New high weight wheat might cut rejection risk
New high weight wheat might cut rejection risk
A NEW winter wheat variety that produces grain with a high specific weight may be absent from the 2002 HGCA Recommended List.
But it could help cut the risk of rejections and price discounts in poor seasons, believes the leading grower who bred the variety.
Richmond, a hard endosperm type, was bred by Cebecos Steve Smith in Norfolk by crossing Brigadier with Flame in 1992.
"In official trials, its specific weight at 78.3kg/hl was only beaten by Group 1 bread-making varieties," he says. "It has been bred to be a reliable and farmer-friendly variety. Because it combines stiff straw with a good package of disease resistances it is a candidate for low input systems."
With grain protein of about 12% and Hagberg of 250+, the company believes it has wide appeal and should prove to be as marketable as soft biscuit varieties. It does not have the translocated rye chromosome that is in most other Group 4 types, so is suitable for poultry rations.
But NIAB felt the variety lacked the yield needed for a modern Group 4 feed type. "With a treated yield of 102, Richmond is not up with the best of the feeders, such as 104 for Napier, Deben and Tanker," says NIAB cereal specialist Richard Fenwick. "It is just off the pace. Its specific weight, at just over 78kg/hl, is top of the pops of the feed varieties, but this is offset by a 2% yield deficit."
But Richmond has other useful features, such as short straw of reasonable strength, early maturity, and no real disease weaknesses, he adds.
Cebeco says it has been tested and approved for value-added export markets. British Cereal Exports believes it will find a slot overseas. "It is basically a Group 4 variety with something extra," says BCEs Andrew Flux. "It has export pretensions and although not a first choice variety it will find an export market."