During the summer of 2009, the team at Hazeldene has been looking at crop protection and evaluating some of the methods that we can use to keep our crops free of pest and disease problems.

Now, at the end of the UK salad leaf season, we can look back on what we discovered during 2009 and see what we can take from this season to make a positive contribution for 2010.

If we were to draw one single conclusion from all that we have looked at, then it would be that a properly balanced approach to crop protection is the approach that we should continue to take.

Along the way, we looked at companion flowers, green manures and bio-fumigants, resistant varieties, nets and pesticides. The more we looked, the clearer it became - there is no one single solution to crop protection.

The net was great. It did the job but changed the dynamics of the crop, as well as adding to the workload of a small grower. Timing is critical with a fast-emerging crop like baby leaf. Anyone who has tried to put on fleece and nets in the wind will tell you how frustratingly difficult it is. If you miss the window, then the crop is emerged and the effect is lost. If we put the net on all drillings throughout the year, the overall loss in yield could do significant damage to the numbers.

Therefore, a balance of net in the high-pest pressure season and traditional methods at other times could be a pragmatic solution.

The Phacelia did its job beautifully, but left us with just as big a problem as before. We simply changed the type of insect that contaminated the crop. Such a pity we still have to reject the product with ladybirds in. If we were to take one paradox from this summer, this would be it.

But it’s a balance once again. The Phacelia method is a great method, if we utilise it in the right place at the right time. Take our baby leaf away and plant courgettes instead and we have a magical solution to great pollination and great control of aphid vectors and virus control. This is a perfect, balanced approach to a rotational cropping strategy.

The green manures and bio-fumigants are, on balance, a no-brainer. We will be challenging all of our growers to look at windows in the yearly cropping plans to slot in a mustard crop and gain the full benefits of putting organic matter back into the land, with the bonus of potential pest, disease and weed control. But it’s balance again. This must be an appropriate rotation. On a heavy brassica rotation (mizuna, rocket, etc), on a low pH soil, we need to be quite clear about the potential club root drawbacks to sowing mustards. In such circumstances, a leguminous green manure may well be more appropriate.

Soils become healthier if, over a number of years, we put this type of organic matter back into the land. These are very different from the high-nitrogen composted mucks, which are not appropriate for some crops (such as carrots and swedes) and can lead to food safety issues in higher-risk crops.

A healthier soil grows better crops and it is our responsibility to keep our soils healthy. Balance the soils in such a way, and they will pay us back.

Again, growing the correct variety is crucial - whatever pressure we may be under to grow particular varieties that are believed to be the right ones to make the specifications. If these have poor field performance, then there is little point in pushing water uphill.

It is essential to choose the right varieties to grow in the conditions that are found on our own individual farms. This is an instant win in terms of strong growth and good tolerance to pest and disease.

Where we have been fortunate enough to be able to get hold of varieties that are genetically resistant to some of the main problems out there, we have learnt that these are very precious to us and that we must act responsibly to preserve this resistance for as long as possible.

So, do pesticides form a part of the balance? Absolutely. Let no one say that we can farm effectively and profitably in a world without pesticides. Even organic farmers can be given permission by certification bodies to use pesticides, in the form of pyrethrum, spinosad and sulphur, for instance. Pesticides are an essential part of our balanced approach to crop protection.

The secret is to understand how our crops grow, understand how the pests and diseases develop in our crops and, above all, manage a balanced approach of crop protection on our farms, with all the tools that are readily available to us right now.

That will be our - the Hazeldene - way.

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