Philip Meadley of Grange Farm, East Yorkshire farms 600 acres. For the first time in a number of years, he will be planting 90-acres of spring crops as one of the approaches to tackle the resistant black-grass on his farm.

In 2013, ADAS tested his black-grass for herbicide resistance; the tests were funded by BASF as part of the company’s research into the growing spread of resistance in the country’s populations.

The weeds on his farm showed three different – and commonly encountered – types of resistance, Enhanced Metabolism Resistance (EMR), ACCase target site resistance (ACCase-TSR) and ALS target site resistance (ALS-TSR).

“You need to know what type of resistance you’re dealing with, and its severity if you are going to tackle this weed properly,” explains Louis Wells, BASF’s Yorkshire Agronomy Manager.

“Philip Meadley’s results show that resistance levels are still manageable on his farm, unlike many growers further south; so the very pro-active changes he is making to tackle the problem, should help in preventing black-grass becoming a bigger headache for him.”

EMR, or non-target site resistance, is the most common resistance found in black-grass and this can affect all herbicides.

“EMR is normally a partial resistance and increases slowly. Target site, or ACCase resistance affects the herbicide group known as ‘fop, dims and den’ herbicides and results in very poor control and increases rapidly in a black-grass populations. It is the same for the ALS herbicides such as Atlantis and Broadway products.”

Resistance test results are recorded by severity, where ‘S’ signifies that the black-grass is still susceptible to the herbicide and should lead to effective control. Whilst ‘R’ or ‘RR’ indicates that there is some level of resistance and ‘RRR’ means that there is significant resistance which will cause poor control from the herbicide.”

The resistance types on Mr Meadley’s farm are ALS S, ACCAse RR and EMR RR.

“The results are heartening and mean that there is still some opportunity for control from the main autumn herbicides if used along with using cultural control measures such as implementing stale seedbeds, late sowing and direct drilling,” Mr Wells added. “I would also recommend a pre-emergence application of Avadex followed by a flufenacet + pendimethalin-based product like Crystal + DFF.”

Philip Meadley said that he has used a number of different recommended measures to combat black-grass. “I’m now drilling wheat much later, on around the 28th of October, which has resulted in much less emerging black-grass. I have also completely dropped winter barley from the rotation, because it wasn’t possible to achieve sufficient levels of black-grass control.”

Mr Meadley had intended to take the extreme measure of spraying off any black-grass in the standing crop with glyphosate, but it was too late in the season to prevent seed return from flowering black-grass, “but I am quite prepared to this next season if I need to,” he said.

This “zero tolerance” practice, advocated by BASF, has been widely adopted in parts of the UK such as East Anglia, where the resistant black-grass situation is “dire” according to Louis Wells.

Going forward, Mr Meadley’s strategy will be to increase his spring cropping area further still. “In the past we had no spring crops at all; now we will have 15% of the area in spring wheat and rising.” He has also trialled cover crops and plans to drill some ahead of cereals in the rotation. “I’m also trialling direct drilling of both wheat and rape to determine the impact of different cultivations on levels of control in my farm situation.”

For further comment and information please contact:

Mike Thurogood Tel: 0161 488 5805 Email: michael.thurogood@basf.com

Louis Wells Tel 07770 846889 Email: louis.wells@basf.com

Jane Craigie, Tel 01466 780078 Email: jane@janecraigie.com

Crystal is registered trademarks of BASF. Atlantis is a registered trademark of Bayer. Avadex is a registered trademark of Gowan. Broadway Star and Sunrise are registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences. Atlantis contains iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium + mesosulfuron-methyl. Broadway Star contains florasulam + pyroxsulam. Broadway Sunrise contains pendimethalin + pyroxsulam. Crystal contains flufenacet and pendimethalin. Liberator contains flufenacet + diflufenican. Avadex contains w/w tri-allate. Use plant protection products safely. Always read the label and product information before use. For further product information including warning phrases and symbols refer to www.agricentre.basf.co.uk

CropTec 2015:

BASF are this year’s sponsors of our Crop Protection seminar and will also be holding a business breakfast meeting each day before the event. As well a a presentation from BASF, there will also be a presentation by Mr Sebastien Mallet from the leading international agricultural market intelligence company Offre et Demande Agricole (ODA). Topics covered will include: UK crop out-turn prices, global out-turns, planting predictions for 2016 and the possible impact on prices and opportunities for the 2016 season.

To encourage knowledge exchange among the British farming community further, this year’s event is FREE for farmers to attend. You MUST pre-register online to ensure you receive your free place.

General pre-registered admission: £12, all visitors will charged £15 on the gate on the day of the event.

Twitter: @russbmckenzie

Biog: Russ farms 750ha, spread over 17 miles and four units, between Cambs and Beds. He grows predominantly first wheats (mostly for seed) with winter barley, oilseed rape, spring beans and spring barley. He describes himself as not form a farming family, but as having loved everything about farming since a very young age, starting with a harvest job on a local farm when he was 13.  He graduated from Writtle College with a BSc in Agriculture and then took on a trainee manager’s position with Albanwise Farming in Norfolk.  Russ is BASIS and FACTS qualified and is a partner in his wife’s family farming business which he jointly manages along with John Sheard Farms.  He has recently undertaken a Nuffield Farming scholarship, sponsored by AHDB, researching how the best no-till practitioners across the world manage to make the system work in both the wettest and driest of conditions which took him to Australia, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, USA, Brazil and Argentina.  “I love being involved in such a fantastic industry and outside of work I am along suffering England Cricket fan, husband and father to two lovely (sometimes) children!” Oh and he’s an avid Tweeter!

No-till Nuffield study influences farming approach

Things have changed on the farm following my Nuffield, the market price situation and blackgrass.

Our oilseed rape area has been reduced for three reasons – the move to a more balanced rotation, because we felt it wasn’t helping with blackgrass control and because the current prices have resulted in diminishing returns for what is an expensive crop to grow.  However, we have looked to increase premiums by growing HOLL rape for this coming autumn alongside some of our stable hybrid varieties like Extrovert & Harper.

There has been an increase in our milling wheat acreage with Skyfall bringing feed wheat performance along with full milling specification.  When prices are lower, the added benefits of the milling premiums comes in to greater focus. The disease profile of our varieties is very much based on cleaner ratings to minimise the risk of delayed spray timings.

Our winter barley area has increased slightly. Hyvido Volume is taking up the area that was previously planted to second wheats – it has brought good crop competition against the blackgrass. We will also grow more spring barley this coming season in the more difficult situations following a solid spring performance this year.

Our use of cover crops will increase significantly this autumn, having seen the benefits of better over winter water management, crop structure and nutrient capture for the following spring crop.  We still have areas where we have to be aggressive in our approach to reducing blackgrass and so ploughing and delayed drilling features for some of the areas.  But for other parts of the farm, reducing the cultivation depth based purely based on soil condition has become important.

Certainly following my Nuffield travels it became increasingly apparent that no-tillage was potentially the most robust and reliable system for coping with both very dry and very wet conditions.  Understanding the mind-set of some of the best no-tillers I met was very revealing and, although it might be easy to say, patience waiting for the right soil conditions, was one of the most critical factors between success and failure.

There were a whole series of different facets determining the success of using no-tillage, but everywhere I went, two factors were pivotal to it working – the retention and increase of organic matter; something that is almost impossible to achieve with intensive tillage.  If the hype is to be believed that there are only 100 harvests left in our soils, then the momentum for adopting no-tillage in this country is leading us in the right direction.

Here is the link to download Russell McKenzie’s Nuffield Scholarship Report, Success with No-Till – Under any Conditions.

CropTec 2016:

Want to find out more about No-till, Black-grass and your cropping choices for 2017, make sure to visit CropTec 2016.

In addition to the free advice on offer in CropTec’s topical and technical seminars, there will be numerous exhibitors you can talk to find ideas, inspiration and answers on everything from crop protection and nutrition to plant breeding and soil management in one place, at one time.

CropTec is FREE for farmers and Agronomists to attend. You MUST pre-register here to ensure you receive your free ticket.

General pre-registered admission: £12, all visitors will charged £15 on the gate on the day of the event.

While there is growing concern on the reducing number of crop protection products, Dow AgroSciences is previewing an active ingredient that will power the next generation of broad-leaved weed herbicides.  Designed to specifically meet UK market needs, this new class of herbicides will be the first output of Dow’s strong development pipeline.

Dow AgroSciences has a long heritage in producing innovative breakthroughs for UK agriculture. The current catalogue includes iconic brand names that have stood the test of time over decades, such as Dow Shield®, Kerb® and Starane®. Now a new active ingredient – Arylex® Active – is set to revolutionize this market again. From a new class of chemistry Arylex Active will provide a backbone for future broad-leaved weed herbicide solutions meeting all the requirements of UK Agriculture.

“We are very proud of what Arylex Active will bring to farmers striving to meet the demands of operating in modern agriculture,” said Alex Nichols, cereal herbicides marketing manager for Dow AgroSciences UK. “With a wide spectrum of weeds controlled, no rotational implications, outstanding reliability in  the UK’s unpredictable weather conditions and no cross-resistance, it is easy to get excited by its strengths.”

Dow envisages Arylex® Active will be the basis for a new range of herbicides that will marketed in formulated mixtures which have been devised to meet the specific needs of UK cereal growers.

“Arylex® is one of the first active ingredients to progress completely through the new European registration system and this active ingredient will play a long term role in weed control within UK agriculture,” said Dr Nichols.

 “The first products containing Arylex® Active are expected to be available during 2016. They will offer three key benefits: First, a very wide spectrum of weed control. Second, effective control under a wide range of climatic conditions. Third, very high levels of crop safety to treated and following crops. All things considered we feel products based on Arylex® Active will provide simple, convenient and effective control to broad-leaved weed control in cereal crops.”

Also being developed for the UK market is a brand new insecticide active ingredient. Isoclast® Active is from a new class of insecticides and will offer control of sap sucking insects, such as aphids, in a wide range of crops. Key features will include no-known cross resistance to other insecticides together with a favourable profile on beneficial organisms.

“As with herbicides, we have a long tradition of dependable insecticides,” said Dr Nichols.

In 2014, Dow AgroSciences announced that globally it had the strongest pipeline of future products in the company’s history. Arylex® Active and Isoclast® Active are the first fruits emerging from this development pipeline for the UK market.

CropTec 2015:

If you would like to discuss these new active ingredients with Dow AgroSciences, please visit their stand at this year’s CropTec event on Tuesday 24th & Wednesday 25th November, East of England Showground, Peterborough

In addition to the free advice on offer in CropTec’s topical and technical seminars, there will be numerous exhibitors you can talk to find ideas, inspiration and answers on everything from crop protection and nutrition to plant breeding and soil management in one place, at one time.

To encourage knowledge exchange among the British farming community further, this year’s event is FREE for farmers to attend. You MUST pre-register online to ensure you receive your free place.

General pre-registered admission: £12, all visitors will charged £15 on the gate on the day of the event.

Twitter: @Wyefarm

Biog: We farm 500 acres of predominantly arable land in the heart of the Wye Valley at Ross-On-Wye. The whole Farm is tenanted from The Duchy of Cornwall.

Our arable rotation involves Wheat, Malting Barley, Winter Oilseed Rape, Peas and Sugarbeet.

We also run a flock of homebred “Easycare” style ewes.

I grew up on the farm and returned home to run it in partnership with my parents in 2008 after graduating from The Royal Agricultural College with a degree in Agriculture.

In 2012 I took succession of tenancy from my father & was the youngest Duchy tenant at the time.

I have a keen interest in technology especially that surrounding advances in agriculture.

Outside of the farm I enjoy all sports especially rugby, I also featured in two series of Channel 4’s “First Time Farmers”

What are your cropping choices for the 2015/16 season, variety choices and reasoning for your selection?

Winter Wheat is 95% KWS Santiago, 5% Reflection. The Santiago has been a solid performer for the last few years & the field of Reflection we are growing will be used for seed in 2016 as long as it performs as well if not better than the Santiago.

Winter Oilseed Rape is all HOLL Rape this year. It is out first year growing HOLL OSR and we have been attracted to it because of the associatged premium & the newer varieties that are at the top of the recommended list.

Spring Barley is our largest crop, we are growing Propino for malting mostly to Molson Coors, the variety is the one they seem to want & is performing well for us.

Spring Peas – Prophet we have been growing peas for around 10 years, in that time we have found that Prophet tend to stand better than other varieties & that is the most important aspect for us.

Sugarbeet will be a mixture of varieties

What approach do you take to your cultivations?

Up until 3 years ago we were 100% plough & combination drill. It was & still is a very effective system & we never suffer from crop failures but it is expensive. We have since bought a Simba Xpress (legs + Discs) & this year bought a tine drill. The idea being that we “min till” the winter crops & plough the spring crops. Last year was the first year with this method & it seems to have worked well. We are planting covercrops before the peas & the Sugarbeet to try & increase the organic matter in our very sandy soil.

How might your area farmed and cropping change over the next 10 years?

I’m afraid my crystal ball seems to be playing up at the moment!

Land around us very seldom comes up for sale & if it does it is very competitive to try & get. We have, I believe, a good 5 year rotation with no one crop having a monopoly over another. I would love to have a go at growing something totally different, but what that might be I have no idea!

What innovations (e.g. precision ag, renewable technologies etc.) do you use on your farm?

We have recently started to move the farm towards precision agriculture by installing a RTK GPS steering system to our tractor

We have coupled this with our fertiliser spreader by having our fields nutrient mapped & applying nutrients to the areas of the fields where they are required as opposed to blanket application.

Also we changed our sprayer last year to include auto shutoff. After one year I think we are seeing savings of around 5% on inputs just by being more accurate.

I have a small drone which I use for a number of things including pigeon scaring & drainage mapping, I hope in the future I will be able to use it for nutrient mapping of crops prior to spreading fertiliser.

What new technologies and innovations would you like to see developed for your farm in the future, and why?

I would like to see GM rebranded to undo the horrible launch it was given all those years ago by Monsanto. The acronym GMO has a horrible stigma attached to it most of which is fueled by conspiracy theory. I think that there can be a future for GM if the right traits are targeted. Disease/Flood/Drought tolerant varieties could be vital in the future. However I don’t believe it is something I will be using during my career.

Please could you explain why R&D into crop production, yield and agronomy are important to your business  

R&D is vital to carry on taking farming forward, whether that be variety choices or active ingredients we have to keep pushing forward. I think it will be interesting to see given the current prices & glut of arable commodities whether farmers may start selecting for traits other than outright yield. Yield & profit are two very different things & if cost of production can be reduced at the cost of little yield I would be interested.

What are the big issues on your farm/for your farming business?

Flooding is one of our big issues. We try to keep a five year rotation which involves planting winter crops onto the flood plain, although we try to limit the winter crop down there it is an inevitability.

Market Volatility is also an issue you can be £5/tonne plus of minus if you ring in the morning as opposed to the afternoon. Historically you used to get a price at harvest & could add £1/tonne for each month you could store it.

What issues do you see facing farmers over the next decade?

Consumer Education – I see this as a huge challenge, reengaging the consumer with their food.  Consumers don’t know (or even care) about where there food comes from.

Water Availability

Phosphate vulnerable zones

Loss of key active ingredients with no new ones coming through to replace them

What are the future opportunities that you see for British farmers?

I think that as a generalisation the agriculture sector could be in for a few tough years, but adversity tends to bring around opportunity.

It’s being brave & to a degree wise enough to take the right risks. Now is not a time for burying your head in the sand & hoping oversupply & low prices will blow over.

On a smaller scale I still think there are plenty of niche markets that can be explored & am hoping to find one myself!

Chemicals business BASF has doubled the capacity of its UK biologicals production facility in response to growing global demand for biocontrol crop protection solutions for agriculture and horticulture.

CropTec 2015:

BASF are this year’s sponsors of our Crop Protection seminar and will also be holding a business breakfast meeting each day before the event. As well a a presentation from BASF, there will also be a presentation by Mr Sebastien Mallet from the leading international agricultural market intelligence company Offre et Demande Agricole (ODA). Topics covered will include: UK crop out-turn prices, global out-turns, planting predictions for 2016 and the possible impact on prices and opportunities for the 2016 season.

To encourage knowledge exchange among the British farming community further, this year’s event is FREE for farmers to attend. You MUST pre-register online to ensure you receive your free place.

General pre-registered admission: £12, all visitors will charged £15 on the gate on the day of the event.

John Deere’s first-ever four-track tractor will be making its UK show debut at CropTec. The new top of the range 9620RX model on display features a 620hp Stage IV 15-litre Cummins QSX engine, an e18 transmission with Efficiency Manager, articulated steering, cab suspension and optional Active Command Steering (ACS), for improved manoeuvrability in the field, as well as fully integrated AutoTrac guidance and JDLink Connect information management systems.

The 9RX range is designed to provide superior power, durability and improved ride quality, especially when handling large implements. The large, robust undercarriage features a positive-drive track system that effectively delivers more power to the ground. This is ideal for heavy draft applications such as cultivating, ploughing, discing and ripping, subsoiling and large-scale drilling applications.

The new 9470RX and 9520RX tractors are powered by 13.5-litre John Deere PowerTech PSS engines, whereas the 9570RX and 9620RX use 15-litre Cummins QSX engines. Featuring cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), enhanced turbocharger technology, diesel particulate filter (DPF) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, both engine makes are compliant with Stage IV/Final Tier 4 emission regulations and are designed to provide the torque and power to handle the toughest field conditions.

The engines power a large diameter drive sprocket and drive lugs that, along with optimally placed idlers and mid-rollers, work to deliver exceptional horsepower to the ground with less track slippage. The new 9RX tractors are equipped with rugged, puncture-resistant Camso Durabuilt 3500 and 6500 Series belts with Duradrive Technology for peak load-bearing performance in the field. The 76cm (30in) wide track belts are designed for increased durability and remain within the overall machine width limit of 3m. Extra-wide 91cm (36in) tracks are optionally available.

Like its 9R and 9RT siblings, the new four-track 9RX tractors are available with the responsive, smooth-shifting e18 transmission with Efficiency Manager for automated control of the engine and transmission. This industry-leading transmission responds quickly and automatically in the field for improved performance and increased fuel savings. The new tractors also feature an articulated steering system and optional Active Command Steering (ACS), which improves manoeuvrability in the field and line-holding ability, even at transport speeds of up to 40kph.

The 9RX CommandView III cab features a new cab suspension system, which significantly improves the tractors’ ride quality by allowing up to 10cm (4in) of vertical travel. This helps to control movement and isolates the cab and operator from sudden impacts and vibration.

Other ergonomic cab features include the fully integrated AutoTrac guidance and JDLink Connect information management systems, and the intuitive, easy-to-use Generation 4 CommandCenter display with custom-designed pages to provide fingertip control of tractor and implement functions. For optimum visibility even at dusk or night-time, as many as 24 LED lights spread daytime quality light around both the tractor and implement.

In addition, to meet the speed and high hydraulic power demands of large implements, the hydraulic system has been redesigned and now includes up to eight SCVs delivering a standard flow of 220 litres/min, or an optional 435 litres/min.

For further details and/or photographs, please contact:

Steve Mitchell   or         Chris Wiltshire

ASM Public Relations    John Deere Limited

Tel: 01926 818762        Tel: 01949 860491

E-mail: steve@asmpr.co.uk    Website: http://www.JohnDeere.co.uk

CropTec 2015:

John Deere are one of many exhibitors at this year’s event, view our full exhibitor list here.

To encourage knowledge exchange among the British farming community further, this year’s event is FREE for farmers to attend. You MUST pre-register online to ensure you receive your free place.

General pre-registered admission: £12, all visitors will charged £15 on the gate on the day of the event.

Visitors to CropTec on November 24 will be given the opportunity to admire the Barclays Premier League trophy.

The iconic trophy will be on show on and visitors to the event will be invited to take a selfie with it.

The Barclays Premier League trophy was crafted in 2004 when Barclays became title sponsor of the Premier League. Due to its value, is always flanked by two security guards when on display, as the trophy is officially classed priceless.

The trophy was won for a record 20th time by Manchester United at the end of the 2012 / 2013 Barclays Premier League.

Representative from CropTec, comments: “We are absolutely delighted that the Barclays Premier League trophy will be at the CropTec show this year. It’s a fantastic opportunity for visitors to see one of the most famous trophies in sport.”

For more information on CropTec Show visit www.croptecshow.com

Other reasons to visit the Barclays stand (52) at CropTec;

Did you know?

Twitter: @ChrisHewis

Biog:  Chris Hewis manages a 280 ha mixed farm in Lincolnshire, growing winter wheat, winter and spring barley and winter oilseed rape. 40 ha of grass supports a suckler beef herd of approximately 65 continental cross cattle, producing stores. He was not born into farming, but was always very interested. “I remember visiting Riseholme College as a 9 year old primary school pupil and thinking how I would love to study there. Nine years later I did exactly that. A three year sandwich course turned out to be a fantastic experience of living student life to the full and also got me the letters NDA to put after my name.  I have been in this job since leaving college 27 years ago. I’ve been married to Katy for 22 years and have a daughter and two sons. I follow Grimsby Town Football Club, have a HGV licence, am BASIS and FACTS qualified and have recently decided to improve my fitness level by joining a running club. I’m involved with the local Rural Training Group and with #clubhectare as one of the original co-founders.

Title: Feed varieties favoured – wheat and barley

Year on year cropping plans don’t vary greatly as I stick to the same 5 year rotation (OSR, winter wheat, winter wheat, spring barley, winter barley) for the whole farm. Winter barley is grown for a number of reasons – being early to harvest it not only spreads workload, but also ensures that there is no delay in getting oilseed rape drilled. The straw is used for the cattle.  I have grown malting varieties in the past but now stick to feed varieties due to the yield benefit and poor premiums from malting markets in the past. Cassia will be planted again this autumn following another successful harvest with it.

Oilseed rape is a crucial part of the rotation due to the benefit of having different chemistry available for grass weeds. I choose to grow hybrid varieties because of their consistently good performance. This year I have planted DK Exalte, Popular and for the first time, a Clearfield variety Imperial, due to a serious and increasing problem with cranesbill in one field.

Winter wheat will be split between three varieties this year. It will all be Group 4 feed varieties because the close proximity of the export facilities only three miles away. Dickens will be the main variety in the 1st wheat slot as it has performed very well here this year. It has been very clean all season, has yielded exceptionally well and has threshed well to produce a good clean sample. I will be trying some Reflection due to its high yield potential and high specific weight.

The choice for 2nd wheat will be Evolution this year, meaning the end of an era for JB Diego which has been grown for quite a few years now. Evolution has good disease ratings, has performed very well in a small but sensible sized plot and seems to tick all the boxes for a second wheat.

Spring barley is grown to spread workload and to aid blackgrass control. The malting variety, Propino, has been grown for the first time this year and has produced exceptional results, so will be chosen again for spring 2016.

Cultivations policy varies across the farm as the soil type varies widely. In one case there are four different soil types in a three hectare field. Generally the policy is to plough rotationally so mainly for spring barley and for winter barley. OSR is drilled conventionally following disc harrowing and subsoiling where necessary. Rape stubbles are left for a couple of weeks after harvest to allow any volunteer rape and some other weeds to grow. These are then sprayed with glyphosate, the tramlines subsoiled, and shallow disced. If any more weeds grow, including blackgrass, the glyphosate is repeated and the discing is repeated to a greater depth, pre-drilling. A power harrow drill combination is used for all crops.

The farmed area is unlikely to change in the near future, but the cropped area is likely to increase slightly due to the areas of Environmental stewardship land being brought back in to arable production. The old ELS scheme brought about some great improvements to the wildlife and environment but the new replacement scheme doesn’t seem to add up.

CropTec 2015:

If you’re considering adopting more efficient cultivation techniques or looking at ways to improve the health of your soils to reduce your crop establishment costs, attending our new Crop Establishment Seminar, sponsored by Horsch, will pay dividends.

In addition to the free advice on offer at this topical, technical and practical seminar, there will be numerous exhibitors you can talk to regarding your cultivation and soil care strategy. This new and important area of CropTec is designed to help you boost yields further and reduce those all important unit costs of production

To encourage knowledge exchange among the British farming community further, this year’s event is FREE for farmers to attend. You MUST pre-register online to ensure you receive your free place.

General pre-registered admission: £12, all visitors will charged £15 on the gate on the day of the event.