Researchers hope to discover whether growing a mix of varieties could help deliver better milling wheat crops.
Funded by the AHDB, the four-year project will assess the potential of milling-wheat variety blends to deliver on yield, meet milling specifications and contribute to more sustainable production practices.
The need for robust information on blends – growing multiple varieties as a single crop – was identified during the most recent review of the AHDB Recommended Lists for cereals and oilseeds. As well as the potential to deliver stronger yield and quality, farmers and researchers believe cereal blends may produce other benefits too – such as better yield stability and reduced disease severity.
Millers and farmers will be asked about their experience of blends – including whether they have helped reduce fungicide spray intensity, contributed to fungicide-resistance-risk management and prolonged the durability of disease resistance genes.
Experience
The AHDB variety blend tool for winter wheat and experience will be used to identify hard milling varieties (UKFM Groups 1 and 2) to include in the project’s dedicated variety blend trials. They will also feature the same varieties in single stands.
Georgia Hassell, who leads the variety blends initiative at AHDB, said: “Based on pedigree information and RL agronomic data, the AHDB variety blend tool for winter wheat can identify potential blends. However, as the tool data is based on varieties grown as straights, it does not account for complementarity of traits. In other words, it does not indicate whether a mix will be greater or less than the sum of its parts.”
Ms Hassell added: “These trials will specifically assess how varieties complement each other in mixes – including how they exploit resources in a relatively wide range of timings and spaces.”
Trials sites
Starting this year, the trials will be drilled for three consecutive autumns at Agrii Throws Farm in Essex, which generally sees high yellow rust pressure; and Harper Adams University in Shropshire, which generally sees high septoria tritici pressure.
Trials will include a no or low-fungicide treatment to test disease resistance of blends, a high fungicide intensity treatment to test the additional benefits of blends, and grain quality data.
Various measurements will be taken including disease levels, canopy assessments, growth stages, height and yield. The project will also assess grain quality data, milling and baking tests, mycotoxin concentrations and the presence of ergot.
Led by experts at Harper Adams University and Cope Seeds, the new work will deliver evidence on the performance of variety blends, prime conversations among farmers and millers, and ultimately underpin the adoption of blends in the UK.