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Assess effects on quality and yields
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| STILL STANDING: A field of winter wheat with the disease-free variety Sherborne' in the foreground |
WITH the winter wheat harvest a few weeks away, farmers have already started to look at their crops with more than just a critical eye.
Some are even admitting to themselves - if not openly - that disease levels this
year will in all probability have a real knock-on effect on both yield and quality, with agronomists throughout the region reporting an increase in
both septoria and fusarium.
"Temperatures and rainfall so far have been quite similar to last year,'' reports Simon Howell of Sherborne Processing Ltd, "and it's been a real hotbed for cereal diseases.
"The overall predictions for yields this year are going to be disappointing, with bushel weights being particularly under pressure.
"Although the levels of septoria are higher than that of last year due to the wet spring, farmers are particularly concerned over the seeming year on year increase of fusarium as there appears to be a number of factors that are contributing to that increase such as rotations, climatic and environmental conditions.
"However, the one piece
of really good news is that our variety Sherborne' is still remarkably clean and fusarium free and despite the gale force winds of
last month, is standing well,'' he said.
There have been a lot of press articles recently about mycotoxins in grain and it is fast becoming a huge problem for cereal farmers today - especially those who are also growing maize or are in close proximity to a neighbouring crop.
Recent research has shown that where maize is in the rotation, the possibility of fusarium ear blight - the major contributor to mycotoxins in grain - is greatly enhanced and ever-increasing EEC legislation means that farmers are now under even greater pressure than ever to keep their grain free from mycotoxins - or run the risk of rejection by both millers and merchants alike.
"We had exceptionally good reports about Sherborne's' disease resistancy last year, so much so that we were virtually sold out by the middle of August and prompted huge disappointment to those growers who contacted us later on,'' he said. "However, we are delighted to report that not only do we have additional seed for sale for 2009 sowings, we also have
a significant amount for organic growers for the first time this year.''
Meanwhile, Andrew Baillie, farm manager for PR Harris of Barton Farm, Trent, nr Sherborne, Dorset, who has been growing Sherborne' for three consecutive years, reveals: "Sherborne is looking really good and promising and I am impressed at its potential and levels of consistency.
"It is one of the cleanest varieties that I have grown and despite the gale force winds of last month, it's
still standing.''
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