Sporting Gun UK – May 2019

• Forfurtherassistancewith helping
  your shootgrow,contact
  MarcBull on 07591202376;
  [email protected] the
  BrightSeedsoffi ce on 01722744494;
  [email protected]

More information

W

hatisthebestcovercropfor
pheasantsandpartridges?
Althoughmaizecanbe
effectiveonitsown,usually
a shootwillbenefit froma varied,year-round
habitatandanequalproportionofannual,
biannualandperennialcropsworks well.
Someaspectstoconsiderare:

• Doesthe plothaveto complywith
  stewardship(wildbirdseed mixture, for
  exampleHF12orAB9)?


• Willthe shootdependentirelyon game
  coverordoesit haveexistingcopses,
  forestry,marshland,ponds,etc?


• Whowill managethe plots?


• Cancropsbe protectedfrompestssuchas
  pigeons,slugs,fleabeetle,rabbitsand deer?


• Whatmachineryis available?


• Whatcropscan be grownin the location?


• Whatis the fertilitystatusof the plot(NPK


• nitrogen,phosphorusandpotassium–
  applicationwillbeanimportantfactor,if not
  straightawayfartherdowntheline;soil pH is
  alsolikelytoneedaddressing)?


• And,whatis yourweedburden?
  Theimportanceofthelastquestioncannot
  be overestimated.Duringestablishment,the
  bestcovercropintheworldcanberendered
  uselessif outcompetedbyweeds.Maize,for
  example,hatescompetitionthattakesaway
  valuablesunlight.Also,unchecked,faster
  growingweedscanstifle cropssuchaskale.
  Manypeopleareunfamiliarwiththe
  weedsthatcausetheproblems.Theusual
  culpritsare:redshank;fat-hen;thistles;
  docks;andnettles.Avoidthetemptationto
  thinkbirdswilleatsomeoftheweedseed.
  Unfortunately,bythetimethebirdsstartto
  eattheseseedstheyhavelongsincedropped
  tothefloorandbecomepartoftheweed
  seedbankforfutureproblems.Andsome
  species have a seed life of up to 60 years.

Mostpeoplecanidentify

commonbroadleavedweeds.

However,sincethe1980shighly

invasiveexoticspeciesfromabroad

havecontaminatedsomegame-cover

seed.Milletandquinoaareparticularly

vulnerableandBrightSeeds has tough

screeningprocedures.

Thespeciescausingconcernare:

• Roguemillets– barnyardgrasscan
  produceupto40,000viableseeds/plant


• Foxtailmilletcanproduce up to 20,000
  viableseeds/plant


• Thornapple– a poisonousplant that can
  havehallucinogenic effects


• Amaranth
  Thesecanallbemanagedchemically
  withcorrectcropselection.Researchand
  developmentatBrightSeeds’trialsitesnow
  enablesgameandstewardshipmixturesto
  beproducedthatareherbicidefriendly. The
  WeedBusterrangeconsistsof:


• Broad Buster – excellent post-emergence

Weeding them out

Marc Bull of Bright Seeds

74 SPORTING GUN M AY 2019 http://www.shootinguk.co.uk

BLW(broad-leavedweed)control

• GrassBuster– excellentpost-emergence
  grassweed(GW)controlas wellas limited
  pre-emergenceBLWcontrol


• EasyGrow– a pre-emergenceoptionto
  helpcombatBLWandhas someGW control


• EarlyBird– cantakebothpre-andpost-
  emergenceherbicidesto combatBLWand
  GW,but thismixturewill run out of
  steamearlyseason
  
  
  • Pheasant& Finch– cantakea
    post-emergenceherbicideto
    combatBLWat the sacrifi ce of
    thequinoa
    Also,somestraightannual
    cropsorperennialmixtures
    canassistwherestewardship is
    notanissue.Theseare:
  
  
  • Straightmaize– cantakea robust,
    pre-andpost-emergenceherbicide regime
    to combat BLW and GW
  
  
  
  

Inthefirstofa newcolumn,

Marc BullofBrightSeeds

looksatweed-control

options for cover crops

WEEDTOKNOW

Weed Species Seedsproduced

per plant/year

Broad-leaved dock 7,0 0 0

Fat-hen 3,000– 20,000

Redshank 200 – 800

Creeping thistle 40,000

• Straightsorghumor millet– BLWcontrol


• Straightkale– cantakepre-and
  post-emergenceherbicides to combat
  BLWandGW


• RoyalMK3(reedcanarygrasswitha
  nursecrop)– cantakethesamepost-
  emergenceastheBroadBuster


• RoyalMK4(chicorywitha nursecrop)–
  sameherbicideoptionsas the GrassBuster
  Sometimesa staleseedbedfollowed
  witha late-sown/fast-growingmixture,
  suchas BrightSeeds’Keeper’sRelief,
  canstemtheweedburden,though
  careisrequiredasspeciessuchas
  roguemilletsoftengerminate
  mid/late summer.

NEW

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