Yield trials place Hereward on top
Yield trials place Hereward on top
HEREWARD and Maris Widgeon were the highest yielding breadmaking varieties grown organically last year in a project funded by HGCA at the Arable Research Centre, Cirencester.
In the first of three years of plan-ned trials Hereward yielded 4.32t/ha. Maris Widgeon achieved 4t/ha, nearly 25% more than Mal-acca, and also produced the highest grain protein, at 13%, but gave the lowest Hagberg falling number.
High disease pressure from Septoria tritici gave resistant variety Exsept an advantage, ensuring it gave the highest feed wheat yield feed at 5.17t/ha – outyielding Claire by 0.99t/ha.
"Very positive guidance for farmers on variety choice seems to be emerging from these trials," says project leader Mike Carver.
For Hereward the optimum seed rate used was 400 seeds/sq m, while 200 seeds/sq m was adequate for Maris Widgeon.
Weed numbers were exceptionally low, but using a harrow-comb weeder did not result in any negative effects on yield. Instead the weeder appeared to stimulate tillering in the low seed rate Hereward plots, resulting in more even ear numbers across the seed rates. *