We are increasingly using early warning systems and technology to help us manage everything – Arable Farming – Darryl Shailes
With the Easter weekend forecast to be fine, a mix of fieldwalking, grass cutting and entertaining was planned. ...
I did at one time imagine a long weekend like the rest of the nation. However, in agriculture, as we know, days off in spring are hard won and have to be caught up with, either before or after the event, so some fieldwalking had to be undertaken. At least it wasn’t raining.
I’ve yet to see a swallow, but have heard reports and I wait with anticipation to hear the first cuckoo to let me know that summer is truly on its way. I looked at the British Trust for Ornithology’s cuckoo tracking project and some have got as far as northern Spain, so it won’t be long hopefully.
I’m planning to have my dad over when they’re in full voice in the Waveney Valley, as he’s not heard one for a while and he has not been able to visit for the last two springs, due to the Covid-19 restrictions. We normally have a good chorus echoing across the valley when they first arrive.
I’m not sure how the weather affects the cuckoo migration, whether it’s like aphids and the warmer it is they earlier they come, but it’s good to have the tracking project to give us an early warning.
It’s a bit like the Rothamsted insect survey and the BBRO yellow water traps, which we rely on this year to help manage aphids and virus in the sugar beet and potato seed crop.
With around 75% of the national sugar beet crop treated with Cruiser SB (thiamethoxam), there will be a bit of time to concentrate purely on weed control for some.
Trapping information
However, with most of my beet not being treated, I’ll be relying on the trapping info and then scouting and treating when the threshold of one wingless green aphid per four plants is met.
It’s always a challenge to fit everything in and tank mixing isn’t always possible, so the crop may need to be covered on several occasions over the coming weeks.
On the limited amount of Conviso Smart beet I’ve got, it may be easier to tank mix the insecticide with the Conviso One herbicide as long as the timing for either isn’t compromised. I would think by the time you read this we will have applied the first treatment on the non-Cruiser treated beet, as the predicted aphid migration date is the middle of April.
We are increasingly using models, early warning systems and technology to help us manage everything, within an integrated crop protection framework, so I’m really going to miss the AHDB updates in potatoes this spring, especially the Fight Against Blight (FAB) information.
While we have our own weather stations and models, within our Omnia package, to give us risk warnings of many different pests and diseases, including potato blight, I’m not sure what we will see of the Hutton Criteria this season.
One of the most important parts of FAB, has been the reporting of infection sources, whether dumps, volunteers or crops, to enable us to strengthen up our programme if needed.
Also, as we have mentioned before, the real time genotyping has been a very useful tool when making decisions. Without this information in the public domain, it will be down to teams of growers and agronomists to share the information, once blight is found, to help us all react to the pressure in an appropriate manner.
In the meantime, I’m going to be avidly watching the cuckoo tracking project to see when Calypso, Victor II, Ellis or their friends are likely to be in East Anglia, to get the timing of Dad’s visit spot on.
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