September 2024 – SRUC Auchincruive Demonstrator Hub Update
Ayr Site Plan
September’s updates at the Ayrshire Biomass Connect Hub reflected steady growth and resilience among various crops. While the alder and poplar showed signs of rust and minor insect or deer impacts, the Eucalyptus, Miscanthus, and willow plots thrived overall, with willow appearing especially lush. Miscanthus Athena also exhibited strong growth with minimal disturbance, contributing to the productive and green progress of the demonstration site.
Crop Diaries
Click on the titles below to find out how each of the crops are progressing.
Alder
- The SRF Alder trees show lots of signs of rust.
- Some insect damage has also been observed.
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- Rust on alder
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- Insect damage on alder
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- Rust on alder
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- Rust on alder
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- rust on alder
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- Rust and senescence on alder
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- Insect damage on alder
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- Insect damage on alder
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- Leaf spot on alder
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- Alder
Black Locust
- The SRF black locust ‘Turbo’trees which were strimmer damaged are still alive.
- Some deer(?) damage has been noted.
- Some insect damage has been observed but not extensive.
- There is some early senescence/yellowing.
- No disease has been observed.
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- Deer damage on black locust
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- Black Locust canopy
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- Insect damage on Black Locust
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- Yellowing of black locust leaves
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- Deer damage on black locust
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- Black locust leaves
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- Underside of black locust leaves
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- Black locust leaves
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- Black locust canopy
Eucalyptus
- Black aphids have been seen on the SRF Eucalyptus, as have mealybugs and spiders.
- Some insect damage is visible on the larger leaved trees.
- Some deer damage has been noted.
- Some denticulata trees have droopy leaves, but generally, they are nice, big healthy trees.
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- Eucalyptus at Auchincruive, Sept. 2024
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- Tiny larvae on Eucalyptus
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- Insect damage on Eucalyptus
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- Mealybugs? (on Eucalyptus)
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- Mealybugs/aphids on Eucalyptus
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- Eucalyptus gunni (no aphids!)
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- New growth on Eucalyptus
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- Clean Eucalyptus leaves
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- Clean Eucalyptus leaves
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- Mealybugs on Eucalyptus
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- Clean Eucalyptus leaves
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- Clean Eucalyptus leaves
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- Clean Eucalyptus leaves
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- Eucalyptus denticulata
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- Insect damage on Eucalyptus
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- Puckering of leaves
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- Black aphids on Eucalyptus
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- Deer damage on Eucalyptus
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- Stripped branches on Eucalyptus
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- Tree guard damage?
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- Healthy Eucalyptus at Auchincruive, Sept. 2024
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- White powdery fungus on Eucaluyptus
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- White powdery fungus on Eucaluyptus
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- Droopy leaves
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- Healthy Eucalyptus at Auchincruive, Sept. 2024
Poplar
- The SRF poplar has some low levels of rust, some insect damage and some deer-chewed stems have been seen. The trees are bearing up well though and the damage isn’t enough to kill the trees.
- The SRC poplar trees have varying levels of rust infection. There is some insect damage and some deer damage to the guard plants at the edge of the plot.
- The Italian poplar plot was inter-row mowed on 10th September. There is some low level insect damage and no rust has been observed.
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- Rust SRC poplar
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- Leaf spot/damage SRC poplar
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- No rust – SRC poplar
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- Rust on SRC poplar
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- Rust on SRC poplar
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- Rust on SRC poplar
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- No rust – SRC poplar
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- Happy hoverfly
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- Rust on SRC poplar
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- Rust on SRC poplar
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- Rust on SRC poplar
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- Insect damage to SRC poplar
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- Ghosting in SRC poplar
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- Italian poplar plot
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- Italian poplar plot
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- Insect damage on Italian poplar
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- Italian Poplar
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- Insect damage on Italian poplar
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- Italian poplar
Miscanthus
- The 0.5 ha Miscanthus giganteus is growing very well and is tall and bushy. It is very thick and dense. Some hare faeces have noted but we couldn’t see any leaf damage.
- The 0.5 ha Miscanthus Athena™ is growing well. There is a small amount of hare damage on the edge plants.
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- Miscanthus Athena™
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- Miscanthus Athena™
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- Miscanthus giganteus
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- Miscanthus giganteus
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- Miscanthus giganteus
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- Miscanthus giganteus
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- Miscanthus giganteus
Willow
- The 0.5 ha SRC willow is looking very green, tall and leafy!
- No rust has been observed (?!)
- Some early senescence has been observed.
- There is deer damage on edge plants.
- There is quite a lot of insect damage but we couldn’t find the culprits.
- The plot is full of lots of little birds.
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- SRC willow at Auchincruive, Sept. 2024
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- Ghosting on willow
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- Willow canopy
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- Insect damage on willow
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- Leaf skeleton
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- Bare branches in willow
Sida
- The sida was hand-rogues on 10th September and is looking much better now.
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- Sida at Auchincruive, Sept. 2024
Reed Canary Grass
- The reed canary grass was topped on 10th September.
- Emergence is still difficult to determine, but none was obvious on 24th September.
Switchgrass
- The switchgrass was topped on 10th September.
- No emergence is obvious.
