Wheat blend problem

[ajd132]

From a laymans pov, a blend may be prone to the worst of everything, and almost guarantee a mixed and at best average result?
Is there a reason for growing a mixed crop of the same species?

This is what I am thinking.
The idea behind was to spread risk, but is kind of ambiguous. There are quite a few prominent zero tillers who have been using/promoting blends for a while now which is where the idea came from.
Having 3/4 separate varieties around the farm rather than 3/4 all mixed togethor may be better risk management, I don’t know .

 

[ajd132]

Not wishing to kick a hornet's nest, but are you credited with the wet analysis or a dry adjusted bushelweight?

Not sure actually. But all goes to the same place so a fair comparison

 

[Badshot]

A few days off with fungicide timing this year means awful low bushel crops.
Horrid year, and one I don't wish to repeat.

 

[richard hammond]

This is what I am thinking.
The idea behind was to spread risk, but is kind of ambiguous. There are quite a few prominent zero tillers who have been using/promoting blends for a while now which is where the idea came from.
Having 3/4 separate varieties around the farm rather than 3/4 all mixed togethor may be better risk management, I don’t know .

No the idea was put into practice by a man called Tony Guthrie about 20 years ago, he also dressed the seed with a Mn seed dressing, and it worked for a couple of years , then fungicides became more efficient, and it made more sense not to confuse varietal weaknesses. Nothing is new if you are old enough!!

 

[ajd132]

A few days off with fungicide timing this year means awful low bushel crops.
Horrid year, and one I don't wish to repeat.

The main problem was I struggled to time a fungicide properly because of different growth stages

 

[ajd132]

No the idea was put into practice by a man called Tony Guthrie about 20 years ago, he also dressed the seed with a Mn seed dressing, and it worked for a couple of years , then fungicides became more efficient, and it made more sense not to confuse varietal weaknesses. Nothing is new if you are old enough!!

The guys who chose to do the blend got the idea from people like Simon Cowell, who probably got it from who you mentioned. I looked into it about 4 years ago and chose not to do it.

 

[Salopian_Will]

It’s down to the weather. All of our wheat is below par. Last year comfortably getting 20t on an 18t trailer - this year 16.5t.

 

[DrWazzock]

If it’s any consolation our winter wheat off droughty sand looks like it’s been swept out from under the circular saw bench. Very disappointing. A lot of pitched wizened shrivel grains, despite busting a gut looking after it. Weather went wrong at every stage including rain at flowering.

 

[Badshot]

The main problem was I struggled to time a fungicide properly because of different growth stages

Which meant none of the varieties had the fungicide at the optimum timing?
Or at best one of them did?

 

[Hindsight]

No the idea was put into practice by a man called Tony Guthrie about 20 years ago, he also dressed the seed with a Mn seed dressing, and it worked for a couple of years , then fungicides became more efficient, and it made more sense not to confuse varietal weaknesses. Nothing is new if you are old enough!!

The guys who chose to do the blend got the idea from people like Simon Cowell, who probably got it from who you mentioned. I looked into it about 4 years ago and chose not to do it.

Predates those folk.

The Lincolnshire seed company Sinclair McGill commercialised the concept of wheat blends in the early 1980's. Their blends used three component varieties. At the time was for enhanced disease performance and yield stability, so nothing changes. Drifted away after a few years.

 

[SilliamWhale]

A few days off with fungicide timing this year means awful low bushel crops.
Horrid year, and one I don't wish to repeat.

T1 in hindsight was incredibly important this year. T2 were late. Those who had ctl left over in the shed would have been helped immensely I think

 

[Woldgrain Storage]

This sample was 66kg/hl (dry adjusted).

Some good grains in there, so probably half of each ear filled ok and half hardly filled at all.

 

[PSQ]

We tried a blend about 18 years ago, in a trials field for a large serviced agronomy company. 12 varieties sown across the field in half acre plots, the rest of the field sown with the last of our seed, but not enough left for the far endrig. So rather than going back to the farm and using a bit ‘off the heap’ we hatched a plan to create a blend from all of the scrag ends left in the paper seed bags, ‘professionally’ mixed in the loader bucket with a shovel.

The theory was all the rage in the FW. We thought it would be like an Olympic 10,000 meter race, where the varieties would compete for resources and lead each other over the finish line to win gold. The reality come harvest was more like the aftermath of a Blackpool hen party, not so much ‘winning gold’ as fighting in the street with the bride caught short in the gutter. It was an ugly mess of thin ears and leaning straw, best described as ‘a confusion’ and only good for chalking down to experience.

 

[ajd132]

It’s down to the weather. All of our wheat is below par. Last year comfortably getting 20t on an 18t trailer - this year 16.5t.

It’s not because the varieties I grow are all 75-81 no matter when they were drilled.

 

[ajd132]

Which meant none of the varieties had the fungicide at the optimum timing?
Or at best one of them did?

This is what I am thinking. It was very difficult to decide when to spray. Might be fine in a low disease year but this year was bad and it had a decent program.

 

[N.Yorks.]

We tried a blend about 18 years ago, in a trials field for a large serviced agronomy company. 12 varieties sown across the field in half acre plots, the rest of the field sown with the last of our seed, but not enough left for the far endrig. So rather than going back to the farm and using a bit ‘off the heap’ we hatched a plan to create a blend from all of the scrag ends left in the paper seed bags, ‘professionally’ mixed in the loader bucket with a shovel.

The theory was all the rage in the FW. We thought it would be like an Olympic 10,000 meter race, where the varieties would compete for resources and lead each other over the finish line to win gold. The reality come harvest was more like the aftermath of a Blackpool hen party, not so much ‘winning gold’ as fighting in the street with the bride caught short in the gutter. It was an ugly mess of thin ears and leaning straw, best described as ‘a confusion’ and only good for chalking down to experience.

Had the opposite experience in winter barley here this season. Grew a 3 variety mix, each variety with a different level of resistance but a similar ripening point. We used fungicides on one half of the field and none on the other. As far as we could tell there wasn't any difference in yield between them, but obviously the half with no fungicide cost less to grow.

Think you've just got to learn season by season and tweak the variety mix. Genetic diversity in any area makes it more stable.

 

[ajd132]

Had the opposite experience in winter barley here this season. Grew a 3 variety mix, each variety with a different level of resistance but a similar ripening point. We used fungicides on one half of the field and none on the other. As far as we could tell there wasn't any difference in yield between them, but obviously the half with no fungicide cost less to grow.

Think you've just got to learn season by season and tweak the variety mix. Genetic diversity in any area makes it more stable.

If you had grown a single variety and not used fungicides would it have been the same? Was it all down to the blend? I’m really not convinced.
was it feed barley?

 

[N.Yorks.]

If you had grown a single variety and not used fungicides would it have been the same? Was it all down to the blend? I’m really not convinced.
was it feed barley?

I suppose the answer is I don't really know if it was the mix that contributed to an overall low incidence of disease - that could only be confirmed by replicated trial plots and controls etc. Having said that I did read around the idea which included some research papers and they were confirming that mixes can be beneficial. I remember the message being that a mix will help maintain yields in a challenging year.
Yes was feed barley. Had long straw variety in the mix and those plants were held up by the shorter straw varieties below, so there were almost two stories to the canopy..... did that intercept more light on average and create a better microclimate in the crop?...... I don't know!

 

[SilliamWhale]

Remember these mixes are not genetically that diverse.

If you want diversity grow Wharley or Boats

 

[Secret Agronomist]

The timing of the ear spray could be the biggest problem? just my pennorth