UK: Syngenta's iOSR site update

Chris Eglington, farmer nr Thetford, Norfolk is hosting Syngenta’s iOSR site for a 2nd year. The field of Ambassador hybrid oilseed rape was drilled on 12 August 2021 into a field that had winter barley last year. Chris uses a controlled traffic system. This field was last oilseed rape 8 years ago. It was disced, sub-soiled, drilled with a Väderstad disc drill with a seed counter going down to 35 seeds/m², then rolled to consolidate the seedbed. This replaced last year’s precision drilling, as trials showed similar establishment and yield, but with much faster drilling.

Cabbage stem flea beetle pressure has been lower this year than previous years, but beetles still being found in the yellow water traps, along with hover flies and other beneficial insects. CSFB migration data is being fed into ADAS to help support a large scale 3-year AHDB project looking into CSFB management which we are a member of. Flowering charlock prevalent in the field, but Chris says once a frost hits that will take the majority out, possibly with a follow-up of bifenox.

Syngenta are looking at four different trials on this site. A biostimulant/seed coat trial, looking at both seed and foliar applications of different materials and their interaction with each other. Do they help the crop emerge quicker and be more vigorous? Do these different treatments negate the use for large amounts of nitrogen?

Next is the insecticide trial focusing on crop protection and how HALLMARK Zeon can be augmented to get the best out of it for cabbage stem flea beetle control - with different doses, mixes with resistant blocking agents, biostimulants, wetters, and how application methods interact with this. No differences to be seen as yet due to low adult pressure, but larval assessments will be carried out in the spring along with resistance testing of the CSFB to gauge amount of resistance in Chris’ area.

The third trial is for a new insecticide in oilseed rape (cyantraniliprole). Focusing on autumn applications for CSFB and their larvae. Although Syngenta are hopeful for many pests to be on the label for oilseed rape. This trial is demonstrating dose responses, timing of applications, along with use of penetrating adjuvants.

Finally, an R&D trial looking at band spraying (every other row and all rows) of insecticides, biostimulants and repellants. There was no loss of seedlings from spraying every other row.