Agronomy

The last three maize seasons have had the same result – a mixed bag of performance depending on region, drilling date and harvest timings. However, in 2020, growers had a new challenge to contend with.

The removal of the seed treatment Mesurol left a hole in the crop protection armoury, resulting in crops being at greater risk from bird damage, which in previous years would not be high on the list of issues for most growers.

The evidence that most grassland soils require the application of sulphur from fertilisers to maximise grass silage and grazing yields still mounts.  Most farmers now appreciate that all light and medium soils, and even now some heavier loam soils, don’t release enough sulphur from organic matter to allow grass growth and quality to meet potential.  They also realise that there is not enough available sulphur in slurries and manures to meet demand.

Studying your silage clamp and looking at key indicators can benefit the quality of your silage at feed-out. This short video from Ecosyl highlights some of the top tips for assessing your clamp to help maximise the nutritional value of your silage.

The best electric fence is the one that is suited to your requirements. Our table outlines the 3 main types of electric fence structures as a starting point to help you identify which fence type best suits your needs.

Great Hares Head dairy farm is run by Alistair, William and Hannah Lawrence, who grew hybrid rye for the first time in 2020 to feed solely as part of the dry cow diet, and saw great results in the clamp.

New season AN prices were launched in the UK at the end of May. Prices are approximately £50/t cheaper than last year's launch and nearly £40/t cheaper than the levels they were trading at recently.

With the delays that have been experienced getting on to the land this spring don’t forget to ensure the nutrient requirement of your soil and plants is calculated in the dash to get crops planted or animals turned out.

Treating maize crops with a combined fertiliser and fungicide treatment at tasselling stage has been proven to pay dividends.

As another weather front blows in across the whole of the UK and with cropping still unsure in a lot of areas, the thought of fertiliser applications may be at the back of grower’s mind.