10 ERIC WATSON’S TWO-TIMEGuinness World record for wheat yields came with a lot of planning, testing, hard work, and luck with the weather, but the most important thing was timing. “It’s crucial to get the timing right,” says the New Zealand farmer, who adds that goes for planting, fertilizing, and spraying. Watson farms on 490 hectares (1,211 acres) of land east of Ashburton on the country’s east coast of the South Island. While Watson’s experience in 2017 and 2020 is quite different from growing conditions in Ontario, there are lessons that can be learned from the grower who beat his own 2017 record by harvesting 17.398 tonnes a hectare (258 bushels an acre) of wheat in February 2020. COMPARE AND CONTRAST Watson, who has been farming for 45 years, is a strong believer in continuous progress. In addition to wheat, he grows grass seed (rye, timothy, red fescue, red clover) and spinach, radishes, and red beets for seed. He also grows alternative pasture species, including chicory and plantain, and he recently started hybrid canola seed production. “We’re always trying different things,” he says. In terms of soil, he is fortunate to have “quite a nice silt loam,” with 30 to 40 centimetres (12 to 15 inches) of topsoil and clay underneath. “The whole farm is irrigated, and we’ve done variable rate potassium, phosphate, and lime fertilizing for 12 to 14 years now to even up the pH,” he says. He plants wheat during the second or third week of April with sowing rates of 60 to 70 kilograms per hectare (132 to 154 pounds per acre). “We’re aiming for 110 plants per metre squared with six to eight tillers per plant,” he says, adding that the wheat varieties are from U.K. Bin-busting wheat yields TWO-TIME GUINNESS WORLD RECORD GROWER ERIC WATSON Lois Harris ERIC WATSON (RIGHT) RECENTLY TOURED THE U.S. AND CANADA, PICTURED HERE WITH REALAGRICULTURE AGRONOMIST PETER JOHNSON. PHOTO COURTESY OF BERNARD TOBIN, REALAGRICULTURE. and European breeders, where they tend to have very good tillering characteristics. In Ontario, Joanna Follings agrees that timing is crucial, even though the seasons are opposite. “The most cost-effective way to optimize and maximize your yields is with timely planting,” says the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs cereals specialist. “You can’t necessarily manage your way out of a delayed planting — you can still have good yields, but we’re finding that even with intensified management, you can’t make up for the delay.” She strongly encourages growers to consult Ontario’s ‘Optimum Planting Date Maps for Winter Wheat.’ It outlines optimum planting date windows for each region of the province. She adds that new research has shown that earlier planting dates result in more heads per metre squared, which Watson emphasized during a visit to North America in mid-June. He was a guest speaker during the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) crop tour in Michigan. FERTILITY Getting nitrogen levels right is also important to produce a good wheat crop. Watson says that his fields tend to hold on to nitrogen, and it does not leach when it is wet. He applies about 300 kilograms per hectare, based on soil testing he does every year in late winter or early spring. “We don’t want to overuse nitrogen,” he says, adding that he began using liquid nitrogen a few years ago because it achieves more even coverage than the dry version and can be spread right to the edge of the fields. He also has the advantage of a 48-metre spray boom. “You have to be careful about timing — it’s best to apply nitrogen when it’s raining or about to rain because you can burn the leaves — it’s a bit tricky,” he warns, adding that he applies it up to five or six times during the growing season. Agronomy JOANNA FOLLINGS.
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