United Kingdom
February 25, 2022
Trials investigating the suitability of different nitrogen protocols for RAGT’s pipeline milling wheats could help growers optimise variety management from the start.
RAGT technical sales manager Dr Cathy Hooper says: “RAGT Seeds puts an enormous effort into its breeding programmes and we want growers to reap the full benefits.
“With that in mind, we are aiming to provide best-use management guidelines based on our own data built up over several years of variety development.
“Our milling wheat nitrogen trials are very much part of this, providing guidance on suitable nitrogen regimes that are matched to variety needs.”
Six nitrogen protocols are being trialled on eight varieties on clay loam over chalk at RAGT’s UK headquarters near Ickleton, Cambridgeshire.
Nitrogen protocols:
- Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) feed wheat – the industry ‘bible’, offering best practice guidance with regard to soil type, soil nitrogen supply, yield expectations and crop development.
- RB209 less 40kg N – as above, but being tried to take account the current high cost of nitrogen. A lot of growers will be cutting back on nitrogen this year, but will the £65-75/ha saving be worth it?
- RGT Skyfall protocol – compared with the other milling wheat protocols, this is a little-and-often approach weighted towards later applications to counter the potential diluting effect of high grain yield on grain protein levels.
- RGT Illustrious protocol – higher total dose weighted towards earlier applications. This variety favours being treated as a second wheat when it comes to nitrogen.
- Specialist miller protocol – higher dose as above, more evenly spread.
- Specialist miller protocol with foliar N – as above with later liquid N replacing flag leaf application.
Nitrogren protocols - applications (kg N/ha)*
|
|
Feb tillering (N+S)
|
Early April tillering (straight N)
|
GS30 (straight N)
|
GS39 (straight N)
|
GS74 (liquid N)
|
TOTAL
|
|
N trial 1
|
50
|
75
|
75
|
40
|
|
240
|
|
N trial 2
|
50
|
75
|
75
|
|
|
200
|
|
N trial 3
|
50
|
85
|
85
|
40
|
|
260
|
|
N trial 4
|
70
|
100
|
70
|
40
|
|
280
|
|
N trial 5
|
50
|
100
|
70
|
60
|
|
280
|
|
N trial 6
|
50
|
100
|
70
|
|
40
|
260
|
* Subject to soil mineral N test results
Varieties in the trial include RGT Skyfall, RGT Illustrious and Crusoe.
Recommended List candidate RGT Zinzan also features. This variety produces very high yields of excellent quality grain, with an impressive Hagberg falling number of 310 in NL trials and very bold grain with good protein levels.
Four pipeline wheats in the trial include a Costello/RGT Skyfall cross in NL2 trials. It has a good specific weight and Hagberg falling number.
RGT Skyfall
Three NL1 wheats with milling potential are all resistant to feature BYDV and midge resistances. One is an RGT Skyfall cross, the other two are RGT Illustrious crosses.
Cathy says: “This is the first year we have carried out his sort of trial. The hope is that this will provide a good baseline from which to proceed, fine-tuning as necessary to give growers the best chance of optimising yield, quality and nitrogen spend on our milling wheat varieties.”
Topics
Species
