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Sowing date and seed rate in wheat and oilseed rape
BibTeX
@MISC{Spink_sowingdate,
author = {J H Spink and G D Lunn and R W Clare and M J Foulkes},
title = {Sowing date and seed rate in wheat and oilseed rape},
year = {}
}
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Abstract
Yield loss due to delayed sowing has been well established for a number of years for a wide range of crops. Consequently it has been assumed by the industry, that progressively earlier drilling will equate to increased yield. Experiments indicate, however, that a number of physiological and agronomic factors limit the yield potential of early drilled crops. In wheat these include frost damage, lodging and pest and disease pressure, whilst in oilseed rape there is the additional problem that large canopies produced by early drilling are inefficient in their use of resources. In wheat some of these problems can be overcome by informed variety choice, and in both crops reduced plant populations can be used to minimise the adverse effects of early sowing. Theoretically there is less scope for reducing plant populations at more northerly latitudes, nevertheless, ongoing work indicates that significant reductions in target population may be possible even as far north as Aberdeen. When targeting reduced populations care must be taken to avoid sub-optimal canopy size by accurately estimating expected establishment and to ensure appropriate subsequent crop management to allow the crop to compensate.
Keyphrases
oilseed rape seed rate plant population population care northerly latitude large canopy early sowing early drilling wide range target population yield potential frost damage yield loss informed variety choice increased yield significant reduction disease pressure appropriate subsequent crop management agronomic factor sub-optimal canopy size additional problem adverse effect
