United Kingdom
June 19, 2013
Farmers facing thin winter cereal crops after this season’s difficult growing conditions should consider the vigour benefits of including hybrid barley in rotations this coming autumn, says Syngenta portfolio manager, James Taylor-Alford.
That follows field observations around the country in which, he says, hybrid barley has coped particularly well with the challenging weather – a feature he puts down to its hybrid vigour which enabled its growth to bounce back quickly once spring temperatures rose.
“The strong growth we’ve seen with Hyvido hybrid barley has really underlined the potential of the crop,” says Mr Taylor-Alford, “particularly after such a challenging autumn and winter.
“Although winter cereals in general were often thin this season, once the spring finally arrived the vigorous growth of Hyvido meant it was able to thicken up rapidly. Hyvido hybrid crops have produced some very healthy canopies with large ears.
“Clearly, the weather has been extremely unusual this season. But when do we ever know in advance what a season’s weather is going to throw at us? There’s a strong argument for having at least a proportion of your winter cereal area in a crop that can stand up to less-than-ideal conditions, as well as performing when conditions are more favourable. It’s about risk management,” he adds.
Pointing to previous observations, Mr Taylor-Alford says Hyvido has produced up to 70% more total root length than conventional barley – with good rooting associated with efficient scavenging for nutrients and water. In trials, Hyvido has delivered more yield than a conventional variety from the same amount of applied nitrogen fertiliser, he adds.
“While we know that Hyvido yields well in trials, it’s on a larger field scale, where soil conditions tend to be more variable, that its yield potential can really shine. Averaged over the last two years we’ve seen well over an extra tonne per hectare from Hyvido over conventional barley in farm comparisons,” he explains.
As well as being a potential replacement for conventional winter feed barley in rotations, Mr Taylor-Alford says Hyvido could also be an alternative to growing second wheat. “Compared with having a heavy emphasis on winter wheat in rotations, the early maturity of Hyvido helps to spread harvest workloads and offers a longer window for establishing following oilseed rape crops. This is something we’re finding farmers are increasingly interested in. It’s another form of risk management,” he adds.
“To make it easier for growers to consider growing Hyvido we have also launched an optional yield guarantee that growers can opt in to if they wish for this autumn, and which is available free with the seed.
“In broad terms the guarantee is that Hyvido will yield an average of at least 0.5 t/ha more than conventional varieties on local split-field reference sites. Growers interested in finding out more about the guarantee should speak to their advisor, or their local Syngenta contact,” says Mr Taylor-Alford. “Alternatively, visit the dedicated website www.hyvido.co.uk which has been specially set up for Hyvido,” he says.
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