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It’s a significant number 100 –– cricketersachieve prowess when they score theirfirst century. Companies in the FTSE 100literally represent the financial health ofthe nation, and if you reach 100 years ofage, it’s a truly momentous milestone.

And now a momentous milestone’s been reached in farming –– over 200 sugar beet growers averaged

yields of more than 100t/ha last harvest. We ought tojust savour that for a second –– 100t/ha is a mightyimpressive yield. It underlines a national successstory for the crop, with UK average yields makingsteady gains, in contrast to other crops, while thisyear, the national average has itself beaten the previous record.

There’s every reason to recognise this figure for thesuccess story it represents –– quota cuts and pricedrops will slice a swathe through the profitability of the sugar beet crop in 2015, and its future looks veryuncertain post 2017.

That’s why, with the help of our sponsors, we’vebrought together four key areas of crop managementinto this supplement, to focus on where the steadygains will continue to maintain those year-on-yearimprovements.

Firstly, there’s variety choice (see page 4) andwe’ve looked at what the new regime means for howyou make your choice from the BBRO RecommendedList. We’ve reviewed best advice on nutrient management (p6) and queried where the incrementalgains can be made in how a growing crop is fed.

The latest findings from BBRO and British Sugarfungicide trials are assessed (p9) to gauge whether

there’s scope to improve returns from the sprays which are applied. And we track the recent innovationsin harvester technology (p11) that ensure more of acleaner crop is lifted with minimum impact on soils.

Finally, we’ve visited the Salle Estate in northNorfolk (p14), to find out its approach to balancingthese areas of crop management and achieving yieldsin certain crops that have reached that magical100t/ha.

With the uncertainty growers face, it’s nice to have a figure like 100t/ha as an aim. And with the nationalsugar beet yield continuing to rise, with technologicaladvances in breeding, crop inputs and machinery making that possible, more and more growers are set to reach and exceed that target. That’s a very good reason to be confident about the crop, whatever2017 brings.

Tom Allen-Stevens has a 170ha arable farm in Oxon and has a cricketing prowess that barelyscrapes into double figures, let alone a century.

[email protected]

What size is confidence?

TalkingTilthA word from the editor.

Focused on a new regimeA sharp fall in the contract price hurts, but could bejust whatÕs needed to set the industry ready for 2017.

Better yields put spotlight on beet feedingSugar beet nutrition, especially with nitrogen, is under renewed scrutiny in the face of rising yields.

Disease control remains fundamentalto high-yielding cropsIt was a record year for yields, but disease pressurewas also at an all-time high.

Harvest know-how for beet machinesTaking design ideas from its potato harvesters hasallowed Grimme to build innovation into sugar beetmachines, says the manufacturer.

Compaction care brings rising resultsWith a firm focus on looking after its soils and a strictrotation, a Norfolk estate has achieved a steadyimprovement in sugar beet yields.

Special CPM Supplement

April 20152

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Editorial & Advertising SalesWhite House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury,Shropshire. SY5 8LP

Tel: (01743) 861122E-mail: [email protected]

[email protected]

Advertising CopyBrooks Design, 24 Claremont Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. SY1 1RD

Tel: (01743) 244403E-mail: [email protected]

CPM Editorial, advertising and sales offices are at White House Barn, Hanwood, Shrewsbury SY5 8LP. Tel: (01743) 861122. CPM is published ten times a year by CPM Ltd and is available free of charge to qualifying farmers

and farm managers in the United Kingdom.

In no way does CPM Ltd endorse, notarise or concur with any of the advice, recommendations or prescriptions reported in the magazine. If you are unsure about which recommendations to follow, please consult a professional agronomist. Always read thelabel. Use pesticides safely. CPM Ltd is not responsible for loss or damage to any unsolicited material, including photographs.

Editor Tom Allen-Stevens

Sub Editor Charlotte Lord

Writers Tom Allen-StevensAndrew BlakeRob JonesAndrew Watts

Design and Production Brooks Design

Publisher Angus McKirdy

2 cpm magazine successful beet

A sharp fall in the contractprice hurts, but could be just

what’s needed to set theindustry ready for 2017.CPM asks what it means

for the typical farm’s cropping strategy.

By Tom Allen-Stevens

When choosing a variety, growers will be looking for

reliability.

“

”

Facing a reduction in quota of up to 20%and a 24% drop in price, many sugar beetgrowers currently establishing the 2015crop may be wondering whether it wouldhave been a wiser idea to have taken thecontract holiday on offer.

But for Michael Sly, the new vice chairman of the NFU sugar board, the current price should be seen as a realistic expectation of future returns from the crop. “If there’s any silver lining, it’s that we’re getting a taste of what we can expect to see post 2017 when quotas areabolished,” he says.

Farmers across Europe have similarly taken a quotacut –– Germany is down 16%, Spanish growers face a 9% drop while France is down 5%.

Prices fall backThe UK price for 2015 has dropped from £31.67/t to£24/t. But that’s now a net price that takes into accountthe transport element, points out Michael Sly. What’smore, it’s only fair that the favourable rates negotiated onthe back of high commodity prices in recent years shouldnow keep pace as market prices fall back for other crops.

“What we’ve seen recently is a price spike. The rate forthe current season has come down to what growersshould consider as a more ‘normal’ level and reflects theprice drops seen for competing crops.”

Preparing for a more volatile market post 2017, and competing against the large German and French cropsmay now be the long-term priority, he believes. “I’d saythe more progressive growers will be positioning theirsugar enterprise with this year’s price in mind, and building an input regime around that,” he suggests.

So what does that mean in practice? The first decisiongrowers have made in aligning their crop to the newregime has been in variety selection, and the new BBRORecommended List has kept pace with changing needs,insists RL chairman Mike May.

Focused on a new regime

“When choosing a variety, growers will be looking forreliability –– they need to know that what they sow willdeliver what they’re targeting,” he says.

The current list has been simplified, and the RL Boardhas tightened up requirements for inclusion, he continues.“There’s plenty of data available on varieties, and theintention is to provide this online to those growers who’dlike it. But the key scores that allow you to make informeddecisions are available on the published list.”

And the most important of these remains yield, hesays. “Yield is king and should form the predominant reason you choose a new variety. But sugar contentshould also be borne in mind. This is particularly important for those growers who are some distance fromfactories and face higher transport costs.”

The third key criteria is establishment –– all the moreimportant if you’re aiming for a target yield. “All RL trialsare harvested to a standard population, and the seed rate you sow should be based on your experience ofestablishment percentage and germination rate. There’slittle difference between varieties, but the RL figures arethere for those who wish to refine what they sow.”

One score that’s changed in recent years is bolting.“The early sown bolting (ESB) figure is based on plots sown in late Feb to early March –– earlier thancommercial UK crops. So if you’re planning to plant early


or into cold soils, this gives you an indication of howlikely you are to get bolters, but not how many youshould actually expect.”

Special traits are now included on a separateDescriptive List, points out Mike May. “Breeders are raising the bar with varieties that have tolerance to theAYPR rhizomania strain and for BCN-tolerant varieties.But there can still be a yield penalty if you grow themwhere you don’t have these issues. Where you know youhave a problem, they do help slow down the build-up ofthe pest or virus and yield well. Otherwise you shouldjudge the risk –– even within fields that have BCN, thepopulation varies.”

Disease scores are rarely a deciding factor whenchoosing a variety, but help inform susceptibility whendeciding the fungicide programme, he notes. “This maybecome more of an issue if more products lose theirapproval, but we’d always recommend using a good fungicide programme that should keep most threats atbay, whatever variety you choose.”

He advises growers to have around three or more

varieties that are reviewed each year. “Typically, you’llkeep two that have performed well and drop others infavour of varieties that rank well on the list. Bear in mindthat in its first year, a new variety’s yield score is based onsmall seed-production units, while those that have beenon the list for longer have yields based on commercialseed lots.”

Competitive cropUnsurprisingly, finding replacements from the top of the RL is a strategy warmly welcomed by SESVanderHave,the breeder with five of the top six varieties on the 2015 RL. But for the company’s UK trials managerRichard Robinson, having a competitive beet crop is not just about choosing a variety with a high, consistentheadline yield.

“Low bolting risk is an essential element which sets the UK apart from continental growers. Our mildermaritime climate allows growers to sow earlier than mostand lift later, but we need to minimise the risk of bolting.This is why SESVanderHave conducts its own bolting trials within the UK.”

Even so, it’s not an exact science, he admits.“Temperature is a key factor, along with exposure (windchill), low light intensity, drought stress and disease.High temperatures can devernalise the seed, effectivelyneutralising lower temperatures.

“Small differences in sowing depth and drilling datecan alter varietal performance, as can altitude, soil typeand colder exposed sites.”

He points out one of the reasons the RL has high ESBfigures is that these include data from 2013 –– one of thecoldest and driest springs on record. “By contrast, spring2014 was mild and resulted in a low bolting year.”

His advice is to sow as early as practical to maximiseyield potential, focusing on establishing the crop quickly,rather than sitting in a cold or dry seedbed. “But if yousow any variety too early or expose it to cold stress, it

will bolt and increase the risk of lower establishment.”After delivering 103% of his quota last year, Michael

Sly is cutting back the 2015 beet crop at Park Farm,Thorney, near Peterborough, from 86ha to 58ha. “Withthat reduction in area, we’ll need to maximise the yield,”he says.

His soil type on the fen skirt varies from organic fen tosilt, and yields average 74t/ha. “We like to be lifted andinto the clamp before Christmas, so I look for yield, sugarcontent and an early maturing variety we can drill early.”

This year, he’s establishing two thirds of his areastraight into the stubble with a Sly Agri Stripcat strip-tilldrill, with the rest min-tilled with a Discordon followed bya Kverneland Vicon drill. Springbok and Stingray havebeen chosen for their yield and bolting scores, while lastyear’s SY Muse and Pasteur have been dropped.

“We were thinking of dropping sugar beet altogetherfive or six years ago, but took the decision to carry onand do something different. We place liquid N besideeach row at drilling, which is part of improving yield andgetting better establishment earlier,” says Michael Sly.

“I’m optimistic about growing beet post 2017, as longas we can find innovative ways to grow the crop betterand continue to enjoy the year-on-year advances we getfrom breeders.” n

.A more rounded picture of the sugar industry hasgiven Andrew Greenwell a lot more confidence toface a future that he’s aware is a lot more volatile.He’s been attending the Sugar Industry Programme(SIP), run by NFU and British Sugar, designed toengage younger growers through a training anddevelopment programme.

“I’ve seen sugar beet in the field and, throughmy own haulage business, taken it as far as thefactory, but never seen beyond that before. Theprogramme gives you a real insight into every stageof the process from seed to tare house to the NFUnegotiations with British Sugar,” he says.

As farm manager at Capel St Andrew Farms,he’s responsible for a 100ha beet crop grownacross the predominantly light soils of the 1400hafamily-run business near the east coast atWoodbridge, Suffolk. Able to lift the crop late, yieldsstart at 60t/ha and push close to 100t/ha at the

end of harvest, with Hornet, Haydn and Springbokcurrently in the ground.

“You learn quite a few new skills on the programme, and meet people in the industry, butmost of all it opens your eyes to what goes onaround the beet crop –– the technology that goesinto breeding and then processing the seed is quitereassuring to see as a grower.”

With a clearer idea of the industry, and havingheard the experts’ views on what the future holdswhen quotas finish, he feels he’s more prepared.“The bearish trend is likely to continue, and wemay see a period of over-supply across Europewith depressed prices. Price aside, we face anunknown future on key pesticides –– sugar is acrop where yield is key, and if we’re unable to pusha crop for yield, it’ll make the job harder still.

“For our business, sugar beet fits in well andticks a lot of boxes, but we have other options if

Takes a SIP to equip for an uncertain future

returns evaporate. Equally, I think the UK industry is competitive and well placed to facea Europe without quotas. We run a longer campaign than most on the continent, andpeople will always need sugar,” he points out.

The SIP programme has given AndrewGreenwell a real insight into every stage of the sugar beet process.

Low bolting risk is an essential element whichsets the UK apart from continental growers,says Richard Robinson.

Progressive growers will be positioning theirsugar enterprise with this year’s price in mind,and building an input regime around that.

5cpm magazine successful beet

Sugar beet nutrition,especially with nitrogen, isunder renewed scrutiny in

the face of rising yields. CPMgathers the latest thinking.

By Andrew Blake

The current recommendation of 120kgN/ha issufficient to achieve the correct crop canopy,says Debbie Sparkes.

Pale-green leaf canopies indicate that the crop isusing its available nitrogen efficiently, saysGeorge Milford.

Better yields put spotlighton beet feeding

Dark green canopies tend to

please the eye but not the pocket.”

“

Although some growers may believe higher yielding sugar beet crops and thoselifted late may need extra nitrogen, theyprobably don’t. But new work is underwayto find whether some adjustment may be necessary to account for higher plantpopulations and the introduction of whole-beet delivery.

Those are key messages from a recent BBRO presentation by Dr Debbie Sparkes of NottinghamUniversity and from George Milford, joint author of an article for British Sugar Beet Review.

Debbie Sparkes says growers are increasingly posingtwo questions: “Surely we need more nitrogen now thatwe’re growing such big crops?” and “If we aren’t liftingthem until Feb or March, surely they need more nitrogento keep them going?”

Most research behind current fertiliser advice was carried out at least 15 years ago, but the way the crop is grown has changed significantly since then, notesGeorge Milford.

“Whole-beet deliveries have been introduced, recommended plant populations have increased fromaround 70,000 to 100,000 plants/ha, and the nationalaverage yield has risen substantially.” Many growers nowachieve adjusted yields of 100t/ha, he points out.

To make the most of sunlight –– the main yield driver–– the crop canopy must reach a Green Area Index of 3(i.e. 3m2 of leaf per m2 of soil) as soon as possible,explains Debbie Sparkes.

Previous research found that 120kgN/ha is sufficientto achieve that. “That recommendation hasn’t changed.Apply 30-40 kg/ha immediately after drilling and theremainder at full emergence.” Applying more than thatrisks creating over-dense inefficient canopies.

Over a full growing season, crops take up about240kg/ha, but much of that occurs later from the mineralisation of organic matter by micro-organisms.

It’s the need for readily available nitrogen within theseedling root zone to promote canopy expansion thatmakes fertiliser nitrogen so important on mineral soils.

Each GAI requires 30kgN/ha, but nitrogen drives morethan just leaf expansion, says George Milford.

“It’s also an essential component of chlorophyll and of rubisco, the main photosynthetic enzyme

which converts carbon dioxide to sugars.“However, leaves accumulate much more of this

enzyme than photosynthesis needs, and because it’s alsothe main protein plants use to accumulate nitrogen whensupplies are plentiful, too much N in the soil in springcreates excessively large, dark green canopies.

“Such crops tend to please the eye but not the pocket,because more of their resources are spent growing shootsrather than roots.”

Research at Broom’s Barn in 2008 found that adding60kgN/ha in July to help leaves stay green longer had no impact on canopy efficiency, adds Debbie Sparkes.“The use of fungicides in sugar beet has led to improvedcanopy maintenance and higher sugar yields, but there’sno evidence that this justifies additional N application.”

The work showed that pale autumn canopies are justas good at intercepting and using light to generate yieldas dark green ones.

“It also showed that dark green canopies only increasethe amino-N content of the beet, not yield,” says George


s


.Many sugar beet crops could be receiving agricultural salt for little or no benefit. Indeed salt over-use could be costing growers up to £8M a year, according to one estimate.

Recent BBRO work with the crop onRothamsted Research’s potash reference plots onsandy loam and a silty-clay loam has shown thatto avoid jeopardising yield the soil K index must beat least 2, whatever the soil type. It also confirmedthat yields aren’t directly affected by freshlyapplied potash fertiliser.

However, potash and nitrogen uptake are closely linked, and too little K reduces the crop’sability to take up N, notes George Milford.

“Sugar beet on soils with a K index of 3 clearlydoesn’t need applied potash.

“But on K Index 0 and 1 soils, the K removed in the harvested roots must be replaced and some extra supplied to raise the index to at least 2 for both sugar beet and other crops within therotation. But it may not always be possible to raise

the index because these predominantly sandy soilsusually contain too little clay to retain the applied K.

“Sugar beet will very likely respond to freshlyapplied K in these situations. But sodium, as inagricultural salt, could be seen as a cheaper andmore effective alternative. It’s more mobile in thesoil, more readily available to the plant, and oftenmore effective in boosting leaf area in spring thanfreshly applied potassium.”

Sugar beet, being a maritime species, is one ofthe few arable crops able to make use of sodium,he notes.

However, potassium is more mobile within theplant and more evenly distributed throughout it than sodium. “It’s also more actively involved intransporting sugars from shoot to root, and almostall the sodium stays within the shoot and doesn’tget involved in that process.”

Many trials have demonstrated that beet yieldgenerally only responds to sodium on K Index 0 and1 soils, and the Rothamsted experiments show that

Milford. “So it’s likely that pale-green leaf canopies inhigh-yielding crops in the autumn indicate that the cropsare using the nitrogen available to them efficiently ratherthan needing more.”

Current UK advice for top yield is to establish 80-100,000 plants/ha and apply up to 120kgN/ha on

crops on Index 2 soils and above take up hardlyany applied sodium.

Recent British Sugar surveys suggest thatonly about a quarter of UK crops, i.e. those onsoils below K Index 2, would have had theiryields improved by the average 190kg/ha of salt that they received. The rest, mostly on non-deficient soils of Index 2 and above, wereunlikely to have benefitted from the average of170kg/ha they were given.

“So this unnecessary use of sodium needs to be addressed,” says George Milford.

Re-think on salt required

.

Sugar beet nutrition must be balanced, stresses OmexAgriculture agronomist Andy Eccles.

“It’s important to consider the crop’s totalneeds and to ensure that the higher yields beingtargeted are fully supported by a good supply ofsoil nutrients.

“Where crops are yielding over 80t/ha unadjusted, they probably need an extra 25kg/haphosphate and 50kg/ha potash, compared toexpected yields in the Fertiliser Manual, RB209.

“They also require magnesium, particularly onlow-index soils, sulphur and two importantmicronutrients –– boron and manganese.”

Getting the mix right for each field can be achallenge, he says. “It’s where you can benefitfrom using suspension fertilisers. The Omex range is tailor made to match crop and soilrequirements, based on a free soil analysis,and contract applied with a high level of accuracyand precision.”

Liquid fertilisers are more suited to wider boutwidths, and the firm’s suspension mixtures areapplied using 36m sprayers equipped with flotationtyres, GPS steering and GPS bout control.

“Being liquid, the accuracy is maintained rightup to field margins, reducing the risk of yield loss on headlands which can occur when usinggranular fertilisers.

“Avadex Excel (tri-allate) herbicide can be addedduring application for accurate low-cost spreadingto 36 metres, and the spray treatment ensures thatlow rates of micronutrients are applied evenlyacross the field.”

In side-by-side comparison trials by Omex,suspensions have consistently outperformed blendedfertiliser applications, offering an extra £121/habased on 2015 prices, claims Andy Eccles.

Recent developments in nutrition are helpingpush yields further, he continues. Some growers are using liquid starter-fertiliser systems, originallydeveloped for maize and vegetable crops, and the firm’s Kickstart rooting biostimulant has beenshowing good potential to improve establishment,following encouraging work at the University ofNottingham, he notes.

“The greater availability of soluble phosphateand closely placed nitrogen for the establishingseedlings plus the stimulating effect of a low dose of foliar-applied Kickstart are thought to be beneficial in helping get the crop canopy established faster.”

SAP (Scientific Agricultural Partnership) testing is increasingly used by beet growers, he adds.Compared with conventional tissue testing, Omex’SAP method is more accurate because it onlymeasures and reports the levels of nutrients

available for plant growth, rather than the totallevels, explains Omex agronomist James Brundle.

“The results detail the status of the beet cropas a percentage of the target level of each nutrient,and include a recommendation to address anydeficiencies or nutrient imbalances,” he says.

“You wouldn’t expect the doctor to chop yourarm off and analyse it to see why you have aheadache or have no energy, when a blood test often accurately reflects what’s going on in your body.

“SAP testing is akin to taking a blood sampleand is ideal for establishing what a crop has managed to acquire from the soil.”

James Brundle reckons the SAP testingmethod is more accurate because it onlymeasures and reports the levels of nutrientsavailable for plant growth.

Salt over-use could be costing growers up to £8M a year.

mineral soils –– the maximum allowed in NitrateVulnerable Zones. “But that’s only a general guideline,based on trials done 20-30 years ago. At that time, therecommended plant density was lower and the impact of plant number was usually assessed at just the onenitrogen rate appropriate for the site.”

A new four-year BBRO research project is underway toexplore the interactions between plant densities and thenitrogen needs of high-yielding crops under currentgrowing methods. But with only one year’s results tohand, it’s too soon to draw any meaningful conclusions,he says. n

Balance is key

s

Disease control remains fundamental to high-yielding crops

The benefits of fungicides in

promoting yields is well documented and

it appears that growers were willing

to invest.

“

”

It’s fair to say this year’s sugar beet crop has been quite exceptional for UKgrowers. The average yield is 80t/ha –– that’s some way above the previoushigh set in 2011, according to BritishSugar figures.

Much of this impressive performance has been attributed to the favourable growing season whichensured an early start to drilling, sunny days during May,June and July and a mild autumn and winter that meantbeet was able to keep growing well into the New Year.

But ‘Mother Nature’ wasn’t always compliantwith growers’ demands and crops needed careful management at crucial periods, says BBRO lead scientist Dr Mark Stevens.

“The crop was undoubtedly excellent, but it’s worthnoting that 2014 was a high disease pressure year forall crops, including sugar beet. The first report of disease (rust) was received by BBRO during the secondweek of June and further mildew and rust could be foundin the national crop from early July onwards.

“By 28 July rust was particularly wide-spread across the four factory areas and while fungicides performed well, we shouldn’t take their contribution forgranted; it’s easy to overlook the pressure facing cropsduring this important period,” he says.

Data from the British Sugar Crop Survey suggestsgrowers responded accordingly to the threat of disease.“The number of crops receiving none or only one

fungicide fell to a five-year low while those receiving twoor three fungicides reached a five-year high (see chartbelow),” says Mark Stevens.

But the increase in the area of crop receiving two or more applications isn’t surprising, he continues. “The benefits of fungicides in promoting yields is well documented and it appears that, incentivised bymaximising returns, growers were willing to invest. Thenumber of growers making two applications rose to ahigh of nearly 65% while those making three passesincreased nearly five-fold to almost 10%, primarily forcrops to be lifted in the New Year to ensure good diseasecontrol, continued growth and frost protection,” he says.

He reckons efforts to control disease have been amajor contributor to improving crop performance inrecent years. “But, there’s still more to learn. For examplein the future, we may need to balance the loss of certain plant protection products with possible pathogenresistance and changes to our climate.

“It may be that in some areas, such as aphid control,we may face some significant challenges, but addressingthese issues is the focus of current BBRO research.”

In the meantime there’s still more that can be achievedthrough the adoption of best practice, he suggests.

“Trials continue to investigate the importance of application timing and new means of disease forecasting.We know from previous work that foliar diseases canimpact performance before symptoms become visible inthe crop so it may be that a forecasting system based on

spore trapping could be developed to inform applicationtiming.”

Although this is a credible theory and experience withother crops suggests there’s merit in the idea, putting thisinto practice is several years away, he admits. However,the BBRO will lead a new Innovate UK project to investigate the possibility from April 2015. So until thepoint when new technologies or systems are available toinform management decisions, the advice to growersremains unchanged: fungicides should be applied at theonset of disease with a broad-spectrum product appliedat the first spray and at full label rate for best control.

Although at this early stage of the season it’s difficultto predict the exact level of pressure facing crops –– the

It was a record year for yields, but disease pressurewas also at an all-time high.CPM scrutinises the trials.

By Andrew Watts


70

60

50

40

30

20

10

00 1 2 3 4

Number of Applications

% o

f S

urvy

ey G

row

ers

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Fungicide usage 2010-15

Source: BBRO

s

first powdery mildew forecast isn’t expected until April –– growers can be confident disease will be present,especially given the relatively mild winter.

“Even in low disease-pressure seasons the contributionfungicides make to improving yield more than outweighsthe cost of application,” says Mark Stevens.

“On a typical 70t/ha crop, growers can expect the firstspray to provide a 6% yield increase and the second afurther 7%, giving a combined yield response of 9.1t/ha.At the 2015 price of £24/t this is equivalent to £218/ha in extra output and more than worth the cost of application (see chart opposite).” n

.

Sugar beet suffers from a number of foliar diseases, but few can match stemphylium for its destructive properties. It first emerged in theNetherlands in 2007 and has since establisheditself as the principal sugar beet disease in thecountry.

Although yet to become established in the UK–– the first instance was confirmed in Norfolk inSept 2014 –– it shouldn’t be dismissed, says Mark Stevens.

“Some fungicides show more activity against it than others, but none offer the level of controlwe’re used to seeing with the likes of rust or powdery mildew. Dutch growers have seen loses of up to 40%,” he says.

While it’s a disease that poses a genuine threat, Mark Stevens is keen not to overplay its significance at this stage. “Growers need to beaware of the disease, and inspect crops (for it) during late summer. So far, epoxiconazole has beenfound to be the most effective fungicide. But thedesire to protect against stemphylium should not,at this stage, dictate fungicide choice.”

British Sugar trials from 2008 compared the

performance of the available fungicides against rust and powdery mildew (see charts below). Opera(epoxiconazole+ pyraclostrobin), the only

Look out for stemphylium, but powdery mildewand rust remain the main threat.Picture: SESVanderHave

.One grower determined to push for top yields is Norfolk farmer Thomas Love who’s intent on ensuring his crops continue to achieve ‘top quartile’ performance. Farming near Walcott on the north-east Norfolk coast, he has noillusions about the reasons why his crop performs well.

“On our farm this season we’ve recorded a 19%increase in yield from the post-Jan lifted beet overthat lifted in Nov, despite the earlier crop being onmarginally better land. I reckon there’s significantadditional yield to be had for those on lighter land if we could devise a system that would allow liftinglater in the season. Given the opportunity, I wouldlift nothing until late March other than that which I have to because there’s a risk of water-logging or crop scald from fusarium,” he says.

Farming in an area generally recognised as thesecond best beet-growing land after HolbeachMarshes, it’s perhaps not surprising that his crop

yielded 28% more than his five-year average.But this is a level of performance he admits he’sunlikely to repeat in 2016.

“The smaller crop area suggests the campaignwill finish earlier and we’ll have to lift earlier thandesired. I understand the need for a shorter campaign given the market environment, but it’sclear to me that leaving the crop in the groundlonger would promote the competitiveness of theindustry.

“I’d like to see more research into how, asgrowers, we can promote crop growth into thespring months. It’s clear that some varieties are more frost hardy, I feel we should have a system that scores the varieties accordingly. This could be best achieved by outsourcing the research work to Holland or Germany, where frost is almost guaranteed and damage can be scored,”he suggests.

As a late lifter he’s a keen user of fungicides

140

135

130

125

120

115

110

105

100Untreated One spray Two spray Three spray

earlyThree spray

late

Ad

just

edyi

eld

(t/h

a)

Source: BBRO 2014,Nov-lifted beet; one spray:Escolta (full rate); twospray: Escolta (full rate),Escolta (0.5 l/ha); threespray: Escolta (full rate),Priori Extra (0.5 l/ha),Escolta (0.5 l/ha)

Effect of fungicide application on yield

Thomas Love has recorded a 19% increase in yield from the post-Jan lifted beet over thatlifted in Nov.

partly to protect against disease, but also to staveoff frost damage. “Our fungicide policy is basedaround Escolta (cyproconazole+ trifloxystrobin),because BBRO trials demonstrate that it gives thegreatest yield benefit. All crops receive two applications, but because the number of sprays islimited to two passes, the later lifted crops, whichreceive a total of three or four applications, getSpryale (difenoconazole+ fenpropidin), whichgives the next best performance in BBRO trials.”

epoxiconazole-formulated product available togrowers, was found to offer relatively poor controlagainst these diseases compared with the leadingproducts in that year.

“Powdery mildew and rust remain the principal threats to output for the majority ofgrowers and our trials have shown that there’s a considerable difference between the availablefungicides in protecting against these diseasesand how they contribute to yield,” says Mark Stevens.

Late-lifting holds the key to promoting competitiveness

Stemphylium spotted


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Source: British Sugar, yield 46 days after second application; crop lifted 14 Oct 2008, Ixworth, Suffolk (left) and 28 Oct 2008,Hibaldstow, Lincs (right).

How different fungicides compare

s

Taking design ideas from its potato harvesters hasallowed Grimme to build

innovation into sugar beet machines, says the

manufacturer. CPM trackstheir history.

By Rob Jones

Harvest know-how for beet machines

The aim was to cause minimumcompaction with a

larger capacitymachine.

“

”

High productivity from a titan of a machinethat’s kind to the soil has been the defining aim for its self-propelled harvesters, according to Grimme. It wasthe Tectron 415 four-row bunker potatoharvester that earned the company a DLGgold medal when it was introduced at theAgritechnica Show in Hanover, Germany,in 2001.

The design concept of the Tectron was to take thereduced compaction offered by tracks, and partner this with double wheels at the back that steer for manoeuvrability, explains Grimme sugar beet specialistLee Bright. “The aim was to cause minimum compactionwith a larger capacity machine, not only when it wasempty, but when it also carried a full bunker.”

But at the time, the entire global market for four-rowself-propelled potato harvesters extended to just 10-12units per year. Meanwhile, the demand for self-propelledsix-row sugar beet harvesters was around 500 units per

year. “This made us think seriously about sugar beettechnology to justify the investment in the development of the Tectron.”

Combined innovationsFate shone on Grimme when in 2000, one major sugarbeet harvester manufacturer, Stoll, decided to cease production of its six-row machines. Grimme purchasedthe rights for the harvesting system from the out-goingplayer. As a result, the Maxtron 620 was born, that combined the innovations from Grimme’s Tectron potatoharvester and Stoll sugar beet machines.

“The market demand was for higher economic viability, increased efficiency and gentler handling of thecrop. Grimme’s response was to set new standards abovetraditional systems, and reduce driver’s stress through theautomatic steering and control,” continues Lee Bright.

At the front, an in-line approach sees the flail topperchop the beet leaves and deposit them between the rows.“This results in the tops returning to the soil as a nutrientsource. What’s more, the topper has no expensive side-discharge system.”

The next step is the scalper unit, with electronic pressure control accurately scalping the beet and parallelguides and feeler combs ensuring beet of differentheights is cut straight.

“The task of lifting the beet is designed around theOppel wheel system. This offers a gentle harvest coupledwith reduced blockages,” claims Lee Bright. “There’s asideways movement of +/- 40mm to allow optimumalignment when lifting uneven rows.”

Hydraulically driven, the Oppel wheels lift the beet,loosening soil in the process. In stony conditions, the

hydraulic protection of the wheels allow them to moveover the obstacle and return to the working position.

“It’s once the beet leaves the Oppel wheels and entersthe harvester that the innovation from the potato designkicks into play.”

The main and supporting webs turn the beet andtransport it to the cleaning roller system, which in turncleans and conveys the beet up to the bunker-fillingelevator. The cleaning roller system comprises 13 rollers,

Oppel wheels offer a gentle harvest coupled withreduced blockages, says Lee Bright.


s

.

all of which are individually hydraulically driven andcan be specified with different types –– hardened steel,soft flexible and abrasion-proof polyurethane rollers.

“Different combinations for different soil conditions,combined with the ability to drive each roller at a separatespeed, produces an efficient cleaning and transportingsystem. There’s also a reversing mechanism in case of blockages – all these features come from potato harvesters, with the manufacture and design carried out in-house by Grimme.”

The initial chassis design for the Maxtron has also been taken from the Tectron, with tracks and thetwin-wheeled steering unit at the rear reducing groundpressure by up to 50%, compared with similarly sizedmachines. There’s also the active side levelling of the lifting system, which is similar to the compensator system on the potato harvesters.

Clean controlOperator control of the machine also mimics the potato-harvester range with the CANBUS system offeringClean Control of the beet crop. This feature puts a pre-setoperation system into motion, while Visual Control allows the operator to set the system according to conditions. Data recorded by the machine can be downloaded from its terminal and transferred to the farm office for recording.

“A different type of chassis design was introducedwith the Rexor self-propelled harvesters in 2009,” continues Lee Bright. “Rather than using tracks to achieve a full width footprint, the Rexor’s chassis designis articulated so that the machine basically crabs when in work.”

A conventional cleaning system of turbines preceded

For contractor Richard Sneath, a day out at aGrimme open day last year proved to be a profitable event: he won the day’s prize draw which gave him the opportunity to try out Grimme’sRexor 620 sugar beet harvester for 10 days.

Based at Pinchbeck near Spalding, Lincs,Richard Sneath harvests around 1000ha per yearfor growers in the area. “I’d heard from other usersthat the Rexor self-propelled harvester does a fairjob in a wide range of lifting conditions. I’ve usedself-propelled tanker harvesters for years and wasinterested to see how the Rexor would perform.”

The 6-row Rexor 620 with its 22t capacitybunker arrived in the field during last year’s campaign accompanied by a number of Grimmetechnicians tasked with ensuring that RichardSneath and his beet-harvesting team were well versed in how to drive and operate the new machine.

“The first point we noticed was that despite the complexity of the harvester, the controls wererelatively few in number and were straightforwardto work with,” he says. “The Rexor was about asuser friendly in this respect as it probably gets,though you still need a couple of days to becomereally used to it all.”

Powered by a 530hp Mercedes engine, theRexor 620 has load sensing to give it more grunt when required, both in terms of travel andharvesting demands. This also leads to a highdegree of fuel economy, says Grimme. The enginedrives through a hydrostatic 40kph transmission.

An articulated chassis with two wheels at thefront and two at the rear, the Rexor can be set torun in a crab position which ensures the front andrear wheels travel in different tracks.

“The harvester uses wide 800/70 R38 tyres tospread its weight over the full working width of themachine and, as well as reducing ruts, it treats thesoil evenly making post-harvest cultivations easierto achieve.”

Despite his initial concerns, Richard Sneath wassurprised just how well the Rexor’s powered Oppellifting wheels performed even in the stickiest ofconditions –– they were set to run at about 30%faster than forward speed and they kept clean and working as a result.

With the beet on board, the initial cleaning takesplace on the six axial rollers which take the beet tothe first of the three cleaning turbines. “The rollersdid tend to become encased with soil when working in some of the worst conditions but,none-the-less, they always achieved a reasonabledegree of cleaning and reduced the demandsmade on the turbines,” he explains.

Having passed through the turbines, each ofwhich can be fine-tuned in terms of speed and thehydraulic setting of the guide bars, the beet headsfor the bunker via a ring elevator and auger. The33m3 bunker holds 22t of beet and is emptiedusing an 1800mm wide unloading elevator.

“There was only one occasion when we wereconfined to unloading on the headlands,” he says.“The harvester wasn’t troubled by the wet ground

Richard Sneath won the chance to try out aRexor 620 sugar beet harvester for 10 days.

but the tractors pulling the trailers clearly were.”Other features finding favour included the

LED lighting, providing “even better operating conditions than in daylight”, the generous supplyof strategically placed cameras that send imagesto the in-cab monitors and the manoeuvrability ofthe machine.

“The turning angle it achieves using front andrear axles and the articulated joint has to beseen,” says Richard Sneath. “Tight headland turnspose no problems, but it’s important to line upwith the rows squarely for the next bout to allowthe automatic guidance system to kick in.

“Overall, I was impressed with the Rexor’s performance, the conditions it dealt with and thequality of the sample it produced,” he concludes.

The Rexor’s chassis design is articulated so thatthe machine basically crabs when in work.

The Rootster can be pulled by a medium-sizedtractor.

by Oppel wheel lifting and a transporting web from thewheels to the turbines is an option with the Rexor.Available in two models, the 620 has a 22t bunker whilethere’s a 30t bunker on the 630. “For the 2015 season,there’ll be the choice of Oppel wheel or the new walking-share system of lifting.”

Introduced in 2007, the Rootster is a trailed harvesterthat can be pulled by a medium-sized tractor in a two-phase harvest with separate defoliator. In a single-phase system, a larger tractor can be front-mounted with a topper or mulcher.

With a similar beet-cleaning system as its stablemates, the Rootster has a 6m3 bunker and draws onGrimme’s experience in trailed potato-harvesting components and operation. n


Prize performance from harvester in testing conditions

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Compaction care brings rising results

Our most valued tool is

patience.

“”

Dominating the yard at Manor Farm onthe Salle Estate near Norwich is a JohnDeere 7280R hooked up in front of a 6mLemken Karat. Well, it’s not so much thetractor or cultivator that’s laying claim toa sizeable chunk of yard space. It’s thefour sets of dual tyres that stick out fromthe axles like giant rolling pins.

“We have relatively heavy soil here for sugar beet, that doesn’t self-structure,” explains arable managerJames Beamish. “So we aim to travel as light as we canin the spring.”

Timeliness to ensure the quality of the seedbed is oneof two guiding principles for the estate. “If we don’t thinkwe’ll do the right job on the right day, either we’ll changewhat we’re doing or won’t do it at all –– our most valuedtool is patience,” he asserts.

The other key principle is a strict seven-year rotation

The tractor on spring cultivations is dualled upfront and back to ensure there’s as littlecompaction as possible.

–– sugar beet currently sits in 223ha from a total of2011ha of arable crops on medium loams with a “reasonable” clay content ranging to boulder clays. “We use the three years before sugar beet to get the soilin as good a condition as we can for the crop.”

The quota cut has worked in well this year –– the areawas set to drop from 256ha cropped last year anyway.And James Beamish’s approach to the lower contractprice? “We’ll push as hard as we can for yield. We’ve no intention of cutting input costs –– that’s just a false economy.”

The drive for yield has already started with the seedhe’s selected, helped by British Sugar fieldsman JonathanPilborow. SY Muse has been dropped from last year’sselection grown across the estate and three contractfarms. Hornet now joins Cayman, Springbok, Haydn and Stingray.

“We always choose from the top half of theRecommended List –– BCN isn’t a problem, and we don’t tend to drill early, so yield is the key criteria,” continues James Beamish.

Two years before the sugar beet, Limex and poultrymanure is applied in front of oilseed rape, to get the nutrient status of the soils right. “That’s done in July

With a firm focus on lookingafter its soils and a strictrotation, a Norfolk estate has achieved a steadyimprovement in sugar beet yields. CPM visits to learn how.

By Tom Allen-Stevens


.Salle Farms, nr Norwich, Norfolkl Arable area: 2011hal Rotation: Winter wheat/w barley/w oilseed

rape/w wheat/sugar beet/w wheat or spring barley/s beans

l Harvester: 6-row Grimme Rexor S (50:50 partnership with Raynham Farms)

l Drill: 18-row Monopill Mainline tractors: Cat Challenger M855

and 75E; 2x John Deere 7280R; JD 7530; JD 6930 Premium; JD 6920S

l Ploughs: 10f Gregoire Besson semi-mounted; 2x 6f Lemken Euro 8

l Cultivation: 5.7m Discordon; 8.3m Väderstad Rexius Twin; 6m Lemken Karat; 8m Väderstad NZA; Lemken Kompaktor

l Rolls: 16m Dalbo

Farm facts

Care is taken when harvesting to look after the soils that range to boulder clays and don’tself structure.

–– the right time of year to travel on the soils whenspreading. We’re aiming to ensure a pH of 7.5 for the beet.”

Traditionally, the stubble from the wheat crop following the OSR has been ploughed before late Oct toearly Nov and then left to weather over winter. When soilconditions are right, fields are worked “hard and fast”with a 10f Gregoire Besson semi-mounted plough working the middle –– the Cat Challenger staying out thefurrow to avoid a pan –– and two 6f Lemken Euro 8spulling in the headlands.

But this year, 40ha has been planted to a cover crop offorage rye, black oats and vetch. “It’s not something we’ddo on our heaviest soils –– these would still need theplough and winter frosts. And oil raddish doesn’t work –– it grows too thick and mats down so the soils don’tdry out. But this mix seems to help build a bit of structureinto the soil. It does seem there’s a benefit to be had.”

Here, a 5.7m Discordon stepped in for primary cultivations two weeks ahead of the beet crop. Then alight pass on this land, as well as the over-winteredplough, with a 6m Lemken Kompaktor sets the seedbedready for the 18-row Monopil drill. “On more challengingsoils, we’ll also pull through with an 8m Väderstad NZA.But for spring cultivations we keep the tractor dualled upfront and back to ensure there’s as little compaction aspossible,” he notes.

While P and K indices are kept “where they need tobe” at 2 to 2+ across the estate, James Beamish is keento ensure there’s enough potash for the K-hungry beetcrop. A dressing of Sylvinite in autumn also puts downsome sodium, “but we’re wondering whether poultrymanure applied directly in front of cover crops may workbetter,” he says.

In the spring, a further dressing of potash and sodiumis combined with magnesium and sulphur. “We’ve seen a little magnesium deficiency, while the Limex may be to blame for manganese lock-up in some cereals.”

The first application of N with more sulphur is appliedas a liquid with a pre-emergence herbicide dose of chloridazon. “N-wise we’ll then top up at four true leaves with solid fertiliser to bring the total applied to 119kgN/ha.”

Generally, crops get a three-spray post-emergenceherbicide programme. “We tend to delay the first dose ofBetanal MaxxPro (desmedipham+ ethofumesate+ lenacil+phenmedipham) until four true leaves, but go on withrobust rates –– we found it was holding the crop back if

we went at two leaves. We’ll go in again with MaxxProtopped up with lenacil and Debut (triflusulfuron-methyl)8-9 days later. Then the final rate of Debut with lenaciland phenmedipham will depend on weed pressure ––volunteer OSR and knotgrass are the two main problems.”

Centurion Max (clethodim) is used separately forblackgrass, or Fusilade (fluazifop-P-butyl) for othergrassweeds.

“Up until this year, we’ve always followed a two-sprayfungicide programme. But there’s enough evidence nowto show a three-spray approach might pay dividends,especially for the crop we don’t lift until after Christmas,”says James Beamish.

The first application usually coincides with cereal harvest at the end of July, with Escolta (cyproconazole+trifloxystrobin) used to tackle mainly powdery mildew.This is followed up in the last week of Aug with Spyrale(difenoconazole+ fenpropidin) where rust is the target.

“We find Escolta then Spyrale comes out best, so thethree-spray programme will include an extra dose of oneof those two,” he says.

Drilling programmeThe start of harvest fits in with the winter cereal drillingprogramme –– once the winter barley’s in the ground atthe end of Sept, the aim is to lift 100ha before the end ofOct, with those fields then drilled with a late winter wheatcrop. “The rest will go into spring barley.”

Yields last year started at around 75t/ha at the end ofSept, increasing by about 10t/ha per fortnight to threeweeks, with the final fields bringing in 95-100t/ha. “Wecould go later, but you have to balance that with getting adecent winter wheat crop in the ground.”

The estate has always run its own harvester, JamesBeamish explains. “We value the flexibility of harvestingwhen we want to and can’t rely on a contractor. We had aGrimme Maxtron until two years ago –– a trackedmachine which suited us well, except that its cleaningsystem was rollers, and we were struggling to keep thedirt tares down.”

They were keen to move to a Grimme Rexor that has acleaning turbine behind six axial rollers. “We couldn’tjustify the machine on our own, but teamed up withRaynham Farms 20 miles down the road, who lift around the same size crop, and together we bought a two-year-old Rexor.”

The new harvester allows them to clean the crop moreaggressively, notes James Beamish. “You can end up withfootball-shaped beet if you’re not careful, but the turbinescan be toned down, so it’s still kind to beet. The Rexoralso travels on the road at 35km/h –– the trackedMaxtron could only do 22km/h.”

With wheels dog-legged to allow the machine to rollover the entire width, James Beamish likes the fact it cancrab to stay in position. “The Oppel wheels work well ––we’ve had vibrating shares in the past that wear out tooquickly and don’t lift well in a dry Sept. You need to beaccurate enough not to slice the beet, however.”

It’s also a joy to operate, he adds –– quiet andsmooth, humming along at 1300rpm. “At a forward speed of 6-7km/h, we’ll lift about 1ha/hr, while our recordis 20ha in a day.”

With a focus on minimising compaction, the 20tbunker rarely piles up more than 12t before it’s emptiedinto 15t trailers, running on 700mm flotation tyres.Emptying takes place at the gateway end of a field wherever possible to reduce trafficking.

“We’ve invested a lot in concrete recently, so we canlift and clamp. We’re in a bit of a frost pocket, so the aimis to have little more than 40-50ha to lift after Christmas,and we’re usually done by the first or second week of Feb.”

While he budgets at 85t/ha, last year’s crop averaged90-91t/ha. “We’ve just had two fantastic years for sugarbeet, and the NFU negotiated a particularly good price forlast year’s crop.

“There are more volatile times ahead, but our policy ofpushing hard for yield while taking good care of the soilsis working well –– the soils are improving and yields aredoing likewise. So sugar beet will continue to have a firmplace in the rotation,” concludes James Beamish. n

Yield is the key criteria for James Beamish whenchoosing varieties.


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