Sencrop for Agronomy Professionals

Premium Crops - a division of Cefetra Ltd & Sencrop are once again back with another agronomy update!! 👩🌾 Saddle gall midge infestations vary across the UK. ADAS suggests that with the current weather conditions and where this pest is present, the risk of emergence is currently classified as high. 🌡️💧 Warm and damp soil conditions favour adult emergence. Emergence usually starts in late-April and lasts for 5-6 weeks. When the next spell of warmer weather arrives, we can expect a large-scale emergence to coincide with wheat crops at their most vulnerable from GS31-39. 🌾 Eggs are laid on the upper and lower surfaces of cereal and grass leaves. The new larvae move to feed on the stem underneath the leaf sheath, causing characteristic saddle-shaped galls or uneven contours that are obvious when outer leaves are unrolled. Insecticides can be used, but note there are no UK approved treatments for saddle gall midge. 🐛 However, infection may coincide with aphid infestations. Thresholds for economic control are between 4.5 and nine galls per stem. Applications at adult emergence give the best control. 🚜 The impact of feeding results in shorter stems and a reduced grain number and TGW, depending on infestation levels. Yield loss depends on the crop GS impacted, infestation numbers, and percentage of lodging due to weakened stems. Prediction of adult numbers can use soil samples, but it is more common to use observation of adult emergence, egg laying, and water traps/pheromone traps. 🔍 As always, prevention is better than treatment. Using break crops in the rotation to reduce host plants for midge survival is recommended. Early sowing of cereals where there is significant risk can reduce damage to more forward crops at the time of midge emergence. 🌱 Oats can act as a trap crop, attracting egg laying, but few larvae survive. Encouraging a healthy soil ecosystem will also help. Soil-inhabiting predators, such as carabid beetles, staphylinid beetles, and spiders, consume larvae and may provide some control. An entomopathogenic fungus, Lecanicillium spp., can affect larval viability. Some evidence of control by Parasitoids has been recorded in Germany. 🕷️🍄 https://lnkd.in/eh9Vd-VA https://lnkd.in/eYSf5Aqt

Timing of crop protection treatments is critical if they are to be safe and effective – and a new addition to the Sencrop weather app can help farmers ensure pinpoint applications. https://buff.ly/3QPR9RW Sencrop for Agronomy Professionals

With the weather delaying fungicide sprays in cereals and timings being missed, Sencrop and Premium Crops - a division of Cefetra Ltd crops can help you understand the basics of cereal diseases and the impact of missed timings. Yellow Rust Yellow Rust affects wheat, barley, and triticale. Different strains exist for each crop. Testing for strain presence is possible through the UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS). It survives on mainly on volunteers or autumn-sown crops. Optimal conditions for its development occur in cool, damp spring weather with overnight dew or rain. Yellow rust: High-risk factors ➡ Susceptible variety ➡ Eastern regions of the UK ➡ Green bridge from previous crop ➡ Later-sown wheat ➡ Cool, damp weather conditions ➡ Mild winter ➡ Humid microclimate Fungicides can provide very effective control. The use of resistant wheat varieties will help reduce disease epidemics. The AHDB recommended list (RL) lists disease resistance, but the population can change rapidly to overcome varietal resistance and always check crops for rust. https://lnkd.in/edDMnBN4 Septoria Tritici S.tritici is the UK's most damaging foliar disease on winter wheat. Higher rainfall areas are most at risk. Septoria survives dormant on crop debris, autumn sown crops and volunteers. The main method of spreading is via the wind. The disease can spread very quickly and symptoms are not apparent at infection. The optimum temperature for S. tritici is 15–20°C. Septoria tritici: high-risk factors ➡ Susceptible varieties ➡ Early drilling ➡ Wet weather, especially during May and June ➡ Windy weather, which can increase the physical spread of spores ➡ Region (dry easterly regions are at less risk) ➡ Mild winter Fungicides are key for control. Start with resistant varieties and then move onto fungicides; T1 to prevent lower leaf disease & T2 timing is l for upper leaf health and yield. Prompt treatment is vital for susceptible varieties. S.tritici quickly develops fungicide resistance, particularly to strobilurin, azoles, and SDHIs. Rhyncopsorium in Barley This disease affects barley, rye, and triticale, particularly in wet regions. It survives on debris and spreads via rain. Favourable conditions are cool and moist (optimal temperature is 18–20°C). Rhynchosporium risk factors ➡ Very early sowing ➡ Wet weather ➡ Tight rotations ➡ Infected trash, stubble, volunteers and seed ➡ Nearby infected crops ➡ Western and Northern regions ➡ Reduced tillage, where trash remains on the soil surface Use varieties with a good resistance rating and rotations, and avoid infected stubbles/volunteers. Avoid saving seeds from infected crops, early sowing and excess nitrogen. Most fungicides have good protectant activity, but few are eradicant in high-pressure seasons. An effective azole, in mixture with a strobilurin or SDHI fungicide, is a good foundation for disease management. https://lnkd.in/ewMf7Vry

The "Real" future of Farming - Whichever way we look at it, the future is not going to be the latest Ag-tech innovation, a super high-end piece of machinery or the next wonder-chemical to land on farm - The future is going to be those we nurture and grow alongside us to take the reigns once we leave our muddy boots by the farm door for the final time! Last night, both Papplewick and Southwell Young Farmers turned out in droves to attend an evening at with Alastair Baseley at Hill Farm nr Epperstone, in a cold bitter wind which was a far cry from the "summer" experienced by most over the weekend We gave them some first hand experience of "Crop walking" with Hannah Foxall looking at Spring-sown HEAR OSR, a crop requiring far fewer inputs than a traditional winter-sown variety. We followed this with looking at some of the Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming incentive options being utilised on farm - of note were an AB9: Winter Bird food crop (with CS payments of £853 per ha!) and a SAM2 Multi-species Cover crop aim at protecting the soil surface and provide root growth that benefits soil structure, supports soil biology and minimises nutrient leaching, soil erosion and runoff (with SFI payment of £129 per ha pa) We discussed the theoretical potential of "Unfarming" (thanks Jeremy) using the Chicory Root from the AB9 plot as a coffee alternative and even managed to get a handful to sample some of the raw root - it's extremely bitter but has the same aftertaste as taking a long slug of strong coffee! Then came the turn of AgTech and it's place on farm with a particular focus on, obviously, Weather technology and the myriad of ways we utilise data to improve ultra-local forecasting, ensure efficacy of chemical and biological applications on farm and generally to help us make more informed decisions Farm diversification was the final topic of conversation for the tour, with a look at the rearing sheds and a conservation talk from the Gamekeeper for the hugely successful shoot that works hand-in-hand with the farming operation Finally, we retired, in true young farmers style, for food and beer (for those that could) where the conversations carried on until the small hours.... Final Thoughts - I spend a lot of time talking - to people, to companies, to just about anyone who will listen - and not just about the weather but across a range of farming and countryside topics and, quite frankly, this group of 50-odd young farmers were the most engaged, inquisitive and down-to-earth group I've had the pleasure to talk to.... You guys ARE the real future of farming.... And you bloody ROCK!!

Is your OSR struggling with pests? 🐛 Welcome to the next agronomy update from Premium Crops and Sencrop for Agronomy Professionals. With most crops out in flower, keep an eye out for the Brassica Cabbage Seed Weevil. They are readily visible on flowering racemes on sunny days. Spray threshold is 1 weevil per 2 plants in the North of the UK or 1 per plant elsewhere. Do not combine an insecticide and fungicide as increases risk to bees. Communication between beekeepers and farmers is essential to reducing loss of bees, use beeconnected.org.uk When weevils lay eggs in the pods, they create a hole which allows the more damaging pod midge to lay eggs. Control of the pod midge is done by controlling the weevil and through managing the crop rotation. Headlands and narrow fields are more exposed. We recommended using fields that are at least 0.5km away from areas that have housed hosts in the previous couple of years. Future research 🔬 Rothamsted Research are researching the use of hi-tech optical sensors in fields to better monitor Pollen beetles in OSR crops. The new sensors recorded an increase in pollen beetles 2 days ahead of water traps and 4 days ahead of plant count. Understanding migration helps identify optimal management methods, in the case of OSR you may be able to estimate if the main migration will occur before flowering, and therefore if there is a risk of damage to the crop or not. There is known resistance of pyrethroids in pollen beetle so efficient use of insecticides is important. The sensors are so precise that researchers were able to record insects in flight and detect each insect’s wing beat frequency, which often differs from species to species. For instance, pollen beetles have a wing beat frequency of 120 Hz, so insects within the range of 100–140 Hz were considered pollen beetles. Pollen beetle density was related to the plant growth stage, with more beetles occurring on plants after the budding stage than before inflorescence development. “Our study suggests potential for precision agriculture to reduce insecticide use through targeting of pollen beetle aggregations - in other words treating only areas of the crop where pollen beetle density is high,” said Rothamsted’s Dr Sam Cook. ‘‘It is a promising tool for early warning of insect pest immigration.” The aggregation of pollen beetles usually occurs first on a downwind field edge and then expands to the centre. A network of these or similar sensors at a crop or landscape scale could serve as the basis of a pest map. “A system that links the number of sensed insects immigrating into a field, the temperature, and the crop growth stage would better predict the risk of economic damage and provide an avenue for fully automated pest monitoring." Sencrop's Spraying windows feature can guide optimal spray timing to increase efficiency.

For our English speakers 🇬🇧 🌱💰 What are the tangible benefits of connected weather for farmers? For the second consecutive year, we conducted a survey among our users to quantify the benefits of Sencrop for their farming activities. Over 1,300 farmers responded! 👨🌾 Check out the infographic attached to this post to discover the 7 key findings from this survey and how Sencrop helps farmers optimise their operations. 👇 🤝 We take pride in supporting them daily, enabling them to enhance comfort, peace of mind, and efficiency, while also achieving financial savings. 🤔 Want to learn more? Explore our full report, available in the first comment of this post (in French, English, German and Italian). You'll find all our results, analyses, and farmer testimonials.   🌱 🌍 If you're passionate about these topics and want to contribute to farmers' agri-environmental transition, please don't hesitate to contact Quentin Cholat, our CSR manager.

Sencrop & Premium Crops - a division of Cefetra Ltd unveil the timing of aphid flights this year. 🐛🌱 The AHDB aphid monitoring data has been released. With January to February 2024 air temperatures above the 30-year average, especially during February, aphids are anticipated to take flight around one to three weeks earlier in Scotland and two to three weeks earlier over most areas of England compared to historic averages. 🌡Met Office provisional data for the 2023–24 winter suggests that the mean temperature for the UK was 5.29°C, 1.20°C above the long-term average (1991–2020), making it the fifth-warmest winter since 1884, just ahead of the 2020 winter (5.28°C). Mild conditions, particularly a lack of hard frosts, will also result in higher aphid survival in crops, potentially giving them a head start this season (see below 👇). Long-term (59 years in 2023) aphid data (from the suction-trap network) and weather data (Met Office and others) are used to forecast the date of the first aphid flights, as well as aphid abundance in spring and early summer. The best method of predicting aphid migration numbers is using the mean temperature in January and February. There is uncertainty associated with predicting migration; however, it does provide a useful and important indication of how early or late flights will take place compared with an ‘average’ season. Suction sites located across the UK take into account different temperatures, giving different flight dates. Monitoring data is important due to resistance presence in aphids. 🥔The three main aphid species important for potatoes are: Peach Potato Aphid: About 80% of English samples show resistance to pyrethroids, with two forms present: 1️⃣ Super-kdr (most common) confers high levels of resistance to pyrethroids. 2️⃣ kdr confers moderate levels of resistance (present in about 45% of samples). 🌾Grain aphid: The presence of the kdr mutation was confirmed and shown to require about 40 times as much active to kill the resistant forms compared with fully susceptible grain aphids. In 2019, samples were tested from five traps, and up to 30% of the aphids had the mutation. 🍒Bird Cherry-Oat aphid monitoring on GB samples (21) from 2020 show no evidence of resistance. Currently, pyrethroids should provide control of bird–cherry oat aphid. That’s good news for cereal growers concerned about BYDV, which is a persistent virus and more amenable to control through the use of insecticides than PVY. 🌱🛡️Grain aphid (Sitobion avenae), bird cherry–oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi), and rose–grain aphid (Metopolophium dirhodum) are the main aphid pests of cereals in the UK. Rose–grain aphid and bird cherry–oat aphid can both be controlled effectively with pyrethroids, etc. The AHDB yellow water trap network provides local information on flights across GB. Ultimately, the industry needs to turn to integrated approaches. Rothamsted Research Insect Survey bulletin page: https://bit.ly/44jqbr9

Is your OSR suffering with disease? 😷 Welcome to the next edition of the Premium Crops and Sencrop for Agronomy Professionals series. A new Rothamsted Research study found the first cases of Phoma with reduced sensitivity to Azole (or DMI) fungicides in Western Europe. There are two species of Phoma that cause infection in OSR; Plenodomus lingam (Leptosphaeria maculans) and P. biglobosus (L. biglobosa). “Decreased DMI sensitivity has already emerged in Australian and eastern European P. lingam populations, however we are now seeing it in Western Europe, which is very worrying.” Farmers should use a range of Mode of Actions (MOA) in fungicide strategies to reduce resistance risk. There is no known resistance to fungicides such as QoI (pyraclostrobin) or SDHI (boscalid) at present. Using IPM approaches, nozzles and utilising the best spraying conditions for maximum efficiency is as important in an anti-resistance strategy. https://lnkd.in/e5trCQ5b   OSR is starting to flower at last. 🌼 Flowering fungicides prevent infection of the falling leaf petals. However, the fungicides have a finite time they are active and therefore the longer the flowering of an OSR crop, the longer the risk of infection, which usually requires spraying twice. The AHDB - Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board forecast model offers a Scloeritina forecast, but local data will yield more accurate readings. The model is based on observed (past 24 hours) and forecast (next 72 hours) weather data, and the interactive maps track the period of time that relative humidity (RH) and air temperatures that are at or above threshold (80% and 7°C, respectively). https://lnkd.in/eJ6jJYJd Use Sencrop's latest in-app forecast features to pinpoint risk factors with greater clarity.   Premium Crops and Scottish Agronomy Ltd offer Scottish farmers a chance to see first-hand the performance of our added-value HEAR OSR varieties, plus the results of our multi-year Winter Linseed trials, at our “Alternative Oilseeds For Scotland” event on May 23rd. See below the announcement from Crop Production Magazine. https://lnkd.in/eTJ6ycju

Fantastic response to our webinar Wednesday with Sencrop for Agronomy Professionals and Carlow Weather, thanks to everyone who attended! "Spraying Windows and New Forecasts" Missed it? Use the link below to replay

When should you plant spring crops? 🌱 Spring cereal sowing is ongoing despite wet conditions, with conventional winter cereal sowing windows long closed. Premium and Crops and Sencrop for Agronomy Professionals offer the next update of our agronomy series and invite you to our webinar TODAY at 4pm GMT “Spraying Windows and New Forecasts”. ⛅ Register here - https://buff.ly/3VGSiyg In tricky seasons, basics are fundamental. Spring planting timing should allow for flushing black grass, to create stale seed beds and aid weed control. Spray coverage and uptake is prioritised to reduce resistance risk. Later drilled crops, such as Spring Linseed and Canary Seed (both sown until May), provide a wider window for weed emergence and a greater use of glyphosate. Clean establishment creates competitive plant canopies against emerging weeds. Accurate forecasting can help identify correct cultivation strategies, as over-cultivation during prolonged dry spells reduces moisture, leading to slower and uneven emergence. Strong seed to soil contact is essential. On heavier soils, cloddy seedbeds can mask pests and weeds, reducing the effectiveness of applied herbicides. Pre-emergence herbicides require both seedbed structure and sufficient soil moisture for maximum impact. Direct drilling is an avenue to reducing moisture loss, however great care must be applied to ensure correct seed depth placement and slot closure behind the drill. Regardless of establishment method, soil health is at the centre of crop establishment.