Not all soils will grow high protein wheat, regardless of variety. Growing a milling wheat on chalk is going to need 300 kg/ha of N to have any chance of making the grade. An extra tonne/ha of a feed wheat exceeds chasing a premium that I'm only going to make 1 year in 2. I put my resources into growing low protein spring malting barley instead whcih I can do cheaply year after year.
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- Thread starter Green oak
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Not all soils will grow high protein wheat, regardless of variety. Growing a milling wheat on chalk is going to need 300 kg/ha of N to have any chance of making the grade. An extra tonne/ha of a feed wheat exceeds chasing a premium that I'm only going to make 1 year in 2. I put my resources into growing low protein spring malting barley instead whcih I can do cheaply year after year.
Honest john
Member
- Location
- Fenland
The Chalk loam will grow a high yield.
You would need approaching 300 - 340 kg N two get 13% off of those soils at those yields.
A pre of £20 is not worth the cost of chasing.
mikep
Member
- Location
- Arse end of Surrey, UK
Try getting a decent protein from winter wheat on cold wet weald clay or conversly 10t/ha. You will be pissing in the wind. Never judge anothers soil by your own.
However we can get good milling spring wheats so the question is do we risk going all spring on wet land? It would make sense at todays prices as it is cheaper to grow with few weed problems and less fungicide but if the values go back to £150 for feed it does not. I suppose I could lay this off against some futures hedge but when I start to think about that my head hurts.
warksfarmer
Member
11t/ha and full spec resulting in a £25/t premium that particular year.
2nd wheat Edgar this year 9.8t/ha now worth 12.5-12.8 protein payment which is about £5 off group 1 so today about £145/t. 210kg/ha N, no P & K and 3 cheap fungicides.
Mulika spring wheat 7.4t/ha valued at £175/t for March 15. Grown with 180kg N, no P & K, 2 cheap fungicides.
I don't believe its got anything to do with the soil but one thing is for sure if you sow a seed with no milling genetics you'll never get a premium.
If you can grow 13t/ha feed then you are perfectly set up to grow consistent millers at 10-11t/ha and make group 1. Do a min £25 non default deal on it and what have you got to loose?
dontknowanything
Member
- Location
- Cambridge
Excellent, congratulations.
Do you think that we don't try and get these premiums? It doesn't work here, would love to change that.
This year some of our wheat is 8% protein.
warksfarmer
Member
If your feed wheat is 8% pro what would a miller of been?
If you can give a plausible reason why the soil can't then fine but just thinking your soil can't because that's what you've always been told is not right.
How many of your neighbours grow millers?
warksfarmer
Member
If we had to do this kind of approach though, then we wouldn't bother.
http://m.farmersguardian.com/54063.article?mobilesite=enabled
http://m.farmersguardian.com/54063.article?mobilesite=enabled
dontknowanything
Member
- Location
- Cambridge
It's not what we have been told, it's what happens when we try. It might be the soil, the climate, or the farming.
warksfarmer
Member
Clearly not the climate as many many others grow it in your area.
Soil ..... Maybe but what and why!
Farming can't be because if you can grow big wheat yields then do the same but plant a miller instead
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
I'm impressed by that yield at that N input. To me it usually works out at 30kg/N per tonne output.
10% protein. Still feed with all the extra costs of growing milling.
Light land doesn't hold N. Milling varieties have been grown for years, mostly without success.
A couple of my neighbours grow Gallant on their more bodied land & frequently make the grade.
For what it's worth I'm trying 100 ac of Cubitana this year on some stronger land that has had compost on it this year & sewage cake on it last year. Hopefully it will make a Gp 2 spec.
Perhaps you should accept that not everyone's farm is like your own.
I'm sure not long ago in another thread you point blank refused to accept that anyone on any land could average over 4t/ac ?
warksfarmer
Member
I still dont believe anybody can average 4t/ac every acre every year.
Uk average yield is 3.3t/ac
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
I know I can't! Despite likely having land that ought to. Every season is different, every crop is different. If anyone wishes to help boost my yields in the long term I'll split the difference with you!
I can but only on a 24 metre overlap. Every year.
Step off your own land & go see the East coast fenland growers who moan that the crop never dies thanks to constant sea frets. 12 t/ha is normal for them.
If you can achieve 11t/ha then you have proved you have the potential, it's just attention to detail that stops that being the case on every acre surely ?
warksfarmer
Member
It's being consistent though. Yes everybody can grow 5t/ac every now and again. Maybe average 4t/ac once every few years but to do it every year on every acre is few and far between.
If it was so common the countries average would not be 3.3t/acre.
Or looking another way if 3.3 is the average there must be plenty growing less than that and some growing more than that
On good ground I'm sure it's more than possible, unfortunately I don't have that soil (yet!)
Honest john
Member
- Location
- Fenland
Are but I do.
Then every now and then a 2012 comes along. Then I only get 3.3.
Maybe it's good we don't have all the answers. Or the price would be ???