Dear Readers,

In this issue:

-  AIC Winter Roadshows
-  Arable Cropping in a Changing Climate - R&D Conference
-  Wheat disease management update workshops
-  HGCA/SAC Workshops
-  New HGCA projects
-  Barley fungicide dose curves
-  Controlling pollen beetle and combating insecticide resistance in oilseed rape
-  New Research Review   RR67

We would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Michele Charlton
on behalf of the R&D Team

HGCA is pleased to be supporting the AIC's winter roadshows this year. The courses, entitled 'Slugs, solids and safety', focus on handling solid pesticide formulations and effective slug control, including baiting, calibration and safe pellet application. The events run from December 2007 through to March 2008 and attract 10 NRoSO CPD points. Dates and venues can be obtained from the trainers running the events, please go to http://www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk/Content/Roadshows.asp for further details.

The R&D conference 'Arable Cropping in a Changing Climate' is taking place 23 & 24 Jan 2008 at Belton Woods, nr Grantham. If you are planning to attend and require accommodation, we need to receive your registration by Monday 17th December to guarantee your place.
 
The deadline for all other bookings is Monday 14th Jan. Places are limited so we encourage you to book now to avoid disappointment.
For more details go to http://www.hgca.com/event.aspx?eventId=1030

At a time of changing disease patterns and fungicide resistance, these meetings will give you the opportunity to bring your knowledge in this important area up-to-date. You will hear the latest results from the fungicide performance trials and work carried out on sequences and mixtures and have the chance to put your questions to experts from ADAS and TAG.
For more details go to http://www.hgca.com/events

Following the success of last years events, HGCA and SAC are again holding three workshops in January. The morning sessions will focus on spring barley agronomy and marketing, while the afternoons will cover pest and disease management for wheat and oilseed rape.
For more details go to  http://www.hgca.com/events

• HGCA have funded The Arable Group for two new projects to tackle weed control in response to the impending loss of trifluralin and isoproturon in 2009 which will lead to increased dependence on just a handful of products. Ron Stobart is evaluating herbicide sequence and stacking for improved blackgrass and brome control in cereals and oilseed rape. Paul Miller meanwhile is investigating improving application of pre-emergent residual herbicide to give better soil deposition to facilitate uptake and increase efficacy.
• Pollen beetle thresholds for oilseed rape will be revaluated by Steve Ellis of ADAS in a 36 month project linking damage to beetle infestation and disease tolerance. This will help growers to make informed decisions on when or when not to spray.
• ADAS' Daniel Kindred along with a large industry consortium is running a 42 month project which aims to reach a consensus on the best practice for soil nitrogen supply prediction. The project seeks to draw together current knowledge and compare existing techniques.
• Simon Edwards of Harper Adams University College will be assessing fusarium mycotoxins in malting barley at harvest. The 30 month project will use monitoring and modelling to assess mycotoxin incidence and provide tools for risk assessment. 
• David Bruce (DB Consulting) and Tim Wontner-Smith (CSL) are developing interactive teaching tools simulating grain cooling and oilseed rape drying. These tools will be freely available to levy payers to assist in management decisions for grain storage.
  

HGCA has funded this work, which was carried out by SAC. There is a link to the SAC website, where you should click on the button on the right hand side called "fungicide dose curves".
Link: http://www.sac.ac.uk/consultancy/cropclinic/

In 2006 pyrethroid resistant populations of pollen beetle caused significant damage to oilseed rape in several parts of Europe. Resistant individuals have been found in the south and eastern coastal areas of the UK. In response HGCA, in association with the UK Insecticide Resistance Action Group (IRAG), has produced an Information Sheet outlining new guidelines to help growers manage resistant pollen beetles.
Link to two page information sheet: http://www.hgca.com/publink.aspx?id=4224

RR67 Improving co-ordination and management of HGCA-funded projects on wheat disease control
See below for the summary
For full report: http://www.hgca.com/publink.aspx?id=4182

This project was identified during a review of wheat disease management projects presented by R&D and RL staff to the R&D Advisory Committee on 29 June 2006. Currently approximately £1.35 million is spent annually on projects relating to Wheat Disease Management. Existing projects were found to be complementary and to some extent interdependent. The work identified opportunities for exploring improved co-ordination, firmer HGCA ownership, potential cost reduction and overall greater benefits from activities. A call for applications to undertake the review was made in August 2007.

Project objectives

Principal objectives of the study were:
1) to conduct a detailed review of HGCA-funded wheat disease projects in order to identify areas for improved co-ordination and integration,
2) to review information delivery with a view to improvements and new approaches,
3) to review in the wider context of the UK/EU cereals sector with a view to greater collaboration.
Methodology

The project was carried out in collaboration with HGCA R&D staff as a member of the team, and conclusions and recommendations emanating from the review were team conclusions. The review centred around interviews with various sectors of the agricultural community. These included end-users, current project contractors, agrochemical manufacturers, independent scientific experts, Government and HGCA staff. Objectives of those interviews were firstly to identify the requirements of HGCA's funders - the end-users, and then to establish how best to deliver those requirements drawing on the views of the remaining interviewees. The team drew on these views in order to help them build up their recommendations.

Review outputs

Output from the review would be in the form of two reports. The first would be a comprehensive report for HGCA use providing minutes of all interviews together with the personal views of the interviewees. This second summary report would contain the main thrust of the report including recommendations. A presentation to the R&D Advisory Committee and subcommittee would be made in late March/early April 2007 to ensure early endorsement. This was key to ensuring that recommendations for change could be put in place with the contractors by sowing season 2007/08.