Those involved in the farm contracting of organic crops are appealing for more support from the European Union in order to improve the producing and promotion of their organic products.

At a recent conference in Italy, Copa-Cogeca put forward the pleas from European farm contractors of the need for greater investment in the organic farming sector and the concern that the agricultural contracting of organic produce is not considered of equal importance as more traditional farming techniques.

Part of the argument forwarded for the benefits of organic farming included the noticeable improvements of soil quality and water quality. Additionally, farm contractors who take up an organic approach can be assured that they are farming high quality produce with a low environmental impact.

Copa Cogeca furthered their plight of the importance of increasing the support of the farm contracting of organic crops by presenting figures that demonstrated the increasing demand for organic produce. Indeed, Europe is now the second greatest organic farmers. Furthermore, there is an ever continuing importation to the EU.

In summary, the key message was that organic farming is able to achieve the main goal of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), therefore, more investment should be put into the research of growing organic crops and the promotion of organic produce.

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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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Although this years harvest has produced some disappointing yields for some farm contracting teams, this is not true for one Lincolnshire farmer. David Hoyles is thought to have produced a record breaking yield on a group 3 wheat crop.  Invicta was drilled in three of their fields this year, all of which produced high yields, but none so much as 14.3t/ha on one particular field. If it is accepted then this entry will exceed the 13.99t/ha for a group 3 wheat, which was recorded in 1981.

So is there a secret recipe for success that can be shared with other farmers? Unfortunately not, the farmer owes this successful crop to good judgement and a little bit of luck.

Farm contractors in the north of the country may not be experiencing quite such a high as the lucky Mr. Hoyles. Reports from some agricultural contracting teams are that harvest is only about one third complete. Although the crops are ready to be harvested the wet weather conditions make travelling on the fields problematic, not to mention the high moisture content of the grain.

However, it is not all doom and gloom for Northern farmers. Again, some farm contractors are reporting record yields in their wheat crops. In particular, farmers which have included grass in their rotation programs have experienced a good wheat crop, which highlights how farmers can benefit both the environment and their outputs at the same time.

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The UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey have confirmed that a new race of yellow rust. This new disease threatens to cause problems for the farm contracting of winter wheat.

Evidence for the emergence of a new variety of yellow rust arises from extensive tests on yellow rust samples provided by three farm contractors who had sown the variety ‘Warrior’. This variety had been considered to have the highest disease resistance rating to rust infections. However, Warrior has also recently been shown to be at risk of infection of a new brown rust, which was first identified in the variety ‘Stigg’. Indeed, tests have shown that these two varieties are able to infect each other with rust isolates.

This new information is crucial for the continuing investigations into the treatment of rust infestations and to farm contractors when selecting which varieties to drill for next years harvest.

Meanwhile agricultural contracting teams continue to make variable progress with this years harvest. Whilst in Lincolnshire progress appears to be satisfactory, with many people nearing the end of their grain harvest, in Scotland farm contractors are still attempting to harvest their winter barley.

 Reports of yields also show differentiation across the country. This variability in yields appears to be most prominent across East Anglia and the South East, with farm contractors reporting outputs from anything between 0.4t/ha to 1.6t/ha.

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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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The difficult economic situation we are all facing is continuing to negatively influence the markets, leaving uncertainty for farm contractors.

Combining the uncertain market position with ever changing weather and crop reports, the London November feed wheat futures market has been interchangeable, with farm contractors being offered between £160/t and £165/t.

Within the European Union, the recent much needed rain has led the International Grains Council to increase its prediction for the UK and EU wheat production. It is now predicted that the wheat crop for farmers and farm contractors in the UK will be 14.5m tonnes and the EU soft wheat harvest will be 130.2m tonnes.

Despite this, the rain has had a negative effect on the quality of milling wheat across Europe. This has lead many farm contractors to be unwilling to sell their crop, instead waiting to ascertain the quality and quantity of their yield.

Farm contractors in the USA are currently experiencing difficulties at the opposite end of the weather spectrum. The heat and drought are stressing the condition of the maize crop, leading to a reduction in the condition of the crop and subsequent negative downturn on the maize market.  This has influenced the prices for farm contracting in the UK and Europe, with this restriction in the maize prices correlating to a restriction in the market for feed grain.

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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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The recent rainfall across many of the drought areas in Britain has brought mixed blessings to farm contractors. Although the crops were in much need of some water, there is concern that the rain will reduce the grain quality.

After the dry conditions experienced many farm contracting teams were anticipating an early harvest, however, the June and July moisture has resulted in crops being slower to loose their greenness than what was predicted.

Additionally, the wetter conditions have encouraged weed growth in the previously drought-stricken crops, thriving upon the increased availability of the nitrogen in the soil. Farm contractors are also observing that their fields are not ripening evenly, with noticeable differences in greenness from one end of the field to another.

Agronomists are advising agricultural contracting teams to implement effective harvest management by using well-timed applications of glyphosphate. Applying this substance will have numerous benefits to crop health, including, removing weed-growth and secondary tillers as well as reducing greenness in the crops.

In particular agronomists are suggesting that pre-harvest round up may be a particularly valuable product to farm contractors this season. Round up can be used on malting barleys and on milling wheats. However, it is essential that the seven-day gap between treatment and harvest is adhered to.

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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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Farm contractors of potatoes are being warned to take a careful look at their carbon footprint. Out of all the field-based crops potatoes produce the highest carbon output.

An expert speaking for Scottish Agronomy advised that those involved in the farm contracting of potatoes could substantially cut their output costs if they improved their carbon efficiency. For example, two of the key contributors to the footprint are diesel used in the machinery and water usage on the crops; these are also two of the most expensive outputs for agricultural contracting teams. Indeed, these items together often cost more than fertilisers and pesticides, yet are often over looked by farm contractors.

By taking more time to consider the soil structure contractors could reduce their machinery operations, thereby reducing their carbon footprint. For instance, deep ploughing, particularly with wet soil can damage the soil structure resulting in the need for extra machinery work and irrigation.

Additionally, farm contractors should pay attention to the type of tractor they use. Tractors with higher horsepower have greater speed and revs, which often make them more fuel efficient. Keeping older, slower tractor may be false economy, as these may drain the fuel quicker than new faster models.

Therefore, potato growers could stand to reap double benefits if they improve their carbon footprint, by improving their carbon efficiency and by reducing output costs.

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