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Skybolt Feed Wheat

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  • High yielding winter feed wheat

  • Has performed well in Canterbury and lower North Island regions
  • Good all round disease resistance profile, especially stripe rust and powdery mildew
  • Large grain and high test weights

Description

SKYBOLT is an exciting new winter feed wheat cultivar bred by Limagrain UK and further developed by PGG Wrightson Grain (PGW Grain). In the past six seasons in internal and FAR CPT trials, SKYBOLT has produced consistently high yields across all grain growing environments. It has been in CPT 2 trials for three seasons where it has been a consistent performer in Canterbury, Southland and the lower North Island. It has a good disease package and produces an intermediate hard/soft grain with high kernel weights and good test weights.

YIELD

SKYBOLT has consistently produced high yields across a wide  range of sites, with adjusted 4-year mean yields of 100%-106% across all South Island regions. In the lower North Island, the  adjusted 4-year mean yield was 105%, making it one of the leading cultivars in that region.

 

Skybolt data

GRAIN QUALITY
SKYBOLT (CPT 4 Year Mean)

Canterbury

Southland

Lower North Island
Kernel weight (1000 seed weight) 50 49 43
Test Weight (kg/hl) 75 74 71
Protein content (%) (N% x 5.7) 9.9 9.3 9.9
Screenings (%) 0.6 1.2 1.0

TIME OF DRILLING

Due to its strong vernalisation requirement, the full yield potential of SKYBOLT is most likely to be achieved from an early drilling window of early April to mid June. 

SPEED OF DEVELOPMENT

Month Planted

Typical heading dates for SKYBOLT in Canterbury:
Late March Early November
Late May Mid - Late November
Late June Early - Mid December

From autumn plantings, SKYBOLT is an intermediate maturing cultivar. However, it should not be planted after the end of June in areas with mild winters as its high vernalisation requirement may result in excessively delayed heading. From the PGW Grain 2023/24 sowing date and rate trial, an average yield decrease of 5.0-7.2 t/ha was observed from sowing after June.

SEED RATE AND TILLERING CHARACTERISTICS

SKYBOLT has moderate tillering capacity and a tight V-shaped tillering habit. Target plant populations should be slightly above  the ranges on the Cereal Seed Sowing Rate Page. The 2023/24 PGW Grain sowing date and rate trial confirmed that in high fertility/April sowings a target plant population of 125-150 plants/m² is optimal. In medium yielding sowings (such as May) it should be increased to 150-200 plants/m² and in lower yielding sowings (such as June) further increased to 200-225 plants/m².

SOIL TYPE, ROTATION AND GEOGRAPHY

SKYBOLT has shown that it can perform well under a wide range of different soil types and environments especially in Canterbury  and the lower North Island.
 

DISEASE RESISTANCE

SKYBOLT has good resistance to most cereal diseases in New Zealand, especially stripe rust and powdery mildew. Considering this disease profile and fungicide trials conducted by PGW Grain the last three seasons, a low to moderate fungicide programme is recommended. SKYBOLT has consistently produced high untreated yields of over 12.0 t/ha and average fungicide response of 0.5-1.5 t/ha. It has been entered into PGW Grain fungicide trials for the 2025/26 season to provide further information. Please contact your local PGW Representative for site specific recommendations.

 

Disease

PGW disease nursery ratings
(9 highly resistant, 1 highly susceptible)
Stripe rust 9
Leaf rust 8
Septoria leaf blotch 7
Powdery mildew 9
Fusarium head blight 7

STRAW STRENGTH AND HEIGHT 

SKYBOLT is a medium height cultivar with stiff straw. In 2023/24 PGW Grain plant growth regulator (PGR) trial, in the absence of lodging, the greatest height reductions were observed in the Cycocel + Moddus Evo programmes. The use of PGRs is generally recommended, with the actual programme determined by a combination of sowing date, seed rate, nitrogen use, crop thickness and yield potential. As with any cultivar, do not apply if the crop is under any form of stress. Please contact your local PGW Representative for site specific recommendations.
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