Growers should be making the best of this quieter time to assess the performance of last season’s crops and plan for the incoming season. Fields which are going to be cropped early should be identified and an up to date soil analysis carried out. Plan seed supplies and order it soon to ensure the required variety is available.
Routine machinery maintenance should be carried out at this time of year to prevent unnecessary breakdowns during the busy season.

WINTER CEREALS
Grass weeds can be controlled with herbicides containing IPU up to early tillering and are therefore only effectively controlled by spraying them in the autumn or early winter. Likewise broad-leaved weeds are best controlled when small along with any grass weeds using autumn residual products such as ENCORE, AUTUMN KITE, or PANTHER.

POTATOES
Check potatoes in storage regularly to ensure there is no excessive spoilage occurring. The relatively mild conditions throughout the autumn and winter will increase the risk of early sprouting in ambient stores and will reduce potential storage times.

Sprouting can now be controlled in ware potatoes during storage with a granular formulation of MSS CIPC 5G.Previosly it could only be applied as a fog through a specialist machine hence restricting its use to very large stores. This is an ideal product for smaller storage facilities where fogging is not an option. Only clean mature and disease free potatoes should be treated. CIPC 5G should be applied when sprouts are more than 0.5mm on inspection during the storage period. It will kill the growing points and further growth will cease. Potatoes must be dry, cured and the skins set before application. CIPC 5G must not be used on a seed crop.

HEDGEROW WEED CONTROL
January and February are the best time to control weeds around young hedges and trees. Season long control of grassed and most broad-leaved weeds is possible by applying Kerb Granules now.

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE
Agrochemicals and fertilizers are major variable inputs in growing crops and the way they are applied has a great influence on their efficacy.
It is essential therefore that the equipment used to apply them is well maintained and accurate.

Sprayers should be calibrated regularly. One of the most important areas of the sprayer is the nozzle. Nozzle output should be measured to check that it is the same as the value in the calibration chart for that type of nozzle. Nozzles with a variation of more than 5% should be changed.

Money spent maintaining the sprayer is money well spent as a properly calibrated sprayer will reduce wastage of agrochemicals and will improve their performance.
Similarly fertilizer sowers should be calibrated and if possible get a tray test carried out to check the spread pattern as striping in crops is often caused by uneven fertilizer application, which again wastes money.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very prosperous new year!