An Elsoms booklet produced in association with CPM

2 robustwheats

Tom Allen-Stevens, Editor, CPM

robustwheats 3

These days, disease control is rarely the realm simply of the crop sprayer and the chemical can.Septoria and yellow rust in particular have evolved in line with growers’ ability to keep them in check. The pace of progress for fungicide technology is slowing as regulation puts the chemistry under greaterpressure, while on farm, sprayer operators face thedaunting task of covering vast areas of wheat in a narrow window of time.

These changes have conspired to bring to the fore the concept of robust wheats – it’s not new, but it’sbecoming a growing priority on farms to select wheatsthat will withstand better the challenges thrown atthem and deliver a consistent performance.

Traditionally, there’s always been a trade-off betweenyield and agronomic performance. But now, a numberof varieties leading the AHDB Recommended List for winter wheat also exhibit remarkable disease performance and other in-field traits that warrantequal merit with their barn-filling capabilities.

This means there’s a lot more on offer from the recordnumber of wheat varieties on the current RL, andpotentially more to be gained by making the rightchoice, which is why CPM is pleased to support thistechnical guide that’s been compiled by Elsoms.

This guide profiles the main feed and soft millingwheat types, addressing for each sector what’s meantby a robust wheat and what’s available to fulfil thatrequirement. There’s a full explanation of how wheatsare selected for the RL, which explores the newRelative Risk ranking presented by AHDB. There’salso a glimpse of promising candidates comingthrough the system, and the benefits and prospectsfor hybrid wheats

While this guide may have arrived at a time of yearwhen crop spraying has reached its zenith, we feel it’sone that’ll be useful as a reference over the comingmonths as decisions are made on what wheat will beput in the ground this autumn. And if that meansthere’s a more robust range of varieties to cover thistime next year, maybe the spring spraying seasonwon’t be quite so fraught.

Introduction

Page

The AHDB Recommended List .................... 4

Hard feed wheats ......................................... 6

Soft feed wheats ........................................... 8

Assessing the new Group 4 wheats .............. 10

Biscuit wheats .............................................. 12

Late sown and spring wheats ....................... 14

The role of hybrid wheats ............................. 16

Elsom Wheats: Breeding Success ................ 18

Contents

When it comes to choosing a new wheat variety,AHDB’s Recommended Lists (RLs) are a goodstarting point. Managed by a consortium of AHDBCereals & Oilseeds, the British Society of PlantBreeders (BSPB), the Maltsters Association ofGreat Britain (MAGB), and nabim (the associationof UK flour millers), they include a wealth of independent, statistically robust data. The figurespresented quantify the quality, yield, and otherkey agronomic traits such as disease resistance,of those varieties most suitable for the UK.

The 2017-2018 RLs saw the introduction of 29 new varieties overall with 28 varietiesremoved; for winter wheat the corresponding figures were 11 added, and five removed. Careful interpretation of the information availableis therefore crucial when it comes to choosing themost suitable variety, from a relatively lengthy listof strong contenders. A basic understanding ofthe testing that underpins entry to the list aidssuch interpretation.

New wheat varieties are only considered for entryinto RL trials following a minimum of two years ofpreliminary National List (NL) trials. The RL trials

The AHDB Recommended List

4 robustwheats

take assessment beyond that applied for NLinclusion, through an additional year of testing, toassess the economic potential of a variety. Uptake into RL trials is based on an assessmentof factors such as:● Treated yield● Untreated yield● Regional yield

Specific protocols are in place for the RL trials toensure that conditions are closely controlled forrigorous comparison1. Key data from these trials includes fungicide-treated grain yields (% treated control) – the yield associated with afull disease-controlled management regime – anduntreated grain yield (% treated control) – theyield with no fungicide treatment. This can besubstantially lower than treated yield, with the difference between the two varying markedly fromvariety to variety, and often taken as an indicatorof overall robustness to disease.

Specific disease resistance figures have historically been derived from between three andfive years of trial data (depending on the disease)with rolling averages presented, and updated, as

● Disease resistance● Grain quality● Lodging score

robustwheats 5

trials continue. However, for yellow rust, this practice is now changing to ensure a more up-to-date assessment of current disease resistance which is varying significantly from oneyear to the next. Yearly averages were presentedin 2016; a decision as to how many years’ datawill be used to calculate the 2017 ratings will bemade once data is received. Disease trials arecarried out by monitoring levels of disease scoring within an untreated plot or via a processof inoculation which can be particularly helpful in highlighting differences in disease resistancebetween varieties.

Traditionally, treated yield has driven growerchoice – a relatively straight forward strategy.However, the concept of ‘relative risk’ has beenrecently developed (presented at the AHDBAgronomist Conference 2016) to show howchoosing a variety on the basis of yield alone canleave a farmer unnecessarily vulnerable to theimpact of disease and climate. Under the banner‘Risk, Resilience, Reward’, Dr Simon Oxley ofAHDB has introduced and expanded upon a newway of viewing the data presented in the RLs. The relative risk approach, based on agronomic

merit and untreated yield, can help identify varieties that stand the best chance of performingrelatively well in an extreme year, (see chartabove).

With the relative risk approach, untreated yield isused as a primary metric. This is plotted againstthe term ‘agronomic merit’ to assess relative risk.Agronomic merit is a composite term that takesaccount of resistance to all key diseases, ratherthan to one single disease, and standing power,an indicator of resistance to lodging. It is impor-tant to note that within the agronomic merit term,resistance to different diseases is unequallyweighted. For example, resistance to Septoria tritici is weighted twice as highly as resistance to yellow rust reflecting the greater importance ofthe disease.

If we use the data presented in the RL trials toassess varieties in this way, then those that areinherently high yielding, with good disease resistance and desirable standing characteristicswill cluster in the top right, green quartile. Strongtreated yield varieties with poor agronomic characteristics will, in contrast, drift to the left, inthe worst case appearing in the bottom, left-handquartile – the red, high risk zone. For those looking for a secure choice this approach therefore has much to recommend it as a complementary way of assessing both new andexisting varieties on the RLs.

1 AHDB Recommended List, Cereal Trials, Protocol 2017- 21

10.0

9.5

9.0

8.5

8.0

7.5

7.0

6.5

Agronomic merit

Unt

reat

ed y

ield

t/h

a Neutral

NeutralHigher Risk

Lower Risk

115 125 135 145 155 165

The relative risk approach proposed by AHDB focusesattention on varieties that cluster in the green top rightquartile. These varieties combine high agronomic meritwith a high untreated yield and as a result offer a compelling, low risk, commercial proposition.Source: AHDB

Relative risk of varieties

KWS Santiago. Treated yield is a good indicator of potential but can be associated with high treatment/production costs. When it comes to therelative risk plot these new varieties are relatively

Hard feed wheats

6 robustwheats

A large percentage of the UK wheat market is feedwheat, with hard wheats dominating in manyregions, particularly the North and West. There aremore varieties in nabim Group 4 hard, than in anyother group – so no shortage of choice – with fournew varieties added in the latest RLs. With grainquality less critical for this group than for anyother, headline yield figures have tended to winthe day with many farmers focusing on yield to the exclusion of all other characteristics. Thismakes it an interesting group to look at from theperspective of relative risk. Does a relative riskanalysis identify the same varieties as would makea yield-based shortlist or put the spotlight ontoother contenders?

Looking at treated yield first highlights newcomersKWS Kerrin, Shabras, Dunston and Freiston as having strong potential when compared with established varieties such as KWS Santiago, a variety known for yield. The AHDB RL 2017/18figures for these new varieties are: 106, 106, 104and 104 respectively compared with 103 for

Winter wheat relative risk Group 4

Source: AHDB

widely distributed with a good proportion not making it into the desirable upper right quartile.This suggests that they will perform quite differently with a less than optimal, lower costmanagement programme (see chart above).

Focusing first on untreated yield, Dunston shows up as top of the pack, significantly ahead of, forexample KWS Kerrin which undoubtedly delivershigh output, but at the same time demands highinput. Freiston similarly exhibits good untreatedyield, but this analysis also puts the spotlight on Graham, a variety that offers an attractive combination of a good untreated yield with highagronomic merit, even though treated yield figures would not necessarily suggest it as a contender.

Shifting attention to agronomic merit, positionalong the x-axis, again sets Dunston and Freistonahead of the other newcomers though all of thenew varieties show a far better agronomicmerit/yield package than KWS Santiago which onthis analysis falls into the bottom left quartile. Keyfactors influencing the agronomic merit rating ofDunston and Freiston are resistance for Septoriatritici with both having a score of 6.7, sharing thetop position in the group with Graham.

As disease pressure intensifies, disease resistance, especially septoria resistance, is factoring more prominently in variety choice. The relative risk approach effectively ‘bundles’

robustwheats 7

Septoria tritici

Switching to a variety with high septoria resistance will pay dividends over the long term.

Source: AHDB Winter Wheat Recommended List 2017/18

The latest forecasts show that septoria risk isnow high across almost all of the UK. Septoria is prevalent through all seasons but particularlyproblematic during wet springs and summers,as in 2016, and is now the primary focus ofmost foliar disease control programmes.Untreated septoria is a significant yield robber – up to 50% – with multiple fungicideapplications the best treatment. However, the effectiveness of azoles, a key fungicidegroup, has reduced over the past ten years;opting for a variety with inherent disease resistance is becoming increasingly critical for effective control.

Breeding varieties with better resistance to septoria is a high priority and new Group 4hard wheats show good progress in this regard offering resistance ranging from 5.2 (KWSKerrin) to 6.7 (Dunston and Frieston). Varietalresistance to septoria is polygenic because thedisease is present as a population of races, giving good stability from season to season.

KWSKerrin Shabras Freiston Dunston

NEW NEW NEW NEW

Graham JB Diego

Hard feed wheat varieties

E/W UK UK UK UK UK

UK Treated yield 106 106 104 104 104 100

Yield (East) 106 105 103 104 103 100

Yield (West) 105 106 106 102 106 101

Spec weight 75.7 75.5 76.8 76.4 76.1 77.4

Lodging + PGR 7 7 7 8 8 8

Maturity +1 -1 0 +1 -1 0

Yellow rust 7 8 9 7 8 5

S. tritici 5.2 6.2 6.7 6..7 6.7 5.2

OWBM R - - - - -

Yield controls 10.7t/ha

Switching to a variety with high resistance willtherefore pay dividends over the long term, giving greater flexibility in the spraying regimeand reducing the risk of a compromised yield.

key agronomic features into a single merit parameter that can be valuably used to identifyrobustly performing varieties and/or provide differentiation where yields are closely comparable. That said, the take-home messagefor the Group 4 hard wheats is that there are varieties which actually score highly on bothassessments with new entrants combining hightreated and untreated yields with enhanced agronomic merit.

Soft feed wheats Thankfully feed wheat pricesare currently back to a relatively healthy export priceof around £150/t but dramaticprice falls in late 2014, alongwith intensifying disease pressures, appear to have hada lasting impact on how farmers assess the relativemerits of a variety. When wheat prices are low, growing varieties with a weak agronomic package is tough.In these circumstances a single point difference in avariety’s septoria resistancerating can be considerablymore valuable than a yield difference of say 3-4% – animportant observation to bearin mind when assessing the new 2017-18 Group 4 soft entrants.

Outside of the key northern distilling and feed markets, soft feed wheat is popular in areas withaccess to ports and export markets. This not onlybroadens market opportunities but premiums can be achieved with varieties that meet the necessary uks specification. The 2017/18 RLsproved particularly interesting for soft feed wheatswith six new additions to the Group 4 list, the firstin four years. Established varieties in this groupinclude Leeds and Revelation, but the time wasright for new entrants like Bennington to come in with disease concerns mounting for Leeds inparticular.

Agrii’s in-house trials put varieties under morefarmer-centric conditions than those applied for RL trials, using more conventional spray programmes, for example. This generates complementary data that pushes the robustnessof a variety in the face of arguably more realisticgrowing conditions. Varietal assessment starts atan early stage of their development so the best ofthe new RL entrants have been assessed forsome time.

Agrii took Bennington into trial two years ago onthe basis of its potential to outperform all othersoft feed varieties. It now sits at the top of thegroup in terms of both treated and untreatedyield, at 104 and 90 respectively, closely matchesLeeds in terms of specific weight at around77kg/hl, and offers comparable disease resistance to Revelation, with an AHDB septoriarating of 6.2 (c.f. 6.4). Furthermore, Benningtonhas a very different growth habit and maturityprofile to Revelation. Bennington is faster in itsautumn development and early to mature and, in

8 robustwheats

By Barry Barker and David Leaper, Agrii

robustwheats 9

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

KW

S B

AR

RE

L

KW

S B

AS

SE

TT

RG

T B

RIT

AN

NIA

ZU

LU

BE

NN

ING

TO

N

RG

T W

ES

TM

INS

TE

R

LG S

UN

DA

NC

E

MO

ULT

ON

RE

VE

LAT

ION

LEE

DS

GROUP 3 GROUP 4s

Yie

ld (%

of

tre

ated

co

ntro

ls)

77.5

77.0

75.5

76.0

75.5

75.0

74.5

74.0

73.5

73.0

72.5

Sp

ecific weig

ht (kg/hl)

Treated yield (% of control) Unreated yield (% of control) Specific weight (kg/hl)

Performance of soft wheats

Source: Agrii; mean of 11 trials; Av yield of controls11.9t/ha

Source: AHDB Winter Wheat Recommended List 2017/18

The best strategy is to opt for a relatively new variety that is showing good performance on yellow rust.

Yellow rust risk is currently high for around halfthe country, with the Eastern region under less threat. The most problematic rust, it is particularly common in coastal areas with coolsummers and prefers damp conditions. Yellowrust can have a major impact on yield, andincreasingly varietal resistance is breakingdown extremely rapidly, sometimes in thecourse of just a single season. This happenedlast year in some widely grown varieties including Reflection, Britannia, Leeds, Zulu,Claire and JB Diego.

Break down occurs because varietal resistanceto yellow rust is often dependent on a singlegene. New races of yellow rust are identifiedon a regular basis, with those coming from the Far East proving particularly virulent.Fungicide treatments are available but in termsof inherent resistance, the best strategy is toopt for a relatively new variety that is showinggood performance. All the new soft wheatentrants show good yellow rust resistance, withscores in the range 7 to 9, which compareswell with that of Leeds which has now beenreduced to 5. Revelation also continues to

perform well in this regard with a score of 9.Agrii believes that Bennington’s yellow rustresistance is stable based on its parentage.

Bennington LG Sundance

LG Motown Moulton

NEW NEW NEW NEW

Leeds

E/W UK UK UK UK

Treated yield 104 104 103 103 102

Untreated yield 90 90 89 90 71

Mildew 7 6 8 7 3

Yellow rust 7 9 9 8 6

Brown rust 7 6 7 7 5

S. tritici 6.2 7.3 5.8 6.5 4.6

Eyespot [5] [3] [3] [4] 4

Fusarium 6 6 6 6 7

OWBM - R R - R

Yield controls 10.7t/ha

Soft feed wheat varieties

this respect, Bennington and Revelation complement one another.

Bennington initially stood out in terms of its yieldand disease resistance and, although its yellow rust resistance has seen a drop (see panel,below), it’s still regarded very positively in thisrespect. Its septoria and mildew resistance

ratings are good but Agrii advice on brown rust, a disease that often occurs later in the seasondriven by warm, dry conditions, is a proactiveapproach. Performance has been particularlystrong on light soils, a niche previously occupiedby Leeds, and although it stands quite tall, itsstraw stiffness is good. The only other advice is to keep seed rates up since tillering capacity isrelatively low. Agrii in-house data backs the earlyassessment of Bennington and indicates thatgrowers can consider this new variety as either a first or second wheat.

Yellow Rust

Assessing the new

DunstonBy Richard Torr, Wynnstay

It’s the combination of Dunston’s inherent disease resistance and

untreated yield that are really driving interest in this variety. As a result of recentintroductions to the RLs there are now plentyof new feed wheats to choose from. Many ofour customers stick with a variety for three tofour years, providing it performs well, but thenwant something new. Those currently lookingto switch have a somewhat congested marketplace to contend with but there are excitingnew varieties with some valuable benefits onoffer and we’d certainly put Dunston in thatcategory.

Dunston’s septoria resistance is superb at 6.7,which puts it at the top of the group. Anduntreated yield figures are just as compelling.

These characteristics make for a low riskchoice and greater peace of mind which we’refinding is increasingly important. In addition,Dunston produces high quality grain and a good straw crop. Dunston straw has a reasonable length and excellent stiffness so itproduces a safe strong canopy that is resistantto lodging.

Interest in Dunston is particularly strong from the western region where the acreage of hard feed wheat is especially high. It is primarily being grown as a first wheat butlooks to have a potential as a second wheattoo, because of its robust agronomic package.So, all in all, a good addition to the hard feed wheat options.

“

”10 robustwheats

Group 4 wheats

”robustwheats 11

MoultonBy Trevor Cope, Cope Seeds

We feel that Moulton thoroughly deserves its recommendation for all

regions of the UK and offers growers thewidest market outlets available for a high yielding Group 4 variety. Of the ten Group 4soft wheat varieties on the latest AHDBRecommended List, Moulton produces thehighest Hagberg Falling Number, the highestprotein content and the second highest specific weight. In addition, it is showingpromise in distilling tests and already has theuks soft wheat for export approval. We havesubmitted some large samples to independentbiscuit flour millers and received commentsthat Moulton made the spec that would allowthem to use it in their Group 3 grists.

Whether it’s the excellent septoria resistance orits earliness of maturity Moulton lends itself togrowers in all regions from the South to theNorth. All four of the new wheats from Elsomsare showing robust performance and good disease resistance which is really encouragingsince reliability and consistency – the hallmarkof farmer’s favourites such as JB Diego (priorto yellow rust break down) – are paramount intoday’s market.”

“We’re expecting Moulton to be extremely popular and since C2 seed supplies areextremely limited in Autumn 2017 we would suggest early ordering.

“

By John Benfield,Bartholomews

For those looking to grow a biscuit wheat, the nabimGroup 3 list is relatively short,with only six varieties and nonew introductions in2017/18. This classification is described as covering soft

varieties for biscuits and cakes that are lower in protein than bread wheats but have goodextraction rates and extensible but not elasticgluten. The uks specification is a complementaryexport quality specification which similarly identifies grain as suitable for biscuit grists.Access to the export biscuit market is thereforefeasible through Group 4 soft wheats such asBennington, Moulton and Leeds, which all carrythe uks rating, while the UK biscuit market isserved solely by the nabim Group 3 list.

The shortness of this list, the age of some of thevarieties and recognised problems with some ofthe most popular varieties provide a significant

12 robustwheats

Biscuit wheats

market opportunity for a new variety. KWS Barreland KWS Basset are popular choices in thisgroup, as is Claire, a very well established varietythat first appeared on the lists in 1999; KWSBarrel leads the way in terms of treated yield.However, the septoria resistance of these varietiesis low – 4.4 and 5.4 respectively for KWS Barreland KWS Basset – and more broadly this is anissue across the group; 5.7 is the highest rating onoffer (Zulu and Spyder). This is a group that has

Trials to date suggest that Elicit will have a highly competitive treated yield and, crucially, a robust diseaseresistance package.

also fared badly against recent yellow rust muta-tions with Britannia and Zulu ratings falling fourpoints, to four and five respectively in the latest lists, though KWS Barrel and KWS Bassetare maintaining performance in this regard; both retain a yellow rust rating of eight.

Those looking for new options have recently beenstruck by the performance of Elicit, a candidatevariety generating significant interest. Trials todate suggest that Elicit will have a highly competitive treated yield, somewhere in the

robustwheats 13

2 AHDB Recommended List. Table 2. Winter wheat trials harvest 2017 – Candidate varieties.

Elsoms Wheat is focusing specifically on developing Group 3 and 4 wheats for the UK.

Through its joint venture with Nordsaat and Saaten Union, Elsoms gains access to the speed and efficiency of doubled haploid breeding.

Establishing a breeding programme

region of 104 and, crucially a robust diseaseresistance package. Septoria ratings are lookingcompetitive with the group at 6, and yellow andbrown rust are 9 and 7 respectively2. The key tosuccess will be grain quality but this too is lookingpromising. Results from nabim, where testing isunderway, and the attainment of a uks export rating will be crucial to commercial success but the variety has already generated significantmerchant interest as a stand-out variety in thecandidate lists.

Examination of the Group 3 wheats underlinesthe importance of having vigorous, well fundedbreeding programmes to continuously refreshand upgrade the options available to wheat growers. Historically Elsoms Seeds has had a relatively low profile in this marketplace. But in2013, Elsoms Wheat was formed, a joint venturecombining the plant-breeding resources ofElsoms Seeds, Nordsaat and Saaten UnionRecherche. Well resourced and drawing onbreeding expertise from across Europe, ElsomsWheat is focusing specifically on developingGroup 3 and 4 wheats for the UK.

David Leaper of Agrii has recently travelled outto Nordsaat in Germany to see some of the workgoing into Elsoms Wheat. “The joint venture with Saaten Union has put Elsoms in a verycompetitive position, giving them the collateral,expertise and resources to compete with themultinational breeders like RAGT, Monsanto,Limagrain and KWS. This is great news for growers and it’s good to see success comingthrough so quickly with four new winter wheatsalready on the RLs this year, Elgar winter oilseedrape sitting at the top of the current RL, andstand-out biscuit wheat candidate, Elicit, on its way.”

Varietal breeding often goes in cycles with companies enjoying substantial success whenthey have found good genetics to mine. In the case of Elsoms Wheat, Elsoms broughtgermplasm with highly desirable characteristicsto the venture but in return gained access to the speed and efficiency of doubled haploidbreeding. In essence this production techniqueenables the creation of pure wheat breeds in oneyear, in vitro, rather than the five to six years thatit can take if the wheat is allowed to pollinateitself. The net result is more varieties, faster, anoutcome that is pivotal to the company’s goal ofentering ten new varieties onto the NL trials eachyear from 2017 onwards. Investment in the programme has more than tripled to maximiseits potential.

According to Richard Torr of Wynnstay, thismakes Elsoms Wheat a strong player in thewheat market. “This is a positive developmentfor our customers.It’s good to see new varietiescoming through so quickly and we’re watchingwith keen interest to see what will come next.”

By Chris Piggott, GFPAgriculture (Frontier)

Blackgrass is now a majorissue across the UK. Itsspread has been exacerbatedby the dominance of autumnsown crops and a high frequency of herbicide resistance is compromisingeffective treatment. Delaying

the sowing of autumn wheat and/or switching to aspring sown variety are both potential strategieswhere grassweed pressure is high. Indeed arecent report3 into the effectiveness of theseapproaches concluded that delaying the sowingof winter wheat by three weeks, to early/midOctober reduced blackgrass infestations byaround 33%.

Delayed sowing allows more weeds to be sprayed off before planting and increases the effectiveness of residual pre-emergence herbicides within the soil. Furthermore, blackgrass emerging into later sown wheatappears to be substantially less competitive withthe crop. Delaying sowing further – to lateOctober and beyond – resulted in little incremental gain. However, spring sowing hasalso been shown to be beneficial giving a substantial (92%) reduction in blackgrass plantsemerging and lower seed production per plant.

Such trials indicate that a reversal of the trend toincreasingly early drilling may be vital in the fight

Late sown and spring wheats

against blackgrass. They also suggest that springcropping may have a role to play though it can be a difficult choice for the heavy soils that favour blackgrass. This serves to stimulate interest in varieties with characteristics that fit into thesechanging rotational requirements, which can beparticularly difficult for farmers operating a tighteroilseed rape/winter wheat rotation.

When choosing a late sown wheat, early maturation is a distinct advantage and varietiessuch as Belgrade can be of considerable interest, particularly when wishing to follow with oilseed rape.Belgrade combines later drilling with early maturityand can buy an extra seven to ten days for stubble

14 robustwheats

UK yield (% treated control) 104.3West region 105.1Specific weight (kg/hl) 75.0Resistance to lodging without PGR 9.4Ripening (days +/- JB Diego) -1Disease resistanceMildew 9.0Yellow rust 6.0Brown rust 5.0Septoria tritici 6.1Eyespot 3.0Fusarium ear blight 5.0Source: AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds WinterWheat Recommended List 2017/18

3 Project report no 560 ‘Sustaining winter cropping under threat from herbicide-resistant blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides)’

Belgrade at a glance

robustwheats 15

The majority of blackgrass emerges betweenAugust and October, which is why autumnsowing presents such as problem, withplants growing from seeds relatively close tothe soil surface (within 5cm). Tight control isneeded to prevent weed populationsincreasing so early detection and treatmentis crucial; a target of less than five plants/m2

will minimise yield losses. A multi-prongedstrategy is usually most effective when itcomes to treatment with timed sowing,ploughing, competitive cropping and chemical treatment all having a role to play.

Ploughing helps by burying the seed too deep for plant emergence while competitivecropping – higher seed rates, narrow rowspacing, good seedbeds and enhanceddrainage – all help with weed suppression.Fallowing can also be helpful though a two-year break is likely to be required. A range of herbicides with different chemical action, applied at appropriatetimes though the rotation cycle will helpmaintain pressure on the weed population.

preparation and/or an earlier oilseed rape sow. This can help with both flea beetle and the ongoing growth of blackgrass which tends to fareless well under a vigorous oilseed rape canopy.

Belgrade can be sown as a first wheat in lateSept/early Oct but performs equally well whensown well into autumn and/or as a second wheatand offers an excellent yield – 104 (treated),across a range of sites – compared with otherestablished competitors on the RL. In GFP laterdrilled trials it outperformed other high yieldingvarieties and had reached maturity sooner. It also has good septoria resistance, which is ofparticular interest when compared with other varieties that suit later drilling.

A true spring wheat, Lennox has scored consistently highlyin terms of bread-making performance and is marketed byOpenfield through their contract with Warburtons.

Delaying sowing of autumn wheat and/or switchingto a spring-sown variety are both useful strategieswhere blackgrass pressure is high.

Blackgrass A true springwheatBy Lee Bennett, Openfield

True spring wheats are relatively rare. Most wheatseeds require vernalisationwhich means they need to be exposed to cold over the winter in order to produce

flowers and grain. Saaten Union is one of the few European companies producing true springwheats and Lennox is a particularly interestingexample.

Lennox enjoys a niche but important place in the UK wheat lists. It is marketed by Openfieldthrough their contract with Warburtons who use itas one of the grains in their bread-making grist.In extensive trials of bread-making lines, involvingmilling of the resulting grain and subsequent

bread-making and baking, Lennox has scoredconsistently highly with very few varieties comingclose in terms of bread-making performance.Trials continue with Lennox routinely matchedagainst and out-performing most winter wheats.Disease resistance is also good.

These characteristics make Lennox an interestingproposition, especially where blackgrass is prevalent, with a quorum of UK growers supplementing their winter wheat acreage forWarburtons with Lennox, sowing in the spring as a valuable disease control and crop managementstrategy.

By Richard Jennaway, Saaten Union

The uptake of hybrid wheat varieties in the UK lags behindmaize, for example, wherealmost all seed is now hybrid,and oilseed rape, where conventional and hybrid varieties compete alongsideone another. There are sound

reasons for this, a primary one being that wheat is more genetically complex than most otherdomesticated grains with three different genomes.In addition, it has been bred for hundreds if not thousands of years to be successfully self-pollinating. Producing an open-flowering wheatvariety with extruding anthers that produce plentyof pollen is just one of the steps required to bringeconomic hybrid wheat seed production closer.

However, there is widespread agreement that goingforward hybrid wheats will take a greater acreage ofthe UK and there are compelling reasons why they

The role of hybrid wheats

should. Hybrid lines are created when two purelines are paired under closely controlled conditions.The result is heterosis, otherwise referred to ashybrid vigour or outbreeding enhancement, withthe trait of the offspring enhanced relative to eitherparent. In terms of benefits to the grower, this typically translates into:● Enhanced consistency and stability● Outstanding tillering● Resistance to stress – cold, drought and waterlogging

● Improved yields – especially in marginal conditions

● Good disease resistance● Increased moisture and nutrient uptake thanks to a better developed, bigger root mass

● High specific weights.

In addition, hybrid wheats have a quite differentgrowth pattern to their conventional counterparts.They are suitable for late drilling and then exhibitearly to very early maturity, thanks to exceptionalvigour. These advantages are compelling against abackdrop of intensifying disease pressure, climate

16 robustwheats

change, and dwindling chemical treatment optionsbut can mean that hybrid varieties do not fit easilyinto standard rotations. Equally importantly it canbe argued that their full benefits are not necessarilyshowcased by the standard test protocols used toassess conventional varieties.

Saaten Union Recherche is the leading globalbreeder of hybrid wheat and has already registered more than 30 varieties across Europe.The company has particular expertise in gametocide-based technology as a result of itsacquisition of Croisor technology from DuPont. This involves applying a gametocide at growth stage30 to 31 to what will become the female line to prevent male development. Pollen is then suppliedby a neighbouring male line, usually somethingtaller, with the f1 hybrid subsequently harvestedfrom the female plant. This is an effective technology and can be applied to any variety but it is expensive. And this is key, because ultimatelythe cost, versus the robustly assessed reward ofhybrids, will have an impact on their uptake.

Current hybrids for the UK may not be financiallycompetitive if land is already producing a yield ofaround 10.5-11t/ha. The higher cost of the seed,relative to a conventional variety, may not justifywhat is likely to be only a marginal gain in performance, unless there is another reason forgrowing the hybrid, such as early harvest to ensureland is ready for oilseed rape, for example. Howeveron lower potential soils, those that are lighter and/or moisture deficient and yielding around8.5t/ha, or in a second or third crop rotation,hybrids can already pay their way because of their greater tolerance to stress and vigorous growth profile.

Key questions to currently ask to assess whether a hybrid is likely to be beneficial are:● Is there a particular need for late drilling, such as blackgrass?

● Is the land currently delivering low average yields?

● Is there susceptibility to excessively stressful growing conditions, such as drought?

If the answer to any of these questions is positivethen it is likely that hybrids will already be helpful.Going forward the breeding aims are to producegood material for hybrid programmes that will helpreduce the costs of seed production and at thesame time increase the observed benefits. Over the next five to ten years this strategy shouldswing the economics of hybrid use towards evengreater uptake.

Two hybrid wheat varieties will be on display atCereals 2017 on the CropCo stand, along withinformation on the experience of UK growers to date.

robustwheats 17

A gametocide is applied to the female line (right) to preventmale development with pollen supplied by a usually tallerneighbouring male line (left).

With seed production a high cost business, hybrids tend topay their way in situations where greater tolerance to stressand a vigorous growth profile are needed.

Heterosis, or hybrid vigour, typically translates intoenhanced consistency, outstanding tillering and increasedmoisture and nutrient uptake.

Elsoms Wheat, Pinchbeck Road, Spalding, Lincs, PE11 1QGwww.elsoms.com Enquiries 01775 715000

Use plant protection products safely. Always readthe label and product information before use.Croisor is a registered trademark of Dupont.

In no way does CPM Ltd endorse, notarise orconcur with any of the advice, recommendationsor prescriptions reported in the booklet. If you areunsure about which recommendations to follow,please consult a professional agronomist.