Liam Wilkinson

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. 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.”

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.

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.”

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 Skyscraper, LG 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.

Regular reseeding has always been good management on dairy units, but this year high fertiliser prices and bought-in protein feed make it significantly more important in managing input prices while maintaining productivity.

Why? Because a new sward of productive grasses will be far more efficient in using nitrogen than old swards. Feeding older grass swards where the grass is less responsive and there’s a higher proportion of weeds is wasteful in comparison.

As an example, trials have shown that rough stalked meadow grass has a yield response of 17% of that of perennial ryegrass when nitrogen applications are increased from 50 to 150 units.

Fertiliser prices have almost trebled in price in the last 2 years. AHDB quotes urea, with 46% nitrogen, at £244 per tonne in July 2020 and £783 for May 2022. Add to this the increased drive to maximise milk from home-grown forages and mitigate high bought-in feed prices, particularly protein, and the focus on reseeding more grassland strengthens.

Trials continue to show that new leys will yield up to five tonnes of dry matter per hectare more in their first year than a four-year-old ley.

Reseeding typically pays for itself in yield value within the first two years. Current high input prices will improve this further.

A reseed also gives the opportunity to improve grassland productivity and reduce the reliance on fertiliser. Mixtures with new, top-yielding grass varieties respond well to fertiliser applications and will out yield older varieties even at lower nitrogen levels. So even if it is necessary to cut back on application rates, an improved mixture in a new ley will yield better than mixtures with less productive grass varieties.

A reseed also offers the opportunity to introduce clover into the mix. A typical grass ley with 30% white clover can fix 180kgN per hectare and red clover may fix up to 200kgN per hectare. Based on a urea cost of £748 per tonne, this is worth around £305 per hectare for white clover and £340 per hectare for red clover.

Pelleted clover can also be oversown into existing leys, and clover-rich swards can remove the need for nitrogen applications throughout the ley’s lifespan, and there may even be residual nitrogen left for the following crop. Early spring is an ideal time to start a reseeding plan. A more rigorous reseed programme could make good commercial sense, reducing the reliance on expensive inputs and making the most of fertiliser that is used.

Using variety choice to manage on-farm risk should be a top priority for growers when finalising variety choices for the coming season, according to breeders Limagrain UK.

Speaking at a recent variety demonstration at the Limagrain Woolpit site in Suffolk, arable technical specialist, Liam Wilkinson, urged growers to take a whole-farm approach to risk management when deciding what to grow. There were many ways that varieties could be used to manage risk, from selecting those with different maturities to mitigate the impact of unsettled weather around harvest, to choosing varieties with strong disease resistance scores based on a diverse genetic background, he said. “Don’t look at any one aspect in isolation; mitigating risk has got to be based on whole-farm factors.” Yield results from local trials (treated and untreated), grain quality suitability for different end markets, fungicide response, growth habit in autumn and spring, and other agronomic traits, were all important factors to consider, Jonathan Payne of Nickerson Seeds added. “The type of drilling system you use, whether that’s wide or narrow rows, may be something else that affects the most suitable variety to choose.” A variety like RL Candidate LG Redwald, for example, offers huge biomass and tillering capacity, making it well suited to wide row direct drilling or min-till systems, using lower seed rates. The variety offers a yield potential of 106%, but can also be used for whole-crop forage, given the large biomass potential. This could allow ground to be cleared early, or be part of a grass-weed control strategy. “The key is to identify your hopes and expectations for 12 months’ time and plan variety choices depending on what you want to achieve.” After another dry spring and early summer, drought risk was once again top of many growers’ minds, Mr Wilkinson noted. “For drought-prone sites, generally you need a taller variety which is quick to get going in the spring, combined with early maturity and good grain quality, such as LG Skyscraper.” “On the whole, higher-yielding varieties are generally getting taller, and we find these have better resilience in droughty situations, although growers need to manage them properly through the season.”

Safe option

For those growing milling wheats, Mr Wilkinson said Crusoe remained the safe option from a quality perspective, given its stable Hagberg, high inherent protein content and proven farm and end user performance, during a more than a decade on the Recommended List. He acknowledged growers should be mindful of brown rust risk, but said this was generally easier to control than yellow rust, which was a much greater threat in several other varieties. In contrast, Crusoe’s yellow rust resistance score remains at 9. This strong yellow rust resistance had been passed on through Limagrain’s breeding programme to other varieties, such as LG Detroit, which was the only Group 2 wheat to offer Orange Wheat Blossom Midge (OWBM) resistance, alongside stiff straw and good grain quality, with similar performance to Crusoe in some mills. “Midge resistance is a fantastic trait that we know is effective, with no yield deficit. If you’re going to push a Group 2 type variety for milling potential, then this is the one I’d go for.” Among the increasingly crowded Group 3 sector, Mr Wilkinson picked out LG Astronomer as being an “all-round safe package”, that combined excellent grain quality with robust disease resistance and other good agronomics that would help manage risk on farm. Importantly, its three-way parentage of (Cougar x Leeds) x Britannia, has proven to be far more robust than other varieties against the Cougar Septoria strains seen last season, resulting in it remaining one of the best Group 3’s for Septoria resistance on the RL. “LG Astronomer likes being drilled a bit earlier and generally needs decent bodied land to get the best out of the variety. The biscuit premium might not be as attractive as that from Group 2’s, but with LG Astronomer, it’s one that can be achieved with no extra agronomic input required.” The Group 4 variety LG Typhoon was another new variety that ticked a lot of boxes for managing risk, Mr Wilkinson said. It combines high yield potential with excellent disease resistance, stiff straw and OWBM resistance. “Typhoon’s Septoria resistance comes from Irish parentage and is one of the highest scores available on the RL. It also has the stacked genes for yellow rust resistance, using the most robust genetics we’ve got. There’s been a lot of demand for it already, particularly in the West.” LG Typhoon’s strong genetics could buy useful flexibility around key spray timings, and potentially allow for some savings depending on disease pressure, he said. “The variety suits earlier drilling situations due to its spring growth habit, and is rated +2 for maturity, so it’s well worth investing in the T3.”

Local trials inform decisions

Suffolk grower Peter Mahony was one of several farmers who valued the benefits of being able to see how varieties performed in local conditions, rather than having to rely on National Trials information. Mr Mahony farms around 220 ha (560 acres) of owned and contracted land near Rattlesden, south of Woolpit, growing 35 ha of LG Skyscraper, alongside Gleam, LG Mountain winter barley and sugar beet, on mainly clay loam soils. This autumn will be his first year direct drilling, so he was particularly interested to see which varieties might suit that system. “Big National Trials have less relevance to what’s going on at our farm, whereas seeing how a range of varieties fare in our soil type and growing conditions is far more useful. Plus we also value being able to talk to the breeders and get their opinions on things like drilling date or optimum seed rate. “We’ve been growing Limagrain varieties for many years,” he added. “Knowing they’ve been bred just down the road from us gives us confidence that they should be well suited to our growing conditions on the farm.”

Oilseed rape growers do not have to rely on hybrid varieties to access the vigour their crops need to escape damage in the autumn.

Selected conventional varieties also exhibit the good early vigour that will enable them to grow past the potential damage that can be caused by cabbage stem flea beetle, says Liam Wilkinson technical oilseed rape specialist, for plant breeders Limagrain UK.

Conventional rape varieties account for 35 – 40% of all crops, a smaller proportion of the national crop than for some time, he adds.

“They have ceded the majority of the market to hybrids, which traditionally offer greater vigour and the opportunity to ‘stack’ beneficial traits such as resistance to pod shatter and disease.”

Amongst Limagrain’s conventional varieties both Acacia and Amarone show similar characteristics, he notes.

“Growers are looking for vigorous growth in the autumn and to establish a canopy as quickly as possible so the crop gets away from the adult beetles.”

“Both Acacia and Amarone have good initial vigour, they quickly establish the three or four true leaves they need to reduce the risk from grazing damage by the adult CSFB.”

“With new conventionals Annika and Amarone also offering TuYV resistance, they can to help form the basis of an IPM strategy or those looking to reduce reliance on autumn insecticides.”

“They go on in the spring to reach eight true leaves and around 8cm collar with a 15cm tap root quickly, which helps protect them against larval damage”.

Tim Parton

“One key to helping all oilseeds avoid damage is to drill according to moisture levels rather than the calendar,” he adds.

“Drill for the soil conditions – you must have enough moisture to get the plants off to a good start, so they can get going and keep going.”

“That’s not the be all and end all of it, because the beetle and their larvae still pose a risk. But hitting these growth thresholds gives the crop the best chance of withstanding any damage.”

Two Farmers who continue to grow conventional varieties are Tim Parton, a well-known advocate for regenerative agriculture, based in South Staffordshire, and Andy Roberts, who farms on the Staffordshire/Shropshire border.

Tim grows around 40 hectares of a three variety blend at the 300ha Brewood Park Farm, South Staffordshire.

That blend includes Acacia and Annika and he saves his own seed so the mixture he sows is progressively better adapted to his farm:

“By combining several varieties I get stronger disease resistance which helps keep costs down. At the same time, those three varieties are adapting to my farm’s soil and conditions.”

“When they are senescing they send endophytes into the seeds that are ready to be sown into the environment they have been grown in, which improves plant genes for the future.”

They fit into a six year rotation alongside milling wheat, spring barley, spring beans, lupins and grass leys used for making haylage. cover crops are put in ahead of all spring crops and grazed by sheep – or ‘mobile composting units’ as Tim calls them.

He aims to direct drill the crop with a companion crop in the first week of September, and uses a high seed rate to achieve 100 plants/m2.

The companion crop is normally a mixture of crimson, white and burseem clover. He also adds molybdenum, sulphur, boron and manganese in the seedbed:

“The young plants will synthesise sugars and will not be attracting flea beetles”.

Total N supplied is around 170kgs/ha, much of that being supplied as foliar applications in response to the results of frequent tissue and sap testing.

Average yields have been around 5t/ha over the years, although cold springs have reduced that in recent years.

On the Staffordshire/Shropshire border Andy Roberts grows oilseeds in a rotation formed around winter wheat and spring barley, with breaks of either oilseed or potatoes.

The 320ha Lower Barns Farm, Pattingham, also supports a small suckler herd.

Across much of the farm oilseeds are grown one year in six; in areas not suitable for potatoes it may be as frequent as one year in four.

This year he sowed over a wider window than normal – from mid-August to the first week of September – working the land with a Sumo Trio and broadcasting the seed off the back so the following roller pressed the seed to achieve good soil-to-seed contact.

In some fields he spreads chicken muck before sowing, working it in with a Vaderstad Carrier, to add both organic matter and nutrients to their mainly sandy loam soils.

Seed rates depend on sowing date: “We are sowing earlier these days to avoid flea beetle damage. We sow 60 – 70 seeds/sq m in mid-August and raise that to 80 seeds/sq m in September.

“We grow Acacia because we have always used conventionals as they tend to be a bit shorter stemmed, and have good standing ability which makes them easier to harvest. We don’t save seed at the moment, but it is useful to have that option should we want it.”

Yields on the farm tend to average around 4t/ha, although last autumn one September-sown field topped 5t/ha.

Rising fertilizer prices are forcing a change in his regime this year:

“We normally apply between 180- 200kg/ha of nitrogen, but will be dropping that to 150kgs/ha.

“On fields that have received a dose of chicken muck we don’t use anything in the autumn; where muck has not been applied we use 30kgs/ha at planting.

“We believe the crop needs some help to get it way from the flea beetle threat.”

ANNIKA is well suited to early drilling and has excellent disease resistance, including genetic resistance to Turnip Yellows Virus. It produces a short plant with a stiff stem (scoring 9 for both lodging resistance and

stem stiffness) and offers high yield potential (45.3% oil).

ACACIA is the highest-yielding conventional variety on the AHDB 2021/22 recommended list. It has highly vigorous, robust plants with good stem strength and disease resistance. It rates 8 for lodging resistance; 9 for stem stiffness (45.7% oil).

Selected conventional varieties also exhibit the good early vigour that will enable them to grow past the potential damage that can be caused by cabbage stem flea beetle, says Liam Wilkinson technical oilseed rape specialist, for plant breeders Limagrain UK.

Conventional rape varieties account for 35 – 40% of all crops, a smaller proportion of the national crop than for some time, he adds. “They have ceded the majority of the market to hybrids, which traditionally offer greater vigour and the opportunity to ‘stack’ beneficial traits such as resistance to pod shatter and disease.” Amongst Limagrain’s conventional varieties both Acacia and Amarone show similar characteristics, he notes. “Growers are looking for vigorous growth in the autumn and to establish a canopy as quickly as possible so the crop gets away from the adult beetles.” “Both Acacia and Amarone have good initial vigour, they quickly establish the three or four true leaves they need to reduce the risk from grazing damage by the adult CSFB.” “With new conventionals Annika and Amarone also offering TuYV resistance, they can to help form the basis of an IPM strategy or those looking to reduce reliance on autumn insecticides.” “They go on in the spring to reach eight true leaves and around 8cm collar with a 15cm tap root quickly, which helps protect them against larval damage”.

“One key to helping all oilseeds avoid damage is to drill according to moisture levels rather than the calendar,” he adds. “Drill for the soil conditions – you must have enough moisture to get the plants off to a good start, so they can get going and keep going.” “That’s not the be all and end all of it, because the beetle and their larvae still pose a risk. But hitting these growth thresholds gives the crop the best chance of withstanding any damage.”

Two Farmers who continue to grow conventional varieties are Tim Parton, a well-known advocate for regenerative agriculture, based in South Staffordshire, and Andy Roberts, who farms on the Staffordshire/Shropshire border. Tim grows around 40 hectares of a three variety blend at the 300ha Brewood Park Farm, South Staffordshire.

That blend includes Acacia and Annika and he saves his own seed so the mixture he sows is progressively better adapted to his farm: “By combining several varieties I get stronger disease resistance which helps keep costs down. At the same time, those three varieties are adapting to my farm’s soil and conditions.” “When they are senescing they send endophytes into the seeds that are ready to be sown into the environment they have been grown in, which improves plant genes for the future.” They fit into a six year rotation alongside milling wheat, spring barley, spring beans, lupins and grass leys used for making haylage. cover crops are put in ahead of all spring crops and grazed by sheep – or ‘mobile composting units’ as Tim calls them. He aims to direct drill the crop with a companion crop in the first week of September, and uses a high seed rate to achieve 100 plants/m2.

The companion crop is normally a mixture of crimson, white and burseem clover. He also adds molybdenum, sulphur, boron and manganese in the seedbed: “The young plants will synthesise sugars and will not be attracting flea beetles”. Total N supplied is around 170kgs/ha, much of that being supplied as foliar applications in response to the results of frequent tissue and sap testing. Average yields have been around 5t/ha over the years, although cold springs have reduced that in recent years.

On the Staffordshire/Shropshire border Andy Roberts grows oilseeds in a rotation formed around winter wheat and spring barley, with breaks of either oilseed or potatoes. The 320ha Lower Barns Farm, Pattingham, also supports a small suckler herd. Across much of the farm oilseeds are grown one year in six; in areas not suitable for potatoes it may be as frequent as one year in four. This year he sowed over a wider window than normal – from mid-August to the first week of September – working the land with a Sumo Trio and broadcasting the seed off the back so the following roller pressed the seed to achieve good soil-to-seed contact.

In some fields he spreads chicken muck before sowing, working it in with a Vaderstad Carrier, to add both organic matter and nutrients to their mainly sandy loam soils. Seed rates depend on sowing date: “We are sowing earlier these days to avoid flea beetle damage. We sow 60 – 70 seeds/sq m in mid-August and raise that to 80 seeds/sq m in September. “We grow Acacia because we have always used conventionals as they tend to be a bit shorter stemmed, and have good standing ability which makes them easier to harvest. We don’t save seed at the moment, but it is useful to have that option should we want it.” Yields on the farm tend to average around 4t/ha, although last autumn one September-sown field topped 5t/ha. Rising fertilizer prices are forcing a change in his regime this year: “We normally apply between 180- 200kg/ha of nitrogen, but will be dropping that to 150kgs/ha.

“On fields that have received a dose of chicken muck we don’t use anything in the autumn; where muck has not been applied we use 30kgs/ha at planting. “We believe the crop needs some help to get it way from the flea beetle threat.” ANNIKA is well suited to early drilling and has excellent disease resistance, including genetic resistance to Turnip Yellows Virus. It produces a short plant with a stiff stem (scoring 9 for both lodging resistance and stem stiffness) and offers high yield potential (45.3% oil). ACACIA is the highest-yielding conventional variety on the AHDB 2021/22 recommended list. It has highly vigorous, robust plants with good stem strength and disease resistance. It rates 8 for lodging resistance; 9 for stem stiffness (45.7% oil).

The light, sandy soils of north Norfolk may not be prime wheat-growing land, but farmer Chris Blaxell believes LG Skyscraper is well suited to such conditions, having performed strongly last season.

Farming 280 ha (700 acres) with his wife on two main farms near Sheringham and Cromer, Mr Blaxell is growing the soft Group 4 variety for the second year running, alongside a range of combinable crops and a small 10 ha area of sugar beet.

“Previously, we used to grow the soft wheat variety Bennington, but decided to try LG Skyscraper as a first wheat at the farm near Sheringham, which is predominantly on a sandy loam soil. The variety seems well suited to the lighter land, and did very well for us last year, when we got 160 tonnes from 34 acres.”

That equates to a yield of 11.6 t/ha (4.7 t/acre), which was a good result given the soil type and challenging establishment conditions during autumn 2020, Mr Blaxell says. “Admittedly, it wasn’t a dry growing season, which certainly helped, but it still yielded well for that land, with good specific weight too.”

Last year’s LG Skyscraper followed spring beans, with land cultivated using a Cousins Patriot combination cultivator, before drilling at the end of October at 185 kg/ha.

A similar approach has been taken this year, with LG Skyscraper following spring beans and oilseed rape. At the time of writing, crops are looking well tillered with promising yield potential, although rain is needed to help fulfil this, Mr Blaxell says. “LG Skyscraper is a good, early developer and has tillered nicely, so looks good so far.

“We drill quite late, which suits LG Skyscraper, as it’s a variety that you wouldn’t want to drill too early. Drilling late also means we avoid getting too much early disease pressure. However, coastal areas don’t experience the same number of frosts as further inland, so we do still follow a fairly comprehensive, prophylactic fungicide strategy to control Septoria and yellow rust, which are the main disease risks in this area.”

Dry conditions through much of April have helped keep disease pressure relatively low so far, with fungicides tailored accordingly, he notes.

This year’s LG Skyscraper received 0.5 L/ha Djembe (bromuconazole + tebuconazole) with 0.7 L/ha Adjust (chlormequat) at T0, followed by 0.5 L/ha Velogy (benzovindiflupyr), plus 0.5 L/ha Pecari (prothioconazole) and 1 L/ha Adjust at T1. The T2 was based on Diadem XE (fluxapyroxad + Mefentrifluconazole), Lybro 200 (pyraclostrobin) and folpet. Any T3 requirements will depend on disease pressure nearer the time, he says.

“LG Skyscraper has good agronomic characteristics, including a reasonable disease profile. It looks promising at the moment, so hopefully it will yield well again this harvest.”

Chris Blaxwell

LG Diablo is a solid spring option

Lighter Norfolk soils are classic spring barley ground, and Mr Blaxell has also found LG Diablo to be an ideal choice for the farm, having grown it for the past four years.

“It yields well, has good agronomics and is an easy variety to sell as there’s always a ready market for it locally,” he says.

Some 25 ha (60 acres) is in the ground this spring, drilled in the first week of March. “Generally, LG Diablo emerges and gets away well, which is exactly what you want from a spring barley.”

Mr Blaxell tries to give crops every chance of doing this by waiting for soils to warm up sufficiently before drilling in spring, and applying early phosphate, nitrogen and sulphur fertiliser to sustain strong root and leaf development.

He typically aims for average yields of 9.5-10 t/ha (4 t/acre) from spring barley, and says LG Diablo has achieved that, despite some challenging conditions for spring crops in the past couple of seasons.

All of his LG Diablo is sold for a malting premium, and has consistently met the end user requirements for grain nitrogen below 1.85%, with a bonus paid on any samples coming in at less than 1.65%.

He also notes that grain skinning, which can cause handling and processing problems for maltsters, brewers and distillers, has never been an issue with LG Diablo, whereas it has been a problem in some other varieties grown in the past.

“Overall, it’s a good, easy variety to grow,” he concludes.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.”

The are 3 levels of payment for the Arable and Horticultural standard:

• Introductory level – 70% of land must have a sown green cover or weedy stubble over the winter months (Dec-Feb)
• Intermediate level – 70% of land must have a green cover crop during the winter months, of which 20% must be sown with a multi species cover crop
• Advanced level – details to be announced in 2023

 

The use of green manures, catch and cover crops will help to:

• Enhance the natural health and fertility of our soils
• Contribute to our efforts to reach Net Zero

Fodder radish has deep roots & good biomass

 

There are many species of catch and cover crops to choose from; fodder radishes such as Romesa, have good biomass and are very deep rooting to help compacted soils.

White mustard is another useful cover crop – Severka is fast growing and if sown early, can produce bags of biomass in a short period of time.

Multi species seeds mixtures such as Green Reward are also useful, and contain 7 species to comply with the Intermediate level.

Lift N Fix contains vetch, along with Humbolt winter rye. This mixture is a highly effective nitrogen lifter and provides great cover, which helps suppress weeds before incorporation into the soil.

Winter Barley

LG Caravelle is an extremely high yielding variety (107% of control – UK), which is comparable to leading hybrids. Boasting an untreated yield of 90% puts it above all Candidate Control varieties. Its sucker punch at 71.0 kg/hl, will make competitors take notice, along with its excellent disease resistance combination of 7 for Mildew, 7 for Brown Rust and 7 for Rhynchosporium. With early maturity (0) and stiff straw, it looks like the variety that can go the distance.

Ron Granger, LG’s arable technical manager says “LG Caravelle shows the excellent work breeders are doing, by getting 2-row varieties to compete with hybrids. I am very excited by the prospect of LG Caravelle.” LG Campus also boasts a high yield (104% of Control – UK) above that of Control varieties. Slightly taller than stablemate LG Caravelle, it shows a good pedigree in the ring. With good consistency of performance across regions and a disease package of 7 for Brown Rust and 7 for Rhynchosporium, it looks to have strong credentials. Growers should watch closely the performance of both LG Caravelle and LG Campus this summer; both look to be exciting contenders in the winter barley market for the future.

Winter Wheat

For winter wheat, the new prize-fighter is LG Redwald – a Group 4 soft variety, with a parentage of LG Sundance x Generation. The future for the variety looks promising, with a treated UK yield of 106% of Control (untreated 88%), rising to 108% in the east and 107% in the west, showing it could be a real heavy weight!

A taller variety (95cm), with good straw strength and a later maturity (+2), LG Redwald also possesses a good disease resistance profile, with 7 for Yellow Rust, Brown Rust and Mildew, 6.4 for Septoria Tritici and OWBM resistance. Rated as neutral for distilling (the same as market leading LG Skyscraper), gives LG Redwald good end market potential. It also has an acceptable grain quality for a feed wheat, at 74 kg/hl.

LG Redwald is a high tillering, big biomass type so has potential for whole cropping or planting at a reduced seed rate.

Ron Granger comments “LG Redwald is a beast! It looks to be a strong, vigorous variety that has good consistency of yield potential over seasons and regions.”