Autumn Sowing
As Autumn drilling begins, figures remain positive for the area of winter cereals across the country. Coming out of two significantly wet autumns, many farmers are planning on drilling crops earlier than usual. Remember that a balance between ground conditions, BYDV risk, grass weed control and disease pressure must be found. We recommended choosing BYDV tolerant barley varieties such as Molly, Orcade, or Integral if you plan to drill winter barley early.
Sowing wheat after a break crop strongly reduces the risk of take-all and presents an excellent opportunity for high yields. Although early sowing is tempting, be mindful of the risk of both BYDV and early Septoria infection. Drummonds’ Spearhead is an excellent variety with a very strong disease package. Spearhead has performed very well and is among the top yielding varieties on the DAFM Recommended list for 2025.
An autumn cropping plan ensures that rotational needs are met for your farm, while spreading workload during a busy period especially if spring crops are yet to be harvested.
Sowing Rate Calculation
Thousand Rate Gain (TGW)
x Target Plant Population/m2
_________________________
% Establishment
*Remember to check the TGW on bags before sowing as variation can occur between varieties.
Autumn Weed Control
Pre-emergence herbicides are strongly effective in controlling problem grass weeds. It is important to know the history of weeds in each field to choose the correct herbicide program. Active ingredients such as pendimethalin, prosulfocarb and flufenacet give the best control when applied early, especially where annual meadowgrass is an issue.
Crop P&K Requirements
It is essential that winter cereals have a source of P and K at sowing to ensure both root and tiller development. Having an accurate and up-to-date soil test is mandatory to understand your Phosphorus allowances for the season ahead. Drummonds Agriphos is an excellent source of Phosphorus, Potassium and secondary nutrients such as Calcium and Magnesium for winter cereals. The 0-4.5-10 formulation supplies the correct balance of P and K at sowing. Agriphos can be applied to both stubble and ploughed ground and elements are rapidly available to the growing plant. Contact your local Drummonds Rep for more information on the benefits of Agriphos for your system.
Oilseed Rape
Many oilseed rape crops are up and established at this stage. Even after a dry period, crops are looking good. Be mindful of slug and pigeon damage at early stages to secure a strong canopy going into the winter months. An application of 7kg/ha of Metaldehyde based pellets is recommended for slug control.
Where volunteer cereals are found, it is recommended to apply a herbicide such as Falcon before the cereal plant has tillered. If grass weeds such as Blackgrass, AMG or Brome are present, products such as Centurion max need to be used.
The main target of an autumn fungicide on oilseed rape is Phoma and Light Leaf Spot. It is recommended to asses plants and follow a threshold of 10% affected plants before a fungicide is used.
Potato Trials
Members of our Agronomy team were out collecting results from some of our Potato trials. Drummonds have carried out multiple trials across different locations in the north east, many of which are showing excellent results from the inclusion of Agriphos in the program. Results are showing an increase in marketable yields, with potatoes also showing less scab and skin defects.
Maize Additives
With the prediction of a delayed maize harvest due to cool weather during its final growing months, there is likely to be a risk of higher mould presence in the forage. Drummonds are delighted to stock Magniva Maize silage inoculant.
The Magniva products are formulated to be highly soluble, faster mixing and more consistent providing a uniform and accurate application.
The inoculant contains two strains of bacteria, L.Hilgardii and L.Buchneri which act together to deliver excellent aerobic stability after only 15 days. This provides an opportunity to open your pit earlier than expected if forage runs short.
