Teagasc has provided an update on how growers can best maximise the potential of spring-sown winter wheat.
Last November’s 2022 Harvest Report from Teagasc predicted that approximately 55,000ha of wheat would be sown out during 2022/2023.
If this figure is accurate, it indicates that there is possibly some winter wheat seed still in bags on farms.
Spring-sown winter wheat
Spring-sown winter wheat is not a new phenomenon in Ireland. But the rationale for sowing winter wheat varieties at this time of the year needs to be carefully assessed by growers before they commit.
In previous years, these crops were sown up until mid- to late-February with faster developing varieties drilled last.
However, the current wheat varieties available would not be considered to be fast developing so the latest date for drilling should be mid-February.
Crops drilled later than this have, more often than not, yielded poorly and given the current cost of inputs, will not leave a margin. Only seed treated with ‘Latitude’ dressing should really be considered.
This treatment will have a negative effect on germination if the seed is stored until next autumn.
Possibly the only other case where growers should persist with spring wheat is where, historically, spring barley has not performed well in certain fields or if grass weeds such as sterile brome are an issue.
Three-crop rule
Growers should also be mindful of the ‘three-crop’ rule in 2023: farmers cannot grow any crop they wish, according to Teagasc.
Where growers do plant winter wheat varieties in the coming weeks, there are a couple of helpful recommendations that they should follow in order to increase the chance of the crop leaving a margin.
First off, spring–sown winter wheat will be slower to develop and growers will not be able to speed up development using nitrogen fertilisers.
The crops should be treated as a spring wheat crop and fertiliser rates adjusted accordingly. Wheat crops grown in this manner are, generally, more prone to mildew than septoria so, fungicide programmes should be amended to suit.
Crow damage can often be quite significant in early, spring-drilled crops.
Wheat crops established now will be ready to harvest sometime in September. So farmers should consider putting these fields in for the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) when filling in their basic payment applications for 2023.
Where grass weeds are a problem, there are opportunities to control them in wheat crops which are not available in spring barley.
Only fields that have high yield potential should be considered for wheat crops established over the coming weeks, given the current cost of inputs.
The financial risks are much higher in 2023, compared to previous years where winter wheat is drilled during the spring period. So this is an option that should only be considered in 2023, if there is no alternative.