Bracken Control Presentation - Argyll - 12 September 2017

For one night only ...
I will be giving a presentation to the Lorn Natural Heritage Group in Seil Island Hall, Ellenabeich, at 19:30 on Tuesday 12th September 2017.

Synopsis: 
Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), hated by many and loved by
few, is a prolific fern whose rhizomes are the key to its success, defending it against attack by most herbicides. Management is therefore a challenge: this talk, having considered why it needs to be controlled, will review the advantages and drawbacks of options available to those who seek to control it.

More details are on the Lorn NHG Facebook page.

Bracken Control - Asulam available for 2017

On behalf of the Bracken Control Group, I submitted an application for an emergency authorisation that will allow asulam to be available for bracken control in 2017.

I am pleased to be able to report that the application has been approved and an emergency authorisation will be issued, next year.  The relevant dates for next year will be confirmed by the letter of authorisation but they are likely to be:

15-May-17	Effective date for the Notice of Authorisation issued by CRD. Start of the Emergency Authorisation period of 120 days. Storage, promotion, sales, and transfer authorised.
01-Jul-17	Application of Asulam can commence.
11-Sep-17	First expiry date: for sale & distribution of stocks. Storage and use of stocks can continue.
31-Oct-17	Final expiry date: for disposal, storage and use of stocks. It will be illegal to apply or store Asulam after this date.

The registration process to make asulam available under the latest EU regulations is continuing.  The possible timing of the approval has been updated and it is now possible that registration will be achieved by mid-2018.  This is a year earlier than had been thought and if this occurs, an application for an Emergency Authorisation will be needed for 2018, but there is a chance that it will not be required.  Here's hoping.

For more information see the Bracken Control website, which has recently been revised.

Bracken as a Biofuel and Cutting Demonstrations

Sticking with the bracken theme established by the previous post, Oakland Biofuels Ltd is promoting the ability to produce bio-ethanol from bracken.  One of the challenges for using bracken as a crop is how to harvest it - bracken often grows on steep and inaccessible ground - but Oakland Biofuels think they have an answer.  The company is running a series of events to demonstrate some very capable, German equipment to help with the harvesting.

Thursday, 01 September 2016	Shapley Common, Dartmoor
Monday, 05 September 2016	Dinas Mawwdwy, Wales SY20 9LX
Wednesday, 07 September 2016	Annandale, Dumfries-shire
Friday, 09 September 2016	Blair Atholl, Perthshire

Scottish Land & Estates is promoting the events in Scotland and their website has more details about the Scottish events and it also includes more background information about the harvesting opportunities and links to videos showing the impressive capabilities of the harvesting equipment.  

If you would like to attend any of these events, please register your interest with Jeremy Oakley at Oakland Biofuels Ltd:

Tel: 01686 651370

Email:  oakley552@btinternet.com

Bracken for heating

Brackenburn is producing braquettes from harvested bracken, which burn hotter than oak and produce ash with a high potash content.   It's a nice idea to turn a problem into a crop that pays for the harvesting and produces something that heats your home.

Today's edition of Farming Today had a piece (03:25 - 07:45) about Brackenburn that included an interview with Barry Smith, and to learn more about this product, visit the website.

Bracken: Frond or foe? - 09:30-13:30, 12 July 2016, Dinnet, Aberdeenshire

This event is being organised by the Cairngorms National Park Authority and will include some short presentations followed by equipment demonstrations. I am giving one of the presentations on behalf of the Bracken Control Group and PDG will be providing a helicopter demonstration. 

See the flyer for more details about the event and how to apply. 

Priority will be given to attendance by people from within the National Park.

Asulam for Bracken Control 2016

The weather may be unseasonal, but I can confirm that should bracken decide to brave the conditions  this year, it will be possible to control it using asulam.

The Chemicals Regulation Directorate has issued an Emergency Authorisation that will allow asulam to be sold and transferred from 16 May 2016, and applied in the period 1 July - 12 September 2016.  There will be a use-up period until 31 October 2016, which will allow stocks to be applied or returned (if in unopened containers).  From 1 November 2016, it will once again be illegal to hold any stocks of asulam.

As the coordinator of the Bracken Control Group, I submit the application for the Emergency Authorisation for the UK and full details of the application are available on the BCG Website.

I urge anyone planning to purchase or apply asulam this year to read the conditions in the Emergency Authorisation, as it is important that the conditions are complied with.

Key Dates Summary 2016 

 

16 May 2016	Effective date for the Notice of Authorisation issued by CRD Start of the Emergency Authorisation period of 120 days. Storage, promotion, sales, and transfer authorised.
1 July 2016	Application of Asulam can commence.
12 September 2016	First expiry date: for sale & distribution of stocks. Storage and use of stocks can continue.
31 October 2016	Final expiry date: for disposal, storage and use of stocks. It will be illegal to apply or store Asulam after this date.

Bracken Control: End of the Asulam Emergency Authorisation Period

As Coordinator of the Bracken Control Group, I successfully applied for the Emergency Authorisation (EA) that has allowed Asulam to be used for bracken control this summer.

Asulam is currently not registered for use in the EU and it can only made available under emergency provisions. The 120-day authorisation period expires today, but we now enter a use-up period that runs until the end of October. During the use-up period it is still possible to store and apply asulam, and if you have any in unopened containers it is possible to return stocks to the manufacturer through your distributor. From 1 November 2015, it will be illegal to store Asulam.

I have drafted the application for a further EA in 2016, and if successful, this will allow the use of Asulam to continue for a further year. The registration process will hopefully lead to the registration of the product for use in the EU once again, but the response to this application is not expected until the end of 2016, at the earliest. In the meantime, the Bracken Control Group will be working with the UK authorities to maintain a continuous supply of Asulam, which is so important to maintain biodiversity in our lowlands and uplands.

For more information see the Bracken Control website.

Bracken Control with your feet up?

This post has been adapted from an original document produced by George Winn-Darley

A new type of cutting machine offers the opportunity to cut bracken by remote control. The equipment will be demonstrated by representatives of Brielmaier, a German company that supplies a range of machinery developed for cutting vegetation on steep slopes in the Alps. A range of videos, available on You Tube, provide a visual indication of the capability of this equipment.

The plan for the events is to demonstrate Brielmaier's remote control bracken cutting on all sites, and gorse cutting on some of them.  All interested farmers and land managers are welcome to attend.

In all cases access by 4x4 is fine and those arriving by car will be transported to the sites.

Date	Time	Venue	Details
27th August	10:00–16:00	Ysgubor, Dinas Mawddwy, SY20 9LX (south-east of Dolgellau)	By kind permission of Dafydd and Mair Evans.  There will be no toilet facilities but refreshments should be available.
1st September	10:00-18:00	Carding Mill Valley SY6 6JG (Long Mynd, west of Church Stretton)	By kind permission of the National Trust. Toilet facilities and refreshments will be available.
3rd September	10:00–16:00	Howe Gill, Lamplugh, West Cumbria CA14 4TY	By kind permission of Mr Richardson. There will be no toilet or refreshment facilities due to the remote location of the demonstration.
4th September	14:00-19:00	Barmoors, Hutton Le Hole, North York Moors, YO62 6UE	By kind permission of George Winn-Darley. There will be toilet and refreshment facilities available.

The cutting machines cost £20-30,000 but they are self-propelled and can be operated by someone walking behind them or even from nearby using remote controls.  Some of the machines can also mulch, if required, and other machines can rake the material down slopes to a point where it can be quickly handled and baled at the bottom.

Traditional uses for bracken include livestock bedding and as compost, but these tend to be small scale uses.  A larger scale and more cost effective use could be the production of bio-ethanol.  Freshly cut bracken yields 40-45 tonnes of plant material per hectare.  30,000 tonnes of fresh material would be required to run an ethanol plant producing green ethanol, and therefore 750ha would need to be harvested.  There is a strong demand for green ethanol from refineries who are under an obligation to blend at least 5% with other fuels, and this could provide enough income to make bracken harvesting a commercially viable exercise.

This equipment might not solve all the issues with cutting bracken, and this machinery will not suit a lot of rougher sites, but they will add another option to the tool kit.

Attendance: The demonstration events are open to all, but if you have any questions, please contact the organiser Jeremy Oakley