early developer, puts brown mustard. I think the CSFB were
National study confirms far less CSFB damage this season
Early results from the 2021 noticeably lower autumn CSFB “Unfortunately, as ever, some improved. And even where they are
National Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle pressure as well as much better growers have clearly suffered more carrying significant larval burdens,
Management Study confirm a soil moisture conditions at drilling,” than most. However, it’s really many crops appear to be sufficiently
marked reduction in crop damage observes Bayer study co-ordinator, heartening to see how markedly the well-established and vigorous enough
from the pest so far this season. Lizzie Carr-Archer. national position seems to have to deal with them.”
Growers across the country, “Less than 20% of the 187
sowing almost 12,000ha of winter crops in our initial data were judged National winter OSR crop position
OSR last autumn, report a re-drilling to have suffered an intense or
100%
rate of just 4% in the benchmarking substantial challenge from flea beetle 90%
90% 90%
study run by Bayer with ADAS and last autumn against more than 50% 80%
NIAB in late March/early April. This in 2019. At the same time, only
Proportion of crops
67%
70%
compares with 14% dentified in the around 15% of this season’s crops 61%
60%
almost identical study undertaken at had to deal with low or very low soil 50%
the same time last spring. moisture conditions at establishment 40%
What’s more, 90% of this compared with nearly 40% last | 30%
season’s crops survived to the season. 20% 14%
spring and all are being taken “For the second year in a row, 10% 4%
through to harvest, against 67% earlier August drillings gave higher 0%
Re-drilled Surviving to the spring Being taken to harvest
and 61% respectively in 2020 levels of crop survival,” she notes. 2020/21 2019/20
(see chart right). “The differences between these and
“This much improved position later drillings was far less than in Source: Bayer National CSFB Management Studies 2020 and 2021
results from a combination of 2019, though.
20 crop production magazine may 2021You can also read
