Spring cropping
‘Stick with wheat’ to maximise profits and minimise disruption
• Margins and damage limitation are priority • Late-drilled wheat delivers on both fronts • Fertiliser type and timing will be critical
D
rilling winter wheat into the start of 2020 could re- main the best option for growers struggling to make up the shortfall caused by atrocious wet weather last autumn. Prioritising margin protec- tion in the short term and damage limitation to rotations in the long term should be the focus for most growers and later-drilled wheat delivers on both fronts, believes John Miles of breeders KWS UK. “With many modern high-per- formance varieties capable of de- livering over 95% of their full yield potential when drilled as late as February and shortages of the UK crop widely predicted, wheat re- mains the best bet economically. “But it’s the top option agro-
nomically, too, as moving land planned for winter cropping into spring use could disrupt your ro- tations for several years which needs avoiding at all costs.”
Vigour and resilience Many growers will have undrilled winter seed available. But vig- our, robustness and marketa- bility should be the priorities for farmers looking to choose a vari- ety specifi cally for later drilling, says Mr Miles.
“The latest 2020/21 AHDB Recommended List shows the highest yielding Group one wheat KWS Zyatt producing over 95% of its full potential yield when drilled
in January whilst the top perform- ing Group 3 KWS Firefl y can de- liver 100% of its yield when drilled into February. “As well as producing high
yields, both of these are dynam- ic wheats so they offer the oppor- tunity for creating added value through premium markets – and in a year where shortages of all types of wheat are predicted, that’s a real advantage.
“The Group 2 varieties KWS Siskin and KWS Extase will of- fer similar stability of yield and market opportunities if drilled in the fi rst few weeks of 2020 whilst if outright production is your ob- jective, the Group 4s KWS Kinet-
ic and KWS Kerrin perform well as late-drilled options.”
Growers looking at late-drilled wheat need to take on board a few management issues, adds Mr Miles. “Late drilled wheat can re- cover amazingly well but the seed- bed quality still has to be fairly de- cent. Nothing lacks competition against blackgrass more than late, slow thin wheat.”
Germination will be slow in
cold wet soils and crops will be well behind normal sowings with re- gards to tiller numbers and size. Crops should be “kicked on” as ear- ly as conditions allow – with nu- trition helping new tillers to form and existing tillers to be strength- ened.
“This is the single biggest suc- cess factor in all crops, not just late drilled ones. Fertiliser type and timing are critical to make sure availability is there early in the spring.”
Septoria should be less of an issue as the disease has less time to develop but you’ll need to keep an eye out for any early rusts or mildew developing, he points out. “Anything drilled after Christ- mas will be later to combine than an autumn sown crop, it will grow faster to try and keep its harvest date but as the season progress- es it will slip. “The positive is that, you should have the potential to get back into wheat or another ce- real for harvest 2021.”
Switching land into spring cropping could disrupt rotations for years, says John Miles Below: Backward crops should be “kicked on” as early as conditions allow.
An early maturing wheat such as KWS Extase or KWS Parkin would fi t in well – or the option of a winter barley. But wheat is likely to be the best solution for growers who still have to move a
proportion of land from winter to spring crops.
“Spring barley seed will be
subject to brisk trade plus you’ve got the added complication that ground left over from the winter is likely to be the heavier land you couldn’t get on and that is far from ideal for spring barley.”
Marketing prospects Getting the right quality to achieve higher spring barley pre- miums can be a lottery for growers new to the crop. And with more spring barley harvested, it will be very much a buyers’ market, sug- gests Mr Miles. “In contrast, spring wheat will be ideally suited to the heav- ier land left over and you’ll still be able to take full advantage of the higher wheat prices resulting from the domestic grain shortage. Growers opting for a dynam- ic spring wheat such as KWS Co- chise and KWS Chilham will be able to take advantage of their high grain quality through Group 2 milling premiums – in addition to yields approaching 8.0t/ha, says Mr Miles. Shorter growing time means lower disease risk and potentially reduced fungicide costs too with an ideal drilling window being from early February to mid-March for maximum yields, he advises. “Again a good dose of nitrogen early is needed to maximise tiller- ing and yield potential. Stem stiff- ness is not an issue and Septoria ratings are good plus both varie- ties have orange wheat blossom midge resistance so that won’t be a problem.”
18 MIDLAND FARMER • JANUARY 2020
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