Mid-November; temperatures falling; 33mm of rain in the last ten days. Our sea buckthorn plants are now dormant. The rain we have had is softening the ground but this has been an incredibly dry autumn. As with all farming every year is different. It makes trying to establish a new crop difficult as every potential solution to a problem might be void by a different set of weather conditions..
Devereux farm sea buckthorn was a trial to evaluate whether commercial sea buckthorn would grow and which varieties might be most useful. The first objective of this has achieved German, Latvian, Siberian and even Finnish plants growing. The German have been easiest; the Latvian strongest; the Siberian most in need of management. The Finnish varieties are dwarf and took a dislike to my soil but those left are strong but not a commercial alternative.
One of the trial challenges was to test what was the best design and layout to plant each variety. As the plants mature it is becoming clear for row widths, anything less than 3.5m will create an issue for machinery passing up and down rows. Our clay soil has been a real problem for varieties like Elizaveta and Sudarushka. Roots passing close to the surface have to endure soil that bake like a brick in summer. Stress from this can result in both disease/ branch die back. Compost tea and compost seems to have eased this issue but applying this can create soil compaction issues close to the plants where I planted row widths of only 3m.
The concept of trialling row width came from a chapter in the Volume 1 Sea buckthorn Botany, harvesting and processing technologies book edited by Prof. Virendra Singh. One chapter authored by Dr Khabarov of the Lisavenko Research Institute of Horticulture for Siberia relates to work in 1994-1997 using the variety Chuiskaya ( which we have at Devereux ). Plant spacings from 0.8m to 1.5m, and row spacings from 3m to 4m rows offered three years of berry yield figures. Average figures of 15.9 tons/ht came from row widths of 3.5m, and plant space 1.5m. For me this is a good commercial option – less than that creates issues of access. The top yield came from a 3m row and 0.8m plant spacing,producing a amazing average 26t/ht, topping out at a staggering 39t/ht. This is clearly really exciting in Siberia but not realistic for Devereux. I do not anticipate this type of yield as the plants are adapting to a very different climate and soil to native Siberia. It gives at least a potential target to aim for.
The potential of 39t though intrigued me enough to plant 19 rows with 12 plants at a plant spacing of 0.8m. These are very close together but they are growing vertically and do not seem to grow into each other too much. The advantage of this minimal row width is to allow maximum yield off a small area. This will not suit all varieties, Chuiskaya is particluar. Klaudia with long, low branching has problems. Inya, Altaiskaya, Sudarushka even Etna should put up with confined space, but maybe 0.8m is too tight – 1m would be better.
I am quite surprised how much winter field work is involved with sea buckthorn. With just myself as field worker ( and other responsibilities on the farm) I find that the 3000 plants in the main field keeps me fully employed. Each bush being composted; staked, and pruned. My aim this year needs to be to complete these tasks by Christmas. Next year’s major challenge is bird control. Starting in January as much of the site as possible needs to be netted. Not a job that I am looking forward to, but an absolute essential if there is to be a harvest in 2017.
November has become the annual visit to the Food Matters Live conference at the Excel in London. A three day event encompassing a main conference with supplementary seminars in health, nutrition, diet, sustainability and this year a significant focus on obesity. With so much field work at Devereux I cut this year’s visit to one day. It allowed an opportunity to meet up with the person who I hope will become the leading light in advising Devereux on nutritional benefit of the sea buckthorn. Complying with regulation I see as essential. Understanding the biochemistry that can provide health benefit is one issue – understanding how one communicates it to customers is another. Ensuring that the information is both accurate and complies with regulations adds a further demand. All however comes together in building trust with customers that what we say is what you get.
Factual accuracy I believe is essential. I have been baffled by the comments – particularly coming from the outcome of the US election that we are living in a “post-fact”era where factual information falls second to the importance of opinion. Commentators have remarked on what is behind this. Bogus news channels broadcasting incredulous fake news in order to generate advertising revenue. Conspiracy theories of foreign governments generating articles to discredit the electoral system. Then this week I hear a new reflection. The failure of education to create enquiring minds and a lack of desire to read in depth. This combined with a lack of respect in our peers is leading to a state that accepts all information without challenge. Personal opinion even if based on rumour, false information or lie is dominating over fact. But then we have been through the last few years of both political and press scandals so it is not hard to understand that people are finding it hard to believe in anything.
There are times when it is great to be a farmer and lose oneself within the natural environment.There might be reams of regulations back in the office, but the reality in the field is stress free and uncomplicated.
