INGHAM FARMS CLAIRE
Knee-jerk malt action warning
MALTING barley growers should be wary of a knee-jerk response with fertiliser to last seasons low grain nitrogen content, warned Morleys Doug Stevens.
"In 1999 winter barley grain nitrogen at Morley was about 0.3% lower than average. That is quite exceptional," he said.
In the dry years of 1995 and 1996, nitrogen content was high at about 1.85%, but even in 1998 it averaged 1.81%.
Maltster demand may have moved up the nitrogen scale, but they still want barley in the 1.6-1.8% range, he said.
"The message is do not over-react. We could be back to a 1998 situation this year." *
Watch mildew to keep Claire sweet
By Andrew Swallow
CLAIREs disease resistance means sprays can be cut, but not when it comes to mildew, says a Norfolk farmer who has more experience than most of the popular new biscuit wheat.
John Kendall farms 132ha (327 acres) at Ingham Farms in north-west Norfolk. Over the past two years he has developed clear ideas about how best to grow the variety, which now accounts for an estimated 14% of the national wheat crop.
But he admits he learnt the mildew lesson the hard way. "Last year we got caught out with mildew in one field and had to go back with Torch," he says. A 0.5-litre/ha dose on May 18 took out most of the disease, but one particularly mildew prone patch needed a further 0.75-litre/ha dose 10 days later.
"I have never seen so much mildew. It was getting so bad it was up to the second leaf," he says.
This year 0.1 litre/ha of Fortress (quinoxyfen) + 0.25 litre/ha of Alto (cyproconazole) will be applied at GS29. "It is worth a prophylactic spray, then we will wait and see. We may switch Unix for the Alto if there is any eyespot about," he adds.
But mildew is the only blip in Claires disease profile. NIAB rates resistance to both rusts at 9 and septorias at 7, he notes.
After an on-farm experiment he questions the use of strobilurins on the variety. "The strobilurin produced only the tiniest increase in yield. I think if I were growing for grain rather than seed I would not bother with the strobs."
A similar experiment with nitrogen confirmed his belief that patience is the right policy with fertiliser on Claire. "We did a couple of strips with 40kg/ha at the end of February. It only just stood and produced no extra yield."
As a rule nitrogen is held back until first node, which is typically first or second week in April. "It does not run early, just sits prostrate until it sets off in spring," he says.
Plant growth regulator programmes include Moddus (trinexapac-ethyl) on early drilled crops to improve anchorage, but November-drilled crops do not get routine pgr.
Seed rates are increased from 120 seeds/sq m in early September to 250 by mid-October. But experience suggests further cuts could be possible for the free-tillering variety. "200 seeds would have been plenty in October and 250 was more than enough even in November, provided you can get a good seed-bed and do not get a deluge."
In 1998 average yield from Claire off the grade 1 fine sandy loam soil was 11.9t/ha (4.8t/acre). Despite losing about 8% of the crop to flooding it did 10.4t/ha (4.2t/acre) last year. This year Mr Kendall is aiming for 12t/ha (5t/acre). "Given a reasonable season we ought to hit that," he says. *
INGHAM FARMS CLAIRE
INGHAM FARMS CLAIRE
• 12t/ha (5t/acre) yield target
• Nitrogen patience: 150kg/ha at GS31 + 70kg/ha about 3 weeks later.
• Use early mildewicide.
• Strobilurin use questioned.
"This is plenty thick enough for Claire," says Norfolk seed grower John Kendall. He would be happy with 150 plants/sq m in this October-drilled crop, but it is nearer 200.