“Jack Russell remains one of our most popular wild bird seed mixture,” says Limagrain marketing manager Martin Titley. “It includes triticale, grain sorghum – that gives the crop structure during the winter and red and white millet and sunflower seed that produce high volumes of feed, starting in early autumn.”
“A key feature of Jack Russell is its tolerance to herbicide. “Stomp Aqua can be used on the crop to treat problems like fat hen, grass weeds, chickweed and nettles,” adds Mr Titley. “This means that the crop can be easier to establish, especially on more difficult areas.”
Jack Russell can also be used by farmers on the Government’s entry level scheme and it is also eligible for the new countryside stewardship scheme. “And, as a bonus, the attractiveness of this mixture is very popular – the sunflowers add a splash of colour to the landscape.”
The HiBird seed range also includes tried and tested kale, brassicas, sunflower, millet and maize as well specifically designed game cover mixtures.
“Most importantly, we’ve included a question and answer section to guide growers in selecting the best mixture for their site and to counter problems such as animal damage and establishment issues on difficult sites,” adds Mr Titley. “And with help from BASF UK, we have included a comprehensive herbicide guide for each crop in the brochure.”
The HiBird brochure includes a practical guide to the cropping options within the Countryside Stewardship scheme. “We’ve highlighted the environmental benefits of each option and the particular seed mixtures that fulfil these benefits. This makes mixture selection straight-forward. Growers can see which seed mixture has particular attributes in certain areas, for example as pollinators, grass field margins, buffer strips and as food sources for wild and farmland birds.”
Limagrain’s HiBird Gamecover and Conservation Crops brochure is available from Emily Short on 01472 370117 or emily.short@limagrain.co.uk or downloaded from lgseeds.co.uk/hibird and selecting a mixture.