TRIALS are suggesting that Monroe winter wheat is a rare find that 'consistently comes up with the goods,' according to Andrew Gilchrist, the head of Scottish Agronomy.

The variety has been studied over three seasons in Scottish Agronomy’s ‘Supplementary variety trials programme’ and has been widely adopted by the organisation’s members.

“Monroe is one of John Blackman’s varieties and we selected it because it looked interesting,” explained Mr Gilchrist. “The variety didn’t make it on to the national Recommended List, but it has topped our supplementary trials for three years running, with very good yields and specific weights.”

He suggested that its consistency across seasons and sites the length of Scotland are important factors for growers to consider, because these results demonstrate reliability.

Scottish Agronomy has drafted some outline agronomic guidelines for managing Monroe and Mr Gilchrist says that recommendations are similar to many other varieties on the market.

“Seed rates need to allow for Monroe’s moderate tillering habit and its straw strength needs looking after with robust split doses of chlormequat and Moddus at GS30 and GS32.”

His recommendation is for a solid four-spray fungicide programme from T0 through to T3 and he observee no particular disease weaknesses of concern. “I would take a broadly similar agronomic approach with the other Scottish market leaders Viscount, Leeds and Zulu.”

Its marketeers, Ebbage’s Tom Nickerson reckoned that there is enough Monroe seed for around 1000-1250 tonnes of production, which equates to 10% of the Scottish wheat area, with C2 seed available from most Scottish merchants from the 2016 harvest.