Hutchinsons - Omnia

News · Sep 17, 2018

Making sense of Yield maps

With combining over its time to mull over the 2018 yield maps. This year rather than look at the good ones, ignore the bad ones and then put them in a draw never to be seen again, consider how this data can be used to make changes that will improve next year’s profitability, is the advice from Charles Wright, Farmacy agronomist in the East Midlands.

Where poor areas can be identified this year compare these with the historical ‘field performance’ - but remember that in such a difficult season it’s important not to jump to conclusions, he says.

“However, if historical performance has been poor and this has been born-out again, why assume 2019 will be any different?”

“It’s really important to understand better where the profit or loss is coming from within a field and manage this accordingly – this could mean managing higher yield potential areas to push for even higher yields if they are not treated as the field average.”

“Conversely in the higher performing areas of the field is there anything limiting even better performance and could these areas be improved?

“Doing this in a coherent and effective way that considers all of the factors that may be affecting that particular field or area of the field is the challenge – but one that Omnia’s unique field performance mapping facility overcomes.”

Using Omnia yield performance mapping, it’s possible to identify and map areas of fields by categorising them in terms of the consistency of performance such as poorly consistent yield, good consistent yield etc- and adapt crop management accordingly.

This is exactly what Charles has done with one of his clients J & S Bealby, Lodge Farm, near Grantham in Lincolnshire.

“Yield maps in 2018 confirmed a poor performing headland due to a combination of heavy soil and high shading from woodland,” he points out. “This area will now form part of a mid-tier stewardship scheme planned for 2019. Income from Stewardship on this strip will make a positive contribution to the farm profit, rather than the loss from cropping it.”

Across the rest of the field Charles will focus on using variable seed rates to create more even plant establishment.

“I want to start with the basics, before I move on to fine tuning with nutrition– at this stage the ultimate aim is to have the correct number of plants established.”

“Using Omnia I can input information such as soil type, seedbed conditions, weed and slug pressure, on top of which the variable seed rate plan can be created.”

“I can also tweak this if needed by comparing this to the yield maps, so if they suggest previous seed rates were still too low I make further adjustments. Without a more uniform plant stand you are always playing ‘catch up’ and have already lost potential.”

So before you put your yield maps back in the draw for another year, think about how to use this valuable data about your fields to help you make the right cropping decisions for the coming season.

News · Oct 19, 2018

Warm weather raises BYDV threat to high

Recent mild weather is resulting in reports of large flights of aphids which are rapidly colonising newly emerging winter cereals and infecting them with the yield robbing Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV), says agronomist Elle Pace, agronomist in Sussex.

The latest monitoring by AHDB and Rothamsted reports aphid activity is rising, particularly the numbers of bird cherry-oat aphids. In early October numbers rose by 35% to above the 10 year mean, at all but two sites in the UK.

Subsequently there have been reports of a major aphid flight along the south coast, meaning that cereal crops are at high risk.

Elle recommends that crops sown in high risk areas, should use Deter or Redigo Deter for early drilled crops. “This will provide about 6-8 weeks protection when the crop is at its most vulnerable during emergence and establishment.”

“Where seed has not been protected to use an aphicide spray, and don’t delay treatment when warnings are issued.”

“The minute the crop pokes through the ground it is at risk, and as the current threat is so high the advice would be to spray an aphicide onto the crop around the 1 leaf stage, don’t wait for 2 leaves – this should provide about 7 days repellant activity - that’s providing the aphids show no sign of resistance.”

Generally, after the first application of a pyrethroid then the T-sum calculations begin, or if you have neonicotinoid dressed seed then the calculations begin at the end of the protective period of the insecticide seed dressing, she says.

“However in light of the current high threat, the follow-up spray may be required sooner than 170 days degrees if high flights continue.”

“If unsure about risk levels the AHDB Aphid News alert is really useful and worth signing up to. “

(https://cereals.ahdb.org.uk/monitoring/aphid-news.aspx)

Hutchinsons - Omnia

News

Staff Member

Attachments

News

Staff Member

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

0 %

Up to 25%

25-50%

50-75%

75-100%

100% I’ve had enough of farming!

May Event: The most profitable farm diversification strategy 2024 - Mobile Data Centres

Share this page