Seed Industry

Top Tips for Maximising Late Drilling Performance

21 October 2024, UK: Delayed wheat drilling is commonly adopted as part of an integrated strategy against grass weeds, Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) and to help minimise overwintering inoculum in crops to ultimately reduce disease risk.

The wet start to October has stalled cereal drilling progress across many parts of the UK, and several growers who were planning to start drilling wheat in October may now be seeing it planted later than initially planned. On heavier land, we are seeing soil conditions which are limiting travelling opportunities and like Autumn 2023, we could be in a position where many crops are planted later into November. 

Previous Syngenta trials have shown the value of increasing seed rates when drilling is delayed to mitigate yield losses. 

A consistent trend in trials has shown that later sown winter wheat has had reduced establishment – as you would expect. Late drilled crops will be in the ground for less thermal time and will not be able to compensate for poor establishment as well as early sown crops.

Syngenta drill date trials looked at several varieties drilled in the first half of October at a rate of 300 + 350 seeds/m2. The same varieties were then drilled in November at a rate of 400 + 450 seeds/m2.

The trials gave some clear conclusions:

  • Higher seed rates achieved higher plant stands
  • Increasing seed rates resulted in more fertile ears/m2
  • The higher seed rates delivered a yield benefit at both drill timings
  • The later drilled timing had lower potential, but the impact should be balanced against the benefits of delayed drilling, such as reduced disease pressure
  • Variety selection matters: GLEAM and SY INSITOR are both flexible choices that deliver high performance in both the October and November drilled slot. 
  • Specific weights were lower in the later drilled situation for all varieties – selecting a variety with inherently high specific weight like SY INSITOR helps mitigate that risk

Syngenta Seeds Technical Manager, Matthew Bull said,

“Levels of establishment vary significantly based on many factors including soil type, cultivation and seedbed quality, pest pressure and arguably most importantly, weather conditions pre and post drilling. With so many factors affecting establishment, optimal seed rates are something that we cannot be prescriptive about. Local conditions must be considered, and planting rates adapted accordingly to reach target plant populations”.

Top tips for delayed drilled crops:

Use a seed treatment to increase crop resilience: VIBRANCE Duo is the best technical product against seed and soil-borne diseases. It gives fast crop emergence, proven rooting benefits and strong early crop development to ensure your wheat gets off to the best start. 

Select a proven variety suitable for delayed drilling: SY INSITOR and GLEAM are well suited for the later drilling slot. SY INSITOR has been proven to have a vigorous rooting system from early stages of development which helps set the foundation for high performance.  In AHDB trials in 2024, SY INSITOR performed very well in later drilled trials. If we look at the AHDB harvest results and look at trials planted after the 15th of October, SY INSITOR averages at 107% controls. SY INSITOR is still the highest yielding variety on the Recommended List on light land and is an excellent fit in late drilled scenarios, particularly on lighter soil types. GLEAM has consistently delivered in the later drill slot on farm over several seasons and is also a good option if looking to plant late. In trials, GLEAM has demonstrated a good ability to compensate for low plant populations through increased TGW and grains per ear.

Prepare a good seedbed and increase seed rate: Seedbed quality can be as important as drill date. Utilise higher seed rates to account for compromised establishment and reduced tillering potential of the crop.

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