Written by John Swire
Following the success of the first open day last year, Hutchinsons’ Brassica Demonstration Site day will be held at Bayholme Farm Old Leake, Boston, on July 11 in conjunction with the Allium & Brassica Centre, by kind permission of F Daubney & Sons.
Visitors will have the opportunity to view how new near-market brassica-related herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides are performing and compare them with current commercial practice, explains Hutchinsons vegetable technical support Peter Waldock.
“For example, many of the new fungicides coming on the market are predominantly protectant rather than having a knock-down effect, so applications have to be better targeted to optimise efficacy,” he says.
“There will also be plots looking at biostimulants, crop elicitors and foliar nutrition products.”
“Our trials explore maximising efficacy in kale and Brussels sprouts , and the knowledge gained can then be related to all brassica crops.”
In addition, work on better understanding of soil management will be highlighted, and the Healthy Soils team will be present to discuss how to get the most from soil. This will be accompanied by demonstrations of strip tilling and Omnia Precision Agronomy, providing an exciting insight into the ways farm yields can be improved through agronomy.
Also on display at the Old Leake site will be Hutchinsons TerraMap the first high definition soil scanning system in the UK, setting new standards for accuracy in understanding soils.
TerraMap produces the world’s highest resolution mapping layers at over 800 data points per hectare. This is achieved by using passive, gamma-ray detection technology providing high-definition mapping of all common nutrient properties, pH, soil texture, organic matter and CEC as well as elevation and plant available water. It measures naturally emitted isotopes, like Caesium and Potassium, that are very stable due to their long half-lives.
The significance of this methodology is that it is not affected by soil moisture, compaction, crop cover or cultivation state. This means that there are very few limitations to when TerraMap can be used – offering a much wider operating window compared to other soil scanning systems and the consistency and reliability of the results from TerraMap are proven across many years and hectares.
“By understanding what is happening in the soil to a much greater degree of accuracy, it’s possible to look at how the soils can be better managed for more sustainable crop production,” says Oliver Wood, of Hutchinsons.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to discuss their needs with the Hutchinsons team and also the leading manufacturers involved in the vegetable sector, including Bayer, BASF, Syngenta, Certis, Corteva, Adama, Belchim and FMC.
“We look forward look forward to seeing you on the July 11 and ask that you complete the reservation information.”
The Hutchinsons’ Demonstration Site Day will be open from 12.00 to 16.00hrs and catering will also be provided. For more information and to reserve your place please email [email protected]
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