World record wheat crop in UK

Update on the world record wheat crop - the Lamymans (see below) were just pipped by the Smiths, in Northumberland - 15.64 tonne per hectare compared to 15.6 tonne (below).

http://www.agrii.co.uk/blog/northumberland-team-claim-new-world-wheat-record-with-master-seeds-crop-of-dickens/

Summary of the Dickens Crop -

·         330 seeds/m² (185 kg/ha) with fluquinconazole at T(-1) sown on September 22

·         300 kg/ha each of TSP and MOP after variable P&K to even-up soil indices

·         Post-em AMG and broad-leaf herbicide + insecticide + Nutriphyte PGA

·         310 kg/ha total N plus balancing S (on top of 140 kg/ha available N from the soil)

·         Four nitrogen fertiliser splits, two of stabilised urea

·         Four main fungicide sprays – including SDHIs at T1 & T2.

·         Little and often four spray PGR programme from T0

·         Foliar Mn, Cu, Zn, B and Mg strictly to tissue analyses

·         820 ears/m2 and 36 grains/ear in July

·         16.52 t/ha dry yield at 82 kg/hl specific weight

The slightly poorer Lamyman crop story -

http://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/wheat-yield-world-record-shattered-in-lincolnshire.htm

The website describes how the crop was managed, but does not mention rainfall, so that is obviously not of concern to them. Nitrogen used was 330 kg a hectare plus foliar sprays, and obviously this would have helped.

The same farmer also produced the world record oilseed canola crop -

http://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/world-record-oilseed-rape-yield-smashed-in-lincolnshire.htm

The economics of all this would be interesting.