ORC 5th Organic Producers’ Conference 17-18th January 2011

Arable & Field Vegetables: closing the yield gap, maintaining fertility,

improving rotations

BOB: Better Organic Bread – Effects of

manure application and rhizobia

inoculation on yield of spring wheat

Dr Steve Wilcockson

BOB: ‘Better Organic Bread’ 2006 - 2008

BOB: Aims & Objectives

• Aim

• Increase production & utilisation of UK grown organic wheat for breadmaking

• Objectives

• Identify agronomic approaches (variety choice & fertility treatments) to improve yield & quality (Newcastle University -NEFG)

• Integrate with milling & baking evaluations; identify optimum processing/manufacturing conditions (CCFRA/Millers/Bakers)

• PROJECT RD-2004-3022 funded by Sustainable Arable LINK Scheme and HGCA

BOB: Fertility management2006 – 2007: Sheepdrove,Gilchesters,Courtyard

• Paragon

• FYM compost; green waste compost (GWC); composted chicken manure pellets (CP)

• 125 and 250 kg N/ha

2008 – 2009: Sheepdrove, Gilchesters,Courtyard (‘08)• Paragon, Tybalt, Fasan, Amaretto, Zebra, Granary• Pre-crop clover (+/- Rhizobium inoculated seed) +/- compost

(cattle manure compost @ 170 kg N/ha)

2008: Courtyard

• Paragon, Tybalt, Fasan, Zebra, Amaretto, Granary

• Sulphur applications +/- chicken manure pellets @ 170 kg N/ha)

Effects of site on grain yield (average of 6 varieties)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

2006 2007 2008 2009

Yie

ld t

/h

a @

14

% m

c

Courtyard Sheepdrove Gilchesters

Effects of variety and season on yields averaged over sites

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Yie

ld (

t/h

a) @

14

% m

c

2006 2007 2008 2009

ab

a

ab

bcb

c

ab

d

bc

a

abc

bc c

d

b

c

b ab

c

a

a a a a

b

a

BOB 2006: Effect of fertility treatment on grain yield (t/ha @ 14% mc) (N.S.)

BOB 2007: Effect of fertility treatment on grain yield (t/ha @ 14% mc) Sheepdrove

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Yie

ld t

/ha

@ 1

4%m

c

Zero 125 GWC 125 FYM 125 FYM + CP 125 CP

250 GWC 250 FYM 250 FYM+CP 250 CP

a

b b

bc

ac

bb b

ac

Effects of variety and chicken manure pellets (CMP) on yields at Courtyard 2008

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Paragon Tybalt Fasan Amaretto Zebra Granary

Yie

ld (

t/ha)

@ 1

4%

mc

without CMP with CMP

ab

bc

a a

bc

c

abbc

ab

aba

c

Effects of rhizobia inoculation & compost on grain yield: Gilchesters 2005 (Wilkinson et al., 2006)

Variety Without Rhizobiainoculation

With Rhizobia inoculation

Winter vars. - compost + compost - compost + compost

Greina 4.94a 5.34c 6.35b 6.61a

Pollux 6.26a 6.37a 6.19a 6.52a

Wenga 5.41b 5.29b 5.65b 6.20a

Spring vars.

Paragon (ss) 5.86a 5.75a 5.64a 5.71a

Monsun (ss) 7.02a 6.79a 6.86a 6.75a

Fasan (ls) 6.97a 6.42b 7.34a 7.32a

Zebra (ls) 7.69b 7.63b 7.95b 8.72a

BOB 2008-2009 : Main effects of site, Rhizobium and compost on yield

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

yie

ld t/h

a @

14

%m

c

2008

2009

a

b

Effects of variety and FYM compost (C-/C+) on yield at Courtyard & Sheepdrove 2009

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Paragon Tybalt Fasan Amaretto Zebra Granary

Yie

ld (

t/ha)

@ 1

4%

mc

Courtyard C- Courtyard C+ Sheepdrove C- Sheepdrove C+

a

b

a

ba

a

a

b

aa

a

b

A

A AA

AA

AA

AA

A

A

Conclusions 1

• VARIETY sets potential for yield & quality

• ORGANIC MANURE : type and rate– Responses not guaranteed but

– Sheepdrove 2007: response (~1.0 t/ha) to 125 & 250kg/ha N except chicken manure pellets

– Courtyard 2008: response (~ 0.5 – 1 t/ha) to chicken manure pellets @ 170kg/ha N

– Courtyard & Sheepdrove 2009: response to FYM compost @ 170 kg/ha N (~0.5 t/ha)

Conclusions 2

• PRE-CROP TREATMENT and MANURE INPUT

– Effects of Rhizobium inoculation not clear

– No Rhizobium x FYM interaction apparent

– Response @ Gilchesters in 2005 – but for winter wheat, not marked for spring wheat (except for Zebra)

Conclusions 3

• Fertility management responses depends on multiple factors:– inherent soil fertility

– previous management

– amount of readily available N ( NO3-, NH4

+)

– potential for mineralisation of soil N

• Cumulative effects: crops later in rotation benefit from current fertility inputs

HGCA (2010), Better Organic Bread: Integrating raw material and process requirements for organic bread production. Project Report No. 474. 100pp.

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