Leather jackets

[YELROM]

Is there anyway of controlling leather jackets other than cultivation
We have a field of spring barley that has been destroyed by them. The only place there is a crop is where we did some drainage in winter and we power harrowed over the repaired drains and any dumper wheelings and the crop is fine to the line of the power harrowing,even a loop we followed where some one had been in the field with a vehicle has come to the line

 

[Still Farming]

I know the horticultural crowd use nematodes in lawns etc to kill them.

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[YELROM]

I know the horticultural crowd use nematodes in lawns etc to kill them.

BULK PACK of Leatherjacket Nematodes 500 sqm - Green Gardener

Special Offer BULK PACKS - Do you have a bigger Lawn? These bulk packs allow you to order 500 sqm packs at a time and SAVE MONEY. Control leatherjackets naturally by treating with Leatherjacket Nematodes containing millions of natural Steinernema Feltiae nematodes - mix with water and apply to...

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I think its a bit late for it but in 500 sqm pack i would need 304 or £22,797
The spray rep says there is nothing to control the since the ban of Dursban

 

[YELROM]

Are leather jackets more of a problem in spring,never had them right a crop of like this

 

[Still Farming]

Old boys use to roll them at night apparently too?

 

[YELROM]

Do they come out at night?
Just re drilled it after lightly power harrowed it and then flat rolled it, never thought about rolling it at night

 

[Still Farming]

 

[fermerboy]

We had the same problem last year, we are grass farmers with grain in rotation, so leatherjackets are a big problem for us.

Our problem was basically hard dry clay ground at sowing time of spring barley.
We drill with a power harrow combi and it was leaving a bed of small inch sized clods. The roller didnt break them either as they were so hard and dry. Leatherjacket city!!

Heavy roller at night was my agronomists recomendation.

Ended up resowing the worst of it.

This year the lad on the drill had it on full wick with the clod bar down low on the hard bits harrowed it to mush, beautiful surface. No space for leatherjackets to move in, but its rained non stop for near a month now and its all looking very solid and plants are struggling to get up.

 

[Warnesworth]

Is there anyway of controlling leather jackets other than cultivation
We have a field of spring barley that has been destroyed by them. The only place there is a crop is where we did some drainage in winter and we power harrowed over the repaired drains and any dumper wheelings and the crop is fine to the line of the power harrowing,even a loop we followed where some one had been in the field with a vehicle has come to the line

What was in the field last yr and over winter? The adults only lay in tussocky grass in the autumn I am told. But I have spring barley also suffering that was in a cover crop last autumn...

 

[fermerboy]

We have had leatherjacket damage in 3rd year spring barley, so it quite possible for them to overwinter in stubbles.
Usually it's first year barley after ploughing out a 5-6yr grass ley, that's the problem but since the demise of Dursban we are getting problems in 2nd and occasionally 3rd year spring barley.
It just depends on the season, moisture, temperature, and how well the ground is made.

 

[YELROM]

What was in the field last yr and over winter? The adults only lay in tussocky grass in the autumn I am told. But I have spring barley also suffering that was in a cover crop last autumn...

It was in a 5 year grass lay then sown with winter wheat with Austral plus dressing last year, it was just wheat stubble over winter as was intending to sow winter barley but never did due to the weather

 

[Spencer]

Quite a problem here this year. Lost a good few acres and thinning a good bit more.
All Mzuri drilled so the little beggars are moving down the row. All in spring cropping ground that hasn’t had grass for years.
I’m sure there was a product @Breakthru mentioned but can’t seem to find a supplier of it. As if the population I’m seeing now breeds they’ll be quite a problem next year.
Not sure rolling will help as rolls ride on the strip drill ridges..

 

[YELROM]

Not sure rolling will help as rolls ride on the strip drill ridges..

This is part of the problem we have as it was drilled with Moore unidrill and the rollers just ride on the solid ground either side of the drilled slot

 

[Spencer]

They're hardy things, i'm not sure a roll would do much at them in all honesty, if it did enough to squash them it would probably compact the ground something chronic..

 

[Breakthru]

I sell a product called Greenland. You can only get it from us. Refer to previous posts. Works on LJ's, Wireworm, Slugs and Nematodes. Is a mixture of a particular type of Garlic and Salacilic acid (Aspirin).
It is a "crop tonic"! I use it at 1.0ltr/ha (5ltr @ £100). To reduce the problems of hard water I also supply Reactor water conditioner along with it plus instructions for use. This has worked from Orkney to Wales without any problem.
One thing it doesn't control is Cutworm larvae but there is at least one other method of shifting them.

 

[YELROM]

@Breakthru does this crop tonic deter the LJ from the plants or does it kill the LJ's and is one dose all that's needed or is it something that you repeat till the crop is away.
Do you have a web site or a bit more info

 

[Breakthru]

@Breakthru does this crop tonic deter the LJ from the plants or does it kill the LJ's and is one dose all that's needed or is it something that you repeat till the crop is away.
Do you have a web site or a bit more info

Nails them. PM me if you want some. Timing is usually when they come to the surface and start grazing that's because prior to the demise of Dursban we only used it after Organic grass so are a bit doubtful about it's penetrative effect and or it's persistence but so far every one on here that has used it against LJ's has been successful at the timing when they near the surface. Posters on here are definitely at that stage. Only warning is don't spill it in your truck or sprayer cab.
Contractor in Orkney used it and after two days of spraying other chems the machine still stank of Garlic. When he opened the lid didn't think it was that bad.

 

[Breakthru]

@Breakthru does this crop tonic deter the LJ from the plants or does it kill the LJ's and is one dose all that's needed or is it something that you repeat till the crop is away.
Do you have a web site or a bit more info

If you give me the heads up quick enough it is usually next day delivery weekdays mainland UK. I use Parcel2Go so tell me who is the most regular parcel deliverer in your area.

 

[martian]

I was dreading leatherjackets whacking our wheat behind a four year ley last backend, as there were so many crane flies, or daddy-long-legs, about. But then there were lots of birds getting fat on the flies and then, all winter and spring there were birds grubbing about on the wheat. Starlings, jackdaws, fieldfares, redwings, rooks and pigeons. These last ones were eating the leaves off the clover that had survived, but the rest were presumably feasting on wriggly things and adding a bit of phosphate fertiliser in payment. Wheat looks fantastic.

 

[Breakthru]

I was dreading leatherjackets whacking our wheat behind a four year ley last backend, as there were so many crane flies, or daddy-long-legs, about. But then there were lots of birds getting fat on the flies and then, all winter and spring there were birds grubbing about on the wheat. Starlings, jackdaws, fieldfares, redwings, rooks and pigeons. These last ones were eating the leaves off the clover that had survived, but the rest were presumably feasting on wriggly things and adding a bit of phosphate fertiliser in payment. Wheat looks fantastic.

Agree the epidemics we used to have disappeared with the demise of Dursban. Terrible product killed everything good and bad. Seem to be a few isolated areas now . Greenland does them though so there is a fall back.