New Zealand wheat

[Devil's advocate]

Interesting article in the arable farmer about high yeilding wheat in NZ. I would have liked more detail has anyone any experience.

Appears 5 application of fungicide, high rates of N & crop rotation with grass. Low seed rates & oddly broadcast.

The record breaking crop was 7 ton/acre in NZ!

Like Scotland long cool days and good light qualty must help.

 

[beltbreaker]

I haven't seen the article yet. Thinkthe broadcasting was a needs must exercise as if its the lad I think it is. He has just bought into the farm so money is tight. However broadcasting makes sense if you can keep the seed spacing equal 400kg of N fairly stuffs the NVZ though. Fair play to him. The lads who were on the BASF NZ "study tour" were there.

Cheers BB

 

[david]

How much sulphur was being applied in NZ to the wheat ?

Any snake-oils or such like ?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I haven't seen the article yet. Thinkthe broadcasting was a needs must exercise as if its the lad I think it is. He has just bought into the farm so money is tight. However broadcasting makes sense if you can keep the seed spacing equal 400kg of N fairly stuffs the NVZ though. Fair play to him. The lads who were on the BASF NZ "study tour" were there.

Cheers BB

We broadcast a lot of seed thru our fertiliser trucks, with good results.
Sometimes we "fill in the gaps" ie sow twice at half rate to get better coverage esp with grass and brassicas

 

[Exfarmer]

Interesting article in the arable farmer about high yeilding wheat in NZ. I would have liked more detail has anyone any experience.

Appears 5 application of fungicide, high rates of N & crop rotation with grass. Low seed rates & oddly broadcast.

The record breaking crop was 7 ton/acre in NZ!

Like Scotland long cool days and good light qualty must help.

Except Canterbury New Zealand is nearer southern France than Scotland in terms of Latitude, sunlight and heat units

 

[Hindsight]

https://www.niab.com/blog/post/154

 

[Devil's advocate]

Except Canterbury New Zealand is nearer southern France than Scotland in terms of Latitude, sunlight and heat units

As I understand the article pretty much at the Southern tip of the country. A long way North to South NZ.

They said too far South for maize. But were trying fodder maize to sell to dairy farmers, but sown under plastic.

 

[Fish]

NZ, lies between 34s-46s, say the North African coast and mid France.

 

[ajd132]

Chasing yield in this country just introduces more cost and more risk to businesses. They tell us to do it to keep us on the high cost hamster wheel.

 

[beltbreaker]

What struck me about Southland NZ (almost 20 yrs ago) essy how similar it was to home (probably why so many locals emigrated there) however being closer to the equator 46s in relation to me being 58n means they can intercept stronger light during the season despite me getting a lot more light hours. That and they haven't stuffed their soil and work rotational grass in the system.

A serious use of growth regulator big doses of Moddus, 3C and the new BASF fungicide. Can't remember the S levels but they would be appropriate.

 

[SilliamWhale]

If he put 400 kg/ha N on then quite frankly its of no interest to me at all what yield he gets.

 

[SilliamWhale]

https://www.niab.com/blog/post/154

He writes a good blog doesn't he? Forgot about it.

I'm waiting for @Fromebridge to write his book too

 

[Exfarmer]

If he put 400 kg/ha N on then quite frankly its of no interest to me at all what yield he gets.

If the plant is using it, does it matter?

 

[SilliamWhale]

If the plant is using it, does it matter?

Sort of, yes. Until we can find a way of N becoming less mobile or more accurate the potential for wastage is higher than the potential for 7t/acre

 

[warksfarmer]

If he put 400 kg/ha N on then quite frankly its of no interest to me at all what yield he gets.

No future for that approach in this country as we’ll be all organic soon enough.

 

[beltbreaker]

@SilliamWhale I see no real diffence from the 1000s of farmers in this country chucking 200kg/ha and more to get 3.5t/acre or less.

If he has land capable of it, then should he not push the envelope. He is doing it without sub, it has to wash it's face. I know it's a bit of Willie waving but it's there to help us all learn and choose not to use it.

I take your point at it being riskier however the stubble Turnips or whatever cover follows it will likely be the better for it.

What I think it shows, in the UK where we have an average 8t/ha of wheat something you and others have woken many of us up to is the importance of soil health it's just how you take advantage of said healthier soil.

My philosophy is to maximise what little I have and try to keep it even.

Fancy having a go at 350kgN on a tram or 2 just to see. Although I would expect to need lifters and provide a defibrillator for my agronomist when I tell him.

 

[ajd132]

@SilliamWhale I see no real diffence from the 1000s of farmers in this country chucking 200kg/ha and more to get 3.5t/acre or less.

If he has land capable of it, then should he not push the envelope. He is doing it without sub, it has to wash it's face. I know it's a bit of Willie waving but it's there to help us all learn and choose not to use it.

I take your point at it being riskier however the stubble Turnips or whatever cover follows it will likely be the better for it.

What I think it shows, in the UK where we have an average 8t/ha of wheat something you and others have woken many of us up to is the importance of soil health it's just how you take advantage of said healthier soil.

My philosophy is to maximise what little I have and try to keep it even.

Fancy having a go at 350kgN on a tram or 2 just to see. Although I would expect to need lifters and provide a defibrillator for my agronomist when I tell him.

Do we need to produce more in this country?

 

[beltbreaker]

@ajd132 Maybe you and I are doing the same thing from another direction. Producing a commodity at what we see as least cost to maximise our profit. Wheat thrives here and is the banker though the local market is small.

Cheers BB

 

[ajd132]

@ajd132 Maybe you and I are doing the same thing from another direction. Producing a commodity at what we see as least cost to maximise our profit. Wheat thrives here and is the banker though the local market is small.

Cheers BB

If we all start producing much higher yields by spending more is the value of said produce going to be less? Sugar beet yields have gone up and they are being paid less. You end up in the same position but just invest more capital to get there. Then you get a shocking harvest because of the weather and you lose money, in a few years there will be nonaubsidy safety net either. Think about it.

 

[beltbreaker]

I do understand that and had a harvest like that last year due to wet backend and drier spring summer although don't do anything fancy 200-240kg/ha N T0, T1, T2 T3 use new varieties generally grown as cheap as I see possible.

Fixed costs are much more important than 30kgN here and a missed spray there. The more I produce the more I sell the lower my cost per tonne. Timing of application and attention to detail important too

Race to the bottom maybe but on a limited area I see it as my way forward. I can see how ranching and sweating the asset on poor land might work too, for a time or having a high P and soil K and being able to utilise the nutrients on the soil whilst returning everything to the soil would work.

Horses for courses springs to mind, that and prices are based around world markets what it depends on if we are a bet exporter or net importer