Urea or an? £500 for urea and I'd be banging 100kg (80 units) on as soon as I could travel and the same on a month later. At £600 for AN, would be a different kettle of fish entirely.Another question, how much total are others thinking of putting on barley this coming year, assuming fert has been bought at £500-£600 ton.
I used to grow decent yielding winte malting barley with 70 units as a 3rd cereal but when I upped it to 100 units yields improved so I think that's where I'll be this coming year.
Just because it’s allowed is it the best plan? I know you are in a different country but I’m with @robbie on this 14th feb be plenty early enough hereNot much more than three weeks now to the NVZ earliest for nitrogen on the hybrid WBs - potentially the best return available from what is now, apparently, a scarce resource.
Will 30kg do? (60kg last year).
AN.Urea or an? £500 for urea and I'd be banging 100kg (80 units) on as soon as I could travel and the same on a month later. At £600 for AN, would be a different kettle of fish entirely.
40 or 50 years ago or so we always got fairly decent yields of WB here from 30kg in September and 30 kg in December - actually peaking at 10t/Ha in 1979.Just because it’s allowed is it the best plan? I know you are in a different country but I’m with @robbie on this 14th feb be plenty early enough here
YesNot much more than three weeks now to the NVZ earliest for nitrogen on the hybrid WBs - potentially the best return available from what is now, apparently, a scarce resource.
Will 30kg do? (60kg last year).
Fair enough.AN.
I've gone to 180 units on barley but haven't seen the return on my land I feel barley Winter yields plateau at about 120-130 units.
Was that due to extreme seasons? You often talk of historic weather so you may have an idea? Last 30years disappointing but typical of many arable crops? Many talk nostalgically of ‘84 wheat yields and today’s being no better but I doubt many grow ww the same way as 84? And if they did they wouldn’t get same yields? Don’t know the answer, just playing devils advocate always interested to hear your thoughts. Ps- pleased with 8t/ha here40 or 50 years ago or so we always got fairly decent yields of WB here from 30kg in September and 30 kg in December - actually peaking at 10t/Ha in 1979.
Since then, due to the latest advances in plant breeding, growth regulators, fungicides and agronomy in general, we've been going sideways with a 30 year average of just under 7t.
Ive found 160kg (130 units) to be our sweet spot on conventional barley, anything more and I’ll be scrapping it off the floor!Fair enough.
Here, in a dry year (2010, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2020), 120 units was too much, whereas in a damp year (2014, 2017, 2019), 180 was too little (for best margin).
Yes.Was that due to extreme seasons?
Any idea as to why yields started to tail off at that point? Change in weather pattern or establishment method maybe?Yes.
Funnily enough, the first 10t club in the late 70s was for WB growers and, due to drought, wheat yields here were very poor locally in 1984, except where we irrigated.
As to long run yields, ours peaked in 1995/96 and the moving average has been falling ever since.
Plant breeding hasn't managed to keep up.Any idea as to why yields started y to o tail off at that point? Change in weather pattern or establishment method maybe?
Yes, the ICI 10 tonne club was started in the late 70’s using Winter Barley, mostly Direct drilled relatively early, using Gramoxone pre drilling. But maybe the main reason as to how those high yields were achieved was due to generally lower rates of N that we use today (or until very recently!) and the use of new fungicides like Bayleton and Bayleton BM.Yes.
Funnily enough, the first 10t club in the late 70s was for WB growers and, due to drought, wheat yields here were very poor locally in 1984, except where we irrigated.
As to long run yields, ours peaked in 1995/96 and the moving average has been falling ever since.
Not to mention Bayleton CF, long ago banned.Bayleton and Bayleton BM.
IIRC the CF was Captifol, but I thought it should only have been used on wheat. It was very effective on Septoria.Not to mention Bayleton CF, long ago banned.
From which wheat yields never recovered.