A Lincolnshire farmer has managed to gain sky high yields despite one of the wettest springs and driest summers on record.
Farmer Tim Lamyman has managed to harvest 15.38t/ha from his crop of LG Skyscraper wheat.
He chose to grow the variety for its very high yield potential and the combination of plant characteristics.
It is also the highest yielding candidate in the 2018 AHDB Recommended List trials.
Mr Lamyman has described this season as "very challenging", but to get yields like this has been "tremendous".
“It’s one of the boldest samples I have seen in a wheat since we grew Oakley back in 2008 producing a specific weight of 84,” he said.
“We had the right mix of good soils offering the potential to develop well-structured root systems enabling easier nutrient uptake and a high yielding variety from the start.”
'Little and often'
The very same 8ha field in which the LG Skyscraper was grown, grew a record breaking crop of LG Stallion peas last year.
The crop was drilled on 24th September at a seed rate of 175kg/ha into a field which is a grade 2 chalky loam, that had been pressed followed by two passes with a Lemkin Terradisc and then finished with a Vaaderstat carrier (discs and crumble roller).
Once satisfied with the seed bed, LG Skyscraper was drilled by a Vaaderstat Rapid with the coulters set at a 4 inch row width, and finally rolled.
Mr Lamyman puts down his high yields, which includes this year’s OSR record yield of 7.01t/ha, to a good foliar feed programme, which he says helps to encourage deeper rooting in the winter relieving heat stress in the summer.
“Little and often is my philosophy to meet the crop’s growing needs; a healthy well-fed crop will be better at resisting debilitating disease,” he said.
“Between sowing and mid-November the crop had 3 applications of Delta K which went on with an insecticide, a herbicide and then on its own. After that the weather closed in, and it was very cold and wet, so we didn’t do much more with the crop until the spring.”
'Full potential'
With regards to nitrogen applications, the crop received a total of 360kg/ha spread over several applications between February and May, he said.
“I can’t say enough how pleased I am with the way that the crop has performed in what has been a really challenging season," Mr Lamyman said.
“I will definitely be growing the variety again next year - there are always learnings to be had when growing a new variety. I say it takes four years of growing a variety to really get to know it and to grow it to its full potential.”
