SCIENTIFIC work at Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association will lead to higher quality wheat following a four-year study sponsored by Defra's Sustainable Arable LINK Programme and the Home Grown Cereals Authority.

The present day application of fertiliser to crops is imprecise and has been a serious problem for growers keen to achieve maximum financial return without adversely affecting the environment.

Tests at the Chipping Campden research centre, working wit Bruker Optices, showed it is possible to predict nitrogen and other quality-relayed signs using pre-harvest near infrared (NIR) sensing. To achieve consistent results, research led by biochemist Dhan Bhandari had to take into account growing conditions varying from year to year, late harvests, variation in crop performance, weather and location.

"The tests are designed to enable farmers to apply fertiliser only when it will benefit the crop," he explained. "The equipment provides a portable sophisticated risk management tool for agronomists and advisers to farmers by improving their ability to consistently meet high quality wheat targets."