Skyfall - How late dare you sow?

[Mixedupfarmer]

Got some Skyfall seed wheat left, but unsure how late I dare sow? Cambs/Norfolk. Anyone had any previous experience drilling it this late?

 

[AndrewM]

7th march is the book cut off. no experience of spring drilling im afraid. i saw olly blogs on youtube put in a couple hundred acres of skyfall on saturday

ragt website vernalisation days below 5degrees C 28days all skyfall plants produced ears, 14 days vernalisation 79% plants produced ears, no other winter wheat varieties produced ears.

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

How many more days/nights are we going to get that are under 5c?

Ending up with 50% of plants not giving an ear doesn't sound very profitable.

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

How many more days/nights are we going to get that are under 5c?

Ending up with 50% of plants not giving an ear doesn't sound very profitable.

Yes, it has been unusually warm of late, although it should give rapid germination, and we usually get cold spells in April, but it is probably to big a gamble his year.

 

[Neddy flanders]

was hoping to drill today!! fat chance. 15mm on Sunday and maybe 10 this morning. Always thought the 9th was the cut off. know some drilled last year on 20th March in lincs that all headed and yielded ok.

 

[chipchap]

I’ve still got Skyfall I was hoping to plant.

Looks like it will be spring oats.

 

[Devil's advocate]

7th march is the book cut off. no experience of spring drilling im afraid. i saw olly blogs on youtube put in a couple hundred acres of skyfall on saturday

ragt website vernalisation days below 5degrees C 28days all skyfall plants produced ears, 14 days vernalisation 79% plants produced ears, no other winter wheat varieties produced ears.

Helpful statistic about vernalisation.

Have I understood this correctly
If below 5 degrees C at night for say a couple of hours that is a vernalisation day?
If we get a few night frosts does that count as one vernalisation day.

I was saying when we drilled at the end of Feb, we need it mild to get it up & away & then need it to come cooler.

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

and at what growth stage does the vernalisation need to happen?

 

[Devil's advocate]

and at what growth stage does the vernalisation need to happen?

Great question.

I've asked my agronomist why when we drill swedes as late as 20 th May why do the volunteer barley plants produce ears. He said because the seed has sat in cold soil all winter.

 

[AndrewM]

This is the blog post i lifted the info off of https://ragt.uk/skyfall-the-winter-wheat-with-the-widest-drilling-window/

 

[Devil's advocate]

@Hindsight would you be able to advise us

Is the 5 degree C the min, max or average temp regarding vernlisation.

 

[bobk]

Got to dry out first , should be fit by May

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

Got to dry out first , should be fit by May

Got 10 hectares that might go with a few dry days, plough ex beet, power harrow and drill. The rest is going to be weeks.

 

[bobk]

Got 10 hectares that might go with a few dry days, plough ex beet, power harrow and drill. The rest is going to be weeks.

I wouldn't worry about vernalisation , Australia don't get frosts in some areas

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

I wouldn't worry about vernalisation , Australia don't get frosts in some areas

Do they grow skyfall though?

 

[AndrewM]

AHDB webiste

• Vernalisation: A period of cool temperatures (0–12ºC) advances floral development and reduces the duration of the foundation phase. The majority of winter wheat varieties respond strongly to vernalisation, and spring wheats may have a slight response

i have no idea if 2 weeks at 5 degrees is the same as higher temps, your past the breeders guarantee so its into gambling territory

 

[Bigjon44]

Will still look better than most fields probably even if only half produces ear

 

[Adeptandy]

I nearly went Saturday with Skyfall, but held off due to the forecast, still thinking I’ll have a field to see as S Wheat seed isn’t overly easy to find
PM if you know of any

 

[Hindsight]

@Hindsight would you be able to advise us

Is the 5 degree C the min, max or average temp regarding vernlisation.

Crumbs what a difficult question to answer. In that i know readers of this reply are looking for a definitive answer. First the accrual of cold only occurs once seed germinated and growing. The benchmark temperature is around 5C but it is not like an on off switch. And the odd really cold night doesn’t add any extra. So sowing Skyfall now is relying on a cool April. Course location important. Some altitude and northerly location compared to Devon, for example.

 

[Luke Cropwalker]

@Hindsight would you be able to advise us

Is the 5 degree C the min, max or average temp regarding vernlisation.

I believe it requires multiple days of this sort of temperature. The number of days required depends on the variety and can be up to around 30 or more.