Won't be long now to the iresposible use of liquid sunshine .

[traineefarmer]

This baffles me.

We don't have a dryer, but we do have a moisture meter and never cut higher than 14%. In a bad year we get some green in the bottom of the stubble but careful adjustment, and going a bit slower puts things right. We also bale all our straw and never have an issue with fusty straw.

The only time I can ever remember desiccating was a failed spring barley crop which had weeds above the crop canopy. We sprayed it off and ran the combine through just to get the straw.

We do have plenty of patience and often have our harvest run well into september when the rest of east anglia put their combines to bed mid August and have the next crop established.

The loss of glyphosate will be a hammer blow to agriculture and unless we start to moderate our use it will be taken from us. As mentioned earlier, residues in food in the UK can really only come from pre-harvest usage and it is this that will get it banned.

It's time to ask ourselves where we need this chemical most. Pre-harvest or post-harvest?

 

[Wilberforce]

This baffles me.

We don't have a dryer, but we do have a moisture meter and never cut higher than 14%. In a bad year we get some green in the bottom of the stubble but careful adjustment, and going a bit slower puts things right. We also bale all our straw and never have an issue with fusty straw.

The only time I can ever remember desiccating was a failed spring barley crop which had weeds above the crop canopy. We sprayed it off and ran the combine through just to get the straw.

We do have plenty of patience and often have our harvest run well into september when the rest of east anglia put their combines to bed mid August and have the next crop established.

The loss of glyphosate will be a hammer blow to agriculture and unless we start to moderate our use it will be taken from us. As mentioned earlier, residues in food in the UK can really only come from pre-harvest usage and it is this that will get it banned.

It's time to ask ourselves where we need this chemical most. Pre-harvest or post-harvest?

Think geography is the answer on this one. Those who see no need and claim it's unnecessary are posting from the South East and East Anglia. Whereas most of the likes in my first post are from well North of the border.

You may claim you need this chemical post harvest, presumably to take out numerous flushes of blackgrass. Whereas in our rotation of Wheat, Stubble Turnips, Maize, pre harvest gylopshate is the only time it's used.

Much easier to show patience with harvest in Norfolk than in Aberdeenshire with rape to sow.

 

[quattro]

Try farming in Scotland without round up

 

[teslacoils]

Plenty in the east live close enough to the coast for it to seldom get the last percent out.

Before last year I would have struggled to tell you the last time most of our cereals came in under fifteen percent.

 

[Chae1]

Can this thread be split for southerners and northerners?

 

[John Slejpner]

Think geography is the answer on this one. Those who see no need and claim it's unnecessary are posting from the South East and East Anglia. Whereas most of the likes in my first post are from well North of the border.

You may claim you need this chemical post harvest, presumably to take out numerous flushes of blackgrass. Whereas in our rotation of Wheat, Stubble Turnips, Maize, pre harvest gylopshate is the only time it's used.

Much easier to show patience with harvest in Norfolk than in Aberdeenshire with rape to sow.

I think the answer is that if there is pre-harvest glyphosate on it, grain should not be going for human consumption.
Why human consumption mills, and especially the likes of Weetabix, have not already made this a part of their supply contract mystifies me.

 

[traineefarmer]

Maybe it should lose its FA status?

 

[legin]

We farm in Shropshire, never use glyphosate on Barley or wheat only osr and thinking is that necessary. We all need to be showing more responsibility if we are going to keep some chemicals.

 

[Wombat]

Plenty in the east live close enough to the coast for it to seldom get the last percent out.

Before last year I would have struggled to tell you the last time most of our cereals came in under fifteen percent.

Last year was the first year in 25yrs we haven’t had a single drying charge to pay

 

[John Slejpner]

Maybe it should lose its FA status?

I think it is easier, and a hell of a lot less contentious, if HC mills simply made "no pre-harvest dessication" part of their standard spec along with zero ergot etc etc. It would be the market responding to a credible threat to their business, and would add 0 to 2% to the cost of their raw product (i am guessing). As well as giving potential positive PR should they choose to use it.
If i was running a smaller independent such as Bowmans or Warburtons i would have done it about three years ago already.

 

[Chae1]

Will the imported wheat/barley meet same standards.

 

[John Slejpner]

Will the imported wheat/barley meet same standards.

Test it.
A little added cost?
A small price to pay so parents can rest easy watching little Tommy demolish 4 weetabix. For the second time today.

 

[Deerefarmer]

Just curious as I know very little about your climate, this probably sounds like an ignorant question, but what keeps you guys from swath drying slow drying crops to eliminate a glyphosate application?
Shouldn't we save herbicides for weed control?

 

[Brisel]

Will the imported wheat/barley meet same standards.

Of course not!

 

[tw15]

I am mainly referring to cereals and barley in particular as you are spraying on to a naked grain . We all don't want to see glyphosate go . We have to start at farm level to try to show that we are not just chucking chems about willy nilly . Otherwise we will all be organic .

 

[Happy]

Think geography is the answer on this one. Those who see no need and claim it's unnecessary are posting from the South East and East Anglia. Whereas most of the likes in my first post are from well North of the border.

You may claim you need this chemical post harvest, presumably to take out numerous flushes of blackgrass. Whereas in our rotation of Wheat, Stubble Turnips, Maize, pre harvest gylopshate is the only time it's used.

Much easier to show patience with harvest in Norfolk than in Aberdeenshire with rape to sow.

Spot on.
In the north it is only used once per year and everyone using it in these parts accept that it needs at least a fortnight if not more to get the harvest desiccant effect up here.

Rather bemusing therefore that the holier-than-thou attitude around it’s use is taken by those further south using it multiple times per year on the same piece on land creating stale seedbeds taking out repeated flushes of blackgrass etc.

 

[traineefarmer]

Just curious as I know very little about your climate, this probably sounds like an ignorant question, but what keeps you guys from swath drying slow drying crops to eliminate a glyphosate application?
Shouldn't we save herbicides for weed control?

Lots of very unpredictable rain!

I fully agree with your last statement.

 

[teslacoils]

I think it is easier, and a hell of a lot less contentious, if HC mills simply made "no pre-harvest dessication" part of their standard spec along with zero ergot etc etc. It would be the market responding to a credible threat to their business, and would add 0 to 2% to the cost of their raw product (i am guessing). As well as giving potential positive PR should they choose to use it.
If i was running a smaller independent such as Bowmans or Warburtons i would have done it about three years ago already.

They won't do this. They can't guarantee enough contracted grain will make spec so in the case where they buy freebuy grain they have little control. Same with liquid N on the ear.

It would seem a sensible step to extend the harvest interval to a) reduce residues b) let it actually work and c) make us less tempted.

Osr can (in the main) be swathed as an alternative. Although that's great u til your swaths are black and rotten with shed seed grown through . Then it's less of a good idea.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Just curious as I know very little about your climate, this probably sounds like an ignorant question, but what keeps you guys from swath drying slow drying crops to eliminate a glyphosate application?
Shouldn't we save herbicides for weed control?

would need to leave a high stubble to keep off the ground incase of a shower or 2 in the interim. heavy rain for a period of time would have it sprouting I expect
extra cost of swather and draper header maybe or because no one else does it or because its slower …??

would be a good way to get peas ive often thought.

 

[teslacoils]

Just curious as I know very little about your climate, this probably sounds like an ignorant question, but what keeps you guys from swath drying slow drying crops to eliminate a glyphosate application?
Shouldn't we save herbicides for weed control?

Humidity.

Combination of humidity and temperature make dlgrain drying to contract spec difficult.

Now, if mills offered to take in grain that didn't have roundup on at 16 percent like they used to .. .