Cornish Wheat Demonstration Plots 2011.

 

Xi 19: Cadenza x Rialto cross.

 Group 1 with potentially high yields even in the west country. Suited to later planting slot as vigourous grower. Good straw length, strength. Has a distinctive ear, moderately resistant to sprouting, can be sown late into February. Moderate disease profile as with some older varieties, been on the list for a long time before dropping off in 2011.





Except : Torch x Hereward
An old group 2 with exceptional septoria resistance, very stiff and short strawed with a very bold high specific weight grain. Suitable for organic production as well. Being outclassed now in terms of yield, an early drilling variety due to its slow growth habit in autumn. Seed stocks getting low which will hasten its unfortunate demise.

Einstein: Haven x Clarion cross.

World record holder for highest yield/ha. A group 2 with no major weaknesses, a good second wheat variety with good bold grain and specific weight, consistent across whole spectrum of soils and environments. Pretty much bomb proof.

 Panorama: Solstice x Xi19

A variety born out of great parentage, tall stiff strawed variety that holds great promise in this region, does very well as a 2nd wheat and on heavy land. A consistent high yielder with good specific weight, good disease resistance and resistance to sprouting. Did exceptionally well in 2010 when it was very dry, as being tall strawed, it had very good root development below ground and didn't suffer drought stress like other short varieties did at the Nickerson test site near Exeter.

                                                              Claire: Wasp x Flame

In it's 13th year on the recommended list, no other group 3 variety has been as consistent. Well liked for it's good disease profile, straw, standing power and multiple use applications from feed to milling, distilling and export. Likes the early drilling slot due to it's slow growth habit in the autumn, but can also being sown late up till end of February.

 Invicta: NSLWW48 x Robigus

New variety added to the RL in 2010, tall strawed, relatively stiff, Group 3 with a good disease profile. Has yielded 2% above Robigus. Will be interesting to see how it fairs here.

  Alchemy: Claire x (Consort x Woodstock)

Another variety of good parentage. Consistent, excellent disease resistance characteristics, produces good long stiff straw, with good specific weight. Suited for export, or feed, a slow grower in the autumn, but can be drilled late up till beginning of February.

Edmunds: Deben x Napier

A high yielding variety that didn't make the RL, similar yield and disease profile to Viscount, does very well on the east coast, outyields Alchemy by 3% , similar to Viscount. Short stiff strawed variety with good specific weight and grain suited to the animal feed market.

Istabraq: Consort x Claire

Long strawed, consistent high yielding variety that has dropped off the RL now this year. Produces big bold grains, with a god disease and particularly good Fusarium resistance making it ideal for the late sown after maize slot. Likes light land, has very good root stucture so can withstand drought stress well. 

 Cassius: Claire x (NSLWW24 x Wizard)

A very high yielding variety well suited to the north and east, short strawed, with very good yellow brown rust and mildew resistance. Does well as a 2nd wheat. Will be interesting to see how it does here.

 Gravitas: Alchemy x Robigus

Alchemy Mk2; 5% higher yielding than Alchemy, with a very similar robust disease profile, straw and growth habit, similar specific weight, as well as Orange Blossom Midge resistance. This variety should do really well in this area, so it will be interesting to see how it compares to the others.

Sahara: Savanah x Claire

This variety is being superceded by newer types, but it still has a very useful place on fams in the west. It has an excellent disease resistance profile, high specific weight, similar yield to Alchemy and does well as a 2nd wheat. Has a long stiff straw too.

 Stigg: (Biscay x LW96-2930) xTanker

A new and very interesting variety. There is no other variety on the RL that has a better disease profile! With an 8 for Septoria resiatance, 9's for rusts, 7 for eyespot and mildew, 6 for Fusarium, there is nothing else like it. Shortish,  stiff strawed and a distinctive ear, it is going to be interesting to see how this variety does. Has the highest untreated yield of any variety, so lends itself to organic production and low fungicide input regimes. Dairy Farmers wheat- put it in the ground and shut the gate till harvest type of plant. Only chink in armour is its slightly low specific weight, but from an animal feed / home roled and feed/ wholecrop point of view, not really an issue. Matched Alchemy last year in a low input scenario, so will see how it does here, at Sticklepath near Dartmoor (750ft) and Pelynt in South Cornwall.

 JB Diego: 3351b x Stru2374 (?)

High yielding hard feed wheat variety with tall stiff straw and mixed disease profile. Does well as a 2nd wheat and has good specific weight. Bred in Germany.

 Robigus: Z836 x 1366

Good 1st wheat, not 2nd! Mixed disease profile, now highly susceptable to Yellow Rust, moderate for sprouting resistance and being outclassed in yield terms too. Still has good Septoria resistance and still grown by quite a few farmers in Devon and Cornwall. Will be interesting to see how it fares this year.

 Deben:  (Hunter x Buster) x Wasp

An older variety, but useful nonetheless. Long strawed, a good disease profile, with good yield potential, also does well as a 2nd or continuos wheat. Does well on lighter, less fertile soils. This is the control variety with the rest of the field being drilled to Nickerson Original seed, so we should get a good yield comparison for all the varieties.

 Oakley: (Aardvark sib x Robigus) x Access.

Still the highest yielding variety on the RL, but downgraded due to poor yellow rust resistance. Agronomists favourite as you can sling as much chemical as you like at it and generally will give a yield response. Short strawed moderately stiff, moderately resistant to sprouting, preferably as a 1st wheat.

 Duxford: Solstice x Scorpion

A high yielding hard group 4 variety that does well as a 2nd wheat. Best suited to mid to late drilling slot, has a mediocre disease profile and is already showing signs of Septoria infection. Going to be interesting to see how it fares down here over the season.

Will keep an update of the plots and post accordingly, we will be having an open day where farmers from Devon and Cornwall will be very welcome to come and see for themselves how the varieties perform and question me and collegues on variety choices for 2011/12.

The cruel reality of a hard winter.



Bottom end of the same field.

Winter barley looking very sad, reality is that when you do the plant counts, the numbers just aren't there.

The best of the winter barley in this same field....

Click on the picture to see in full size, clearly shows exposed roots.

Another field of winter barley looking beyond recovery.

Einstein winter wheat, drilled in the normal timeslot, but this area of the field lies wet, normal year would have been OK.

If there were small roots, one could be forgiven for thinking too late drilled. However, there's plenty of roots here, most plants have really good root development, just not enough when you have this much frost heave in these heavy wet soils.

Contast this picture of late drilled Istabraq winter wheat with the Einstein above. This was drilled after maize in late October, but because it is slightly drier ground, not problems with frost lift.

And this is how you would expect the crop to be looking at this time of year. Panorama, fantastic group 2 winter wheat, wildly underated just like Istabraq. This was planted 1st week October 2010, drier ground near Bude.  Just shows the difference of 10 miles as regards factors affecting crop performance.