New Recommended Lists: Feed wheat improvements and six-row barley developments

New varieties of cereals and oilseeds added to the Recommended Lists for 2018/19, launched today, show continued improvements in yield, disease resistance and quality, according to AHDB.

Newly-listed winter wheat varieties potentially benefit the biscuit wheat market and both the soft and hard feed wheat sectors. The new feed varieties are the highest yielding in their groups.

AHDB Recommended Lists manager Dr Jenna Watts says: “The UK biscuit wheat area has become worryingly low in recent years and this has resulted in low supplies to the domestic and export markets. Generally lower bread milling premiums have created a competitive opportunity for Group 3s in the market.

“Group 3 variety Elicit is new to the 2018/19 Recommended List to help fill this market segment. Elicit boasts a combination of high yields and disease resistance. Of particular note is Elicit’s septoria tritici rating, which is the highest of all the Group 3 varieties.”

The new list sees steady improvements in the feed wheat category, with two new soft and two new hard varieties listed. These varieties are the highest yielding varieties in their groups. The new soft feed wheats also provide opportunities for grain distilling and, in the case of Elation, potential for export too.

Oilseed rape

Oilseed rape growers in the North region gain four new recommendations, all of them conventional varieties.

Dr Watts says: “These varieties are high yielding in this region, with short, stiff stems and all have good resistance to light leaf spot.”

A new turnip yellows virus-resistant variety Architect has been recommended and replaces Amalie on the Recommended List.

“While there is often a trade-off between disease resistance and increased yield, Architect marks a step forward in TuYV resistant varieties,” says Dr Watts.

Winter barley

Three new six-row winter feed varieties have been recommended. Among them, hybrid Hyvido Libra has an impressive specific weight, which at 70.6kg/hl is higher than all of the other six-rows on the list and also most of the two-rows.

Hybrid variety Hyvido Belmont has the highest yield among the winter barleys on the RL.

Just one new conventional six-row variety has been recommended; KWS Astaire combines good treated yield with what is described as a “superb” disease resistance package. KWS Astaire’s list-topping untreated yield rating reflects its good disease resistance ratings.

Spring barley

Three new malting varieties have been added to the list – RGT Asteroid, LG Tomahawk and LG Diablo.

Dr Watts says: “There are now three very high performing new varieties on the list. LG Diablo which yields strongly in the North and is under test for brewing and malt distilling, LG Tomahawk which also yields very highly and is undergoing testing for malt distilling, and RGT Asteroid which is being tested for brewing, malt distilling and grain distilling.

“They all compare favourably with Concerto and Laureate in terms of yield and agronomic features. It’s now really a case of wait and see. The newest varieties clearly have potential, but they are still under test.”

A total of 22 new varieties were added to the Recommended Lists for 2018/19 and 27 varieties were removed from the lists. For the first time in several years there were no Group 1 winter wheat recommendations.

Other categories in which there were no new recommendations were Group 2 winter wheat, two-row feed barley, spring feed barley, WOSR varieties East region and spring wheat.

Summaries of the new AHDB Recommended lists are available here

A print edition of the AHDB Recommended Lists for cereals and oilseeds will be distributed in spring 2018.