“Harvested on the 16th August in good conditions, we recorded yields as high as 14t/ha off some areas of the fields and the average off the two fields of Evolution is way up at 11.5t/ha – and we know this is correct as the combine has accurate scales that have been recently calibrated – very pleasing yields and well above what we would normally expect.”
Other varieties grown this year on Barton Farms were JB Diego as a second wheat that averaged 10t/ha, Alchemy 10t/ha and Solstice did well yielding around the 11t/ha mark.
The wheats on Barton Farms are part of a tight two wheat, and oilseed rape rotation, but this will have to change with the new CPA restrictions so we will be looking at also including beans adds Mr Ward.
“The 20ha’s of Evolution were drilled on the 20th September into medium heavy ground, as first wheats after oilseed rape, as a seed crop for our local merchant Simon Bates Seed.”
“We used a reasonable fungicide and PGR programme starting with an early T0 but in hindsight it did not need it, as the robust disease resistance ratings of the variety held strong season-long. We would also consider cutting back on the PGR at T1 next year for the same reason.
“The crop had a fairly standard nitrogen programme receiving 200kg N in urea form.”
“For us here in the west, it is important for a wheat to be tall and Septoria resistant; we like tall wheats so that they can out-compete any black-grass and also to be able to grow away from any potential Septoria splash,” notes Mr Ward.
“We have been growing Solstice for a few years but are just finding that it is not tall enough for us now and the same applies to JB Diego, so it is refreshing to have found a tall variety that yields so well on these soils.”
“We have also noted that Solstice tends to have many, smaller ears whereas the Evolution has fewer, much bigger ears and has no problems with bushel weight.”
Evolution bred by Sejet and marketed in the UK by Limagrain was recommended in 2014 as the highest yielding Group 4 hard wheat that also offered a robust disease resistance profile.
These traits have been demonstrated fully this season where Evolution is one of the highest yielding feed wheats in the HGCA provisional trials results for 2014 yielding 105, higher than Group 4 hard wheat stalwarts KWS Santiago and JB Diego.
“Evolution has very good disease ratings for yellow and brown rust on the HGCA’s Recommended List which have been upheld this season, and the variety also has decent defence against the other key diseases of septoria, eyespot and mildew, ”says Ron Granger, arable technical manager with Limagrain.
“This strong disease resistance gives growers flexibility to adapt their fungicide programmes on farm.”
“Initial indications are that it can perform well as a second-wheat, and as with many new high-yielding types, Evolution is later to mature which can be used to spread work, so is a feature rather than a problem,” says Mr Granger.