Rosco’s latest crop update comes with some impressive heads of grain, with his Tomahawk wheat showing plenty of potential as the season moves towards harvest.
His comparison photos show Tomahawk wheat alongside a standard variety, with the larger, longer heads belonging to the Tomahawk. He’s also put his hand alongside the heads to give a better idea of their size.
“Big long heads thanks to good breeding,” Rosco says.
Although he’s less impressed with the hand in the photo.
“I don’t think I’ll ever make it big as a hand model!”
More Than Just a Long Head
The size catches your eye, but Rosco explains that the real opportunity is in how many grains the wheat can hold onto and fill.
Each cluster of grain sites along a wheat head can potentially carry five or six grains. In an average year, moisture, nutrition or disease can limit that number, with the plant dropping some during flowering and filling perhaps three or four.
This year, Rosco has given the crop every chance.
“We’ve thrown everything at the wheat this year, including the kitchen sink.”
Another 45mm of rain at his place last weekend has helped keep that potential alive. With plentiful moisture and the crop well supplied, he’s hoping it can fill some of those extra grain sites.
Rosco reckons those extra grains could potentially add around a third to yield if the crop finishes well.
“It’s kind of a big deal,” he says.
Still Wheat But Different Yield
The comparison also shows why a bigger wheat head doesn’t tell the whole story about either variety.
Wheat can carry several grains at each position along the head and a bigger head means more grain. Good conditions around flowering can help it retain more of them, giving it another opportunity to build yield.
That’s what has Rosco interested this season: the wheat has the moisture and support to try to fill those last couple of grains.
Harvest Will Have the Final Say
There’s still a difference between a promising head and grain in the header. The crop needs to stay healthy and finish well for that potential to become harvested tonnes.
For now, Rosco’s photos give us a useful look at the difference between two variety’s , and what good breeding, careful crop management and timely rain can produce.
Thanks to Rosco for another update from the paddock. The wheat is looking the goods — even if the hand-modelling career needs a bit more work!
