The UK's most widely grown Group 1 breadmaking wheat. Why Grow Malacca? When grain prices are low, opting for a premium potential variety helps maximise gross margins, and it is important when selecting a variety that you give yourself the best possible chance of achieving those premiums. Malacca provides the opportunity to do this. Whilst specific weight and protein are important, failure to achieve the required specification in either will result in a reduction in premium but not rejection of the crop. However, failure to achieve specification for Hagberg Falling Number (HFN) is almost certain to lead to rejection of the complete crop, which is down-graded to feed value. Dependable Of all the Group 1 breadmaking wheats, Malacca is the only one that demonstrates proven reliability year on year. Malacca has one of the highest and most dependable HFN, especially compared to Hereward or Xi-19. HGCA wheat quality survey data, compiled from samples from throughout the UK, clearly demonstrates this. HGCA Quality Survey – Hagberg Falling Number
Even in 2004, an exceptionally poor, wet harvest year Malacca held on to its Hagberg. While in 2004 the UK Malacca crop averaged slightly below the 250 HFN milling specification, the bulk of samples were above this. In comparison, at 223, Hereward was well below. Malacca for yield and quality Correct use of nitrogen is essential to ensure proteins are achieved, particularly when yield potential is now so high. In modern milling wheats, correct advice on application timing to ensure optimum crop structure with minimal disease and lodging is critical. Experienced growers have confirmed that achieving the desired proteins for milling crops of Malacca, year on year, requires a different approach. Nitrogen rates must be adjusted upwards firstly to ensure that yield potential is fulfilled and secondly that sufficient nitrogen remains available to create protein. It is important to provide justification for higher levels of nitrogen usage and demonstrate the reasons for applications. Reference to the DEFRA Guidelines in RB209 is a good starting point. To tailor nitrogen amounts to suit your crop, use the information given in RB209 regarding soil nitrogen efficiency (page 14) and crop nitrogen off take (pages 78 and 79). The principle that is used below is based upon the following: · crops contain N and crop nitrogen off take in the grain is fixed depending upon protein content · the soil provides some residual N from the previous crop · applied N uptake and usage by the crop varies dependant upon soil type. Take account of soil fertility, previous cropping and historical crop performance when calculating soil nitrogen supply. It is also important to understand the effect of seasonal rainfall on soil fertility. The following is taken from information agreed with DEFRA and the Environment Agency: ‘There are known to be widespread concerns that the RB209 recommendations for winter wheat are too low for high yielding crops, and this question will be addressed when RB209 is revised. The current edition of RB209 allows for grain N/protein% information for previous crops to be used to adjust the recommended N rate. Since higher yields will generally result in a lower grain N/protein content, these adjustment factors can be used to justify the use of higher N rates where appropriate. RB209 says (page 78) – ‘The grain nitrogen concentration at the economic optimum rate of nitrogen is about 2.0% (100% dry matter basis) for feed wheat and 2.2% N for breadmaking wheat. Where concentrations are above or below these values, fertiliser rates should be adjusted by 30kg/ha nitrogen per 0.1% difference in grain nitrogen'. Some recent research evidence is also supporting a need to increase RB209 recommended N rates slightly where high grain yields are realistically expected'. Take advice from a qualified FACTS advisor. Wheat Orange Blossom Midge In the past few seasons Wheat Orange Blossom Midge (WOBM) has been a major pest in the UK, particularly in the East and South of England. Left uncontrolled, it can have a devastating effect on grain quality, particularly specific weight and HFN. No known resistance to WOBM is available in any milling wheat, therefore correct use and timing of approved insecticides is essential, where thresholds are reached, to ensure milling quality is achieved. 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 |
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Data Source: HGCA/CEL Recommended List Trials 2006/7