For many of us, making sure we carry out the best practise helps to optimise the yield from the crops we plant. So now comes the new suggestion that delaying when we drill is going to help our yield and hopefully fill our pockets.
Researchers have been looking into the benefits of delaying drilling and have found that this has saved farmers on average £30/ha in herbicide and fungicide costs with little effects on the yield. However due to wet conditions in 2019, many wheat growers will be eager to drill early where experts have said doing the opposite prevents black-grass.
“Growers should not be farming for last year, so we are encouraging them not to rush into drilling this autumn just because of one year,” Mike Thornton, head of crop production at agronomy group ProCam tells Farmers Weekly.
Mr Thornton advises farmers to delay drilling until the second week in October for the majority of England. However, in the northern parts of England he suggests that farmers without black-grass problems may benefit from drilling earlier to avoid damage from what is set to be a harsh winter.
It is believed that by delaying until October it will allow more time for the creation of stale seedbeds to control grassweed by cultivations, or spraying and increase the success of residual herbicides.
Herbicides applied in cooler and damper soils have a better success rate, whilst also later emerging crops avoid main aphid pressure and so will attract less disease.
ProCam used data from their nationwide group of farmers to show that after the last wet autumn of 2012, farmers were forced to drill, on average 10 days later, from 2 October to 12 October. This allowed growers to save £10/ha on herbicides, bringing winter wheat weed control down to £80/ha, while the fungicide spend was cut £20/ha to £90/ha.
However, Mr Thornton points out that there was no statistical difference in the yield between the 2012 harvest and the enforced delayed drilling that led to the 2013 harvest.
He also says in the case of variety, most wheats are suitable for the middle drilling slot in October. However, for those that decide to go for the early drilling option, they should choose a slow developing variety with strong disease resistance, leading to hopefully the same success Thornton suggests delayed drilling has. For this September drilling slot, he suggests Graham, Siskin – although it can be a touch weak in the straw for ultra-early drilling – and newer varieties, such as Theodore and Extase.
There is also another option, delaying until November. Thornton says early developing varieties with disease resistance are important, but not quite as critical as for the ultra-early drillers. He suggests the old faithful milling variety Skyfall – which can be drilled into the first week of March – along with fellow miller Zyatt and new varieties Saki and Insistor.
Thornton makes clear that the risk of drilling early can impact the yield and the profit in a very negative situation. ProCam has found it costs more and doesn’t produce a better-quality product.
Previously, farmers were able to drill early because they had the neonicotinoid insecticide seed dressing Deter (clothianidin) to help protect against aphid spread BYDV and there were more sensitive populations of black-grass, which were easier to control. However, there are now benefits to drilling later.
“If you drill later, you can maintain yields and herbicides will work better,” he says.
So, it proves that there are ample opportunities to drill and if the right applications and precautions are taken, you can improve both your yield and save some pennies as well.
Find out more at https://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/wheat/advice-on-best-drilling-date-for-winter-wheat-in-england-and-scotland
