Saturday 26 May 2012
Headlines
Did you find this story interesting? (0) (0)
15/12/2005
Barley trials show straw yield may not be linked to length
Spring barley growers using straw length or height as a guide to varieties that will give them the greatest straw yield may not be using the best indicator, independent farm trials managed by Scottish Agronomy suggest.
Conducted near Forfar, the first trial compared three feed spring barley varieties each with different crop heights on the HGCA Recommended List 2006 – Waggon at 74 cm, Doyen at 71 cm and Riviera at 82 cm. At least 1 ha of each was grown, and both grain and straw yield measured at harvest.
But instead of showing that straw yield increased with increasing straw height, findings revealed it was more closely correlated with grain output.
The tallest variety Riviera produced the lowest straw output at 3.5 t/ha, and also had the lowest grain yield at 6.3 t/ha.
Meanwhile the shortest variety Doyen produced the middle straw output of 3.8 t/ha, and at a grain yield of 7.0 t/ha.
But the highest straw yield of all, at 4.8 t/ha, came from newcomer Waggon, which produced 7.6 t/ha of grain.
A second trial, comparing Waggon and Doyen with spring malting variety Chalice, currently being grown as an early maturing feed type, also showed that straw output increased with increasing grain yield.
"Common perception is that tall strawed varieties produce more straw than short ones," explains Scottish Agronomy managing director, Andrew Gilchrist. "I know from experience that's not the case. Waggon is an example of a new feed variety that is relatively short and stiff – as is Doyen.
"Where you've got livestock in the enterprise it's quite a bonus if you produce more straw," he points out.
According to Simon Phillips, technical manager for breeder Syngenta Seeds, who supplied seed of Waggon and Doyen for the work, results could challenge many growers' thinking.
"In this work, growing a shorter variety actually gave 1.3 t/ha more straw. At a straw price of say £20-70/t, depending on time of year and location, that's an extra £26 – £91/ha return for the grower. That's without taking into account the extra grain."
On the face of it, Mr Phillips admits these findings appear to go against conventional wisdom. "But actually they're logical," he stresses. "In order to produce a high grain yield, a plant needs lots of biomass. And lots of biomass means lots of straw. It's got nothing to do with height whatsoever.
"With barley straw being so valuable, straw height has been a big factor in determining variety choice on many farms. Now, perhaps growers will question whether this is the right thing to look at," he adds.
 |
Conducted near Forfar, the first trial compared three feed spring barley varieties each with different crop heights on the HGCA Recommended List 2006 – Waggon at 74 cm, Doyen at 71 cm and Riviera at 82 cm. At least 1 ha of each was grown, and both grain and straw yield measured at harvest.
But instead of showing that straw yield increased with increasing straw height, findings revealed it was more closely correlated with grain output.
The tallest variety Riviera produced the lowest straw output at 3.5 t/ha, and also had the lowest grain yield at 6.3 t/ha.
Meanwhile the shortest variety Doyen produced the middle straw output of 3.8 t/ha, and at a grain yield of 7.0 t/ha.
But the highest straw yield of all, at 4.8 t/ha, came from newcomer Waggon, which produced 7.6 t/ha of grain.
A second trial, comparing Waggon and Doyen with spring malting variety Chalice, currently being grown as an early maturing feed type, also showed that straw output increased with increasing grain yield.
"Common perception is that tall strawed varieties produce more straw than short ones," explains Scottish Agronomy managing director, Andrew Gilchrist. "I know from experience that's not the case. Waggon is an example of a new feed variety that is relatively short and stiff – as is Doyen.
"Where you've got livestock in the enterprise it's quite a bonus if you produce more straw," he points out.
According to Simon Phillips, technical manager for breeder Syngenta Seeds, who supplied seed of Waggon and Doyen for the work, results could challenge many growers' thinking.
"In this work, growing a shorter variety actually gave 1.3 t/ha more straw. At a straw price of say £20-70/t, depending on time of year and location, that's an extra £26 – £91/ha return for the grower. That's without taking into account the extra grain."
On the face of it, Mr Phillips admits these findings appear to go against conventional wisdom. "But actually they're logical," he stresses. "In order to produce a high grain yield, a plant needs lots of biomass. And lots of biomass means lots of straw. It's got nothing to do with height whatsoever.
"With barley straw being so valuable, straw height has been a big factor in determining variety choice on many farms. Now, perhaps growers will question whether this is the right thing to look at," he adds.
No Comments
Nobody has posted any comments on this story.
|
Farming items for Sale
|
Case IH MX310 - Norwich
(Price on Application)
(Price on Application)
FORD NEW HOLLAND 8340 4WD - TEMPLECOMBE(GBP 8000)
Zetor Proxima 75 - Nr Tiverton(GBP 27600)
Case IH MX280 - NORWICH
(Price on Application)
(Price on Application)
Case IH 885-2 - Wallingford(GBP 4200)
Related News
Barley straw yields not a tall story, indicate trials - 17 Jan 2008An independently-managed farm trial of spring barley has once again shown that a taller variety doesn't always result in the highest yield of stra...
New Garner feed spring barley gathers together disease resistance with high grain and straw yields - 04 Feb 2010A new top-yielding feed spring barley described as a solid, no nonsense option for growers looking for a variety with high output yet which is straigh...
NIAB trials reveal value of wholecrop spring barley - 16 Mar 2006LIVESTOCK producers seeking a high feed value forage crop should take a close look at wholecrop spring barley, a growing database of NIAB trials part ...
New spring barley gives leading grower great yield and saving on inputs - 22 Jan 2006NEW SPRING BARLEY GIVES LEADING GROWER GREAT YIELD AND SAVING ON INPUTS Variety decisions have been made a little easier this year on one Bedfordsh...
First crop of new feed barley brings in bumper yield - 31 Jul 2006The first seed crops of new feed barley, Retriever have been harvested with the results suggesting a very promising future for the variety. Nichola...
Arable farmers urged not to chop straw this harvest - 20 Jul 2008Arable farmers are being urged to bale straw this harvest as values rise and livestock producers look further afield to find scarce supplies. For ...
Potato yield boost proven by latest trials results - 11 Jan 2005Consistently higher margins, whatever potato harvest you have experienced, have been borne out of the latest trials results of a tried and tested nutr...
New trials confirm milk yield and fat boostng properties - 15 Nov 2005Dairy cow rations containing a highly palatable 100% protected fat product based on increased levels of C:16 fatty acids can boost individual cow milk...
Price rise may not be enough - 21 Nov 2003Producers have welcomed the recent increase in egg price—which follows successful negotiations between packers and retailers—but there are fears that ...
Why not all dairy farmers may say ‘cheese’ to any milk price rise - 28 Mar 2007Dairy farmers are waiting anxiously for liquid milk processors to declare their intentions to substantially increase the raw milk price to farmers aft...
