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Topics
The following subjects
were covered at sow2succeed roadshows:
Plant
Establishment and Managing Growth
Optimum plant population will vary depending on the date
of drilling and must be considered when choosing varieties.
The seed rate required to obtain that population will depend
on establishment success. Factors affecting establishment
include insect pests, seedbed conditions, soil type, altitude,
latitude and field aspect. The date of drilling and plant
population will subsequently affect any decisions to be
made regarding nutrient management programmes, lodging control
methods, and weed control strategies.
Pest
Control Strategies
Aphid spread BYDV is a particular problem in crops drilled
early; the use of seed dressings, monitoring aphid activity,
appropriately timed sprays and the dangers of a green bridge
were discussed. Slug populations can also result in poor
establishment and predictions of risk and preventative measures
were explored. It is essential to know the risks on your
own farm. Other pests to consider include: gout fly, wheat
bulb fly, frit fly, wessex flea beetle, leatherjackets and
wireworms. The importance of these will be affected by previous
crop and drilling date.
Disease Dynamics
The effect of drilling date on the risk of take-all is perhaps
better understood than it is for most other diseases: the
risk of take-all is reduced if crops are drilled later,
the 'quality' of the break between crops is important and
seed treatments are a valuable part of the armoury. But
how often are the affects of drilling date on the risk of
Septoria, mildew, rusts and eyespot considered? A comprehensive
review was given at the roadshows.
Weed
Control Strategies
Knowing the weed problems on your own farm is the first
step to planning an effective weed control programme, and
drilling date will impact on weed numbers. The needs of
crop establishment must be balanced with those of weed management.
Delaying drilling will give more chances to control weeds
in a stale seedbed but sowing after the optimum time will
reduce crop potential. Herbicide efficiency is affected
by seed bed conditions and this was also explored in
detail.
Understanding
Varieties
Individual varieties respond differently to different drilling
dates, so decide which varieties are most suited to your
intended drilling date. Rotational position and seed dressings
should also be considered. Speed of development varies between
varieties and this, along with disease susceptibility and
lodging risk, was be explored at the roadshows.
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