Beet yields 2020
- Thread starter phr49
- Start date
spin cycle
Member
- Location
- north norfolk
no
- Location
- West Suffolk
First time round spraying herbicide on the beet today, this field then and now pics -
May 11th 2016
today
May 11th 2016
today
- Location
- West Suffolk
A lot of gaps this year on all fields.
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
I can't decide whether I'm pleased with my beet or not, there's a good even plant but they do vary alot in size across the fields low sheltered spots are 4 leave and high exposed parts are cotyledon. Usually it's the lows which act as frost pockets but I assume it's the cold winds catching the highs which have stunted them.
Hasn't affected the weeds though
Hasn't affected the weeds though
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Quite gappy here. Some were definitely frosted. At 4 true leaves now but the leaves are quite narrow and the plants small. Not really motoring yet. Been in the ground 2 months. Had two herbicide mixes. Fairly clean, though I can find emerging cranesbill yet again. Don’t really want to do another herbicide for a while. Doesn’t have the makings of a vintage year here. Need more sun and warmth.
With beet being small again this year is there going to be the same problem as last year with aphids or am I being pessimistic
- Location
- Lincolnshire
With mine drilled on 22nd March and having had a month of frost I’m a bit concerned about bolters as well as aphids but fingers crossed.
The BBRO optimum drilling time / yield graph really has been made a mockery of this year, possibly. I don’t think I’d have lost much potential drilling a month later, except maybe drier seedbed but that has been sorted out now by recent rains. Nobody has a crystal ball though so we do what seems right on the day.
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
The few warn days allowed them to move a bit but they seem to have slowed up a bit again now, cool cloudy weather and herbicide is causing it but is better when wanting to add a good dose of oil to try and get the big fathen which never seems to suffer from anything.
Attachments
- Location
- Lincolnshire
So it’s Sunday morning and maybe the only spray window for a few days. It’s already had two substantial hits of herbicide mix over the last 4 weeks, the last a fortnight ago. The beets at 4 leaf and the rain has brought about another big flush of cranesbill at cotyledon. The agronomist hasn’t left a ticket but the stuff he ordered is sitting in the shed. I could use my own initiative and put a mix on using the BBRO guidance but I’m not BASIS registered so that contravenes RT and in any case I’m paying the agronomist and don’t want to cock up his programme. I am not disturbing him on a Sunday but I reckon by the time he’s looked at it and we have lost another couple of days the cranesbill will be unstoppable. There again if we keep the interval too short just how many applications will it require to get to canopy closure? This is the crock of sh!t that is beet growing with loss of desmedipham and now reliance on actives that are what 50 years old and ever more ineffective.
Personally I think a more intelligent approach is needed taking into account the very few weather windows we get here to apply a fine spray and to deal with difficult weeds like cranesbill. I am fast losing patience with the crop. It’s just getting too difficult for the returns.
Personally I think a more intelligent approach is needed taking into account the very few weather windows we get here to apply a fine spray and to deal with difficult weeds like cranesbill. I am fast losing patience with the crop. It’s just getting too difficult for the returns.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Or put another way, there is scope to better optimise the spray programme given we have a fortnightly opportunity to spray and a known weed spectrum. It needs a hybrid approach somewhere between FAR and the two spray / fire fighting system. We can’t go often enough with FAR here due to wind and the low concentrations seem useless, but with just 2 big doses we don’t have a long enough spraying campaign to get to canopy closure without the interval being too long and weeds getting too big. Knocks the beet as well.
Yet the BBRO spray recommendations hardly seem to change other than introduction of conviso and Debut. It’s a mess in my view.
Yet the BBRO spray recommendations hardly seem to change other than introduction of conviso and Debut. It’s a mess in my view.
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
As @flat10 said jfdi, sod the agro, if he gets the hump remind him you pay the bill and the other option would have been for him to get his arse out to your beet today.
How the seasons are now we need to take every available opportunity even if it is a slight compromise.
Personally don't get hung up on FAR or broadacre or anything else react to what's there and needs doing on the day. As for red tractor I can't believe your even bothering to concern your self with worrying about them. At the end of the day they can't stop you farming and when the time come for inspection and they ask for a crop recommendation and records just make sure you show them a record which has got a rec to accompany it. I sure as hell wouldn't alter my farming to suit that bunch of screws.
Ps if you really are that worried about the red tractor Nazis then just get your agro to back date a rec for what you've done. Nothing personal @Dr wazzock but you do seem to spend a lot of time worrying about things that don't need to be worried about.
How the seasons are now we need to take every available opportunity even if it is a slight compromise.
Personally don't get hung up on FAR or broadacre or anything else react to what's there and needs doing on the day. As for red tractor I can't believe your even bothering to concern your self with worrying about them. At the end of the day they can't stop you farming and when the time come for inspection and they ask for a crop recommendation and records just make sure you show them a record which has got a rec to accompany it. I sure as hell wouldn't alter my farming to suit that bunch of screws.
Ps if you really are that worried about the red tractor Nazis then just get your agro to back date a rec for what you've done. Nothing personal @Dr wazzock but you do seem to spend a lot of time worrying about things that don't need to be worried about.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I think I will a BASIS course this autumn. If you want it done right do it yourself.
- Location
- the brecks norfolk
I'm sure im right in saying that to do your own agronomy there's no need to be basis registered.
If the RT Gestapo get funny about it borrow someones number and just say you seek advice from them if needed.
Last edited:
- Location
- Lincolnshire
RT wanted to see a BASIS number here. I used to be a member of NIAB TAG ( for combinables) and with hindsight it was the best way. I knew what to expect weed wise with the beet, ordered the chemicals in one batch at drilling and kept on top of it using the BBRO guidelines. They had a regional agronomist who you could consult if needed and I used his number for RT. If the wind dropped I pounced. I’m not saying my agronomist is bad, he isn’t, he does a good job by and large, but turning up the day after a spray opportunity and ordering another small batch of spray will never be as good IMO. Once those cranesbill get 2 true leaves it’s game over and they move incredibly fast at this time of year.
I probably am worrying too much. Just had 6mm in 10 minutes with large hail so probably doing nothing has been the best option.
Haven’t sprayed beet post emergence yet. With the forecast not likely to either for a few days. Anybody done a “fire brigade” spray before? Did you do 2 sprays close together? Any advice welcome, apart from should have sprayed them already. They did have 1l/ha Ethofumesate & 2l/ha Metamitron preem.