Getting the Best from Grafton

So, not surprisingly, the premise that Grafton can be drilled anytime from early September and yet come to harvest in the same slot as Cordiale have seen the variety sell out in its launch year – taking a 3% market share.

Now, twelve months on and, back in November, promoted by the HGCA into the Fully Recommended category, how is the Group 4 performing on farm?

According to KWS UK agronomy consultant, Bob Simons, the early signs are that it is living up to expectations and proving to be an ideal foil to other barn-filling hard wheats such as Oakley.

“Last autumn, conditions were ideal for early drilling and growers grasped the opportunity to use Grafton in a slot currently occupied by the likes of Claire,” he says.

The key in this slot is to select a type with relatively slow development in the autumn and winter.  “By doing this wheats won’t become over-proud, minimising risks of plant loss or frost damage,” he points out.

At the same time, growers need to be aware that drilling early leads to more nodes/stem and more tillers per plant, so varieties need to have very strong straw to compensate.

In terms of disease, eyespot risks are increased – even in a first wheat situation - and consequential early N-uptake increases lush, weaker growth that is at greater risk of foliar diseases. 

Finally, early drilling can potentially wreck specific weights so, a high inherent specific weight is critical.

“The problem is that it is very rare to find a wheat that ticks all these boxes,” says Mr Simons.  “However, Grafton comes very close and is a good bet for this slot.

“HGCA trials data shows that Grafton is a week slower to reach GS31 than the average wheat.  “As a result it shouldn’t get over-proud over winter, even when drilled very early,” he says.

In addition, no other variety is stiffer than Grafton, and, at 80cm height,, no other Recommended variety is as short - characteristics that will help ensure a standing crop even where seed rates have encouraged too thick a plant stand.

These characteristics also make it a good candidate for those “highly fertile field” or those with a history of lodging.  In this situation HGCA data suggests it will yield closer to Oakley.

Combine this with excellent pch-1 eyespot resistance - it has a resistance rating of 8 - and lodging risks, as a result of early drilling, are further reduced. 

Finally, good all round early season disease resistance ratings, plus the best Group 4specific weight, will help ensure Grafton should give good grain samples without the need for excessive input costs.

While early drilling is a key attribute of Grafton, Mr Simons points out that the variety was originally Recommended as an ‘early maturing variety suitable to spread harvest and for more northern growers’. 

“This confirms that while it is a slow developer in the early stages of development, it is quick to mature and one of the earliest wheats to come to the combine.  With Cordiale in its parentage, this should come as no surprise,” he says.

“As a result, growers can not only use Grafton to spread their drilling and to some extent their spraying workload, but also gain an early start to harvest.  This then also allows them to get their rape crop into the ground in good time,” suggests Mr Simons.

 

Best Second Wheat

The other key use for Grafton is in the second wheat slot.  At 105% of controls, there is no higher yielding second wheat on the UK Recommended List, points out Mr Simons.

“Here, its combination of excellent eyespot resistance, Septoria tritici resistance and exceptional specific weight and yield performance to date make it a very good performer in this slot.”

So, even where growers have selected the variety to be drilled in early September, if conditions don’t allow, it is robust enough to in the second wheat slot.”

Finally, while it is early days yet, Grafton also appears to complement Oakley.  It is in a different diversification group and has a 7-rating for yellow rust, easing early season spraying pressures across the farm and enabling growers to get the all important T0’s on in good time, he points out.

“However you will have to keep an eye on brown rust and make sure control of this disease is factored into the programme,” he says.

Data source: HGCA Recommended List 2010/11 for Winter Wheat

Variety	Treated 2nd wheat yield (%)	Eyespot resistance	Septoria tritici	Specific weight (kg/hl)
Grafton	105	8	9	78.6
JB-Diego	105	6	6	77.6
Duxford	105	6	5	76.4

Fertile Soils

Yorks-based crop consultant Peter Lambert considers Grafton’s key attribute to be its standing ability.  “We have a lot of highly fertile Warp and silt soils, so need a variety that will stand,” he says.

“For this reason, we still grow Welford and widely used Equinox in the past, and the double 9 for standing and shortness of straw that Grafton has is a key feature for us.”

 While he appreciates that Grafton could suit an earlier drilling slot, he’s unlikely to drill until after the second week of September.  “Even if you regulate seed numbers back, you can’t go too early on fertile soils.  Tiller numbers also go up from such an approach and Grafton does tiller well,” he says.

Grafton’s other attribute is its relatively early maturity and this gives you a good entry for oilseed rape.  However, Mr Lambert says that he needs more experience before judging its performance as a second wheat.  “Short stiff strawed varieties don’t always do as well as longer strawed types in this slot,” he says.

“Agronomically, Grafton’s disease resistance ratings are also pretty good and, while it hasn’t got the highest potential as exhibited by Oakley, last year it had a good year and can do 12t/ha without trouble.”

 

Flexible Feed

Nottinghamshire seed and grain merchant Geoff Williams, processed and sold a significant tonnage of Grafton last autumn.

“We deal with a number of large farming operations and estates across the East Midlands and are always on the lookout for varieties that dovetail into our clients drilling and harvesting programmes,” he says.

“These operations need varieties that provide them with flexibility in terms of management.  Grafton’s earliness gives them a good start to the wheat harvest and a good entry for rape.

“A good proportion of feed wheat growers in our region are using the variety as their early driller, following it with varieties such as Viscount and then Oakley. 

“And, the lion’s share of the Grafton was treated with Redigo Deter, which means they know it will have the protection it needs to look after itself through to the spring.”

 

Scottish Feed

North of the border, Scottish Agronomy’s Andrew Gilchrist sees Grafton as a relatively easy to manage, stiff-strawed variety that won’t spring many nasty surprises.

“Nothing else seems to be fitting the bill at the moment and while Oakley may have the edge for yield it is becoming tricky to manage,” he says.

“We view Grafton as a lower risk variety which doesn’t have many foibles and can be sown from early September.  It is ok for yellow rust and brown rust is not normally an issue for us.”

While it is early days yet, Scottish Agronomy’s trials suggest Grafton may suit a lower input fungicide programme helping reduce the number of passes through the crop.

“It seems to be very stiff, so doesn’t need a heavyweight PGR programme.  Potentially, all you need is a low dose chlormequat to balance the tillering, even out the canopy and give a background stiffening.  This will also even out the grain quality which is pretty good anyway,” he says.

“In terms of disease, it is not the best nor the worst – good on mildew and ok on Septoria.  So, you are probably looking at three sprays, whereas most wheats now need four; cutting out the T0, assuming its yellow rust ratings hold up.

“Also, because Grafton is in the same earliness bracket as Cordiale and Gallant this spreads the workload and could allow an early entry,” says Mr Gilchrist.