Sustainable blackgrass management was the main reason a Lincs-based farming business bought a ridging hiller for its potato enterprise. But as CPM finds out, there are quality benefits too.
I’d estimate we’ve cut our post-emergence herbicide bill by 70%.
By Tom Allen-Stevens
Being in the top 25% of farming businesses isn’t enough for Will Gagg. “I’d like us to be in the top of the top 25%,” he says.
And when it comes to the 400ha potato enterprise he manages for RJ and AE Godfrey, based in Brigg, N Lincs, all grown for the pre-pack market, that means quality comes first. “We want to bring deductions down to an absolute minimum, so we try to get feedback on greening, skin finish and size and look at how we can adjust the system to make incremental improvements,” he explains.
Quality comes first for the potato crop, such as this Desirée, destined for the pre-pack market.
“That could be in how we store them, harvest them, or any aspect of their agronomy – if we can reduce deductions by just 0.5% here and there, all those marginal gains add up,” he reasons.
RJ and AE Godfrey farms a total of around 4000ha, from north of the Humber down to Holbeach. Potatoes are grown across the Grade 1 and 2 silts of the farmed area as well as on the good quality soils of the Lincs Wolds.
“We’re growing Maris Piper, Estima, Nectar, Melody, Desirée, Lanorma and Sapphire, all for pack houses going directly to mainstream supermarkets. We do 70% on the free-buy market these days with the rest on contract.”
As potato cyst nematode has crept in, the crop has been dropped from one in six years to one in ten in a rotation that includes winter cereals, oilseed rape, vining peas, sugar beet and a small area of borage. Potatoes generally follow wheat or barley, which themselves follow vining peas, although increasingly rented land is used to minimise PCN problems.
“Blackgrass generally isn’t an issue on our own land, but on land rented in it can be a serious problem. It was this that led us to think about a different approach to weed control,” says Will.
A shrinking pesticide armoury adds to the challenge, which will only get worse when diquat drops out of the picture. “We currently go through with diquat after planting. The pre-emergence herbicide is usually based around Defy (prosulfocarb) or Artist (flufenacet+ metribuzin). But after that, there’s very little that tackles blackgrass. We can use Titus (rimsulfuron) for broadleaf weeds, although this can knock the crop,” he notes.
So Will started to look for an alternative solution. “I’d heard that a ridging hiller can help with weed control, so got in touch with Grimme through our local York depot and arranged a demonstration. It did a fantastic job, so we purchased one in spring 2017 and covered 250ha with it. Last year, we used it throughout the crop and I’d estimate we’ve cut our post-emergence herbicide bill by 70%,” he says.
Grimme’s ridging hiller is available in 2, 4, 6 or 8-row versions, each of them adjustable for row widths from 75-91.4cm. The Single row shaper or Eco versions are most suited to mechanical weed control once the crop has emerged and either can be passed through a crop canopy that’s closed within the rows.
There are various options for the cultivation configuration, which generally starts with one or more leading tines. The Single row shaper and Eco hiller have shapers in lieu of the shaping board to allow running between the rows. An extension on the third and fourth tine frame of the Eco version allows for an optional guided cutting knife for undercutting the side of the ridge.
The tools are mounted on a double, welded frame, with fixed ridging bodies for stone-free ground or spring-mounted for stony soils. Spring-mounted discs are an option for wet conditions. On light soils you can fit cage rollers to improve the water absorption of the finished ridges. The 4-row version weighs in at less than 1t with an overall width of 3.27m and length of 2.38m.
The 4-row Single row shaper is the one Will opted for. “It does three jobs in one,” he explains. “First of all, it disturbs the weeds, so we don’t have to apply a post-em herbicide. It also pulls up the rows so the ridges retain their shape through the season. Finally, it seals the side of the rows nicely, which means less cracking, reducing the level of greening, and it helps to preserve moisture. So we’re not only reducing our chemical bill, but cutting down on deductions and improving tuber quality.”
Although it’s available with up to three tines, Will runs the hiller with just the one tine mounted up front. “This loosens the soil – you only really want to scratch it for weed control. Then the discs take the disturbed soil from the furrow base, bringing it up onto the sides of the ridge. The shaper then finishes the job off, making it weather-proof and leaving the top untouched. All of the tools are spring-mounted so follow the contours with minimal disturbance to the crop itself.”
Land is generally ploughed down in the autumn with a Kvernelend 7f plough turning over the Lincs Wolds and a 10f plough pulled through the silt soils with a Quadtrac. This allow frost mould and weathering to do its job over the winter.
“Our silts can tend to run together a bit and go a bit sad, so we put a 4m Challenger deep-tine cultivator through in the spring. With no wings on the 15 legs, this just puts a bit of air into the soil before the planter goes through. We’ll also take the destoners through the wold soils,” says Will.
“Following planting and the pre-em herbicide we now leave everything to green up well until there’s a relatively large canopy before starting any post-em weed control with the hiller. This will usually be about late May to early June, although it was mid-late June last year because of the late spring. It actually helps if there’s a large canopy because this then closes over rapidly and doesn’t give the weeds a chance to grow back.
“We’ll take it fairly steady through the crop, going no more than 6-7 km/h or even as slow as 4 km/h, covering about 20ha a day. There’s generally very little damage to the crop, so long as you don’t put a fool on the tractor seat.”
There’s minimal maintenance required, he adds. “We’ve hardly taken a spanner to it, apart from setting it up for the row widths and configuration we need. But that’s generally the way with Grimme kit – we have their harvesters and planters that have proven reliable, so it was the natural choice for the hiller. What’s more, their York depot is fantastic for parts and service and this keeps our downtime to a minimum.”
The hiller is helping the business stay one step ahead of blackgrass, notes Will, but that’s just one of a number of roles it’s fulfilling. “We do our utmost to stay in control of blackgrass, especially on land we’re renting in. But we’ve lost a lot of chemicals and have to look towards more sustainable management solutions. The hiller provides that, but it has the additional benefits of making incremental improvements to crop quality that improve returns for the business and ensure we remain the best of the best – that’s our end goal.”
Farm Facts
RJ and AE Godfrey, Elsham, Brigg, N Lincs
- Farmed area: 4000ha
- Cropping: Winter wheat, winter barley, oilseed rape, potatoes, vining peas, sugar beet, borage
- Soil type: Grade 1 and 2 silts; Grade 1 loams on Lincs Wolds
- Mainline tractors: 16-17 John Deere; 2x Fendt
- Combine harvesters: John Deere S690; Claas Lexion 540; New Holland CR 8.80
- Potato harvesters: Grimme Varitron 220 self-propelled, 3x GT170
- Planters: Grimme GB430 4-row, GL430 4-row
- Destoners: 2x Grimme CS150
- Ridging hiller: Grimme GH4 4-row Single row shaper
- Staff: 8 members of staff on potatoes plus 6 on arable
Weed research: use it or lose it
Non-chemical means of weed control have been highlighted as an essential element of a ‘whole-systems’ approach recommended for UK growers as part of a major weed management review. But the nation’s considerable research base in this area is in danger of disappearing without trace.
The first ever cross-sector review of weed management, led by ADAS and funded by AHDB and BBRO, was published at the beginning of April. According to the 350-page review, essential weed management information could be lost to the industry unless key sources of reference material are identified and archived. Coordinated programmes of research and knowledge exchange (KE) across cropping sectors were also deemed necessary to make the best use of depleted funds.
“The UK has been at the forefront of weed research in the post-war era, laying the foundation for management, including the provision of essential data on weed biology,” says Joe Martin, AHDB senior crop protection scientist for weeds.
“However, the legacy of this research is being eroded. Key reference sources, such as those published by Defra and its predecessor, MAFF, are gradually being lost.”
Drawing on national and international information sources, the review covers cereals, oilseeds, horticulture, potatoes, sugar beet, legumes and grassland systems.
In addition to identifying, protecting and translating weed management information, the review team highlights that information can become trapped within high-science, peer-reviewed journals. As a result, it recommends a mechanism is identified to get essential information out to farmers and growers faster.
Non-chemical control methods are also reviewed. Many show promise and the authors recommend effort be placed on trialling such approaches in the UK. But the review states that the industry needs to be more unified and strategic to maximise the chance of such methods making an economic difference to farmers and growers.
“Chasing management of a specific weed with chemistry is a luxury in current times,” continues Joe. “The review suggests we should look at ‘broad-spectrum’ alternatives that tackle weeds across entire cropping systems.”
Information on ‘whole-systems’ approaches is required, in particular. This includes investigating the role that cover crops, minimum cultivation systems, inter-row management and inter-cropping can play.
Investment in monitoring is also needed, from basic research on how weeds spread (e.g. via organic materials), to how herbicide-resistant populations can be identified and managed.
The fast-tracking of suitable technologies is also deemed essential. This covers the use of drones, weed maps and non-chemical control approaches (e.g. based on mechanical, electrical and thermal techniques). Genomic approaches, to disrupt weeds and to develop herbicide-tolerant crops, are also earmarked as avenues of exploration.
As chemistry will continue to play an essential role, substances such as adjuvants and soil stabilisers should be developed to support the dwindling herbicide options available. Improved targeting of herbicides is also cited as key, including the development of weed thresholds for patch spraying.
With key herbicides lost recently in potatoes, mechanical weeding approaches need to be fast-tracked, the review recommends. Improved information on canopy development and guidance technology is also urgently required. Herbicide evaluations also need to be improved and should include assessments of variety sensitivity.
The high-value nature of horticultural produce often puts this sector at the cutting edge of weed management solutions. Cross-sector funding could be used to establish proof of concept of alternative approaches in horticultural systems, suggests the review. With a strong focus on the intra-row environment, there is great potential to develop spot and mechanical weeding technologies, as well as novel mulches and inter-cropping techniques. Alternative chemistry, including biopesticides, is also a strong focus for this sector.
For cereals and oilseeds, quantification of the benefit of alternative weed control approaches is a priority. More robust information on the ability of varieties to compete with weeds is in particular demand. The efficacy/value of all main alternative weed-control approaches is required, from simple hand rogueing, to harvest weed seed control opportunities.
In sugar beet, broadleaf weed control strategies are crucial, says the review. Spray programmes need to make the most of remaining chemistry, including the use of adjuvants and safeners. Several herbicide active ingredients are available in other cropping systems and the industry needs to work closely together to ensure the most promising are authorised for use in this major crop.
The review is informing AHDB and BBRO on future investment through a targeted programme of research and knowledge exchange. AHDB has recently committed to support a coordinated programme of activity on the integrated management of weeds over the next five years.
“AHDB has to balance many priorities,” says Joe. “Due to the strategic importance of weeds, the green light has been given to develop the next phase of weed research and KE. This will involve working in partnership with industry to develop cross-sector programmes of work.”
