Mark Dewes

Farmer and Agronomist

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@OakbankGame Yes I’ve learnt chicory can be a bit of a monster! Even with grazing I’ve had to top to manage the woody stems. Not sure if selective herbicides will take it out. Amidosulfuron a handy option for leaving clover alone in wheat and works on docks.Every day a school day!

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

I wasn’t sure how this would work strip tilling into one year herbal ley. So far it looks good - keeping the diversity and N fixing plants as well as the worms, infiltration rates and active carbon. The performance of the wheat will be interesting 🤔

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@campervanliving Plenty of buzz here where they have flowering crops to forage in and pollinate

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@essexwindyfarm Maybe you could keep part of the trial running with a rust only fungicide to test the septoria resilience? Tebuconazole?

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@OOOfarmer What’s a t2?

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@parker419 Looks good Tim. Do you have an area without biologicals to evaluate the benefits of those interventions? Always difficult to pin down which parts of an overall system are bringing the benefits. I’m keen to resist the temptation to swap pesticides for unnecessary replacements

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@GreenAcres_Farm That one was drilled about 5 weeks ago (patchy with dry and rooks) then clover/grass broadcast/rolled Friday. Looked perfect timing with rain Saturday’s rain but too much since! It’ll look better when it drains a bit. I was impressed with the picture of your seeding/rolling rig

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

My first attempt at undersowing a clover ley into spring wheat last week less successful than I had hoped😱. Rolling may have been a mistake. This regen farming is harder than it looks! Hope others more successful ⁦@GreenAcres_Farm⁩

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

Agronomist soundtrack. Skylarks, clover and rain! Food for the soil, eyes and ears! ⁦@NFFNUK⁩

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@HenryDimbleby Great message. We need to measure nature but must not allow ourselves to get lost in the quest for metrics at the expense of doing the right things for biodiversity now. I hope the food strategy will be given the political backing it needs and deserves

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@JanetHughes @anthonycweston @KapilaSandy @RohanGye @Ruralpay Useful clarification. Also why GS4 is not permitted on arable land which is at risk of erosion. This is encouraging poorer outcomes through continued low quality/erosion risk arable production on land which could support sustainable diversity. Thanks

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

Lapwings here - they thrive on the this wet ground, particularly here where there’s no footpaths and very little disturbance. The patchier the crop the more they like it!

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

Awful crop of wheat (mine!) glad something good will come out of it! ⁦@NFFNUK⁩

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@James_pWoodward Time to commit to a programme of measures to reduce pesticide related harms. Targets are important but Europe will miss its ambitious 50% reduction targets by a country mile in the absence of effective metrics and wider stakeholder commitment.

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@J0hnFarrington Been contemplating the same issue. Modest rates of mcpa? Eagle should do the docks and leave the clover

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@davidvine16 I think the cold snap arrested spread so no big patches in untreated crop. I am sure we can reduce insecticide use with low risk as I am struggling to see virus in untreated wheat crops again this year. September barley still needs a spray IMO. Very happy to be contradicted!

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@Merry_Meredith @emilymnorton @FarmersWeekly

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

Self-seeded clover ☘️ providing a free N-fixing companion crop on wheat following AB15 legume fallow on the left vs beans as the previous crop on the right

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@FoodHeroes_UK @NFUtweets The police were sympathetic but could do nothing at all to pursue the culprits or deter repeat offences. It was an unregistered vehicle. I was left with a £300 bill plus the clear up work as locks were cut and the tipping was off the highway

[Mark Dewes @DewesMark]

@NFUtweets