BYDV resistance helps quality wheat grower reduce early drilling risk

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When RAGT launched Europe’s first winter wheat variety with BYDV resistance five years ago, Kent farmer Richard Budd believed the trait could be a potential game changer for his business.

Eliminating the risk of BYDV would enable him to start his wheat drilling campaign earlier, important given the combination of increasingly uncertain autumn weather and the wide geographical spread of his 1200ha arable operation.

But, at the time, BYDV resistance was only available in feed wheat, which was of little interest to him given the very limited market in the far South East of England.

“Had BYDV resistance been introduced into a Group 1, 2 or even 3 wheat we’d have grown a substantial acreage there and then,” says Richard.

“A switch to direct drilling, increased spring cropping and improved soil structure meant we had pretty much got on top of blackgrass, so top of the list was widening our drilling window, pulling it forward to 20 September.

“But we didn’t want to switch to a Group 4 variety even if it had BYDV resistance, and growing a conventional quality wheat would have meant applying pyrethroids, which we hadn’t done for 10 years, so we carried on as before.”

But delayed drilling is becoming a major gamble as the weather is becoming less predictable, he adds. “A few years ago, we’d have been happy to wait until the beginning of October. That’s not the case now. Once our heavier Weald clays get wet, we can probably only get back on them three years out of 10.”

A change of plan

However, the release of RGT Goldfinch onto the market last autumn has changed all that. Richard now has 80ha of the Group 2 variety in the ground at Stevens Farm, Hawkhurst.

“I’d seen a seed crop in Northamptonshire the previous year and it really caught my eye,” he says. “I made enquiries and booked seed straight away.

“We’re growing the variety on south-facing heavy land, with grassland on marsh below it. It provides good shelter for aphids, so BYDV can be a problem. It’s an ideal site for Goldfinch.

“Two years ago when we grew Zyatt there, BYDV came in and I reckon we lost about 20% of yield.”

Peace of mind

Richard suspects sub-clinical BYDV is also robbing output, not just on his farm but elsewhere too. “Quite often we might get 10-11t/ha and think that’s pretty good, albeit a bit less than expected. But we don’t know why.

“Even where we can’t see the symptoms, BYDV could be scrubbing off several percent of yield. Perhaps it’s more common than we realise, and having varietal resistance provides peace of mind.”

The trend to warmer and wetter winters means aphids are becoming more prevalent and harder to control, he adds. “We’re just not getting the kill on aphids that we used to in the fruit, and they are surviving through the winter. They are surely doing the same on arable crops.”

Growing well

Heavy rain shortly after drilling has given the RGT Goldfinch a sterner test than Richard envisaged. But, apart from a few headland patches, the crop has generally grown away well, considering the challenge.

“We direct-drilled it at the beginning of October. As soon as we’d finished we got 65mm rain, which prevented us from drilling anything else until the end of October. So it wasn’t the best of starts and it looked abut wispy for a while, but it’s tillered quite well and I think with some early nitrogen it will be absolutely fine.”

Richard has already earmarked a big block on the marsh for September-drilled Goldfinch next season. “Hopefully we can make an early start before the land gets too wet, apply pre-ems, get the crop well established and shut the gate, with no worries about BYDV.”

A proper test

“You need more than one year with a new variety to test it properly and to get to know how to grow it, which can be worth quite a few percentage points on yield.

Kent farmer, Richard Budd

“Last harvest I heard quite widely that Goldfinch was yielding 10t/ha. Provided we can achieve that it will very much have a place in our armoury. And its grain quality is good as well – the millers seem to like it, plus there is talk of additional premiums for insecticide-free wheat in the long term.

“Goldfinch is incredibly robust when it comes to disease. In the NIAB untreated plots at Cereals last summer, it stood out as the only variety that hadn’t turned the colour of the soil – it remained very clean.

“As a management tool it makes a sound case. With all the uncertainty that’s going on in farming, we have to build as much flexibility and resilience into our farming systems as we can.”

RGT Goldfinch