Crop Watch: Autumn cereals almost drilled – Farmers Weekly – Helen Brown

What a relief to finally see the back of the 2019-20 cropping year, which was difficult from start to finish, with yields in Cumbria this harvest certainly reflected the testing season.

Although we were unable to host our annual open day at our Cumbrian trial site, the results gained have still been useful and we had some particularly interesting findings from our wheat seed rate trials.

The 2019-20 season showed a more pronounced effect of seed rates upon yield compared with the previous season, undoubtably owed to wet weather hindering crop establishment and a dry spring reducing tiller numbers.

More interesting perhaps was that we looked at ways to tailor inputs to spring plant populations, to influence final yield. We found some successes in applying early plant growth regulator (trinexapac-ethyl + prohexadione) to low seed-rate plots, which increased yield by 3t/ha on this site compared with plots with no plant growth regulator due to increased tillering.

Additionally, we found that triple super phosphate (TSP) applied in February to low seed rates, aimed at promoting rooting and tillering, was beneficial to increasing yield in this scenario by 1.7t/ha.

Generally, winter cereals have emerged nicely and are looking good. Unlike last year, we have been able to apply autumn residuals, which are key for targeting annual meadow grass and bromes, which are the key grassweed issues in our region.

I am pleased our local trial site has been drilled for the fourth year running. This year, along with the usual variety and seed-rate trials, we have some interesting work with seed treatments and a blend of wheat varieties.