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Issue 16 / Autumn / May 2011
Hi #subname#
Welcome to the May edition of Specialty Seed's SeedData Newsletter.
Thanks for all of your enquiries after the April SeedData Newsletter.
Of the feedback that we have received from our clients, it seems the SeedData Newsletter's are hitting the right button, which we like to hear.
We always aim to keep the information current and of a high standard. If you have any ideas of how we could improve this newsletter please dont hesitate to contact us.
According to my rainfall records we have had 221 mm of rain, in Christchurch, up until the end of April as compared to last years 102mm. The rainfall in many areas has been extreme and damaging, let's hope we get back to normal levels soon.
In this edition we will preview:
A BIG Thank you !
The team at Specialty Seeds would like to thank one of the most respected people within the New Zealand Grain and Seed trade who has recently retired,
Mr Bob Curragh from NZ Agriseeds.
When we first started up in business, 16 years ago, Bob from Agriseeds was one of the first from a seed supply company to
come knocking on our door to see how they could help us. Bob was one of the "behind the scenes" people that ensured we received our product from Agriseeds on
time and with no hassles. Bob grew up in the grain and seed business and as I understand it spent almost his entire working life within it. This gave him not only
a thorough understanding of the business but also how important customer service is.
His happy and efficient personally will be missed by many within our industry
and we wish him all the very best during his much deserved retirement.
Once again thank you Bob and all the best.
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How big is my Brassica Crop ?
This time of year our clients often ask how do I measure a brassica crop? Measuring them is very important and crops like kale should be measured during the
feeding season as they can put on a lot of dry matter yield during the months farmers normally expect low growth rates of all plants normally based on the
pasture growth observations. Please click on the download links below to view an easy to follow PDF download with full instructions.
Download Link: Download our How to measure a Brassica Crop brochure.
Website Link: Click here to go to our Downloads website page.
Contact Link: Please click here to contact Specialty Seeds today .
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Huge potential for possible New Product.
Every once in a while in the course of my job I get an opportunity early in the piece to look at something that I think could potentially make a significant advance for our farming clients.
I took this photo at trial site at Springdale, that I visited during one of my recent trips into the Waikato area.
This area, like a lot of areas in the Waikato, has big issues with black beetle and this year was no exception with farmers reporting large numbers of them.
The trial you are looking at is only into its second year and you can clearly see two types of plots, those that have been affected by black beetle and those who clearly have not.
At this stage I'm not able to say too much about what's going on other than its endophyte related, and that its not traditional ryegrass as we know it. There is a similar story on some grass grub affected areas as well which makes this trial data even more exciting.
Be rest assured I'll be keeping a very close eye on this project and as the story develops I'll keep you informed.
Contact Link: Please click here to contact Specialty Seeds.
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Barley Grass Control (Critesion sp).
There are two main periods to achieve good barley grass control they are either:
- May until August when it's in the vegetative stage or
- September through to November when the green seed head is present.
However in my experience winter is the best time to address any issues you may be having with barley grass.
In this article we will deal with the chemicals that are suitable to use between now and the end of August or before the seed head is visible.
The two main chemicals used at this time of the year are either Ethofumesate or Teedal which is a mix of TCA and dichloropropionic acid.
While there is only one Teedal type product known to me there are several different Ethofumesate products (seven at last count).
I have listed a few chemical products below that I am the most familiar with, we are not recommending one product above the rest.
A good way to plan for the control of Barley Grass is for farmers to make a map of the areas that are most badly affected with barley grass in late summer. Barley grass is less noticeable during this time of year and mapping helps take the guess work out of the areas that need spraying.
Barley grass is a poor competitor and I am sure you will have noticed tends to be worse in waste areas, around the paddock perimeter or any area where there is poor pasture cover.
In some cases you may need to apply the below suggested chemicals twice to achieve control as barley grass can germinate at different times. After spraying you will have large bare areas of ground or thinner pastures so you will need to oversow these areas to introduce competition for seeds that remain in the ground. If you don't fill these areas after spraying barley grass will re-infest them quickly.
Once again we strongly recommend you talk to your local chemical expert and read all labels before you undertake any spraying operation.
Suggested Chemicals for the control of Barley Grass:
Download Link: Download our Identifying Pasture Weeds brochure.
Contact Link: Please click here to contact Specialty Seeds should you require any more help.
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As always, we hope this issue has been of some value to you. If you have a comment on this newsletter or anything on our website, please feel free to give us a call on our Freephone: 0800 727 8873, send us an email at: mail@specseed.co.nz.
Kind Regards
Stephen Finch & David Percival
Specialty Seeds - New Zealand
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