You are in > Home > News & Events > News > Growers welcome encouraging messages at SAC/HGCA Winter Workshops

Growers welcome encouraging messages at SAC/HGCA Winter Workshops

Barley spikes (opens in new window)

SAC and HGCA presented an optimistic picture for cereal growers at the first two Winter Workshops of 2011, held in Carfraemill and Perth.

More than 60 arable sector guests at each workshop welcomed the news from SAC’s agricultural economist Julian Bell that with increasing demand for crops such as spring barley and more encouraging prices for growers, there is a positive outlook for the cereals market for the next five to 10 years. Meanwhile, SAC cereals expert Dr Steve Hoad said new varieties of spring barley are offering improvements in grain quality and processing which benefit the whole supply chain.

Dr Hoad said: “The overall picture is encouraging but we would stress that the need remains for growers to optimise agronomy to make the most of yield potential and quality improvements.”

SAC pathologists Dr Simon Oxley and Dr Fiona Burnett spoke of some of the newest defences against the diseases challenging plant breeders and growers. Their message was that although new varieties of spring barley, winter wheat and oilseed rape offer improvements in disease resistance, new fungicides remain key to achieving good yields and profitability on farm.

Wary of future restrictions in pesticide use, Dr Oxley drew attention to the potential for new ‘elicitors’ to help plants induce their own natural defences against disease and new seed hygiene procedures, including hot water treatments.

Dr Burnett also emphasised the need to think more widely about the crop rotation in breaking the cycle of serious diseases such as clubroot in oilseed rape. “More research is needed but the economic value of break-crops to help control disease and raise yields is essential,” she said.

Experts from HGCA included Ken Davies, who emphasised the importance of crop rotation in the control of the most competitive weeds such as grasses and bromes. Mark Ballingall followed this up by highlighting the need for a more integrated approach to reduce weed resistance to herbicides. James Holmes presented the new HGCA Research Strategy.

Precision farming expert Ian Beecher-Jones was invited by HGCA to give an overview of the latest precision farming technology. Ian explained that benefits need to be considered on a farm by farm basis, with potential for significant savings from more accurate mapping of soil variation. “This could lead to savings of thousand of pounds per farm, based on improved sowing and crop spraying,” he said.

The third and final Winter Workshop takes place at the Thainstone House Hotel, Inverurie on 20th January. To book online visit www.hgca.com/events or call 024 7647 8724.

All three events have been supported by the Scottish Government.

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus