“Decisions about which variety to grow, the appropriate seed rate and the optimum harvest date greatly influence the return on investment in a maize crop.  Our new app helps growers make the best decisions, whether they’re growing for forage or AD,” comments Tim Richmond. LG Maize Manager UK and Ireland.

Suitable for android and IOS phones, and downloadable from both the Apple and Google Play stores, the app is designed to be quick and easy to use and is subdivided into four sections.

Of immediate interest, as growers decide on their varieties for 2021 is the Feed Manager section which provides users with the ability to compare individual varieties for their energy output and milk production potential within a similar maturity range.  The Feed Manager tool also gives a potential additional return on investment from using a specific variety for AD or livestock feed.

“With the top variety on the NIAB/BSPB list producing £774 per hectare more potential milk production than the average and with the poorest variety producing a return of £600 per hectare less milk than average, the impact of variety choice on performance and profitability can be considerable.

“By selecting varieties proven to support high milk production, farmers can reduce purchased feed costs to boost margins.  The saving between the top and bottom varieties is around 2.25 tonnes of purchased feed saved per hectare of maize grown.”

The Maturity Manager section uses Ontario Heat Unit data to provide a recommended FAO range, from which varieties can be chosen to be successfully grown at the farm’s postcode.

The Sowing Manager provides a recommended seed rate and calculates the number of seed bags required for the hectarage to be drilled.

Finally, the Harvest Manager uses information on the maturity of the cob and the dry matter of the stem to determine the date when a crop will be ready for harvest, giving the farmer a more informed guide and advanced warning as to when to book his contractor.

“Using the app, growers will be able to use data to determine the optimum variety, drilling rate and harvest date to help maximise ROI from their maize through a high yield of a quality forage to drive milk production or AD performance,” Mr Richmond concludes.

To download the app, visit www.maizemanager.com and select your app store.

Henry Louth has joined Limagrain UK’s commercial team as key account manager for forage crops in the Midlands and northern England. He will also promote Limagrain’s environmental crops and advise on the options for cover crops and stewardship schemes.

From a Lincolnshire family farming business, Henry studied countryside management at Harper Adams University. He worked in the family’s fresh produce packaging business then, after graduating, he had a sales role with Boston Seeds, marketing grass seed, wildflower seeds and forage crops.

Henry is based in Lincolnshire. A country pursuits enthusiast, Henry also enjoys working Labradors and conservation.

Speaking about one of his clients’ crops grown near Amesbury, not far from Stonehenge, he reveals that he did not apply a fungicide at T0, emphasising that he thought it unnecessary as the crop was so clean.

This meant that the wheat received no SDHI, as the other fungicide applications are based on azoles.

“We are really pleased with the results of this variety in a really difficult year,” he says.

Despite the challenges of growing in the really difficult conditions posed in 2019/20, the crop looked good and harvested easily. The farmer was also pleased because it provided a lot of good quality straw for the farms livestock.

Drilling LG Skyscraper

“It senesced naturally and was ready early, ahead of the other wheat crops. This helps spread the use of the combine.”

Planted in mid-September before the weather broke, it followed winter oilseed rape. Soil structure is cared for by following a min-till and Vaderstad regime. Weed control included an application of Roundup (Glyphosate), Liberator (flufenacet + diflufenican) applied at 0.6l/ha plus 2.0l/ha Defy (prosulfocarb).

“We chose it as a barn filler because of its ability to give a good yield. It is considered to be a tall crop, but it is very responsive to PGR, which we applied in April, and we had no problems with lodging at all.

“Resistance to yellow rust rating and orange blossom midge resistance were also important to our decision making.

“In addition, we were pleased because it held out well against Septoria tritici.”

Plans are for more of his customers to plant LG Skyscraper this autumn, particularly those who are on chalky loamy soils, with residual nitrogen (N), or on Oxford brash. This is because he finds it does not need a high fertile soil to do well.

To help growers keep on top of any potential black-grass problems and also to avoid the earlier pressure from Septoria, Mr Clarke prefers to hold back planting.

“Normally we prefer to finish drilling on Bonfire Night, so we work our planting dates backwards from that.”

He is thinking of reducing the seed rate he used this year – which was 350 – down to 300.

“We find that thin crops can yield really well,” notes Mr Clarke who runs his own Oxfordshire-based farm alongside the independent agronomy consultancy.

“LG Skyscraper really seems to hold its own; if you want to grow Group 4 wheats, it is where you want to be.

“Our plans are to increase the area planted with this wheat variety.”

Versatility of drilling

LG Skyscraper fits the later drilling slot, and those who are delaying drilling for black-grass control, growing a second wheat or drilling wheat after beet or potatoes, should strongly consider this variety for the slot.

Late drilling presents a unique set of challenges to the crop; crops drilled later will not have been in the ground as long as those drilled earlier in the autumn, so the chosen variety needs to be quick off the blocks in the spring, once growing conditions are favourable.

For example, in a black-grass scenario, the variety needs to compete with its rapid growth rather than sit and tiller flat to the ground, eventually becoming smothered by it. The theory is not complicated, and this is why LG Skyscraper suits the blackgrass situation over a variety like LG Sundance which is high tillering with a late plant development in the spring.

Data from several seasons of work also suggests that taller wheats have an advantage regarding final yield potential in the later drilling scenario, and these larger plant canopies play an important role in keeping black-grass ear numbers and seed return to the minimum.

Top tips for later drilling wheat

• One of the single most important factors in getting a late drilled crop off to a good start is the correct seed rate.
• After the end of October seed rates are difficult to quantify as they are determined by the seasonal weather and seedbed preparation at the time of drilling.
• Seed rates are increased the further drilling moves towards the winter months to compensate for the impact on tillering of cooler temperatures and shorter days.
• In good conditions in early November, the target should be a seed rate of 375-400 seeds/m2, increasing to 400–475 seeds/m2 at later drill dates, or in a black-grass or poor seedbed situation.

Farm Facts:

Total planted area 100ha

Rotation:

First spring barley
Second spring barley
Winter oilseed rape
First wheat
Second wheat

Fungicide strategy:

T1 : Epoxiconazole, chlorothalonil,
T2: Epoxiconazole, chlorothalonil, and Proline
T3 Tebuconazole

PGR strategy:

2 splits:
T0: Modus (trinexapac-ethyl) and Chlormequat (chlormequat chloride)
T1: Chlormequat and Canopy (prohexadione-calcium and mepiquat chloride)

“Added to the list in 2019, Prospect continues to set the standard in all the attributes defining a successful crop,” comments LG Seeds Maize Manager Tim Richmond. “It is a product of our focussed breeding programme, combining excellent agronomy with outstanding productivity and is perfect for both Favourable and Less Favourable sites.”

Prospect is an early maturing variety, FAO 170 and maturity class 9, and combines excellent early vigour with good standing power. It also has excellent eyespot tolerance and fusarium resistance.

“Farmers can grow Prospect confident that it will get going quickly, grow strongly and be ready to harvest in good conditions, reducing harvest risk and ensuring successor crops can be rapidly established. But it is in the clamp that Prospect really stands out.”

Prospect is one of the top early varieties on the BSPB/NIAB List for dry matter yield at 103%. The combination of high starch and the highest cell wall digestibility of any early variety, helps Prospect be one of the highest ME yielding varieties on the list at 210,095MJ/ha which is 9,000MJ more than the average early variety.

“Prospect produces enough energy to support 1680 litres per hectare more than the average variety, worth over £470 per hectare in increased income, meaning it delivers an outstanding return on investment.

“By combining the early maturing ability demanded by progressive growers, combined with unrivalled performance in terms of yield, quality and return on investment, Prospect will deservedly be the first choice for farmers looking to grow maize crops that really deliver,” Mr Richmond concludes.

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As harvest results are reported, there is a very obvious trend that stands out from last season; hybrids have outperformed conventional varieties, says David Leaper, seed technical manager with agronomy firm Agrii.

David Leaper, Seed Technical Manager for Agrii

Mr Leaper refers to the results just in from Agrii’s national oilseed rape trials, that clearly show this trend.

“There were some clear difference in how varieties responded to the challenges of the season in terms of autumn establishment and root development; biomass proved to be the key in terms of offsetting the effects of Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle (CSFB).”

This work really highlights the value of vigour when establishing later drilled varieties, and growers who are now looking at drilling their rape slightly later than planned should strongly consider opting for a hybrid variety, he advises.

He also points out that latest sensible cut-off date for drilling rape is around the 10^th September.

“Later drilled crops can do well but the chances of success diminish quickly after this date.”

Results from trial sites in Kent, Lincolnshire, South Wales and Angus in Scotland, show that the overall highest yielding hybrid varieties Ambassador and Aurelia, produced seed yields of 118% and 117% respectively, followed by candidate variety LG Aviron at 113%. This is well over the control mean of 110% (DK Expansion) at 4.7 t/ha.

Within the conventionals, Aspire (101%), Acacia (98%) and Anastasia (97%) led the pack, yielding slightly less than the mean control Campus (104%).

When combined with the two year summary, the trends remain the same; the hybrids outperform the conventionals. Aurelia and Ambassador remain at the top of the hybrids, with Acacia, Aspire and Anastasia all grouped together with Campus at the mean control of 4.5 t/ha.

“The hybrids were able to get their roots down and establish well, whereas many of the conventional varieties struggled and consequently were smaller and less bushy, and once the CSFB got into the plants, there was very little left of them to recover,” explains David.

Agrii also produces autumn and spring vigour scores for all of the varieties in the trial, with each variety being scored between 1-9, where 9 is the best vigour.

“Unsurprisingly, the hybrids led the pack for both autumn and spring vigour; Aurelia and LG Aviron had the highest scores way up in the 6’s for autumn vigour. The highest score for conventionals was Anastasia with 5.7.”

“Taking in five of the key sites, the trend remained the same for spring vigour; LG Aviron (7.2) and Aurelia (6.8) were some of the best hybrid performers, and Aardvark (6.2) and Anastasia (5.9), led the pack for the conventional varieties.”

LG Ambassador

“It’s important to recognise that there are differences in vigour between hybrid varieties and conventional varieties; there is a range, and it’s not an all or nothing characteristic. Some of the conventionals showed remarkable vigour and in some individual cases, this was comparable to that of some of the hybrids.”

“It’s no surprise that the seed yield and vigour graphs correlate,” says David.

Varieties that offer a range of traits or are trait loaded, have the upper hand when it comes to protecting the genetic yield potential of the particular variety, believes Mr Leaper.

He points out that the value of the TuYV trait played out once again, with varieties containing the trait delivering an additional 5-8% benefit over those without.

“The top four yielding hybrids all have TuYV resistance; as does the conventional Aspire.”

“With the very dry spring, many oilseed rape crops will have struggled with nitrogen uptake, so it is interesting to see that varieties with the new N-Flex trait have done better, such as Ambassador and LG Aviron.

“The N-Flex trait allows the crop to be more efficient in transforming N into yield, so in times of limited availability, this has played out.”

“Ambassador is the first four-trait loaded variety containing the N-Flex trait, TuYV, pod shatter and RLM7 resistant traits, and the value of this has played out in its performance in a difficult season.”

Mr Leaper points out that recent AHDB harvest results reflect those of the Agrii trials, where there is a similar yield benefit of hybrids over conventionals, with the same top 5/6 varieties. “It is always reassuring when trials run independently of each other, produce similar results!”

Agrii WOSR Varieties – 2 year summary

Oilseed rape for the 2021 season

Liam Wilkinson, technical officer for breeders Limagrain UK, believes that we are currently experiencing some of the most favourable oilseed rape establishment conditions for the last 3 or 4 years.

“In some regions, crops have still not been harvested, particularly winter barley. This provides an opportunity to drill OSR in favourable conditions – so it should be strongly considered.”

Considerations for later drilling

• Pick a vigorous variety which can not only establish quickly, but accumulates a large canopy.
• Choose a variety with good phoma resistance. The effect of phoma can be more damaging in a smaller later sown crop.
• Adjust sowing rates. As soil temperatures cool down, germination field losses will increase. Seed rates should be increased to still aim for that optimal plant population of 25-30 plants/m².
• Wet weather has seen an increase in slug activity. Crops should be monitored closely and treated at threshold,particularly where seedbeds have been left unconsolidated.

“Added to the list in 2019, Prospect continues to set the standard in all the attributes defining a successful crop,” comments LG Seeds Maize Manager Tim Richmond. “It is a product of our focussed breeding programme, combining excellent agronomy with outstanding productivity and is perfect for both Favourable and Less Favourable sites.”

Prospect is an early maturing variety, FAO 170 and maturity class 9, and combines excellent early vigour with good standing power. It also has excellent eyespot tolerance and fusarium resistance.

“Farmers can grow Prospect confident that it will get going quickly, grow strongly and be ready to harvest in good conditions, reducing harvest risk and ensuring successor crops can be rapidly established. But it is in the clamp that Prospect really stands out.”

Prospect is one of the top early varieties on the BSPB/NIAB List for dry matter yield at 103%. The combination of high starch and the highest cell wall digestibility of any early variety, helps Prospect be one of the highest ME yielding varieties on the list at 210,095MJ/ha which is 9,000MJ more than the average early variety.

“Prospect produces enough energy to support 1680 litres per hectare more than the average variety, worth over £470 per hectare in increased income, meaning it delivers an outstanding return on investment.

“By combining the early maturing ability demanded by progressive growers, combined with unrivalled performance in terms of yield, quality and return on investment, Prospect will deservedly be the first choice for farmers looking to grow maize crops that really deliver,” Mr Richmond concludes.

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The main business prioritises a herd of pedigree Limousin cattle and North Country Mule sheep, with the arable part of the farm playing an important supporting role providing straw for the livestock and a saleable cash crop.

He grows one cereal crop on the farm each year, and his rotation includes first and second wheats, followed by winter barley, followed by five years of grass ley for grazing. This year it was the turn of winter barley.

“As cereals are not our principal business, we were looking for a barley that is easy to grow with good straw, and can pretty well look after itself without too many expensive chemical inputs,” says Nigel.

“Winter barley is particularly useful to us because it is harvested earlier than wheat, so we have time to harvest it, bale the straw, do one pass and then wait to check any chitting, cultivate and plant the grass at the optimum time of mid to late August.”

This year he has planted 20ha of the winter barley variety LG Mountain and he reports the crop looked good from the start, and does not appear to have been affected by the very wet winter or the dry spring.

“It was recommended to us by our Nickerson Seeds representative, Florentina Badiu, because of its ability to yield well, strong straw, and disease resistant profile, and we are really pleased with it.

“Coming into harvest it was a nice even crop. We managed to get it harvested between the 13th- 19th July and we are very pleased with the 8.3t/ha and we also got 4.2t/ha of baled straw.

The farm was predominantly arable and sheep until 2007 when pedigree Limousin cattle using French genetics were introduced, and the clay loam soil has been cared for thanks to regular applications of manure from the cattle for many years. All cultivations have been min-till for more than fifteen years.

Nevertheless, the 2019-2020 season still challenged the soils to the limits; following the very wet winter, was a very dry spring and the clay loam soil became very dry and hard on the surface.

Nigel admits that at one stage he became concerned for the barley crop because the ground was so bone dry it was like a vice around the plant stems.

However, he reports, that the barleys roots had already grown down deeply enough to scavenge for water, reducing the stress.

The extreme weather also affected inputs; and he comments that, unlike many growers, he was able to get a pre-emergence herbicide applied before the wet autumnal weather closed in.

“We were lucky because it went on in the final few days when you could travel.”

As the weather then went to the other extreme and became really dry, he decided not to apply a plant growth regulator (PGR) and despite high winds in the area since then, there have been no issues with the crop lodging.

“The problem with cereals is that we are so dependent on the weather for quality and yield, so it is important to have a variety capable of withstanding stress.

He adds that key factors he takes into account when choosing his cereal varieties include yield, vigour and disease resistance.”

Nigel goes on to remark that he grew oilseed rape as part of the rotation for a number of years. However, as one of his priorities is the provision of good straw for the livestock, this, in addition to the challenges since the withdrawal of nicotinoid seed dressings making oilseed rape very difficult to grow, influenced his decision to change the rotation to include winter barley.

He goes on to mention that grass fields are divided; some are used to provide grazing, whereas other fields are cut for silage for home-use.

“The time our land spends under grass ley is beneficial for the soils.

“This is because planting grass provides a good break from cereal crops and their necessary chemical applications, which helps pesticide resistance from building.”

Florentina Badiu, seed specialist at Nickerson Seeds says: “The requirements of this particular farm highlight the importance of an early variety which is clean, has good tall straw for livestock use in addition to a good specific weight.

“We recommended LG Mountain because it is ideal in this situation thanks to its earliness and strong, tall straw, plus its grain has a high specific weight and it mills very well.”

Farm facts:

Total farm area: 160ha (400 acres)
Soil: Clay loam
Typical weed profile: Black grass is the principal weed challenge, then general broad leaved weeds

Agronomy for the barley:

Planting date: End of September
Seed rate: 185kg/ha
One application of fungicide
Crop nutrition:
Fertiliser (0 24 24) applied at 250kg/ha at the end of February, beginning of March
Followed by calcium ammonium nitrate in two splits at 110kg/ha per split. The first split was mid-March, the second applied in late April
Farm machinery used on the crop:
First cultivation done by a Horsch Terrano followed by Väderstad Carrier
Planting was done with a Horsch Sprinter

“Decisions about which variety to grow, the appropriate seed rate and the optimum harvest date greatly influence the return on investment in a maize crop and our new app will help farmers make the best decisions, whether they’re growing for forage or AD,” comments Tim Richmond. LG Maize Manager UK and Ireland.

The four features of the app

Suitable for android and IOS phones, and down loadable from both the Apple and Google Play stores, the app is designed to be quick and easy to use and is subdivided into four sections.

Of immediate interest is the Harvest Manager section which assesses the condition of the crop and advises on target harvest date to ensure the crop is cut at the optimum dry matter to maximise feed values and fermentation quality.

A separate assessment is made of the dry matter of the cob and of the stem, the app will then determine if the crop is ready for harvest and recommend a cutting date. If

harvest is not imminent, the app uses postcode related weather data to predict when the crop will be suitable for harvest.

“By improving the precision of harvest timing, the app will help growers maximise the value of the crop they have grown and improve their return on investment,” Mr Richmond comments.

The Maturity Manager and Feed Manager sections provide a powerful decision-making aid to selecting the most appropriate variety for a given farm, essential if high quality crops are to be grown.

The Maturity Manager section uses Ontario Heat Unit data to provide a recommended FAO range, from which varieties can be chosen to be successfully grown at the farm’s postcode.

The Feed Manager tool is a brand new concept which assesses varieties on the expected financial return per hectare, using yield and energy content data to compare varieties with the average

The app will help you determine if your crop is ready for harvest

based on anticipated milk income, or gas output where used as feedstock for anaerobic digestion.

“The app calculates the value of potential income per hectare which is the real driver of ROI and shows the difference compared to the average within maturity class.  For example, the early variety Prospect has the potential to generate and additional £580 per hectare in terms of milk value.”

The final section is Sowing Manager which provides a recommended seed rate and  calculates the number of seed bags required for the hectarage to be drilled.

“Using the app, growers will be able to use data to determine the optimum variety, drilling rate and harvest date to help maximise ROI from their maize through a high yield of a quality forage,” Mr Richmond concludes.

The app is launching early September – to be one of the first to download, go to maizemanager.com 

“Back in November a meeting was hosted at SRUC, Craibstone to discuss a possible fact-finding visit to Sweden where they grow quite a lot of organic oilseed rape,” explains Andy.
“I decided I would tag along and see if I could get involved. We organised a trip to Linkoping in Sweden, where we visited the Cameleon drill factory and a number of farms over the three days we were there.”

“Once we had seen the crops in Sweden it was clear that growing organic oilseed rape was do-able.” Scotland’s Rural College is leading the Scottish Organic Canola (SCOCAN) project with a £30,000 grant from the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF). The project, in turn, follows on from a Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS) group. The project is primarily driven by farmers using a number of approaches, some based around the Swedish model, which include best options for establishing and fertilising the crop, as well as precision weed control.

LG Aurelia

Trials

With guidance from Andy, large plots of oilseed rape have been planted on five farms across the north east of Scotland: one in Moray, three in Aberdeenshire and one in Angus. He reveals attention to detail at every step of the process of preparing, drilling and growing the crop. Key to success of the crop was the correct variety choice; Andy needed a variety with good autumn and spring vigour, and strong agronomic characteristics. He has found just this with winter oilseed rape variety LG Aurelia.

“It was quick to establish last autumn and was quick off the blocks this spring too. It is doing much better than many conventional-grown OSR crops in this area so quite a few farmers in the area have asked us what variety it is – and they wouldn’t believe it was organic,” he says. “I will definitely be growing it again.” LG Aurelia was the variety which stood out for him with its impressive package of genetic traits offering a high gross output and oil yield, Turnip Yellows and pod shatter resistance, along with the best disease resistance package on the 2020/21 AHDB Recommended List – it scores an 8 for Light Leaf Spot and stem canker.

“It’s vigour is noticeable; it has an autumn/spring vigour boost and is medium-early to flower and medium for maturity, ensuring less damage from any late frosts, as well as allowing maximum green leaf canopy duration for maximum yield potential. It has turned out to be perfect for the job,” says Andy.

Two organic crops of LG Aurelia were drilled into land that had been grass for 20 years. Prior to sowing, the grass ley had been disc harrowed at one site, and rotovated at the other to break up the sod before ploughing, as this helps reduce pest numbers and nutrient lock up. “Sowing date for one site was 12 August and we used a seed rate of 55 plants/m2. This was sown with an Amazone 6m power harrow drill combination. We were delighted that within just four or five days the crop emerged and there was little sign of flea beetle.”

Fully loaded Hybrid from LG

Another, on the Moray coast, went in behind carrots. This crop developed roots which measured up to three feet long, he reports. Three of the four sites were sown using the System Cameleon drill. Seed-bed creation is normally done by first ploughing and pressing or ploughing then spade rolling or it can be direct drilled into stubbles using the System Cameleon (a low draft, low disturbance seed drill which is also an inter-row hoe using camera guidance). The bed is normally rolled after sowing and if slugs are likely to be a problem, he applies organic slug pellets with the Cameleon drill. Andy has his own organic starter treatment mixture applied in the seed-bed which helps protect the crop from flea beetle, while a sulphur-based nutrient product helps deter pollen beetles.

Fertiliser is used according to requirement; every field has a Full Soil Survey which uses ADAS and Albrecht figures to determine the soils chemical, physical and biological profile. This analysis can also determine potential nitrogen availability, and any limiting factors. All sites received sulphur- based nutrition at 5-leaf stage and stem extension. Another dose of sulphur based nutrition will be applied once the petals are all off. This is followed up during the season and if necessary sulphur based foliar treatments are applied.

Site Layouts and trials facts:

Site 1:
Near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire: sown 30th September: 2 fields 9.80ha in total
Variety: DLF Elevation (Conventional variety)
Previous crop: Orrganic winter oats (seed)
Cultivations:
Half field ploughed, spade rolled then sown with Cameleon drill at 25cm spacings sown at 5kg/ha to give 12 – 15 plants per linear metre.
Half field direct drilled with Cameleon drill at 25cm spacings sown at 5kg/ha to give 12 – 15 plants per linear metre. This field was not rolled
Also given special organic seedbed mix to help ward off flea beetle.
This site also got inter-row weeded with the Cameleon at 5-leaf stage and the start of stem extension, there was a serious problem with volunteer winter oats from previous crop.
Present crop condition: TOTAL CROP FAILURE

Site 2:
Near Strichen, Aberdeenshire: sown 12th August, one field 5ha in total
Varieties: LG Aurelia, LG Ambassador, LG Artemis, DSV Dazzler, DSV Darling (All Hybrids)
Previous Crop: Grass 20 years plus old
This crop also got 10t/acre hen-pen at stem extension.
Cultivations:
Field given good dose of muck, disced, harrowed in then ploughed and Cambridge rolled then sown with a 6m Lemken power harrow combination drill LG varieties sown at 5kg/ha and DSV at 2.5kg/ha to give 55ppm2 (sown using TGW). This field was never rolled.
Also given special organic seedbed mix to help ward off flea beetle.
Present crop condition: Very Good

Site 3:
Near New Aberdour, Aberdeenshire: sown 1st September: two fields 8.15ha in total
Varieties: LG Aurelia, DMH440(Bayer) (Both Hybrids)
Previous Crop: Grass 20 years plus old
Cultivations:
Field rotovated, ploughed and spade rolled then sown at 25cm spacing at 5kg/ha giving 12 – 15 plants per linear metre. Rolled with Cambridge rollers
Also given special organic seedbed mix to help ward off flea beetle.
This crop also got 10t/acre hen-pen at stem extension.
Present crop condition: Very Good

Site 4:
Near Buckie on the Moray Coast, Aberdeenshire: sown 1st September: one field 4ha in total
Varieties: LG Aurelia (Hybrid)
Previous Crop: Carrots
Cultivations:
Field done with spading machine after carrots, spade rolled then sown with Cameleon drill at 25cm spacing at 5kg/ha giving 12 – 15 plants per linear metre. Rolled with Cambridge rollers. White clover was also sown intra-row in this crop.
Also given special organic seedbed mix to help ward off flea beetle.
Present crop condition: Very Good

LG Ambassador

“All sites got tissue analysis at 5 true leaf stage and stem extension, and any nutrients deficient were applied using foliar treatments on an organic derogation,” says Andy.
“The plan was also to use a new organic fungicide, but with a bit of resistance from one of the certifying bodies it was not cleared for use in time. This was to be used at mid and late flower to reduce the risk of sclerotinia.”
“Luckily nature did a good job by blasting the petals to the ground with wind and rain.”

Sites 2 & 3 got amino acids at 5 leaf stage, these really greened up the crop and going by the tissue analysis did the job they said they would as well. A lot of bio stimulants are classed as “Muck & Magic”, but having used amino acids in both conventional and organic cropping I know they work.
This site also got inter-row weeded with the Cameleon at the start of stem extension.

Introducing a catch crop after cereals can improve soil health, help control weeds and provide a valuable feed crop for livestock. So says Limagrain’s Martin Titley, who suggests that some arable producers should take a look at fodder crops, or sowing grass, following this year’s harvest.

“Mixed farming units, or those not opposed to introducing livestock such as finishing lambs or beef cattle, can benefit by introducing some different crops,” says Mr Titley.

Crops such as stubble turnips, forage rape, forage rye and brassica mixtures produce high quality autumn and winter feed cost-effectively. “But they also bring great benefits for soil health and weed control.”

Breaking the arable rotation with grass leys, fast-growing brassica crops and root crops can help combat black grass. “These crops can be grazed off ahead of a spring crop, or ahead of a grass reseed. And leaving a grass ley down for two years, or more, can help break the blackgrass cycle too. These rotations can have a beneficial impact on weed control and soil health,” he adds.

“And soil always benefits from increased organic matter. Manure from grazing animals is slowly released and can be utilised by the arable crops that follow in the rotation.”

Sowing dates

Stubble turnips, forage rape and the new rape/kale hybrids can be sown up until the end of August. They’re quick to establish and some varieties can be ready for grazing within 12 to 14 weeks of sowing. Hardier varieties can be left for grazing over winter.

“A crop of stubble turnips after winter barley is ideal for finishing lambs. It’s ready for grazing by the end of October, and a hectare of stubble turnips will provide 40 days of grazing for 100 lambs. This enables many farmers to sell a crop of lambs early in the season, when prices tend to be higher.”

Rape/kale hybrids are fast-growing catch crops and there are high yielding varieties. “Interval, for example, produced dry matter yields 17% above the control variety in our recent trial work,” adds Mr Titley. “This makes it an ideal crop for finishing lambs or for maintenance of ewes from late summer onwards.”

Stubble turnips also make an ideal feed in the autumn, with hardy and mildew-tolerant varieties, such as Rondo, ideally suited to grazing through winter.
“It’s also worth considering some good brassica mixtures. These combine a high protein forage rape with kale and can be blended with  high-energy stubble turnips to provide a balanced autumn and winter keep with minimal effort. There are good mixtures with ‘built-in’ disease resistance, winter hardiness and early establishment advantages.”

Another catch crop worth considering is forage rye, which can be sown as late as October, following maize or cereals. This can provide an early bite in spring with up to three weeks’ earlier spring growth than Italian ryegrass, with yields that are typically between five and six tonnes of dry matter per hectare.
“In many cases, breaking the arable rotation with a fodder crop or grass is a win-win situation, and one we are seeing increasingly on many traditional cereal units,” adds Mr Titley.

Catch crop considerations

• Review the wide range of break crops that are available
• Tailor your catch crops and the area required to match livestock feed requirements
• Look at growing costs verses feed value. A good catch crop provides a cost-effective winter forage
• Be discerning when selecting the variety of catch crop. Some are better than others for yield, disease resistance and winter hardiness. For example, there is a 20% yield difference between some stubble turnip varieties. This equates to more than one tonne of dry matter per hectare.

Too many grazing mixtures are lacking white clover, either because it was never in the mixture, or because it has been killed out when using herbicides to control other broad-leaved weeds.

A bundle of benefits

But producers are missing a trick. This forage species brings a bundle of benefits.
Alongside increased yields, white clover improves forage quality and, on the back of this, milk yields and solids.

Irish research has shown that incorporating clover increased milk yield by 13.3% and milk solids by 13.4%. Also, dry matter production was 16.8% greater on grass-clover swards, compared with grass-only swards.

And with sustainability being an increasingly important factor, this legume fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere and reduces the crop’s reliance on inorganic fertilisers.

A sward with a ground cover of between 20% and 30% clover species can fix 180kg of nitrogen per hectare, equivalent to 522kg of ammonium nitrate fertiliser. At today’s fertiliser prices that’s worth around £120 per hectare.

White clover’s growth pattern is complementary to grass and a grass-clover mix provides a more consistent crop through the summer, compared with only grass species. The varying root depths means that a grass/white clover ley will be more drought-resilient than one with grass only species.

Adding white clover

White clover is best sown in warm, wet conditions and ideally not when grass is growing rapidly. So late summer and after a silage cut or grazing is ideal.

Natural clover seed is very small and light, so a pelleted seed, such as CloverPlus, will promote successful establishment through better soil to seed contact or a more even coverage if broadcasting.

A pellet increases the weight and size of the seed, making equipment calibration easier and giving a more consistent spread pattern if broadcast. The additional pellet weight ensures that more seed gets through the sward to give maximum soil-to-seed contact.

Importantly, CloverPlus is treated with the biological seed treatment Headstart Gold. This is proven to speed up germination and improve establishment.

As we approach late summer, this is a timely opportunity to add white clover to grass swards and reap the benefits on your dairy unit.

For more information, download our CLOVERPLUS pelleted white clover blend fact sheet here.