RGT Lantern, specialist second wheat with first-wheat yields
Grown after a crop of parsnip seed on the chalky boulder clays at Bottom Farm, Covington Cambridgeshire, Michael Brown’s 10ha of RGT Lantern was one of the best fields of first wheat on the farm this harvest.
“That said, there was not much to choose between all our wheats, and we had a very good harvest averaging about 11.2t/ha overall, compared with the five-year farm average of 9.8t/ha,” says Michael.
With enough rain at critical times and plenty of sunshine to finish the crop off, Michael’s first wheat RGT Lantern ended up yielding 12.1t/ha.
It was drilled into good conditions in mid October. Nitrogen was applied at normal rates over two splits, totalling 205/ha. “It did look very forward in the early spring so we didn’t apply any nitrogen until 30 March,” says Michael. The crop received three fungicides, including SDHI-based chemistry at T1 and T2.
A 20ha block of second wheat RGT Lantern, treated in a similar fashion, yielded “just shy” of 11t/ha, says Michael, an excellent result for a second wheat given the year.
“The variety is a bit slow to move out of the vegetative phase and through the growth stages – two years ago it was a leaf behind other varieties,” says Michael.
“It is always the last one that’s ready for fungicide, but I like that – it means we can spread the spraying workload, increasing the chance of hitting the right timings.
“The fact that Lantern remains prostrate for longer may also suppress blackgrass more effectively, helping to smother it out and reduce the amount of light passing through the crop canopy.”
On the back of these figures and previously good performances for harvest 2020 and 2021, RGT Lantern has booked its place in Michael’s drilling plans for this coming autumn.
RGT Lantern’s impressive trials performance continues
RGT Lantern has confirmed it can still compete with the best established and new wheat varieties after putting in an impressive performance in an independent variety trial near Flawborough in Nottinghamshire this season.
The variety, which narrowly missed out on promotion to the AHDB Recommended List in 2020, came third out of the 23-strong field. It yielded 12.55t/ha, 104% of the 12.05t/ha average for the trial, leaving many well-known barnfillers and quality wheats in its wake. Overall, trial yields ranged from 11.35t/ha to 12.79t/ha.
“As well as taking on and beating some of the best in the first wheat stakes, RGT Lantern was the top specialist second wheat, reflecting its record over the several years in official and independent trials,” says RAGT Seeds managing director Lee Bennett.
RGT Lantern
• Highest yielding feed wheat in second wheat slot – RL trials 2020
• Short stiff straw
• Excellent lodging resistance
• Good disease resistance
• OWBM resistance
• Consistent performer
• Can be drilled early
