Anyone bothering with sclerotinia sprays?

[Feldspar]

Something I've yet to see in TFF is a member state what their brief to the agronomist was;

1. Low risk. Better to keep the rates up, reduce the risk of resistance and prevent a weed problem becoming established
2. 1 but pushing the boundaries further
3. Lowest reasonable cost & happy to accept a risk of poorer control occasionally

Who actually has this conversation with their agronomist??

Agree. The grower should state whether they are risk averse, risk neutral or prefer to take higher risks and the agronomist should tailor the programme accordingly. However, I spoke to an agronomist the other day who was having a conversation with a farmer. The farmer wanted this agronomist to cut the fungicide spend. Apparently the farmer's words were something to the effect of, "I don't mind how you do it at long as it doesn't go wrong." Can't blame the agronomist when this is the sort of attitude they have to deal with.

 

[ajd132]

Agree. The grower should state whether they are risk averse, risk neutral or prefer to take higher risks and the agronomist should tailor the programme accordingly. However, I spoke to an agronomist the other day who was having a conversation with a farmer. The farmer wanted this agronomist to cut the fungicide spend. Apparently the farmer's words were something to the effect of, "I don't mind how you do it at long as it doesn't go wrong." Can't blame the agronomist when this is the sort of attitude they have to deal with.

What a stupid attitude. It must be bloody difficult for agronomists to manage all these different expectations.

 

[Brisel]

What a stupid attitude. It must be bloody difficult for agronomists to manage all these different expectations.

How do you tackle this with your contracting clients? Do they leave it to your discretion?

 

[ajd132]

How do you tackle this with your contracting clients? Do they leave it to your discretion?

It’s up to us. One of the good reasons for having an agent involved is they can prove the savings we have made to the client which is the case most years.

 

[Feldspar]

Sclerotinia sprays on the best / most forward OSR going on tomorrow to manage the risk and make a start. With 750ac and a catchy forecast, we cannot be truly responsive to conditions. Chance of rain has gone up quite a bit it seems. Not sure whether to go at 0.4l Proline or 0.5l.

 

[Zippy768]

How do people avoid flattening trampolines? Got half a load to give it a go but fear it is too tall.
Would one bother getting a contractor in to apply sclerotinia spray?

 

[An Gof]

How do people avoid flattening trampolines? Got half a load to give it a go but fear it is too tall.
Would one bother getting a contractor in to apply sclerotinia spray?

I spray my rape with a mounted sprayer on a JD6630.
To reduce damage to crop and the flattening effect I tie up a plastic sheet from front of tractor over the weight frame all the way back underneath to the back of the sprayer. I use some doubled over 1000g sheet. It works well and I have used the same sheet for 5 years now. It’s a real pain fitting it on and takes me probably an hour or more to fit it. Bit it really helps crop flow underneath and has a big effect on reducing crop damage.
Might be a bit over the top for just half a load but give it a try and see what you think.

 

[Zippy768]

I spray my rape with a mounted sprayer on a JD6630.
To reduce damage to crop and the flattening effect I tie up a plastic sheet from front of tractor over the weight frame all the back underneath to the back of the sprayer. I use some doubles over 1000g sheet. It works well and I have used the same sheet for 5 years now. It’s a real pain fitting it on and takes me probably an hour or more to fit it. Bit it really helps crop flow underneath and has a big effect on reducing crop damage.
Might be a bit over the top for just half a load but give it a try and see what you think.

Thanks. Currently got a fert bag covering pickup hitch and onto sprayer. Maybe I should of gone from right at the front.

It's a mounted one. 18metres probably means no hope of a contractor.

 

[An Gof]

Even more worthwhile with 18m tramlines as you have more wheelings.
On the JD I also remove the tool box and bracket holding it as that can catch a lot of crop.

 

[Zippy768]

Even more worthwhile with 18m tramlines as you have more wheelings.
On the JD I also remove the tool box and bracket holding it as that can catch a lot of crop.

True. But 24 metre will be a no go, 36 metre might catch every other line but will miss the headland trampoline. Biggest field 11 acres.

 

[Brisel]

Trampolines? Autocorrect for tramlines?

What An Gof said. A sheet from the front to the back/ I don't bother backing into corners either. Telegraph poles will just be driven around. If nothing else, it will make a good control plot to see whether the fungicide was worth applying anyway - I suspect not!

 

[Zippy768]

Got away with it. As you said, just swept round corners and drove round the tele pole. The sheet I had worked well, will add to it.
Another 2 loads now.

Slow job at 7km, figured be gentle.

The spring pgr certainly did a good job. Can visiblely see the half tramline trial. Noticeably yellower on top, less further down. I reckon the difference between getting through an not.

If I'd destroyed too much, id have sent the chemical back. My worry was dessciation and pod sealant.

 

[Clive]

Something I've yet to see in TFF is a member state what their brief to the agronomist was;

1. Low risk. Better to keep the rates up, reduce the risk of resistance and prevent a weed problem becoming established
2. 1 but pushing the boundaries further
3. Lowest reasonable cost & happy to accept a risk of poorer control occasionally

Who actually has this conversation with their agronomist??

conversation was had a long time ago - its simple, I want recs for any product that will give me a MOIC

I don't see many of the issues some do as a risk at all , that's down to my attitude and experience now really and I am lucky I have an agronomist that understands and see thing from a similar point of view

 

[jonnyjon]

conversation was had a long time ago - its simple, I want recs for any product that will give me a MOIC

I don't see many of the issues some do as a risk at all , that's down to my attitude and experience now really and I am lucky I have an agronomist that understands and see thing from a similar point of view

What would you do if your wheat and barley where free of disease, not had any fungicides, insecticides or seed dressings to date? I'm thinking only continue with foliar feeds??

 

[Clive]

What would you do if your wheat and barley where free of disease, not had any fungicides, insecticides or seed dressings to date? I'm thinking only continue with foliar feeds??

Scletortinia is a certainty here not just a risk (i'm reasonably west) and about the only thing we spray for prophylacticly - i've trialed no fungicide and reduced fungicide programmes on wheat and highest MOIC still comes from a decent fungicide programme

On OSR my trails showed the opposite and that's why I don't use fungicides on OSR unless we were ton have a extreme season

 

[Zippy768]

conversation was had a long time ago - its simple, I want recs for any product that will give me a MOIC

I don't see many of the issues some do as a risk at all , that's down to my attitude and experience now really and I am lucky I have an agronomist that understands and see thing from a similar point of view

Is it really that simple? A simple yes or no? Doesn't take into account any risk management or probability of a problem potentially occurring. After the event we can say we should have or didn't need to do this or that.

Granted attitude and the mentality of the farmer probably plays the biggest part. A gambler may grow a very good crop with lower input cost. Other years he may get it wrong. How risk averse the grower is.

I'm not a gambler and indeed a worrier - I know my place

 

[Clive]

Is it really that simple? A simple yes or no? Doesn't take into account any risk management or probability of a problem potentially occurring. After the event we can say we should have or didn't need to do this or that.

Granted attitude and the mentality of the farmer probably plays the biggest part. A gambler may grow a very good crop with lower input cost. Other years he may get it wrong. How risk averse the grower is.

I'm not a gambler and indeed a worrier - I know my place

every farmer is a gambler - there is no bigger gamble than planting a crop

I think its is that simple yes

lots of people (with agenda to sell you stuff) like to make it much more complex however

 

[jonnyjon]

I wouldn't leave out a head spray but might not give them anything else, breaking the waxy leaf covering with fungicides/ adjutants only letting in disease I suspect. I firmly believe that we create our own problems, seed dressings being a good example

 

[Zippy768]

every farmer is a gambler - there is no bigger gamble than planting a crop

I think its is that simple yes

Agreed, but surely is a level of gambling and that is where the level plant protection comes in.
I stick a fiver on the national, but I'm not sat in the bookies every day.

 

[Clive]

I wouldn't leave out a head spray but might not give them anything else, breaking the waxy leaf covering with fungicides/ adjutants only letting in disease I suspect. I firmly believe that we create our own problems, seed dressings being a good example

i don't get seed dressing at all - completely unnecessary, I mean who thought that routinely coating a seed (that has to work with soil fungi) with a fungicide was ever a good idea ?