Harvest Preview
Consider all options to meet milling wheat specifications
• Nitrogen applications under scrutiny • Look for consistent modified forms • Spray during cooler parts of the day
G
rowers are being encour- aged to explore alterna- tive ways to boost grain protein in milling wheat ahead of harvest.
Methods of supplying nitrogen fertiliser to support growth and protein content of arable crops will need to change markedly as nitrogen application comes under increasing environmental scruti- ny, says ProCam agronomist Ian Jackson.
As plans are made for summer applications, Mr Jackson sug- gests that farmers try alterna- tive methods of getting nitrogen into crops during what is a key timing for growers in the quest to meet milling wheat specifica- tions and premiums. “There’s often a considerable gap between the amount of mill- ing wheat grown in the UK and the amount that actually meets milling specification Although some of this shortfall is down to low specific weights or low Hag- bergs, some of it is down to low grain protein.
“It is important to tackle this.”
Restrictions With restrictions on the total ni- trogen dose that can be applied to crops – and pressures to cut am- monia emissions under the gov- ernment’s Clean Air Strategy, Mr Jackson says alternatives to tra- ditional granular or urea nitro- gen will become increasingly im- portant.
This will especially be the case later in the season as it becomes warmer and drier, in order to cut down on volatilisation of ammo- nia and because granular nitro- gen requires soil moisture for
36 ANGLIA FARMER • JUNE 2019
good plant uptake, he says. “As an alternative to both granular fertiliser and liquid urea, which is often used as a lat- er-season alternative to granu- lar nitrogen, experience on farms over recent years has shown that applying modified forms of nitro- gen has given good results. “Applied as foliar sprays, these treatments contain nitrogen in a form that plants can readily uti- lise – it doesn’t have to be me- tabolised. This means it can be applied to the plant at relatively low dose rates. Also, because it is absorbed by foliage rather than roots, it is less reliant on mois- ture for plant uptake.”
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Applying modified forms of nitrogen has given good results
Study aims to help growers achieve quality targets
Nitrogen requirements of wheat continue to be notoriously vari- able and difficult to predict, de- spite much research to develop recommendation systems, says AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. Recent studies also show a significant farm effect on grain protein content. This suggests a farm factor may be causing nitro- gen requirements to differ, even
Alternatives to granular or urea nitrogen are increasingly important, says Ian Jackson
Consistent effect
Both factors make these types of treatment an environmentally ef- ficient way of applying late-sea- son nitrogen, says Mr Jackson. “These treatments seem to pro- duce a consistent effect. By ap- plying a reliable source of nitro- gen, you are more likely to meet protein specifications. “Looking ahead, it makes in-
where fertiliser recommendations would be the same. Some crops may be consist- ently receiving too much or too little nitrogen fertiliser – losing substantial profit from wasted fer- tiliser or lost yield, as well as hav- ing a potential environmental im- pact. It is also possible some yields are constrained by nitrogen. Led by NIAB, a four-year AHDB-funded project is inves- tigating nitrogen and sulphur fertiliser management to achieve grain protein quality targets of high-yielding winter mill- ing wheat. Other partners in- clude Agrii, Omex, RAGT seeds,
creasing sense to begin fertiliser programmes with granular nitro- gen earlier in the season, when soil moisture levels are higher, be- fore moving to repeat low doses of modified nitrogen as the sea- son progresses. “For milling wheat, I would look at applying modified nitro- gen fertiliser once or twice when the crop is in ear.”
and KWS.
Due to report in 2022, the pro- ject aims to update guidance on nitrogen and sulphur fertil- iser usage for winter milling wheat. The goal is to help grow- ers achieve optimum grain qual- ity and meet milling specifica- tions for varieties in different soil types and environments. With the introduction of high-yielding winter milling wheat varieties, robust recom- mendations on nitrogen manage- ment strategies are required if optimum protein quality is to be achieved under different condi- tions.
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