Owing to this years exceptionally dry weather conditions, results have shown that working the soil to greater depths has little impact upon potato emergence.

Agricultural contractors have previously reported that working the soil at depth creates compaction. Compaction is particularly caused by working deep in wet conditions. On average the optimum depth is 20-50cm. Usually, the potatoes planted at soil worked to 50 cm would show significantly large differences in bulk density and rootability. However, this year it is a different story. Agricultural contractors have found consistent quality when planting between 19 – 54 cm.

On a different track, agricultural contractors will be pleased to hear that the NFU are going to take up the ‘Red Tape Challenge’ set by the government. The Red Tape Challenge was designed to give the general public the opportunity to have an input about the red tape experienced in daily life.

 The NFU are planning to highlight the environmental regulations restricting the work of agricultural contractors, in the current theme of ‘the environment’. Farmers continuously face a battle with red tape in their bid to produce good yielding crops that fit within the somewhat restrictive boundaries set by the government.

 Whilst the NFU are keen to promote farming that is environmentally friendly, their input in the Red Tape Challenge aims to put forward to the problems that some of the restrictions put upon farmers.

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Agricultural contractors in the South and the Midlands are generally making good progress on their harvest, whilst activity in the North is frustratingly slower, with combines standing desolate in the fields.

Mixed reports are coming in regarding the yield quality, with some agricultural contractors boasting the highest yields they have had in some years, whilst others noticing the impact of the extreme weather conditions experienced earlier this year.

A recent survey, based on 2,400ha has indicated that the average UK wheat yield is 8.2t/ha. Agricultural contractors in the south have reported the highest statistics to contribute to this country-wide average, with a local average of 8.95t/ha. This is reduced by comparison to the West Midlands (8.29t/ha), East Midlands (7.64t/ha) and East Anglia (7.65t/ha). With respect to the performance of wheat varieties, Solstice is so far leading the way in yield performance figures.

Statistics on the yields of oil seed rape varieties have shown that agricultural contractors have chosen well, with two of the most popular varieties producing the highest outputs. These varieties are DK Cabernet and Excalibur.

However, it is not just these grains which are proving their worth. In general reports of oil seed rape yields are 10% above the five-year mean. This is an impressive statistic given the challenging weather conditions faced by our agricultural contractors. It should be noted that these figures are based on East-West data. As of yet, the statistics from the North have yet to be integrated; due to their wetter weather conditions harvest is progressing more slowly. 

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Agricultural contractors are worried about the threat of a new strain of brown rust.

NIAB TAG received a record number of brown rust samples this year after a serious disease epidemic. Given how wide-spread and how vicious the attack of both yellow and brown rust has been this year it is widely believed that one or more new strains have emerged. Indeed, the apparent resistance to the current treatments is a strong indicator that new strains are present.

From the view point of agricultural contractors, they reported large instances of yellow rust in wheat from April until June. From the middle of June things did not get any easier with reports of substantial instances of brown rust in a very short time window.

So what are the experts doing to help agricultural contractors? Pathologists are working hard to analyse the resistant varieties to test for new type of rust. It is evident through agricultural contractors reports and the lab testing that some strains are more resistant to rust emergence than others. Currently controlled testing progress is greater on the winter wheat variety – Stigg, which has a resistance rating of 9.

On another prominent issue, harvest is well underway across the entire country. Although most agricultural contractors are conscious that it is still early days, so far the dry season does not appear to have caused as much havoc with yields as it was once feared. We will eagerly await to see how harvest continues to progress.

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Agricultural contractors are being warned to keep an eye out for signs of powdery mildew in their sugar beet.

 It is expected that 49% of sugar beet crop will become infected by powdery mildew this season. This predicted figure is substantially higher than in previous years. Some of the key reasons for this rise are thought to be the generally warmer conditions, combined with a reduced occurrence of ground frosts in February and March. Additionally, many agricultural contractors drilled earlier than in previous years.

So what should agricultural contractors do to prevent this infection? Of crucial importance is to apply fungicide from mid-July upon initial sighting of the disease. Furthermore, agricultural contractors could apply a second covering when crops are lifted late and when disease occurrence is high.

At first spraying, there is a large choice of suitable fungicides which could be applied to successfully treat powdery mildew. However, what is important is that agricultural contractors apply the product at the full rate and at the correct timing. If it is necessary to apply a second spray it then becomes more important that the right product is selected, this is because the seconding spray time will influence the harvest interval as well as occurring when rust may be increasing. Recommended products include Escolta or Spyrale.

The number of agricultural contractors who are opting for a two-spray approach is increasing. This is likely due to the fact that crops are being harvested later and an increased recognition of the worth of fungicides in improving yields. However, as much as 10% of last years crops received no fungicide applications at all.

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The price of sugar beet is expected to rise by £4 a tonne 2012 according to the NFU Sugar Board chairman. This is good news for the 3,500 British agricultural contractors are currently contracted to grow sugar beet.

Currently agricultural contractors growing beet receive £23.60 per tonne from British Sugar, with the new price rises this will increase to £27.53.

The chairman announced that there were three main causes behind this proposed increase. Firstly, higher costs for agricultural contractors producing sugar beet, the higher wheat prices which are encouraging farmers to turn away from sugar beet and towards wheat and finally, changes in the general currency.

 It is hoped that this improvement in the contract will encourage /maintain agricultural contractors growing sugar beet.

Additionally, British Sugar has also completed their contract for beet grown for ethanol production. To date, ethanol beet contracts have only been available on temporary tonnages. Initial opportunity to take up this formalised contract will be given to existing growers, who will be offered £26.50/t.

It has also been announced that contracts will be increased by 2.5% to ensure that enough beet is produced following this seasons problems.  Agricultural contractors can expect the 2012 beet campaign to commence earlier than previous years, as it has been announced that  to help deal with the anticipated increased tonnage the official beet campaign will start earlier.

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Precision farming was a hot topic debated by agricultural contractors and farming experts at the Cereals event last week, in particular the potential benefits that new technology may bring to the agricultural industry.

It was argued that whilst new technology allows agricultural contractors the equipment to achieve high outputs whilst maintaining sustainability, for such performance to be universal it must become more readily available. 

Precision farming enables agricultural contractors to have greater control over the growing of their crops. For example, yield mapping allows farmers to dictate which parts of the field produce the maximum yields, such that the outside of the field can deliver less than the middle of the field. This approach enables agricultural contractors to put maximum effort and resources into the most productive field areas to gain maximum economic gain.

However, in these relatively early stages of such precision farming there are a few factors which are holding back progress. A spokesman for Agco, a company involved in the development of agricultural equipment, claimed that agricultural contractors are reluctant to put in the time needed to manage their fields so precisely. Farmers are demanding push-button technology but as it stands the technology is not effort free, although the key elements are there to make this possible in the future.

As well as improving economics and accuracy in farming, such technology is hoped to benefit the agricultural industry’s endeavour to reduce carbon foot-printing.

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Across many areas of Britain agricultural contractors are breathing a sigh of relief with the recent rainfall. Although this is nowhere near enough to quench the parched grounds, the met office is predicting further rainfall across many counties for the coming week. However, there is still the real fear that this will all be too little too late for agricultural contractors to achieve good yields this harvest.

On a positive note the rain has caused visible growth in many regions, with the rainfall allowing the crops to uptake nitrogen applications.

As a direct result of the dry weather agricultural contractors are expecting to start an early pea vining harvest. An expert speaking for PGRO estimates that vining will commence two earlier than on average years. To date the earliest recorded date that agricultural contractors have commenced pea harvesting is June 16^th, this year contractors are predicting to start around June 6^th.

Agricultural contractors in Norfolk and Suffolk are happy to be commencing pea vining again this year after last season off as a result of the termination of the Birds Eye contract. Unfortunately, these regions are amongst some of the worst to be affected by the dry weather conditions, as such, the harvest for agricultural contractors in these regions maybe somewhat disappointing. However, experts are yet to predict how detrimental the lack of rainfall will be ok the pea vining harvest, with many taking a ‘wait-and-see’ approach.

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Agricultural contractors have been concerned to hear about the temporary closure of the UK Ensus biofuel plant. Ensus is an important company to many agricultural contractors, being Europes largest wheat ethanol plant. The company have claimed that the shut down is due to the depressed market conditions. Additionally, the UK are in fierce competition with US agricultural contractors who are supplying biofuel commodities. As such the profit margins obtained from the UK plant cannot justify its continual functioning. However, the chief executive of Ensus assured the agricultural industry that they are confident that the business will be up and running again in a few months time.

The temporary closure of this plan has impacted upon UK wheat prices. The closure has resulted in an additional 200,000 tonnes of wheat being put into the market, having previously been destined from processing at the Ensus plant. Agricultural contractors saw their July futures decrease by 4% on previous quotes, this is the largest decrease observed for 2 months. However, agricultural contractors will be pleased to hear that the prices for wheat being sold at later stages, in November, have increased by more than 2%. This increase reflects a rebound in global wheat prices.

The Ensus closure adds to the problems currently experienced by the UK wheat ethanol industry. The completion of the new Vivergo bioethanol plant at Hull is still being delayed by problems with sourcing new contractors after a dispute with the original company.

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The BBRO Recommended List 2012 has six new varieties added to it. Agricultural contractors will be interested to hear that these new additions have substantially reduced chances of bolting. Perhaps more significantly, four of the varieties have a significantly lower early sowing bolting score than any other varieties previously placed on the list.

For agricultural contractors to achieve high yields resistance to bolting is crucial. Furthermore, it is important this resistance is still present when agricultural contractors drill their crops early. In order to achieve maximal yields the growing period needs to be of a long enough duration. Furthermore, with talk of factories opening earlier drilling will need to be accomplished earlier in the season than is standard.

Early sowing of previously recommended varieties have shown an increase of yields by approximately 10%. However, coupled with early sowing is an increased risk of bolting. As such agricultural contractors have been pushing for new varieties with lower bolting risks.  

However, it was stressed that despite the decreased bolting risks, agricultural contractors should not be complacent to think that bolting would not occur under any situation. Under stressful conditions all varieties are still subject to bolting.

Another key trait that agricultural contractors will be interested in when choosing sugar beet varieties is disease resistance . KWS has produced the first variety to have a double source resistance to rhizomania, Isabella KWS.

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Corn groomwell used to be viewed as an unwanted weed by agricultural contractors but this could soon change.

Corn groomwell is rich in essential fatty acids which are crucial to maintain our nervous and cardiovascular systems. This plant contains stearidonic acid (SDA) which can be converted into omega-3. Corn groomwell is appealing to agricultural contractors as it is easier to produce than the other existing non GM produced crop which contains SDA, called echium.

Agricultural contractors who grow echium have to invest in specialist equipment to produce and harvest the crop. Furthermore, it looses seeds during its development, hence requires high maintenance to ensure optimum yields are produced. This is costly in time and man-power for agricultural contractors.

In comparison, corn groomwell can be produced and harvested as a standing crop and has low seed loss. Recent trials have shown that it can yield approximately 1 tonne per hectare. During the research trials a comprehensive agronomy package has been developed for agricultural contractors to grow the crop with little risk of a bad harvest due to poor management.  Continuing research on this crop is being undertaken to aim for contracts to be ready for spring next year.

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