Alice Cannon, Hutchinsons agronomist and regional technical support manager.

Alice Cannon, Hutchinsons regional technical support manager based in Lincolnshire, is seeing a picture of thirds: ”One third of the crop looks fantastic, it has had a good start, got its roots down early and wasn’t sown at too high a seed rate, so has branched out and has strong stems,” she said, adding these crops show a growth of about a foot in just a week.

The second scenario, which she believes describes the majority of OSR crops, is where the crop was drilled relatively late and has just started to show signs of elongating and branching out.

“Finally, there are those crops that looked well coming out of January but have since been devastated by CSFB or Rape winter stem weevil. Unfortunately for crops in this situation, it is important to question the viability of the crop going forward with regards to additional input costs particularly considering where market prices currently sit,” she advised.

According to AHDB research, there are five main factors that contribute to high yields in OSR, four of which are managed through crop manipulation and should therefore be taken into account when making management decisions.

The best tools for manipulating crop size, Ms Cannon said, are nitrogen and plant growth regulators (PGRs).

“Firstly, aim for a GAI [Green Area Index] of 3.5 at flowering for the right number of pods – this is the primary function of the PGR and a 5cm reduction in height can be easily achieved. PGR applications also help to promote more even and well-structured branching,” she added.

“It is important to keep the crop standing,” Ms Cannon continued, “lowering crop height will help to reduce lodging. 31% of OSR lodges every year and within that figure 85% of fields have at least 10% lodged crop. For every 10% of lodged area, you can expect a yield reduction of 0.07-0.16t/ha.”

“PGR’s also help to synchronise flowering, reducing light reflectance subsequently improving light capture by crop canopy which allows even development of pods and seed. Plants should also be kept disease free.”

Management tips for the 2023 season

Since crops that are slightly backward with a GAI less than 0.8 can be manipulated through nutrition (particularly N,P, Zn), Ms Cannon said PGRs are unjustified in these cases.

“However, crops with a GAI of 0.8 or above are considered to be forward and these crops should be treated with 0.75l/ha -1l/ha metconazole + mepiquat chloride or 0.5l/ha trinexapac-ethyl,” she recommended.

For OSR crops with a GAI of 2 or greater, Ms Cannon suggested using more robust rates of specific PGR products and mixing with additional metconazole where increased PGR activity is required.

“Crops in this situation will need 1-1.2l/ha metconazole + Mepiquat chloride, adding in metconazole (0.08l/ha Metfin 90 per crop leaf),” she explained.

“An alternative is 0.5l/ha trinexapac-ethyl plus tebuconazole and/or metconazole or 0.7l/ha trinexapac-ethyl on its own (non-PGR fungicide added for disease).”

Finally, Ms Cannon noted that while triazoles have some growth manipulation effect, it is important to keep rates high and apply at least 1 litre of tebuconazole per hectare.

She explained that, although metconazole and tebuconazole have the strongest manipulation effect, this manipulation is less persistent and can be less consistent than specific PGR options.

The post Plan your OSR management carefully this season appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Released on the back of the company’s well established trait-loaded hybrid breeding programme, this attribute covers the three main stem-based diseases of OSR: phoma, cylindrosporium (light leaf spot) and verticillium.

Liam Wilkinson, arable technical officer for Limagrain, commented: “To date, there has been no valuable way of assessing a variety’s tolerance to the three most common stem based diseases in a quantifiable way – and this is what we have set out to do with the launch of ‘Stem Health’.”

According to Mr Wilkinson, for a Limagrain variety to hold the Stem Health tag, it has to offer high levels of resistance to all three major diseases, with one weakness leading to exclusion from the list.

He also believes the addition of this characteristic brings another level of genetic security to help mitigate as much risk as possible to an already risky crop.

“Stem health is generally an area that is often overlooked but can have a serious impact on gross output.  However by having healthy green stems longer into the growing season we often see higher yields and oil content,” he noted.

“As breeders, we have recognised that the best way to mitigate the risk to on-farm performance from these diseases, is through improved genetics, therefore Stem Health has been a key focus for the Limagrain European breeding programme.

The newly recommended variety Attica and Limagrain’s current commercial offering, LG Auckland, are the first varieties in the company’s breeding programme to offer Stem Health, which is reflected in their consistently high gross output of 107% and 106% respectively.

At a time of high commodity prices, William Charlton, Limagrain’s arable marketing manager, sees continued confidence in the OSR crop, especially as growers are gaining a better understanding of establishing the crop amid cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) and weather challenges.

“Oilseed rape is still the best non-cereal break crop, and second to first wheats in many situations in terms of farm gross margins – and with newer varieties bringing improved yields, vigour and agronomic characteristics to the rotation – growers are seeing the opportunity provided by the crop,” he remarked.

“We saw a big rebound in the crop in 2021, with the planted area for harvest 2022 up around 361,000 ha’s. This year, we expect that to go up to 414,000 ha’s sown.”

Moreover, there has also been an increase in the popularity of Limagrain hybrid varieties, with hybrids making up 71% of the crop drilled this year, Mr Charlton noted.

“There is no doubt that the rise in popularity of hybrids is led by their vigour, as well as their ability, in the case of Limagrain hybrids, to offer Stem Protect, TuYV, Clubroot, Pod Shatter and RLM7 resistance – all of which contribute to yield stability, which we know is what growers are looking for on-farm,” he concluded.

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Despite autumn herbicide programmes working well in most crops, spring-emerging weeds are already being spotted by growers. While dense canopies have offered good suppression of weeds and competition so far, recent frosts have begun to open these up, leaving crops exposed.

With a spring flush looming as the mild weather continues to prevail, Corteva Agriscience warned early action may be necessary to keep weeds at bay. OSR category manager Clare Stapley said: “Although crops may be looking great now, spring-emerging weeds are not hard to find.

“Later flushes of cleavers are being seen following autumn herbicides. It is key to control these as they can cause issues at harvest.”

Ms Stapley also reminded farmers to keep an eye out for weed flushes where cabbage stem flea beetle larvae are present, as these can cause crops to open up further.

With this year’s OSR crop already well advanced, growers are advised to begin herbicide treatment as soon as the application window opens and conditions allow. The window for Korvetto, a product recommended by Corteva Agriscience due to its excellent activity on target weeds, opens on 1^st March.

According to the company, Korvetto contains the same active ingredient used in the autumn herbicide Belkar – Arylex Actve – in formulation with clopyralid.

“Korvetto is essential for those growers starting to see evidence of cleavers as it controls them up to 10cm,” Ms Stapley said.

Moreover, she reminded farmers of the importance of taking a proactive approach to weed control this year.

“Acting sooner rather than later is key. Targeting weeds when they are small increases the level of control from the product. And you must apply Korvetto before growth stage BBCH 50, which won’t be too far away for crops which were drilled early and have grown away well.”

As there are no following crop restrictions in conventional rotations, farmers can still use a 1l/ha dose of Korvetto even if they applied a post-emergence herbicide such as Belkar or AstroKerb in the autumn. The herbicide can now also be used in Ireland followings its approval in the country for the first time in 2022.

For best results, Corteva Agriscience recommends farmers apply Korvetto prior to crop canopy closure and before flower buds are visible from above the crop canopy (BBCH 50).

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High inflation, lack of flexibility in the labour market and the impact of the cost of living on consumer demand will continue to impact farm business margins this year, according to AHDB’s latest Agri-market Outlook.

Farms are facing a combination of higher input costs and a price sensitive consumer market for their produce.

Beef, lamb and dairy production are all forecast to grow, while consumption is expected to decline due to cost of living pressures on consumers.

Pig meat production, however, is set to decline by up to 15% year on year in 2023, while a gradual recovery in the breeding herd is expected. Imports are set to grow to make up for reduced domestic supplies, while exports are predicted to decline.

Meanwhile global price strength for cereals is expected to continue, while price volatility is forecast to continue with the war in Ukraine ongoing. For oilseeds, a sizeable increase in area for harvest 2023 is expected as a response to historically high prices in the last 18 months.

 AHDB economic strategist Sarah Baker, said: “The main issue with inflation is it drives down the real rate of growth in an economy, erodes households’ disposable income and leads to more cautious spending patterns. Coupled with rising input costs for farmers, the industry will face ongoing dual challenges this year.

“As inflation subsides, it doesn’t mean that prices are dropping, rather that they have stopped rising as quickly as they were before. Therefore, peoples’ living standards will take some time to catch up, depending on income growth. Consumer confidence, along with demand, will take some time to recover, despite inflation dropping as it is expected to during 2023.”

Global dairy demand is likely to remain challenged by low economic growth, although there is potential for improved import demand from China later in the year. Domestic demand is also expected to be impacted by a squeeze on consumer incomes, with all products seeing lower sales.

Key findings from the report:

Beef:

Production is forecast to grow slightly in 2023, by 0.6%, due to higher availability of cattle. But as consumers face pressure on budgets due to the cost-of-living crisis, consumption is expected to fall by 2%. It’s predicted that imports will fall by around 2%, driven by easing domestic demand, while exports could grow by about 3%.

Lamb:

An increase in production is forecast for this year, driven by higher carry-over and a broadly stable lamb crop. Consumption will weaken, again linked to tighter consumer budgets, according to predictions. Imports are expected to ease year on year as a result of weaker domestic demand, whereas exports will grow, supported by continual demand from the EU.

Pork:

AHDB predicted that pig meat production will decline by up to 15% year on year in 2023, driven by a reduction in clean pig kill in the first half of the year, following a significant drop in the breeding herd. A gradual recovery in the breeding herd is expected, with numbers predicted to increase by 7,000 head between June 2022 and June 2023.

Imports are expected to grow to match the gap left by reduced domestic supplies, while exports are projected to decline as available domestic supplies tighten. Domestic demand continues to ease, driven by the cost-of-living crisis reducing retail sales and eating-out demand.

Dairy:

Forecasts suggest GB milk production will record marginal growth this year, in the region of 0.3%. However, there is some risk of a contraction in production if margins deteriorate.

Despite some recent signs of lower inflation in agricultural input costs, replacement costs through 2023 will remain high, putting pressure on cash flows.

Global dairy demand is likely to remain challenged by low economic growth, although there is potential for improved import demand from China later in the year. Domestic demand is also expected to be impacted by a squeeze on consumer incomes, with all products seeing lower sales.

Farmgate prices are expected to decline in the first half of 2023, with some potential for this to abate in the second half if inflation subsides and demand recovers.

Exports are forecast stronger year on year for wheat and barley, due to increased domestic grain availability.

Cereals:

Despite an increase in domestic wheat and barley availability this season, global price strength continues to provide a support level for domestic grain values. Price volatility is expected to continue, with a finely balanced global supply and demand, and the war ongoing in Ukraine.

Domestic winter crops for harvest 2023 are faring well, though fertiliser cost and application remain a key watchpoint.

Exports are forecast stronger year on year for wheat and barley, due to increased domestic grain availability. Oat export forecasts remain historically strong, though this season’s levels will be led by farmer selling and competitiveness on the global market.

Animal feed demand, and cereal usage, is expected to fall this season considering sector challenges – from high input costs to avian flu. Brewing, malting, and distilling cereal usage is forecasted to be strong, with increased capacity coming online. A key domestic demand watchpoint remains bioethanol cereal usage, considering high costs and lower ethanol prices.

Oilseeds:

An increase in domestic production for rapeseed will slightly reduce the demand for imports. However, imports are forecast to remain historically high due to the UK domestic demand outweighing domestic production.

A sizable increase in area for harvest 2023 is forecast in reaction to the historically high prices over the past 18 months. Crops are faring well although there are reports of area loss due to on-going pest pressure.

Global supply and demand of rapeseed have both increased on the year. Increased availability in the EU is adding to price pressure and improving processor margins. EU crush demand is increasing on the year. Domestically demand is expected to remain strong despite the closure of Hull at the end of 2022.

Ultimately rapeseed prices over the next six months will largely be driven by the direction of the soyabean market, which await a historically high South American crop.

The post Cost of living crisis to hit farm business margins in 2023, AHDB predicts appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Launched on 28th November 2022, the latest RL sees the first new winter malting barley and winter oat varieties for several years.

The latest update was released alongside details of a major review of the RL, which aims to help the variety trialling project keep pace with the industry’s evolving requirements.

Paul Gosling (right), who manages the RL at AHDB, said: “We’ve seen relatively few new varieties on the lists this year. Several years of plant breeding advances mean the recommendation bar is set high. Relatively few candidate varieties performed better than the best listed varieties to secure a recommendation.”

New barley varieties

RL 2023/24 includes several new barley varieties that bring strength to yield and disease resistance.

The winter barley list includes the first malting variety to be added since 2018. Buccaneer, marketed by Elsoms Seeds and bred by Sejet Plant Breeding, offers a significant yield increase over the established two-row malting varieties, Craft and Electrum, alongside good disease resistance.

George Goodwin, technical manager for Elsoms Seeds, said: “With a treated yield of 99.7%, Buccaneer is almost 4% ahead of nearest competitor Electrum, and offers growers the benefits of both a high untreated and treated yield, due to its excellent disease resistance package.

Buccaneer barley variety from Elsoms Seeds.

“On brown rust it scored an impressive 8.1, with a 7.2 for control of rhynchosporium, and in all NL trials it has shown very low susceptibility to both net blotch and brackling.

“With a current amber listing from the Malting Barley Committee, it has performed consistently well in malting trials showing good hot water extract, WORT viscosity and Beta-glucan levels. Based on the current malting test results we are very confident that Buccaneer will achieve full malting approval status by December 2023. Seed will be available for autumn 2023,” he concluded.

Two new two-row and one new six-row hybrid varieties add strength to winter barley feed yields (compared with current favourites). The two rows are Bolivia, from Agrii (bred by Nordic Seed), and LG Caravelle, from Limagrain. The latter offers a particularly high yield in the East region of 2% above hybrids, and an exceptionally high specific weight for a winter barley, of 71.8kg/hl. It is an early maturing variety with stiff straw; both important characteristics for a winter barley.

The new six-row hybrid SY Nephin, from Syngenta, is notable for its disease resistance rating of 8 for rhynchosporium.

There are six new spring barley varieties under evaluation by the Malting Barley Committee (MBC): three for brewing, two for brewing and malt distilling, and one for malt distilling. These offer improvements in yield and/or disease resistance (compared with the current market leaders, RGT Planet and Laureate).

The spring barley list sees feed variety Hurler added. Bred by Secobra and available through Agrii, high yield is its standout feature.

Mr Gosling commented: “RL 2023/24 delivers exciting potential for brewing and distilling. However, it is a tough market to break into, with varietal success determined by end users. As varieties can fail to make the grade, farmers should talk to merchants before growing them.”

Ongoing commitment

KWS’ ongoing commitment to breeding spring barleys that deliver in the malthouse and the field has been underlined by the addition of KWS Curtis to the 2023/24 AHDB Recommended List, says the company’s cereals product manager, Dr Kirsty Richards.

“The first of a pipeline of similar high performers now entering RL candidate trials, KWS Curtis is a strong all-round variety bred specifically to be easy to grow and manage whilst meeting the demands of the supply chain in an increasingly carbon footprint focused future.

“It’s a high yielding 2-row variety that outperforms the best in class for quality whilst delivering the highest spirit yields/ha of crop combined with reduced levels of carbon emissions throughout the production cycle.”

According to KWS UK spring barley breeder Dr Henry Barber, KWS Curtis’ resilience and performance has been tested in a variety of growing conditions across Europe with the variety having an agronomic profile perfectly suited to the UK.

“It’s a variety that performs well across the country with treated yields of 105% of controls in the East and 103% in the North and West regions with an average yield of 104% for the UK as a whole.

“These yields have been remarkably consistent over the last three years of trials despite very different spring seasons. Untreated yield is very high at 93%, too, giving growers a range of production options.” KWS Premis and KWS Nelis follow in the path of KWS Curtis, being high performance spring barleys with significant production and environmental potential, he reckons.

“Both varieties are currently progressing through the MBC testing system with KWS Premis being evaluated for brewing only and KWS Nelis as a dual-purpose variety.

“Both have very similar yields, quality potential and agronomic properties to KWS Curtis alongside its proven consistency across different growing seasons and regions of the UK.

“KWS Premis and KWS Nelis are now entering AHDB candidate trials for harvest 2023 and we have high hopes for them, too.”

Winter OSR

The winter oilseed rape list features three new UK-recommended hybrid varieties: Vegas and Turing, from LS Plant Breeding (LSPB), and Attica,  from Limagrain. Turing and Attica have especially high yields in the North region.

Recommended for the East/West region, Murray, from LSPB, has a high yield and a resistance rating of 8 for stem canker. Recommended for the North region, LG Wagner, from Limagrain, achieved the highest yield in this region and is a shorter hybrid with stiff stems, combined with good light leaf spot resistance and good stem health.

A new conventional variety for the UK, Tom, from CBI, offers a small yield increase but adds options for this important seed-market component. The list also includes Beatrix from  DSV – a new Clearfield variety for the North region.

Long-awaited winter oat

RL 2023/24 features the first newly added winter oat variety since RL 2018/19. Cromwell, from Senova, offers good yield and grain quality. New spring oat variety RGT Vaughan also features good grain quality.

RGT Vaughan is the first spring oat from RAGT to appear on the AHDB Recommended List after achieving  full approval this autumn.

“This new variety features a powerful combination of high grain quality and good disease resistance,” said RAGT technical sales manager,  Dr Cathy Hooper.

“Its specific weight is one of the best on the 2023/24 list at 52.3kg/hl, which is the second highest on the AHDB’s five-year report.

“RGT Vaughan also features consistently low screenings, at 2.3% over a 2mm sieve, and a decent kernel content of 72.9%. weight.”

The variety also stands well, thanks to its good straw strength that delivers an untreated lodging score of 7, and it is early ripening, providing extra insurance at harvest.

“RGT Vaughan features the best combination of untreated yield, at 93%, and disease resistance among its comparators, including an 8 for mildew and 4.4 for crown rust,” continued Dr Hooper. “Along with its good agronomic characteristics and yield, this suggests a spring oat with a very bright future,” says Cathy.

Redwald winter wheat variety from Limagrain.

Winter and spring wheat

For winter wheat, the latest RL includes one new UKFM Group 2 bread-making variety, KWS Ultimatum, and one new UKFM Group 3 biscuit-wheat variety, RGT Wilkinson. The list also adds two new feed varieties for the East/West region: hard-textured Oxford, from DSV, and soft-textured LG Redwald. The latter requires careful lodging management. There is also a new soft Group 4 for the North region, KWS Zealum, which is likely to be of interest to the distilling market.

Three new varieties have been added to the spring wheat list, offering good grain quality and yields: UKFM Group 1 KWS Harsum, which has particularly high yield, and UKFM Group 2 varieties KWS Alicium and KWS Lightum.

Strong breeder portfolio

“The total number of wheat varieties we have on the 2023/24 AHDB Recommended List stands at 13 and it is likely around 40% of the wheat harvested in 2023 will be a KWS variety of one type or another,” commented KWS UK country manager Will Compson.

“Our varieties span all four production groups, be it premium specification Group 1 milling wheats like KWS Zyatt, varieties with high untreated yields like Group 2 KWS Extase, Group 3 biscuit making options or outright barn fillers like Group 4 KWS Dawsum.”

KWS UK wheat breeder Mark Dodds said all five KWS RL wheat additions add something new to the current range of UK cropping options.

“Group 4 soft variety KWS Zealum, for example, is a great example of a resilient wheat that delivers strong field performance with excellent yield potential for growers.

“Recommended for the North of the country, KWS Zealum has an average yield of 102% in this region which rises to over 106% when it is drilled before 25th September.

“This is an important characteristic for Northern growers, most of whom would complete the vast majority of their wheat sowing before this date.

KWS Ultimatum brings the high untreated yield performance growers have come to expect from the KWS Group 2 stable along with excellent grain and field performance, Mr Dodds reckons.

“KWS Ultimatum achieves a commendable yield of 101% of controls for the whole of the UK, fractionally behind KWS Extase, but this rises to 103% for the North.

“It delivers great performance in the second wheat spot, where 60% of milling wheats and 40% of wheat overall is grown, achieving 102% of controls and it performs equally well on heavy and light soils.”

KWS Harsum is a Group 1 spring variety in the same mould as existing RL variety KWS Ladum, whilst KWS Alicium and KWS Lightum are exciting new Group 2 options, explained KWS spring wheat breeder Dr Reiner Bothe.

“KWS Harsum becomes the highest yielding spring-sown Group 1 variety on the RL at 102% of control just fractionally ahead of KWS Ladum and some 7% ahead of the next variety in the class.

“Harsum’s good protein content is complemented by a high HFN and the best specific weight in the Group 1 spring sector at 78.3kg/hl.

“With 7s for mildew, yellow rust and septoria plus OWBM resistance, the variety has one of the best agronomic packages in its class.

“Meanwhile, Group 2 KWS Alicium couples outstanding yields with fabulous grain quality, breadmaking performance and OWBM resistance and represents a new type of genetics for the spring wheat milling sector thanks to its German parentage.

“With a treated yield of 105% it’s a real high performer with grain quality to match. A 13.3% protein content, HFN of 346 and specific weight of 80.3kg/hl really do set a new benchmark for its class.

“Solid agronomic performance with an 8 for mildew resistance and a 7 for septoria rounds out the package making it one of the most complete added-value spring-sown options there is.”

KWS Lightum is another spring-sown Group 2 variety which offers growers high yields and excellent grain, featuring a protein content of 13.4%, HFN of 325 and specific weight of 78.4, he points out.

“Like its new KWS stablemates, Lightum also has OWBM resistance coupled with excellent disease resistance including an 8 for mildew resistance, 7 for brown rust and 6 for septoria contributing to a strong disease package.”

British-bred

DSV Oxford becomes the company’s latest British-bred hard Group 4 winter wheat to join the AHDB Recommended List with a performance very close to the highest yielder in the class DSV Champion, said DSV UK’s Sarah Hawthorne.

“DSV Oxford is another success of our Wardington-based breeding programme combining high treated and untreated yields with a robust disease package borne out of our breeding station’s relatively westerly location.

“Our focus in recent years has been on balancing high outright yield potential with consistency of production and robust agronomics focused on giving UK producers an added layer of security in an increasingly difficult production environment.

“Recommended for the East and West region, DSV Oxford follows DSV Theodore, still the cleanest wheat on the new 2023/24 AHDB RL, and the highest yielding hard Group 4 winter wheat DSV Champion sitting neatly between them in terms of performance and agronomics.”

New standards for yield

Despite requiring careful lodging management, LG Redwald sets a new standard for high yielding wheats, yielding 107% in the UK, 107% in the east and 109% in the west. As a soft wheat, the variety also offers potential for distilling.

The variety has an excellent disease resistance profile, with very good septoria resistance as well as orange wheat blossom midge (OWBM) resistance.

“It is an exciting variety that should deliver for growers in 2023/24, if supported with good agronomic practise to ensure it meets its full potential on farm, and comes at a time when growers are looking more than ever to maximise output in order to maintain profit in times of increasing costs,” said Ron Granger, Limagrain’s arable technical manager.

Grouse wheat variety from RAGT Seeds.

Next step in  BYDV resistant wheat

The next generation of BYDV resistant wheats comes a step closer to market following the promotion of RGT Grouse to the AHDB Candidate List 2023.

RGT Grouse is a Group 4 hard variety on a Santiago genetic background, with good yield potential and disease resistance.

It is the latest in the pipeline of RAGT Seeds’ ground-breaking Genserus BYDV-resistant varieties and has the added benefit of resistance to orange wheat blossom midge.

“This is the first of several varieties coming through with this double resistance, enabling many growers to produce insecticide-free wheat, which has obvious attractions within all markets,” said RAGT’s cereal and OSR product manager, Tom Dummett.

“RGT Grouse is a slower developing type, so is highly suited to earlier sowings when the risk of BYDV is at its highest,” he adds.

“It is a good-looking wheat with a prostrate autumn and winter growth and high tillering capacity,  as well as excellent tiller retention that lends itself to a denser canopy.

“Ear fertility is good, with an outstanding bright finish.”

Anticipating keen demand for the variety, RAGT has fast-tracked seed production, so significant quantities of commercial seed will be available for autumn 2023, when the variety will be up for full recommendation.

“RAGT is the first company to introduce the BYDV resistance trait into a commercial wheat line in Europe,” says Tom. “The resistance trait offers protection from the day the wheat is planted to the day it is harvested, for less than the cost of a single pyrethroid spray.

“It greatly simplifies crop management, removing the need to monitor and control aphid populations with foliar-applied insecticide sprays while benefiting  the environment.”

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The Early Bird Survey is carried out every autumn by The Andersons Centre, the Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC) and other agronomists to assess national cropping intentions.

As UK area information is yet to be published for this year, the 2022 area data shown below uses the England area from the Defra June Survey, combined with the areas for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from the AHDB Planting and Variety survey.

This year’s Early Bird Survey represents the intentions of farmers across the UK, covering an area of 502Kha. Provisional results from data collected up until 8^th November 2022 are shown below:

• The intended wheat area for harvest 2023 is predicted to be 1,803Kha, down only by 0.1% compared to the previous year. Although they have dropped somewhat since the spring, feed wheat prices continue to remain high in the UK due to the war in Ukraine curtailing the global supply
• The total barley area is forecast to be down by 1.7% on the year at 1,089Mha, as a result of reduced spring barley planting intentions outweighing the rise in intended winter barley plantings
• The winter barley area is predicted to be 4.1% higher than the previous year, at 454Kha. If realised, the 2023 harvest would see the largest winter barley area since 2003 (455Kha)
• The spring barley area is expected to be down 5.4% on the year at 635Kha, which would be the smallest area since 2012 (618Kha)
• The estimated oat area for the 2023 harvest is at 162Kha, representing a 9.5% drop from 2022 (179Kha)
• Oilseed rape (OSR) planting intentions for 2023 sit at 415Kha, up by a significant 13.4% on the year. If realised, this would be the second consecutive year of OSR area growth in the UK.

Olivia Bonser, market intelligence analyst at AHDB, said: “The provisional results of this year’s Early Bird Survey are unsurprising. Historically high global grain prices supported by the war in Ukraine, combined with favourable autumn weather and a larger drilling window, has impacted planting decisions for 2023.

“However, higher fertiliser cost and the impact on the 2023 crop quality and/or quantity should growers apply less fertiliser to mitigate some of this cost, will be something to monitor going forward.”

To read the full summary, visit: https://ahdb.org.uk/news/favourable-autumn-conditions-see-rise-in-winter-cropping-for-harvest-2023-grain-market-daily

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Despite being in the industry for 37 years, Agrii agronomist David Vine admitted that growing oilseed rape (OSR) successfully is “still a lottery” for many growers and has even become more difficult over the years.

Those farming OSR must face challenges posed by destructive pests such as slugs, pigeons and cabbage stem flea beetles (CSFBs) as well as unpredictable weather. Further challenges include the ban of most neonicotinoids and escalating blackgrass resistance.

However, recent years have seen the emergence of new methods and technologies to help OSR growers achieve more consistent and predictable yields.

“The advent of priming technology into oilseed rape in the last two years has made a difference,” Mr Vine pointed out. “It’s a proven technology that increases early plant vigour, offers more even crop germination and, given that there are no chemicals involved, it’s a sustainable and environmentally friendly process.”

Working with A & E Beckett, a farming business based near Birmingham, Mr Vine suggested a trial on 21ha of primed Tennyson, the only primed hybrid OSR variety available in the UK.

Along with two unprimed varieties, the farm direct drilled Tennyson OSR on August 12^th at a rate of 50 seeds/m². According to Mr Vine, early results have been extremely promising.

As of late October (10 weeks post-drilling), the A & E Beckett crop of primed Tennyson was a uniform 25cm in height and looked very robust

“We drilled the primed Tennyson in fields that had been left fallow for one year, but despite this unusual scenario, combined with only 30mm of rain in the first 3 weeks post-drilling, the crop came through with great uniformity and continued to grow well despite the combined attention of CSFB and significant pigeon populations.

“By the 3-4 leaf stage the Tennyson still looked healthy with only small shot-holing on the leaves from the CSFB grazing,“ he added.

In contrast, the two unprimed varieties suffered substantial damage from flea beetles on 24^th and 25^th August, requiring additional help from growth stimulants. Whereas, the primed Tennyson didn’t require spraying as its advanced early growth protected the crop from pest attacks.

“Beyond the priming technology, Tennyson is an impressively resilient variety with a strong disease profile. Its verticillium resistance trait could also be a major positive on farms with tight rotations and I will be following its progress closely,” Mr Vine concluded.

Tennyson crop stands out in uniformity

Oxfordshire-based farm manager Piers Cowling, of Sparsholt Manor Farms, direct drilled 62ha of primed Tennyson at 40 seeds per M² on Sept 3^rd. Earlier this year, Mr Cowling has already achieved 3.45t/ha on a 50ha crop of unprimed Tennyson.

“With no rain in August we were forced to drill later this time, although there was a lot of confidence behind Tennyson, given we knew it had displayed significant early vigour last year,” he explained.

“Of the rape varieties we selected, Tennyson was the last to be drilled but – despite the staggered starts, all 3 varieties emerged together during the week commencing September 11^th, with the Tennyson crop the most uniform of the 3.”

Mr Cowling added that all OSR on farm is progressing well thanks to some much-needed October rain, with the crops successfully overcoming some CSFB grazing.

A “no-brainer” variety

Farmer Peter Legge has been growing OSR for 15 years at Legge Farms Limited, located on the Norfolk-Cambridgeshire border. He has been drilling the crop on various soil types, ranging from heavy clay to sharp sands and organic black fen.

Working with Agrii agronomist Simon Hobbs, Mr Legge direct drilled 50ha of primed Tennyson on August 25^th-26^th, slightly later than planned due to the prolonged dry weather.

““The first month is always critical, and you have to give the young rape crop every advantage available during the first 4-5 weeks of its existence to try to ensure good germination and rapid growth away from pest activity,” he said.

“We’ve been working closely with Simon Hobbs for over 15 years now and, having seen Agrii’s trial results on primed OSR seed, it was a no-brainer to trial a primed variety.”

According to Mr Legge, early signs of growth were positive with the crop showing very even emergence 6 days post-drilling.

“During the second week of September, we did see some CSFB grazing activity, but we were quick to react, adding an insecticide to our post-emergence herbicide tank mix that kept the crop on course, with only low-level shot-holing noted in most of the young OSR plants,” he explained.

“I think we were more confident this time with primed Tennyson, evidenced by our decisiveness with the herbicide spray.

“As of late October, 9 weeks post drilling, the Tennyson crop was at the 10-12 leaf stage with a healthy, dense canopy that tends to stop pigeons from settling in the crop as an additional positive,” Mr Legge concluded.

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Mr Walker warned that the warm and wet autumn weather seen across many regions of the UK creates the perfect conditions for phoma to take hold.

“Typically, 20 days with rain is sufficient to cause spore release from stubbles, and this will be reached in many areas soon. Also, the early autumn weather has been reasonably warm, which favours disease development as it requires around 120-degree days for leaf spotting to appear following initial infection,” he explained.

ADAS monitoring data has shown that many regions were close to the 20-day rain event threshold by the end of September, with North Yorkshire being the closest with 18 rain days. The company monitors rain events at their regional centres across the UK, providing the farming industry with valuable information and advice.

According to Mr Walker, small OSR plants that haven’t established well are at the greatest risk for phoma. He says these crops may benefit from fungicide treatment at 10% of the plants being infected rather than delaying treatment until 20% show leaf spotting.

“The disease spreads from the lesion, through the leaf and leaf petiole, then into the stem, forming cankers which can result in yield loss. Once the disease has reached the stem it is beyond the reach of fungicides, hence why monitoring for leaf spotting thresholds and timing of application is important,” he added.

Farmers wanting to further their OSR monitoring can take advantage of the free Bayer/ADAS SpotCheck service that operated from October to spring 2023. For the seventh year running, growers have the opportunity to send in leaves to test for phoma, light leaf spot (LLS) and powdery and downy mildew infection.

Project lead Richard Williams said the service is useful in ruling out OSR disease threats, particularly where LLS is concerned. “LLS can be a very tricky disease to see in a field. It is often patchy and the ‘salt grain’ spots hard to see, especially when leaf surfaces are wet,” he noted.

Since timing is key and the effectiveness of fungicides can be limited, Mr Williams considers SpotCheck a valuable tool to help with disease control decisions. “Aviator (prothioconazole + bixafen) is the most effective fungicide option, but even this will not fully eradicate established disease,” he pointed out.

To access the free service, farmers are advised to contact their nearest Bayer commercial technical manager.

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Light leaf spot.

What this season has shown us is the extremes with our current weather and a cold spell shouldn’t be ruled out. As a result, growers are being advised to stay vigilant as should this occur crops could be exposed to disease for longer.

In Aberdeenshire, many farmers took the opportunity of early August rain and drilled at the start of the month. So far this is paying off. With fair weather, warm soils and good seed beds, agronomist Ben Lowe says some crops reached the one true leaf stage in 10 days and look particularly healthy and green for this time of the season.

He believes these early-drilled crops have every possibility of ‘growing away’ from pest and disease threats, but Mr Lowe sounds a note of caution.  A cold spell could see growth grind to a halt and, with crops exposed for longer, disease pressure could build.

In his area, light leaf spot (LLS) is the key threat – although a ‘southern summer’ could lead to an increased phoma threat. Mr Lowe has used Bayer’s Spotcheck service in the past, and is likely to do  so again this season. It is worth noting it has recorded the disease in the most northerly of Scottish regions.

He appreciates that, if crops grow away from disease, it does bring the question of an autumn fungicide into call; but his view is, with the potential impact of LLS, the price of rapeseed and that growers are likely to be making a pass with a stem weevil treatment or Kerb (propyzamide) the inclusion of a fungicide is added peace of mind. “Currently there is plenty of potential in August-drilled crops and rapeseed prices are likely to remain buoyant. Even a small uplift in yield is likely to pay handsomely.”

Fungicide options

There are number of autumn fungicide options but he cautions not all are effective against both LLS and phoma.

The most potent LLS options are either bixafen or fluopyram with prothioconazole, which is also a potent combination against Phoma too. It is an autumn option for Mr Lowe if disease pressure is particularly high. Otherwise, Proline (prothioconazole), Savanna (tebuconazole) or a combination of the two are more likely.

At flowering, Mr Lowe is almost certain to go down the bixafen or fluopyram route plus prothioconazole to tackle sclerotinia.

That disease control strategy is unlikely to change for later drilled crops, although Mr Lowe will make a call nearer the time. “We could have two very different crops this autumn, but again the rapeseed price means they are worth looking after,” he notes.

Twin challenge

A little further south in North Yorkshire, AICC agronomist Patrick Stephenson has the twin challenges of LLS and phoma. He considers LLS still the greater threat in most seasons but, like Mr Lowe, believes phoma could be as prevalent this year.

It is a rain-driven disease, and ADAS guidance is that phoma thresholds are typically reached after 20 rain events after drilling. And, with crop going into the ground in early August, Mr Stephenson suggests this could be reached earlier than the typical late October/early November period, so he advises growers to remain cautious.

He points out the disease favours warm weather; something many areas experienced at the start of September. Research has shown the time of peak airborne spore release (ascospores) from infected stubble is during warm and humid weather. These then land on the leaves of the newly-emerged crop. Some good news is that phoma is a monocyclic disease so a well-timed fungicide preventative application should protect plants.

Mr Stephenson, too, will treat crops with an autumn fungicide, and typically looks for actives that are effective against both diseases.

But he warns that timing is important as there are no real curative options. “You need to spray when thresholds are reached. No fungicide is fully curative.”

LLS can be more challenging. Mr Stephenson describes it as a bit of a mystery, and it can be hard to spot early on. “It can be very patchy in fields, and the spotting hard to see; sometimes the disease is almost symptomless.”

He too has used Bayer’s SpotCheck service to corroborate what he believes might be happening in a field. Again, he stresses the importance of timing. “You have to spray when symptoms appear. If it takes hold the damage is done.”

SpotCheck has another purpose for him, and that is justifying treatments. He is looking to use any fungicide as appropriately as possible, matching rates to reflect varietal resilience and disease severity.

Mr Stephenson also is mindful of resistance management. “Prothioconazole suits all OSR disease timings so it is used extensively in WOSR. The addition of bixafen (Aviator) is certainly welcome, bringing another mode of action,” he notes.

But he says disease management has to start with variety selection, and he is pleased that a number of the top yielding varieties also have good LLS or phoma resilience and sometimes both.

Of those, LG Aviron is rated as an 8 and 7 respectively, Auckland and Aurelia get a 7 for both diseases. DK Exstar is a little better, with 8 for LLS and phoma.

Hard to spot

ADAS is partnering Bayer with the SpotCheck service, and ADAS plant pathologist Philip Walker notes that the disease is very difficult to spot in the early stages of infection. “In its early phase, LLS expresses itself as small white dots scattered across the top or underside of the leaf, where the fungus is erupting from the leaf surface. They can look like tiny grains of sugar but without a hand lens or microscope they are difficult to spot.”

Milder winters is one reason why LLS has continued to be a problem in some seasons, despite reduced OSR area. ADAS research has shown that LLS spores need 17 hours of leaf wetness for leaf infection to occur, so the warmer and wetter it is the more quickly the disease will cycle. In ideal conditions the latent period could be as short as 17 days.

And whilst the winter months might not see optimum conditions, the disease will cycle in temperatures as low as 4°C, so it can remain active during the winter.

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There are now four winter oilseed rape varieties from LSPB containing the new RlmS phoma resistance gene available for this season’s drilling. Murray and Vegas are both on the AHDB candidates list for recommendation this autumn, plus Respect and Flemming, which already have AHDB Recommendation for the E/W region in 2022/23.

OSR varieties from LSPB.

The RlmS phoma resistance gene should give long-term and sustainable phoma control and offer an alternative to the existing Rlm7 gene, which is widely found in current oilseed rape varieties. The introduction of RlmS marks an important development for continued genetic protection in the fight against phoma.

All four varieties are very high yielding with good light leaf spot scores, mid-maturity and are very vigorous – particularly in the spring. In addition, Flemming offers TuYV resistance.

The RL results table also feature LSPB’s clubroot resistant variety Crome which is a restored hybrid with Specific Recommendation (Sp) for the UK for growing on land infected with common strains of clubroot.

Also included in the results is LSPB’s Resort which is the only HEAR (high erucic acid rape) variety on the current AHDB 2022/23 winter oilseed rape list, as a ‘UK Described variety’. Its RL trials yield, while lower than others, needs to be seen in the context of the excellent total returns achievable when the significant buyback contract premiums available for this specialist market are added in.

Chris Guest, LSPB managing director, commented: “The 2022 AHDB RL harvest results show the comprehensive oilseed rape variety choice we offer growers.

LSPB managing director, Chris Guest.

“In particular, the results underline the performance of Murray and Vegas. As these varieties came through our breeders’ trials, we could see that they were very high yielding with the benefit of the new RlmS Phoma resistance.”

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