Thumbs up for RGT Goldfinch after a very difficult season

The variety has been drawing a lot of attention recently, not only due to its BYDV resistance, which provides season-long protection against the disease without the need for insecticides, but also because it is resistant to orange wheat blossom midge, has a very strong disease resistance package and produces high quality grain.

We asked the growers how RGT Goldfinch, which will be available in limited quantities this autumn, has worked for them.

George Renner, Normanton Lodge, Oakham, Rutland

George Renner grew 19ha of RGT Goldfinch last season at Normanton Lodge. The variety was direct drilled after peas at 120kg/ha in the first week of October, ahead of heavy rain that continued for much of the autumn.

“We used a low rate due to limited seed availability,” says George. “But the Goldfinch tillered very well and it looked good all spring. We probably wouldn’t have wanted to have sown at a higher seed rate.”

While RGT Goldfinch has excellent disease resistance scores – 9s for rusts, 8 for mildew and 7 for Septoria, which could help reduce fungicide bills or buy growers time in difficult spraying seasons, George stuck with a strong fungicide programme, using good rates of Revystar at T1, Univoq at T2 and prothio and teb at T3.

“This season was a bit of a disease fest, so I didn’t feel comfortable cutting rates, especially on a seed crop of a new variety.”

A total of 200kg on N was applied, the farm standard for seed crops. The crop was grown on limestone brash so only had a mild PGR programme, 0.5 litres/ha of Terpal at T1.

“Goldfinch did lean a bit on the more fertile areas,” he says. “It didn’t help that the pea haulm didn’t spread evenly behind the combine, as there was more leaning where there was more pea residue. We also had a few squally showers that came through in the last month, which didn’t help.”

But the crop combined well and yielded 8.3t/ha, including one field that suffered with poor establishment. “That was field related, rather than the fault of the variety,” George explains.

“If we discount that, I would estimate Goldfinch averaged over 9.5t/ha, perhaps going on 10, across 9.6ha. That has met expectations, given the season.”

Will More, Manor Farm, Tunstall, Norfolk

Norfolk grower Will More grew 6ha of RGT Goldfinch at last season. Being a potential quality wheat the 8.3t/ha yield was lower than his RGT Grouse feed wheat, https://ragt.uk/rgt-grouse-impresses-in-the-second-wheat-slot/, but he likes what he has seen in terms of agronomics.

“Perhaps yield-wise it didn’t perform quite as well as we hoped, but the season will have played a part,” he says. “The variety certainly held its own regarding Septoria and other diseases, while the BYDV and OWBM double resistance does offer potential for people looking for varieties that tie in with SFI insecticide-free crop payments, being more nature friendly as a whole.

“And, although we still await results, I understand it has good grain quality, so overall it looks to be a good package.”

Will drilled his crop on 7 October after vining peas, at 120kg/ha for the same reasons as George. “Our agronomist was pretty happy with how it looked going into winter, and it moved well in the spring, picking up nitrogen quickly.

“We applied some pretty robust fungicide tank mixes, reading the weather at the time and it being a seed crop.”

T1 was Vimoy-based and T2 Miravis Plus and EraT3; T0 and T3 sprays were also applied. “I think we would always err on the side of being robust,” says Will. “We treat even the highest disease resistance scores with caution, so at key timings I prefer to maintain rates.”

PGRs consisted of chlormequat at T0, chlormequat and Palisade at T1 and Terpal at T2. “We were mindful of the crop following peas on fairly fertile medium soil, and it all stood fine. We cut the crop on 15 August and it combined well.

Goldfinch looks a potentially good choice for quality wheat growers in higher-risk BYDV areas, says Will. “It looks to be a good follow-on from Grouse in many respects and is certainly heading in the right direction.”