Arable crops

Ok, so maybe not literally, but what insights can we gain from this year’s harvest samples? Grain sampling has become more popular over the years, but it’s not been used as part of a sampling routine on all farms. Whilst grain analysis is a bit of hindsight on the season that’s just completed, that doesn’t mean it can’t be a useful tool.

Grain analysis optimises agronomic decisions by providing precise data on the physical and chemical characteristics of harvested grain. This information helps you to make informed choices to improve yield, quality and efficiency for subsequent years.

Knowing which nutrients were low, or even deficient, can help us alter the nutrient strategy for next season – improving overall nutrient efficiency. Having this data can also confirm what we were doing was right too, helping show you’re already working at optimum nutrient levels – this is also useful to know! In a particularly difficult year, you learn more than in a good year, therefore having data when the crop is under stress, e.g. lack of moisture can also be very useful.

Sulphur is a good example of how to utilise the results you get from the analysis of the grain. An N:S ratio of below 17:1 is the target for wheat; if the ratio exceeds this it is an indication that there were insufficient amounts. Another one could be the level of phosphate in the grain and how this impacted on protein levels as an example.

Micronutrients are also measured in grain analysis and are, again, a good way to see whether they were at sufficient levels throughout the season. When we team grain analysis with soil analysis too, we can start to build a picture of the nutrient status of the farm and look at ways to mitigate risks or increase efficiencies where we can.