Article taken from the Farmers Guardian, written by Georgina Haigh
With price volatility constantly looming over the industry and low current prices, reducing costs of production is as topical as ever.
Although many growers across the country have readily adopted new technology, technology on-farm is not always welcomed, nor used to its full potential to cut costs of production.
Setting the scene for the discussion, BASF head of business development and sustainability Rob Gladwin said: “Economics dominate everything and there is already lots of talk about cost cutting in the industry.
“But I think it is critical at CropTec we can some doubt on hawks in the industry who say cost cutting is the way to go. It is an easy way to go and appeals to a farmer’s nature.”
In response to this point, those around the table discussed how cutting input costs could reduce yield, but by using technology to apply variably rather than as a blanket treatment, costs could be cut while still supplying the inputs crops required.
Variability
Although growers are increasingly introducing variable rate application technology on to their farms, the general feeling around the table was they were reluctant to completely trust the ‘recommendations’ made by variable rate technology.
Yara agronomist Ian Matts said trying to encourage growers to cut back on nitrogen applications, for example, was a harder message to deliver on-farm than advising of a need to increase nitrogen application rates.
He said: “Nitrogen is one of the single largest costs in arable cropping and also one of the most cost-effective – typically increasing yield by 50 per cent, providing we are using it at an optimum rate and timing, and focusing on the right source.
“We have seen in the last two years of nitrogen-based response trials the potential negative impact of farming by averages. Over the last two years the average optimum over different sites and soil types has been around the long-term average of 225kg of N/hectare. The average has masked some big variations with-in that, from about 100-300kg of N/ha.
“By applying that average you are going to be over-applying in places, wasting input costs and possibly causing a detrimental environmental impact without realising the yield from it, and vice versa you will not get the optimum yields when under-applying.
“The trials show the importance of a field specific approach and that is one of our messages at CropTec and one of the reasons we will be focusing on some of the tools Yara have to offer, which focus on a tailored approach rather than applying blanket averages.
“Something important we have seen in oilseed rape in particular over the last decade of trials is the close correlation between the amount of nitrogen being taken up by the plant in the spring, and the optimum rate of nitrogen the crop requires. Our tools take the decision away from the farmer, but are based on robust data, not on a whim.”
Agrovista technical manager and agronomist Mark Hemmant agreed, and said trying to persuade farmers to reduce nitrogen rates and apply variably was a ‘difficult message but an important one.’
Mr Matts added: “For 10 years that correlation has clearly shown the link, but it is just having the confidence to make the decision to use the recommendation.
“Our smartphone apps help to show the decision is based on science and what is right for the crop.”
Application
Moving on from fertiliser application to application of crop protection products, Mr Hemmant said Agrovista would be sharing its recent findings from trials looking at optimum spray application at CropTec.
The company has been looking at different nozzles, water volumes and boom heights for applying herbicides and fungicides.
Mr Hemmant said: “A small cost application can have a big impact on product performance which is important because we are struggling, whether it is with black-grass or disease control.
“We do not want to take the chemical we have got away because we would be in a muddle. And growers sometimes miss the timing, so application can make a big impact – we are seeing one-tonne/ha yield difference just from application and a big difference in black-grass control.”
Mr Hemmant said changing approaches to spray application was an easier message to share with growers because it could be portrayed visually. He had noticed growers were increasingly prepared to change their methods, he said.
Black-grass
Delving deeper into this point, the discussion moved to how the challenge of black-grass had forced farmers to change their control methods, adopting new or sometimes older approaches or technology.
Head of cereals at Syngenta North Europe, Robert Hiles, noted the introduction of winter barley into the rotation as a tool against black-grass, while Mr Hemmant highlighted the resurgence in use of Avadex (tri-allate).
Mr Hiles said: “If 10 years ago somebody had suggested you would be using winter barley for black-grass control nobody would have believed you. But hybrid barley has clearly demonstrated it has a place as a black-grass tool.
“Its flag leaf is three times bigger which helps suppress and block light to black-grass, and we have seen a 91 per cent reduction of seed return to the soil compared to wheat when treat with a pre- and post-emergence herbicide.”
Improved technology meant it was a lot easier and quicker to bring a variety to the market, enabling breeders to respond to grower challenges faster, he said.
Around the table
With price volatility constantly looming over the industry and low current prices, reducing costs of production is as topical as ever.
Although many growers across the country have readily adopted new technology, technology on-farm is not always welcomed, nor used to its full potential to cut costs of production.
Setting the scene for the discussion, BASF head of business development and sustainability Rob Gladwin said: “Economics dominate everything and there is already lots of talk about cost cutting in the industry.
“But I think it is critical at CropTec we can some doubt on hawks in the industry who say cost cutting is the way to go. It is an easy way to go and appeals to a farmer’s nature.”
In response to this point, those around the table discussed how cutting input costs could reduce yield, but by using technology to apply variably rather than as a blanket treatment, costs could be cut while still supplying the inputs crops required.
Variability
Although growers are increasingly introducing variable rate application technology on to their farms, the general feeling around the table was they were reluctant to completely trust the ‘recommendations’ made by variable rate technology.
Yara agronomist Ian Matts said trying to encourage growers to cut back on nitrogen applications, for example, was a harder message to deliver on-farm than advising of a need to increase nitrogen application rates.
He said: “Nitrogen is one of the single largest costs in arable cropping and also one of the most cost-effective – typically increasing yield by 50 per cent, providing we are using it at an optimum rate and timing, and focusing on the right source.
“We have seen in the last two years of nitrogen-based response trials the potential negative impact of farming by averages. Over the last two years the average optimum over different sites and soil types has been around the long-term average of 225kg of N/hectare. The average has masked some big variations with-in that, from about 100-300kg of N/ha.
“By applying that average you are going to be over-applying in places, wasting input costs and possibly causing a detrimental environmental impact without realising the yield from it, and vice versa you will not get the optimum yields when under-applying.
“The trials show the importance of a field specific approach and that is one of our messages at CropTec and one of the reasons we will be focusing on some of the tools Yara have to offer, which focus on a tailored approach rather than applying blanket averages.
“Something important we have seen in oilseed rape in particular over the last decade of trials is the close correlation between the amount of nitrogen being taken up by the plant in the spring, and the optimum rate of nitrogen the crop requires. Our tools take the decision away from the farmer, but are based on robust data, not on a whim.”
Agrovista technical manager and agronomist Mark Hemmant agreed, and said trying to persuade farmers to reduce nitrogen rates and apply variably was a ‘difficult message but an important one.’
Mr Matts added: “For 10 years that correlation has clearly shown the link, but it is just having the confidence to make the decision to use the recommendation.
“Our smartphone apps help to show the decision is based on science and what is right for the crop.”
Application
Moving on from fertiliser application to application of crop protection products, Mr Hemmant said Agrovista would be sharing its recent findings from trials looking at optimum spray application at CropTec.
The company has been looking at different nozzles, water volumes and boom heights for applying herbicides and fungicides.
Mr Hemmant said: “A small cost application can have a big impact on product performance which is important because we are struggling, whether it is with black-grass or disease control.
“We do not want to take the chemical we have got away because we would be in a muddle. And growers sometimes miss the timing, so application can make a big impact – we are seeing one-tonne/ha yield difference just from application and a big difference in black-grass control.”
Mr Hemmant said changing approaches to spray application was an easier message to share with growers because it could be portrayed visually. He had noticed growers were increasingly prepared to change their methods, he said.
Black-grass
Delving deeper into this point, the discussion moved to how the challenge of black-grass had forced farmers to change their control methods, adopting new or sometimes older approaches or technology.
Head of cereals at Syngenta North Europe, Robert Hiles, noted the introduction of winter barley into the rotation as a tool against black-grass, while Mr Hemmant highlighted the resurgence in use of Avadex (tri-allate).
Mr Hiles said: “If 10 years ago somebody had suggested you would be using winter barley for black-grass control nobody would have believed you. But hybrid barley has clearly demonstrated it has a place as a black-grass tool.
“Its flag leaf is three times bigger which helps suppress and block light to black-grass, and we have seen a 91 per cent reduction of seed return to the soil compared to wheat when treat with a pre- and post-emergence herbicide.”
Improved technology meant it was a lot easier and quicker to bring a variety to the market, enabling breeders to respond to grower challenges faster, he said.
Around the table
Lisa Harlow, Adama Agricultural Solutions UK, previously MAUK (CropTec headline sponsor)
Rob Gladwin, BASF (CropTec crop protection stream sponsor)
Robert Hiles, Syngenta (CropTec plant breading stream sponsor)
Ian Matts, Yara (CropTec crop nutrition stream sponsor)
Michael Alsop, Vaderstad (CropTec managing with precision stream sponsor)
Mark Hemmant, Agrovista (exhibitor at CropTec)
Nick Shorter Velcourt (exhibitor at CropTec)
Emma Penny, group agricultural editor, Briefing Media (publisher of Farmers Guardian, Arable Farming and Diary Farmer)
Teresa Rush, Arable Farming editor and Farmers Guardian arable editor
Georgina Haigh, arable report for Arable Farming and Farmers Guardian