Growing seed for nickerson

Although Nickerson has long been a major producer and supplier of UK grown seed, the ongoing success of the Nickerson-Advanta plant breeding programmes and our extensive agency arrangements with foreign breeders, means that we are needing to increase our seed production across a wide range of crop species.

Growing seed for Nickerson offers attractive premiums and access to high quality stock seed of the majority of today’s most popular varieties, along with the opportunity to participate at an early stage in promising and exciting new varieties being introduced into the market – many of which will be tomorrow’s winners…

Provided there is a reasonable cropping rotation, with wild oats at roguable levels, and drying and storage facilities that enable different seed parcels to be kept separate in store, seed production should not involve much extra work, whilst at the same time promoting a good discipline for farmers and their staff keen to supply a quality product.

As a key part of the largest seed business in Europe, Nickerson markets some of the longest established and best known brands in this vitally important sector of agriculture, and our growers play an essential role in providing the raw material on which our success if based.

We are therefore keen to receive ongoing feedback from existing growers and hear from other farmers who are not currently growing seed for us but would be interested in considering the possibilities.

Please visit our Seed Production page or click here to indicate your interest and a member of our highly experienced field production team will be pleased to arrange to visit you, without commitment, to explain more about what we have to offer.

Colin Batey, Field Production Manager 

Group 3 Zulu yields a surprise

This is the first time that we have grown Zulu on the farm, and we have had good results from the 16 hectares we put in – with yields averaging 10.56t/ha. These are typical yields that we would expect from a high yielding feed wheat so an extremely pleasing performance from a soft Group 3,” says Mr Barron.

Grown on silt clay loam over clay the wheats on Pattocks Farm are part of a five year rotation, that includes second wheats, oilseed rape, wheat again and then borage or potatoes.

“This particular crop of Zulu which is destined for seed, was drilled on 22nd September at a rate of 135kg/ha. It had a fairly standard but robust 4 –spray fungicide programme including a T0, as did the other varieties on the farm. This has kept disease at bay and the Zulu has looked well through the season; no doubt its disease ratings contributing to this.”

“Based on the variety’s performance we are planning on increasing the area for 2015 harvest with some grown commercially as a soft wheat.”

Zulu, bred by Limagrain UK, was added to the RL in 2014, and is classified as a uks soft wheat with a medium rating for distilling. “Limagrain has a history of breeding good soft Group 3’s such as Claire and Invicta due to their reliability and consistency over time.”

“Zulu offers very much the same – but with a step up in yield – and it’s rewarding to see that the variety is delivering what it promises even in challenging disease-robbing seasons such as this,” says Lee Robinson, sales and marketing director with Limagrain.

YIELD POTENTIAL (% Treated Control)

Treated

Untreated

ZULU

102

90

KWS Croft

102

91

Invicta

100

90

Scout

97

88

Zulu has performed well this season as the variety offers a very good agronomic package, combining good straw characteristics with robust disease resistance and WOBM resistance points out Ron Granger, arable technical manager with Limagrain.

TABLE: AGRONOMIC CHARACTERS

ZULU

KWS Croft

Invicta

Scout

Straw Height (cm)

88

87

89

85

Resistance to Lodging (with PGR)

8

6

8

8

Ripening (Days +/- Solstice)

+2

+1

+3

+2

“Zulu has a 7 rating for mildew, 9 for yellow rust and good eyespot resistance (7), as well as a (6) for fusarium.”

“Zulu is a slightly taller variety, but it does respond well to PGR’s, with a rating of 8 for this characteristic. It offers SBCMV resistance and although the distribution of this disease is low in the UK, it appears to be on the rise so varietal resistance is essential for growers affected to guarantee good returns.”

In terms of grain quality characteristics it has a soft endosperm so Zulu is suitable for the key marketing outlets as a soft biscuit wheat, and is a registered uks variety.

Farm: G&J Barron, Pattocks Farm, Chappel, Colchester

Crop: Winter Wheat

Variety: Zulu

Area: 16 ha

Yield: 10.56t/ha

FOR DEV – Award-winning growers offer nitrogen strategy tips for successful milling wheat
The hike in input costs and grain prices has raised stakes when it comes to optimising nitrogen strategy, particularly for growers targeting quality milling wheat.

Limagrain UK asked the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners from the 2021 Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) Milling Wheat Quality Awards, to explain how they manage nitrogen to maximise both yield and quality.All three growers grew proven Group 1 wheat Crusoe; a variety that has become a firm favourite amongst millers since its launch 11 years ago.

Gold winner, Peter Trickett

Yorkshire farmer and Gold award winner, Peter Trickett, has been growing Crusoe since 2014, and believes it is suited to his location and soils.

Despite the YEN field getting flooded in November 2020, his Crusoe went on to yield 11.24 t/ha, at 13.2% protein and 337 Hagberg.

“We first grew milling wheat here 20 years ago and in most years the crop has achieved full milling specification.”

Variety choice is a key part, but so is the focus on maximising and protecting yield potential and quality by keeping crops standing, giving them sufficient nitrogen, harvesting promptly and drying quickly, he says.

Last year’s late September-sown Crusoe received 300 kg N/ha in total, in four splits.

RICHARD CARR

Essex farmer Richard Carr started growing Crusoe in 2013 and is very pleased with how it performs, having achieved milling specification every year.

Richard Carr has been growing Crusoe since 2013

 

His YEN crop produced the highest protein of all entries at 14.1%, plus 369 Hagberg and specific weight of 77.2 kg/hl.

“We’ve had several years at 14% protein and Hagbergs are usually in the 300’s.”

He puts much of the success down to the farm’s silty clay soils and rotation especially, as break crops such as lucerne and beans can leave high levels of residual nitrogen.

His continuous wheats typically receive 200 kg N/ha, whilst most first wheats usually get 170-190 kg N/ha, in four splits.

EDWARD VIPOND

In Suffolk, farm manager Edward Vipond turned to Crusoe in a bid to help stabilise grain proteins.

Mr Vipond says “We’ve found it is easier to achieve the protein we need from Crusoe.”

His third placed YEN Crusoe produced a yield of 10.27 t/ha, 12.4% protein, 350 Hagberg and a specific weight of 78.5 kg/hl.

Edward Vipond turned to Crusoe to help stabilise grain proteins

 

In total, the crop received 280 kg N/ha, in four splits from February to early June.

“It’s important to keep crops fed throughout the main growing period, so we make sure the gap between splits doesn’t extend to any more than four weeks. Crusoe is a straightforward variety to grow, with the assurance that it will achieve the protein content that millers require.”

Plant breeder trials put varieties through their paces

Breeders Limagrain UK have opened the doors to its main Lincolnshire Wolds trials site, to give growers a unique insight into the performance of new and existing cereal varieties in another challenging dry season.

The event, near Market Rasen, showcased numerous wheat and barley varieties coming through the firm’s breeding programme, alongside others already on the Recommended List, from Limagrain and rival breeders.

“The site is at a reasonably high altitude (around 300 ft above sea level), which means varieties can perform very differently here compared with other locations, so it’s important we use these trials to understand the variety differences better,” Limagrain’s Ron Granger said.

A relatively cold, dry spring, followed by a hot, dry start to summer, had caused reduced tillering and earlier senesce in many of the mid-October sown plots, but had highlighted some clear differences in the resilience of varieties to droughty conditions.

High yellow rust pressure earlier in the season had also reinforced the importance of strong genetics in keeping crops clean and maximising photosynthetic potential.

With continental conditions likely to become more common in the UK, Mr Granger said it was important the industry learned to adapt to the climate through variety choice and agronomy.

Indeed, he said Limagrain was exploring the potential benefits from several continental varieties, such as a German and French wheat that looked to have merit, although more would be known about their suitability for the UK after this harvest, once yield and quality assessments had been done.

Taller varieties

Breeding programmes for wheat are mainly located around the Cambridge region, and previous dry seasons had clearly highlighted the benefits of taller varieties being more robust in these testing conditions, Mr Granger continued.

LG Skyscraper, for example, had proved popular on the lighter land of the Wolds and had been the highest yielding variety for three years, with good specific weight and potential to go into a range of markets.

RL Candidate, LG Redwald, also looked very promising, with potential to raise the yield bar considerably, offering huge biomass and very high yield potential at 106%, plus decent disease scores for Septoria and Brown Rust, and Orange Wheat Blossom Midge (OWBM) resistance.

LG Redwald

The variety’s large, strong tillering capacity meant it covered the ground very well, and trials have shown that the variety could be sown at lower seed rates with minimal difference to yield. This made it a good potential option for wider row, direct drilling systems, although it should not be drilled too early. Nitrogen and growth regulator applications also had to be managed carefully, given the variety’s large biomass, Mr Granger noted.

Another moderately tall, strong tillering variety suited to earlier direct drilling and regenerative agriculture systems was LG Typhoon.

“It’s one of the latest varieties to move in the spring, so does suit the earlier drilling period. It’s not the highest yielding variety, but it has already proved to be a very safe and secure package, yielding 102% over the last three years across every region, and has shown promise as both a second wheat and in the earlier drilling situation.”

Crucially, for growers in high-risk areas for yellow rust and Septoria, such as Lincolnshire, LG Typhoon has a great disease resistance profile with stacked resistance for both diseases, offering one of the strongest genetic resistances available. It also has good standing power and OWBM resistance.

A variety that is National Listed and did not go forward as a Candidate this season is also showing potential for regen systems, LG Aldaniti. “It’s one of the cleanest varieties for rusts and Septoria and has great tillering capacity, short, stiff straw, good specific weight and early maturity.

“We need more varieties like LG Typhoon and LG Aldaniti to fit regen systems, as I don’t think all the current varieties on the RL will suit the situation. As breeders, we have so much diverse genetics and I think we can do better.”

LG Skyscraper

Investigating nitrogen

Given the increasing interest in regenerative agriculture and focus on improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), the Rothwell site had this season hosted nitrogen response trials.

In wheat, the response to increasing nitrogen rates was compared in four LG varieties – LG Aldaniti, LG SkyscraperLG Typhoon and LG Redwald – to see how they fared at rates from 150 kg N/ha upwards, increasing in 30 kg N/ha increments.

“Many crops in general were being over-fertilised by up to 20%, so growers need to better adapt strategies to the season and plant requirements,” Mr Granger said.

The dry spring, for example, meant granular nitrogen had not been applied to plots until there was adequate soil moisture to facilitate root uptake. When in a drought situation, plant requirements were supplemented using foliar nutrients and trace elements instead.

Elsewhere, Limagrain was screening potential new ‘N-Flex’ winter oilseed rape varieties to find those with enhanced NUE, marketing manager, Will Charlton added.

Varieties were deliberately being grown in lower nitrogen situations to see which performed best and conserved a higher proportion of their optimal yield over multiple years, before being deemed to have the N-Flex trait.

“N-Flex is a characteristic identified in some of our elite hybrid WOSR lines that are able to convert available nitrogen into higher and more secure yields, giving enhanced yield security. So, when nitrogen applications are sub-optimal, yield penalties in N-Flex varieties are less than they are in other varieties.”

Ambassador was the first N-Flex variety to be launched and has since been joined by others including LG Aviron and LG Antigua, with further lines coming in the future, he noted.

Valuing regional trials

Local farmer, Colin Chappell, attended the Rothwell open day and valued the opportunity to assess how new varieties and existing varieties performed in local growing conditions, rather than having to rely on national trials information.

“I’m particularly interested to learn more about LG Redwald, as it’s one I’d like to try growing next season. We have maize in the rotation, so I’m considering sowing it after that, as a big biomass variety to mop up nutrients and stabilise soil structure after the maize has been harvested.”

Mr Chappell, who manages 645 ha near Brigg, is currently growing a range of milling, biscuit and feed wheats in a varied rotation. This season’s winter wheat varieties include 50 ha of the Group 1 milling wheat Crusoe, grown on contract for Warburtons.

“We’ve always grown a lot of LG varieties, and started growing Crusoe when it was launched, as it had decent yields and good quality. It has proven to be an easy variety to look after, and although brown rust risk does have to be managed, that’s fairly easy to deal with at ear wash timing.”

Nitrogen Use Efficiency has been a big focus for Mr Chappell. Last year, he used a range of in-season testing options to achieve an average NUE of 84% from the 220 kg N/ha applied to a crop of Crusoe that yielded 11.5 t/ha, and easily met his current 12.5% grain N requirement.

“The economics of chasing full 13% milling specification by applying 300 kg N/ha have to be questioned at today’s prices, and when you consider that half of the carbon footprint for one tonne of wheat is due to artificial fertiliser.”

Improving NUE would remain a priority, and he therefore welcomed the work that breeders, such as Limagrain was doing within this area to improve farm practices.

Wait for moisture to drill OSR

As harvest progresses almost a week earlier than normal and land is cleared, many growers will be looking to get their OSR crops into the ground – but don’t be tempted to drill until there is enough moisture, says Liam Wilkinson, arable development officer for Limagrain UK.

The dry summer has meant that crops have ripened early, but it also means that there is very little moisture in the soils, he says.

“Whilst some areas have seen some rain recently – many have not had any – and even where it has rained, it needs to be a serious amount to restore moisture levels to where they need to be to sustain a rapidly emerging rape crop,” he points out.

With not much rain in the early August forecast, many will be worrying about compromising establishment by holding off drilling until conditions improve.

Holding off doesn’t compromise yield, he notes. Mr Wilkinson’s advice is to look at and be guided by seedbed conditions rather than calendar dates.“It is possible to get good yields from later drilled rape, when sown into the right conditions. In fact, they often outperform some of the earlier drilled crops – and many later drilled crops have been winners in the YEN awards!” he says.

“Last year we saw crops of LG Antigua drilled mid-September up in the Lincolnshire Wolds achieve yields of over 6 t/ha, so there is definitely high yield potential for crops drilled into September in the right conditions.”

“Choosing the correct variety for this drilling window is key to success. If you are drilling in September, the focus should be on speed of autumn growth and vigour, so hybrids are a first choice because they are quick to get going and they accumulate biomass very quickly,” he says.

“Vigour is also important to get the crop established and putting roots down, but the speed of development for reaching over wintering biomass as quickly as possible is key.”

A variety in this situation will also benefit from a canopy in order to withstand potential pest problems, as well as harsh winter conditions.”

“Tried and tested varieties such as Aurelia and Ambassador have performed consistently in this slot, both on farm and in trial for a number of years now.”

“More recent additions of LG AvironLG Auckland and LG Antigua to the AHDB Recommended List strengthens the variety options available to growers, when drilling later than planned.”

 

Seed rate

With vigorous varieties, seed rates should target 25-30 plants/ m2, which is normally around 50 seeds/m2, and Mr Wilkinson recommends that growers assess seedbed conditions and adjust seed rates accordingly to account for field losses, particularly if conditions deteriorate.


Limagrain’s 2021 OSR Establishment Scheme provided extremely useful insight into when crops are drilled, which was then tracked against weather at the time.

When plotted against the weather, the data showed that where drilling was carried out in dry conditions, subsequent crop loss was closely correlated. However where there was rainfall on or around the two weeks from drilling, plant survival was much more likely.

“This data reinforces the need for moisture when drilling oilseed rape for successful establishment, as this allows the crop to germinate and grow up and away from CSFB as quickly as possible,” he adds.


Hutchinsons’ technical manager, Neil Watson, shares his views on why moisture is so fundamental in the germination process of OSR.

The OSR seed goes through a two-stage process before emerging; the first relies on it taking up 40% of its own weight in moisture before it can begin germinating. It then goes into a second stage of repair and stabilisation, which requires more moisture to complete germination.

How often have we seen seed that has started to germinate but then withers away through lack of soil moisture, before completing emergence? So sufficient moisture is needed in the soil to start the process and then more rain following drilling, to ensure there is sufficient moisture for the crop to emerge.

LG Astronomer biscuit wheat takes pole position on Suffolk farm

David Pettitt of West Hall Farms, Rickinghall, Suffolk is so pleased with the performance of his Group 3 biscuit wheat LG Astronomer, that he is making it his main first wheat variety for next season

Not having grown a soft Group 3 wheat in many years, David Pettitt of West Hall Farms, Rickinghall, Suffolk is so pleased with the performance of his Group 3 biscuit wheat LG Astronomer, that he is making it his main first wheat variety for next season, replacing current stalwart, Gleam.

We harvested 28 ha’s of LG Astronomer on the 20th July, which yielded 10.5 t/ha at 13.5% moisture and had a specific weight of 79 kg/hl.

The wheat followed spring linseed and the farm’s standard fungicide and nitrogen regime were applied; nothing was changed this season from the norm.

“Our best wheat yields are usually after oilseed rape, but we have dropped rape from the rotation over the last two years due to CSFB pressure. We would expect yields after OSR to be in excess of 10 t/ha.”

“However, since dropping the OSR, first wheat yields are more around the 9 t/ha mark, so we are really pleased with the Astronomer yields – at the end of the day, the crop costs the same to grow.”

“Offering good yields, a quality that opens up a wider market, and it is also easy to grow with good disease resistance and standing – what’s not to like about Astronomer?” he says.

David Pettitt

How genetic protect OSR yields at harvest

Losses in the period up to harvest in oilseed rape can often be high. However, there are several ways that these can be kept to a minimum, says Liam Wilkinson, development officer for arable crops for Limagrain UK. 

“Choosing to grow a variety with built in pod shatter resistance is one of the most important things you can do,” he says.

“Last year, some crops were devastated by storms, whilst others appeared relatively unscathed, which showed very clearly, the value of pod shatter resistance.”

Pod shatter is a natural process for seed dispersion in oilseed rape, however on farm it can result in significant seed loss caused by heavy wind, rain, hailstones, or the combine passing through the crop.

The pod shatter (POSH) resistance gene was originally introduced into OSR together with the restorer gene from radish. Not all hybrids carry POSH resistance as the trait can be lost in the breeding process to improve the restorer.

Pod shatter is not an either/or trait but one that can be quantified by the force required to break a ripe pod, points out Mr Wilkinson

“At Limagrain, we precisely quantify pod shatter resistance using lab-based techniques, where the force required to shatter the pod is measured, and this clearly shows that not all POSH resistant varieties offer the same level of resistance,” he says.

“All of our hybrids contain the trait and we constantly monitor the efficacy of our pod shatter resistance against other commercial varieties so we can be confident in our claims that the variety really is pod shatter resistant.

Limagrain varieties that carry the trait are LG Auckland, Ambassador, LG Aviron, Aurelia, Antigua, Artemis, LG Antigua and Clearfield variety Constructor and this plays out in their high yields and subsequent leading position on the current AHDB Recommended List.”

“POSH resistance can also help to provide some flexibility in the timing of the harvest, which can be as much as 14 days extra in our tests,” he says.

“In addition, a robust POSH resistance cuts down the number of volunteers in the following crop, easing the burden of weed control.

Liam Wilkinson

It is also relevant to look at the overall stem health of a variety as a lodged crop is not going to be easy to harvest, adds Mr Wilkinson.             

Of the diseases that can affect the health of the stem he believes that light leaf spot is the biggest threat.

“Previously considered a disease of the north, this is no longer the case as a result of mutations and a reduction in azole efficacy, alongside milder winter weather has resulted in it spreading across the UK.”

“Varieties offer good light leaf disease resistance ratings on the AHDB RL , but it’s important to recognise that in the UK, light leaf spot on the stem is not something that is scored for in the AHDB RL, it’s only the leaves that are scored for disease,” he says.

“Varieties with similar light leaf scores on the AHDB RL, will in reality have very different stem health scores.”

“So incidences of stem infection often go unreported, resulting in unnecessary yield and quality reductions.”

“But it’s been a key focus for us across the Limagrain European breeding programme. We select plants with good strong stems that stand well as a matter of course,” he adds.

“In France, stem based light leaf spot, or Cylindrosporium, is recognised to be a serious disease of oilseed rape in its own right and is included in the Terres Inovia Recommended List, the French equivalent of the AHDB RL.”

All of Limagrain’s varieties currently on the RL have been scored for cylindrosporium in the breeders own trials, as well as for LLS in the RL programme.

To illustrate this, Mr Wilkinson refers to Limagrain trials carried out in 2020.

“We evaluated the stem health of several varieties that all held the same light leaf spot score of 7 on the AHDB RL.(1= clean through to 9 which was fully diseased.)”

“Aurelia was scored an excellent score of 2 for overall stem health, Ambassador and LG Aviron scored a very good 3, but one variety only scored a 6 despite also holding a light leaf spot rating of 7!” 

“The important message here is to look behind the headline scores and don’t assume that a good overall light leaf spot score translates into a good stem health score.”

“So the first step in protecting harvest losses is having the right genetics,” notes Mr Wilkinson, “in doing so this then provides an excellent foundation for management practices such as pod stick and timing desiccation correctly, to bring an additional level of protection which ensures that every seed possible gets into the combine.”

Pod shatter is an important trait when deciding which oilseed rape variety to grow for East Suffolk farmer Thomas Over of Westrope Farming Ltd.

Westrope Farming is one of the three founder farmers of the Three Musketeers potato marketing group. The climate is relatively mild in the area, with few frosts and his potato crops are usually started under fleece to follow the Cornwall earlies and Jersey Royals.

Soil structure drives the rotation; the lighter soils are used for growing vegetables, whereas on the heavier soils the rotation includes winter wheat, oilseed rape, plus spring and winter barley.

To help with choosing his oilseed rape varieties he visits nearby trials and works closely with his agronomist.

“Sometimes it seems as though there is a lot of data from so many varieties, but last year we grew LG Antigua and have been pleased with the variety because it has the important traits we are seeking; pod shatter resistance as well as being high yielding.”

Pod Shatter is an important trait, as the area where he farms Wickham Market, is vulnerable to massive hailstorms in late June and early July.

“As a result of a huge storm last year, we had to write off 14ha of shallots, but thanks to pod shatter resistance our oilseed rape crop was saved.”

Sizing up local wheat opportunities

Growers in Essex recently got the opportunity to evaluate a host of new and established wheat varieties, when Limagrain UK opened the doors to one of its network of farm trial sites.

The winter wheat variety demonstration, hosted by JD & DJ Golding at Tolleshunt D’Arcy near Maldon, features treated and untreated plots of more than 30 varieties from Limagrain and other breeders, including established names from the AHDB Recommended List, alongside several exciting potential new additions.

It was the first time in six years that Limagrain had used the site, with emphasis on engaging with growers and agronomists, giving them a chance to see how varieties perform in the soil type, climate and growing conditions of the area, and in a “real-world” farm situation.

Crusoe Winter Wheat

As host farmer Tim Golding explained, the trials had been deliberately managed to be more representative of typical farm inputs, and fungicide treated plots had received much of the same inputs as commercial crops on the rest of the farm. This year, Mr Golding was growing 40 ha of the Group 1 milling wheat Crusoe, alongside the hard Group 4’s Gleam, RGT Skyfall and KWS Extase, in a rotation that included grass seed, oilseed rape and borage as the main cereal break crops.

“We love having the varietal trials on our farm, as we get really useful results, often enabling us to see how new varieties perform on our soils and in weather conditions, even before they are commercially available.”

Growers attending the event also recognised the value of being able to evaluate how different varieties performed in local conditions, rather than having to rely on data based on trials conducted elsewhere in the country, where soils, disease pressure and climate were often very different.

Indeed, this part of the Essex coast is one of the driest places in the country, which presents many challenges for growers, especially in seasons like 2022 when rainfall has been well below average.

Quality wheats

Limagrain’s Tom Barker said the climate created opportunities too, and the heavier bodied soils combined with high levels of sunlight and proximity to end users made the South East a good location for growing higher protein Group 1 and 2 milling wheats, such as Crusoe.

Crusoe is now 12 years old, but it’s still rated 9 for yellow rust and has a good rating for Septoria, and reliably delivers good specific weight, Hagberg and protein, which is why it remains a firm favourite among the millers.”

He acknowledged it had been several years since the last new addition to the Group 1 sector, but insisted breeders were working hard to bring new varieties to market.

Two coded Limagrain UK varieties currently in National List 2 trials were on show at the Essex site, with both offering milling potential. “They’ve got KWS Extase type yield, but with better quality.”

There were some potential future LG early generation material for the Group 2 sector as well, including a new white wheat with Crusoe parentage, that if successful could allow millers to produce a white wholemeal loaf.

“White wheat has historically been a bit of a niche market, that’s been difficult for breeders to develop reliable varieties for. However, our potential new variety looks to be the best white wheat we’ve ever produced, has a much more stable Hagberg and is good on yellow rust and Septoria.”

Given the changing UK climate, Mr Barker said Limagrain was also looking to see whether continental varieties offered potential benefits. A German wheat being trialled in Essex looked to have merit, although more would be known about its suitability after this harvest, once grain quality and milling assessments had been done.

New varieties drive yield

At the other end of the Recommended List, there were several exciting new Group 4 Limagrain varieties being trialled, which included RL Candidate LG Redwald and National List 2 coded varieties.

“LG Redwald is a huge biomass variety, that’s quite tall and very high yielding at 106%, with decent disease scores and Orange Wheat Blossom Midge (OWBM) resistance. Its large tillering capacity means it covers the ground really well, and could be sown at lower seed rates with minimal difference to yield.”

Mr Barker said OWBM resistance was a particularly important trait for growers in the South East, especially as insecticide use declined, and was something that Limagrain UK had successfully bred into many of its varieties through the use of genetic markers. Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) resistance was another trait the firm was bringing into its breeding programme for future varieties, he added.

“There’s never been a more important time for growers to evaluate what they are doing on-farm, and variety choice is a key part of that, he concluded. Visiting local trials offers a great opportunity to see how varieties might perform on your own farm in future seasons.”

Two new wheat Candidates to catch your eye in 2022

Limagrain UK has two Group 4 hard wheats on the AHDB Candidate List for 2021/22: LG Farrier and LG Typhoon.

Each variety offers UK growers a very different set of agronomic characteristics for on-farm positioning and performance, explains Limagrain UK’s arable technical manager, Ron Granger.

LG Farrier (Evolution x Costello) sits at 105% of treated yield control, alongside competitors from DSV and KWS. This year will be the one that separates them and shows who is top dog for yield.”LG Farrier winter wheat

“LG Farrier possesses a strong agronomic package with 7 for mildew, 9 for yellow rust, 8 for brown rust, and 5 for Septoria tritici. The grain quality is excellent too, with a specific weight of 78.9 kg/hl, along with a Hagberg of 279.”

Mr Granger points out that these characteristics are one of the main reasons that its parent ‘Costello’, was recommended and successful for so long.

“LG Farrier is of medium height and medium maturity. It moves very fast in the spring (similar to LG Skyscraper), so will need to be watched regarding PGR timings,” he adds.

“LG Typhoon (LG Garrus x LGW88), has a lower yield and specific weight than LG Farrier, but has agronomics that will offer growers more on-farm security, including 7 for mildew, 9 for yellow rust, 7 for brown rust, 8 for Septoria tritici and OWBM resistance,” says Mr Granger.

LG Typhoon winter wheat“LG Typhoon has produced high yields in the testing environments of the west and north. This will be of interest to growers in those areas looking for security, based around a safe agronomic and disease package, and agronomic attributes desirable for the earlier drilling situation.”

Tom Barker, Limagrain UK’s cereals & pulses product manager, notes that it has been a few years since Limagrain had Group 4 hard wheats on the AHDB Recommended List, with the last two varieties being Evolution (2014) and Stigg (2011). Group 4 hard wheats accounted for around 30% of the UK market in 2021.

“The addition of LG Farrier and LG Typhoon on the Candidate List, follows on from the success of having four Group 3 soft wheats added to the Recommended List in 2021/22.”

“This is a very exciting time for the Limagrain UK wheat breeding team, based at Woolpit in Suffolk. With a full-strength team, new personnel in place, and the development of exciting new varieties in the pipeline, the future looks extremely bright.”

Opportunity from growing biscuit wheats

Growing biscuit wheats which can earn a premium over feed when sold into local markets is important to Bedfordshire farmer, David Tomkins

New biscuit wheat LG Astronomer is his variety of choice for next year, and he aims to sell his wheats into millers, Heygates and Whitworths; both of which are in the area.

David and his father are tenant farmers and have been on South Pillinge Farm for over 50 years, and whilst their main business is arable farming, he also has permanent pasture for 30 hobby sheep.

His decision to try LG Astronomer was based on quality characteristics such as specific weight of 77.8 kg/hl and a strong Hagberg of 238, which sit alongside one of the best set of agronomics on the AHDB 2021/22 Recommend List.

“We really like LG Astronomer’s excellent untreated yield at 86% on the AHDB Recommended List, and its disease ratings – such as 9 for the rusts and a Septoria rating of 7.4 – give flexibility in your spray windows,” says Mr Tomkins.

“For example, in a ‘catchy’ season when you have to decide which field to spray first, the disease resistance offered by LG Astronomer means that you can keep it on hold for a few days, which helps spread your risk and workload.

“With many varieties, delaying spraying for a couple of days is not an option, as they are too delicate regarding disease susceptibility.”

LG Astronomer may be a little taller than some of the other varieties, he notes, although he adds that with an RL resistance rating of 7 without a PGR, this will not be a problem, as he tends to use a robust PGR, and the straw is useful for the livestock.

Over the years, there have been some changes on the farm; Mr Tomkins used to grow Consort and Claire with oilseed rape as a break crop, but he no longer grows any rape, and moved from growing predominantly soft wheats to doing a lot more spring cropping.

“Our rotation depends on ground conditions and the environment, so there is no set strategy.

“We saw the start of the black-grass issue grow over the previous 20 years; for that reason, we had introduced spring wheat into the rotation ten years ago.”

“In the past two years, we have planted no winter cereals because of the wet autumns – on the upside, this has helped reduce some of our black-grass burden.”

“The hybrid barley we grew had seen some success in subduing the black-grass, but unfortunately it does not stack up economically.”

“We need to be able to make a living from our land, so we are moving back to more winter cropping, but we cannot jump back wholesale into winter cereals and undo the good work of recent years in our fight against black-grass.”

He likes that LG Astronomer can be grown in a first or second wheat scenario.

Growing on heavy clay soils, Mr Tomkins makes an early start with his drilling, and finds that if he is not finished by November, it is too late. Typical yields average around 7.5 t/ha.

Heading towards the end of the season, the LG Astronomer is looking to be a promising crop. “We shall see what comes out of the combine – that will be the true test!” he says.

 

FARM FACTS

 

South Pillinge Farm, Central Bedfordshire

Size: 161 ha
Soils: Heavy clay
Crops grown: Winter and spring wheat, winter and spring barley, winter beans
Rotation: Flexible strategy, depending on weather and ground conditions

 

LG Astronomer winter wheat

Focus on security and on-farm performance
Growers thinking of tapping into the evolving pulse crop market are being encouraged to explore the latest breeding lines being developed by plant breeders Limagrain UK

To meet the growing demand for protein crops, Mr Pillinger highlights the hard work being done by the Limagrain European breeding team to enhance the major traits in their varieties and introduce new ones using routine diagnostic marker assisted selection (MAS).

“This is being done at a high-tech facility in the Netherlands which allows the breeders to undertake rapid generation cycling.”

“Target traits sought for peas include reliable yields with consistently high protein levels, resistance to lodging, and tolerance and resistance to diseases. Cold tolerance without damaging the protein percentage is an important trait for growing in more northerly climates.”

“The new varieties are then put into schemes for extensive localised testing across light, medium and heavy soils in different locations,” he says.

This is a h2 heading

“The new varieties are then put into schemes for extensive localised testing across light, medium and heavy soils in different locations,” he says.

“Our testing builds a comprehensive data set and highlights which varieties are adapted to multiple environments, so we can identify the best high quality, stable varieties,” continues Mr Pillinger, adding that these extended trials also build understanding of optimum drill timings.

These techniques have helped Limagrain address some of the challenges of decline in performance observed in pulses seen over the last decade or so.

This is a h3 heading

“Some of the decline can be attributed to diseases such as soil-dwelling oomycete Aphanomyces euteiches and bacterial blight, and he highlights that there was a possibility that changes in disease strains and races had been brought on by climate change.

“Agricultural policy also influences grower choices and fluctuations in support makes the crop less interesting.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

LG Arable Trial Tours – Register now!
Growers thinking of tapping into the evolving pulse crop market are being encouraged to explore the latest breeding lines being developed by plant breeders Limagrain UK

To meet the growing demand for protein crops, Mr Pillinger highlights the hard work being done by the Limagrain European breeding team to enhance the major traits in their varieties and introduce new ones using routine diagnostic marker assisted selection (MAS).

“This is being done at a high-tech facility in the Netherlands which allows the breeders to undertake rapid generation cycling.”

“Target traits sought for peas include reliable yields with consistently high protein levels, resistance to lodging, and tolerance and resistance to diseases. Cold tolerance without damaging the protein percentage is an important trait for growing in more northerly climates.”

“The new varieties are then put into schemes for extensive localised testing across light, medium and heavy soils in different locations,” he says.

This is a h2 heading

“The new varieties are then put into schemes for extensive localised testing across light, medium and heavy soils in different locations,” he says.

“Our testing builds a comprehensive data set and highlights which varieties are adapted to multiple environments, so we can identify the best high quality, stable varieties,” continues Mr Pillinger, adding that these extended trials also build understanding of optimum drill timings.

These techniques have helped Limagrain address some of the challenges of decline in performance observed in pulses seen over the last decade or so.

This is a h3 heading

“Some of the decline can be attributed to diseases such as soil-dwelling oomycete Aphanomyces euteiches and bacterial blight, and he highlights that there was a possibility that changes in disease strains and races had been brought on by climate change.

“Agricultural policy also influences grower choices and fluctuations in support makes the crop less interesting.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.