Group 3 Soft Wheat: Growing & Marketing for Harvest 2025

Selecting the best milling wheat markets for our customers has meant heavy collaboration between our various departments within Bartholomews Agri Food. Efficient grain marketing can only be achieved if we produce the correct product on-farm via our agronomy team, together with precise fertiliser nutrition and crop protection.

This season, with the advent of new, high-yielding soft wheat varieties such as Bamford, the challenge is to apply enough nitrogen in sufficient frequencies to achieve the 11.5% protein for the highest milling premium export markets. UK growers are unlikely to have previously experienced a milling wheat variety with 106% yield, with the added potential to dilute “normal” nitrogen rates of application.

For 11.5% grain protein at 10 MT/ha yield, soft milling wheat will require 250-280 kg N/ha. For production areas that often produce 10-12 MT/ha, application rates should be 300 kg N/ha +.

Nutrition

Nitrogen Recommendations for Bamford Soft Wheat (Timings are approximate)

  
    
      Yield Target (t/ha)
      Total N Requirement (kg N/ha)
      Early N (Feb-March) (kg N/ha)
      Second split (Late March-Early April) (kg N/ha)
      Third split (Mid to late April) (kg N/ha)
      Fourth split (Mid May) (kg N/ha)
    

      8 t/ha
      200–220
      40–50
      50–55
      50–55
      40
    

      9 t/ha
      220–240
      50–60
      60–70
      60–70
      40
    

      10 t/ha
      250–280
      50–60
      70–80
      70–80
      40
    

      11 t/ha
      270–300
      60–70
      80–90
      80–90
      40
    

Additional Considerations

✅Don't forget to tissue test at key growth stages for any micronutrient deficiencies, these are vital to effective use of all applied nutrients

✅ Sulphur (S) Application: Apply in a 3:1 ratio with Nitrogen to improve nitrogen efficiency and protein levels.

✅ Moisture Availability: Consider Foliar top ups where crop and weather conditions dictate, they are most effective when soil moisture is adequate.

✅ Split Applications: Multiple smaller splits of nutrient, matched to weather and growing conditions, improves uptake efficiency.

✅Protein Boosting: According to crop potential Foliar liquid urea (20%) or solid N (Limus Urea, AN or DS+) applied at GS45–59 is critical for achieving 11.5%+ protein.

Marketing

The higher yield potential of these soft wheats has the ability to dilute the available nitrogen and therefore deliver lower protein to these new soft wheat varieties. The objective is to achieve the 11.5%, but fortunately we have other export and domestic options for soft wheat achieving lower proteins.

Soft Wheat protein qualities – Harvest 2025

Min 11.5% protein

Min 10.7% protein

Min 10.2% protein

Milling premiums are significant for this coming season, particularly with the poor base price for feed grains in the South-East. With a volatile market, please contact the Grain Desk for updated prices on 01243 755650.

Storage

Group 3 soft milling wheat is highly desirable to the European export markets, and difficult to substitute from other EU origins. Port-side storage of soft wheat allows efficient marketing for point-of-sale export markets. Growers have the additional option to supplement their own on-farm storage using our facility at Shoreham Silos for long-term marketing options. Please follow the link below for further details, or contact the Grain Desk on 01243 755650.

2025 Shoreham Storage Pack