Pete Olds' family has been farming at Cornhill Farm near Camborne, Cornwall, since 1912. Over that time, the farm has transitioned from a typical mixed farm to what operates today as a circular business – comprising arable, 17,000 free-range chickens and environmental stewardship.
This symbiotic relationship between the enterprises means that the arable side very much supports the egg business, producing on average, 12 tonnes of feed a week for the chickens.
As such, keeping crops growing and yielding consistently is key – and Pete believes much of this comes down to keeping weeds at bay.
In this blog, we hear about Pete's key weed challenges and what he hopes to get out of being part of the Fundatis® herbicide Grower Group.
What are your biggest weed problems?
While there is blackgrass and ryegrass in the area, these weeds are not key concerns for us. Our major issues are wild oats and brome, as well as some more recent issues with corn marigold.
Groundsel is also a bit of an Achilles heel because we are in quite a heavy brassica-growing region, so there is lots of it around.
What is your standard approach for controlling weeds?
With a mixed picture in terms of weed burdens, it's important to catch the weeds early, mix our chemistry, use multiple treatments where needed, and employ cultivation techniques like rotational ploughing to help control weed growth and prevent resistance.
In terms of our standard programme, pre-emergence is very important, and the programme is based around PicoPro (pendimethalin + picolinafen).
At T0 we use a mixture of Starane Hi-Load (fluroxpyr) and Presite SX® (Metsulfuron-methyl), and if stubborn weeds persist, we might use Dingo (Clopyralid, florasulam, fluroxypyr) to clear up at T1.
T2 and T3 will vary depending on the season, but we’re coastal and always at risk of disease, so we're thorough with our fungicide programmes, and always make sure to include some nutrition to keep the crops moving.
We've trialled Fundatis® herbicide too, as having a wide range of options is really important, and I'm very impressed with the results to date – both as a standalone product and as a partner in the current programme.
Pete is looking forward to seeing how Fundatis® herbicide can complement his existing programme.