‘Profit from yield’ - is breeder theme at Cereals 2007
"Profiting from yield" - that will be a key message of variety plots being demonstrated by cereal breeder New Farm Crops at this year's Cereals and Sprays and Sprayers Event (stand 900) on 13 and 14 June, Vine Farm, Wendy, near Royston, Cambridgeshire.
As well as high-yielding winter barley varieties, plots will also provide a first-time opportunity for growers to see a selection of the company's brand new high-yielding quality winter wheat varieties.
"With grain prices having risen over the last year or so, now is an ideal time for growers to continue to maximise potential gross output of crops," says New Farm Crops (NFC) head of UK cereals, Robert Hiles.
"Clearly high yield is central to this. However, high yield alone isn't necessarily enough. For maximum profit potential it is essential that growers meet end market requirements in terms of grain quality characteristics, including specific weight, protein level and grain size. This begins with an effective strategy on variety choice, which is the key focus of our Cereals Event."
In particular, with winter barley attracting renewed interest among some growers - thanks to higher yielding varieties, plus the benefit of its early harvest for both helping spread workloads, as farms enlarge and operate with fewer staff, and in providing an entry for oilseed rape - barley will form a key focus, Mr Hiles points out.
This will include exploring the importance of combining yield with good grain size for feed growers, in order to minimise price deductions, and of combining high yields with suitably low grain nitrogen levels for specialist malting growers, in order to meet the market specifications required for brewing.
"Included in the barley plots will be the second generation hybrid feed barley Boost - which not only offers the high yields associated with hybrid barleys but also takes their grain quality, in terms of specific weight, to a new level. If you've not tried a hybrid before, this is a fantastic one to start with," Mr Hiles points out.
"Also on the stand will be the high yielding winter malting variety Flagon. This is now rapidly establishing itself as a genuine malting choice for the professional malting barley grower following its full Institute of Brewing approval for brewing last year, and is rapidly gaining in end market interest," he adds.
Meanwhile, for wheat growers, the event will be a timely opportunity to see a selection of the new high yielding winter wheat varieties which NFC is launching this year - and each of which is being established with a clear market position.
NFC has four varieties which are currently HGCA Recommended List Candidates. Included on the stand will be Monty - the highest yielding, soft group four candidate feed wheat with orange wheat blossom midge resistance - and Limerick - a high yielding, hard, group two variety with bread-making and export potential.
NFC experts will also be on hand to discuss exciting variety developments in spring malting barley, including Quench and Publican, both of which are currently being evaluated by maltsters, brewers and distillers.
