Top Crop Choices for Scottish Agriculture in 2022: Insights from SRUC Expert

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Explore the latest insights from SRUC's Steve Hoad on maximizing crop profitability in Scotland. Dive into critical topics such as variety selection, crop resilience, and agronomic values. Discover the new cereals list, grain specific weight in barley, and strategies for making informed choices in 2022. Gain valuable perspectives on Scottish cereal production trends, variety performance, and genetic improvement efforts.

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Growing a profitable crop: Technical talks and practical messages for 2022 January 18th2022 Top of the Crops: Variety Choices for Scotland Steve Hoad, Crop Improvement & Agronomy SRUC steve.hoad@sruc.ac.uk

Outline Scottish crop Context and challenge Crop resilience Reflection on agronomic values Review of the new cereals list Making the right choices, and prospects for 2022 Grain specific weight in barley Research update https://sruc.ac.uk/cereals-list https://ahdb.org.uk/rl

Scottish cereal production All cereals, 1992 to 2021 Source: Scottish Government

Scottish cereals, 1992 to 2021 Area varies around 430,000 ha Yield in 2021 down on previous 2 years Source: Scottish Government

Cereal areas Source: Scottish Government Spring barley Winter wheat Winter barley Oats - total

Cereal yields Source: Scottish Government Winter wheat Spring barley Oats - total Winter barley

Cereal production Source: Scottish Government Winter wheat Spring barley Oats - total Winter barley

Variety selection and performance The SRUC Scottish List includes varieties that are best suited to local markets and growing conditions Recommended List trials include processing and end user tests, as well as scope for UK, regional or specific use Variety choice and strengths for resilience in production (business and rotation) is increasingly important Genetic improvement and testing towards broader agronomic value along with quality, yield gain and stability

Review of new SRUC Scottish cereals lists Spring barley Winter barley Winter wheat Spring oats Winter oats Spring wheat

Spring barley Industry position Malting Barley Committee Full Approval Laureate: malt distilling and brewing KWS Sassy: malt distilling LG Diablo: malt distilling and brewing Fairing: grain distilling Provisionally Approved varieties SY Tungsten: very good malt extract and PSY, low grain N% and good grain size, intermediate for skinning Firefoxx: good malt extract and PSY, low grain N% and bold grain size, low skinning %

Spring barley Malting Yield and market options Yield = 7.8 t/ha

Spring barley Malting Grain quality and agronomic features

Spring barley Malting Agronomic features

Spring barley Brewing and feed Market options Yield = 7.8 t/ha

Spring barley Brewing and feed Grain quality and agronomic features

Research update Specific weight in barley Measure of grain quality Weight of grain per unit volume (kg hl-1) Industry and Recommended List standards Rejections below a minimum standard Value in grain use and processing? Chondrometer Metos Instruments Association with other grain traits or measures of quality?

Factors that influence specific weight Cultivar intrinsic morphological or compositional features quantified genotype difference e.g. RL varieties Environment Grain filling Agronomy Crop handling Screenings Split grains Source: http://www.ukmalt.com Weathering Threshing

Major components of specific weight Packing efficiency (PE) = proportion of space occupied by grain in a cylinder (%) Grain density (GD) = mass / volume (g cm-3) of individual grains Aaron Hoyle, SRUC PhD student Grain characteristics e.g. dimensions and shape (and composition)

Relationship between packing efficiency (PE) and grain density (GD) From: Hoyle, Brennan, Jackson & Hoad (2018)

Relationship between packing efficiency (PE) and grain density (GD) Contribution to variation in specific weight: PE = 36.5% GD = 48.5% From: Hoyle, Brennan, Jackson & Hoad (2018)

Grain density (GD) is influenced by nitrogen content Six varieties Five density classes in each grain bulk Changes in grain density within bulks was determined by grain composition Nitrogen content explained 37.1% of variation in grain density From: Hoyle, Brennan, Jackson & Hoad (2019)

Specific weight and other grain characteristics e.g. grain size Data points: Spring barley candidate varieties under evaluation, harvest 2020

Specific weight and grain processing e.g. hot water extract Data: Spring barley candidate varieties under evaluation, harvest 2020

Specific weight and processing e.g. hot water extract Data: Spring barley candidate varieties under evaluation, harvest 2020

Specific weight Summary Balance of different grain components: grain density, packing efficiency, and composition Economic impact depending on values of PE, GD and composition Optimal value depends on end use

Spring oats Variety positions Market leaders: Canyon and Conway and WPB Elyann Supported by: WPB Elyann and WPB Isabel New variety Merlin

Spring oats Grain and agronomic features Yield = 6.8 t/ha

Spring wheat Variety positions Main choices Mulika (Group 1) KWS Cochise and KWS Giraffe (Group 2) KWS Talisker and WPB Escape (Group 4, feed) New varieties KWS Fixum (Group 4, feed) KWS Ladum (Group 1)

Spring wheat Grain and agronomic features Yield = 6.8 t/ha

Winter barley Variety updates Plenty of choice in two-row feed and six-row hybrids Two new two-row feed varieties - Lightning - LG Dazzle Two new six-row feed varieties - KWS Feeris - SY Canyon Yield improvements in UK and North region trials and signs of progress in agronomic features

Winter barley Two-row feed Yield = 10.0 t/ha

Winter barley Two-row feed Grain quality and agronomic features

Winter barley Two-row feed Disease resistance

Winter barley Six-row feed Yield = 10.0 t/ha

Winter barley Six-row feed Grain quality and agronomic features

Winter barley Six-row feed Disease resistance

Winter wheat Variety update Six new varieties added to Scottish list Soft feed and distilling - RGT Stokes - RGT Bairstow Biscuit and distilling - KWS Brium Hard feed - KWS Dawsum - LG Typhoon Hard milling - KWS Palladium

Winter wheat Soft feed and distilling Market options Yield = 11.1 t/ha

Winter wheat Soft feed and distilling Grain quality and agronomic features

Winter wheat Soft feed and distilling Disease resistance

Winter wheat Biscuit and/or distilling Market options Yield = 11.1 t/ha

Winter wheat Other feed & milling choices Market options Yield = 11.1 t/ha

Final thoughts and messages Consider grain and agronomic features along with yield Performance = Yield + Quality + Agronomic Value Agronomic value is part of your crop management strategy Check new varieties to support the market leaders Take advantage of yield improvements Plenty of options for WW, WB, SO and SW Evaluate spring barleys SY Tungsten and Firefoxx Place importance on traits that confer stability and improved performance on your farm