TILLAGE EVENTS GEAR UP

THE LATEST cultivation equipment and drills will all be action at the 2008 Tillage events – one of which is coming to the Borders of Scotland.

MID-CANOPY BLIGHT DEMANDS NEW STRATEGY

THOSE WHO rely on protectant fungicide activity alone for mid-canopy blight sprays, could find more aggressive strains of potato blight catch them out this season, warns Masstock’s technical support manager, Malcolm Smith.

RUST CONTROL SHOULD START WITH THE SEED

NOW IS the time to consider options for next year, with regard to seed treatment selection, given the amount of rust susceptible varieties which still appear to be in favour, says Grainfarmers’ arable technical manager, Lee Bennett.

STRAIGHT FROM GROUND TO BASKET

NEW TATTIES from local producers headed into their local Tesco stores recently, spearheading a three-week celebration of local produce.

INDICATOR FARMS SHOW VI BENEFITS

Farming techniques, promoted as part of the Voluntary Initiative (VI) can improve habitats and so enhance biodiversity, according to the final report from the VI Indicator Farms Project for the Crop Protection Association (CPA). The report Delivering Environmental Benefits', published by the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), shows how adopting VI has helped a sample of nine farmers improve practices and adopt new measures aimed at enhancing farmland biodiversity. See May 24 issue for the full story.

COOLEST SPRING FOR 25 YEARS HITS CROPS

According to Dr Keith Dawson, the SAC's arable specialist, the day degree clock is ticking very slowly in what is proving to be the wettest, coolest spring for 25 years. "Spring sowing is very late and, based on SAC's records, we haven't drilled spring barley as late as this year since 1983. But, to give us some comfort, it's the same in Ireland and even as far away as the Ukraine, so it's a minor consolation that there are others in the same boat!" he says. The nett result is that Scottish crops are way behind normal. Dr Dawson adds that he would expect spring barley to be at 4-5 leaves at this time of year rather than just emerging and that winter wheat should have achieved a lot more tillers. See May 24 issue for the full story.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCOTTISH GROWERS - BUT NOT WITHOUT RISK

Boosted by the weakness of the pound sterling against the euro, Scotland’s multi-million pound seed potato industry is now confident of grabbing a bigger share of the market throughout Europe and even further afield.

	NEW SPRING BARLEY VARIETY SOWN IN BERWICKSHIRE
	Tractor driver Stephen Ingram sows new spring barleyvariety Publican into perfect conditions at the end of March for G Gray and Son, Middle Ord Farm, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland. The crop is being grown on contract for Simpsons Malt through MSP at Berwick.

	NEW FERTILISER BOOSTS PACKING POTATO YIELDS AND FINISH
	Trials over the last five years have confirmed that FTC-1 – a methanoic zinc amonionate-based fertiliser applied at planting – consistently boosts rooting by around 20%.

	CURRENCY AUGERS WELL FOR EURO SFP
	Another week and, as we enter April, it still remains cold and wet, with soil temperatures too low to sow spring barley or plant potatoes.

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