CAFRE: Cereal crop administration – nitrogen

School of Agriculture, Meals and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) crops advisor, Leigh McClean, is recommending that farmers ought to apply second nitrogen on winter cereals by early stem extension.

Crops must also be inspected for not too long ago emerged broadleaf weeds and top-up herbicide utilized as temperatures heat up.

The recommendation is that each one product labels needs to be checked for contemporary utility timings, sequences with different herbicides and authorized tank mixes with different merchandise.

CAFRE recommendation on administration

At a latest Co. Down replace on fungicide efficiency, visitor audio system Dr. Steven Kildea, from Teagasc, and Michelle Nuttall, from Agriculture and Horticulture Growth Board (AHDB), confirmed the growing significance of built-in pest administration (IPM) in illness management.

Strategies, akin to delayed drilling, deciding on varieties or blends of types with good illness resistant profiles, and utilizing numerous rotations are helpful methods to cut back illness stress.

In keeping with McClean, this strategy may even assist the fungicides we nonetheless must work extra successfully.

In winter barley, T1 fungicide timing goals to keep up tiller numbers. So growers ought to, subsequently match utility price to the extent of illness current.

McClean factors out {that a} vary of T2 fungicide may be utilized round development stage (GS) 39 – when flag leaf has absolutely emerged and first awns are showing.

A mixture of energetic elements are simpler than straight merchandise. Teagasc trials on ramularia present each prothioconazole and mefentrifluconazole carry out persistently higher than different actives when utilized protectantly.

In winter wheat, defending leaf 3 at T1 (GS32-33) and flag leaf at T2 (GS39) are key spray timings for controlling septoria.

Mixtures containing new actives mefentrifluconazole (Revysol) or fenpicoxamid (Inatreq) give highest ranges of exercise however at a value which is finest justified at T2 and the place illness stress is excessive.

AHDB trials on yellow rust present benzovindiflupyr and prothioconazole (Elatus Period) are significantly efficient. However all good mixtures carry out properly.

Folpet needs to be included as a companion in mixes to guard different fungicide teams as its inclusion slows the tempo of illness resistance growing in each wheat and barley, in line with the AHDB.

Turning to spring cereals, McClean indicated that growers ought to step by step improve seed price as much as 400 seeds/m² for spring barley over the approaching weeks.

Weeds needs to be handled in all newly sown crops as quickly as doable. In spring cereals, pre-emergence herbicides may also help handle resistant broadleaf weeds akin to chickweed and in addition goal drawback annual meadow grass.

Scheme

In the meantime, Northern Eire’s pilot Protein Crops Scheme has been retained for 2023. As soon as planted, efficient weed management is essential to good efficiency in peas and beans.

McClean confirmed that pre-emergence herbicide utility gives the most effective management of broad-leaved weeds.

Put up-emergent choices are restricted, they don’t cowl a large spectrum of weeds and may be harsh on the rising crop.