Latest varieties showcased at 2023 Cereals site

Crop plots are set to come through winter well at the 2023 Cereals site – which will showcase many new varieties.

Exhibitors visited the 2023 Cereals site before Christmas to examine the crop plots at Thoresby Hall, Newark. Despite torrential rain, the autumn-drilled plots look a picture, said arable project manager Jonathan Backhouse.

“Everything about the new site is positive,” he said. “It’s easily accessible, very picturesque and has great facilities. The easy-working sandland makes for straightforward crop establishment and a free-draining show site.

“However, the flip-side of this means we could find ourselves watering regularly if we see drought-like conditions again this spring – fortunately Thoresby has excellent infrastructure in place for irrigation.”

The plot area is larger than last year, with both returning and new exhibitors. Many plots are being overseen by Ceres Rural agronomist Will Davies, who is pleased with how well they have grown away since autumn.

“Cereals is a good opportunity to see all of the varieties in one place and grown under the same conditions. You get an idea of what they look like under real conditions, not just reading statistics from the Recommended List.”

KWS

KWS has four new winter wheats, two new hybrid oilseed rape varieties and a new hybrid winter barley, which is currently the highest yielding in NL2 trials. Spring milling wheats KWS Ladum and Alicium will also be in the ground. “There are no new high quality winter milling varieties, so it’s good to have some new high yielding spring varieties coming through,” says KWS technical specialist Olivia Potter.

DSV

A mix of old and new varieties will feature on the DSV stand, including Champion winter wheat and its descendant Oxford, which has a more consistent yield, stiffer straw and good resistance to both yellow rust and orange wheat blossom midge. 

Farmers can view a range of Clearfield oilseed rape varieties, including Beatrix, a new unnamed high-yielding variety, and the hybrid Dolphin.

Natural England

Natural England will focus on conservation mixes, with enhanced autumn and winter bird seed cover, pollinator mixes, and cover crops – including a clover living mulch for undersowing cereals, maize and oilseed rape.

LSPB

Oilseed rape varieties Vegas, Murray and Flemming are new to the Recommended List, with some unnamed LSPB varieties still in national listing trials. Pulses include high-yielding pea Carrington, and early maturing spring bean Yukon.

PGRO

Cultural pest management will be PGRO’s focus this year, demonstrating the trials work it has been carrying out for the past two years. It will feature vetch, lucerne and winter bean trap crops, sown alongside spring beans to attract damaging beetles.

Optiyield

In a first for Cereals, one set of plots is being taken through to harvest as a working replicated trial. It will compare applying Consortium Plus, a mix of beneficial soil microbes and biostimulants, with or without foliar nutrients and biostimulants through the season. The control will receive a standard fertiliser programme.

Rothamsted Research

Visitors will have a rare chance to see some of the Watkins lines of wheat – grown from samples collected in the 1920s – in the ground at the Rothamsted plot. The organisation is also looking at herbal leys, cover crops and reduced tillage to build soil carbon.

Premium Crops

Growers looking for something a bit different will find a range of alternative crops at Premium Crops’ site, including spring and winter linseed, high Omega 3 varieties, high erucic acid rapeseed, high protein spring wheat, naked oats and spelt.

Bionature UK

Foliar nutrition and micronutrients are becoming increasingly popular, and Bionature will be growing oilseed rape and winter wheat trials treated with varying rates of Delta K liquid fertiliser and Tiptop 20.20.20, compared against standard fertiliser treatments.

AminoA

Seed treatments are another area of interest, and AminoA is growing oilseed rape, triticale and winter wheat plots treated with STAART versus untreated plots. The firm is also looking at the impact of artificial nitrogen on soil microbiology.

Syngenta

The ever popular birds and bees pollination mix will provide the photogenic backdrop to the Syngenta Sprays and Sprayers arena. Syngenta’s stand will also feature low and no-till cultivation trials, a new BYDV tolerant hybrid barley and a new winter milling wheat.

New site for Cereals event

The 2023 Cereals event takes place on 13-14 June at a new location – the Thoresby Estate, near Newark, Nottinghamshire.

The 4,860ha estate has been in the Pierrepont family since the 1590s. Some 3,400ha is farmed in-hand, with the remainder being a mixture of commercial forestry, natural forest and let farms.

“We have a rotation of wheat, barley, maize, oilseed rape, beans, potatoes, carrots, onions and sugar beet,” says landowner Gregor Pierrepont.

There are also 120 Longhorn cows plus followers, 250 Hebridean and Greyface Dartmoor sheep and 1100 Mule crosses.

Cereals is donating 50% of ticket sales to charity – the Multiple System Atrophy Trust, chosen by the hosting family. “It’s very close to our hearts as it was set up by my aunt Sarah, who was afflicted by this very rare disease,” said Mr Pierrepont.

For full details, visit www.cerealsevent.co.uk