Bleak for barley and rape
Bleak for barley and rape
By Andrew Blake
INITIAL results from NIAB/ HGCA VarPlan trials show yields of both winter barley and oilseed rape are well down on average.
Output from seven fungicide-treated barley trials in Cornwall, Hants, Kent, Norfolk, Shropshire, Staffs and Lincs is 6.08-7.46t/ha (2.46-3.02t/acre) with a mean of just over 7t/ha (2.8t/acre) – nearly 1t/ha (8cwt/acre) under the five-year average.
NIAB says there seems to be no clear pattern in variety performance. But six-row Manitou, regionally recommended for the north-west and north-east regions, shows up well at 6% over its long term mean.
Other varieties doing better than usual include outclassed Pipkin and Gaelic, up 4 and 3% respectively. Six-row Muscat is also up 3% – contrary to grower experiences (see p 65) as is candidate variety Angela.
Of those yielding less well, worst is Rifle down 4%. Performing only marginally less badly are Intro, Gleam, Vertige, Melanie and outclassed Angora, all 3% down.
Atrocious Easter weather and a generally overcast and wet pod-filling period are blamed for taking the edge off what looked to be a record winter rape crop. Mean treated yield from seven southern trials is 3.8t/ha (1.53t/acre) – 0.61t/ha (4.9cwt/acre) down on the four-year average.
Widespread alternaria and especially stem canker causing early senescence trimmed output in untreated trials even harder, average yield being 0.87t/ha (7cwt/acre) below the long term mean.
But with highest yields often achieved in the north, the picture could improve, NIAB suggests.
In treated trials Contact shows the best increase on its average, being 5% up. Closely behind are Apex and Meteor (4% up), followed by Commanche and restored hybrid Panther, not recommended last autumn, both 3% up.
The result suggests Panther, which along with Apex, Contact, Capitol, Madrigal and Synergy sown at a high seed rate, did at least 5% better than average untreated, could pose a challenge to stablemate Pronto this season, says NIAB. But it is worth noting that conventional variety Mad-rigal is challenging the hybrids in untreated trials, it adds. *
Winter barley
Variety Current 4yr Interim mean
mean 95-98 yield for 98
(159 trials) (7 trials)
Ctrl yield* 8.03t/ha 7.02t/ha
Recommended varieties
Fanfare 102 104
Hanna 101 100
Intro 100 97
Pastoral 101 103
Regina 104 104
Gleam 99 96
Epic 96 94
Melanie 97 94
Halcyon 93 92
Muscat 108 111
Manitou 105 111
Vertige 104 101
Rifle 100 96
Jewel 102 103
Gaelic 100 103
Fighter 98 96
Linnet 99 100
Angora 98 95
Puffin 94 96
Pipkin 94 98
Candidate varieties
Angela 109 112
Flute 101 98
Heligan103 100
Pearl 104 106
Other varieties
Baton 100 98
Peridot 102 102
Spirit 101 104
* Fungicide treated trials
Oilseed rape
Variety Current 4yr Interim mean
mean 95-98 yield for 98
(103 trials) (7 trials)
Ctrl yield* 4.41t/ha 3.8t/ha
Recommended varieties
Alpine 97 97
Apex 96 100
Commanche 94 97
Capitol 99 101
Gazelle 96 95
Boston 99 99
Contact 99 104
Herald 99 98
Licrown 100 101
Lipton 99 96
Madrigal 103 103
Lightning 98 100
Meteor 100 104
Amber 95 97
Express 93 88
Falcon 95 92
Hybrid varieties
Synergy
(120sds/sq m) 105 105
(70 sds/sq m) 103 102
Artus 105 103
Pronto 107 108
Additional varieties
Arietta 96 91
Jazz 96 98
Lizard 94 94
Evora 103 101
Panther105 108
* Fungicide treated trials.