As one of the earliest harvests for some years starts, The Voluntary Initiative is urging farmers to make the most of the extended period from harvest to drilling to tackle problem weeds and pests as well as taking action that will benefit water quality during the next growing season.

Cambridge farmer and agronomist David Felce estimates his oilseed rape harvest is some 14 days ahead of average. Now he intends to make best use of the additional window to tackle grassweed populations and slug infestations which are high in his winter wheat.

“Stale seedbeds are an important part of the whole integrated approach to tackling blackgrass,” says Mr Felce. “Provided we have some moisture after harvest we will look to spray off weed flushes two or even three times before drilling. The more we control the populations before drilling, the better control we can expect from the pre and post-emergence herbicides.

Mr Felce has also seen high populations of slugs on his ripening winter wheat crops and believes he can again put the extended harvest to drilling window to good use with applications of slug pellets on the stubbles.

“With increasing pressure to keep metaldehyde out of water, this is also going to be an ideal opportunity to reduce populations before next year’s crops are sown,” says Mr Felce.

On land where oilseed rape is to be grown, there are also extra opportunities according to Andy Bailey of Dow AgroSciences. First, where time and ground conditions permit, the extra effort to create firm, consolidated seedbeds may help reduce the risk of herbicides applied later percolating through to water courses.

Well-consolidated seedbeds will also help reduce slug numbers.

“It also means that where metazachlor-based herbicides are applied early, i.e. before the end of September, there will be more time for the products to break down before autumn rains increase the risk of these products being washed into water courses,” says Paul Fogg of Makhteshim-Agan.

“An early harvest gives farmers a great opportunity to use integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that will benefit their business, their rotation and reduce the risks to water,” says VI Manager Patrick Goldsworthy.