GROWERS WARNED TO DELAY NITROGEN APPLICATIONS

As the days begin to lengthen growers will be seeing rapid growth in their cereal crops. However the message from plant breeding company Nickerson and ag-chem manufacturer BASF is to hold off from applying early nitrogen.

 "Crops will be moving fast from now - driven by the increasing day length and mild winter temperatures causing mineralization of organic nitrogen more rapidly," says Nickerson wheat breeder Ron Granger.

 "Early applications of N will increase lodging pressure and on well established first wheats there is no need for any - indeed it would be surprising if these crops need nitrogen until April."

 Nickerson are keen to remind growers that varieties differ in their developmental patterns, for example Claire is a late developer where as Einstein is much faster.

"Because Einstein has 15% of the national crop area we want growers to look very carefully at their PGR applications," says Mr Granger. "This is of even more importance with the current grain market – as prices are hovering around the £60-£65 per tonne level we need to minimise threats to the crop. This year many growers have increased their seed rates following difficult establishment problems in autumn 2003, so the crops are vulnerable."

 BASF's Steve Waterhouse agrees that forward crops will benefit from growth control rather than a boost from early N: "We are concerned that growers will underestimate the effects of the mild winter. We know what a powerful effect sowing date has on lodging risk – research shows that in an 'average' year a two week delay in sowing from the middle to the end of September has the same effect on lodging as an effective early season PGR. As mid-September sowings this year are even more forward growers should be thinking of boosting their PGR programme to take account of this."

 The advice from BASF is to use an early season PGR, with a split application of New 5C Cycocel or Meteor being the preferred approach in higher risk crops. They are also strongly advising growers to include a follow-up application of Terpal in high risk situations.

 "We recommend that growers start planning to include Terpal even at this stage," says Mr Waterhouse. "This does not mean dramatic increases in spend, since the later decision allows seasonal effects to be taken into account, ensuring that growth control is appropriate to the particular crop."

 Detailed agronomy advice is given in the Einstein husbandry guidelines - free from Nickerson UK as well as available on the company web site (www.nickersonuk.com/einstein.html). Advice on the optimum targeting and use of PGRs and other agronomic tools can be found on www.agricentre.co.uk .

 ENDS

 PIC: Ron Granger on the left showing the level of Claire winter wheat, and Steve Waterhouse of BASF with the faster developing Einstein winter wheat –  for pic in higher res / alternative pics, reply to this email

 For further information contact: Frank Curtis on 01472 371471 or fcurtis@nickerson.co.uk

 NOTES:

1. New 5C Cycocel, Meteor and Terpal are registered trademarks of BASF

2. New 5C Cycocel contains chlormequat chloride

3. Meteor contains chlormequat chloride + choline choride + imazaquin

3. Terpal contains mepiquat chloride and 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid