http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPBJXm6C98k&feature=autoplay&list=PLEC61555DD3ECFB90&index=15&playnext=3

Cereals 2010 sprayer videos link

Preparing for drier times   23.12.10

Water already limits UK crop yields in some seasons, but with drier summers on the horizon, growers

may have to shift drought tolerance further up their agenda.

Choosing varieties able to extract soil water effectively and use it more efficiently will become increasingly

important as climate change made summers drier, according to Eric Ober, crop physiologist at

Broom's Barn research centre. In trials last season, drought caused a 38% yield loss in one crop, and with

30% of the UK's wheat area grown on drought-prone land, the problem could worsen, he said at a

recent Association of Applied Biologists conference. That meant it was important to determine how well

different crops performed in drought conditions, he added. Research on 64, mainly UK, varieties showed a

significant difference in drought tolerance between them. The varieties were planted in poly tunnels and

subjected to drought and irrigated conditions, he said.

"We have no specific recommendations as yet, but different varieties did give variable yields in different

water situations."Crops with larger root systems tended to perform better in dry soils as they were

able to access water deeper in the soil profile, he said. "Plants that mine an extra 10mm of water [in dry

soils] yield an extra 0.2t/ha."But where there was more moisture, this additional root mass tended to give lower yields, he added. Yield

potential was, therefore, still the most important consideration when moisture was available, but those in drier regions could benefit from

knowing which varieties had better drought tolerance. The varieties with the greatest ability to capture water were not the most efficient in

average UK conditions, he said. This was because water was often not limiting enough to counteract the lower yield potential."However, it

should be possible to find varieties that combine the highest yields with drought tolerance." As summers become drier this balance is likely to

shift in favour of drought tolerance, he added. Peter Werner, wheat breeder for research partner KWS, said that while yield was still his key

consideration, the ability to withstand drought was becoming increasingly important."We want to find top-performing varieties that won't bomb out

when we get an unexpected drought," he said. "We want yield stability, but maximum yield is the most important trait at the moment." Dr

Ober told Farmers Weekly it would be useful for the HGCA Recommended List to classify varieties according to drought tolerance using data

already collected in the RL trial system.

16% Growth of Pesticides Market in France Expected by 2013

LONDON – Market experts forecast that agrochemicals and pesticides market in France will experience a 10%

growth in 2010 with high single digit percentage increases thereafter. As late as 2013, growth is expected to again

accelerate into the double-digits at 16%. In 2007 the French government signed  the Grenelle Agreement on the

environment promising to reduce by half the quantity of pesticides used within 10 years.  By 2010, 53

dangerous molecules had to be withdrawn from the market or their use had to be halved. Licenses for 30 of them

will be scrapped this year, although a one-year delay was granted for three particular molecules, the time to find

alternative products.

By early 2011 the Directive on the sustainable use of pesticides should be implemented by France. So now France has to direct the industrial potential

of the country on non-chemical pest control methods such as crop rotation, to be used wherever possible as alternatives to pesticides. It will also

require banning of aerial crop spraying especially in close proximity to residential areas. The use of pesticides must be minimized or prohibited in specific

areas used by the general public or by vulnerable groups, such as parks, schools, sports grounds and close to hospitals. All of the activities will require

renovations in the production process of the agrochemicals and pesticides producing companies in France.

The key producers of agrochemicals and pesticides in France are Bayer CropScience S.A., BASF Agro in France, Site Genay, Gravelines site, Site de Saint

Aubin Tweed, Nufarm SAS, Syngenta Agro S.A.S., Makhteshim Agan France, Philagro France, Monsanto Agriculture France SAS.

Six pesticide companies (Syngenta, Bayer, Monsanto, BASF, Dow and Dupont) account for 70% of the global market, and the top 10 control 80% of

global agrochemical sales. While the six companies dominate the agrochemicals and pesticides world market, there seems to be a considerable growth of

national agrochemicals and pesticides industries in France as well as in developing countries (India, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Mexico). More

information on agrochemicals and pesticides industry and market in France may be found in the report Agrochemicals and Pesticides Market in France:

Business Report 2010 recently published by The Market Publishers, Ltd.

Hypro EU reveals unique spray nozzle at LAMMA 2011    19.12.10

The GuardianAIR Twin air inclusion nozzle being launched at LAMMA 2011 is a new concept in crop spraying nozzle design that produces two low-drift

spray jets, inclined forward and backward by 30 degrees, from a single compact bayonet cap.

This development from Britain’s leading manufacturer of

specialist spraying accessories and equipment reflects one of

the most popular ways of using the existing Guardian AIR

nozzles, which is to fit them alternately facing forwards and

backwards. Arranging the 30-degree inclined sprays in this

way results in thorough front and back coverage of targets.

With the GuardianAIR Twin, however, that effect is

enhanced because each nozzle produces forward and

backward inclined jets. Spray placement is therefore very comprehensive and in grower trials has given excellent results in a wide range of spraying

situations."Growers who use the GuardianAIR Twin not only get the convenience of the all-in-one design with a new smooth-turning bayonet

fitting action," Roger James emphasises. "Independent tests, published in the latest HGCA Nozzle Selection Chart, show it produces the smallest

average droplet size of any air inclusion nozzle. That makes it a very versatile jet suitable for a range of applications, especially those where better

coverage is an advantage."

The new nozzle has a single air mixing chamber but two outlets that are no smaller than those of a single nozzle of the same

size. Each outlet produces a consistent 110deg pattern across a range of operating pressures.

This output consistency allows growers to adjust pressure and therefore the coarseness of the spray to vary the emphasis between coverage

and droplet retention, and drift control

"As with the single GuardianAIR, operators can spray at normal pressures when conditions are good and get a very small droplet

size for this type of nozzle," notes Roger James. "But when conditions are less than perfect, they can reduce the pressure to increase droplet

size and get more drift control."

The Guardian AIR will be available initially in five sizes – 03, 04, 05, 06 and 08 – on limited commercial release from February 2011.

Pictures show three sizes of the new GuardianAIR Twin spray nozzle and the forward and backward inclined 100deg flat fan spray

outputs produced by the new design.

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