The first year of growing LG Typhoon proved to be a resounding success for Leicestershire farm and contracting business, F J Garner & Sons.

The variety out-yielded other wheats on the farm by around 25%, and produced a good grain sample, with big, bold grains, despite very challenging growing conditions throughout much of the year.

Extending to 420 ha of land, plus another 120 ha of contracting for neighbours, across a mixture of soil types, the farm tried 9.3 ha of LG Typhoon last year on the recommendation of seed merchant, Saxon Agriculture, explains Peter Garner.

“We like to stay one step ahead of the curve by growing new varieties, otherwise there is a risk you get left behind. It was only one field last year, so wasn’t a particularly big gamble.”

But it was a decision that paid off, after the crop, which followed oilseed rape and received biosolids prior to being direct drilled on 20 September, yielded an average of 11.4 t/ha, well above all other varieties grown last season.

“The crop was initially a bit slow to get going last autumn, but once it did, it started to look good, then very good in the spring.

“By harvest, the LG Typhoon yielded really well. I did see 16 t/ha at one point on the combine yield monitor, and certainly many parts of the field were typically doing 11-14 t/ha. Inevitably, the headlands did pull down the overall average slightly.

“It’s not the highest yield we’ve ever had, but in a year where everything else was yielding nearer 7-9.2 t/ha, it was head and shoulders above the rest.”

The crop produced a good grain sample too, with a thousand grain weight of 53 g; the highest of all wheat varieties grown last season, Mr Garner adds.

Disease-wise, it stayed clean throughout the growing season and looked a good colour in the spring, he notes.

Following the strong performance in 2023/24, the farm is growing LG Typhoon again for the coming season and plans to sow another 20 ha this autumn, which will be direct drilled around the third week of September, weather permitting.

The 2023/24 season proved to be a stern test for most crops and varieties, but third generation Staffordshire farmer, Rob Atkin, is pleased with the resilience LG Typhoon has shown.

Rob Atkin

Last year was the 380 ha mixed arable and beef farm’s first time for growing LG Typhoon, with a 6 ha field sown to assess the variety’s performance.

“We saw LG Typhoon in Agrii trials in 2022 and were really impressed with how it looked; it was clean, stood well, and has relatively high yield potential,” says Mr Atkin. “We also try to pick varieties that are competitive in the spring against bromes and black-grass.”

“LG Typhoon seemed to fit the bill and suit our heavy land, as well as being a good second wheat performer, so we decided to give it a try.”

Given the wet conditions last autumn, the field, which followed forage maize, was drilled later than Mr Atkin planned, on 17 October. “We got the maize off, but then had 65 mm (2.5”) of rain, which meant we couldn’t get back on the land for a while, and had to plough and combination drill instead of our usual minimal tillage. Normally we’d start drilling in the second week of September and be all done within a month, so it was right at the end of our usual window.”

Despite the late start, which was followed by an exceptionally wet autumn and winter, Mr Atkin says the LG Typhoon established well and appeared to be less affected by the tough conditions than other varieties grown on the farm, which included Graham, Oxford and KWS Extase.

“It was a little slow to get going, probably due to the cold, wet soils, but once it did, it withstood the wet conditions really well. Disease-wise, it has also been impressive; it was one of the cleanest varieties on the farm last season, despite some others breaking down to Septoria later in the season.”

Crops stay clean

That cleanliness is even more impressive given the generally high disease pressure last year, and the fact that Mr Atkin employs a reduced two-spray fungicide regime on most wheats, which does not follow conventional timings.

“We want to utilise varietal resistance and extend the cover fungicides provide, so essentially both sprays went on mid-way through the conventional timings. The first was applied at the equivalent of T1.5, while the second was at T2.5. While we are reducing the number of sprays, we do use robust chemistry at those timings.”

The first treatment was 0.8 L/ha Cleancrop Vulture (prothioconazole + tebuconazole) plus 1 L/ha Phoenix (folpet), with additional micronutrients and trace elements. This was followed four weeks later by 1.3 L/ha Boogie Xpro (bixafen, prothioconazole + spiroxamine), again with trace elements.

“The odd field did need an additional T3 last season, but we stuck with the two-spray approach on the LG Typhoon, and it looked really clean all the way through.

This resilience meant LG Typhoon was one of the best performing varieties on the farm this harvest, although Mr Atkin says all winter wheat yields were around 2.5 t/ha (1 t/acre) below normal, due to the wet conditions from autumn to spring.

Increasing the area

Mr Atkin is keen to give LG Typhoon another go this season, and is increasing the area of the variety to 20 ha, which he hopes to sow by the end of September. “One field will be a first wheat after oilseed rape, but we’ll also try the variety in a second wheat position to see how it performs there.”

He also hopes to be able to avoid the need for the plough this autumn, and get back to a minimal tillage system, based around a shallow disc-based cultivation after harvest, to work the top 10-20 mm of soil, which is allowed to green-up, before spraying off with glyphosate and then drilling with the farm’s Amazone Cayena tine drill.

Other varieties going in the ground this autumn include Oxford, Bamford, Crusoe, Fitzroy and a 5ha trial area of LG Beowulf, which joined the AHDB Recommended List this year.

“A lot of people have been raving about LG Beowulf and it looks good in trials, so I’m keen to give it a try on our farm. We’re growing it as a first wheat after maize or oilseed rape this season, and if it performs, we’ll look to multiply up the area next year with home-saved seed.”

Mr Atkin concludes: “It has been really hard to evaluate varieties this season given the weather, but from what we’ve seen, LG Typhoon has done well and seemed to cope better with the conditions, so we’re keen to see how it, and other varieties, perform in – hopefully – a more normal season.”

Demonstrating flexibility

Limagrain Field Seeds UK’s Ron Granger says LG Typhoon has clearly shown its great flexibility for drilling date in the 2024 season.

“Although now established as a true early drilling wheat, the variety should not be ‘pigeon-holed’ into this one category,” he says.

“The variety has demonstrated a consistency of yield performance from its agronomic characteristics, to perform in both the standard and later drilling dates, showing a robustness from its plant development, and great disease resistance profile.

“For growers seeking security for on-farm performance in challenging years of high disease pressure, then LG Typhoon is a variety worthy of consideration.”

•   –>  Atkin Farms, Uttoxeter, Staffs
•   –>  380 ha (930-acre), mixed arable and grassland family farm
•   –>  Predominantly heavy copper marl soils
•   –>  Cropping includes winter wheat, milling oats, feed and malting barley, winter beans, forage maize,
•          oilseed rape, and cover crops (trialled ahead of maize)
•   –>  101 ha of grassland, home to 300-350 Belgium Blue cattle
•   –>  Predominantly min-till since 2003, plus some direct drilling where possible
•   –>  Strong focus on protecting water quality (working with South Staffs Water)
•   –>  Annual rainfall usually 890-900 mm – 1,200 mm in 2023

In a season characterised by wet weather and high disease pressure, one East Lothian grower says his LG Caravelle winter barley has remained “spotless” and delivered the yields it ‘promised.’

This is the first time the variety, LG Caravelle has been grown on the Baro Farm, just outside Haddington, with yields ranging from 8.9 t/ha to 10.8 t/ha, across 4 fields.

James McLaughlin

Farm manager James McLaughlin, is delighted with the performance of the variety, pointing out that not only has it yielded very well, it has also made the specification for pearling and will be bought by local merchants, Silvery Tweed, in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Cereals managing director for Silvery Tweed, Bob Gladstone says: “LG Caravelle performs well in our plant, producing a high-quality pearled barley for our customers within the UK food and drink sector. The consistent high pearling yield delivered by LG Caravelle, allows us to produce a competitively priced product for our customers.”

“Considering we have had what is being cited as the wettest winter in 25 years, this is an impressive performance from the variety,” he says.

The barley, at the 450 ha farm, forms part of a rotation centred around combinable winter crops, oilseed rape and spring oats. “We like to grow winter barley mainly because it’s harvested earlier, which gives us a good window of opportunity to establish following wheat crops.”

Mr McLaughlin says the LG Caravelle sown in mid-September, established quickly and was just emerging as the weather broke later that month, but showed excellent vigour, despite saturated soils and tough growing conditions.

“We’ve barely lost anything, which is amazing compared with what some have faced. In fact, the variety tillered really well.”

Staying ‘spotless’

Importantly, Mr McLaughlin says all of his LG Caravelle has remained “spotlessly clean”, despite very high disease pressure throughout this season.

“With winter barley varieties in the past, we’ve often found disease will get in during the winter and early spring, then never really seem to go away.”

The fact crops have stayed so clean is testament to LG Caravelle’s strong genetics, supported with well-timed fungicide applications. These included: T1 Folpet + Bixafen+Prothioconazole+Spiroxamine at T1, followed by Folpet + Prothioconazole + Pyraclostrobin at T2.

“The crop ripened off evenly – we didn’t need to burn it off, which is a nice saving to make on glyphosate, and it was combined on 1 August which is fairly standard for us,” he says.

Mr McLaughlin confirms that on the back of the very pleasing performance of the variety, all of the 2025 winter barley crop will be put down to LG Caravelle.

James McLaughlin tried LG Caravelle on the advice of Douglas Bonn of Nickerson Seeds, who sees the variety as possessing all the key characteristics for a winter barley.

”In my opinion, LG Caravelle is the stand out winter barley to grow, as the highest yielding two-row winter barley for the second year running, since joining the AHDB Recommended List in 2023.

“Offering UK yields of 105.6%, LG Caravelle continues to dispel any misconception that two-row barleys are lower yielding than hybrids. The variety certainly competes with the best yielding hybrid barleys,” he says.

“LG Caravelle’s high yields are backed up by an excellent disease profile, reflected in its superb untreated performance. It is early maturing with stiff straw and good brackling resistance.

“LG Caravelle also offers an exceptionally high specific weight for a winter barley, of 71.4 kg/hl, combined with low screenings %.”

Winter barley variety LG Capitol has withstood one of the wettest seasons on record as well as any winter wheat and looks full of promise heading towards harvest 2024, says Shropshire farmer & contractor, Rob Bebbington.

Fieldfare Farmers covers some 365 ha (900 acres) for a range of clients across Cheshire, Shropshire, and north Wales. It has a varied rotation, split roughly 50:50 between autumn cereals and spring cropping, including potatoes, forage maize, oilseed rape, winter wheat and winter barley.

Winter barley is grown primarily as an early entry for oilseed rape, and this year, Mr Bebbington’s whole barley area (28 ha) is down to LG Capitol, grown for the first time on the recommendation of seed supplier and grain buyer, Wynnstay.

“Historically, 20 years ago, winter barley always looked a bit disappointing after a wet, cold winter, whereas with the improvements in genetics we’ve seen in recent years, now it almost seems to withstand the conditions as well as any winter wheat,” says Mr Bebbington.

“Indeed, despite one of the wettest years we’ve ever had, LG Capitol has stood up to the wet autumn and spring, and looks incredible! I can’t wait to see how it performs going into the shed this harvest.”

This year’s LG Capitol was sown on 26 September at a seed rate of 165 kg/ha, after forage maize. Land was ploughed, power harrowed and drilled in good time last autumn, allowing crops just enough time to establish before the winter set in, he says.

In total, the LG Capitol received 165 kg N/ha (applied as 26N 31SO3 and granulated urea), two fungicides based on bixafen, Fluopyram + prothioconazole and fluxapyroxad + Mefentrifluconazole, plus a mepiquat-based growth regulator, and foliar manganese.

Mr Bebbington says winter barley yields typically average around 7.6-8 t/ha (3.1-3.2 t/acre), but looking at the condition of the LG Capitol approaching harvest, he is cautiously optimistic that this year’s crop will at least match, if not exceed, that level.

The crop will be followed by oilseed rape. “We still like growing oilseed rape; it fits in well with our rotation and gives us a good spread of cropping, with winter barley providing an excellent early entry. Fingers crossed we haven’t suffered too badly with cabbage stem flea beetle.”

Looking ahead to the coming autumn, Mr Bebbington says end user requirements remain a key driver of varietal choices, so will again influence final decisions.

“But at the same time, we like LG Capitol, and don’t feel a need to change from it.”

LG Capitol

•      –>     Highest yielding 2-row winter barley for the east & north
•      –>     Yield comparable with hybrid varieties
•      –>     Strong disease resistance – notably brown rust, Rhynchosporium & mildew
•      –>     Good specific weight & screenings

LG Beowulf – the highest yielding wheat on the 2024-25 AHDB Recommended List

Ron Granger shares his views on what the variety offers and where it fits on farm:

Arable Technical Manager

When breeders cross two varieties, we know what we want to accomplish with regards to the complimentary attributes both parent varieties offer – genetically and agronomically – in the progeny.

LG Beowulf reflects this approach, as a cross between two very successful commercial varieties; (Costello x Gleam). Recently, we have seen several very high yielding wheats added to the RL, but unfortunately, although gaining commercial market share, they have not offered the all-round desirable agronomic package that many growers wish for in a perfect world.

LG Beowulf bucks the trend, offering the highest UK treated yield potential sitting at 106.2%, and one of the best agronomic packages available, combined with great flexibility within the rotation – it’s a fantastic package!

High yields are important for maximising profit, but more than this, a grower needs to know that these yields will be delivered consistently every season; and this is exactly what LG Beowulf does.

It performs extremely well both as a first wheat and in the more testing second wheat situation and is suitable for all soil types. However, LG Beowulf should be grown on more moisture retentive soils to achieve maximum yield potential, as there are better variety ideotypes for the more testing, lighter, drought prone soil situations.

LG Beowulf offers a very good disease resistance profile, especially for the key disease challenges of yellow rust (9) and Septoria tritici (6.7). The variety also delivers a very high untreated yield (91%); a consequence of its superb disease resistance in combination with its straw strength. LG Beowulf offers very good straw strength – combining a rating of 8 untreated, with an 8 rating with PGR treatments applied. Offering Orange Wheat Blossom Midge resistance is an important benefit, especially for growers in the more drought prone regions of the southeast. It’s a genetic IPM offering that should not be underestimated.

LG Beowulf can be drilled early and onwards through into the very late drilling slot, if the season dictates, giving growers a security and flexibility of drilling date, that not all varieties exhibit. The variety does have a slightly later maturity, but widening the harvest date is useful as an insurance against erratic weather patterns. Spread your risk on farm by having early maturing varieties alongside later maturing ones.

LG Beowulf has the benefit of a high specific weight combined with a high Hagberg. A high specific weight is one of the best characteristics to ensure high yield potential is maintained in erratic, seasonal weather conditions.

“There is no such thing as a perfect variety, however, LG Beowulf comes close!”

It offers a comprehensive agronomy package along with very high yield potential in the hard feed wheat sector; desirable characteristics both on-farm and for the market.

Click here to download the LG Beowulf Technical Sheet

Limagrain sister varieties; LG Caravelle & LG Capitol, dominate the 2-row feed winter barley AHDB 2024/25 Recommended List.

Mark Ullyott

LG Caravelle performed very well last harvest on the Yorkshire Wolds, for Mark Ullyott of Langtoft Grange Farm near Driffield, and he was extremely pleased with yields between 8.5-9.5 t/ha.

“We have grown seed crops of barley for over 10 years, and LG Caravelle must be the best we have seen,” he says.

“It is always interesting growing a new variety for the first time to see how it performs, and we are very pleased with LG Caravelle and will grow it again. If we could, we would put all of our acreage down to the variety,” says Mark.

Ron comments ‘LG Capitol Backs up Successful Genetics’

“LG Capitol backs up the successful genetics of LG Caravelle, in that it is a sister line selected from the same initial cross.

LG Capitol has shown similar very high yield potential, sitting on 106% for the UK and 107% in the east, and importantly, it has shown this high consistency of performance over regions and seasons.

This trait, combined with the desirable agronomic attributes of good standing, a good disease resistance profile and good grain quality, makes it a great addition to the new RL and it will be of interest to all barley growers.”

A large estate in the northeast of England, has turned to wheat variety LG Typhoon as part of its drive to build a more sustainable regenerative cropping system.

The in-house farming operation of County Durham-based Raby Estates, began conversion to direct drilling in 2018 and is striving to reduce the use of artificial inputs where possible, without compromising on the quality and quantity of crops produced.

“We’re trying to move away from growing high input varieties, so are primarily looking for those that offer a robust disease package, good standing power and suitability for our direct drilling system,” according to farm manager Philip Vickers.

“Direct drilling in northern England is not something you want to be doing into November, so I also look for varieties that suit the early drilling slot. From what we’ve seen so far, LG Typhoon seems to fit our requirements well.”

Strong performance

In 2022, the farm grew around 32 ha (80 acres) of LG Typhoon, alongside several other varieties, but Mr Vickers has been so impressed with its agronomics, ease of management and yield performance, that he has increased this to 100 ha for 2023/24.

The LG Typhoon averaged an excellent 9.4-9.6 t/ha.

“Agronomy-wise, LG Typhoon was problem-free. It established quickly in the autumn, got away well in the spring, and was relatively early to harvest, tight behind Graham.”

Robust disease profile

Strong Septoria resistance is a must-have for all winter wheat varieties grown on the farm, as the disease remains the number one yield-robber in high pressure seasons.

With a Septoria rating of 7.2, backed up by a combination of genetics that are different to those in other RL varieties, LG Typhoon has a distinct advantage over others.

Perfect fit for regen systems

LG Typhoon offers attributes that make it ideally suited to strip tillage/ direct drilling, regenerative crop establishment systems, that often feature wider rows.

•      –>     High yielding, consistent & resilient variety, that delivers across seasons & rotations
       –>     A prostrate growth habit with a slower plant development through the autumn & winter months
       –>     High tillering variety that utilises the space from wider rows often associated with direct-drilling
       –>     Very good disease resistance profile reflected in its high untreated yield
       –>     Exceptional disease ratings for yellow rust (9) & Septoria (7.2)
       –>     Good standing
       –>     OWBM resistance
       –>     Excellent performance as a second wheat
•  

• ---

•  

• LG Typhoon is a high yielding, consistent & resilient variety, that delivers across seasons & rotations!

Hard feed wheats account for more than half of the UK winter wheat market, and will undoubtedly feature heavily again in many cropping plans this autumn, as growers look to bounce back from the rain-hit 2023/24 season.

Winter wheat remains the highest gross margin crop on most arable farms, with yield still regarded as being ‘king’ for maximising returns. But, achieving high yields when faced with more extreme and unpredictable weather, alongside the many other agronomic challenges, requires varieties with strong agronomics and proven, consistent, performance across multiple seasons, says Limagrain UK.

“Farmers are increasingly looking for security on-farm,” says the firm’s arable technical manager, Ron Granger. “You need a variety that delivers the right agronomics, as well as high yield.”

It is something Limagrain UK is providing, with a range of exciting new hard wheat varieties coming through its UK breeding programme, including LG Typhoon (launched two years ago), newcomer this year, LG Beowulf, and 2024 RL Candidate variety, LG Rebellion.

Genetic gains

These varieties, and two others currently in National List trials that will hopefully progress as Candidates for 2025, are the latest results of several years of ongoing breeding development, says Limagrain UK wheat breeder, Phil Tailby.

“When the UK market started shifting towards hard wheats several years ago, it took a few years for breeding programmes to adapt and new hard wheat varieties to come through. But, by using powerful breeding tools, such as marker-assisted and genomic selection, we have been able to increase selection intensity, improve selection accuracy, and reduce the time needed to develop the next generation.

“This ultimately drives faster varietal improvements, delivering the traits that growers want and need in modern wheat varieties.”

LG Typhoon for example, has an excellent disease resistance profile, especially for yellow rust (rated 9) and Septoria tritici (7.2), plus it has orange wheat blossom midge (OWBM) resistance, good specific weight, and a slow, prostrate growth habit that suits both early sowing and wide-row, direct drilling situations.

“It joined the Recommended List in 2022 with a range of agronomic attributes that are beneficial to farmers,” says Mr Granger. “These characteristics have seen it deliver excellent consistency across different seasons and regions, and suitability for the on-farm placement we have advised.”

LG Typhoon’s suitability for early drilling could be particularly pertinent this year, given the likely desire by growers to avoid a repeat of last autumn, when many drilling plans were halted by heavy rain during October onwards, he notes.

Newcomer LG Beowulf takes genetic gains on a stage further, building on its strong Costello x Gleam parentage, Mr Granger continues.

It delivers a range of desirable agronomic characteristics that make it the highest yielding variety on the RL, with proven performance across a range of situations, soil types and regions, including the North. LG Beowulf has a strong disease profile, rated 9 for yellow rust, and 6.7 for Septoria tritici, stiff straw, strong tillering, OWBM resistance, and good grain quality, particularly specific weight.

LG Beowulf has also inherited Gleam’s robustness and ability to be sown into a wide range of drilling dates and still deliver on yield, he adds.

RL Candidate variety for 2024, LG Rebellion, offers similarly impressive performance, capitalising on its KWS Extase parentage to give very high untreated yields, and an excellent disease resistance profile (notably against yellow rust and Septoria), with the additional genetics of Pch1 eyespot resistance.

LG Rebellion is also earlier maturing than KWS Extase and, unusually for a hard Group 4 variety, it has ukp export potential thanks to its excellent grain quality.

“It ticks many different boxes and gives growers the option of going for something that’s a bit different to other hard feed wheats on the market,” says Mr Granger.

Market insight

David Brown

Hard Group 4 wheats are estimated to account for around 54% of the UK wheat area, based on seed sales and farm-saved seed data, according to Openfield’s David Brown, who believes it will remain a key sector for UK growers.

While many hard Group 4 wheats go into animal feed production, in some years, there is a potential milling premium available – typically worth £2-5/t over the feed price – for crops of sufficient quality to be blended into the grist with other high-protein grade varieties, he says.

Milling demand and specifications for hard wheats do vary season-by-season, but users typically require 10.7% protein, 180 Hagberg, and 74 kg/hl specific weight, although these thresholds can be down to 10.2%, 130 and 74 kg/hl, depending on the season and overall crop quality, he says.

“Milling demand and hard wheat specifications are usually made in September, once millers know the quality profile for EU and UK crops.

“The UK is currently trading at import parity for full-spec Group 1 milling wheat and if millers continue to import, we could see more opportunity for UK hard wheat going into the grist.”

Much will depend on the size and quality of crops in the UK and elsewhere, which at the time of writing, remains uncertain given the challenging weather across much of Europe, Mr Brown says.

“With a reduced wheat area in the ground for this harvest – estimated at around 1.4 million ha – a much lower UK crop is widely anticipated, although estimates vary as to how much it will be down. The crop in the ground to be harvested in August 2024 could be between 9 and 11 million tonnes, which is comparable with 2020, and to put this into context, crop 2022 was 15.5 million tonnes and crop 2023 is circa 14 million tonnes,” he says.

Potentially, that could help support markets, but with a lower crop, the UK will be more reliant on imports, which is therefore likely to cap domestic prices, he adds.

“The UK will continue to follow global markets. These did move slightly higher during May, but all eyes remain fixed on the new crop and how that will be impacted by the weather around the world, and other events (e.g. the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East), over the coming months.”

New LG hard wheats: key attributes

From early to late drilling, ploughed land to min-tilled, and high to low soil fertility, Fife farmer & contractor, Zander Hughes, faces almost every possible cropping scenario across the 320 ha (800 acres) he farms for a range of clients.

Zander Hughes

Such variability represents a stern test for any variety, but for Mr Hughes, LG Skyscraper continues to be the stand-out performer in terms of its consistent yield and quality across multiple seasons, and flexibility to go into a range of drilling situations.

Having grown LG Skyscraper since its launch five years ago, the variety once again accounts for his entire winter wheat area, with around 130 ha in the ground for harvest 2024, up from 81 ha last season, due to rotational shifts and a slight reduction in spring barley area. Most is sown as a first wheat after potatoes, vegetables, grass, or spring barley.

“We’ve never had any problems with LG Skyscraper; we really like it as a variety. To this day, LG Skyscraper remains the variety that produced the biggest yield I’ve ever grown, at 14.5 t/ha in the year we first tried it.”

Although last year’s crop did not quite reach that level, he says it still performed really well, averaging 10.5-10.75 t/ha across the whole wheat area, with big, bold grains, good quality, and plenty of straw that stood well.

That performance came despite relatively high disease pressure last season, and challenging conditions that meant the first T0 fungicide, plus growth regulator, could not be applied, he notes.

“That did put slightly more pressure on the T1 and T2 growth regulators in high fertility situations, but despite this, crops generally still stood really well.”

Looking good in a tough year

As for this year’s crop, Mr Hughes says the vast majority was drilled into good conditions, despite tricky autumn weather that stretched the drilling window from 1 September to mid-November. Some fields were ploughed, while others were min-tilled, although decisions are very much taken on a field-by-field basis, depending on soil conditions and previous cropping, he notes.

LG Skyscraper has a fairly vigorous growth habit once it germinates, so Mr Hughes has no fear of sowing it later, as he might with some other varieties.

As always, seed rates were adjusted according to drilling date and conditions, ranging from 375 seeds/m² at the lowest, up to 525 seeds/m² in the most challenging situations last autumn.

“At the moment, there aren’t really any obvious differences between the early and late-sown crops. We’ve found that standing water on some fields – which is a new thing for us this year – has had more of an effect than drilling date.”

With most crops around growth stage 31 (T1) at the time of writing, Mr Hughes says generally the LG Skyscraper all looks well, with no obvious issues, despite ideal conditions for Septoria and yellow rust development over much of the season so far.

Given higher disease risk, robust SDHI and triazole-based T1 and T2 fungicides will be used to protect the important yield-building leaves through the remainder of the growing season, and maximise crop potential. This will build on the prothioconazole-based T0 applied earlier this spring, accompanied by trinexapac-ethyl and chlormequat growth regulators, and trace elements.

“Growth stages are slightly all over the place at the moment, even within the same field, so we’re hoping the T0 growth regulator will reduce the apical dominance of the main stems a bit, as they’re a lot further on than the tillers at this stage. We’ll also apply another growth regulator at T1, although decisions are taken on a field-by-field basis.”

Nitrogen is usually applied in three doses, but this year Mr Hughes has favoured more of a “little and often” approach, based on four applications of granular fertiliser, roughly in a 30-40-20-10% split, to reduce any potential risks of field losses due to the weather. Total application generally averages around 210 kg/ha, although this ranges from 180 kg/ha to 240 kg/ha depending on soil levels and crop potential.

Sticking with LG Skyscraper

Looking ahead to next season, Mr Hughes plans to continue growing LG Skyscraper, although is also going to try Limagrain UK’s new hard Group 4 variety, LG Beowulf, which joined the AHDB Recommended List this year as the highest yielding winter wheat.

LG Skyscraper is just one of 16 varieties featuring in a Limagrain UK variety demonstration that Mr Hughes is hosting for the first time this season.

“The demonstration is being held on one of our contract farms that hasn’t grown wheat for around 15 years. My initial plan was to go with LG Skyscraper on this farm, because it’s one we like and has done well for us, but there was some debate as to what variety would best suit the farm, hence hosting the trial here.”

As well as a range of Limagrain UK and competitor varieties, the demonstration is also looking at the impact of different seed rates on four Limagrain wheats, sown at half, three-quarters, 100%, and 125% of the standard seed rate. 

LG Skyscraper

     –>     Soft Group 4 wheat

     –>     First listed on the RL in 2019

     –>     OWBM resistance

     –>     Good yellow rust resistance (7)/ Septoria requires monitoring

     –>     Consistent yield and quality performance over multiple years

     –>     Flexibility for a range of rotational positions (1^st or 2^nd wheat), sowing dates, and soil types

     –>     Good grain quality – specific weight (77.1 kg/hl)

     –>     End market flexibility – feed/ distilling/ biscuit grists

LG has a range of summer open days across the UK, to present their demo trials, alongside Limagrain’s technical experts who will be providing all the latest information on new & existing varieties.

As well as the LG experts, each event will feature industry experts from within the agricultural sector, providing technical information on an array of topics such as fertiliser & micronutrients, agrochemicals, SFI’s and more. On top of this, we will again be running the Moisture Meter Clinic, which has been a farmer favourite in past years.

LG’s Summer Demos will have a wide assortment of winter wheat varieties to show, including Limagrain’s No.1 highest yielding variety; LG Beowulf, and a taste of Limagrain’s up and coming RL Candidates and NL2 offerings.

Alongside this, they will also be displaying commercial competitor varieties, with both untreated and treated plots.

Rothwell and Woolpit will be showing all varieties in the Limagrain winter barley portfolio, including the 2 highest yielding; LG Caravelle & LG Capitol, plus exciting new BYDV tolerant RL Candidate, LG Carpenter.

Register now…

     —->     Tues 9th July – Rothwell, Lincolnshire

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Plant breeders Limagrain UK will showcase their impressive portfolio of varieties across crop sectors at Cereals 2024. 

After several years absence from Cereals, the breeders have returned to the Event on the back of their resounding success on the 2024/2025 AHDB Recommended List.

“Producing the highest yielding varieties, backed up with desirable agronomic characteristics is an exceptional achievement for any breeder. What’s more, these varieties have proven to be robust and consistent performers across seasons and regions,” explains Ron Granger, Limagrain’s arable technical manager.

Visit stand 606 to find out more about the highest yielding winter wheat LG Beowulf, LG Caravelle the highest yielding 2-row winter barley and the highest gross output oilseed rape varieties LG Armada, LG Adeline and LG Academic.

There will also be experts on hand to discuss Limagrain’s very diverse portfolio, including maize, forage crops and SFI options as well as an opportunity to enter a prize draw to win free seed.

“We are here to listen and share our expertise on how to get the very best out of Limagrain genetics, and the Cereals Event gives us the opportunity to do this directly with the farming community we serve,” he says.

Visit LG on stand 606, buy tickets here

Limagrain UK’s benchmark milling wheat variety, Crusoe, has claimed the top three positions in the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) Milling Wheat Quality awards.

Richard Budd

It is welcome recognition for the Group 1 variety that, in the 12 years since joining the AHDB Recommended List, has established itself as a firm favourite amongst growers and millers due to its consistent yield and quality performance, across a range of very different seasons.

First-place in the 2023 YEN award went to Richard Budd, of Stevens Farm (Hawkhurst Ltd), who grows around 220 ha of Crusoe across 1,400 ha in Kent and Sussex. The farm’s focus is on growing quality Group 1 and 2 wheats, to supply local flour mills and occasional export markets, and he values the reliability that Crusoe offers.

“We’ve only been growing Crusoe for three or four years, as previously we had been doing really well with KWS Zyatt and Skyfall. But, they both became uneconomic to grow due to their disease profiles, so last year we made the decision to go completely with Crusoe, which now accounts for one-third of our wheat area, alongside KWS Extase and Mayflower for the remainder.

“So far, Crusoe has served us well. It’s yielded well, is relatively clean and easy to manage, stands well and has a good specific weight, protein, and Hagberg. It’s a solid, stable variety.”

With milling wheat premiums touching £72/t over feed at the time of writing, and predicted to stay firm for the foreseeable future given tight European supplies, Mr Budd is cautiously optimistic for the 2024 harvest, despite a challenging start to the season.

“Admittedly, I’d like an extra 5% yield, but I understand UK flour millers may be less keen on that due to the potential protein dilution. We do need some new genetics in the Group 1 sector, but at the moment, Crusoe is our default variety.”

Hitting protein spec

Chris Eglington

Norfolk Crusoe grower, Chris Eglington, won gold in the 2022 YEN Milling Wheat Quality awards, and claimed silver with the variety in 2023, recording the highest grain protein of 13.7% and one of the highest specific weights at 78.2 kg/hl for his 10.5 t/ha crop.

He too values Crusoe’s performance in what was a tricky 2023 season.

“Yes, it’s been around a while now, but it’s great to have a variety that we know how to manage and know will perform well.”

Last year’s crop followed oilseed rape, with land cultivated using an 8-metre Väderstad Carrier prior to drilling on 14 September, then rolled and a residual herbicide applied.

Variable rate potash, lime (where required) and nitrogen applications are used across the farm, and he has worked closely with grain buyer Camgrain, and in the past with Sainsbury’s, to optimise nitrogen inputs and protein.

Mr Eglington recognises nitrogen management could be more challenging this spring, given the impact of the exceptionally wet autumn and winter on residual soil levels.

“We’re already towards the top of what we can apply in terms of nitrogen, so I don’t think our programme will change drastically. We’ve always found the highest yields come in years when we’ve managed to get nitrogen on early, and fortunately we did manage to apply the first lot of nitrogen during a narrow window in early February, and might apply some more in early March, depending on how the crop looks.”

Typically, first wheats receive a total of 280 kg N/ha, applied as four splits of solid granular fertiliser, sometimes supplemented with a small amount of liquid urea towards the end of the season (June), to help build grain protein if required.

Regular tissue testing is also used to adjust the nitrogen programme according to crop need.

Mr Budd also recognises the importance of early nitrogen to support tillering and biomass accumulation, and has previously seen good results from applying two large splits of 80-90 kg N/ha when conditions allow in February, and again in late March/ early April. Tissue testing is then used to refine later applications according to crop requirements.

Staying disease free

Mr Budd’s nutrition strategy is supported with a robust, preventative fungicide programme, tailored to disease pressure around each spray timing and varietal resistance. His aim is to keep upper and lower leaves free from disease as long as possible, rather than relying solely on the flag and leaf two to build yield.

“With our direct/ strip-till system, we find that if we can keep leaves 3, 4, and even 5 and 6 relatively clean throughout the year, they are still contributing quite a lot to final yield, right up to cheesy ripe stage.

“That said, we’re not applying maximum rate fungicides all of the time; decisions are guided by what’s there at the time, and varietal choice.

“I like Crusoe; it is a relatively easy, clean variety, with good Septoria scores, and yellow rust is non-existent really.”

Late-season brown rust is something to watch out for in some years, but even that is relatively easy to control, with a good range of chemistry available, he notes. “As an industry, we need to be looking more at genetics rather than a can.”

Edward Vipond

Confidence to invest

Having confidence in a variety’s ability to regularly achieve milling specification is vital for Suffolk farmer Edward Vipond, who says Crusoe has become the “go-to” variety in the first wheat slot at the 1,400 ha Troston Farms, near Bury St Edmunds.

The farm grew 160 ha of Crusoe last season, and has increased this to 224 ha for 2024.

“When you’re spending a lot of money on fertiliser to obtain a milling premium, applying 270-280 kg N/ha for example…

“…you need confidence that the crop will deliver in terms of protein, and Crusoe does that. Protein is as much down to the variety’s genetics as how you manage it.”

He also notes that Crusoe seems more consistent than other milling wheats grown on the farm. “For us, even at yields of 10.5 t/ha, it will still regularly obtain 13.3-13.5% protein.”

Last season’s wet summer did pose challenges for protecting quality, with milling wheats prioritised for harvesting slightly earlier than they might have been in a drier year, Mr Vipond says.

This did raise a few issues with thrashing on the combine, resulting in some unthrashed tips in the grain sample, but he insists the benefits of hitting milling specification far outweighed any drawbacks.

“There aren’t that many other competitors in the Group 1 list at the moment. There are one or two coming in, but they’re yet to be proven and have got to do something special to knock Crusoe off. Crusoe suits our land and it delivers.”

Mr Vipond says flexibility and attention to detail are key to getting the best from any crop, particularly in terms of drilling date, seed rates, nutrition and other inputs. He generally drills Crusoe in early October to reduce BYDV risk, opting for seed rates of around 325-350 seeds/m².

There is no fixed cultivation or drilling strategy though, instead the farm opts for whichever equipment suits conditions at the time. Some fields after potatoes or onions, for example, are established with a plough and combination drill, while others may receive a non-inversion deep tine (e.g. Sumo Quatro) before drilling with a disc or tine machine. “Every season is different, so we do what is required.

“Yield is still king, and if you can get decent yields of good spec milling wheat at a premium of £50-60/t, the return is still there. With the results we had from Crusoe last year, what’s not to like?”

Summary of the top three YEN wheat samples, all Crusoe