Good management of Energy Crops means good yields…

We can enable you to maximise your yield through proactive crop management, using established agricultural practices to improve the growth, development and harvest yields.

Some of the services we can provide in crop management are:

  • Weed control in the establishment phase of your energy crops to prevent the young plants becoming choked.
  • If fertilisation input is necessary – this is most commonly nitrogen. In SRC willow as the plantation matures, nitrogen is released back into the soil as the fallen leaf decomposes, thereby reducing the need for further fertilisation.
  • Taking soil samples for analysis to see what the crop needs to achieve the maximum growth and highest yield.
  • 1st year cutbacks with SRC willow – this must be done with precision and care. A low to the ground, clean cut is required as ragged edges can allow pathogens to damage the stem. In addition poor first season cutback can cause the regrowth to erupt at too low an angle, meaning that it won’t be lined up with the other stems at harvest time and thus missing the cutting blades
  • Pest control. There are a few pests and diseases, which can affect perennial energy crops but can be easily addressed and treated if this arises. Willow beetle is perhaps the most dangerous to a willow crop, but our tried and tested methods are highly effective in controlling this threat.
  • Crop tidying, your crop may just need to be tidied to ensure a good harvest or as with willow which has such good Natural Flood Management capabilities that its strength in NFM can also leave it requiring flood debris removal on the outside rows.

Depending on which energy crops you choose the time between planting and harvesting can vary, which can sometimes feel like a long time to be caring for a crop but don’t worry we won’t forget about you or your crop.

Small management practices can make a significant difference in yields over the life of the crop anything from 30 – 40 % plus in yield improvement!

The dense nature of an SRC Willow Plantation can make inputs more difficult. We have the equipment required to fit down those narrow rows of tall trees!

Lime spreading – vital inputs for crop growth and maximum yield

This is the result of a poor cutback strategy – this near-horizontal offshoot from the main stump will never harvest properly so must be manually removed.

Good management of Energy Crops means good yields…

We can enable you to maximise your yield through proactive crop management, using established agricultural practices to improve the growth, development and harvest yields.

 

Some of the services we can provide in crop management are:

  • Weed control in the establishment phase of your energy crops to prevent the young plants becoming choked.
  • If fertilisation input is necessary – this is most commonly nitrogen. In SRC willow as the plantation matures, nitrogen is released back into the soil as the fallen leaf decomposes, thereby reducing the need for further fertilisation.
  • Taking soil samples for analysis to see what the crop needs to achieve the maximum growth and highest yield.
  • 1st year cutbacks with SRC willow – this must be done with precision and care. A low to the ground, clean cut is required as ragged edges can allow pathogens to damage the stem. In addition poor first season cutback can cause the regrowth to erupt at too low an angle, meaning that it won’t be lined up with the other stems at harvest time and thus missing the cutting blades
  • Pest control. There are a few pests and diseases, which can affect perennial energy crops but can be easily addressed and treated if this arises. Willow beetle is perhaps the most dangerous to a willow crop, but our tried and tested methods are highly effective in controlling this threat.
  • Crop tidying, your crop may just need to be tidied to ensure a good harvest or as with willow which has such good Natural Flood Management capabilities that its strength in NFM can also leave it requiring flood debris removal on the outside rows.

 

Depending on which energy crops you choose the time between planting and harvesting can vary, which can sometimes feel like a long time to be caring for a crop but don’t worry we won’t forget about you or your crop.

 

Small management practices can make a significant difference in yields over the life of the crop anything from 30 – 40 % plus in yield improvement!

The dense nature of an SRC Willow Plantation can make inputs more difficult. We have the equipment required to fit down those narrow rows of tall trees!