GROWING WHEAT FOR HIGH ALCOHOL YIELD –HOMOGENEOUS AND HETEROGENEOUS APPROACHES - Soybean and Wheat Crops: Growth, Fertilization, and Yield - page 171

are being made for the end-products. However, Taylor and Roscrow [73] argued that high
alcohol yields per hectare were strongly dependent on high grain yield, as this diluted grain
nitrogen content, thus justifying increased levels of all inputs, including crop protection
chemicals, where this enhanced yield.
Bringhurst et al. [9] noted the decline of the favoured distilling variety Riband as being
due to reduced agronomic viability. In a major crop such as wheat, where there are strong,
competitive breeding programmes, older varieties are readily outclassed in grain yield
potential, while disease resistance genes may be overcome by new races of a pathogen.
Growers will, therefore, improve their margins by seeking varieties that can give higher
yields, or possibly have lower input requirements, although prophylactic spraying regimes, to
preclude disease development, are commonplace. Varieties, previously favoured by
processors, may be lost unless a premium price can be guaranteed. In addition, newer
varieties, which have the potential to meet industry specifications, may not be recommended
for growing in some areas due to specific weaknesses. These could include factors such as a
tendency for lodging or pre-harvest sprouting, which will be exacerbated under particular
environmental conditions. The varieties that have replaced Riband, for agronomic reasons,
have proved inferior in distilling quality [9]. New varieties, with alcohol yield potential, have
been developed and Smith et al. [61] note the most promising of these as Zebedee and, in
particular, Glasgow, but Glasgow has not received recommendation for growing in Scotland.
It has a tendency to be weak-strawed [61] so, in the event of early N fertiliser application,
which would be advantageous both for yield and for distilling quality, could be prone to
lodging.

Trans port
9%

Packaging
3%

Fuel
27% Seed

6%

Chemicals
7%

Fertiliser
48%

Figure 4. Relative contributions of various factors to the energy required in growing a wheat crop (data
from Richards, 2000).