CLOCK HOUSE FARM LIMITED
IMPLEMENTATION OF
INTEGRATED FARM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
Clock House Farm practices an Integrated Farm Management System and is totally committed to
the Assured Produce Scheme, Tesco’s Nurture and LEAF Marque schemes.
Wherever possible we use natural, biological and cultural methods to control pest, disease and
weeds thus minimizing the use of agrochemicals.
It is a requirement of our marketing organizations, World Wide Fruit and Berry Gardens, that we
sign a declaration each season stating that we have grown our fruit in accordance with all current
government legislation under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (F.E.P.A.). This
includes the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 (C.O.P.R.), the Food Safety Act 1990 and the
Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Pesticides on Farms and Holdings (The Green Code).
ASSURED PRODUCE SCHEMES
Clock House Farm has been registered with Checkmate International from the start and has received
and passed verification visits.
During the growing season a Basis qualified advisor monitors all crops regularly for pest, disease
and weed levels. For each pest or disease the approximate level of infestation is estimated together
with the growth stage of the crop.
All observations are recorded and used when deciding the need to apply a pesticide. Pesticides
including herbicides are only applied when their use is fully justified and where suitable nonchemical control methods are not possible.
All pesticide applications together with their justification are clearly recorded on the Gatekeeper
program, copies of which are given to our marketing organizations. All applications are made by
operators holding an appropriate Certificate of Competence in the Use of Pesticides (NPTC
Certification) and are registered with the National Register of Sprayer Operators.
CLOCK HOUSE FARM LIMITED
DISEASE
The English climate, while being ideal for producing fruit of exceptional flavour and eating quality
is also conducive to many fungal diseases. For instance the 2006 growing season had a high scab
infection risk on almost every day in April, May and June.
To over come the need to spray fungicides routinely we have used disease models produced and
monitored by FAST.
Fungicides at key growth stages, such as bud burst, green cluster and petal fall. Other sprays are
generally only applied if disease levels are assessed as high and weather conditions are favourable.
FAST have set up a network of nine meteorological stations covering all their member’s farms.
Data from these stations are remotely, via a modem, sent to the Farm Advisory Services Team,
(F.A.S.T) headquarters in Faversham. The data is fed into disease prediction models such as ADEM
developed by Angela Berrie at H.R.I. East-Malling. Advisors closely monitor the data aiding their
advice on when to spray a fungicide.
We, as far as possible, remove over-wintering sources of wood scab, mildew, brown rot, blossom
wilt, fire-blight, nectria canker or sporulating silver leaf by a combination of winter and summer
pruning. Such prunings are macerated.
Primary mildew infections are cut out in the spring as soon as they are seen.
Urea sprays are applied post harvest to aid leaf degradation and reduce the level of over-wintering
scab.
PESTS
Top Fruit
We use pheromone traps to monitor the flight of Codling, Summer Fruit Tortrix and Fruit Tree
Tortrix moths at weekly intervals from petal fall until the end of August.
The results are sent to FAST who input catch results together with the daily maximum and
minimum temperatures into the Pest-man programme developed by entomologists at H.R.I. EastMalling. This programme will calculate when the egg hatch is about to start thus allowing the
grower to time the application of an insecticide to maximum effect. Alternatively, Daily percentage
egg development tables, published in the DEFRA Best Practice Guide for UK Apple Production are
used
Where possible we limit the use of organophosphorus pesticides to pre-blossom applications.
Specific insect growth regulators are applied to control each pest. Dimilin is used to control codling
moth while Insegar is applied early in the season to control Summer Fruit Tortrix.
Unfortunately the major pest of the last two season’s, rosy apple aphid appears to have become
resistant to the specific insecticide primicarb.
In order to control the pest growers have had to rely on post-blossom sprays of organophosphorus
insecticides such as chlorpyrifos. For the 2001 growing season Bayer have registered Calypso an
thiacloprid chemical that controls aphids, thus the need to use organophosphorus chemicals post
blossom will be further reduced.
Natural predators such as, Typhlodromus pyri are encouraged in apple orchards to control red
spider mites. Where no natural population exists, summer prunings taken from orchards where
healthy populations are known to be should be introduced. Where possible we rely on these natural
predators to control red spider mites.
CLOCK HOUSE FARM LIMITED
Soft Fruit
Considerable success has been achieved by the introduction of biological control which has become
the main method of control of red spider mite and tarsonemid mite. All pesticide applications are
made with materials that do not harm these and other beneficial insects. The control of slugs is
carried out using metaldehyde rather than the more persistent draza in order to protect beetles and
other unharmful insects.
HERBICIDES
Where possible we limit the use of residual and rely on the use of contact herbicides which become
inactivated on contact with the soil. We are fully aware of the Groundwater Regulations and have
applied to the Environment Agency for a licence where needed.
POST-HARVEST
Before harvest an assessment is made in each orchard of the risk of fruit developing storage rots.
Orchard history, fruit nutritional status, fruit quality and summer rainfall are all considered. Only
fruit intended for long term storage with a significant rot risk are treated with a fungicide postharvest.
PESTICIDE USAGE
Only pesticides that have a label or Specific Off Label Approval in the UK may be used in fruit
production. Wherever possible products from the Assured Produce preferred list, published in the
Fruit Protocol are used. At the end of the growing season we sign a pesticide declaration and
indicate which fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and plant growth regulators have been used. Data
from these spreadsheets are collated by our marketing organisation and can be used to measure
pesticide usage.
PESTICIDE RESIDUE TESTING
To back up it’s commitment to reducing the usage of pesticides our marketing organisation carries
out an extensive residue testing programme. Samples are taken in accordance with the Fresh
Produce Consortium’s guidelines. About half the samples tested each year have no detectable
residues present. Where a residue has ever been found it is always well below the maximum residue
level permitted.
SOIL MANAGEMENT AND PLANT NUTRITION
The aim is to conserve and improve the structure, depth, fertility, fauna and micro-flora of the soil,
re-cycling of nutrients, and using the minimum quantities of fertilisers consistent with high yields of
quality fruit.
An important principle is the justification for fertiliser use. Records of soil, leaf and fruit analysis
are kept and used for decision making for fertiliser and foliar nutrient application. Records are kept
of all fertiliser and nutrient applications.
Soil analysis is carried out in each orchard at least once every three years by taking a sample from
0-15 cm depth and chemically analysing for pH, phosphate, potash, and magnesium. Lime is
applied to maintain the soil pH at 6.0-6.5 and dressings of phosphate, potash and magnesium are
applied when needed.
Leaf analysis is carried out annually and provides the best assessment of nitrogen, potassium and
magnesium uptake as well as quantifying any trace element deficiencies. Nitrogen applications and
foliar nutrient sprays are applied on the basis of these results.
CLOCK HOUSE FARM LIMITED
In order to minimise nitrogen leaching into watercourses strict upper limits on total quantities of
nitrogen (kg N/ha of orchard) applied each year including foliar sprays and organic manures are
adhered to.
Nitrogen fertilisers are only applied to the crop row and are not applied to the orchard headlands or
the base of the windbreaks. Nitrogen fertilisers are not applied to the soil before the 1st March or
after the 1st of September.
Fruit analysis is carried out on samples of apples from all orchards destined for long term storage.
Where calcium or phosphorus levels the previous season were low foliar sprays are applied during
the growing season.
Soil management consists of a weed free herbicide strip in the tree row and a grass alley to
encourage earthworms and aid the uptake of nutrients such as phosphorus into the tree. The grass
alleyways are such a width as to easily accommodate tractor wheeling.
To minimise the use of herbicides, conserve soil moisture, minimise soil splash onto fruits and to
improve soil fertility straw mulch is applied to the herbicide strip each season after blossom.
ENERGY
The overall aim of the policy is to reduce the emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere by reducing the
amount of fuel burnt on the farm and using less of those materials that require a high level of energy
input into their production such as inorganic fertilizers. Efficient use of energy also means both the
amount of non-renewable fossil fuel used and the total fuel bill for the farm is kept to a minimum.
The three most commonly used fuels on the farm are fossil fuel, gas and electricity. The main areas
where energy is consumed on the farm is in vehicles, farm machinery, lighting, heating and cooling
of houses, buildings and cold stores.
POLLUTION
The main purpose of the farm’s pollution policy is to minimize the release of pollutants into the
environment without significantly reducing crop yield or quality. The management exercises due
diligence in the storage, handling and use of pesticides, fuel oil, plastics, fertilizers and the storage
of fruit.
WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING
The aim of the policy is to manage and recycle, wherever possible, the farm’s waste in the most
environmentally friendly manner consistent with the economical production of good quality fruit.
All those who use pesticides on the farm have access to and have read the MAFF Code of Practice
for the Safe Use of Pesticides on Farms and Holdings (1989), adherence to which limits waste
production to minimum.
There are three main ways in which the level of waste is kept low on the farm. The amount of
pesticides and fertilizers being used is reduced to the minimum required for adequate yields of good
quality fruit. Preference is given to the use of systems and working methods that avoid or minimize
the production of waste. Materials, such as containers, plastic, cardboard, glass, oil and metal are
recycled.
CLOCK HOUSE FARM LIMITED
THE FARM ENVIRONMENT
Clock House Farm has a Farm Environmental policy which is used to make management decisions.
All land that is not used for crop production is managed to produce habitats capable of supporting
the widest range of flora and fauna. The management of these areas is very different to that being
used in the cropping area where the objective is to obtain the optimum yield from a mono-culture.
Successful management of these environmental habitats involves obtaining the maximum diversity
of flora and fauna with the minimum of disturbance. By carrying out the following policies not only
will the widest range of ecological niches be created on the farm but also the maximum source of
food will be available for predators.
 Hedges and windbreaks are trimmed in late February every two or three year's. This
provides the maximum amount of shelter and source of food for birds with the minimum
amount of disturbance while maintaining the habitat in good condition.
 The grass headlands around the orchard margins are left to grow during the season to
provide cover for beetles and small mammals that provide a source of food for birds. The
herbage is cut once a year in mid August and removed to help deplete the nutrients
available, this increases the range of flora by improving the soil.
 The herbage around ditches is left to grow to also provide a source of cover and food.
Ditches are cleaned out every two or three-years on a rotation to ensure the minimum
amount of disturbance to wildlife. The cut herbage is removed to ensure it does not block
the watercourse.
 Trees and shrubs are allowed to grow around the pond to provide cover for wildlife. The
vegetation is controlled to minimize the amount of leaf litter settling on the bottom of the
pond, where its presence could reduce the oxygen in the water. One side of the pond has a
gentle slope to allow the easy access of wild life.
Clock House Farm continues to develop its environmental policy with its management system and
seeks advice to assist on conservation issues.
R. K. PASCALL
February, 2012.