RGT Grouse impresses in the second wheat slot

The 5.6ha crop was cut on 15 August at a maximum 15% moisture and yielded 9t/ha. “It’s done well for us again – we were very pleased with the outcome,” says Will, of Manor Farm, Tunstall.

“It is always interesting to see how some wheats perform in a second-wheat scenario, especially in a rather miserable season in which Grouse has held its own.

“It was certainly up there in terms of yield. There was no real disparity between the first wheats and the Grouse.”

The seed crop followed a previous crop of Grouse and was sown on 18 October at 165kg/ha. “Within a few days we had a torrent of rain, which didn’t give it the best start, but it coped with the wet autumn and looked pretty good by the spring.”

The crop received a total of 230kg/ha of nitrogen. The first fungicide was tebuconazole applied at T0, while T1 and T2 were based around the latest chemistry, Vimoy and Miravis Plus respectively. An azole-based T3 was also applied.

PGRs included chlormequat at T0, chlormequat and Palisade at T1 and Terpal at T2. “We use robust programmes on our seed crops, and the Grouse was also grown on fairly fertile medium sandy loam soil,” says Will. “The crop stood fine – it’s a stiff-strawed variety and we didn’t have any lodging.

“I’m always happy to work with seed breeders looking at new things coming along. It’s particularly interesting to see what works well as a second wheat or even as a continuous wheat, and I’ve seen that in this variety.”

The advantages of not having to spray Grouse, which is BYDV resistant, in the autumn will be a consideration, he adds. “If we can avoid insecticides we will, but we will spray in a high-pressure situation, so there would be a benefit there.”