AgriPhos
With winter cropping coming to an end as we leave 2024 behind us it is time to start thinking about 2025 and making agronomic plans in cropping and nutrient management planning. One product that should be to the forefront of people’s minds is the low carbon, non-chemical product, AgriPhos. As leading agronomists have stated, that increasing the foundation in areas such as soil health are key to ensuring higher yielding crops and products such as AgriPhos can help ensure this.
AgriPhos, an innovative PK fertiliser is a game changer in sustainable agriculture. Derived from renewable sources, it contains essential nutrients including Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulphur, Magnesium, Calcium, and Sodium, plus vital trace elements. AgriPhos allows the plant to create a vigours rooting system helping with early vigour to allow the plant feed early tillers to help drive potential yields. AgriPhos is a source of trace elements which act as a natural liming agent reducing the possible use of ground Lime. AgriPhos can be used in all areas across the farm from cereals and grasslands to root crops. For more information contact your local Drummonds Agronomist.
Spring Seed
Spring 2025 is coming upon us and the Drummonds team is busy preparing seed for upcoming orders. Spring seed quality is looking excellent for 2025 as a result of the strong performing spring barley crops of 2024. Spring cropping is a great crop to include in the rotation as it is a good tool for controlling grass weed problems, increasing soil health and pest problems. Drummonds will be offering many of the top yielding varieties including Skyway, Rockway and a new variety: Lollipop. Each of these varieties available for the 2025 season, are offering unique characteristics in yield, disease resistance, and grain quality.
Ear counts are crucial for spring barley harvests with good yields. Spring barley doesn’t yield more from early planting than wheat or winter barley. The best yields are obtained when the crop is planted in warm soil, where it requires two weeks for it to germinate and emerge. Prompt germination and rapid canopy closure reduces soil moisture evaporation, keeping the crop as competitive as it can be on grass and broad-leafed weeds. Maintaining standing crops until harvest and preventing excessive seed rates that could impede this are among the key goals of effective agrono
Along with Spring Barley Drummonds will also have Spring wheat, Spring Oats and beans available For more information and spring seed orders contact your local Drummonds Agronomist.
Winter Cropping
Winter crops across the north east are looking as good as they can be with crops such as Molly jumping out of the ground. This is due to the above normal temperatures during November and December. As a result of this they are more dense and forward compared to normal for this time of year. As in the past when crops have been advanced due to mild winter weather, they are prone to leaf disease development. There is evidence of net blotch in early planted barley crops on lower leaves and crops should be kept monitored in the early months of 2025. In previous years when crops were similar and there was evidence of mildew which is also present in advance crops of oats, it has proven that spraying a fungicide in December and January had no impact on yield results as these early leaves don’t impact on final yields. As a result of this it is vital that growers get in touch with their Drummonds Agronomist to keep a check on all crops.
In later grown crops such as wheat after potatoes it is important to keep an eye out for pests such as slugs. Most other crops have enough tillers and leaves to keep ahead of attacks. Additionally, oilseed rape crops are extremely tall and advance. Pigeon grazing should be reduced as a result of this, but in the upcoming months, every attempt should be made to keep them away from areas where they begin to graze because they will be removing important nitrogen (N) that is contained in the leaves. Herbicides for weed management are still being applied to some crops, so before spraying, check the crop to determine how much interaction the herbicide will have with the weeds. As the temperature drops, crops can now be treated with Kerb or Astrokerb.
Research and Development Site
As the sun sets on 2024, the Drummonds and Fane Valley Agronomy teams came together to reflect on the past growing season and exchange insights from the Drummonds Research and Development Trial Site. There was also a discussion on the importance of soil health and the correct use and importance of cover cropping and the impact that it has on soil structure over the winter to help with water movement and to help reduce soil compaction through rooting.
The trial site provides the team with invaluable local data that both Drummonds and Fane Valley can use to give tailored advice and knowledge to their respective customers. This allows the Agronomists to give customers specific recommendations to achieve the best possible use of the crop inputs and optimise yield and return for our growers.
