Winter wheat

JB Diego

Biscuit Excellent biscuit making quality.
Export uks, suitable for export—good HFN, superb specific weight .

Short term the UK Group 3 biscuit requirement of around 600,000 tonnes will attract premiums for varieties with the correct specifications, due to an overall shortage within the UK market. Over the next couple of years this is unlikely to change radically as the existing ‘older’ Groups 3s Robigus, Zebedee and Claire continue to decline in market share and the starch and bioethanol industries begin to take increasingly larger quantities of feed wheat, this reducing our exportable surplus. The uks export market could then compete with the domestic biscuit market.

Scout is well suited to drilling from early September until the end of January.
With reasonably short and very stiff straw, allied to slow primordial development and superb eyespot resistance, Scout is ideally suited also to early sowing and is a natural successor to Claire for drilling in the first week of September. Further trials data should confirm this potential. It is probably less suited than some others for November and December sowings.

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At very early sowings, e.g. from the first week of September, Scout should be drilled at 160-200 seeds/m2. Its stiff straw and excellent specific weight will help to ensure standing crops at harvest with good physical grain quality, even if the plant population is a little higher than necessary.

Scout is a little shy on tillering compared to some other varieties. The worst outcome would be too few plants established, as yield potential falls away very rapidly at low seed rates. It is much better to be on the slightly heavy side. As sowing date moves through September, increase rates by 30-40 seeds/m2 each week. In dry conditions it is important to keep the seed rate higher.

Scout yields well in all rotations and soil types, but is possibly slightly better suited to heavier soils. The performance of Scout appears to be as good as any Group 3 variety as a second wheat – it doesn’t seem to suffer in this slot like some varieties. In yield terms, Scout performs equally well in the North, West and the East.

With its stiff straw, Scout has the best lodging resistance of any Group 3 varieties available and is one of the stiffest varieties on the HGCA Recommended List. A simple PGR approach at GS 31 is likely to be all that is needed. However, growers should consult their agronomist.

Different wheat varieties appear to have varying capabilites where backgrass suppression is concerned. In the 2009 Masstock R&D trial specifically evaluating the competitiveness of wheat varieties against black-grass, Scout performed well and Masstock rank Scout as ‘highly competitive.’

The trials are repeated for harvest 2010.

Excellent scores for disease resistance, especially the rusts and Septoria spp mean easy disease control with Scout ,so that fire-brigade approaches are unlikely to be required. These disease resistance scores show their worth in the variety’s high untreated yield. Outstanding eyespot resistance is a very useful plus in terms of fungicide choice.

Resistance to orange wheat blossom midge is another significant plus in terms of cost and ease of management. Scout has resistance to OWBM and is unlikely to need any insecticidal control for this damaging pest.

Trials data suggest a harvest date similar to Robigus and Alchemy.

Scout should be stored separately to ensure highest premium potential possible.

Apart from the demand from biscuit millers, premium soft wheat markets, such as breakfast cereals and baby foods, are likely begin to develop once end-users have seen the variety in larger quantities.

Export markets to Spain, Italy and Portugal are likely for Scout as Group 3 varieties meeting the export specifications are in demand. Lacking the 1B1R rye translocation, Scout is also well suited to pig and poultry rations.

Scout produces big, bold grain and has one of the highest on the HGCA
Recommended List. Scout’s hagberg is impressive, even in poor seasons and the variety shows good resistance to sprouting. The excellent grain characteristics of Scout will ensure it is in demand for all premium soft wheat markets.