Winter Wheat Trials 2022: Looking ahead to the growing season

Winter Wheat Trials 2022: Looking ahead to the growing season

Earlier this week, we drilled our Winter Wheat Variety Trials for harvest 2022.

This was done at Mountfair Farm near Duns in the Scottish Borders, with thanks once again to the Grimsdale family for continuing to accommodate the trials.

A total of 25 varieties and two seed treatments were drilled in good soil conditions, with most of the varieties featuring at our trials last year.

We do have a few new varieties in the trials this year, some of which could be approved onto the AHDB Recommended List in November. We look forward to chatting a bit more about these new varieties over the coming months.

As the growing season progresses, we will be visiting the trials regularly to analyse them.

Firstly, we will be monitoring the establishment of the wheat, with a particular focus on the two seed treatment plots. All varieties have a single purpose dressing – including one plot of LG Skyscraper – while there are additional plots of LG Skyscraper with Vibrance Duo and LG Skyscraper with Kinto Plus.

Plant counts will also be taken during establishment.

Fertiliser application will be the same throughout the trials and the whole field will receive weed control. However, when it comes to the application of fungicides, the trials will be split into two, leaving treated and untreated strips of each variety.

Speed of development will be tracked throughout autumn and into spring, while we’ll also assess the speed of ripening.

Tissue samples will also be taken throughout growing season and Skippy Scout technology will be used to enable us to remotely check weed and disease levels across the plots.

In June 2022, restrictions permitting, we will host our Winter Wheat Trials Open Night for the first time since 2019. This will provide the opportunity for customers to view each of the varieties in the field and listen to the thoughts of our FACTS and BASIS qualified agronomists ahead of making their variety choices for 2023.

We will also look to host our Virtual Trials tour once again which, for the past two years during COVID-19 restrictions, has been a popular addition to the insight and offering from the trials.

To view the varieties on display at our trials in 2021, click on the variety links below:

nabim GROUP 1 HARD MILLING

Skyfall

nabim GROUP 2 HARD MILLING

KWS Extase

nabim GROUP 3 SOFT

KWS Barrel
Elicit
KWS Firefly
LG Prince
LG Illuminate
LG Astronomer
Merit

SOFT GROUP 4

LG Skyscraper
LG Spotlight
KWS Jackal
Elation
Revelation
RGT Saki
Swallow

HARD GROUP 4

Grafton
Costello
Graham
Gleam
SY Insitor
KWS Cranium
RGT Wolverine