Low input question

[Flintstone]

If you planted a fairly robust winter wheat variety that had good inbred disease resistance, and then gave it 175 kgs of N in three splits in the spring, with one/two reasonable fungicides, would the yield really be that bad?

I've often wondered if you could easily get 6tph from a old fashioned low yielding variety, and if that is not just as good as 8 tonnes from a modern one, and without the massive crop protection costs, which just seem to be working less well, and seem increasingly poor as a return on investment.

Just pondering.

 

[Oilseed]

We have some very light land which in very dry years will only yield 2 t/ac of wheat. We just cant risk spending much on this land.
Last year this block had 2 reasonable fungicides and 140 kg/ha of N.
Being as it was a wet summer it yielded 3.75 t/ac.

 

[Brisel]

@warksfarmer

 

[Flat 10]

@warksfarmer

As brisel says warmsfarmer way ahead of you. Lots of information in a thread somewhere.

 

[bankrupt]

Lots of information in a thread somewhere.

Where, exactly?

 

[warksfarmer]

If you planted a fairly robust winter wheat variety that had good inbred disease resistance, and then gave it 175 kgs of N in three splits in the spring, with one/two reasonable fungicides, would the yield really be that bad?

I've often wondered if you could easily get 6tph from a old fashioned low yielding variety, and if that is not just as good as 8 tonnes from a modern one, and without the massive crop protection costs, which just seem to be working less well, and seem increasingly poor as a return on investment.

Just pondering.

Most say yield is king. I disagree. Profit is king and profit comes from maximising your soils. After all you can't polish a turd can you.

I have no idea where that thread is but if it's not resurrected I'll find some figures out on Monday for you.

 

[Flintstone]

I'd be interested. Thanks. There's got to be a more sensible way than pouring on more and more chem that seems to have less and less effect, and just an increased erosion of margin.

 

[bankrupt]

There's got to be a more sensible way

Quite so, Flintstone.

On difficult land, one's best strategy is always to keep costs down in order not to lose money in a really bad year.

Then, when the occasional good one comes along, it's always a very welcome bonus.

We favour robust varieties here, such as Exsept (see Ollie 989898, passim).

Of course, paying attention to one's fixed costs is as important as the variables.

For example, my forklift is now 45 years old, and my grain bucket 53.

 

[Flat 10]

Where, exactly?

Don't know. But warksfarmer did trials and everything. Even went over 2 harvests if I recall.

 

[Flintstone]

I'd love to read it. In detail.

I'm becoming less convinced by chasing yield on 8.75 tonne land. There's better options out there. Of that, I'm now pretty convinced.

Ok, so maybe I'm the only sod getting 8.75 tonnes (3.5 per acre) average, but I believe I farm well, and it's my 5 year average.

At least I'm honest!

 

[Flat 10]

Just search for 'wheat' in thread titles posted by @warksfarmer and there is at least 4 threads there that are relevant. One called aiming for 3.3t/ac 1st wheat etc etc.

 

[bankrupt]

getting 8.75 tonnes (3.5 per acre) average.

My average is even smaller than yours, Flintstone, but it's the cost/tonne size which matters.

 

[Flintstone]

I agree wholeheartedly.

I read here about everyone doing 11 tonnes and I wonder why I bother!

My record was last year. I loaded out 1,682 tonnes from 410 acres of wheat, that was 4.1 tonnes. If I did that every year, I'd be happy with my VC's. As it is, I know that my margin at a full VC spend and 3.5 tonnes (and around £120/mt) could easily be challenged by 0.75 less tonnes per acre, and a far lower input cost.

 

[Brisel]

I'd love to read it. In detail.

I'm becoming less convinced by chasing yield on 8.75 tonne land. There's better options out there. Of that, I'm now pretty convinced.

Ok, so maybe I'm the only sod getting 8.75 tonnes (3.5 per acre) average, but I believe I farm well, and it's my 5 year average.

At least I'm honest!

Get your soil management right and you'll get more from the same. You're already well down that road

 

[bankrupt]

Get your soil management right

That's exactly why I've decided to pack up here and move to the chalk.

 

[Flintstone]

If you do that you'll be called a 'boy's land farmer'. Can you deal with that?

 

[Flintstone]

Saying that, it's nice to not have to deal with a load of heavy clay shoite like I know a lot of farmers do, especially in the Spring.

I admire the heavy soil boys. More planning. More stress. More seed.

 

[Devon James]

That's exactly why I've decided to pack up here and move to the chalk.

What soils are you on at the moment?

On topic, another thing with wheat is if harvest delayed can watch all investment go up in steam on the dryer. Cropbenching our figures in next couple of weeks so can see how it's done against Sring barley

 

[bankrupt]

you'll be called a 'boy's land farmer'.

My clay doesn't have any flint, Flintstone, so that makes it easier farming than for many.

Main problem is always too much rain in the winter and not enough in the summer.

Until harvest, of course, and then, as Devon James suggests, it never stops.

 

[limestone brash]

If you want to grow crops cheaply winter wheat probably isn't the best crop to pick!