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The localised heavy showers last week have taken their toll on all crops. Some winter barley crops have been harvested over the last few days with yields yet to be reported .Premature senescence of winter wheat, oats and spring barley will see harvest earlier than expected in these crops. Potato and veg crops are now growing well.

Potatoes

Where crops have reached the end of rapid haulm growth and canopy growth has begun to stabilize good protection may be achieved with fungicides such as Invader, Infinito, Ranman and Revus. OPTION which is straight cymoxinil may be tank mixed with any of these products to achieve better kickback. Curzate has good curative activity and may be tank mixed if the spray interval is stretched. Where crops are at full canopy growers must pay very close attention to ensure water volumes, spray pressure and nozzle selection are correct to maximize spray penetration of the haulms and reduce spray drift.

Cereals – Pre-Harvest Treatment

Most winter barley crops have now been dessicated . The cold wet winter and spring made effective weed control very difficult to achieve, allowing grasses and broad-leaved weeds to come back into crops. Therefore a lot of green material is present in many crops. Add to this the presence of slower ripening secondary tillers bringing green straw and green pickles, the pre harvest application of glyphosate will continue to be a critical tool to assist the efficiency of harvesting this season.Note however, do not use glyphosate on any crops where the harvested grain may be used in the future as seed. Whilst most of the generic glyphosate products are based on an isopropylamine salt plus ethoxylated tallow amine surfactant (ETA formulations), ROUNDUP ENERGY is a potassium salt formulation of higher concentration with a completely different type of surfactant – ie a completely different product with different rates of use and different characteristics in the field.

And even the ETA formulations are not the same; the level of surfactant is not declared and varies between products from as low as 9% up to 16% inclusion rates, meaning variability in performance here also. Putting less in obviously means less cost to produce, but also less effective in the field.

The potassium salt is taken up significantly faster than the IPA salt; as a result ROUNDUP ENERGY is rainfast within 1 hour of application and cultivation can commence as soon as 2 days after application whereas the ETA glyphosate products need a minimum of 6 hours to be rainfast and 5 days minimum before cultivating.

Timing of application

Application should be made once the grain moisture gets down to 30% or below, ideally 10-14 days (and not less than 7 days) before cutting. An easy and reliable test to estimate this 30% moisture level is to press the thumbnail into a number of grains; if the indentation holds on all the grains the crop is ready for spraying.

Where a pre-harvest treatment is not made, it may prove necessary to spray the stubble later to control scutch. As temperatures drop later in the season and conditions become more marginal, ROUNDUP ENERGY is the only effective means of controlling scutch into the back end. It should not be applied until the scutch has at least 6 inches of new growth – the more green leaf that is present at application then the more glyphosate that will be taken into the roots and therefore the better the kill will be.

Propionic Acid Treatment

As harvest begins the most widely used grain preservative, Propionic acid, will be in demand. Propionic acid when applied to moist grain prevents moulds and bacterial activity. It also prevents deterioration, loss of dry matter, nutrition loss and removes the associated health hazard to grain handlers, livestock and the end user.

One tonne of Propionic acid 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 Propionic gives the grower greater flexibility at harvest, especially if the grain has a higher than desirable moisture content. If the weather is inclement at harvest Propionic acid offers a sense of security to the grower through its flexible application rates.Over the last few years the benefits of increased starch in the diet of dairy cows have been shown. The most noticeable is the improvement in milk protein percentage, resulting from the breakdown of starch in the rumen to Propionic acid. In order to take advantage of the benefits of increased cereal feeding and the inherent cost benefits, many farmers are making use of home grown cereals in a number of ways: whole crop wheat, maize silage, crimped cereals, dried grain or rolled moist grain. However one of the main problems arising from this increased storage and use of home grown cereals is the growth of moulds and the subsequent development of mycotoxins. Propimax is pure Propionic acid, a natural organic acid, which also occurs in the animal’s digestive system. It halts all mould growth when applied to moist grain.If a product can be augered it can be treated – barley, wheat, oats, maize, peas – whole or rolled it makes no difference.

Propionic acid has an energy value of 1.5 times that of barley so as well as preserving the grain it also adds to its energy value. With Propionic acid treatment, harvesting can take place when there is still surface dampness on the grain, dew or rain. Harvesting can start earlier in the morning or after rain and continue later at night, giving a quicker more flexible harvest, which leaves extra time for autumn cultivations. By harvesting before grain is fully ‘ripe’ a higher yield is also obtained, reduced shedding losses may save 200kg per hectare.

Natural vitamin E levels in moist grain, whether treated or not, are destroyed during storage. When moist grain forms a major part of the diet a mineral/vitamin supplement high in vitamin E should be used.

Propionic treated grain can be stored simply on a dry floor. It should not be stored with untreated grain.

Propionic Acid application Rates