2020/21 Recommended List: Winter barley feed varieties provide increase in yield and quality

Jordan from Elsoms Ackermann offers a robust disease package with an 8 for brown rust, 7 for rhynchosporium, resistance to common strains of barley mosaic viruses and the highest untreated yields for a two-row feed variety on the 2020/21 RL at 89.

Test

Two new feed varieties and three spring barley varieties under test for malting have been introduced for 2020/21.

SY Splendor, SY Tungsten and Iconic (the latter recommended only for the West) are being tested for brewing, while Firefoxx and SY Tungsten are being tested for distilling.

Lower

SY Splendor is well above its comparators on the list for yield at 107 per cent, with a good specific weight of 68.1kg/hl, but slightly lower disease ratings.

Potential malt distilling variety Firefoxx has a similar agronomic package to LG Diablo and Laureate, but is a step forward in yield at 106, particularly in the West and North. SY Tungsten has potential brewing and malting qualities, with the same attractive yield as Firefoxx, of 107 in the North.

Early maturing feed variety, Fairway by Senova has given very high yields in the East and North at 106, and limited data suggests it has stiff straw with very high resistance to brackling (8).

Prospect, also by Senova, boasts a very high yield in the East at 108.

Oats

For spring oats, the husked variety WPB Isabel has good quality characteristics with a specific weight of 55.7kg/hl and a kernel content of 76.8 per cent.

Limited data suggests that this variety has very high resistance to lodging with a preliminary score of 9. It has a treated yield of 104.