|
Crop Crack 29.08.09
By Wendy Fearon
Winter barley crops are now all harvested with a great variation in yields. Attention is now turning to both spring barley and winter wheat crops. Many crops have now been sprayed off with glyphosate to help control any grass weeds present and this will also assist in lowering the moisture content of the grain.
The wet weather has turned many heads black as sooty moulds and head diseases make an easy ingress. It is important to mention the extremely high numbers of cereal aphids monitored over this season. Aphids will along with slugs be a major pest this incoming autumn. The most effective way of managing this ‘green bridge’ is to kill off any aphid host plants before sowing. Ideally stubble from a previous crop should be sprayed with glyphosate, ploughed in 7-10 days later and left for another 2 weeks before sowing the next crop.
Talk has already begun as to which autumn herbicide choice will be made this season with no IPU .Whilst there are still many options available as an advisor I am saying that most products should be applied either pre- or peri-emergence of the crop.
Weather conditions have been less than ideal for most farmers and it has been impossible for potato growers not to stretch spray timings. Reports indicate active foliar blight is present and the risk of blight transferring to tubers in current wet conditions is very high.Ranman is extremely good on tuber blight and if curative is required Curzate or Nautile may be applied. Growers should continue to maintain fungicide protection of the haulm until the crop is harvested or the haulm is 100% desiccated. Timely desiccation is an essential part of good seed and ware production.
Diquat is the most widely used farmer applied chemical desiccant especially with the recent weather conditions .The rate of haulm desiccation is slow and therefore fungicide protection should continue after application.
The extremely wet harvest this year has meant the use of propionic acid has risen significantly. PropiMAX when applied to moist grain prevents moulds and bacterial activity. PropiMAX (propionic acid) is an active liquid preservative based on feed grade propionic acid and prevents deterioration, loss of dry matter, nutrition loss and removes the associated health hazard to grain handlers, livestock and the end user.
The addition of PropiMAX adds to the energy value of the grain. One tonne of PropiMAX on 100 tonnes of grain gives an additional energy value equivalent to 1.5 tonnes of barley. Therefore as well as preserving the grain it adds significantly to its energy value. The use of PropiMAX at present will give the grower greater flexibility at harvest, especially with grain having a higher than desirable moisture content.
Very little has been done in preparation for reseeding but hopefully September will provide the opportunity to catch up.
|
