AHDB (HGCA) Recommended List - is it working for us?

[snarling bee]

One thing that annoys me about variety trials is that they treat all varieties/plots on the same day. Gallant for eg that would probably be 5 days too late at T2, giving it a big disadvantage in a wet year. It is no surprise therefore that it performs better on farm than in trials.

 

[Oat]

One thing that annoys me about variety trials is that they treat all varieties/plots on the same day. Gallant for eg that would probably be 5 days too late at T2, giving it a big disadvantage in a wet year. It is no surprise therefore that it performs better on farm than in trials.

It would be a logistical nightmare and/or cost a lot to target individual plots. If you assume there is +/-10 days variability between varieties, and then 4x T timings, that would be a lot of spray days and work. Also how many farmers actually spray each field at the exact correct timing?

 

[farming4profit]

One thing that annoys me about variety trials is that they treat all varieties/plots on the same day. Gallant for eg that would probably be 5 days too late at T2, giving it a big disadvantage in a wet year. It is no surprise therefore that it performs better on farm than in trials.

This is why Belepi was not put forward for RL recommendation - drill it in October and by May its a full GS ahead of everything else. Also all the plots are harvested on the same day when the latest maturing variety is fit - October / November drilled Belepi would be two weeks ready before it was plot harvested.

 

[PSQ]

Nicked from another thread:
Riband Redigo Variable rate - 13.59 t/ha
Riband Redigo Variable rate - 13.71 t/ha replicate with added trace elements.
Revelation Jockey Variable rate - 13.12 t/ha
Revelation Redigo Variable rate - 12.89 t/ha.

One of the reasons why old varieties do well 20 years on is because they tend to be in the minority and therefore the disease pathogen populations to which they were susceptible, have long since died out.

I should repeat the word of caution from that thread: when Riband was last listed on the RL C.2003-2006 (with a specific recommendation for 'the North') it's septoria score had slipped to 3. I can't imagine that score has improved in the last 10 years. But for a variety that grew consistent high yields using only 2 sprays of Sportak-Delta it loves being cosseted with a T0 and some Bixafen (Aviator) at T1/ T2.

Also, if the HGCA tried to include Riband in a contemporary set of trials to "see how far genetic potential has improved" and the above results were replicated, then the breeders would 'not be happy', to say the least.

 

[franklin]

I'm sure varieties like Napier would still perform under a modern input regime. And I dont think it would do any harm for the industry to compare todays best with older ones so we can see what we get for the money they are paid. Claire, for example, is still doing the business:

This year it produced 98% of the trial yield of 10.4t/ha
In 2004 it produced 100% of the trial yield of .......10.3t/ha

12 years of progress there.