30/10/13: Winter wheat variety brings better than expected yields in the US Pacific Northwest

Harvest results in the US Pacific Northwest indicate that AgriPro brand winter wheat variety, SY Ovation, which Syngenta released commercially to growers just last year, produced top yields throughout the region — as high as 16 bushels per acre better than average.

"The results really speak for themselves," said Ed Driskill, cereals key account manager, Syngenta, Moscow, Idaho on the Ag Professionals website recently. 

"SY Ovation is an extremely well-rounded white wheat variety, proven to be high yielding with good threshability and very good end-use quality. Needless to say, growers who planted it last year are very pleased."

SY Ovation is the first commercially-released certified seed variety in the Pacific Northwest developed using doubled-haploid technology. Along with good stripe rust tolerance, it offers heavy test weights and excellent yield potential. In 2013, this translated to Idaho, Oregon and Washington dryland fields with yields ranging from more than 80 bushels per acre to almost 120 bushels per acre, and irrigated fields with yields close to 165 bushels per acre. Test weights averaged around 60 pounds per bushel. 
Read the full story here ...

 

Winter Wheat. The winter wheat is just beginning to get going, under a threatening sky (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

APK-Inform increased the forecast of grain production in Ukraine in 2013/14

Analysts from the APK-Inform Agency increased the estimations of the general grain harvest in Ukraine in 2013 to the level of 57.1 mln tonnes, a decrease of 5.5 percent compared with the previous month estimations (54.1 mln tonnes), and the index exceeds the record high grain production volumes, observed in 2011/12 MY (56.7 mln tonnes).

APK-Inform analysts increased the estimation mainly due to the growth of maize production forecast, which planted areas faced quite favorable agro-climatic conditions in the summer, assisting to improvement of the grain yield. For example, the experts increased the yield index from 5.29 t/ha, expected in June 2013, to 5.95 t/ha. As a result, the grain production forecast was increased from 23.9 mln tonnes, expected in June, to 26.2 mln tonnes. At the same time, the forecasted index significantly (up 14.6 percent) exceeds the record harvest of maize in Ukraine, made in 2011 (22.8 mln tonnes). The estimation of maize planted and harvested areas remained unchanged.
As for the forecast of other grain crops, the indices were slightly increased compared with the June estimations: wheat production is forecasted at 21.4 mln tonnes (as opposed to 20.5 mln tonnes in June) with the average yield of 3.25 t/ha, barley - 7.3 mln tonnes (7.15 mln tonnes) with the yield of 2.31 t/ha.

Cornheap (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

08/08/2013: NCGA membership tops 40,000; Rentokil launches pestaurant; new rice gene could triple yields

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) recently announced that membership has topped the 40,000 mark, signaling deep and continued support for the 56-year-old national agriculture association.

“We’re thrilled at what this new milestone means and we salute the hard work of our membership recruiters, state and national staff, and all who have helped build this into such a respected and strong grassroots association,” said Pam Johnson, NCGA president.
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To celebrate 85 years in the pest control business, Rentokil is launching its own 'pestaurant'. On August 15, 2013, from 10:30am in the One New Change building in London, UK, diners can feast on sweet chilli pigeon burgers, wasabi weaver ants, BBQ grasshoppers and chocolate flavoured dipped bugs. 

Rentokil representatives will also be on hand to discuss the best ways to deal with pests that are still alive.
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As well as serving up the exotic cuisine, which is all free, Retokil experts will also be on hand to answer any pest questions as well as pass on their ‘top tips’ for avoiding pest problems.
Read more at http://www.thedrum.com/stuff/2013/08/07/rentokil-celebrates-85-year-heritage-pop-pestaurant#jGhH7hFZmWb61pyZ.99

In Nature Genetics this week, Japanese researchers presented a study on a gene that gives rice plants deeper roots and could subsequently triple yields during droughts. 

The study shows that by pointing roots down instead of sideways, the Deeper Rooting 1 (DRO1) gene results in roots that are nearly twice as deep as those of standard rice varieties. 

"If rice adapts to or avoids drought conditions using deeper roots, it can get water and nutrients from the deep soil layers," said Yusaku Uga, researcher at Japan's National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS) and the study's lead author.
Read the full article here.

A weaver ant worker retrieving a small prey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As well as serving up the exotic cuisine, which is all free, Retokil experts will also be on hand to answer any pest questions as well as pass on their ‘top tips’ for avoiding pest problems.
Read more at http://www.thedrum.com/stuff/2013/08/07/rentokil-celebrates-85-year-heritage-pop-pestaurant#jGhH7hFZmWb61pyZ.99

As well as serving up the exotic cuisine, which is all free, Retokil experts will also be on hand to answer any pest questions as well as pass on their ‘top tips’ for avoiding pest problems.
Read more at http://www.thedrum.com/stuff/2013/08/07/rentokil-celebrates-85-year-heritage-pop-pestaurant#jGhH7hFZmWb61pyZ.9http://www.scidev.net/global/farming/news/rice-gene-digs-deep-to-triple-yields-in-drought.html

Shedding new light on specific weight

New analysis of HGCA data has shown late ripening wheat varieties tend to have lower specific weights but higher yields.

The research, prompted by the quality of last year’s harvest, looked at data from 1994 to 2012 from Recommended List trials and the AHDB/HGCA Cereal Quality Survey. It examined the effect of weather, varietal traits and region on final specific weight.

“One of the most interesting findings is that later ripening varieties tend to have lower specific weights but higher yields,” according to Dr Ellie Marshall, research and knowledge transfer manager at HGCA. “Crucially, the difference between the specific weight achieved in Recommended List trials and commercial crops is much greater in later ripening varieties.”

In recent years, there has been a shift to more late ripening varieties and this has been matched by more being grown on-farm. The main reason for the shift is that these varieties tend to have higher yields which is one of the main factors growers look for in their crops.

“The research shows that the specific weight problems of 2012 are likely to have been exacerbated by late maturity but we can’t forget that the weather was the most important factor. Growers should consider having a range of maturities in order to achieve both consistent yields and quality in each season,” explains Dr Marshall.
2012 was undoubtedly an exceptional year.  From 2007 to 2011, the specific weights of Recommended List trial samples closely mirrored those in AHDB/HGCA Cereal Quality Survey of commercial samples. 

In 2012, the average specific weight for Recommended List samples fell just short of 72kg/hl, while crops in the Cereal Quality Survey were even further behind at 69 kg/hl. This is attributed to the far more robust fungicide programme used for the Recommended List in comparison to many commercial farms. However, even with robust treatments, specific weight was still considerably lower in 2012 indicating that the weather played a key role.

“April 2012 was wet and gloomy which slowed plant development and reduced grain number.  These conditions returned during the growth and grain filling months of June and July which saw higher than average rainfall coupled with low light levels, particularly in June.  These combined to produce lower specific weights and a delayed harvest in many parts of the country,” according to Dr. Marshall.

The research also looked at regional differences in the specific weights of commercial crops. The most striking finding was that in 2012, the South West and Midlands had the lowest specific weights of about 68 kg/hl, whereas in previous seasons, specific weights in these regions were among the highest in the UK.

Average specific weights in other parts of the UK were very similar to one another at around 70k g/hl, this was even the case in Scotland which typically has lower specific weights. 

The research has not yet shown whether variety choice, weather or other factors were the main cause of these regional variations.

For the longer-term, HGCA has set up a network of weather stations to help researchers look in greater detail at how weather influences crop development. More information on regional and varietal differences will also come out of HGCA’s Cropping Systems Platform project which will have four UK sites for the 2013/2014 growing season.

Download the full report here.

Wheat in the Hulah valley, 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)