HARVEST TO GET UNDERWAY IN A FORTNIGHT
Weather permitting, the 2004 cereal harvest will get underway in around two to three weeks' time. And the prospects - certainly for winter crops - look excellent!
This week's thunderstorms and strong gales have led to lodging in some winter and spring barley crops, particularly in the south and west of the province. But with ground conditions remaining excellent in all areas, the threat to final yields caused by the recent poor weather is minimal.
"That's assuming we get a return to more settled conditions reasonably quickly," stressed Syngenta's Raymond Hilman
"Spring barley crops have had to endure the very dry conditions of May and early June. We have now had the rain, so let's hope we will soon see a bit more of the sun to allow the ears to fill out, as required. My main concern is that continuing wet weather could lead to ear germination in those spring crops that have lodged."
He added:
"But where winter barley is concerned, yield prospects look very good indeed. Crops were in a position to take full benefit of the warm, dry conditions enjoyed throughout May and the first part of June. Significantly, it looks as if 6 row varieties are going to perform particularly well this year. A case in point is the hybrid variety Colossus, launched by Syngenta last autumn."
Raymond also reports that winter wheat crops are looking very well at the present time.
"The recent rain has increased the disease threat and I would advise growers that have not applied the final T3 spray to do so immediately," he stressed.
"An effective tank mix for wheat at this stage, where only one strob has been used to date, would be a mix of Amistar and Cogito. Where two strobs have already been used an appropriate mixture would be Cogito and Plover. Aphid numbers are very high in many crops and where crops are not passed the stage where damage could occur, Hallmark at the rate of 50mls per ha should be included."
Where farmers have already applied low rates of fungicide at T3 - during the good weather - they may have to reconsider their programme as Septoria is already creeping into some of these crops, mainly due to the persistent wet weather!
Co Down cereal grower Allan Chambers confirmed to Farming Life that he hopes to start harvesting his winter barley crops in about a fortnight.
"Yield prospects are looking good," he added.
"Crops have enjoyed almost perfect growing conditions since day one. But we won't know final yields until the actual harvest gets underway!"
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