It includes phosphite, the highly mobile form of phosphorus that can be transported through the plant much faster than conventional fertiliser phosphate. It also contains a package of essential amino acids and natural compounds from seaweed that are readily taken up by the young roots.

Limagrain has trialled Start-uP on forage rape and kale hybrid brassicas and stubble turnip crops at its site in Lincolnshire during six weeks in spring 2019.

“We found an increase in leaf length of 9.8%, and 28.6% on root length, on crops grown from seed treated with Start-uP compared with the control,” says Limagrain’s forage crop director Martin Titley. “And, in the six-week period, root mass was 5.9% more in the Start-uP treated crop, indicating that this seed treatment offered crops a significant growth advantage in the early stages.”

Forage rape, kale, stubble turnips and brassica hybrids are sown between May and August and provide a high feed value forage for cattle and sheep in just 12 to 14 weeks.

“Treating seed with Start-uP gives growers an insurance at the crop’s most vulnerable time,” adds Mr Titley. “This helps to guarantee a high yielding fresh forage with good feed value.”

Brassicas and stubble turnips are increasingly popular as a break crop, sown after first-cut silage as part of the grass ley rotation or after cereal harvest. This flexibility, their low growing costs and their fast growth bring benefits to mixed and livestock farming systems.

“During the past few years many of the effective seed treatments have lost their registration and there are very few alternatives available. Start-uP has proven to be a highly effective option for these crops.” Learn more about Start-Up Seed treatment here.

Click here to go to the full range of forage crops

However he is concerned that the recent prolonged spell of dry weather may impact further on the later drilled crops that have struggled with poor establishment.

Drilling started well, with winter wheat planted after vining peas around October 10, he points out. “However, the constant wet weather delayed lifting the sugar beet, so, as a result, the last of the wheat to be drilled went into cold, waterlogged soil in February.”

David Hoyles’ LG Skyscraper after vining peas

“Our soils are mainly Wisbech series alluvial Grade 1 silt, and the soil structure suffered with the continuous rain and may now become worse as conditions have now become very dry.”

As a result the roots, which had little stimulus for growing when it was so wet, may now find it difficult to penetrate and scavenge for water and nutrients.”

“Whilst the crops are not looking too bad now, our results will be very dependent on what the weather does as we go on through spring and into summer, particularly with the late-drilled crops.”

“If they do not have a chance to develop their rooting system and we have a drought, it could be a perfect storm.”

If that happens, he is concerned that there may be up to a 15% hit on yields, which last year averaged 10.4 t/ha across the farm.

“However, it is early days yet and we do not know how the rest of the season will develop.”

But he is giving the late-drilled wheat its best chance, by protecting and nurturing it as much as possible.

SMN testing in LG Skyscraper

Nutrition strategy and fertiliser applications are fine-tuned, and very much dependent on the previous crop and how much N is left in the soil, he points out. “Soil Mineral N (SMN) core samples are taken to estimate available nitrate and ammonium, after the winter rainfall and previous cropping.”

“As we grow a wide range of crops, we apply different strategies. For example, wheat following vining peas or kale typically receives 160 kg/ha N, whereas after sugar beet we find it needs 240 kg/ha.”

His herbicide strategy is also targeted according to the particular conditions and weed burden of each field. “Our main weeds are potato volunteers, small nettle, cleaver and some polygonums.”

“We use a pre-emergence spray at drilling, and then have a tidy up at T1; our usual spend on herbicide is around £50-£60 per hectare.”

“This year, we found some early signs of yellow rust in the backward wheat. It was not yet ready for T0, so we applied tebuconazole to get on top of it.”

Moving on to discuss variety choice, David says: “I am looking for a variety that performs on my soil type from looking at trials.”

“If it is high yielding and soft, then that helps due to potential price premiums. Other characteristics like maturity, orange wheat blossom midge (OWBM) resistance and lodging, play an important role in my decision making.”

Having previously grown LG Skyscraper very successfully as a seed crop, the choice had been clear for the well-established enterprise.

Weetabix, is an important market in the area and the variety is now on the company’s approved list.

“I like LG Skyscraper and it has performed well for us in the past, otherwise I wouldn’t have grown it again!”

LG Skyscraper performed well in the 2018 drought, averaging yields of 13.4 t/ha. Comparing it to other wheats on the farm in 2018, Graham yielded 13.4 t/ha, Frieston 12.19 t/ha and LG Jigsaw 13.15 t/ha.

LG Skyscraper also produced an acceptable yield in the saturated soils of 2019 of 11.6 t/ha. In 2019, Graham reached 10.63 t/ha, Graduate 10.54 t/ha and Frieston 9.96 t/ha – this was partly because a Frieston field was knocked by a hail storm just before harvest and lost a lot of yield, and also went flat, he explains.

When choosing a variety, David looks at Septoria and fusarium scores. “We can have quite big issues with them both, being our biggest potential yield robbers.”

He notes that as a tall variety, LG Skyscraper needs an application of a robust PGR. “We have found it to stand up fairly well to relative drought and flooding but two years ago, strong winds in July caused some problems in the seed crop.”

Looking at this year’s crop, the LG Skyscraper winter wheat planted after vining peas around October 10, reached Growth Stage (GS) 30 during the last week of March, and received its T0 and PGR.

“The autumn planted fields are showing potential for a relatively good crop this year, so fingers crossed we get through this dry period relatively unscathed,” says David.

Farm facts:

Total farm area: 700 ha over four farms, mostly on reclaimed land, going down to 2 m below sea-level

Area dedicated to LG Skyscraper: 105 ha

Drilling dates: From October 10, until February 7

Seed rate: Average 280-300 per sq. m but variation between 250-400 per sq. m, depending on timing and conditions

Soil: Wisbech series alluvial Grade 1 silt

Rotations: Wheat grown one in seven years. Other crops include potatoes, beetroot, sugar beet, vining peas, beans, leeks, kale and mustard for seed, for Colman’s

Fertiliser: N applications between 160 kg/ha and 240 kg/ha

Preemergence: Choice of active ingredient depends on the weed burden in each particular field

Postemergence: Tidy up at T0

10 year average annual rainfall: 610 mm

It’s worth remembering that the wheat yellow rust resistance ratings on the AHDB Recommended List for cereals, are based on assessments of the performance of varieties at the adult plant stage.

Paul Fenwick, Cereal Pathologist

The scale of 1-9, where a high figure shows high resistance – isn’t a guide to likely disease levels on seedlings and juvenile plants in the winter and spring, he points out.

Few varieties have all-stage yellow rust resistance, which is expressed throughout the life-cycle of the wheat plant; the majority are susceptible at the seedling stage according to the UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS) seedling assessments, and become resistant at later stages, as adult plant resistance (APR) is expressed.

He points out that all-stage resistance, sometimes known as seedling resistance, is generally controlled by a single gene, which may be effective against all races or just some races. However, APR is generally controlled by several resistance genes, and the more genes that are stacked together in a variety, the longer the resistance is likely to remain effective.

To add to this, are the ever changing dynamics of rust races, he notes. Resistance at any growth stage is dependent on the race of the yellow rust pathogen present. New races regularly appear and certain yellow rust ratings on the AHDB Recommended List, may need to be revised downwards accordingly.

Does plant breeding hold the answer?

Ron Granger, Arable Technical Manager

Breeders are doing their best to keep on top of the disease by introducing novel genes and stacking resistance into varieties by using marker assisted selection (MAS). “However, it’s important that both the industry and breeders are aware of race changes, as this will have implications on the progression of new germplasm – you have to remember that breeding is not a short term activity,” says Ron Granger, Limagrain’s arable technical manager.

“The Warrior populations of yellow rust are a serious threat to the wheat crop, so growers and agronomists should be aware that all crops need to be monitored closely for the disease, to prevent the need to fire-fight.” He points out that although some varieties do have seedling resistance, it should not be taken for granted that they will remain resistant. “One thing we have learnt about the Warrior population, is that it consistently evolves, and therefore no resistance is “bomb proof.”

“If you are finding yellow rust on resistant lines now or at a later time in the season, it is important that you send samples into the UKCPVS for analysis,” he adds. For more information, or to check if a variety should have seedling resistance, visit the AHDB UKCPVS website, here: ahdb.org.uk/ukcpvs

So, what does all this mean in the field?

Mr Granger says, that the overwhelming message to growers and agronomists for this season, is to continue to monitor all wheat crops throughout the season for yellow rust – even if a variety has a high yellow rust resistance rating – and treat accordingly.

“Around the country, we are seeing reports of yellow rust in both earlier established crops and more apparently in later drilled wheat crops – which account for a large area of the wheat in the ground this season.”

“We know from experience that yellow rust can be a problem in later drilled wheat crops, especially if left to develop.”

“Remember that we had a very mild winter and spring, so the build up of inoculum has not been suppressed by the typical cold temperatures and frosts that we would usually expect.”

“However, we are in the fortunate position where we still have the chemistry to eradicate and control the disease. Any yellow rust should be treated as soon as it is detected in the crop with a well targeted fungicide spray programme.”

“It’s important that we do not allow heavy infections of yellow rust to develop, as this gives the yellow rust population opportunities to adapt and change,” says Ron.

The advice from crop production specialists, Hutchinsons, is that where symptoms are found – particularly if foci of yellow rust are detected, crops should be sprayed with a suitable triazole fungicide at the T0 timing, around GS 2530, rather than wait for adult plant resistance to kick in, which may not occur until flag leaf emergence.

“It is important not to delay treatment to coincide with the T1 application at GS 31/32, when leaf 3 is emerged, or to bring the T1 application forward so compromising overall disease control,” says the firms technical development director, David Ellerton.

“Products containing tebuconazole, cyproconazole or epoxiconazole, will have the strongest knockdown against yellow rust, whilst the strobilurins, azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin, will add extra persistence but with a lower level of curativity.”

“Where follow up sprays for yellow rust at T1 may be necessary, SDHIs, such as benzovindiflupyr, may be utilised, as this is particularly strong on the disease.”

The advice is often to drill early to increase yields by giving a longer growing season. This has largely been overtaken by the development of early maturing varieties which yield well in a shorter season and will mature over 14 days earlier than the latest varieties.

RISKS OF EARLY DRILLING

Early drilling is higher risk:

• In cold soils, rate of germination is reduced
• In wet soils, seed can rot
• Higher seed rate commonly advised to compensate for seed loss, pushing up costs

If you are going to lose seeds, you should not be sowing.

DON’T BE SEDUCED BY A WARM, EARLY APRIL

Look at the facts based on our seven sites around the country.  The graph above shows the mean temperatures across all seven sites for the last three years and highlights the possible issues for maize drilling.

In the last three years there has been an early peak in temperatures around 20-24th April

This has been followed by a substantial temperature drop to below 8°C for 2-3 weeks.

Temperatures did not consistently exceed 10°C until 4-13th May but then rose consistently.

In each of the last three years:

• Seed drilled in early April would have struggled to get away. It would either be chilled in dry soils or would rot in wet ground
• Later drilled seed would have germinated much quicker and resulted in a stronger early crop
• Sowing should not have started before the end of April

TARGETS FOR SUCCESSFUL ESTABLISHMENT

• Soil at 8-10°C at the target drilling depth for at least a week before drilling. Clearly the deeper you drill, the later this can be.
• Create a fine, firm seedbed with no clods and minimise compaction to ensure good contact between the seed and the soil
• Seed should be drilled at uniform spacing to promote even germination and growth followed by consistent canopy closure.
• Use biological seed dressings including plant polymers such as Starcover to encourage more rapid and enhanced root growth.

Try the LG Heat Map Tool to find the average OHU in your postcode

Making the right decisions regarding variety, site choice, drilling date and seed treatment will all contribute to successful and rapid establishment of the maize plant. Paying careful attention to the variety is crucial.

There are a number of risks that can be managed to improve the success of the crop. These include field selection, choosing fields with a better aspect and soil type and avoiding fields more prone to suffering in a wet season which increases the risk of harvesting problems.

You want a field where the soil can be worked down to a suitable tilth and then only drill when soil temperatures are consistently at a minimum 8°C at the depth the seed is to be sown, to get the seed germinated quickly. But make sure the variety you choose is suited to the farm.”

The main variety agronomic criteria determining success are usually maturity class and early vigour. Early maturing varieties require fewer Ontario Heat Units to reach maturity, increasing the prospects that they will be harvested sooner in better conditions meaning silage can be incorporated into diets sooner too.

Download the 2020 LG Variety Selection Guide

There is a 26-day spread between the earliest and latest maturing varieties on the BSPB/NIAB Descriptive List which can be the difference between harvesting in optimum conditions, producing a high-quality feed and struggling to get a crop in.

Go for an early variety with good early vigour to make sure it gets away quickly and matures in good time. Modern breeding techniques have effectively eliminated the traditional yield penalty seen with early varieties and feed quality is typically excellent, so there is little need to gamble on later maturing options.

Selecting for early vigour helps reduce the risk of poor establishment, by achieving rapid germination to get the crop away and growing quickly, while also minimising the risk of bird damage which will be more important with changes to the availability of the most commonly used bird repellents.

Reason continues to be a popular variety and justifiably so. It is maturity class 10 or FAO 190 and is high yielding with excellent starch and superb Cell Wall Digestibility for high ME content forage. Suitable for favourable and less favourable sites, it is a good choice for marginal locations and short growing seasons. On the BSPB/NIAB list it is harvested over 20 days sooner that the latest variety, crucial when planning getting maize into the diet.

There’s nothing ‘usual’ or typically’ when it comes to grass growth and cutting dates in some parts of the country if the past few years are anything to go by. We’re seeing more volatility in weather patterns and we’re warned that this is a sign of things to come. So, say two leading grassland specialists, we need to cater for in our choice of grass seed mixtures.

Opting for mixtures that offer more flexibility can be very wise, when it comes to cutting dates. “The typical silage mixtures with bountiful yields of high quality grass are there, but only for a short window,” says Limagrain’s grass seed manager Ian Misselbrook.  “If this is missed, quality and yield fall away rapidly.”

“Most dairy units look for two cuts of silage and some grazing from a grass silage ley,” he says, adding that, despite the ‘noise’ multicut systems are still a minority practice and not one that suits all farms, when accessibility of fields and soil type are considered.

“The aim is usually a good first cut then a second cut six weeks later,” he adds.

“But if we look at the past couple of years, this cutting pattern has been a challenge. Last year, 2019, grass didn’t follow its normal pattern of a peak, then a dip mid summer and then regrowth. It just kept growing at pretty much the same rate.”

Then the 2018 season was being equally erratic with a cold spring, late start to growth and then exceptionally dry conditions. “If farmers didn’t get a top class first cut they were struggling.”

And although there was plenty of grass growth last year, harvesting wasn’t without its problems. ‘Grass grew so vigorously, that a lot of second cut was ready for cutting after only four weeks, but, for routine reasons and contractor availability, it was cut after six weeks by which time its quality had really dropped off. Producers have seen the consequences this winter when this forage hasn’t produced the milk yields they’d anticipated.”

Longer cutting window – less pressure
Mr Misselbrook suggests that growing grass seed mixtures with a wider heading date will add some flexibility and take the pressure off.

“Typical silage mixtures used on UK farms will have a window for cutting of about four days. These mixtures are predominantly intermediate perennial ryegrasses that head in the same narrow window of just a few days.’

They are designed for high yields of good feed quality, to be cut at a D value over 70 and high dry matter. “And they do exactly what it says ‘on the tin’, but catching this ideal time is limited and challenging if conditions are not ideal.”

“On an ideal site, in an ideal season, intermediate perennial ryegrass mixtures will head at the same time and provide prize winning silage with an ME of 12 or above, but we hardly ever get these near perfect conditions,” says Mr Misselbrook. “Once these heading dates have passed, quality falls off rapidly across the whole crop as all the plants are at the same vegetative stage and move into the reproductive stage.”

Instead, he suggests that farmers look at mixtures with a wider heading date. “These will have more varieties of grasses and include intermediate sand late perennial ryegrasses, offering a range in heading dates and a 12- or 14-day window for harvesting.”

He adds that if these mixtures are harvested in the first half of the window, while the later perennial ryegrasses may not have headed, they will still be in their vegetative leafy stage and offer high feed value. If cutting date is later, while the intermediate grasses may be past their best, the late perennial ryegrasses will be in their prime.

“It’s also worth including some tetraploid ryegrasses in the mixture too, as they are recognised for their higher nutritive value. They’re proven to have better balance of sugars and digestible fibre (DNDF) which is key in maximising the feed value of the silage.”

Seed merchants will include heading dates of grass seed mixtures in their literature to help farmers in their selections. “Look for any accreditations too that indicate high yields and feed value,” he says. “We include the LGAN accreditation on some Limagrain grass seed mixtures; most of these have diploid and tetraploid ryegrasses, and intermediate and late varieties depending on their requirements.

“Being a bit more discerning will help farmers accommodate and adapt to the changing weather patterns.”

Across in Ireland, Paul Flannagan from DLF Ireland is also talking to his farmer customers about more ‘fail safe’ mixtures.

“I know that traditionally we’ve opted for silage mixtures made up mainly of intermediate perennial ryegrasses. These can give top yields of high feed value grass. But that’s only where conditions are especially favourable,” he says.

He estimates that in 60% of cases, conditions are not ideal and as a result yield and quality suffer. “Either it rains, or the contractor is delayed, or there’s a break-down,” he adds. “The trouble is, with these mixtures you only have a four- or five-day window to cut the crop at its best. After that quality falls dramatically.”

Instead, to spread the risk, DLF Ireland is seeing farmers opting for mixtures with wider heading dates, giving a window for harvesting of 15 or 16 days. “These crops will hold their quality and give farmers an extra 10 days or so to harvest the crop.”

He admits that while those bumper yields might not be there, the overall lifetime productivity of these mixtures with wider heading dates is probably a lot higher. Instead of a crop achieving its potential one in every three years, you’re getting good crops far more consistently and at least two out of three years – that’s a lot of extra productivity from a grass ley if we consider lifetime yield.”

And he says farmers are realising this, judging by their increased interest in some of the wider heading mixtures. “Take Sinclair McGill’s Scotsward. This mixture heads a bit later and it has a mix of intermediate and late perennial ryegrass so the window of opportunity for cutting – without any real loss in yield or quality – is about 14 days.

“Farmers find that digestibility and energy levels in the silage are less variable one year to another and while yields might not be those that the top performing silage mixtures achieve in a perfect year, the added reliability across the lifetime of the ley more than compensates.”

Mr Misselbrook admits that farmers need to review the last few seasons and decide what sort of mixture suits them best. “And be honest, don’t look at one season in isolation, but across say a five-year period and consider whether the top yielding silage mixtures are coming up with the goods on your farm, or whether you should build in a bit more flexibility and take a bit of the risk out of the grass crop.”

What choices are there for sheep producers who want to mitigate the risk of a grass shortage and have a fresh high feed value forage to hand when finishing lambs later this year? According to Limagrain’s Martin Titley, there are plenty of options.

And not only do they offer a low-cost forage option, but they can also provide a break crop after grass leys or cereals.

“There are a number of good fodder crops that arable or mixed farms could consider this spring, instead of sowing cereals,” says Mr Titley. “A lot of arable units are facing big acreages for spring crops. Sowing a break crop on some fields might not be a bad option; maybe where there’s been a blackgrass problem or as an option to break the disease cycle.

Stubble Turnips

Stubble turnips are an ‘old favourite’ and lost popularity as rotations changed and other options became more fashionable. But they’re now back in favour. “Arable and sheep producers alike recognise that they suit practically any sheep production system – they’re incredible versatile,” says Mr Titley.

He says that the real attraction for this crop is that it’s fast growing and for some the flexible sowing time is attractive. It can be sown in May and June, after first-cut silage, to get a bite in early August and September. “This is good on units where grazing can burn off later in the season. It acts as an ‘insurance’ crop against a dry summer and allows producers to finish lambs on a low-cost forage crop.”

Most stubble turnip crops are sown after cereal harvest – at the end of July or beginning of August – and are then ready for grazing between 12 and 14 weeks later.

“They’re ideal for plugging the forage gap between September and the end of December,” he says, adding that this year, being very mild, farmers have grazed them well into February. “This isn’t the norm though and can’t be taken for granted.”

For the latest Stubble Turnip Trial Results from our UK Trials, click here.

Forage Rape Hybrids

Forage rape and hybrids -which are typically a cross between rape and kale – are becoming a ‘go to’ choice for finishing lambs.

“These forage rape brassicas are particularly popular because of their flexible sowing dates,” adds Mr Titley. “They can be sown from May until late August and used as summer grazing or sown into winter barley stubble in late July.

An easy to grow crop also makes these hybrid brassicas popular. They benefit from farmyard manure or slurry pre sowing, or an application of 60kg to 90kg of nitrogen with 25kg each of potassium and phosphate per hectare.

“And they’re fast-growing so ready to graze in 12 to 14 weeks. Sown in May, they give a bite at the end of August or early September which is ideal for finishing lambs on many farms.”

But the crop can be used across winter too and will keep its leafiness in colder conditions. “Forage rape and the hybrid crops are winter hardy and are capable of carrying stock well into February and even early March. But it must be grazed before flowering as once it starts to flower, it loses its nutritional value.”

Modern rape kale hybrids offer high feed values. “Take one of the latest, Unicorn, launched in 2019. This fast-growing leafy catch crop offers energy values of 11 MJ per kilogramme of dry matter, producing 49,438 MJ per hectare, and a dry matter content of 12.4%. This is a lot of feed value from 12 to 14 weeks of growth.”

For the latest Forage Rape Trial Results from our UK Trials, click here.

A Good Mix

Both stubble turnips and forage rape hybrids provide a good break, helping to build fertility back into the soil and to control both broadleaved and grass weeds. They can be followed with a spring grass reseed or a spring cereal crop.

“A mix of the two in one cropping is popular too,” he adds. The stubble turnip ‘bulbs’ provide a high energy crop, whereas the brassica hybrids, such a forage rape, pack a protein punch. This offers a more balanced forage mix in one crop.

“In freezing and snowy conditions, the forage rape ‘stands up’ and creates a canopy over the stubble turnips which generally keeps them fresher for longer.”

Mr Titley says that the popularity of swedes is declining as more producers discover the benefits of stubble turnips and forage rape. “But we’re still seeing the old favourite swede variety; Invitation and our Massif traditional turnip take their well-earned place on some sheep units.

“These crops grow well in autumn so they’re ideal where cereal harvest is later; which is often why we see them grown in Scotland. They provide a high energy, high dry matter winter feed that can be grazed from the end of November through to February with relatively low production costs.”

Herbal Leys

Herbal leys are getting more popular for grazing sheep and finishing lambs. The perennial mixtures typically persist for three or four years and comprise species including chicory and plantain, as well as traditional grasses such as meadow fescue and sainfoin.

“The species are deep rooting and they continue to thrive in dry conditions – either during drought or towards the back-end of the grazing season, when grass may be struggling,” says Mr Titley.

These mixtures really come into their own on chalky, light and free-draining soils. They’re also rich in minerals, compared to other forage crops.

Sheep farmers on or close to EFA land, which is now subject to the ‘greening’ rules, cannot leave land fallow during the winter – a green cover crop must be sown and must remain in place until January 12 each year.

“A mixture of forage rye Humbolt and vetch, which can be sown as late as September, is a good option,” says Mr Titley. “It’s a reliable feed for both ewes and finishing lambs to graze, up until April, if required.”

He adds that herbal leys are becoming more predominant in arable farming areas. “Sheep and arable farmers can work together on this. There are also soil health and fertility benefits to be had by arable producers who graze livestock on a proportion of their land each year.”

The LG Essential Guide to Forage Crops

More Information

For more information on any of these crops, download the LG Essential Guide to Forage Crops, click the link below

Yielding a massive 5% more than any other variety on the 2021 BBRO Recommended List, BTS 1915 leads the pack, with an adjusted tonne yield of 108.1% and a high sugar content of 17.7%.

Bred by Betaseed and marketed by Limagrain UK, BTS 1915 leads the Recommended List by a considerable amount – 5% over any other variety – and this is exceptional. Next on the list is KWS Evalotta yielding 103%, followed by last year’s list topper KWS Kortessa at 101.9%, so it’s clear to see the exceptional yield increase brought by BTS 1915,” explains Ron Granger, sugar beet product manager for Limagrain.

“We normally expect to see year on year yield advances of 1-2% in yields – so BTS 1915 is something quite special – and this is at a time when many other arable crop yields have plateaued.”

“Nor is it a one year wonder performance” he adds. “These extremely high yields have been consistent over the last three years that the variety has been in trials – so we are confident in the variety’s ability to perform in different seasons and situations.”

“We are also in the fortunate position where sugar beet breeders are still able to push yields without compromising the sugar content – and this is reflected in BTS1915 with its very acceptable sugar percentage of 17.7.”

Nor is it all about the yields, he continues. “BTS 1915 has excellent agronomic characteristics that make it a very useful variety on-farm. We recognise that varieties also need to establish well, have good bolting tolerance and robust disease resistances to succeed.”

“However when BTS 1915 is sown in  the normal sowing window from mid-March onwards, it has shown an excellent bolting tolerance, recording no bolters. This result has been consistent over the last three years, including data from 2019, which we know was a high year for bolting.”

“However, it should be recognised that when BTS 1915 is sown early, the variety might show excessive botling as the Early Sown Bolter trials, conducted as part of the Recommended List trial series demonstrate. “

“The variety has the highest brown rust disease resistance rating on the Recommended List of 8.7 , thus making it the first choice for late lifting where brown rust is potentially the key disease to control.”

What does 5% yield increase mean for sugar beet profitability?

BTS 1915 provides an opportunity for growers who want to take the next step-up in yields as in doing so they are raising the bar in sugar beet production even higher – making themselves more resilient against the rising costs of producing a sugar beet crop.

According to figures from the  John Nix Pocketbook for Farm Management 2019 edition, the additional benefits of this 5% yield are significant in terms of profitability, irrespective of the crop being low, average or high yielding. See chart above.

Increasing the yield by 5% on a crop yielding 66.5t/ha by 3.325t/ha brings a financial benefit of £67/ha. For a crop yielding 78t/ha, a 5% increase in yield of3.9t/ha is worth £79.80/ha and on a crop yielding 89.5t/ha an extra 5% benefit in yield of 4.475t/ha is worth £91.51/ha. This is based on a 2020 beet price, on a three-year contract at £20.45/t with no crown tare reduction.

Bird damage can be an issue for some maize growers leading to virtually all maize seed being sold treated with a maize repellent, primarily Mesurol (methiocarb) which has now been withdrawn with only limited Mesurol-treated seed available for 2020 drilling.

But according to Richard Camplin, Technical Manager with LG Seeds, bird repellents may have become an insurance premium rather than a necessity. He says that as all seed has been treated, it is impossible to say if the treatment was actually needed.

“For many farmers, bird repellents may be unnecessary,” Mr Camplin continues. “At our five test sites across the country, we have not treated our variety trials with Mesurol for 10 years, giving a total of over 40 trials. In that time, we lost just two trials completely to birds, with only one other trial substantially damaged. So, it might be that in many cases birds are less of an issue than perceived.

“Like any insurance premium, you only get a return if birds cause damage. If birds aren’t a risk, then all that the treatment has done is increased costs.”

He says that most seed this year will be treated with a replacement bird repellent with the active ingredient ziram and warns farmers to check what dressing has been used.
“Most ziram treated seed will have been treated with the product Korit, although some own brand products have also been used. Ziram has some particular risks and seed must be handled carefully and the appropriate personal protective equipment used at all times when handling ziram treated seed.

“When opening the seed bags and when filling or emptying the seed drill hoppers, avoid exposure to dust and avoid the transfer of dust from the seed bag into the seed drill hoppers.

“The bags themselves will need careful handling and disposal. Do not leave empty bags lying around and dispose of them in accordance with current legislation. Return all unused treated seeds to their original bags and do not reuse empty bags for other uses.”

It is likely that there will be further restrictions on seed treatment use. Mr Camplin suggests there are alternative approaches that can be used to avoid the investment and risks associated with bird repellents and still ensure good crop establishment by working with the plant. He says choosing a variety with good early vigour, focusing on seed bed preparation and encouraging strong early root growth will help reduce the risk of bird damage.

“If we can get the plant away growing strongly and quickly, we can manage the bird risk. Many varieties including Glory, Prospect, Pinnacle and Reason combine excellent performance with exceptional early vigour. As a rule of thumb, consider a variety with an early vigour of at least 7.3 using the BSPB/NIAB list to help with selection.

“Once you have chosen the variety, then focus on getting the seed bed right to encourage germination and root development.”

He advises where possible choosing south or south west facing fields with free draining soil. Create a fine, firm seedbed with no clods and minimize compaction. Seed should be drilled at uniform spacing to promote even germination.

“Seed depth is a big topic of discussion. Drilling deeper can offer some protection against birds but may delay crop emergence. While a depth of 7cm is optimum, it may be necessary to drill deeper to around 10cm. The key is to ensure the soil has warmed up before seed is drilled. You want the soil to have been 8-10°C at the target drilling depth for at least a week before drilling. Clearly the deeper you drill the later this can be and this year soils may take a while to warm up given how much rain we have seen and with more fields waterlogged.”

Mr Camplin says new generation biological seed dressings offer significant benefits and will help ensure plants get away quickly. They also have none of the risks associated with chemical treatments.

Starcover, which is available with most LG maize varieties this season contains a polymer and a biological compound which together have a significant impact on root and plant development.

“The polymer in Starcover seed treatment attracts moisture to the seed. In doing so it changes the environment in which the roots emerge from the germinating seeds and causes more rapid and prolific root growth, particularly the fibrous roots which are more effective at moving water and nutrients into the plant.

“The biological component of Starcover is a Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) which colonises the roots as they grow and increases the availability of soil nutrients to the plant, particularly the increased nutrient supply results in better growth”

Roots on Starcover treated plants shown to be much bigger.

In trials over several years at sites across the country, Starcover treated crops have had 18% more roots that untreated plants. Two weeks after drilling treated plants were on average 5.1% higher and 15.4% higher five weeks after drilling, meaning they were capturing solar energy more efficiently sooner.

When harvested, treated plants yielded between 3-7% more dry matter per hectare and forage was on average up to 2.6%DM higher.

“Biological dressings offer a safe alternative to traditional chemical treatments, although they work in a different way. Rather than being seen as an insurance premium you spend in case of a bird risk, they can be seen as an investment in a stronger plant and potentially a bigger crop.”

However, Mr Camplin points out that most seed this year will be treated with Korit (ziram) and he urges farmers to make sure they brief their contractors about the seed treatment used.

“With a wider range of seed treatments being used this year and more product names, every farmer has a duty of care to make sure the contractor knows in advance what seed treatment has been used so they can take steps to ensure the Health and Safety of their drivers and provide necessary PPE. Click here to download the Safe Handling Guidelines

“Don’t assume they will know which product has been used and make sure the contractor has access to relevant safety data sheets which will be on the bag.”

Watch how Starcover works!