How important is vernalisation??

[Buggerallbandwidth]

My comments here are anecdotal, so treat them as such.

The breeder during development will have small scale plot trials with differential sowing dates. I seem to recall some limited replication occurs at some AHDB recommended list sites.

For most years the broad allocation of a variety into on of the three Recommended list categories is perfectly sufficient. End Jan, Mid Feb, End Feb. In this exceptional year we are asking more of it. As the Recommended list is a national list it covers all latitudes and altitudes thus weather in England and Wales.

If you are interested or need to know then speak with a specific breeders technical staff. They are approachable in my experience and have explained what data they have.

Cut off date may be related to the percentage of spring wheat in the varieties parentage? Would be interesting to hear from a breeder on this.

Also can you induce vernalisation by storing the seed in a cold store for a period before sowing? (Such as a potato store) Or is it required after germination?

 

[Brisel]

Vernalisation happens after germination.

 

[Bogweevil]

Cut off date may be related to the percentage of spring wheat in the varieties parentage? Would be interesting to hear from a breeder on this.

Also can you induce vernalisation by storing the seed in a cold store for a period before sowing? (Such as a potato store) Or is it required after germination?

Research shows that you can vernalise germinated or sprouted seed in a cold store. Bogger to sow it though. Process got a big boost due to work of Lysenko who used it to turn Soviet winter wheat into spring wheat. Stalin was very pleased.

Winter wheat, like all crops and wild plants that require vernalisation, will eventually and very late flower and set a crop of sorts without vernalisation..

 

[Acke]

yeah that way around is ok @Acke them plants is tougher than you would think.

Our winter in Sweden is tougher than you would think !?

 

[Acke]

yeah that way around is ok @Acke them plants is tougher than you would think.

Our winter in Sweden is tougher than you would think !?

 

[richard hammond]

This has been answered well above, but yes, WW needs vernalisation. The published "latest safe sowing date" for a variety is a backside covering exercise & most varieties will be ok if sown later IF THEY GET THE REQUIRED TEMPERATURES AND TIME PERIOD AFTER GERMINATING. As you go later, the risk of that not happening gets far greater & your backside is the one exposed if the crop then doesn't produce seed heads. Lots of March sown winter wheat in 2013 did ok but we did have frosts in April. Also as mentioned above different varieties have differing levels of vernalisation requirement. You also wouldn't want to sow a slow developing variety like Diego in March.

Since Australia got mentioned, they have frosts in June/July in NSW where I worked, so they would have all vernalised ok. It was strange to have 25 oC in the day yet frost on the grass when I got up in the mornings.

Thanks, I put the question badly but so be it .

 

[Barry]

We do our own vernalisation work and that was what led to Skyfall being identified as the variety with the latest safe drilling date. As someone mentioned there are vernalisation plots done by NIAB/AHDB each year and the results do vary according to the weather after drilling.

Spring wheats have been successfully sown in November but generally speaking Winter varieties will outperform spring up until about a february drilling.

Breeders select/breed the varieties that work best in this country. And winter outperforms spring types. In other countries the balance is different. Hence they have a greater supply of spring types. Either due to performance or because they have other issues that limit winter varieties.

 

[Chalky]

Have been told, that a seedsman speaking directly to RAGT 'main man'(whomever that may be, but the 'go to' guy for the answer) whilst a colleague of mine was with him, that Skyfall is safe till end March & into April. from the comment of a previous post-that was evidently not his unfortunate experience.

 

[newhollandcruzr]

We have got some claire to put in and been told its ok til mid March , Any thoughts ?

 

[Oat]

According to the AHDB Wheat growth guide, vernalisation of wheat is more important on the emerged plant (from the soil), as opposed to the germinated seed (not emerged from soil)

Regarding spring wheat, it doesn't lack a vernalisation requirement, it just has a smaller requirement (shorter duration and/or minimum temperature is not as low)

 

[Mr chips]

We shall drill 14ha of skyfall tomorrow so we will see. Been told by a few that’s it’s fine until the end of March.

 

[Barry]

Have been told, that a seedsman speaking directly to RAGT 'main man'(whomever that may be, but the 'go to' guy for the answer) whilst a colleague of mine was with him, that Skyfall is safe till end March & into April. from the comment of a previous post-that was evidently not his unfortunate experience.

We have done a fair bit of the work that led to the change in Skyfall's latest safe sowing date being 1st week March as opposed to end of Feb.

It is true that we have seen Skyfall produce ears from early April sowing. BUT I must advise people not to drill it that late. As there will be a risk of partial or non vernalisation - aka little or no yield!!!

As has been mentioned on various threads, the latest safe sowing dates are what is backed by the breeders and they have to cover a range of locations and conditions.

 

[DrWazzock]

According to AHDB lists Firefly is safe to drill to end of feb. I have drilled the last of it today 7 th March. I am hoping the recommended list covers a south facing field in Cornwall and that here in Lincs we can go a week later.

i have told my brother to tell everybody it’s a westerwold mix just in case.

 

[Wombat]

Well just in case anyone wondered For the late jan drilled stuff think drowning was more important than vernalisation

 

[DrWazzock]

Well just in case anyone wondered For the late jan drilled stuff think drowning was more important than vernalisation

storm Dennis did for some of our January sown wheat. Low sticky areas in particular.

 

[Wombat]

storm Dennis did for some of our January sown wheat. Low sticky areas in particular.

I only have low, flat, heavy areas.

Ciara screwed it up as it was too soo. After drilling and we had way more rain than anyone forecast we had 40mm in the day instead of the 11mm everyone said we would get.