This year’s crops may only just be in the clamp or feed trough, but Mr Richmond believes it will be important to select varieties for 2021 in the next few weeks.

“Recent advances in plant breeding mean there are real advantages in being more targeted in variety selection,” he comments. “At the same time, we are seeing an increasing range of selection criteria with agronomy and how varieties fit into rotations becoming a higher priority.”

Tim Richmond, Maize Manager

Mr Richmond suggests environmental pressures mean there is an increased need to ensure successor crops are established in the autumn to prevent stubbles being overwintered. At the same time undersowing maize with grass to provide cover shows signs of increased popularity.

He also points to the drive to maximise forage output per hectare per year which combined with multicut grass systems means more farmers are looking to sow maize after first cut, which can reduce the growing season with implications for variety choice.

“When these factors are added to the production goals of achieving a high yield of an energy rich, high quality feed delivering a good return on investment, selecting the right variety is even more important.

“The days of growing a variety because ‘it has always done well’ have been replaced with the need to select the best variety for the circumstances.  In addition, it is important to make sure varieties can help reduce the risk of seasonal variation and you will want to make sure you have seed with the appropriate seed treatment.

Mr Richmond says the advances in maize variety breeding mean newer varieties offer a considerable financial advantage over earlier cultivars.  He quotes an analysis of LG varieties that shows that over the last 17 years dry matter yield per hectare has increased by 20% or 2.98t/ha. At the same time, starch yield has been increased by 24%, equivalent to over an extra 1 t/ha and ME yield by 27% or an additional 43,750MJ/ha due to a combination of higher yields and superior quality.

“This extra energy is enough to produce an additional 8,200 litres per hectare delivering an exceptional return on investment from choosing the latest genetics.”

He warns that this year variety availability could be compromised depending on the form of Brexit arrangement which is implemented as all maize seed is imported. Making the selection soon and getting seed organised early could be a wise business decision.

With variety selection becoming increasingly complicated with a greater range of parameters to consider, Mr Richmond says it is crucial to make sure to use independent data to inform decisions, rather than just taking the breeders word for it.

The new Maize Manager app is available now!

He says the BSPB/NIAB Forage Maize Descriptive List is the industry standard. It organises independent Descriptive List testing for forage maize varieties, financed by the BSPB and managed by NIAB. It compares the major maize varieties grown in the UK marketplace across the key growing locations, with comparisons made on dry matter, yield, quality characteristics such as starch and energy and finally agronomic data incorporating five years of trials.

“It provides a good way to compare and sort varieties to develop a short list to meet your circumstances and varieties not on the list will probably not be worth growing.”

He advises selecting varieties based on a number of both agronomic and feed quality criteria.  The first is maturity.  How quickly do you want a variety to mature?  Increasingly he says the market is moving towards varieties in the early and very early classifications as these varieties require fewer Ontario Heat Units (OHU) to reach maturity and are classified by having a lower FAO rating below FAO180.  This means that they require only a short growing season to mature and also can be harvested sooner, in better conditions and ensure a successor crop can be established.

“To help identify suitable varieties for different parts of the country, our Maize Manager App uses Met Office data to show OHU accumulations by post code and provides an FAO recommendation for your location.”

Mr Richmond says that early varieties used to be associated with lower yields but comments this is no longer the case.

He advises selecting varieties with good early vigour as you want seed to germinate and get away quickly.  He points out that the quicker the plant can start photosynthesising, the faster it will grow away.

Once varieties have been identified in the appropriate maturity class and your site class, the next key stage is to refine the list based on the yield and quality potential of the variety. Mr Richmond stresses the importance of focusing on quality because to maximise forage intakes you need varieties produce silage which encourages high intakes.

“With 50% of the total energy in maize contained in the vegetative parts of the plant, varieties combining high starch and high cell wall digestibility (CWD) should be chosen.  Higher CWD results in a higher quality feed and encourages faster rumen throughput and higher intakes.

“The overall objective should be to select varieties that will mature at a time to suit the farm and rotation and produce the yields of quality forage to optimise return on investment (ROI).”

The difference in return on investment can be considerable and using BSPB/NIAB data, The LG Maize Manager App allows varieties to be ranked on this basis. He says early maturing varieties combining good starch and Cell Wall Digestibility will drive productivity per hectare.

He says the data show that new varieties deliver a substantial financial benefit. The variety Prospect for example is maturity class 9 / FAO170 but is above average for dry matter yield across all varieties on the BSPB/NIAB List.  It has exceptional CWD combined with high starch and will produce 210,095MJ/ha, enough to produce 39,808 litres which is 2082 litres more than average.

Conclusion is a first-choice variety on this year’s BSPB/NIAB list and with an FAO190 is still early maturing, ensuring a timely harvest.  It out-yields all earlier varieties on both ME and dry matter, supporting 2432 litres/ha more than average

Whatever variety is selected, Mr Richmond stresses the need to ensure an appropriate see dressing is used.  He says that Korit will remain the only registered bird repellent.

He comments that bird repellents are only needed where bird damage will be a problem but says there remains considerable interest in seed dressings that also help the crop get established.

“For example, Korit Pro combines the bird repellent effect with trace minerals to stimulate root growth and function and a fungicide to prevent root damage caused by rhizotonia.  So, it will be important to find out what dressings are available on your variety of choice.

“Making a decision soon based on the latest data will help ensure that the maize you grow fits your farming system and will deliver the best return on investment while helping meet the increased environmental pressures being faced,” he concludes.

Download the Maize Manager App today, select your app store:

“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.

“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.

Have you heard about our new app?

“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.

Have you heard about our new app?

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“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 

Mr Copestake says there is a larger hectarage of maize being grown on arable farms this year, mainly as farmers looked for a crop to spring sow following the disrupted autumn drilling season.

“With winter cereal drillings down, maize fitted the bill in many areas allowing a spring crop which would allow a return to a normal autumn rotation,” he comments.  “It also allowed a cereal break and in most parts of the country demand for maize silage, for livestock feed or AD plants, remains high.

“With crops in the ground and growing very well, the focus must turn to making the most valuable crop possible, and as with other arable crops the quality of the harvested material is paramount.”

Mr Copestake explains that users of maize silage want a high energy feed with a good level of dry matter which has been well fermented, all of which are affected by harvest date. At the same time, growers will want an early harvest to allow timely establishment of the successor crop.

Once the crop has got to 32% dry matter, there is little benefit in delaying harvest, as it will increase it’s dry matter content, but not bulk up any more. In addition, if the crop is too dry and has senesced too far, it will be more difficult to ensile.

Cutting too soon can mean an earlier harvest but can produce a lower dry matter product. Furthermore, sugars will not have been converted to starch, while the fibre to starch ratio will be higher which is equally undesirable in terms of quality.

“As a crop matures it dries out. Once dry matter increases above 32%, the digestibility of the vegetative part of the plant which contains 50% of the total energy declines as the plant lignifies, reducing overall energy content.”

He says that harvest date is greatly influenced by the variety grown. Early maturing varieties require fewer heat units to reach maturity.

“As there is a range of over 20 days between the time the earliest and latest varieties will be fit for harvest, the first thing to do is check the maturity class of the variety you are growing so you can understand where it sits in the range.”

He says the ideal time to harvest the crop is at a dry matter content of 32-35% and when cobs are mature and starch yield is maximised, with the target of a minimum 30% starch content.

“Harvesting crops too dry at above 35% can result in ensiling problems, which is something that must be avoided.”

As crops start to dry down at a rate of around 2% per week from the beginning of September, Mr Copestake advises walking and inspecting crops weekly and carrying out two simple tests.

“Walk well into the crop and look at plants in several locations in the main field. The first test is the dry matter of the growing plant. You should be looking to harvest when the stover is around 24% DM, when the lower part of the stems no longer have any moisture freely running from them when twisted. In addition, the leaves level with the cob will be beginning to turn brown.”

Regarding the cob, he says it should be around 55% DM which can be assessed by the thumbnail or milk line test, where grains in the middle of the cob will no longer bear the imprint of a thumb nail when pushed into it. Grains at the top of the cob will have a consistency of soft cheese while those at the bottom should be like hard cheese.

“Regular assessment of the growing crop will improve the precision of timing of harvest but it is also vital to keep talking to your contractor in the lead up to harvest to ensure the crop is actually harvested at the optimum time.

“Also make sure all steps are taken to make the best quality feed by focussing on the ensiling process as this will determine the quality of the end product and help reduce aerobic spoilage. There is little point harvesting at the optimum stage if the crop is poorly ensiled and fermented”, Mr Copestake concludes.

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.

“The 2019 growing season was a good example of the potential risks faced by maize growers,” he comments. “Where harvest was delayed, the quality of the resultant feed was reduced, while in some cases crops were never harvested at all. In addition, many successor crops were not drilled, affecting rotations and leaving stubbles over-winter.

“In other years, farmers have to manage the risk of a poor or slow crop establishment and this could be an issue in 2020 given the very wet, early winter and current soil conditions.

“The skill is in reducing these risks and technological developments will help with this.”

Whether you are in a favourable or less favourable area, he says there are basically three core objectives:

1. The first is to grow a variety that will mature early to increase the prospects of getting it harvested in good time and allow a successor crop to be established.

2. The second is to ensure you produce the best yield of high-quality feed.

3. Finally you want feed available to include in the diet as early as possible.

All these are driven by variety selection and have been the focus of breeding programmes. He says selecting early over late varieties can bring harvest forward by over two weeks, explaining that early maturing varieties require fewer Ontario Heat Units to mature. Making use of Met Office data, farmers can now look up the average heat units accumulated in their area and use this to help improve the effectiveness of variety selection.

“Identifying a variety that will receive sufficient OHU to mature in your area, combined with good early vigour, is the starting point to managing risk associated with the crop.

“When making the variety decision, farmers have to consider a wide range of factors including maturity date, agronomic factors, yield and quality which can make it a challenging decision, with a significant range of varieties available. Getting the choice right can have a major impact on the quality and quantity of forage produced which will have a big impact on performance and margins.”

To help farmers make full use of data to ensure they select the optimum variety, the LG Maize Variety Selection Guide contains data on all the varieties on the 2020 BSPB/NIAB Descriptive Lists with data presented in easy to understand charts, allowing quick comparison between varieties.

Tables provide information on quality characteristics, including cell wall digestibility and starch content, enabling choices to be made to maximise the total feeding quality of maize silage. Vital agronomic information such as lodging, maturity and early vigour data is also included.

Mr Richmond predicts new developments in biological seed treatments can further improve speed of establishment and season long growth. He explains that there is increased interest in the use of biological treatments, given the phasing out of the current mainstream seed dressings. He says most seed dressings had been marketed as bird repellents and that while biological dressings will not specifically repel birds, they help reduce the risk by getting crops established quickly.

He says Starcover, which is available for the first time this year, is an example of the new technologies available. It combines a plant extract that accelerates root development and increases root number and length, with plant growth promoting bacteria that help improve nutrient uptake and boost early plant growth.

“In trials over several years, treated crops have had 18% more roots than untreated plants and when harvested, treated plants yielded between 3-7% more dry matter per hectare.

“By embracing new technologies, maize growers will be able to increase the prospects of high yielding, good quality feeds harvested on time and incorporated into diets quickly.”

See how Starcover works…

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!