Continuous wheat trial tests profitable rotation system
12 hrs ago
By Glen Barclay News Reporter
Agrovista's long-running Lamport rotation trials are assessing whether alternating winter and spring wheat with overwinter cover crops can provide a profitable alternative to traditional break crop systems (Image: Agrovista)
A long-running rotation trial is investigating whether alternating winter and spring wheat with overwinter cover crops could provide growers with a profitable alternative in areas where traditional break crops are becoming less reliable.
The work, taking place at Agrovista's AgX demonstration site at Lamport, Northamptonshire, is examining a 'continuous wheat with a difference' approach on heavy land with high blackgrass pressure.
The site has hosted rotation trials for more than 14 years, with first wheat following a break consistently delivering the strongest performance.
The trial is also evaluating new Sprinter Wheat varieties, including STR Pace, alongside companion cropping and cover crop systems (Image: Agrovista)
Niall Atkinson, Agrovista's farming systems research and development adviser, said spring oats had become the preferred break crop.
“It gives a good entry to winter wheat and there's a market in this locality.”
The oat crop also allows an overwinter cover crop to be established beforehand, helping suppress grass weeds while improving soil health.
However, he questioned what alternatives remain where oats lack a local market and beans struggle.
“If you don't have a local oat market and beans are difficult on your soil type, what other options do you have for spring breaks, other than one or two niche opportunities?”
Rather than growing continuous winter wheat, Agrovista is alternating winter and spring wheat, with cover crops between each crop.
“If we tried to grow continuous winter wheat, we would typically fall back into problems with grass weeds and not do anything for soil health as we wouldn't have the opportunity for a cover crop.
“Instead, we are alternating between winter and spring wheat with cover crops between.”
The cover crops are also helping to reduce take-all risk.
Previous trials using conventional spring wheat have produced gross outputs around £100/ha below the site's strongest winter wheat–spring oat rotation. However, Agrovista believes new Sprinter wheats could narrow that gap.
“Gross output has been around £100/ha lower. But if we can replace the spring wheat with our new Sprinter wheats, we think we might be able to start to ratchet up the average yield.”
The first Sprinter variety, STR Pace, yielded 9t/ha in last year's Lamport trials.
Researchers are also testing a rotation featuring two consecutive spring wheats, separated by cover crops, before returning to winter wheat.
“This gives extra diversity with the two cover crops.”
Alongside this, beans have been established as a low-rate companion crop to qualify for the Sustainable Farming Incentive companion-crop payment.
While yield responses have been limited, Atkinson said the system still offered advantages.
“Beans have not been detrimental to yield, bring some soil health advantages and qualify for the companion-crop payment.
“I wouldn't do this in a pulse crop rotation because of the risks of pests and diseases, but we have seen an uplift in grain protein, which could be valuable when growing a milling wheat like STR Pace.”
