United Kingdom
December 11, 2024
The drive towards net zero continues at pace with many sectors of the economy reviewing and optimising their current practices to reduce carbon emissions and meet legislative targets.
The drinks and beverage sector are certainly no different in this respect with brewers, distillers and maltsters all looking to decarbonise their operations and supply chains. With the embedded carbon in barley being delivered to maltsters contributing around 60% of the carbon footprint of the finished malt, it is to be expected that many malting barley growers are now seeing additional requirements and demands being placed upon them, often via their growing contracts.
Incorporating these additional requirements at a farm level is now the challenge for many growers, but it’s certainly worth considering the additional income that can be secured where these requirements link-in with existing Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions.
What can we expect from future contracts?
Traditionally, local malting growing contracts will specify a range of grain quality criteria that need to be satisfied. Several criteria will also be inspected at intake when grain arrives with the maltster. These usually include:
- Germination & moisture
- Grain nitrogen
- Specific weight
- Screenings
- Variety purity
- Physical assessment, including contaminants, split/damaged grains and taint or musty odour
Already, some malting barley contracts are including additional requirements related to sustainability aims. These are usually directly targeting the way the malting crops are grown and can include actions related to:
- Crop rotation
- Reduced cultivations
- Use of cover crops
- Fertiliser use and nutrient planning
- Integrated pest management
- Inclusion of livestock
- Increasing organic matter including manures, straw incorporation & companion cropping
Moving forward, it is likely that these requirements will increase. As always it is essential to know the details of growing contracts and any further requirements of the intended maltster to avoid rejection and/or loss of premiums from malting crops.
What support is available through current SFI actions?
With direct support payments being reduced more sharply than was suspected, making the most of the opportunities that the SFI options offer is even more significant. Some SFI options will sit nicely within contract requirements but when deciding what to apply for, consideration needs to be made on whether they fit within the current farming system, the contract requirements and also consider additional costs to meet the aims of the option.
There are options that growers are likely to already be implementing on farm, for example:
- Nutrient management plan (CNUM1@ £652 per year)
- Soil management plan (CSAM1@ £6/ha and £97 /agreement)
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan (CIPM1 @ £1,129 per year)
The benefits for nutrient capture and soil health mean the over wintered cover crop option- (CSAM2 @ £129/ha) fits well in a rotation ahead of spring barley. Growers should make sure the mix meets the requirements for SFI, and consider any potential issues for pest and disease hosts. Syngenta trials have shown no impact on LAUREATE grain quality following different cover crops but occasionally transient allelopathic symptoms were seen in the spring barley following a cover crop mix which contained oats.
The payment of £45/ha for non-insecticide use (CIPM4) is worth considering when fewer crops are being sprayed with an insecticide.
Companion cropping (CIPM3 @ £55/ha) could also be of interest. At Syngenta we are looking at the inclusion of clover species with LAUREATE, the best ways to establish the companion and the benefits they bring but also checking the impact it may have on the yield and quality of LAUREATE.
With the release of the new options in August 2024 there are further sustainability opportunities that could be considered but would need careful thought
- No-Till farming (SOH1 @ £73/ha) is a static option where the seed has to be direct drilled or broadcast where only a straw rake with rearward facing tines are permissible.
- Variable rate application of nutrients (PRF1 @ £27/ha) which is a rotational or static option and covers the application of all manufactured fertilisers, soil manures and slurry or digestate.
Biostimulants add strength to IPM programmes
New biostimulant technologies offer the potential to enhance spring barley root crop growth right from the start and through the growing season. Nuello iN seed treatment includes two unique endophytes which fix atmospheric nitrogen into a form readily useable by the growing plant. It shows rooting enhancement and provides nitrogen to the crop soon after germination. Nuello iN is especially useful on soils where nutrient retention can be a challenge. The foliar applied Vixeran is a highly efficient atmospheric nitrogen fixing bacteria that colonises roots and the soil biosphere. There are indications that it can contribute N equivalent of up to 30 kg/ha in crop growth and yield. Both nitrogen fixing technologies can be readily integrated with conventional agronomy programmes - alongside existing seed treatments in the case of Nuello iN, or Vixeran tank-mixed with fungicide or herbicide applications.
Elveden Sustainability Site
Syngenta has a dedicated sustainability site where we take a more holistic approach to 3 farming systems from more conventional, min-till to direct drill including a living mulch understory, which has been established for 2 years. This year we will be working with our spring malting barley varieties across these systems incorporating our crop protection and biostimulants products where appropriate and measuring the impacts on soil health, crop yields and quality. We will share the results and there will also be opportunities to visit the site to see how the crops are progressing.
To find out more about Vixeran’s Unique Capabilities, click here!
Learn more about Vixeran Application and our Top Tips for Optimal Results by clicking here!
To find out more about Nuello® iN: The Game-Changing Biological Seed Treatment, click here!