Winter cover crops on heavy land... what a disaster

[Bogweevil]

Yes. As there was no evidence that the banned actives at field scale and dosage cause harm to bees. Ukraine still uses neonic seed dressings yet is the biggest producer of honey in Europe.

Not quite right:

Combined pesticide exposure severely affects individual- and colony-level traits in bees​

• Richard J. Gill,
• Oscar Ramos-Rodriguez &
• Nigel E. Raine

Nature volume 491, pages105–108 (2012)

Abstract​

Reported widespread declines of wild and managed insect pollinators have serious consequences for global ecosystem services and agricultural production1,2,3. Bees contribute approximately 80% of insect pollination, so it is important to understand and mitigate the causes of current declines in bee populations 4,5,6. Recent studies have implicated the role of pesticides in these declines, as exposure to these chemicals has been associated with changes in bee behaviour7,8,9,10,11 and reductions in colony queen production12. However, the key link between changes in individual behaviour and the consequent impact at the colony level has not been shown. Social bee colonies depend on the collective performance of many individual workers. Thus, although field-level pesticide concentrations can have subtle or sublethal effects at the individual level8, it is not known whether bee societies can buffer such effects or whether it results in a severe cumulative effect at the colony level. Furthermore, widespread agricultural intensification means that bees are exposed to numerous pesticides when foraging13,14,15, yet the possible combinatorial effects of pesticide exposure have rarely been investigated16,17. Here we show that chronic exposure of bumblebees to two pesticides (neonicotinoid and pyrethroid) at concentrations that could approximate field-level exposure impairs natural foraging behaviour and increases worker mortality leading to significant reductions in brood development and colony success. We found that worker foraging performance, particularly pollen collecting efficiency, was significantly reduced with observed knock-on effects for forager recruitment, worker losses and overall worker productivity. Moreover, we provide evidence that combinatorial exposure to pesticides increases the propensity of colonies to fail.

More here: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CDP-2024-0047/CDP-2024-0047.pdf

 

[DrWazzock]

Ukraine may have lots of honey, but the overall decline in insects is well documented.

In a German nature reserve, over 20 years, insect biomass declined by 78%. Of course that may be nothing to do with neonicotinoids or even farming at all. But it does make you wonder how flea beetle and other agricultural pests are bucking the trend.

Sorry it’s off thread but when we couldn’t use beet neonic seed coating we sprayed with neonics twice as permitted. Seemed like madness to be spreading the stuff Willy nilly through the air onto everything under the sprayer when the seed coating only targeted the insect sucking the plant.
There are many reasons for bee colony collapse not least insecticides used to kill nests in domestic properties. Other bees from surrounding areas come to scavenge the nest and take the poison to nests for miles around wiping them out as well but nobody comments on this.

 

[DrWazzock]

Neonicotinoids in bees: a review on concentrations, side-effects and risk assessment

Neonicotinoid insecticides are successfully applied to control pests in a variety of agricultural crops; however, they may not only affect pest insects but also non-target organisms such as pollinators. This review summarizes, for the first time, 15 years ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

No effects found at field scale dosage.

 

[DrWazzock]

But still used as flea treatment on cats and dogs.

 

[Wigeon]

Wrong on all counts

If you don't want it to work, it won't.

Ah, the old Regen mantra of wanting it to work...


Someone said on here that cover crops had really helped in their potato rotation.

With the greatest of respect, and in the knowledge that we can only farm the soils in front of us, whilst that is excellent to hear, it is about as relevant to my situation as saying they really help with growing kiwi fruit.

 

[willyorkshire]

Stranger things have happened.

My Mrs on a high veg inc lentils etc diet currently. I can assure there’s increased ghg emissions!

 

[Hindsight]

Ah, the old Regen mantra of wanting it to work...


Someone said on here that cover crops had really helped in their potato rotation.

With the greatest of respect, and in the knowledge that we can only farm the soils in front of us, whilst that is excellent to hear, it is about as relevant to my situation as saying they really help with growing kiwi fruit.

When I hear 'in a potato rotation' I am afraid my prejudice arises when same land is termed 'heavy'.

 

[Foxcover]

My Mrs on a high veg inc lentils etc diet currently. I can assure there’s increased ghg emissions!

My commiserations!

 

[Will7]

I am on heavy land, up to 65% clay, and this picture shows what a cover crop can do. This is where the drainage water from 2 separate fields converge. Both fields were treated the same, pig tailed followed by a ld subsoiler and then rolled. The field to the left had no cover crop, the field from above had 50kg/ha of spring oats broadcast on with the subsoiler on 22 Sept 2020. The photo was taken on the 16th of January 2021. I don't have any yield data but the beans performed as well in each block drilled with a seedhawk, but the bare land did establish quicker but had more weeds

 

[Timbo1080]

When I hear 'in a potato rotation' I am afraid my prejudice arises when same land is termed 'heavy'.

Likewise Sugar Beet or Maize. (I already wish I hadn't responded)

 

[Fubar]

Remember the first year I grew oats and vetch as a cheap and cheerful cover crop. Grew like stink. I sprayed a small area off in late Jan to tip muck on. The rest of the field was left until late March. I looked at the biomass and thought it would be doing the soil structure the world of good and it would cultivate a treat. But it ploughed over so wet and when we tried to work it down 3 weeks later you could still see the line where I had sprayed early.
Yes cover crops may have some benefits but they also present problems. I always feel they are providing ideal breeding ground for slugs and aphids.

 

[Cowlife]

I'm not an arable farmer. We farm high land in a wet area in n ireland.
Brochures from English seed companies regularly drop in advertising the latest herbal let's etc.
From my own experience at home and time in nz and oz nearly anything other than grass is best suited to arid conditions where grass struggles .
If we get a dry month clover magically appears and in a wet year is insignificant.
I've never seen any of them do better than grass in irish conditions.
But I whole heartily agree with chasing whatever carrot the gov dangle.

 

[Pilatus]

I get the impression that too many of those that write articles about the virtues of cover crops, in the farming press ,are crop
cosultants and the like, and not actually farming themselves , so their bank accounts aren’t effected whether cover crops work or not.
Can’t really see what the difference is between letting volunteer cereals grow , compared to the labour, diesel, machinery cost , cover crop seed cost of establishing a cover crop to overwinter.