11 minute read
“Insecticide-free” wheat varieties fast-tracked
The rst winter wheat varieties with resistance to both barley yellow dwarf virus and orange wheat blossom midge are expected to be launched commercially in autumn 2023, o ering the prospect of insecticide-free wheat for many growers.
RAGT Seeds is fast-tracking seed production of two varieties up for full Recommended List consideration in 2023. On-farm multiplication of commercial seed will take place this coming season to help meet anticipated high demand in autumn 2023.
Both varieties are Group 4 hard types, like RGT Wolverine, which in 2019 became the rst commercial wheat in Europe with BYDV resistance. However, the new Group 4s are very di erent prospects, according to Tom Dummett, RAGT’s cereal and OSR product manager.
“When it comes to yield potential and disease resistance these new Group 4s are without doubt a big improvement – and they have OWBM resistance,” he says.
“They are also better suited for early sowing, which is where BYDV-resistant varieties will come into their own.”
Their dual resistance means many crops won’t have to be sprayed with insecticides at all, which is already causing milling growers to prick up their ears, says Mr Dummett.
Fortunately, RAGT has three very promising milling wheats resistant to both pests that are excelling in screening trials and, if they make the grade, will be ready for launch in 2025.
“We have a very large pipeline of varieties mostly with virus resistance and midge resistance. All di erent backgrounds, all di erent quality classes, but these milling wheats look particularly exciting,” he says.
“Two of the three varieties have an RGT Illustrious background, and one has Skyfall. They have been extensively tested by end users and all are labelled as high-quality bread wheats.”
season to help meet anticipated high demand Both varieties are Group 4 hard types, “When it comes to yield potential and
Robust resistance
The resistance gene, Bdv2, was introduced from a wild goat grass and has been used commercially in wild goat grass and has been used commercially in
Australia for two decades, proving robust, with Australia for two decades, proving robust, with no signs of breaking down. no signs of breaking down. RAGT has also been testing the concept in the UK under extreme pressure for the past three seasons, comparing several of the company’s near-market, high-performance BYDVresistant varieties against a selection of resistant varieties against a selection of widely grown Recommended List wheats. widely grown Recommended List wheats.
Plots were sown in early September and Plots were sown in early September and inoculated several times during the season with BYDV-infected aphids. As in previous years, the BYDV-resistant wheats plots are showing no symptoms obviously associated with the disease, but conventional varieties are all a ected, some severely.
“We are expecting a repeat of the last two years when all the inoculated conventional winter wheats exhibited severe BYDV symptoms and produced lower yields, up to 18% last year,” says Mr Dummett.
“The results show the Bdv2 gene o ers protection from the day the wheat emerges until the day it is harvested. Resistance costs about the same as buying and applying a single pyrethroid spray and greatly simpli es crop management while bene ting the environment.”
All wheats containing the Bdv2 gene will be sold under RAGT’s new Genserus brand (genetic security virus). A new logo will be used on all branding, and each variety will begin with the letter G, ensuring the resistance technology stands out from the pack.
Replacing bagged nitrogen in milling wheats
RAGT is investigating the use of companion crops to manipulate grain nitrogen levels in milling wheat and spring barley to reduce the crops’ environmental footprint and potentially reduce costs.
Two large blocks of milling wheats have been intercropped with nitrogen- xing cover crop species to see if the technique might replace some bagged nitrogen and improve protein production e ciency.
The trial is using November-sown RGT Illustrious and Skyfall under two nitrogen regimes of 280kg/ ha and 250kg/ha, grown together with a range of clovers – a micro-clover, which consists of 90% root and 10% leaf, red clover, white clover, red and white clover, and fallow.
The clover was stitched into the The clover was stitched into the wheat in the spring using a light drill. The aim is to establish a permanent understorey. RAGT managing director, Lee Bennett, says: “It’s not unheard of to x 200kg/ha of N, so it is going to be interesting to see what we can achieve when we have wellestablished clover.”
A similar technique is being tested on stands of malting barleys RGT Planet and RGT Asteroid. These have been overlaid by a matrix of catch crops – vetch, radish/phacelia, forage rape/ berseem clover/vetch – and fallow.
Each variety plot has been divided, with one receiving a ‘standard’ nitrogen application of 120kg/ha and the other a reduced 100kg/ha.
The companion crops were planted as soon the preceding wheat was cut then sprayed o with glyphosate in January just before the spring barley was drilled.
“We’re looking to see whether the companions retain more soil N or create more, and whether we can produce guidelines to help growers reduce inorganic N use in barley while still hitting quality and speci cation,” says Mr Bennett.
“One global maltster is very interested in this, and we will roll this work out in support of European colleagues as well. We’ve started conservatively, but it could be that the right catch crops could provide most, if not all of, the nitrogen that malting barley crops require.” FG
BYDV-resistant wheat plots (as on right) showed no symptoms obviously associated with the disease, but conventional varieties were a ected.
Saving costs with palletiser refurb service
Bradley Engineering Ltd is well known for its Agristack range of robotic palletisers; however, what is less well known is that the company also o ers a palletiser refurbishment service. This means that if you have an existing robotic palletiser with an ageing robot that has started to become troublesome, the company will, for a xed price, replace the robot arm and re-furbish the ancillary equipment to keep you operational.
This is often a more viable alternative for the smaller grower who may not have the tonnage to warrant a complete replacement machine. Fixed price refurbishment and robot replacement usually prices in at around 30% of a replacement machine. For those that don't have a palletiser but aren't looking for a new one, used refurbished palletisers are available at 50% of the cost of new on average.
The company has a large stock of new, used and refurbished parts for older robots on the market, such as the common ABB6400 S4/C/C+, available for same day dispatch – along with expertise in the maintenance and programming of these machines and 24/7 telephone support. Other makes of robot which are supported include Fanuc, Kuka, Kawasaki and Fuji.
Bradley Engineering also purchases old robotic palletisers to o er as second-hand refurbished to its customers. If you have a palletiser which is surplus to requirements, contact the company today. FG
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Thinking of selling land for housing development?
Property consultant Taylor & Co explores divided opinions on where the property market is headed, and explains how land agents can simplify transactions.
Knight Frank and Rightmove predict continued growth of the property market this year and around 5% increase in values hardening over the next two years to 2.5% and then 1%.
Huge in ation creates doom and gloom, a ordability issues and rising interest rates. And while it does in uence the housing market, does in uence the housing market, demand remains well ahead of supply, which doesn’t look to set to change anytime soon – and as a result, Taylor & Co says it doesn’t predict major disruptions to the property sector.
New housing is key to delivery New housing is key to delivery and sustainability. Planning permissions are exceptionally slow as the nation recovers from Covid-19, and the years of Brexit uncertainty prompted many potential movers to sit tight.
With transactions often overwhelming for the seller, a land agent can navigate the complexities of the sales process and legal formalities to ensure a successful outcome, Taylor & Co explains. Additionally, as private sales, by contract, can be daunting for both buyer and seller, an ‘agent fee’ approach can reduce interest, competition and value.
Land agents represent the landowner’s interests, to maximise the value of the land or property being sold, and to achieve the best possible outcome, best possible outcome, providing sound providing sound professional advice. professional advice.
For further For further advice contact advice contact Taylor & Co Taylor & Co directly. FGdirectly. FG
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News Is your grassland winter-ready?
Now is the time to be thinking about preparing your grassland for winter. Manufacturer Ceres says its Sub-Line Grassland Subsoiler is a low-cost, but highly e cient way to rejuvenate and sustain healthy grassland, by relieving compression from the year’s livestock, water and general tra c – with minimal disturbance, and helping to prevent water damage and further compression throughout the winter.
The Sub-Line is designed to achieve the maximum e ciency from your soil by lifting and shattering compaction, allowing air, water and nutrients to ow into the substructure, thus enabling the roots and microbacteria to ful l their potential, Ceres explains.
The strong environmental credentials of this machine include its contoured, low-draft legs, which are mounted in-line, achieving great lift and shatter with minimal horsepower and fuel consumption. It also helps water dissipate through the soil structure preventing ash run-o , or worse, standing water that will further compact the soil, deprive the soil of oxygen and emit greenhouse gases.
Additionally, like all Ceres machinery, the SubLine is designed, built and manufactured in the United Kingdom, reducing its carbon footprint.
The Sub-Line is suitable for all levels of soil management, including contractors and farmers, and as it has been designed for UK soils, it can be more e ective than other more expensive machines. The leading discs have independent suspension to help prevent damage to the discs and overload and shock of bearings.
All of the discs can be adjusted with one handle, which has six working positions and one out-of-work position. The discs can be kept in their optimum working position, cutting through the sward cleanly, allowing the leg to pass through without tearing the surface. Each of the legs are mounted on the substantial frame, with two M16 shear bolts for protection. The legs, knock on points and all other wearing components are widely available, which reduces cost and downtime.
It is equipped with a 460mm diameter at rear roller, which has simple dual turn-buckle adjustment to control the working depth of the machine, and leaves a neat, level nish across the width of the work. There is a galvanised, adjustable scraper mounted within the roller arms to prevent congestion and build-up.
The Sub-Line is available from a single leg machine up to a ve-leg machine. All sizes are compatible with Category 2 linkage, from 40–190hp. FG
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