Professional Documents
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I
Pioneering UK wheat trials
n June, it was a great time to visit and report on both days, there was a lot of exciting and important subject matter
two wheat farms in six days: BASF East Midlands to see, touch and understand.
Agronomy and Sustainability Farm at The Grange, At Top House Farm, Graham and Paul were joined by John
Mears Ashby and BASF Yorkshire Agronomy and Peck, head of technical management and stewardship, North
Sustainability Farm at Tophouse Farm, Rawcliffe Europe, BASF plc; Louis Wells, agronomy manager, BASF plc;
Bridge. In the UK, wheat is a vital commodity that and Rose Riby, variety specialist (north) from KWS. The farm
traditionally faired well in these arable regions owners were also there to assist with information and share their
for centuries. Innovative work and research is own perspective. Regarding the farms, a minority of the land
now undertaken to farm wheat in new ways. It
shows how effective land, resources and nature can be created in
harmony with each other to provide sustainable environment and
wheat for food.
Top House farm joined in partnership with BASF in 1996. This
farm was a trailblazer, ahead of its time for agronomy trials.
Biodiversity monitoring was introduced in 2002-2003 as part of
the Voluntary Initiative (The Voluntary Initiative is a UK-based
programme sponsored by the crop and farming industry which
works with the UK government to promote responsible pesticide
use). With co-operation and support from the Hinchliffe family,
owners and farmers of Top House farm, a remarkable story has
been developing. There have been successes such as increasing
farmland bird numbers through simple measures alongside
informative agronomy work this has delivered excellent
informative data for farmers.
The Grange joined with BASF in 2008 with biodiversity
monitoring, in the words of Andrew Pitts, “to provide for my
children’s future.” With fantastic guides at both sites such as
Graham Hartwell, environmental stewardship manager, BASF
plc and Paul Goddard, stewardship value manager, BASF plc, on
August 2015 | 49
F
there were no chemicals or chemical products being promoted. Britannia, Energise, Conversion and KWS Barrell from Group 3.
The promotion at both sites was of wheat farming. There is a There were many more in the Group 4 varieties but as these are
Biodiversity Action Plan in place and constant monitoring by commonly used in animal feed, not food milling wheats.
independent conservationists of the production of data. Over In many ways, the superior amount of wheat at Top House
time, both farms were proven to increase biodiversity as well as farm within its 142-hectare site gave more detail and depth to
increasing wheat volumes. Positively thriving nature relies and the attendees. The 2014 - 2015 cropping of wheat reflected the
assists positively thriving wheat crops. current economic conditions, recovery from the very wet preceding
seasons and the relationship within the group. The plots of wheat
at Top House sat as a checker-board pattern across a large field
Table1 categorised into five stages of treatments from the trials. Louis
Farm site Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Wells was able to provide a lot of discussion about the untreated
The Grange Wheat Wheat Bean - - and treated wheat and the cost benefits in the data from the 2014
Top House farm Wheat Wheat Rapeseed Wheat Wheat trials. At its most effective, normal treatment to wheat added more
tonnes to the harvest from the same amount of land of 6 tonnes
per hectare with the Conquerer variety of wheat. Providing more
During the The Grange visit the group of around 35 was return on investment is about being sustainable and more secure in
introduced to the concepts and reasons for the site. This lay in providing reliable harvests to meet or exceed expectations.
seeking best practice, quality data and quality food; whilst using The biodiversity is created and nurtured through drilling seeds
fewer resources to meet the sustainability challenges, increasing of specific plants which provide habitable food stores for birds
wheat production and biodiversity. Countering uninformed public and wildlife to thrive, installing bird boxes in strategic places
perceptions was also a key factor at the site. Since its inception, assists the best practice management for wildlife.
all sections of society in the UK have visited these two sites each My final thoughts are that the overlying theme was about
year - school groups right up to governmental policy decision making the right choice for the site. The vast number of
makers. variables depend on where the site it is located. The complexity
Flour milling relies on good quality wheat. This is where the is simplified with the experience and broad vision of the
Top House Farm site excelled in showing the groups winter partnerships between farmers, agronomists, breeders and
wheat from the current nabim recommended lists and trialing environmental stewards. It seems that we are all responsible for
future wheat varieties. This takes place in a matrix of 30 the environment and of wheat it produces, which we all depend
differently treated wheat varieties. Treatments and fertilisers upon. These tours are highly recommended for flour millers
are applied in precise amounts to gain understanding Solstice, and members of the cereal industry, they provide a deeper
Skyfall, Crusoe, KWS Trinity, Gallant and RAGT Illustrious from comprehension of how beneficial our industry can be to the
Group 1; Cordiale, KWS Lili and Butler from Group 2; Zulu, environment.