IN THE FIELD Richard Overthrow
Fingers crossed for a straightforward harvest
ing plants now but this monitor- ing exercise will allow next sea- son’s campaign to be planned. Straw use will again be impor-
tant to consider. Growers need to be aware of the nutrient value of crop residues, data for which are available in RB209. But concern in the run-up to harvest of pos- sible straw shortages due to lack of crop growth may see value rise and infl uence this year’s policy.
An unpredictable year makes cereal yields hard to forecast – even now, says Richard Overthrow
T
his year’s harvest is just around the corner – but even at this late stage it
is diffi cult to assess yield poten- tial of any crop, such have been the vagaries of the season. As ever, whatever the outcome we will carry on into next sea- son and hope to repeat or improve as appropriate, armed with fresh knowledge from this summer’s agricultural shows and variety demonstrations in particular. Pre-harvest farm tours, even from the combine cab are a good opportunity to map any areas of surviving grass weeds. It is too late to rogue or spray off surviv-
Crop management
Oilseed rape desiccation will start soon and glyphosate treatment is still the most common method of harvest management. Check rec- ommended timings carefully to avoid immature seed or delayed harvest.
Although many crops showed
a short fl owering period this year, possibly giving a more uniform maturity, this is unlikely to sig- nifi cantly increase the number of crops not desiccated. Post-harvest cultivations are still an important part of grass weed control programmes, both to encourage weed emergence pre-sowing and to provide suit- able seedbeds for optimum resid-
“
Pre-harvest farm tours are an opportunity to map surviving grass weeds
Weeds and seeds Meadow and soft bromes have very different stubble manage- ment requirements. Seeds of these will be encouraged to ger- minate by leaving exposed on the surface, so if either of these is the main target leave stubbles un- touched for as long as possible. It is important, at a time of year when glyphosate applica- tions are made, that we follow stewardship guidelines for this valuable herbicide.
Where a stale seedbed fol- lows an oilseed rape crop then, if possible, wait for shed rape seed to be wetted by rain before cul- tivating and burying. Oilseed rape volunteers are becoming a widespread problem, particular- ly with the shorter rotations and seed shed during harvest can be- come dormant for several years if buried in dry conditions. Volunteer rape has also been implicated in the recent erucic
ual herbicide performance. Stale seedbeds, where the stubble is cultivated and rolled or pressed to encourage grass weed emergence, can be effec- tive against blackgrass, rye grass and sterile and great bromes, and should be created as soon after harvest as possible. Delayed drill- ing in the worst affected fi elds will also give more time to get a good fl ush of grass weeds before sow- ing the next crop.
Timely tips
• Follow glyphosate stewardship guidelines
• Decide best strategy for cereal straw
• Delay drilling to overcome grass weeds
• Consider optimum post- harvest cultivations
• Create stale seedbeds soon aſt er combining
acid problems many growers have encountered. Stale seed- beds have less value prior to oil- seed rape due to the shorter culti- vation window but it is still worth trying where grass weed popula- tions are high.
› Richard Overthrow is a region- al agronomist with NIAB TAG, the UK’s largest independent agrono- my organisation with several re- search centres in East Anglia. For more details, call 01223 342495.
The Great British Weigh Affordable
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