It’s Show Time: and Time To Catch Up On The Latest Products & Services

June 2010

June is the traditional month for the Royal Cornwall Show and with it, the opportunity to gather information about the latest products and services currently available to help farmers plan for the winter months ahead. This year is no different to many recent ones in that the number of ways to solve traditional issues is on the increase and with it, the need to keep abreast of all the latest products.

One of the key areas at this time of year concerns the issue of getting as much quality and quantity out of the second cut as possible to ensure that there is sufficient silage available for the winter. If the next winter is as long as the previous one, then extra silage may well be required, as several farmers found out when they ran low and had to pay high prices for extra forage as the winter dragged on. Other farmers turned to using a much higher proportion of maize. It’s better to bear the extra cost of fertilizer and sulphur now, than to suffer these situations again.  Applying a quality complex fertilizer such as Yara NK Sulphur will provide superior spreading characteristics to ensure even application and utilisation of nutrients for the benefit of the crop.    Additives are also a proficient way of boosting and maintaining the quality of the cut, with Ecosyl 100 being a sound, all-round choice.

Not everything that comes out the ground is useful and keeping weeds under control is critical to maintaining healthy yields. It’s a tragedy when weeds deny crops their proper levels of nutrients and this issue can be controlled by spraying the crop with a good weed killer at this time of year when the weed is at the right height for maximum clearing. Get a decent weed killer working for you, such as Doxstar (Docks & Chickweed) or Pastor (Nettles & Thistles), and the feed value of the crop can be significantly enhanced.

Cornwall Farmers has also recently launched a weed killer in pack form, available through our country stores. Called Headland Relay-P this is ideal for a few acres at a time with one pack being sufficient to treat a hectare of land.

With performance and productivity in mind, many South West farmers will be interested in a new type of New Zealand grazing grass which is being trialled in the region by Cornwall Farmers and a sample of which will be on display at the Royal Cornwall Show. New Zealand ‘Matrix’ is a dense variety of grass that is particularly suitable for colder locations. It provides a longer growing season, being approximately three weeks earlier to show at the start of the season and extending for another three weeks longer at the close. With a lifetime of six years, ‘Matrix’ can prove to be an especially worthwhile choice for north-facing fields.

Farmers will also soon be deciding on whether to crimp or go to wholecrop, and the weather itself is often the deciding factor in this issue. The Cornwall Farmers Arable team will, as always, be pleased to give their comments in relation to what the best choices are in the light of this summer’s weather, contact your CF arable agronomist or telephone Charlie Siggs on 07841 071400, Daniel Collins on 07796 300447 or Kim Willey on 0845 652 66 44.

Alternatively come and speak to us at this year’s Royal Cornwall Show, Wadebridge, June 10-12.