Top Gear host turned farmer Jeremy Clarkson yesterday welcomed ‘panic buyers’ to his farm shop but warned them not to get out of the car.
Clarkson’s farm shop – called Squat Shop – is open and currently stocking only potatoes. In a post on Twitter, he wrote: ‘People of Chipping Norton. My farm shop will open at 11. Only potatoes on offer. Panic buyers welcome. Don’t get out of your car.’
In a separate post he added: ‘Two things. To maintain a safe distance, it’s cash only. And no you can’t have a selfie.’
Clarkson first opened the doors to his farm shop in Oxfordshire a month ago, bragging that produce grown on his 1,000-acre farm is ‘cheaper than Aldi’, with vegetables ‘guaranteed non-organic’ and ‘drizzled in fungicide’.
The Grand Tour star bought the farm a year ago and his endeavour will be the subject of an TV show on Amazon Prime. He has previously told the media that farming ‘fills [him] with joy’.
Following Boris Johnson’s announcement last night that the UK will be subject to a lockdown amid the Covid-19 crisis, Clarkson joked on Twitter: ‘Good news everyone. You can relax. Her Majesty’s government has decided that I’m a key worker.’
Supermarkets and other premises selling food, including market stalls, are among those that are allowed to remain open, while farmers have been named as key workers.
Under the strict new rules to tackle the virus’s spread, members of the public may only leave their homes to shop for essential items such as food and medicines, to fulfil any medical or care needs, to exercise once a day, or to travel to and from work where ‘absolutely necessary’.
Gatherings in public of more than two people who do not live together are prohibited and people should keep 2m away from people they do not live with.
The seven new varieties added to the 2021 sugar beet list are BTS1915 from Limagrain UK Ltd, Evalotta KWS, Catriona KWS, Eldorana KWS, Sancha KWS and Smart Rivetta KWS from KWS UK Ltd and Lacewing from SESVanderHave UK Ltd.
These demonstrate the improvements that breeders are making to the crop. BTS1915 was the highest yielding of all varieties on the list; Lacewing is a new BCN variety; Smart Rivetta KWS is the second ALS herbicide tolerant variety to join the list whilst Evalotta KWS, Catriona KWS, Eldorana KWS and Sancha KWS produced no bolters in three years of normal sown RL trials.
“No season is easy but harvesting in the very wet autumn of 2019 was particularly difficult and all credit must go to the harvesting team and trial operators for getting sufficient trials harvested and analysed to allow this RL to be completed. It was good to see that the control varieties achieved a mean yield of 118 adjusted tonnes per hectare (it was 112 last year) with new varieties offering up to a greater than 8% yield increase above the controls,” commented Mike May, Chairman of the RL Board. “In addition it is also good to see that the herbicides are now in place so that growers will be able to grow ALS herbicide tolerant varieties. Whilst these herbicide tolerant varieties yielded less than the controls, the RL trials are treated with conventional herbicides and it is expected that the ALS tolerant ones will produce higher yields when used with the Smart®Conviso herbicides. The breeder will have more information on how best to use these varieties in practice.”
The 2021 list shows how successful breeders have been with 10 out of the 22 varieties on the list recording no bolters in the 20 RL yield trials, which were sown from mid March onwards, and make up the database used for the 2021 RL.
In the 2021 RL table the average plant population harvested was 103,100/ha and average sugar content 17.8%. The numbers of early-sown bolters are from trials sown between mid February up to the first nine days of March. Growers should use these latter figures for guidance if sowing early, or if very cold or other stressful conditions are expected. Those varieties indicated by a X in the tables are not recommended for sowing before the 15th March but present a much lower risk for normal sowing.
“Before ordering any of the special varieties bred for BCN, AYPR or ALS herbicide tolerance, growers should discuss options with the BBRO and breeders who will have more information on their performance and use in the presence of the specific problem,” advises Mike.
The RL/DL table can be found on the BBRO website (bbro.co.uk) along with the supplementary tables showing the three-year data for the varieties, plus seed provenance, vernalisation experienced in the early-sown bolter trials over the last three years and juice impurities.
Environment secretary George Eustice has confirmed the government intends to relax the three-crop rule this year, as severe flooding means many farmers would struggle to comply.
Brought over from EU law after Brexit on 31 January, the rule requires farmers managing more than 30 hectares of arable land to grow at least three different crops. Farmers with smaller land holdings are also subject to crop diversification requirements.
With large swathes of farmland underwater in England for most of February, however, the government says it is pursuing plans to relax the rule, so those who are unable to access flooded land to plant spring crops in the coming weeks and months will not be unfairly penalised.
The amendment will be made for parliament’s approval as soon as possible and all farmers will be notified once it has been approved, Defra says.
A £6 million funding pot will also be made available through an extension to the Farming Recovery Fund, for farmers affected by recent flooding in parts of East and North Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire and Herefordshire.
Mr Eustice said: “I have seen first-hand how devastating the recent floods have been to people and communities. For farmers, the costs can be overwhelming, which is why we have extended the Farming Recovery Fund to help those affected by exceptional flooding get back on their feet.
He added that the three-crop rule is “not practical” in extreme weather, when farmers need to plan spring cropping.
“Applying a blanket derogation for this year is the best way to reduce bureaucracy and leave farmers free to get on with farming,” he added.”
“I’m also aware that the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) is causing other difficulties for the farming community. The Rural Payments Agency is working tirelessly to ensure farmers have access to all the guidance they need and we are exploring all options to ensure the right support is available in the coming weeks and months.”
Using the Farming Recovery Fund, affected farmers in eligible areas can claim for grants between £500 and £25,000 to cover uninsurable repair costs such as the re-cultivation of farmland, including re-seeding, replanting cover crops and alleviating soil compaction.
The fund was opened to support recovery from flooding in June and July last year, and extended to cover further flooding in parts of South Yorkshire, Gloucestershire and the Midlands in November.
NFU’s deputy vice president Stuart Roberts said the increase in funding will be “a huge relief” for farmers affected by Storms Ciara and Dennis.
“We know of some farmers facing bills of hundreds of thousands of pounds from uninsurable losses, including high value horticulture crops rotting in the ground. And it’s been impossible to get new crops planted due to five months of incessant rainfall,” he added.
Further information on application dates for the extended fund will be released in due course, the government says. Farmers affected by recent flooding who have already repaired damage caused are advised to keep records of all relevant evidence, including receipts and before and after photos, to help the Rural Payments Agency process applications promptly.
Growers with bare land are reminded that Soya and Millet are both sown in late April through to late May, and can save the day for growers looking for late-sown cropping options.
With the unprecedented winter weather, the UK is looking at the largest spring cropping area for many years, and with a shortage of spring seed and rotational restrictions to consider, many growers are stumped for an option.
In addition, worries over Coronavirus and potential disruption to the export / import of both commodities (since both Millet and Soya are usually imported), Soya UK has increased the contract acreage available for growers looking for a late-sown option.
Soya UK Ltd is offering full buy-back contracts on soya for this coming Spring.
For further information, contact Jacqui McNaughton on jacqui@soya-uk.com or visit www.soya-uk.com or call the office on 02380 696922.
Farmers are being warned not to stock up on prescription-only animal medicines, amid the escalating coronavirus outbreak.
There have been ‘isolated reports’ of farmers being encouraged to stockpile these medicines, according to the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (Amtra), who warned that this is both ‘illegal’ and ‘counter-productive’.
The Veterinary Medicines Regulations state that it is an offence to prescribe more than the minimum amount required for treatment. Prescribers are also required to take into account the disease/condition and the responsible use of medicines.
Amtra secretary general Stephen Dawson said: “Stocking up with prescription-only medicines such as wormers and flukicides is not appropriate, whether due to coronavirus or any other reasons.”
He added: “We don’t think these isolated reports are typical, but it’s a good reminder that farmers shouldn’t be looking to stock up with medicines. They will get best value from their medicines by having a proper conversation with their prescriber, at the time of need, so they can be prescribed the best choice alongside advice on how to get the most out of the medicine.”
Prescription-only medicines should only be prescribed when necessary by a vet or a Registered Animal Medicines Advisor (Rama), also known as an SQP, based on the needs and circumstances at the time. Such needs will vary depending on a variety of factors including disease challenges and weather.
It is not possible to know what the most appropriate medicine will be in advance, Mr Dawson said, and attempting to stock up could be a waste of money or even counter-productive.
“It also means that farmers will miss out on timely advice about the best strategies for use, and reminders about safe usage and the correct administration technique.”
Conversations at this year’s Dairy-Tech were inevitably dominated by climate change but, while it is clear the industry will undergo significant changes in the next 10–20 years, there is no shortage of innovation and skill to help producers meet the challenges ahead. Sarah Kidby attended.
Speakers in both the dairy and innovation hubs at this year’s show, which took place in early February, were keen to stress that farmers should not be phased by vegan trends and ‘dairy bashing’ in the media, but emphasised that reducing environmental impacts will be key. With more than 55 product launches and nearly 80 speakers, there was a strong focus on how technology such as robotics, sensing, satellite mapping and genomics, will become increasingly important in helping farmers to produce more, with less.
Professor Toby Mottram (seen above), who founded the agri-tech start-up Milkalyser, said he believes we could one day see a ‘Fitbit for cows’ or a low-cost sensor for measuring emissions. He predicts that robotics and sensors for animal health and feed efficiency will become more commonplace, with monitoring dry cows being a possible new focus area. The technology behind a system for measuring in-line progesterone levels, developed by Milkalyser, could also be adapted to detect disease markers for BVD, Johne’s, and possibly even bovine TB, he added.
Meanwhile, Cogent genetics manager Andrew Holliday said the company believes feed efficiency is the key to producing more food with fewer inputs. Trials of Cogent’s EcoFeed in Ohio have revealed that heifers on the diet eat up to 24 per cent (4.7kg) less feed a day.
Exploring what British dairy could look like in the next 10 years, dairy consultant John Allen, of Kite Consulting, predicted that farm numbers will shrink to just under 8,000, while average yield per cow will rise from 8,090 litres per cow to more than 11,080. Alternatively, he mused, it is possible that milk outputs will actually increase so the surplus can be exported. A new report, ‘A Vision for Dairy 2030’, released by Kite during the show, predicts environmental issues will be the biggest threat to dairy farming, but states that the industry can reduce emissions by 30 per cent in the next decade. Technology and better use of nitrogen will be an important part of this, John said, while consultant Duncan Williams added that using genomics to improve feed efficiency, health and productivity, will also be key.
Dairy innovations
Zoetis took home this year’s Royal Dairy Innovation Award for its unique genomic test, Clarifide Plus. Arriving in the UK in 2019, it is the only genomic test to incorporate health and wellness traits, as well as production traits. Judges were impressed by the way the selection of animals now encompasses the Dairy Wellness Profit Index, which is adding health traits. Head of judges Tim Downes said: “It’s very exciting that animals twice as healthy can be chosen – improving lifetime productivity alongside less disease incidence.”
Runners up for the award were Miracle Tech with its cattle weighing app Beefie; and Herdwatch, which introduced the next generation version of its app for completing paperwork in the field.
Other innovative products launched at the show included Rezatec’s Grass SAT, a new digital grass management tool for optimising grazing performance; the Unique teat spray dip from EnviroSystems, which early adopters say has significantly reduced somatic cell counts; and new software from Mole Valley Farmers that can predict the amount of methane produced by different rations.
Gold Cup goes to Ayrshire farmers
The Sloan family from Auchinleck, Ayrshire, are the latest recipients of the NMR RABDF Gold Cup. Robert Sloan runs the 180-cow Townlaw Holstein herd at Darnlaw Farm, alongside the 60-cow Darnlaw Jersey herd, with his parents Bryce and Anne, and his wife Emma. In 2011, they made the decision to switch to robotic milking in a purpose-built shed on a greenfield site at the farm.
RABDF chairman and competition judge said the family had worked together to develop their dairy herds and establish a good working relationship with the milk buyer. “They have invested well in technology and systems and their flexible approach to staffing ensures a good work-life balance,” he added.
With the crop about to enter its critical flowering period, AHDB has announced it will run its sclerotinia infection risk alerts service again this season to help growers better target sprays.
AHDB has also issued the spring update of the light leaf spot forecast, as well as predictive information on aphid activity (first flights and abundance).
Sclerotinia forecasts
Each spring, warm (>10°C), moist soils cause Sclerotinia sclerotiorum to develop brown spore-releasing structures on the soil. Carried in the wind, the spores can land on OSR, feed on petals and germinate.
Even where spores are present and food is sufficient, conducive weather is required for infection to occur. OSR is at the greatest risk of infection when relative humidity and air temperatures are high (>80% and >7°C, respectively) for more than 23 consecutive hours.
The ADAS-led project provided infection-risk information for 15 commercial sites, three times each week (2015–18), during the main risk periods. Located across England and Scotland, some sites included monitoring of airborne spores and petal inoculum levels. The researchers found that decisions based on inoculum levels and weather-based infection risk resulted in 26% fewer crops needing treatment.
Three of the sites included a fungicide timing trial. Under relatively high disease pressures, fungicides applied in response to alerts resulted in an average yield response of 0.3 t/ha (compared with the untreated control). Where sprays were made routinely at early flower (in the absence of alerts), average yield increases were reduced to 0.22 t/ha.
Catherine Harries, who manages disease research at AHDB, said: “In the absence of sclerotinia inoculum, oilseed rape is not at risk from infection. Where inoculum is found, weather largely drives infection risk and this is where our alerts service is particularly useful.”
The UK areas where weather conditions are currently, or are forecast to be, suitable for the sclerotinia pathogen to infect crops are highlighted by the risk alerts service.
Typically, the optimum time for a single spray is just before mid-flowering on the main raceme and, since fungicides have protectant activity, should be applied prior to an infection risk alert. Persistence of full-dose fungicides is approximately three weeks. If a spray is made earlier, or if the flowering period is extended, a second spray may be required under conducive infection conditions.
Access the sclerotinia infection risk alerts during the main flowering period at ahdb.org.uk/sclerotinia
Light leaf spot and aphid forecasts
AHDB’s light leaf spot spring forecast shows that the disease risk to OSR has increased over most regions, since the autumn preliminary forecast. This is due to the wetter than average winter for most parts of the UK. The exception is eastern Scotland, which has reduced slightly due to drier weather than normal. The regional disease forecast highlights the proportion of OSR crops with a disease resistance rating of 5 predicted to have more than 25% of plants affected by the spring.
With January–February air temperatures above the 30-year average, aphids are anticipated to take flight relatively early this spring. In fact, the AHDB Aphid News service predicts that aphids will fly about 1–3 weeks earlier in Scotland and Northern England and about four weeks earlier over much of the rest of England.
Following chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement that the government will provide a £30bn package to help the economy get through the coronavirus outbreak, it was declared that the red diesel subsidy will not change for UK farmers.
The chancellor spoke at length on the environmental impact of businesses using the fuel and his consequent decision to abolish the ‘tax relief’ for some industries.
“The sectors using red diesel are some of the biggest contributors to our air quality problem – emitting nearly 10 per cent of the noxious gasses polluting the air of our cities like London,” he said. “This is a tax relief on nearly 14m tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, the same as the entire population of London and greater Manchester taking a return flight to New York. It’s been a £2.4bn tax break for pollution that’s also hindered the development of cleaner alternatives.”
Sunak went on to recognise that the red diesel subsidy abolishment will be a big change for most sectors and so will keep the scheme frozen for the next two years, to allow businesses time to prepare.
There was a resounding cheer from parliament when the chancellor announced his decision to keep the red diesel subsidy frozen for the UK agricultural sector, following strong concerns from the NFU, his rural colleagues and the MP for Sherwood, Mark Spencer.
As well as the farming sector, rail, domestic heating and fishing companies will also not be affected by the subsidy abolishment, the chancellor announced. He will consult with other sectors over the summer.
Sunak went on to explain how they will be increasing spend “to help develop cleaner alternatives for red diesel and other fossil fuels”. The government has agreed to more than double the research and development investment in the Energy Innovation programme to £1bn.
Winter flooding aid
Following a declaration of further investment into greener transport, the flooding that occurred nationally over the past few months was the next topic for the chancellor. “Many members around this house will have seen the devastating impact of the recent floods on the homes and businesses in their own constituencies. So I can announce today that I am making £120m available immediately to repair all damages, all defences damaged in the winter floods. To support those areas that have been repeatedly flooded I am also providing £200m of funding directly to local communities to build their flood resilience.”
Sunak announced that overall, the government would be doubling their investment into flood defences over next six years to £5.2bn.
Protecting and restoring natural UK habitats
Supporting natural habitats like woodlands and peatland was a high priority as the chancellor pledged to protect, restore and expand these “wonderful habitats”, as well as capture carbon, by providing £640m for a new ‘Nature for Climate’ fund. “Over the next five years we will plant around 30,000ha of trees, a forest larger than Birmingham and restore 35,000ha of peatland. This government intends to be the first in history to leave our natural environment in a better state than we found it,” he went on to declare.
Supporting our “largest food and drink exports”
Another “crucial industry” in need of aid from the government, according to the chancellor, is the Scotch whisky sector. As “one of our largest food and drink exports”, Sunak vowed to lobby the US government to remove the recent and harmful tariffs they have placed on Scotch Whisky imports. In the meantime, he will provide £1m of support to promote Scottish food and drink overseas, as well as £10m of new research and development funding to help distilleries go green.
To further support the industry, the planned increase in alcohol duty will be scrapped, including spirits, beer, wine and cider.
Photo : The Yorkshire Post
Challenging conditions last autumn are now presenting growers with difficult decisions for spring. Many might be considering what to do with, and how much to spend, on winter crops although nursing them through to harvest will be the aim of most.
With spring barley premiums looking unlikely, and no guarantee of good drilling conditions during March and April, winter wheat crops might still be the best bet.
Certainly, Stephen Harrison of South West Agronomy wouldn’t lock too many doors at the moment. He says there’s no magic cure, but some of the lost ground can be recovered. “With winter barley, yield is all about ears and the number of grains, so any crop with compromised tillers will always have a yield compromise as a result. With late sown winter wheat crops you can still be short of tillers and ultimately ears/m², but you can offset some of the lost ground by thousand grain weight.”
The starting point is to make sure there are enough nutrients in the soil once crops enter the growing phase. He advises growers to re-evaluate their nitrogen splits. “Rather than a typical 25 per cent total dose for a first application I would be looking at something in the region of 33 per cent. But don’t be tempted to go too early and check soils are warm enough for plants to take it up.”
In manganese-deficient soils, growers will have to be particularly vigilant. Mr Harrison says small rooted plants will struggle to pick up sufficient levels and he feels it would be a good idea to test soils.
Phosphate is another micronutrient to check for. “Ground temperature has a bearing on the availability of phosphate in the soil, so later drilled crops going into cooler soils could be short. It is important for rooting and growers need to determine soil levels.”
Disease control
Later drilled backward crops are likely to need lower totals of N this season, and an opportunity to retain crop margin. Disease control might be another. “When your fungicide programme starts this season depends on the threat. Septoria pressure is unlikely to be particularly high early season, so you may not need to get in until GS32.”
But for those that have susceptible yellow rust varieties, then an earlier start might be warranted. “It’s the juvenile stage that plants are at their most vulnerable and you can’t let the disease take hold. A fast moving azole or strobilurin would be useful to keep a lid on the disease and reduce transfer to yield bearing leaves,” he notes.
Another possible saving is azole + CTL at GS32. He feels it would have to be an exceptionally wet and humid spring for septoria pressure to be severe when the first yield bearing leaves emerge. “At GS32 azole + CTL is an option for varieties on the right side of ‘6’ for the disease.”
For him the obvious choices are prothioconazole or epoxiconazole. Which comes down to whether the target is septoria or yellow rust, but it’s spray gaps over fungicide choice which is more important with yellow rust. “If these are short then Proline (prothioconazole) with CTL is a good protectant. You can add in tebuconazole if you need to knock yellow rust back a bit.”
But he wouldn’t move away from azole + SDHI mixtures for flag leaf sprays. “The flag leaf is the most responsive in terms of yield and keeping it clean will be vital. You’ll want to prolong green leaf area as long as possible for bold grains.”
Weed control changes
Unfortunately, such savings on spring weed control may not be possible.
He fears a spike in spring weed pressure and warns that late drilled, backward crops will lack a competitive edge compared with those sown at more typical drilling dates. These thin, open crops will be particularly vulnerable to wild oats, but black-grass and other grass weeds could also threaten. In addition, late-drilled crops haven’t gone into the best seedbeds so uneven cloddy soils could be harbouring a higher amount of seeds than previous seasons.
“There has definitely been a shift in weed control strategies in winter wheat crops,” says Bayer campaign manager, Ben Coombs. “There used to be widespread spring application of Atlantis (mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron) to control black-grass but now a broader spectrum of weeds are in focus for spring applications.
“Where black-grass is a major challenge, control strategies built around cultural controls and pre-emergence herbicides like Liberator do the bulk of the work in the autumn. This means that spring is increasingly about tidying up any other weeds that are left,” he says. “Obviously, things will be slightly different this spring because of the abnormally wet autumn but I still expect other weeds to feature prominently in farmers’ planning.”
Chief among these are annual meadow-grass, brome and ryegrass. According to Bayer research, agronomists are particularly concerned about these weeds becoming more of a problem. Ryegrass is a worry because it has been shown to develop resistance to various modes of action. Thankfully, it is not as widespread as black-grass but farmers should be vigilant to prevent any infestation developing.
Brome is also a rising concern, particularly in the north and west of the country but also in the east. In most places, there are still effective cultural and chemical controls, but farmers are not always using them when focusing on other weed problems. Another factor is the reduction in post-emergence black-grass applications which were also controlling brome.
“I think the reduction in use of post-ems for black-grass control has been important in other weeds becoming more prevalent. Products like Atlantis and Pacifica (mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron) were effective against a wide range of grass weeds and also some broad-leaved weeds. When you take this out of the equation it follows that certain weeds become more of a problem.”
Broad-leaved weeds
Broad-leaved weeds are also a factor in spring. Overall, the chemistry is there to control them so it is more a case of selecting the right product and timing rather than worrying about if the weeds can be controlled. “Decision making is in some ways more complicated in spring than autumn because the picture is different on each farm. In autumn, farmers are finding strategies that, if conditions allow, work most of the time. In spring, it really does depend on the weed profile on the farm and the success of autumn control,” says Mr Coombs.
“Generally, the picture that has come back to us about spring is that farmers are controlling a mixture of weeds and looking to do it as soon as possible before moving on to T0 and the fungicide programme. As a result, farmers now have the option of Pacifica Plus (mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron + amidosulfuron), which has good control of grass weeds and many of the main broad-leaved weeds. As a single product co-formulation, we see it as a simple one product solution to the mixed spring weed situations we are now seeing.”
Post-emergence herbicides will be more important this spring because the usual foundation is not there, after the wet autumn meant many wheat crops didn’t get a pre-emergence.
However, in practical terms, using post-ems is no different to previous years with respect to waiting for calm, dry, conditions and active growth. The big difference is the potential range and number of weeds that need to be controlled so checking populations in depth before selecting a product will be crucial, says Mr Coombs.
Strutt and Parker (Farms) Ltd was incorporated in 1918 and has a strong reputation as being one of the leading farm businesses in the UK, farming c.20,000 acres.
In 2019 the business was purchased by Robigus Ltd, in what was believed to be the biggest transaction of a farming business since 2014.
With fresh vision and a change of farming policy, under the management of Belport Limited, the company has made the decision to dispose of much of the current machinery by auction and re-equip.
The current fleet includes top quality modern machinery from leading manufacturers such as John Deere, JCB, Claas, Massey Ferguson, New Holland and many others.
Clarke & Simpson of Framlingham, established agricultural machinery auctioneers, have been instructed to undertake the sale, which will take place over two days, on 2nd & 3rd June, at two sites in Suffolk and Essex.
James Durrant, who heads up machinery sales at Clarke and Simpson said we are delighted to be instructed in the auction of machinery on behalf of this prestigious company. The Strutt & Parker (Farms) name is synonymous with farming throughout East Anglia and the auction is set to be one of the biggest single active farmer dispersal auctions held.
Catalogues will be available to download from the website five weeks before the sale and there will be live on-line bidding via www.i-bidder.com.
