We would like to thank our customers for their support throughout 2023.
We wish you a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2024.
Agronomy Update - January 2024
TRENDING NEWS: |
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Winter Cereals
January is the time to get back into fields and assess your crops. Many winter barley and winter wheat fields are showingManganese and other trace element deficiencies, and it is a perfect time to get a plan in place for balancing out these deficiencies.
Plant numbers need to be assessed and noted to help make cost-effective decisions heading into the spring. Winter wheat has the capacity to compensate for a tough start, and a crop with 80-100plants/m² is still viable to maintain yield potential.
Winter barley needs numbers, 250-300plants/m² is a strong baseline to set while assessing your crops.
Both winter wheat and winter barley can be sown up until the month of February, so be mindful of this option when determining your plan for the coming spring season.
Winter barley herbicide application remains the priority for crops at the minute. Controlling grass weeds such as annual meadow grass is key. With mild temperatures the threat of slugs lingers, and if conditions are fit pellets should be applied. Remember, bait points per metre squared is the indicator for efficiency.
Winter Oilseed Rape
Be mindful of temperatures when applying the propyzamide or kerb products on oilseed rape crops. Kerb products are the most effective to use in colder conditions.
Soil Testing
Be mindful of temperatures when applying the propyzamide or kerb products on oilseed rape crops. Kerb products are the most effective to use in colder conditions.
It is a DAFM requirement to have a soil test for every 4 hectares of your farm. Soil testing is important for determining the nutrient status of a field in each growing year. With the level of rainfall we’ve had this back end, nutrients are being leached from the soil. Therefore, deficiencies are showing distinctly in crops that have been sown. At Drummonds, we provide two soil sampling services: A standard “W” sample or grid and zone mapping. Both methods calculate soil pH, liming requirements, and nutrient and trace element status.
Given the conditions crops have faced so far in the growing season, many will require a nearly Nitrogen application inFebruary. This will be vital to drive tillering, recover growth and push crops forward after a difficult start. Our “N-Rich”liquid fertiliser is an effective soil-acting source of Nitrogen for these crops which can be applied in both wet and dry conditions.
Spring Seed
Spring cropping is an excellent management tool for the control of noxious grass weeds such as black-grass. The demand for spring varieties is greater than ever following the reduction in winter cereal crops. 
Our spring barley varieties Skyway and Rockway 
will be available for 2024, along with our up-and-coming variety Lollipop which has a very promising agronomic package. Spring wheat and spring oat varieties will also be available. We advise our customers to contact a member of our team in relation to spring seed orders for 2024 as soon as possible.
Spring Beans
Spring beans are a viable break crop option for 2024, especially where winter crops were sown and rotation does not favour spring cereals. The protein payment scheme provides an added incentive for sowing beans. We advise early sowing of spring beans where possible,February/March is the ideal time. A pre-emergence herbicide is also important on spring beans as post-emergence options are limited.
Winter Machinery Maintenance
January is a good month to carry out machinery maintenance, especially your sprayers. Any sprayer with a boom over 3m is required to undergo testing. Sprayer testing is required every 3 years under the Sustainable Use Directive Requirements. Any sprayer tested before 2021 needs to be updated. The standard checks such as no leaks, spills or tears should be carried out. Ensure all pumps are drained, or an anti-freeze product is used to prevent cracking during frost.
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