What are the main criteria for growing profitable spring wheat?

[Pilatus]

As above, I realise that profitable high yielding spring wheat yields need drought resistant soils (not Cotswold Brash!!). If any of you grow spring wheat as part of your rotation any advice you can give to those considering spring wheat will be much appreciated.

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

Selling it a £200/tonne

 

[Hindsight]

Selling it a £200/tonne

This coming Spring access to cheap seed! And good fortune to have no ergot and Gout Fly

 

[Brisel]

@tw15 grows it most years

Early sowing into a good seedbed is key. Early sowing means by early March. High seed rate as it doesn’t tiller well. Plenty of N. Not much you can realistically do about gout fly as the insecticide timing is so critical. Copper with the flag spray to help keep ergot down but again there’s no much you can do if the weather is against you. Don’t think it’s not susceptible to take all if its light land and a second or third wheat so try and encourage good strong roots. Seedbed N to get it away quickly.

Keep the spending down if you want to make a profit!

 

[teslacoils]

Luck.

A store that can remove ergot.

The damned stuff threshing.

Making milling spec.

Controlling mildew.

 

[ajd132]

Having a decent grain store with colour sorters. Don’t spend loads. Don’t go completely over the top with seed rates as some suggest, wherever there is an overlap the ears are half the size.

 

[Pilatus]

Having a decent grain store with colour sorters. Don’t spend loads. Don’t go completely over the top with seed rates as some suggest, wherever there is an overlap the ears are half the size.

Are colour sorters a machine that would be a good contender for being bought buy a group of farmers?
Colour sorters seem to being mentioned more and more on TFF

 

[ajd132]

Are colour sorters a machine that would be a good contender for being bought buy a group of farmers?
Colour sorters seem to being mentioned more and more on TFF

Yes, we have 3 owned by 500 farmers in the form of our grain storage co-operative.

 

[Brisel]

Having a decent grain store with colour sorters. Don’t spend loads. Don’t go completely over the top with seed rates as some suggest, wherever there is an overlap the ears are half the size.

What varieties do you grow and what seed rates do you use please?

 

[Wombat]

Hope we don’t get a spring like 2018

 

[Brisel]

2019 wasn't easy here either I didn't get going properly until late March even on light land.

 

[Wombat]

2019 wasn't easy here either I didn't get going properly until late March even on light land.

We had a few day window first of March so I took a day or so off work and popped my small bit of barley in.