The AHDB has announced a new winter wheat trial site in Norfolk, which will enable levy payers to follow the latest Recommended List (RL) varieties from planting through to harvest.
It is taking place in response to the latest RL survey, in which respondents asked for more information on variety trials.
Located near The Wash, it is one of 31 dedicated UK winter wheat, fungicide-treated yield trials sown for next year’s harvest and features 35 recommended and 15 candidate varieties, replicated three times across 150 plots.
AHDB Recommended Lists manager Paul Gosling said: “We are telling the story of how we grow one of the UK’s most complex winter wheat crops. From deciding which varieties to sow to recommendation decisions, we will bring the processes that underpin the RL trial system to life. It will give RL users greater confidence in the data and a better understanding of why we take certain approaches.”
Several tillage operations were carried out ahead of sowing on 7 October. In the first few months, the trial will focus on how varieties are selected for drilling and how they are established.
Moving forward, it will look at trial agronomy, assessment and harvest and how the data is used to make recommendations.
Mark Bollebakker, a senior field trials manager at AHDB, will provide site commentary throughout the growing season, with an initial video that provides an overview of the site already available to view.
A dedicated webpage has been set up, including initial information.