Met office records reveal that central southern England has experienced the driest April since figures began. Only 4% of the average rainfall expected during this early spring month has been recorded and farm contractors are now desperate for rain. However, the problem looks set to continue as the met office reveal that little rain is forecast for the near future.

In response to these dry conditions farm contracting teams have been advised not to commit excess tonnage for this year’s harvest. With the exceptionally high prices there is concern that farm contractors will be tempted to agree to supply large tonnage quantities which just may not be possible considering the current dry conditions.

Grain traders are advising agricultural teams who do anticipate a shortage in their agreed tonnage supply to contact their buyers as soon as possible to produce a solution which is acceptable to both parties. The sooner contact is made the more likely that contractors will be able to achieve maximum profits given the expected yield loss. 

Crops which are particularly struggling with the dry conditions are late drilled wheat crops, especially those sown on light soils. Those who are involved in the agricultural contracting of oil seed rape are also reporting potential problems – with poor pod set and wilting crops.

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A recent analysis on the impact of genetically modified (GM) crops suggest that those in farm contracting who grow GM produce are saving their business in excess of £2.9 billion over a 14 year period.

Farm contractors growing GM crops additionally benefit the environment by substantially reducing greenhouse gas omissions. Furthermore, grain varieties which have been modified to be pest-resistant have reduced pesticide spraying by 393 million kilograms.

The report ‘Global Biotech Crop Impact’ states that farm contractors in both developed and developing countries are seeing significant financial gain by choosing GM crops. The main advantages for agricultural contracting teams include increased yields coupled with reduced energy costs, thereby decreasing the wear and tear on machinery.

Based on these appealing figures it may not be surprising to hear that the contracting of GM crops reached a record 1 billion hectares in 2010. Of the 29 countries now farming these crops 10 are developed countries, 8 in the European Union.

However, it is not all positive news. The report states that in GM regions growing herbicide tolerant crops farm contractors are reporting the resistance of crops to weeds, in particular glyphosate.

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Farm contractors may be interested to hear about the progress, or lack of, on Vivergo’s bioethanol plant. It was originally anticipated that the plant would be open in time for farm contracting teams to deliver their 2011 harvest. However, this now looks unlikely.

The site at Hull, where the new plant is being constructed, is currently closed. Vivergo had a disagreement with contractors who started the building and as such have terminated the contract. Vivergo are currently seeking new contractors in the hope to push on with the plans as soon as possible.

Approximately 700 farm contractors growing for Frontier have signed up to the Humber Gold club. Agricultural contracting teams were expected to start supplying grain to the plant from July, but they have received a letter informing them of the delay.

Experts assure contractors that they will not loose out, as there is a vast market for the grain outputs. However, the Humber Gold club offered attractive clauses which are not readily available elsewhere in the market. Farm contractors were particularly enthusiastic about the intake of grain at higher moisture contents with out obtaining a penalty.

A statement by Vivergo reassures those involved in grain trading and agricultural contracting that it is their priority to ensure the plant is operational as soon as possible to enable longer economic benefits to the industry.

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Farm contractors across the country are starting to apply Atlantis to control for blackgrass.

 Due to the wet weather during peak drilling time many farm contracting teams postponed their applications of Atlantis. Indeed, it is expected that approximately 85% of applications will be administered this spring time instead.

There is increasing concern for the resistance to these applications. An expert speaking for Bayer CropScience claimed that around 30% of fields are challenging to control for weed growth. These fields demand optimal application of chemicals, including a pre-emergence spray proceeded by Atlantis, applied by agricultural contracting groups at the crucial timings.

Somewhere around 5 – 10% of fields are not able to be controlled by chemical solutions alone. Such fields require farm contractors to employ cultivating techniques.

Although this may sound like Atlantis is decreasing in its value to agricultural contracting these figures suggest that there is still around 50% of fields where effective control is still plausible.

Contractors are advised to apply Atlantis when there is active growth, but before weeds become too large. It was also warned that soil temperatures are not a particularly effective method to guide when to make applications.

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At the conference held by the Association of Applied Biologists Crop Protection agronomists and those involved in the farm contracting of wheat were given new advice on controlling Septoria tritici.

Since 2008 farm contractors and agronomists have reported multi drug resistant (MDR) strains of Septoria in Belgium and France. In more recent years such evidence has also been reported in the UK. In 2009 wheat agricultural contracting companies in Lincolnshire observed MDR strains and in 2010 they were also detected in Warwickshire. Indeed, laboratory investigations confirm that this fungus may be coming increasingly resistant to triazole fungicides.

 In light of this occurrence, farm contractors are advised to not restrict their fungicide application to one type of triazole fungicide. Using different types of fungicides is thought to help prevent the emergence of Septoria. However, more research needs to conducted to find out exactly how MDR strains were developing. NIAB TAG and INRA have been working together to collect Septoria infected samples to analyse. By continuing this process they hope to provide solutions for wheat farm contracting teams.

To end on a more positive note, at this time chemicals are still proving to be effective in controlling for this fungus. Furthermore, although resistance is on the increase the occurrence of these strains are still fairly low.

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Farm contractors may be considering alternatives to their usual fertiliser products with the massive increase in the cost of fertiliser. Agricultural contracting teams are currently paying double the price for fertiliser than they were 5 years ago.

Agronomists are suggesting that early applications of nitrogen can be applied now, where it is needed. However, Adas and Defra are advising farm contractors to utilise other nutrifying sources, in particular those found naturally in soil and manure.

Thankfully, farm contractors may find that this winters weather conditions lend to lower applications of nitrogen being applied. Adas scientists claim that for typically developing crops both soil mineral levels and crop levels of nitrogen are likely to be higher than what is usual for this time of year. This is mainly due to the low rainfall up until February helping to prevent nitrogen from leaching. Furthermore, the cold weather experienced late last year means a significant percentage of mineralisable nitrogen may not be detected during early spring sampling. Therefore, this should be taken into consideration when farm contracting teams are interpreting soil nutrient requirements; there may be higher nitrogen present in the crops than is actually being recorded.

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Yet again wheat prices are producing record figures for farm contractors. The rise in prices as of late last week, is a reaction to the latest USDA report announcing a tight maize supply and an increase in demand situation.

Countries such as Brazil and Argentina are reporting decreased yields in the agricultural contracting of maize, with farm contractors harvesting 4.5 million tonnes lower than expected. Argentina has suffered from exceptionally dry weather from November 2010 through to January 2011, producing devastating effects on the maize during its crucial yield forming time window. This dry period has also had detrimental effects on soyabean crops.

Coupled with this decrease in a yields, a boom in maize based ethanol production in the US helped world maize ending stocks to a 37 year low and their 4^th tightest levels in the past 50 years.

The impact of this for British farm contracting is that wheat prices have risen to excess of £200 a tonne. More significant increases are also evident in 2012 contracts. Farm contractors are being quoted an increase of £5 per tonne for selling in some months next year.

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British Sugar are planning an emergency meeting with those involved in the agricultural contracting of beet after closing the Newark factory to local growers. The freezing temperatures followed by the thaw have lead to the rotting of the majority of sugar beet still left in the fields.

 Last week British Sugar implemented a change in delivery proposals, allowing farm contractors to submit their best quality crops first, retaining the more damaged crop, in a struggle to keep the Newark factory open to local growers. However, the standard of the beet now being delivered in from farm contractors is so poor that it is impossible to process.

 The quality of beet is a problem to nationwide agricultural contracting teams; indeed, ABF the parent company to British Sugar is expecting a drop of profits by £20 million this year. However, in the East Anglia region the crops were not so hard hit by the freeze-thaw, hence the Newark factory will currently be used to process the beet which these farm contractors are still striving to save.

 Beet growers are now left with the dilemma of what to do with their beet which is not fit for processing. Suggestions from the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO) include using beet for feeding to livestock. However, farm contracting experts are warned to be aware of which herbicides and fungicides have been used before feeding to livestock. If the beet is just going to be ploughed back into the land it is advised that that the beet is first chopped up to aid the degeneration process. In very wet land degeneration will too slow for aerobic digestion, meaning anaerobic digestion will start, encouraging the development of unwanted products in the soil.

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