Growers are being urged not to discard stocks of winter wheat seed with many varieties safe to sow well into March.

With spring seed availability low and many growers reluctant to disrupt an established rotation, using seed carried over from the autumn remains a serious consideration, says a seed expert.

“Many modern varieties are highly versatile with some well-suited to late winter or early spring planting,” said Michael Fletcher business development manager at seed firm Limagrain. “Each variety will be slightly different, but it largely comes down to ensuring the variety receives sufficient cold weather after planting to induce flowering.”