October 2023 Newsletter

Happy Halloween from Bartholomews! See below some amazing pumpkins grown with our own seeds, captured by @berkshirefarmgirl who did her Harper Adams placement with us last year!

Grain

Despite the lack of any real price direction, grain markets are busy now executing the traditionally busy autumn program, and the pace of movement has picked up noticeably in recent weeks. Obviously, we have a more modest crop than last year with lower kilo weights, but it mostly still does the job. This exceptionally wet spell of weather will have put paid to any more fieldwork for the time being. If there’s one thing the 23 harvest demonstrated it’s the value of early/timely drilling wherever possible, the contract between early and late sown crops has surely never been so marked in yield as well as quality. As always we have to work with the weather but getting any remaining crops in as soon as it dries up will be a priority, if that doesn’t work out there are excellent spring cropping options around these days so speak to your farm trader if that’s a direction you want to consider.

Richard Wright

Grain Manager

Crop Protection

Today, we can see spot gas @ 80% higher than the levels in June. It is forecast to be even higher for the winter months through to the end of Q1 2024. These higher costs will make some European nitrogen producers to reduce or stop production. Many European countries are already stating low AN stocks and without a reduction in gas/ammonia prices its likely supplies of N & NS grades will continue to be in short supply. Currently, in the UK our NS prices are well below replacement values, so purchasing will save the increased costs going forward.

 Simon Joyce

Fertiliser Trader

Agronomy

As October draws to a close the Autumn drilling campaign is largely finished. Earlier drilled crops have established well on favorable land. However, on lighter sandier soils crops are starting to show signs of yellowing, upon closer inspection the crop has not put down the root mass one would expect and appears to be scavenging nutrients from the top soil profile. If possible, in these situations an application of Polysulphate as soon as possible will promote root growth. Making these crops more tolerant should we get a dry spring.

The recent heavy rain is a concern. There are some crops that have not emerged now sit under a considerable amount of water, and the forecast is for more heavy showers. Once the water recedes these will need a thorough inspection to assess the viability going forward.

Temperatures are still high so aphid monitoring should continue and once the T-sum threshold has been met consider a top-up.

Residual herbicides will have largely run their course, so when able to travel a top-up of these should be made in bad grass weed situations.

Oilseed rape crops are still looking well, and we start to turn our attention to propyzamide applications for black grass.

Please remember the stewardship behind this active to ensure it remains approved for use. Consider the following before application:

·         Grow oilseed rape on low-risk fields.

·         The field slope is less than 5% (1m fall in 20m)

·         Not bordered by watercourses

·         No field drains

·         Field has not been deep subsoiled or mole drained with the preceding 6 months

·         Use a 6m buffer zone

·         Propyzamide efficacy is best in cold moist soils

·         Apply from 3 leaf of crop (1st October up to before 1st February)

·         Soil temperature at 30cm, max 10°C and declining

·         Use the correct dose rate (only use the max dose rate of 840gai/ha for severe blackgrass situations

·         Only use on products containing propyzamide per crop year 

Mark Franklin

Agronomist