Farmers losing millions through poor wheat
UK wheat growers could collectively boost their incomes by millions of Pounds annually simply by selecting varieties which are better suited to their farming conditions, according to Nickerson Direct, which supplies seed directly from breeder to farmer.
"Plant breeders have produced a stream of new varieties which have allowed farmers to benefit from year-on-year yield increases," states Nick Wallace, the company’s Regional Manager in Scotland.
"Producing an acceptable crop of wheat has become relatively easy, so that often the most critical decision of the year, the choice of which varieties to grow, is now made quickly, based on limited information.
Whilst most have farmers have upgraded their knowledge base in many other areas of their businesses, they lag behind in varietal discrimination and over-simplify what should be a very sophisticated decision, one which can make a difference of two tonnes per hectare or more in yield and dramatically affect their profitability.
"Seed is the most important input. Leading modern varieties are sophisticated packages of genetic material and each variety is unique, with different characteristics, management needs and crop chemistry requirements.
Consequently, if the wrong variety is chosen for a particular situation they will never achieve their full potential, regardless of the level inputs which are applied throughout the growing season. Matching the correct seed treatment to the variety and position in the rotation is also important to maximise returns on all crop inputs.
"Drilling date is much more critical with modern varieties and early drilling is becoming increasingly popular, yet very little information is currently available on the subject, or what makes a good second wheat.
This is critical, because only few varieties, such as Istabraq, Deben, Einstein and Panorama, are suitable for this slot in the rotation.
"In addition to choosing varieties which the farm will grow well, always consider your end market. Generally, Nickerson Direct advise growing varieties which will meet a range of end-use criteria.
Group 1 milling wheats and Group 4 hard feed varieties are very restricted in terms of end markets and often you have to take the price which is offered, whereas soft Group 4 and Group 3 varieties offer multiple market options.
"Regional suitability and disease resistance are other critical aspects of seed selection which are rarely given the consideration they merit. This year, for example, the threat from yellow rust is very high, yet huge areas are sown to varieties which are very susceptible.
"The UK offers the best environment for wheat production and growers should be aiming for even higher yields. Nitrogen remains the driver for higher yields and growers can produce more Kg of wheat per Kg of nitrogen than anyone else, yet many still don’t operate at the peak of the nitrogen response curve. If high outputs are the goal it is also folly to cut back on inputs such as fungicides and PGRs.
"Cutbacks in the extension services can make it difficult to obtain good quality information. To fill this information void Nickerson Direct Seed Specialists provide on-farm advice on all aspects of crop production, while Nickerson Husbandry Guides provide essential information needed to make rational decisions about seed selection."
