Key Points
- At the Arable Site autumn sown Savannah, established following ryecorn in a 4th cereal situation, yielded only 2-3.5 t/ha, due to the presence of take-all and drought stress.
- Crops established after ploughing and minimal tillage were significantly higher yielding than direct sown crops. The lower yields in the direct blocks appeared to be strongly linked to the inability to control ryecorn volunteers, which competed vigorously with the wheat.
- There was no difference in take-all levels between the different treatments; all blocks were moderately affected by take-all. In this situation the soil test prediction was not accurate.
- The plough established blocks showed no significant benefit to secondary cultivation and minimal tillage plots showed no advantage to two passes over one shallower pass.
- Seedbed nitrogen for first wheat, following linseed in a no-till situation, gave no benefit, irrespective of rate with no additional response to the same doses applied in the spring.