51AVÊÓƵ

The UK’s winter linseed area is set to more than double on last year as growers look to alternative break crops to oilseed rape.

Withdrawal dates for the tuber fungicide treatment, penflufen found in Bayer’s Emesto Prime DS have been announced by the Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD).

Heavy rainfall has put a stop to autumn drilling across many parts of the UK, making many growers nervous of a repeat of last season.

Harvest finished for us on September 11, three days later than last year, which was not a bad result considering where we were approaching the end of August. It was a very stop start affair this year, as it was for most in our part of the country, and it never really felt like we got going.

I was in Scotland last week, trying to catch the fish of 10,000 casts or so Ian the gillie told me after I blanked.

Harvest is all but finished here in North Yorkshire, the last few stragglers of spring barley are to be mopped up while spring beans are just about ready to cut.Ìý In all, yields are what we expected. Need I say any more?

Recent wet weather in many parts of the UK, particularly in the North, has led to an increased risk of large slug populations.

Faced with Covid-19 related contraction of demand for spring barley and oats, many growers will want to take advantage of the scrapping of the three crop rule and maximise wheat area this autumn.

With the window to get winter crops drilled likely to be tight this year, following a later harvest in some areas, crop nutrition may be neglected.

Sowing spring beans this autumn could help solve the problem of short winter bean seed stocks caused by the difficult growing season of 2020, according to new research by PGRO.