With milling premiums currently above £60/t, wheat growers are being advised to beef up their crop nutrition plans in the coming weeks to ensure they meet milling specifications.

Experts warn that achieving protein levels could prove more challenging this season, after the extremely wet winter and spring.

Millers require a wheat protein level of 12.5 to 13% and crops which do not meet this will see a loss of their milling premium, reducing their income.

See also: Endophytes raise wheat yields by 0.6t/ha in trials

Procam says that heavy winter and spring rainfall have depleted soil nitrogen reserves through leaching.

“Where soil testing has been carried out, results indicate that soil levels have been 20-30kg/ha below their usual levels in some places after all the rain,” says agronomist Justin Smith. 

On top of this, waterlogging has restricted root growth, making it harder for plants to find nutrients.

This combination may make it more difficult for wheat plants to take up sufficient nitrogen to reach the required protein levels, especially if the weather turns dry.

A dry May or June would leave farmers a choice of foliar-applied nutrients, to supplement soil applied nitrogen.

These include endophyte bacteria, which fix atmospheric nitrogen inside the plant, stimulants to improve nitrogen uptake, and T2 and T3 foliar urea with pidolic acid, to help the plant use nitrogen more efficiently.

Other nutrients

But it’s not just nitrogen supply. Justin advises growers to consider other nutrients such as magnesium, potash and sulphur.

All these are important and can be applied through the leaf.

Fungicide applications to protect the green leaf area from septoria, rusts and fusarium will aid grain fill and increase specific weight.

Justin suggests an azole fungicide for fusarium at T3, as well as a strobilurin to protect against rusts.

“Strong milling wheat and protein premiums are making for an easy decision to push crops for grain quality this season,” he says.