Pedigree: Malacca x (Reaper x Cadenza)

An exceptionally early variety introducing great flexibility into the wheat rotation, Cordiale couples consistent yield and reliable field performance. A high quality Group 2 milling wheat, Cordiale offers excellent end market opportunities.

· High quality Group 2 breadmaking

· Supported by a UK National miller

· Suited for domestic and export markets

· Excellent gross margin potential

· Very early maturity

· Consistently high yielding as a 1st and 2nd wheat

· Very flexible sowing date

· Wide rotational performance

· Reliable over a range of soil types

· Very short and stiff straw

· Resistant to Soil Borne Wheat Mosaic Virus (SBWMV)

Why Grow Cordiale?

Its Place in the Market

With the highest Hagberg Falling Number (HFN) on the 2006/7 Recommended List, one of the best specific weights available, excellent resistance to sprouting and a consistently high protein content, it is no surprise that the exceptional milling properties of Cordiale are desired by a UK national miller, ADM Milling Limited.

Table 1: Quality Characteristics of Cordiale

Source: Data source: HGCA/CEL Recommended List 2006/7

During the poor harvest of 2004, many UK millers had problems securing UK wheat with 250 HFN and routinely good protein content. Nevertheless, millers still had customers of their own requiring a consistent supply of high quality flour. At this time, ADM Milling uncovered the potential of Cordiale in their grists. Furthermore, they observed the benefits of Cordiale being early to harvest that season - the high quality variety was already harvested and secured in the barn before the poor weather conditions arrived. As a consequence, ADM Milling started and continues to place contracts for full specification Cordiale to ensure their continued supply.

Please contact CPB Twyford for more information about the ADM Milling contracts available for Cordiale.

What's more, it is not just UK millers who are seeing the benefits of including high quality Cordiale in their breadmaking grists; early-to-harvest Cordiale effortlessly meets the high W and low P/L requirements of overseas buyers purchasing UKP bread wheats to add to their recipes (Table 2).

Table 2: Chopin Alveograph Characteristics of Cordiale

Source: Data source: HGCA/CEL Recommended List 2006/7

Cordiale's unique earliness can ensure that the variety is harvested and in the barn a week ahead of most other winter wheat varieties on the farm.

First to Market

Not only is Cordiale one of the shortest and stiffest varieties available, but it is also one of the earliest to mature. When sown at conventional sowing dates (see below), Cordiale matures very early, 3 to 4 days ahead of Malacca and 2 to 3 days behind Soissons (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Comparison of Maturity

Source: Data source: HGCA/CEL Recommended List 2006/7 and CPBT Trials 2006/7

A true winter wheat, Cordiale has a similar development pattern to Malacca from sowing to early spring. However, from GS 30, around mid-March, Cordiale develops at a faster rate, reaching anthesis and harvest much earlier than most varieties.

This allows growers to spread the workload at harvest plus have premium value wheat safely in the barn, away from the vagaries and risks of the weather. It also means that it is possible to take advantage of any lucrative ‘old-crop' premiums that may be available.

Yield performance

Cordiale demonstrates a remarkable reliability of yield potential across all regions of the UK.

Figure 2: Regional and National Yield Performance of Cordiale

Source: Data source: HGCA/CEL Recommended List 2006/7

Rotational Position

As a first or second wheat, Cordiale is one of the highest yielding Group 2 varieties.

Cordiale as a second or subsequent wheat
Many growers grow milling quality wheat in the second or continuous wheat slot (Figure 3). Cordiale excels in this position of the rotation, maintaining its high yield potential whilst consistently achieving milling specification.

Figure 3: Yield Potential of Cordiale in the First and Second Wheat Position

Source: Data source: HGCA/CEL Recommended List 2006/7

Sowing Dates

Cordiale should not be sown before mid September in Eastern England and a week later in earlier regions of the UK e.g. the South and South West.

On exposed sites, for example at altitudes of 150 metres above sea level, or later, more Northerly regions, drilling can safely be brought forward a week. Cordiale can safely be sown through to the end of February.

Late Sowing

Whether following root crops, fallows to control pernicious weeds or simply to spread the workload, late sown crops planted after October 6th can account for over 50% of the winter wheat UK area, according to CSL/ADAS data.

Seed Rates

Cordiale has a moderate to high tillering ability producing ears with a similar size to Malacca. Whilst seed rates will vary for any given site according to the quality of the seedbed and sowing date, growers should always aim to establish as even a plant population as possible.

Suggested seed rates according to sowing date are summarised in table 3. Generally, mid-September sowings should aim to establish a spring plant population of no more than 200 plants/m 2 , and from later sowings a spring plant population of no more than 250 plants/m 2 .

Table 3: Suggested Sowing Rates for Cordiale According to Sowing Date

When sown as a second cereal, we do not recommend sowing Cordiale before the beginning of October.

Disease Resistance

Cordiale is likely to respond well to a structured fungicide programme targeted at prophylactic disease control. As with any variety, correct application timing is crucial. This is particularly important for Cordiale because of its rapid speed of growth in spring, which means that important spray timings may be earlier than in other varieties.

Table 4: Disease Resistance in Cordiale

Disease Resistance

Cordiale is likely to respond well to a structured fungicide programme targeted at prophylactic disease control. As with any variety, correct application timing is crucial. This is particularly important for Cordiale because of its rapid speed of growth in spring, which means that important spray timings may be earlier than in other varieties.

Table 4: Disease Resistance in Cordiale

Source: Data source: HGCA/CEL Recommended List 2006/7

First Wheat

Nitrogen should not be applied too early to first wheat. Nitrogen applied before GS 31 is likely to promote excessive tillering and increased tiller survival, resulting in high ear numbers. This can lower specific weight and yield.

Therefore, for first wheats the first nitrogen split should be timed to coincide with stem extension (Zadoks GS 31/32) i.e. early-mid April. Available soil nitrogen up to mid April should be sufficient to produce sufficient tiller numbers and the optimum canopy.

In second or subsequent wheats or in low fertility soils, it may be necessary to apply a little N earlier in the season, 40 -50 kg/ha, around early to mid March. This ensures there is enough available nitrogen for tiller production and ensure that the crop is able to build the correct foundations to form an efficient canopy.

Nitrogen for yield should be applied as late as possible up to flag leaf emergence i.e. early-mid May. Amounts will vary depending upon crop yield potential, soil type and structure but the table given below indicates the total amounts removed by a crop depending on yield.

All information is a partial extraction from the Cpb-Twyford's website and also the HGCA Recommended List 2007/8. See www.cpb-twyford.co.uk and also www.hgca.com for the full dataset