Advice for arable farmers: How to tailor nutrition to your crop variety

Selecting the right crop variety is pivotal to a productive harvest. What’s more, tailoring nutrient management to fit your choice can make a significant difference in yields, quality, and resilience. For arable farmers planting winter wheat or barley, adjusting your nutrient management strategy based on your chosen variety can enhance productivity and optimise input costs.

This blog examines specific winter wheat and barley varieties from the AHDB Recommended Lists for 2024/5. It covers each variety’s nutrient requirements, ideal NPK ratios, essential trace elements, and optimal fertiliser timings.

How does crop variety affect recommended nutrient requirements?

Each crop variety exhibits unique traits that affect its nutrient needs. Crop genetics determine how a plant grows, uptakes nutrients, and responds to different environmental stresses, so nutritional plans should align with these genetic predispositions. The following varieties from the AHDB Recommended Lists are among the most popular choices for UK wheat and barley growers. Their proven performance, disease resistance, and adaptability to different soil and climate conditions make them ideal benchmarks for nutrient planning.

Nutrient requirements for winter wheat:

• KWS Extase:

Known for strong disease resistance, KWS Extase requires a balanced nutrient approach that prioritises nitrogen (N) efficiency.

This variety typically benefits from a slight increase in phosphorus (P). This is due to its rapid establishment rate, helping support root development, nutrient uptake, and resilience against early-season stress.

• Graham:

The Graham variety, noted for its good septoria resistance, requires a nutrient plan emphasising nitrogen. This is because it has a relatively high nitrogen requirement to deliver maximised yield. With its moderate tillering capacity, higher potassium (K) can support stem strength, disease resistance, and water management, especially in wet or heavy soils.

Nutrient requirements for winter barley:

• KWS Orwell:

The two-row barley variety, KWS Orwell, offers high yield potential but requires a carefully managed nutrient plan, particularly for nitrogen. This ensures protein levels do not become excessive and negatively impact malting quality. By concentrating nitrogen availability closer to the grain-filling phase, growers can make sure more of the nitrogen is available during the crop’s reproductive stage, rather than earlier when it promotes leafy, vegetative growth.This helps encourage grain filling rather than vegetative growth, supporting a higher-quality harvest.

• KWS Tardis:

KWS Tardis winter barley is known for its high yield potential and solid disease resistance profile. This variety requires a robust nutrient plan, including increased potassium for strong stem support, which is particularly valuable in high-rainfall areas or those with heavy soils. Sulphur can also enhance grain quality by supporting protein synthesis.

Ideal NPK ratios and essential micronutrients for recommended varieties

Achieving balanced NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) ratios supports each crop variety’s growth potential. However, the ratios should be adjusted based on the specific needs of the chosen variety, soil conditions, and regional climate. Alongside NPK, micronutrients play a crucial role in supporting crop resilience, especially under stress.

Winter wheat varieties

For varieties like KWS Extase and Graham, aiming for an NPK ratio around 3:1:2 provides an efficient nutrient profile that supports early development and disease resilience. Winter wheat varieties generally benefit from higher nitrogen inputs, particularly during early spring growth stages when rapid vegetative growth occurs. Trace elements, like magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn), can further enhance chlorophyll production and overall plant vigour – especially in soils where these nutrients are limited.

Winter barley varieties

For barley varieties, such as KWS Orwell and KWS Tardis, an NPK ratio closer to 2:1:2 can help support growth without compromising grain quality. Winter barley can be sensitive to high nitrogen levels, which may lead to lodging or excessive vegetative growth. So, applying potassium and phosphorus in sufficient amounts early in the growing season supports root and stem development. Additionally, sulphur (S) is essential for protein synthesis and can enhance grain quality, particularly in sulphur-deficient soils.

Micronutrients and trace elements

Regardless of wheat or barley crop variety, trace elements like boron (B), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) play key roles in nutrient uptake and disease resilience. Copper is especially beneficial for winter wheat varieties with high disease resistance needs. Meanwhile, manganese is essential for enzyme activation and chlorophyll production in both wheat and barley. Therefore it is important to test soils for these micronutrient deficiencies to allow you to  supplement nutrition as needed for enhanced crop health and yield quality.

Fertiliser timing recommendations for winter wheat and barley varieties

Applying fertiliser at the correct growth stages ensures nutrients are available when the crop needs them most. Timing recommendations can vary slightly between wheat and barley varieties based on their growth habits and nitrogen sensitivity.

Winter wheat fertiliser timing

Winter wheat varieties typically benefit from a split nitrogen application, with the first application in early spring (GS 25-30) to encourage tillering and vegetative growth. For a variety like KWS Extase, which establishes rapidly, an early application of OCI Nutramon supports vigorous root and shoot development. The second application should occur at stem elongation (GS 31-32) to promote grain fill and maximise yield potential. Where soil potassium is deficient, a single early-season potassium application may support stem strength, particularly for varieties with a tendency toward stem-based diseases or lodging. If phosphorus is also needed, apply it in the autumn before planting, or in the early spring, to boost root development.

Winter barley fertiliser timing

For winter barley varieties such as KWS Orwell, split nitrogen applications of OCI Nutramon are also recommended. The first application should be applied in early spring (GS 25) to support tillering and the second around stem elongation (GS 30-32). Barley tends to reach maturity faster than wheat, so it is essential to time fertiliser applications carefully to avoid excess nitrogen uptake late in the season. This can negatively impact grain quality. Including sulphur with the early nitrogen application is advisable for barley, particularly in sulphur-deficient soils. Applying a nitrogen-sulphur fertiliser such as OCI Dynamon helps improve nitrogen efficiency and overall grain quality.

Adjusting fertiliser plans based on soil conditions and environmental factors

While crop variety significantly influences nutrient needs, soil conditions and weather patterns also play pivotal roles. Testing soil nutrient levels helps determine baseline requirements and tailor fertiliser plans to avoid over or under-application. In high-rainfall areas or light, sandy soils, nutrient leaching is a concern, especially for nitrogen and sulphur, which are more prone to leaching than other nutrients.

Read our advice on how to avoid nutrient leaching when applying fertilisers to crops.