Sherborne

It’s Place in the Rotation

Sherborne offers growers the opportunity to grow a very high yielding Group 4 hard feed wheat with field characteristics that allow it to perform in a high input system, but that is equally competitive when grown under low input regimes.

Sherborne has one of the best resistances to Fusarium ear blight available, an increasingly important aspect in todays markets, where Mycotoxins and infected grains destined for human or animal consumption are more and more under the spotlight.

With or without fungicides, Sherborne performs at very high levels.

 

Agronomy

Sowing Date:

Sherborne is a winter wheat and for maximum performance should be sown from mid September through to mid November. Latest safe sowing date is the end of January.  With moderate winter dormancy, we would not recommend sowing Sherborne before mid September.

Seed Rate:

Sherborne has a moderate to high tillering ability.  Whilst seed rates will vary for any given site according to the quality of the seedbed and sowing date, growers should always aim to establish as even a plant population as possible. 

Suggested seed rates according to sowing date are summarised below.  Generally, mid-September sowings should aim to establish a spring plant population of no more than 200 plants/m², and from later sowings a spring plant population of approximately 250 plants/m².

Chart 1: Suggested Sowing Rates for Sherborne According to Sowing Date

Seeds per Square metre

Soil Type / Seed Bed	September 16-30	October 1-10	October 11-20	October 21-31	November 1-15
Light / Good	180-250	220-275	250-300	325	350
Medium / Average	200-275	275-300	325-350	350-375	400
Heavy / Poor	250-300	350	350	400	400

When sown as a second cereal, we do not recommend sowing Sherborne before the beginning of October.

Plant Growth Regulators:

Sherborne has short, stiff straw. PGR programmes should be tailored to suit the soil fertility and yield potential of the crop. Sherborne is inherently stiff strawed but responds well to a moderate PGR programme. In low yield potential situations a simple CCC programme timed at Zadok’s GS 31-32 will provide reasonable protection from lodging. In fertile conditions or where yield potential is expected to be high, an additional application of Terpal or Cerone at the appropriate timing later in the season may be required.

 

Disease Resistance

Sherborne has a very comprehensive all round disease resistance profile. In the field, this resistance profile may be exploited where appropriate with the use of reduced rate fungicide programmes.

Chart 2: Disease resistance

Data source: HGCA Recommended List 2007/8 for winter wheat + National List data

	Sherborne	Einstein	Claire
Mildew	5	6	4
Yellow Rust	9	6	9
Brown Rust	9	6	5
Septoria tritici	6	5	6
Eyespot	4	6	5

In addition, Sherborne retains the excellent Fusarium ear blight resistance from its parent, Biscay, which is acknowledged to have the best resistance available in any variety available in the UK. Biscay remains one of the biggest selling variety in Germany where very high resistance to ear disease is the one of the key requirements.

Chart 3: Fusarium Ear Blight resistance

Data source: HGCA Recommended List 2007/8 for winter wheat + *German Data 2005 - natural infection, very high pressure, previous crop: maize

	Sherborne	Biscay	Claire	Einstein
HGCA Recommended List	(8)	8	7	6
KWS UK Ltd Data*	8	8	6	4

Fungicides

The good disease resistance of Sherborne is demonstrated in its untreated yields. However, whilst it is practical to grow the variety under a reduced input system, best yield performance will always be achieved using a well structured fungicide programme.

 

Crop Nutrition

Nitrogen:

Sherborne requires, like all high yielding feed wheat, high nitrogen inputs to achieve its full yield potential. In our own trials we have achieved yields exceeding 14 t/ha.  Yields at this level require an available nitrogen supply, including soil contribution, of over 320 kg N/ha.

It is important to provide justification for higher levels of nitrogen usage and demonstrate the reasons for applications. Reference to the DEFRA Guidelines in RB209 is a good starting point. To tailor nitrogen amounts to suit your crop, use the information given in RB209 regarding soil nitrogen efficiency (page 14) and crop nitrogen off take (pages 78 and 79). The principle that is used below is based upon the following:

• crops contain N and crop nitrogen off take in the grain is fixed depending upon protein content

• the soil provides some residual N from the previous cropping

• applied N uptake and usage by the crop varies dependant upon soil type.

Take account of soil fertility, previous cropping and historical crop performance when calculating soil nitrogen supply. It is also important to understand the effect of seasonal rainfall on soil fertility.

Nitrogen application should be focused to provide an efficient plant structure and canopy, for yield and grain quality aim for one with approximately 500-600 ears m² at harvest.  To achieve this, applied nitrogen should be balanced to match crop requirements throughout the season.

To calculate total nitrogen needs, assume that the crop will require in the region of 25-28kg N per tonne of grain using the figure of 2.0% grain N @ 11.4% protein and allowing an additional amount for the residual N in the straw and root.

Confirm the soil indices appropriate for your crop based on field history, previous crop performance, soil type and rainfall. Then calculate the appropriate rate of nitrogen. Remember to account for the soil efficiency factor, figures for which are given in RB 209 page 14, and add to your application total.

The table below details the actual nitrogen content on the crop (grain + straw) at a range of yields at 11.5 % Dumas protein.

Chart 4: Nitrogen Content in Wheat at 11.5% Dumas Protein

Crop Yield (t/ha)	10	11	12	13	14	15
Grain (kg/ha)	174	191	208	225	242	259
Straw (kg/ha)	57	63	69	75	81	87
Total (kg/ha)	231	254	277	300	323	346

Nitrogen available to the crop, from that applied and from the soil, should be sufficient to produce the optimum canopy and should be available to the crop by GS 32 or mid April.

Approximately 180-200kg N/ha in total is required by the crop in order to produce the desired canopy.

For first wheats, the first split should be timed to coincide with stem extension (GS 31/32) i.e. early-mid April. For second or continuous wheat or in infertile rotations, approximately 50 kg N/ha should be applied mid March to ensure adequate nitrogen supply at this time.

Nitrogen for yield should be applied up to GS 37/39 (flag leaf emergence) or mid May, whichever is the earliest.  The period from anthesis through to grain fill represents the major period for nitrogen redistribution and usage for grain and yield.  It is essential that sufficient N is readily available to the plant at this stage. This will represent an application of at least the equivalent of the earlier application amount, probably more.

Take advice from a qualified FACTS advisor.

 

Sulphur

Sulphurdeficiencies can result in poor uptake of nitrogen.  Sulphur should therefore be applied as a regular input to the crop between early March and early May.  Wheat requires approximately 30kg S (75kg S0₃), which should be applied as SO₃ with the first nitrogen top dressing.

 

Harvesting and Storage

Sherborne has a similar maturity to Claire. Sherborne demonstrates excellent green leaf retention and may retain leaf area for longer than other less disease resistant varieties.

Sherborne may be stored alongside other NABIM Group 4 hard feed varieties.