Article taken from the Arable Farming
Pre-harvest indications of crop potential from differently-established 2014 crops in Agrovista’s multi-year Growcrop Gold trials programme are providing some pointers to ways growers can counter the loss of neonicotinoid dressings, says the agronomy firm.
The programme, which encompasses eight trial sites across England and Scotland, has this year focused particularly on ways establishment techniques and variety selection can help crops cope without neonicotinoid protection.
While the final 2013/14 trial site meetings took place ahead of harvest, some clear conclusions could already be drawn, says Agrovista’s Mark Hemmant.
He says: “It is noticeable across the sites how the crops benefited from much better establishment conditions this season, with most drilling completed in the ideal window and the weather mild through autumn and winter.
“But after two years of soils taking a batter from heavy rains, with few opportunities to correct structures, the difference adapting establishment techniques to conditions can make has been evident through the season.”
In addition to numerous other variables, the trials compare the use of various drill and seeder types from a number of manufacturers. The benefits of machines which produce greater soil movement at establishment, allowing improved root passage through compacted ground, have been clear this season, says Mr Hemmant.
“Drills which provided a greater element of soil disturbance and deeper loosening appear to have produced better, deeper-rooting, stronger plants, while strip-till systems and precision drills fared less well. But in better conditions, this wouldn’t necessarily be the case. Where possible systems need to be adaptable.”
Evidence
There is also further evidence of the benefits to be had from low see rates, he adds.
“Plots established at lower rates produced fewer but bigger plants, resulting in better light interception, stronger growth and improved branching and podding. As a general rule, we have seen over-winter plant sizes twice as big in plots planted at 30 seeds rather than 40 seeds/sq.m.
“The bigger plant benefits of fertiliser placement at planting were also clear, particularly with strip till-drilled trials.”
A particular focus of the Growcrop Gold trials is the value of companion crops, sown-in with OSR as an aid to weed suppression, nitrogen retention and compaction alleviation.
In the latter case in particular, this season the rooting characteristics of the mixture of common vetch, purple vetch and berseem clover which makes up the companion plant seed mix have proven their value, believes Mr Hemmant.
“The evidence of the benefits of companion cropping wasn’t so much above ground, where strong OSR growth kept weeds broadly in check. Instead, it was more below the soil surface.
“At the heavy land Darlington trial site in particular, we saw a big difference in OSR rooting in plots with and without companion crops.
“While there were signs of fanging and lateral rooting in some of the OSR plants in the plots without companion cropping, there was much less of this where the companion crop roots had opened up the ground for the OSR roots to follow. This also aided drainage and general structure.
“Because crops have never struggles for moisture this year, the effects of poor rooting haven’t been such a problem nationally. But with the neonicotinoid ban, areas such as this will need more attention.
“Where land needs loosening, do it with care. Some subcasting methods produce uneven field surfaces, causing uneven establishment and result in varied plant sizes. Alongside fast-starting varieties, greater precision in establishment methods, focusing on more than just date and moisture, is going to be important this season in countering the loss of neonicotinoids.”
Pre-harvest indications of crop potential from differently-established 2014 crops in Agrovista’s multi-year Growcrop Gold trials programme are providing some pointers to ways growers can counter the loss of neonicotinoid dressings, says the agronomy firm.
The programme, which encompasses eight trial sites across England and Scotland, has this year focused particularly on ways establishment techniques and variety selection can help crops cope without neonicotinoid protection.
While the final 2013/14 trial site meetings took place ahead of harvest, some clear conclusions could already be drawn, says Agrovista’s Mark Hemmant.
He says: “It is noticeable across the sites how the crops benefited from much better establishment conditions this season, with most drilling completed in the ideal window and the weather mild through autumn and winter.
“But after two years of soils taking a batter from heavy rains, with few opportunities to correct structures, the difference adapting establishment techniques to conditions can make has been evident through the season.”
In addition to numerous other variables, the trials compare the use of various drill and seeder types from a number of manufacturers. The benefits of machines which produce greater soil movement at establishment, allowing improved root passage through compacted ground, have been clear this season, says Mr Hemmant.
“Drills which provided a greater element of soil disturbance and deeper loosening appear to have produced better, deeper-rooting, stronger plants, while strip-till systems and precision drills fared less well. But in better conditions, this wouldn’t necessarily be the case. Where possible systems need to be adaptable.”
Evidence
There is also further evidence of the benefits to be had from low see rates, he adds.
“Plots established at lower rates produced fewer but bigger plants, resulting in better light interception, stronger growth and improved branching and podding. As a general rule, we have seen over-winter plant sizes twice as big in plots planted at 30 seeds rather than 40 seeds/sq.m.
“The bigger plant benefits of fertiliser placement at planting were also clear, particularly with strip till-drilled trials.”
A particular focus of the Growcrop Gold trials is the value of companion crops, sown-in with OSR as an aid to weed suppression, nitrogen retention and compaction alleviation.
In the latter case in particular, this season the rooting characteristics of the mixture of common vetch, purple vetch and berseem clover which makes up the companion plant seed mix have proven their value, believes Mr Hemmant.
“The evidence of the benefits of companion cropping wasn’t so much above ground, where strong OSR growth kept weeds broadly in check. Instead, it was more below the soil surface.
“At the heavy land Darlington trial site in particular, we saw a big difference in OSR rooting in plots with and without companion crops.
“While there were signs of fanging and lateral rooting in some of the OSR plants in the plots without companion cropping, there was much less of this where the companion crop roots had opened up the ground for the OSR roots to follow. This also aided drainage and general structure.
“Because crops have never struggles for moisture this year, the effects of poor rooting haven’t been such a problem nationally. But with the neonicotinoid ban, areas such as this will need more attention.
“Where land needs loosening, do it with care. Some subcasting methods produce uneven field surfaces, causing uneven establishment and result in varied plant sizes. Alongside fast-starting varieties, greater precision in establishment methods, focusing on more than just date and moisture, is going to be important this season in countering the loss of neonicotinoids.”