MORPH is a very short strawed spring wheat variety that is ideally suited to late autumn drillings. Morph has excellent disease resistance to mildew, yellow rust and brown rust and provides growers with flexibility of drilling date combined with consistent Group 2 breadmaking quality.

MORPH can be drilled anytime from the third week of October until early April. The highest yields and best quality come from early sowings made before the end of February.

Pedigree - Buster x Baldus.

HUSBANDRY GUIDELINES

• Morph can be drilled anytime from the third week of October until early April. The highest yields and best quality will come from early sowings made before the end of February.
• For late autumn sowings aim for 300-325 plants per square metre (350-400 seeds per square metre). For spring sowings aim for 350-400 plants per square metre.
• Nitrogen rates for autumn sowings should be in line with normal husbandry practice for breadmaking wheats. The lower yield potential of later sown crops will merit less intensive nitrogen applications but growers should ensure that sufficient nitrogen is applied to maintain protein contents.
• On autumn sown crops, nitrogen timings should be as for traditional winter wheats.
• For late sown crops (November onwards) a small application in early spring maybe beneficial. For crops sown between January and March two thirds of the nitrogen should be applied at the terminal spikelet and the remainder at GS 39.
• All diseases should be controlled as soon as they are seen in the crop. In cool, wet seasons Septoria and Fusarium diseases must be controlled as these reduce specific weight and can cause blight or infect grain which will adversely affect flour colour and damage the grain quality.
• Lodging must be controlled as it can reduce Hagberg Falling Number and specific weights. Lodging is more likely to occur with earlier autumn sowings and on heavier soil types. Apply growth regulators to autumn sown crops as routine. Spring sown crops should only receive growth regulators where lodging is likely to be a problem. Care is required on light soils prone to drought with crops under stress, as growth regulators can reduce specific weight and thousand grain weight in these circumstances.

The full HGCA Recommended List Database can be consulted at www.hgca.com