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CROP CRACK 15.11.08
By WENDY FEARON
Clarendon Agricare -What a difference a year makes
Cereals
What a difference a year makes, this time last year there were not enough hours in the day to get through the workload. Everything was favourable the weather, the price and the demand. Whilst demand is still there, price coupled with weather this autumn has seriously affected acres planted.
Although there was little rain in the early part of last week there was no real drying and ground conditions were less than ideal for autumn sowing. The later crops are drilled, the greater the threat of pest damage such as slugs and crows. The time has now passed for winter barley planting but there is still an opportunity to drill oats and wheat if conditions allow.
Some winter crops were sprayed last week as growers snatched an opportunity where ground would allow them to travel. I must say it is very disheartening to see some of last years crop still not harvested, I think at this stage it will probably be round baled. Potato growers are also facing a very difficult harvest. Those who are able to dig, face another hurdle when it comes to storage as crops just don’t seem to be keeping.
Hedgerow weed control
The correct time to apply KERB is fast approaching. December is the best time to control weeds around young hedges and trees. Season long control of grasses and most broad-leaved weeds is possible by applying KERB GRANULES.Kerb is a pre- and post-emergence residual herbicide that provides selective, broad spectrum weed control.
KERB can be applied to all soil types, therefore allowing its use in many areas where weed control is needed.KERB is the ideal herbicide for forestry and woodland (including farm forestry), ornamental shrubberies and rose beds, hedges, fence lines and gravel pathways.
Young trees can all too easily be lost to the choking effect of weeds. Conifers and Norway spruce grown for Christmas tree production can be treated with KERB without any risk of phytotoxicity.It is safe to apply over the leaves of all popular tree species without risk of damage.
KERB requires soil moisture for root uptake to take place. The best residual action is therefore achieved in moist, cold soils. Although KERB can be applied in all weather conditions, application on top of snow, or to severely frozen ground should be avoided if there is any risk of surface run-off.
Sprayer Calibration
I would like to remind you again the importance of maintaining all farm machinery especially sprayers. All too often serious problems arise due to very simple errors with the sprayer. Calibration is important as a properly calibrated machine can save money and improve efficacy.
For a certain category of pesticides which are applied using a ground crop sprayer to land near to a watercourse, there is a legal obligation to carry out and record the results of a Local Environment Risk Assessment for Pesticides, LERAP. By carrying out a LERAP the size of the buffer zone may be reduced.
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