Lincolnshire Barley Boost from Take-all Treatment

September 2003 - Pearl malting barley yields were boosted by more than 1 t/ha and quality substantially improved following a Lincolnshire farming company's decision to treat all autumn-sown seed for take-all last season. And this despite no obvious signs of trouble from the disease in the 2003 crop.

With 730ha (1800 acres) of wheat on four farming units 140 miles apart, the Albone Brothers from Hackthorn Manor near Lincoln grow around 140 ha (340 acres) of winter barley each year to spread the combine load and ease logistical pressures.

"Winter barley isn't particularly profitable for us, and every autumn we debate whether or not to grow it," pointed out Dan Albone who runs the 1400 ha (3500 acre) business with his brother Alex. "But it's very useful as it kicks off the harvest and provides worthwhile year-round workload benefits. We use it as a third white straw crop on most of the farm, but it replaces second wheat on our more drought-prone land."

Yields of winter malting barley on the farm generally average 6.2 t/ha (50 cwts/acre) to give a gross margin similar to second wheat, but with considerably less risk. Particularly so on the Hackthorn Manor unit where second wheats can burn-up in dry summers to give disappointingly low yields of tail corn. In contrast, the brothers are almost guaranteed a reasonable result with earlier-maturing winter barley.

Although take-all is a constant threat, the policy of avoiding second wheat on high risk land and treating the bulk of the seed with the specialist take-all fungicide, Latitude (silthiofam) helps minimise crop losses. In the past year it has proved equally valuable for the barley crop.

"Last year, we decided to use the seed treatment on all our Pearl barley for the first time," explained Dan. "We've long been convinced the fungus and the damage it causes often go unnoticed in barley. Even so, we were amazed by the result.

"The treated crop looked healthy all season, and gave us 7.5t/ha at harvest - a good 1.3t/ha increase on what we normally get. This was an extra £98/ha in the bank for a treatment cost of £31/ha.

"Impressively too, while six row barleys normally easily outperform two rows here, where we grew treated two-row, Pearl alongside a small acreage of untreated six-row, Pict on similar ground under the same input regime, the two-row actually came out on top.

"As well as the extra yield there was a huge improvement in grain quality too," Dan added. "We combined a really nice bold sample with a specific weight of 68kg/hl and no screenings. So unlike other years, we suffered no maltster's deductions.

"Latitude treatment worked a treat on our barley last season, helping it do well in an especially dry season. We are using it again across our entire Pearl acreage this year. One swallow doesn't make a summer, but we have high hopes it will again deliver the goods.

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Barley growers should not ignore take-all, says independent plant pathologist, david Yarham. "Although the fungus doesn't affect barley as badly as wheat, it can pull yields down and spoil the sample. Winter barleys invariably suffers worse than spring crops."

Morley Research Centre`s take-all specialist, Marion Self adds that winter barley is less damaged mainly because its earlier maturity reduces the impact of infection on grain fill.

"At a lightland site in Norfolk this year we recorded a 0.3t/ha yield increase from adding Latitude to the standard Raxil S single-purpose seed treatment regime," she pointed out.

"Growers should also be aware that the take-all decline cycle in barley is slower than in wheat. Instead of kicking in during Year 4, it's generally Year 5 or so before we see any natural reduction in disease levels in barley."