Boots-on-the-ground ‘essential this spring’

• Sodden soils after another wet winter

• Test properly to assess nutrient status

• Take time before drilling spring crops

Growers in doubt about the nutritional status of soils this spring should get out in the field and conduct a thorough test, says an agronomist.

ProCam agronomist Justin Smith says there’s no room for complacency when managing this season’s mixed bag of forward and backward crops after another wet autumn caused a wide drilling window.

“There’s no better way to understand the nutritional status of soils or needs of a crop than by testing. Likewise, there’s no substitute for using a spade to dig a hole to determine if or when soils are ready to be drilled.”

Soil testing and tissue sampling will help determine nutrient requirements, says Mr Smith. “Rather than mauling in spring crops, growers should take the time to make sure conditions are suitable, he adds.

“It might be tempting to drill spring crops at the first sign of drier conditions, but after such a wet winter don’t underestimate just how waterlogged the ground could remain, especially where soils were compacted.

“Likewise, when we get to next autumn’s drilling window, be patient. It’s never too early to start planning, so talk to your agronomist about whether you should be thinking about sub-soiling or ploughing to alleviate compaction.

“But be prepared to change plans as the year unfolds. If conditions aren’t suitable for deep cultivation work, any good intentions could easily backfire and put soil structure and yield potential even further back.”

Crop management

A flexible approach will pay dividends following a wet winter, says Mr Smith. Although some crops are very forward, some are less advanced and others are way behind where they should be at this time of year.

“While some crops were successfully sown in early September, wet weather soon halted progress, resulting in crops being drilled in two or three distinct phases several weeks apart.”

With such a diversity of situations, a blanket approach to crop care won’t suffice. Growers are therefore advised to seek specialist agronomic support to guide them on a case-by-case basis.

“In a lot of cases, reserves of residual nitrogen will have been depleted by the wet conditions with crops in need of an application of fertiliser as soon as possible. As well as conventional fertilisers, growers should consider alternative nitrogen sources.”

Encera, a bacteria-based product which fixes atmospheric nitrogen and makes it directly available to the plant, provides an accessible source of nitrogen while offsetting the cost and logistical difficulties of applying it in conventional form.

“Similarly, crops that have failed to put down decent roots or are sitting in soils which suffered frost heave and therefore have poor root to soil contact will benefit from an application of phosphite to encourage additional rooting.”

Weed control will require a tailored approach, says Mr Smith. “Where a pre-emergence herbicide was successfully applied on time and there was plenty of moisture available to aid uptake, the weed burden hopefully won’t be too severe.

Robust approach

“But where pre-em treatments were hampered or missed entirely, a robust approach will be needed in the spring. Again, an experienced agronomist’s advice will be crucial to ensure each field and crop is protected according to its current weed load.”

The priority for very forward crops will be to manage canopies to prevent lodging later in the year, with the application of a PGR such as trinexepac and prohexdione in Medax Max also providing a useful secondary benefit by stimulating root development.

Step  ahead

“Disease burden will also vary greatly depending on the crop’s status, with any that were drilled early likely to need a T0 treatment to keep ahead of infections such as Septoria,” explains Mr Smith.