Cereal Killers

In this week's episode we delve into the issues around filter and nozzle blockages. We pay particular attention to the problems that can arise when mixing various biological products and how to overcome them.   Fish-based organic fertiliser Most commonly extracted using phosphoric acid. Phosphorus often reacts with soluble calcium to form insoluble calcium phosphate. Once this forms, it isn't going anyway, no matter how much you rinse the system. So avoid calcium containing products when using fish-based fertiliser, or do a bucket test first. The other issue with many organic fertilisers, including those based on fish, is that they are commonly suspensions, not soluble concentrates. As such, if left for a long period of time in the spray tank they may settle out and form a layer along the bottom of the tank. Therefore, do not store diluted product overnight. Storing diluted biologicals is also never advised because it will stimulate microbial growth and the additional problems that come from that if not precisely controlled.   Molasses-based organic fertilisers When it comes to molasses it is the actual water you need to take care with. If you pour molasses quickly into very cold water it can sink to the bottom of the tank in one big solid lump! If that lump is sucked into a mixing pump it can cause a catastrophic failure. Therefore always add molasses slowly to any tank and agitate continuously. Alternatively, pre-dilute the molasses in some warm water before adding to the tank for further dilution to the spray concentration.    Seaweed extracts Confirm the pH first. Some are acidic, some neutral, but more commonly they are alkaline. If alkaline, avoid any product that will lower the pH and bring the carbohydrate (alginic acid etc) solids out of solution. Always avoid mixing with chitosan. As chitosan is acidic and cationic (seaweed extracts are anionic); any mix of these two will result in something with the appearance of vomit! If this doesn't happen, you are using poor quality seaweed extract and/or chitosan solution.   Humic and fulvic acid Humic acid solutions are very often moderately alkaline. So avoid any acidic product that will bring the pH down. If this happens you will get a thick tar coating your filters. We have seen a few cases recently of issues when tank mixing with citric acid. This has happened because farmers are now hearing that the efficacy of glyphosate (Roundup) can be increased by lowering the pH with citric acid. They are also hearing that the efficacy of glyphosate can be increased by the inclusion of humic or fulvic acids. So they have applied all three products to the spray tank and blockages have occurred.    Chitosan In addition to its use as a biostimulant and biofungicide, chitosan can also be used to remove contaminants from wastewater. Chitosan is used in waste water treatment because it binds to contaminants and takes them out of solution. So while removing bacteria, metal ions, and humic acid might be an advantage in that scenario, in a spray tank the opposite is true. Chitosan can be tank mixed with a variety of conventional agrochemicals and biologicals, but you need to do your homework first, and always conduct a bucket test with the dilution ratios and water you plan on using. If you need a small sample to do a tank mix with, then please get in touch. I always used to tell customers to never mix chitosan with silicon fertilisers, as these are alkaline and will also fall out of solution if mixed incorrectly. However, we have now developed a way of successfully tank mixing these products together by adjusting the pH of the solution after the addition of the silicon fertiliser. See our Fungicide Reduction Action Plan for more information.   Plant extracts It really depends on the type of extract, the pH and the purification as to how these will tank mix. A single chemical extract will stand a far greater chance of tank mixing than a crude extract (such as a cold-press ‘juice').   One example is yucca extract that contains natural soaps (saponins), these work best at pH above neutral. So if mixed with acidic co-applied products their efficacy may be diminished.  Amino acid biostimulants can also be derived from plant extracts (commonly from legumes). Other sources of amino acid biostimulants used in agriculture include fungal cultures, and the digestion of animal protein; particularly those sourced from pig's blood, bird feathers, and fish waste.  Amino acid biostimulants can have tank mixing issues with ALS inhibitor herbicides. This is because ALS inhibitor herbicides work by disrupting the synthesis of  amino acids in the weed. If you apply ample amino acids alongside the herbicide you could potentially negate the effect of the herbicide because the weed still has access to the amino acids that would otherwise be disrupted.   Nematodes Nematodes are notorious for blocking filters and spray nozzles. Nematodes are animals that are small enough to be delivered in water as a spray to the leaf surface. However, being animals, they are far larger than microbial biologicals, or suspension fertiliser particles and as such standard fitting filters and nozzles will block if nematodes are run through them. As such, research the filters and nozzles for optimum nematode deliver, and factor in the cost of these if you do not have them in stock at present. Nematodes are actually very close to being delivered by drone in the UK. The smaller volume applications or even dry applications that drones offer may suit nematode application better than conventional sprayers. Microbes When it comes to using microbial biologicals the first, and most obvious, tank mixing issue is that they should never be mixed with conventional chemical fungicides / bactericides. These pesticides act as biocides and will kill the beneficial microbes ithey are tank mixed with. In addition, many insecticides and herbicides might also have antimicrobial activity, so it is always best to check with the manufacturer before combining with microbials in the tank. Another consideration when using beneficial microbes is to the chlorine in tap water. While most farmers use water from tanks rather than tap water, a sizable proportion do use tap water; especially in periods of drought. If using tap water alongside microbials always add a dechlorinator first. Fungal biologicals Fungal biologicals include symbiotic mycorrhizae, free-living Trichoderma, and fungal biopesticides. Normally fungal biologicals are supplied from the manufacturers as either spores or ‘propagules'. Spores are usually

In the last episode on Black Grass we talked only briefly about our research to create a biological solution. In this podcast I give the full details about this project and how it will be deployed on arable farms.  To sign up for regular updates on our Black Grass Spore projects visit:  https://eutrema.co.uk/the-black-grass-biology-group   Thanks for listening, and happy growing! Dr Russell Sharp

Take All is a fungal disease of all grass species. Unlike the fungal diseases we have covered in the past, this one is transmitted through infected soils. Take all is often under-estimated by arable farmers because it doesn't produce obvious symptoms or fruiting bodies. Check out this episode to find out more about take all biology and control. https://eutrema.co.uk

Frit Flies are both annoying and economically damaging. They belong to a big group of true flies and cause damage to emerging tillers. But why are they called 'frit' flies? We have no idea, so we would love your suggestions!  

You've grown your crop, it's almost ready to harvest, then it all falls over! Damm it! Find out about the causes and potential solutions to lodging on this week's episode. As always, feel free to contact us form more info on this and any other crop cultivation topic at: https://eutrema.co.uk

ERGOT is a fungal disease that spoils cereal crops. Whilst Ergot doesn't massively impact on yields, it destroys the quality of the harvested grain as it contains. We hope you enjoy this episode and please contact us for more information on potential ergot control measures at; https://eutrema.co.uk

Leatherjackets; the giant maggots of the crane fly! A pest in arable crops, pasture grass, and horticulture. In this podcast we discuss the impact of this pest on crop roots and stems. The biology of leatherjackets is interesting as they remain active in the winter, and reach a peak of damage in early spring. For more details on leatherjackets and potential control methods, contact the Eutrema technical team by visiting; https://eutrema.co.uk

Fescues are a group of grass species that can be of benefit to livestock farmers, but for arable farmers they represent some serious weeds! These weeds can totally destroy a field even in a season or two. Plus they can possess remarkable resistance to glyphosate. To discuss fescue with our technical team, please visit: https://eutrema.co.uk/contact/

Alternaria / sooty mould is a disease that affects cereal crops late on in the summer, close to harvest. It can even cause damage in grain stores. In this podcast we discuss the biology, control methods, and some crazy facts about this weird pathogen. To discuss alternaria control please speak to the Eutrema technical team at: https://eutrema.co.uk/about/

AKA White Mould. This disease affects oilseed rape, beans, and any other crop outside of cereals that you may be using as rotational crops. It will also affect cover crops. Sclerotinia produces unusual bodies of spores called 'sclerotia' that drop the ground and release spores in the spring. If you would like to discuss further options for control of Sclerotinia, please speak to us using the contact details on our website https://eutrema.co.uk

Salt is a common food for humans, but it is deadly toxic to plants. You should be aware of the symptoms of salinity damage on any farm as it can be an issue anywhere, not just on the coast or in arid countries! In this episode we discuss the symptoms of salt damage, the effects it has on the plant, plants that tolerate salt (halophytes), ways to overcome or avoid salt damage, and some minor benefits of having salt in the soil.   At Eutrema we actively avoid sodium as an ingredient in our agri-inputs and work with farmers to reduce the level of sodium entering the cropping system. Get in touch with us to find out more by visiting https://eutrema.co.uk  

On the face of it, not the most interesting of subjects. However, you will find this episode both informative and hilarious. Did you know about pigeon milk or domesticated dodos? No, neither did I until this episode! If you would like to discuss alternative options for pigeon control, please contact us at Eutrema. https://eutrema.co.uk

Powdery mildew affects every type of crop on the farm (except Christmas TREES!). However, the type of mildew that affects each species is different. That means you cannot get cross-infection between crops or weeds. Mildew thrives in warm humid conditions, but actually doesn't like being sprayed with water!   We talk about how to prevent powdery mildew and control methods for when you have a crop that is starting to become infected. If you are currently suffering from powdery mildew, check out Eutrema's bio-fungicide Chitosan.

Peach potato aphid is a pest that doesn't cause a massive amount of damage directly by feeding on the crop. However, this aphid is a vector for hundreds of plant diseases. Plus it can feed off plants in over 40 plant families. As such, farmers need to be able to control the peach potato aphid to ensure the crops do not get infected with a damaging virus. In this podcast we discuss the unusual biology of the peach potato aphid and methods for controlling it. Both organic and conventional methods. If you would like to discuss aphids further, please contact us by visiting https://eutrema.co.uk

Brome is a weed that is very different to the other weed we have already discussed, black grass. This is because brome weeds have very large seeds, and they are closely related to all cereal crops. This means that while they might not travel as far as black grass, they can hold more cereal diseases than black grass. We discuss control methods such as herbicides, rotation, planting date, and densities.  Soft brome, and sterile brome are the main species that are weeds in arable crops. To discuss brome weeds further, please contact us by visiting https://eutrema.co.uk

There are over 6000 species of thrips. Luckily, only a few of these attack arable crops. Thrips feed off the top surface of the leaf, leaving characteristically silver markings behind. Thrips lay their eggs INSIDE leaves, which makes killing every point of the life cycle difficult. Plus the pupae fall to the soil halfway through their lifecycle, again meaning foliar targeted insecticides can be ineffective at stopping future populations building up. We discuss thrips swarming only during thunderstorms, the female dominated populations, and of course methods of controlling thrips. If you would like to discuss thrips further, please contact us by visiting https://eutrema.co.uk  

Puccinia, or to me and you, RUST! A serious problem for arable farmers, especially if it hits early in the growing season. We discuss the very unusual biology of the many species of rust that infect cereal crops. Plus we discuss some very novel methods of control. Not least Eutrema's CHITOSAN bio-fungicide. For more information on one of these, please visit: https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/pesticides-organic/chitosan/  

A deep dive into how arable farmers can turn the tide against this pernicious weed. Black grass is a weed that has proven very successful at invading cereal crops due to a number of key features. We talk about these features and new ways to control black grass. For more details, please visit:  https://eutrema.co.uk/the-black-grass-biology-group/

A deep dive into all things SLUGS!  A serious pest for oil seed rape (OSR), potato and sometimes wheat farmers. We focus on some of the more interesting aspects of slugs and their control. Not least, the use of Eutrema's new SLUGGER product, which we are trialling on OSR crops this autumn. For more details visit: https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/biostimulants/slugger/   

A podcast all about the pest, diseases, and weeds that try to kill arable crops! A podcast for farmers and agronomists from the team at Eutrema. Visit eutrema.co.uk for more details. Dr Russell Sharp, Managing Director, Eutrema Ltd Josie Cuccia, Lecturer, Moulton College, Northamptonshire