June 2024 – North Wyke Demonstrator Hub Update
North Wyke Site Plan
Things are finally drying out at North Wyke with the warm but not unseasonable weather. It has been dry, the ground is now hard and we’ve been able to access the site with machinery to cut the long grass. Things are a little mixed on the plots.
Crop Diaries
Click on the titles below to find out how each of the crops are progressing.
Alder
- The SRF alder has some signsof rust but generally it is healthy and growing well.
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- Alder at North Wyke, June 2024
Black Locust
- Counts have now been made in the SRF black locust ‘Turbo’ plot. 71 out of the 240 plants have died. The others look good.
- 32 of the SRF black locust ‘Turbo Obelisk’ have no signs of life yet and are assumed dead. Only 8 have foliage.
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- Black locust ‘Turbo Obelisk’
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- Deaths recorded in the ‘Turbo’ variety. Picture shows the dead trees behind the newly erected Biomass Connect plot signs.
Eucalyptus
- The SRF Eucalyptus replacement trees arrived and were planted to fill the gaps,
- New growth is more impressive on the E. gunnii that established well last year.
- The growth on all the others is less striking, and varies, depending on how well they were planted in the first place.
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- Eucalyptus
Poplar
- One AF7 block in the SRF poplar plot has died back significantly. One of the new A4A cuttings is dead and one more of the originalA4A plants has died this month as well.
- The SRC poplar shows some low incidences of leaf and shoot distortion but is generally growing well.
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- SRF Poplar
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- SRC Poplar
Miscanthus
- The 0.5 ha Miscanthus giganteus is growing away from the grass weeds now. Some areas that are more densely planted are doing noticeably better, probably because the grass is being pushed out.
- The 0.5 ha Miscanthus Athena™ is also growing away from the grass weeds. The second half was replanted on 4/6 and rolled on 5/6. Shoots have appeared.
- The 2023 Miscanthus variety trial is gappy and unimpressive.
- The 2024 Miscanthus variety trial was planted on 20th and 21st June. One variety (Athena) is still to arrive.
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- Miscanthus x giganteus
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- 2024 Miscanthus variety trial
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- 2023 Miscanthus variety trial
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- Athena
Willow
- The 0.5 ha SRC willow plot is looking good with the exception of the Inger variety which has now fully defoliated. Some (approx. 40%) of the Inger variety plants are putting on new growth, either from the lower half of the stem or from the growing tip, or both.
- The willow variety trial plot growth is good where plants exist. Not all the necessary gapping up material arrived on time. Hand weeding continues, a little more every day.
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- Willow variety trial
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- Willow six way mix
Sida
- The Sida was spot treated with glyphosate (applied by Herbidome) on 4th June.
- The crop is alive but not growing.
Reed Canary Grass
The reed canary grass plot has not been re-seeded yet.
Switchgrass
- The switchgrass plot was sprayed off with glyphosate applied by tractor and boom on June 19th.
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- Grasses demo
Silphium
The Silphium seems to have failed to germinate from seed.
Plans and Actions
- The grass aisles that were sown with a SFI seed mix was predominantly grass but some cornflowers have now appeared amongst the grasses.
Gallery
