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Helping Cereal Growers Meet Evolving Challenges: SAC/HGCA Winter Workshops

Climate change, volatile markets and the threats posed by established and emerging diseases – just some of the evolving challenges facing Scottish cereal growers at the start of 2011.

To help equip growers with the knowledge needed to respond to such challenges, SAC will deliver the latest findings from its HGCA and Scottish Government-funded research at three SAC/HGCA Winter Workshops in January. Taking place at Carfraemill, Lauder (12 Jan), Dewars Conference Centre, Perth (13 Jan) and the Thainstone House Hotel, Inverurie (20 Jan), these free events will be of interest to growers and industry across the cereals and oilseeds sectors. They offer a packed programme covering the key issues relating to the management of combinable crops.

SAC cereal expert Dr Steve Hoad will explain how both established cereal varieties and new additions to the HGCA’s and SAC’s Recommended Lists can play their part in helping growers respond to the big issues affecting the industry. He will look in particular at the merits of the new spring barley varieties ‘Shuffle’ and ‘Moonshine’ and several new wheat and winter barley varieties - how do they compare with the current favoured varieties?

Dr Hoad said: “A key development this year will be the rise in demand for ‘Concerto’ and the continued use of ‘Optic’ and I will be looking at the benefits of both, as well as explaining the benefits that might be gained from considering new entries on the Recommended List.”

Another highlight of the workshop will be presentations by SAC pathologists Dr Fiona Burnett and Dr Simon Oxley. Dr Burnett will be considering disease management in winter wheat and oilseed rape. She will be presenting research data on the new group of fungicides – SDHIs – which have just been approved for use. The data shows how the new product’s performance compares to that of established fungicides.

Dr Burnett will also be discussing the findings of the latest research into some of the main diseases affecting crops in Scotland, including clubroot and septoria. 

Dr Oxley will be presenting the latest on barley disease management and how the industry must respond to emerging diseases that are beginning to take hold in Scotland.

Also on the programme are Ken Davies and SAC’s Mark Ballingall, who will discuss options for weed management in arable rotations. SAC’s Julian Bell will give a market outlook and there will be a presentation on precision farming by Ian Beecher Jones.

Guests will also have the opportunity to hear more about HGCA’s new Research & Development strategy, presented by HGCA’s Senior Research and KT Manager, Dr Vicky Foster.

All three events are supported by the Scottish Government.

For more information and to book online visit www.hgca.com/events or call 024 7647 8724.

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