Spraying W Wheat

[richard hammond]

Wonder how much chemicals will be sold this year with corn prices the way they are looking ???

Sales will not alter much until each farmer starts thinking for himself without listening to other peoples opinions because that is all it
is in many cases, it is what they have read, what they have been told , or what there neighbours are doing!!
Mostly it all will not leave a margin! I was speaking to a client today who said how many more studies do I need to read about
No-till, and who do I believe?? No-till is not new its just a new fashion.(I will agree I am off subject but they all flow into one"farming")
Richard.H.

 

[CORK]

Sick as a dog with sinus here lads. I'll reply when I'm in the form tomorrow!!

I might have got Septoria spores up my nose with all this horrid horrid wet mild weather.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Sales will not alter much until each farmer starts thinking for himself without listening to other peoples opinions because that is all it
is in many cases, it is what they have read, what they have been told , or what there neighbours are doing!!
Mostly it all will not leave a margin! I was speaking to a client today who said how many more studies do I need to read about
No-till, and who do I believe?? No-till is not new its just a new fashion.(I will agree I am off subject but they all flow into one"farming")
Richard.H.

To be honest you should only no till if your convinced you can make it work. I would not recommend it for sceptics as the learning curve is steep. It is very simple though once youve figured out "the rules" as it were

 

[franklin]

Organic may be the way we have to go:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35111241

 

[Clive]

Organic may be the way we have to go:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35111241

we would all be growing much worse crops but we might all be better off in a desperately undersupplied market maybe ?

there is a lot of pride in growing acres of clean and big yielding crops that most farmers enjoy but is there much point if we are not making money doing so ? It's why GM concerns me - I simply cant see it making us better off, just prouder of even bigger yields and cleaner crops .................for sale at even lower prices !

 

[texelburger]

Our early sown wheat which was planted end of Sept/early Oct has had deter plus two insecticides based on the number of aphids being monitored in the area.I have seen the devastation BYDV can cause on neighbouring farms and once,on one of our fields in 2012 that ,for the cost of a insecticide,it's a no brainer.
This is one of the mildest Autumn/Winters on record and for the relatively low cost of an aphicide people would be foolhardy not to spray imo.Maybe some areas of the country are at more risk than others.I fear there could be a few shocks next spring /early summer,i sincerely hope not ,though.

 

[richard hammond]

Our early sown wheat which was planted end of Sept/early Oct has had deter plus two insecticides based on the number of aphids being monitored in the area.I have seen the devastation BYDV can cause on neighbouring farms and once,on one of our fields in 2012 that ,for the cost of a insecticide,it's a no brainer.
This is one of the mildest Autumn/Winters on record and for the relatively low cost of an aphicide people would be foolhardy not to spray imo.Maybe some areas of the country are at more risk than others.I fear there could be a few shocks next spring /early summer,i sincerely hope not ,though.

please assess the risk, I have a farmer who told me he would not spray for aphids when I worked for a commercial service company over 28years ago
in Lincolnshire (Spilsby area) and he has never suffered from any yield loss from BYDV , just the weather!!

 

[Brisel]

Sales will not alter much until each farmer starts thinking for himself without listening to other peoples opinions because that is all it
is in many cases, it is what they have read, what they have been told , or what there neighbours are doing!!
Mostly it all will not leave a margin! I was speaking to a client today who said how many more studies do I need to read about
No-till, and who do I believe?? No-till is not new its just a new fashion.(I will agree I am off subject but they all flow into one"farming")
Richard.H.

How many pyrethroid sprays have you recommended this autumn? What about Deter seed dressing?

This a forum, so opinions rule ok. I rely on the experiences of others as well as multiply replicated multi annual independent trials data. I take your point - everything is to be questioned, even if the risk assessment says I had better spray. My aphid pressure wasn't as high as @texelburger 's but I'll bet it is higher than that in Lincolnshire.

 

[richard hammond]

How many pyrethroid sprays have you recommended this autumn? What about Deter seed dressing?

This a forum, so opinions rule ok. I rely on the experiences of others as well as multiply replicated multi annual independent trials data. I take your point - everything is to be questioned, even if the risk assessment says I had better spray. My aphid pressure wasn't as high as @texelburger 's but I'll bet it is higher than that in Lincolnshire.

I do agree your risk is worse than here in Lincs but every body here on this forum seems to forget this is a small land base but with huge differences
with regards to agronomic requirements.Some people are also so blinded with what they are told is fact not what might be!!!
I will always say if your happy do it "but dont moan when you do not make a MARGIN !!
Brisel, please watch this forum for very clever people until it comes to harvest!!!!!!

 

[Brisel]

Ok. What would your sprays budget be for a maximum margin Skyfall wheat crop on 9 t/ha land in the Midlands? Would you go without a T0 & T3?

 

[richard hammond]

Ok. What would your sprays budget be for a maximum margin Skyfall wheat crop on 9 t/ha land in the Midlands? Would you go without a T0 & T3?

Why would I even try to answer that question on the 16.12.15 of the growing season of your crop when we are no where near to treatment!
what weather, what potential, etc, yes I will give my clients budget figures but I will also update as the season progresses, I know what I have
spent todate and it is cheap for what we have achieved !

 

[franklin]

Would you go without a T0 & T3?

No! Would be madness.

 

[texelburger]

I do agree your risk is worse than here in Lincs but every body here on this forum seems to forget this is a small land base but with huge differences
with regards to agronomic requirements.Some people are also so blinded with what they are told is fact not what might be!!!
I will always say if your happy do it "but dont moan when you do not make a MARGIN !!
Brisel, please watch this forum for very clever people until it comes to harvest!!!!!!

We didnt spray "ad hoc" ,it was based on information from a local Adas monitoring farm which reported that aphids were still flying and being seen on crops,albeit not in large numbers,but enough to cause potential damage.The cost of the spray against possible losses makes it a no brainer.We use a independant agronomist .

 

[Clive]

We didnt spray "ad hoc" ,it was based on information from a local Adas monitoring farm which reported that aphids were still flying and being seen on crops,albeit not in large numbers,but enough to cause potential damage.The cost of the spray against possible losses makes it a no brainer.We use a independant agronomist .

as long as you are making a margin at current prices then no problem ? are you though ? many say they are not

the bit I have highlighted in bold sums up exactly how we are sold to - its fear marketing, fear of loss or what "could" happen, insurance against every eventuality, great............if you can afford it. We all fall for it, myself included, some scary pictures are painted and we really cant afford to loose can we when things are so tight

also consider the cost, using routine insecticides WILL kill things that kill slugs so where does the cost start and end ? using a "cheap" insecticide will lead to using not so cheap multiple applications of molusicides and then probably more insecticide applications........and then deter as the the problem gets worse and worse then you get resistance and nothing works, you still have a problem and your drug dealers shrug there shoulders and suggest maybe GM is the answer instead - you are on the hamster wheel and terrified of getting off it like most lemmings on this thread and sadly most farmers

I wonder how my poor grandfather ever managed to grow a bloody crop !! - he must have been a genius to survive without all this stuff ! he also made more money form growing crops in relative terms than most of my generation could ever dream of ..........where did it all go so wrong when we were told how much better off the products we splash about today would make us

 

[texelburger]

as long as you are making a margin at current prices then no problem ? are you though ? many say they are not

the bit I have highlighted in bold sums up exactly how we are sold to - its fear marketing, fear of loss or what "could" happen, insurance against every eventuality, great............if you can afford it. We all fall for it, myself included, some scary pictures are painted and we really cant afford to loose can we when things are so tight

also consider the cost, using routine insecticides WILL kill things that kill slugs so where does the cost start and end ? using a "cheap" insecticide will lead to using not so cheap multiple applications of molusicides and then probably more insecticide applications........and then deter as the the problem gets worse and worse then you get resistance and nothing works, you still have a problem and your drug dealers shrug there shoulders and suggest maybe GM is the answer instead - you are on the hamster wheel and terrified of getting off it like most lemmings on this thread and sadly most farmers

I wonder how my poor grandfather ever managed to grow a bloody crop !! - he must have been a genius to survive without all this stuff ! he also made more money form growing crops in relative terms than most of my generation could ever dream of ..........where did it all go so wrong when we were told how much better off the products we splash about today would make us

My father says the says the same "i never sprayed that much"he often quotes,but times have changed,theWorld is warming and aphid numbers are higher than decades ago.We all drill a little earlier than our forefathers.Some years we don't spray,it all depends on aphid numbers ,but this year has been an exception that aphids were still migrating so late in the Autumn,but ,i get your point re hamster wheel and when will it ever stop ,its mind boggling at times.
Do we make a margin ? Well at the moment yes,we are fortunate to have access to copious amounts of FYM and Chicken litter which is applied to the ground every 3rd year prior to Wheat ,so OM is high.Also the ground has sheep on stubble turnips every 3rd year too,and have done so for 30 odd years,the "golden hoof" can do wonders to the soil.We are in a mixed farming area of "old fashioned" rotations which all contribute to yield ,as long as we can keep our nemiesis for our area Septoria under control.
I do very much agree with the sentiments of your post,i just don't know the long term solution,time will tell.
May i add that our farming is not on the scale to yours,as regards the arable,so i appreciate it's not always practical to get the volume of manure or sheep for your larger operation.

 

[franklin]

where did it all go so wrong when we were told how much better off the products we splash about today would make us

At some point we traded income generation for capital growth / stability. Whereas Mr Public Sector watched as they got above inflation pay rises with no productivity growth, then used that money to buy their houses. I suspect my grandfather would have been busy knocking down houses to fit on another cow.

 

[shakerator]

All commodities are in the doldrums not just ag. FWIW I still think wheat will hit £200/t by end 2018

 

[4course]

All commodities are in the doldrums not just ag. FWIW I still think wheat will hit £200/t by end 2018

on what basis do you think this likely

 

[shakerator]

on what basis do you think this likely

General commodities cycling, eventual inflation catching up with money printing, I didn't say it would be more profitable though!

 

[Clive]

All commodities are in the doldrums not just ag. FWIW I still think wheat will hit £200/t by end 2018

i wouldn't disagree with that at all

the job is a gamble, as long as you can afford to do so I wouldn't leave the table !