Optimising crop management of bulb onions

Optimising crop management of bulb onions PR08 Individuals who wish to optimise crop production and weed, pest and disease control in bulb onions to achieve maximum commercial crop yields and quality An intermediate course best suited to those who are able to demonstrate some practical experience A one day online course TBC Andy Richardson, Managing Director Allium and Brassica Agronomy Ltd

Classroom module 1 (half day) – The principles of Integrated Crop Management and field planning:

• Land block rotations
• Field selection per year, soil structure and soil health
• How to set up fields, pre-planting work e.g .weed control, populations and spacing
• Establishment methods, and relative costs of operations
• Understanding, recognising and managing common weeds, pests and diseases
• Impacts of water, nutrition and weather issues

Classroom module 2 (half day) – Optimising growing in practice:

• Life cycles, pest traps and in-field weather data to drive responses to pests and diseases
• Use of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and biological compounds and ‘safe and legal’ systems
• Development of yield and quality data and residue monitoring data

At the end of this course you will be able to:

• Choose the best fields for high crop performance, and know which ones to avoid
• Set up fields for crops and understand the costs, including planning cultivations, spatial planting, nutrients and water supply
• Incorporate the Integrated Crop Management principals
• Weigh up the risks and benefits from using seed/sets for establishment
• Work with your team and BASIS agronomist to plan strategies
• Identify, forecast and control common weeds, pests and diseases to protect yield
• Understand how different pesticides work, and ensure compliance with legal requirements, assurance standards and customer requirements when using them
• Take into account the agronomic costs and benefits of using different pesticides
• Understand the importance of spraying techniques
• Utilise biological compounds and beneficial insects for crop protection
• Choose between different mechanical and physical control options
• Employ harvest techniques and strategies to maximise marketable yield
• Collect and analyse data for continuous improvement