New variety launched to help growers rise to the challenge of producing more wheat

A NEW winter wheat variety which could be an important option to help growers rise to the challenges of producing more grain – not only through high yields but also by standing well to minimise harvest delays – is being launched for this autumn.

Duxford, a new hard feed wheat from Syngenta Seeds, has been newly added to the HGCA Recommended List for 2008/09 – where it is among the top three winter wheat varieties for UK treated yield

With a yield of 106% of the control variety mean, it represents an impressive output of 10.7 t/ha, says Syngenta Seeds wheat expert Samantha Smith.

But more than that, Duxford combines this with very high standing power, scoring a maximum nine for resistance to lodging with PGR on the same list, she stresses, where it also has the highest second or more treated yield figure of 108%.

The significance of these is that with more wheat being planted in rotations, but only a finite window for harvesting, it becomes increasingly important that crops remain standing, says Miss Smith, because the last thing growers need will be lodging-induced harvesting delays. Also, an increase in the amount of wheat drilled after wheat is almost inevitable, so good second wheat performance is also increasingly important, she adds.

"With buoyant grain prices, growers are effectively entering a new era for wheat production," explains Miss Smith. "With more wheat planted, it brings a number of management challenges.

"Clearly high yield will remain central in variety choice, and Duxford has a very high UK treated yield on the HGCA Recommenced List. But close attention to other attributes will also be important. Not least of these will be straw stiffness and second wheat performance," she adds.

"Already, for this coming harvest, winter wheat plantings have jumped 10-12% over last season. On current predictions, that area doesn't look like it will drop back. Unless growers increase their combine capacity, they will still only have their usual harvest window. So varieties which resist lodging could become increasingly crucial. Duxford has among the best scores for lodging on the HGCA Recommended List 2008/09.

"Added to that, an increase in the amount of wheat planted after wheat – or even barley or set-aside – is a further significant factor on many farms. So good second wheat performance is also key. The unbeaten second or more wheat yield of Duxford on the same list equates to over 10 t/ha."

Mark Smith, grain director for leading grain and seed trading business, Saxon Agriculture, agrees that UK wheat plantings have already increased, and look set to remain high.

The combination of consecutive poor harvests in Australia and the Ukraine, a disappointing 2007 European wheat harvest – when production fell to 112m tonnes versus 117m in 2006 – and cereal demand exceeding supply for seven of the last eight seasons, all mean global end 2007/8 wheat stocks are forecast to fall to a 27 year low, he points out.

Additionally, investors have moved into grain markets recently, and many governments are looking to build strategic grain reserves, he says, both of which have compounded demand.

So while future volatility in wheat prices cannot be ruled out – for example if this year sees a bumper harvest – he believes prices will remain sufficiently attractive for growers to maintain high wheat plantings, particularly if biofuel demand also grows.

Already, he says there has been a trend for growers to plant more group four feed wheat, and Duxford fits in that slot. But as well as UK feed use, group four wheats can also be used as biofuels and may attract export opportunities, plus numerous milling and biscuit contracts are available for group one, two, three and four wheats for harvests 2008 and 2009, he points out.

"UK farmers are switching to high-yielding group four wheats – 45-50% of the 2008 crop is in group four wheats, versus 35-40% in 2007.

"If you're going to grow wheat, make sure you grow a variety that yields well. Having got that, look at the opportunities that exist. The majority of the UK 2008/09 exportable surplus will be group four wheat," he adds.

Sam Smith agrees that group four feed varieties are rising in popularity. Although recommended as a group four variety, Duxford was originally evaluated as a group two, and has produced positive results in milling tests when grown for quality, she says. "This could potentially give access to additional markets as well as feed, though, as with any variety, it is important for growers to consult their end market before growing it as a quality wheat," Miss Smith adds.

"Duxford also offers a balanced resistance profile to all the main fungal diseases – with no resistance ratings lower than a five on the latest HGCA Recommended List.

"Overall, though, it is the combination of yield, in first or second wheat situations, with standing power which sets Duxford apart. We believe it's a wheat variety for the new era," she adds.