Record number of variety traits on the latest Recommended List

Paul Gosling, who manages the RL at AHDB, said: “Spread across the crops, dozens of new varieties are available. The improved choice includes many exciting new traits, which will help growers manage crops and target potential new markets.”

In 2020, a new disease rating system for cereal rusts was introduced to provide greater differentiation in scores. Similarly, the RL 2022/23 is based on an improved calculation approach for lodging resistance.

Mr Gosling said: “We revised the cereal lodging ratings to help pull apart varietal differences. This will make the ratings more representative of what is seen in the field and improve their consistency. Although ratings have fallen for some varieties, this is a consequence of calculation change, not an increased susceptibility to lodging.”

Following high levels of Septoria tritici in the 2020/21 growing season and concerns about the breaking down of resistance, AHDB issued the RL 2022/23 winter wheat disease ratings early (September). This saw a rating fall for many varieties. Two ratings were issued: based on the standard three-year (2019–21) and a one-year (2021) data set. The latter ratings help to reveal last season’s impact and varieties most likely to benefit from closer monitoring.

New recommendations for winter wheat include varieties with an alternative genetic basis of resistance to septoria, which should make useful contributions to the control of this.

The system for oilseed rape has also changed to make it easier to recommend conventional open-pollinated varieties.

Mr Gosling commented: “Open-pollinated varieties remain popular. However, there was a danger that they would be completely lost from the RL in favour of hybrid varieties. Changes to our selection procedures should help maintain the recommendation of strong conventional options.”

New Group 2 milling wheat varieties

Recommended for the UK, KWS Palladium offers a high Hagberg (315) and has given good protein (13.1%), based on limited data and has given high treated yields across a range of rotational positions. It has high resistance to yellow rust (9), mildew (8) and septoria (7.4) resulting in a high untreated UK yield (90).

Mayflower is recommended for the UK and classified as a ukp bread wheat for export. It has high Hagberg (294) and specific weight (78.5kg/hl). It has no major weaknesses to disease, with a high resistance to yellow rust (9), mildew (8) and the highest rating for resistance to septoria for a bread-making variety (8.4).

New UKFM Group 3 varieties

KWS Guium is recommended for the UK and rated as ‘medium’ for distilling. It is the highest yielding Group 3 on the new list (102), with high Hagberg (255) and specific weight (78.1kg/hl). It has shown high yield potential across a range of sowing dates and given high yields in a second-cereal position. Relatively late-maturing, it has high resistance to yellow rust (9) but is highly susceptible to brown rust (3).

KWS Brium is recommended for the UK, rated as ‘medium’ for distilling. It has a high specific weight (77.3kg/hl) and Hagberg (268). It has performed well across a range of soil types, rotational positions, and sowing dates. KWS Brium has high resistance to yellow rust (9) and mildew (7).

RGT Rashid is recommended for the East region only, and looks to be a secure choice for growers from Yorkshire through the Midlands to the south coast, offering high yields and good premiums. It is rated as ‘medium’ for distilling. Late-maturing and stiff-strawed, limited data suggests it has very high yield potential in a late-sowing situation. RGT Rashid has high resistance to yellow rust (8), septoria (6.9) and fusarium ear blight (7), combined with resistance to OWBM. It is susceptible to mildew (4).

In the East it achieved just over 102.1 of controls, around two points clear of key competitors.

The grain exceeds the minimum standard for biscuit production, putting in a solid performance over three years of official trials. It is rated at 226 Hagberg and has a good specific weight of 76.4kg/hl.

Two new soft feed varieties

RGT Bairstow is recommended for the UK and rated as ‘good’ for distilling. It is the highest yielding soft-milling feed variety (103) but a low specific weight (75.9kg/hl). RGT Bairstow has shown very high yield potential across a range of rotational positions and soil types, with limited data suggesting it also performs well in late-sowing situations. Parentage is Revelation/Santiago//Cougar, producing an excellent all-round disease resistance package, borne out by an impressive resistance rating for septoria of 6.4 based on the AHDB three-year dataset. The variety has solid ratings of 7 and 6 for yellow rust and mildew respectively and is resistant to orange wheat blossom midge.

RGT Stokes is a Cougar/Santiago//Revelation cross and has very similar yield potential to RGT Bairstow, achieving 102.4 over controls in the AHDB’s five-year dataset.

Very high yielding in all regions, it saves its best for the west, where it racks up an exceptional treated yield of 105.2 with limited data suggesting it is also very high yielding in the North region (104). It has a low specific weight (75.3kg/hl) but good Hagberg (248). It has high resistance to yellow rust (7) and septoria (6.9). In analysis carried out by the Scottish Whisky Research Institute, the variety produced the overall highest alcohol yield in 2021 of RL candidates and control varieties.

Hard milling Group 4 wheats

Champion is a hard-milling feed variety recommended for the UK. It is the highest yielding variety on the RL (106), but it has a low specific weight (74.8kg/hl). Champion has given the highest treated UK yields of all RL varieties on the 2022/23 list (106) and has shown very high yield potential across a range of rotational positions, soil types and sowing dates.

“Whatever the soil type, whenever the drilling date and whether it’s grown with full agronomic support or with minimal inputs, DSV Champion has delivered consistently over its five years of trials,” commented DSV’s Sarah Hawthorne. It has moderate resistance to lodging but responds well to plant growth regulators.

KWS Dawsum is recommended for the UK. It is very high-yielding (104) with high Hagberg (304) and specific weight (79.4kg/hl). KWS Dawsum has shown no major weaknesses to disease and has high resistance to mildew (8), yellow rust (9) and brown rust (7), with a septoria rating of 6.3.

LG Typhoon is recommended for the UK. It has given high treated yields across the UK (102) with a high resistance to mildew (7), yellow rust (9) and septoria (7.2), combined with resistance to OWBM.

New spring wheat varieties

KWS Ladum is a Group 1 variety. It is high yielding (102) with good specific weight (78.0kg/hl) Hagberg (324) and grain protein (13.2). KWS Ladum has given yields that are a significant step up in its UKFM Group 1 segment. Limited data suggests KWS Ladum has no major disease weaknesses, with high resistance to mildew (8), brown rust (7) and septoria (7).

Nissaba is a UKFM Group 1 with good Hagberg (297) and grain protein (13.5%). Limited data suggests Nissaba has high resistance to brown rust (9) combined with resistance to OWBM.

Group 4 feed variety

KWS Fixum has given the highest yields on the 2022 Recommended List (108), performing consistently in all three years it has been under test. It has given good specific weight (77.8kg/hl). A later-maturing variety, it has not shown major disease weaknesses.

New spring barley

Jensen is a very high-yielding variety recommended for the UK, with potential for brewing. It tends to give a low specific weight but very high treated yields, particularly in the East (106) and West (106) regions (based on limited data).

Spinner is a high-yielding variety recommended for the UK, with potential for brewing. Spinner has given a high treated yield in the East region (103%) and limited data suggests it has a very high yield potential in the West (106%).

CB Score (Described for the UK) is a Null-Lox 4G variety, lacking the genes for production of lipoxgenase and dimethyl sulphate, both of which can affect beer quality. It is a relatively stiff-strawed variety with high resistance to brackling.

Malvern is a high-yielding feed variety recommended for the West region. It is a stiff-strawed variety with high resistance to brackling. Malvern has given high yields in untreated UK trials (95) and has very high resistance to mildew (9), but limited data suggests it is very susceptible to rhynchosporium.

Winter barley comments

Lightning is a high-yielding, two-row feed variety recommended for the UK, with high yields in untreated UK trials (88) and high resistance to mildew (7) and brown rust (8). This variety has moderate straw strength.

LG Dazzle is a high-yielding, short-strawed two-row feed variety recommended for the UK with high untreated yields (87). It has a very high yield potential on heavier soils.

SY Canyon is a very high-yielding six-row hybrid variety recommended for the UK. It has a very high specific weight (71.2 kg/hl), the highest for a six-row variety on the 2022/23 Recommended List. It is a relatively tall variety with moderate straw strength, which needs careful management.

KWS Feeris is a six-row (non-hybrid) feed variety, with a specific recommendation for the UK for its tolerance to BYDV. It has a high yield potential in the West region of 105 (based on limited data). KWS Feeris is susceptible to mildew, but has good grain quality.

Spring oats comments

Merlin is a very high-yielding (105) husked variety recommended for the UK. An early-maturing variety, it has high resistance to mildew (8) and has given high yields in untreated UK trials (99), although limited data suggest it is susceptible to crown rust.

According to Gemma Clarke at Cope Seeds & Grain, Merlin is a stand-out oat for UK farmers and millers. “Merlin spring oat is suited to all regions in the UK and because of its early maturity, it will do well in wetter climates and the north of the country, where maturity is vital. It delivers consistency and quality to millers, due to its high specific weight and high kernel content and it has the lowest screening losses of any oat variety on the RL.

“Merlin is one of the highest yielding oat varieties on the RL and performs exceptionally well when grown organically or conventionally with good standing ability,” adds Ms Clarke.

Lion is a husked variety recommended for the UK. Its yield in treated trials is only 99 but it has a very high kernel content (76.2). It is an early-maturing variety although susceptible to mildew. George Goodwin, combinable crop manager at Elsoms Seeds, acknowledges the importance of this new variety: “Lion offers UK growers the best combination of yield and quality while providing secure end-market options,” he says. “With an impressive combination of kernel content, specific weight and hullability, Lion is showing itself as the leader of the pack.”

Lennon is a described huskless (naked) oat variety recommended for the UK. It is a short variety with a good untreated yield for naked oats (64).

Winter oilseed rape

PT303 has given a very high gross output in the East/West (108) and the North region (104). It is a relatively tall variety but has high resistance to lodging, with good stem stiffness at maturity. PT303 has high resistance to both light leaf spot and stem canker and is resistant to turnip yellows virus (TuYV). Corteva’s seeds and inoculants manager Andy Stainthorpe said: “The launch of the Recommended List for 2022 has confirmed what we’ve been seeing in UK trials for the past three years – PT303’s yields are market-leading and it has clearly demonstrated it has the resilience required for the UK’s challenging conditions.

“In addition to its yield return, PT303 provides growers with a new unique type of protection against the costly consequences of delayed or missed flowering fungicide applications.

“Sclerotinia is capable of reducing yields by as much as 60% and this can occur right at the very last hurdle for growers, just before harvest. PT303 gives growers a unique and more complete agronomic package.

“All AHDB trials are carefully treated to minimise sclerotinia infection, however, Corteva’s trials show that when sclerotinia infection levels are 25% or above, the severity of the disease in PT303 is reduced by up to 75%.”

LG Auckland matches PT303 on yield in the East/West (108) and, based on limited data, in the North region (104) and resistance to stem canker and light leaf spot. It also possesses resistance to TuYV and is pod shatter resistant.

LG Adonis is recommended for the East/West region, where it has a very high treated gross output (108). It has high resistance to lodging with good stem stiffness. LG Adonis has high resistance to light leaf spot (7) and stem canker (8). It is also resistant to TuYV.

DSV Dart is recommended for the East/West region, where it has given a very high treated gross output (106). It has high resistance to lodging and is very stiff-stemmed. Dart has high resistance to both light leaf spot (7) and stem canker (7) and is resistant to TuYV. It is the first variety to include HarvestMax technology in its trait set.

Tennyson is recommended for the East/West region where it has given a high gross output (104). It has high resistance to lodging. Tennyson has very high resistance to stem canker (9), which is based on different genetics to most varieties on the RL, high resistance to light leaf spot (7) and is resistant to TuYV.

Flemming is recommended for the East/West region, where it has given a high treated gross output (104). It has high resistance to lodging and is very stiff-stemmed at maturity. Flemming has high resistance to both light leaf spot (7) and stem canker (8) and, like Tennyson, the canker resistance is based on different genetics to most varieties on the RL. Flemming is resistant to TuYV.

Conventional OSR varieties

Annika is recommended for the UK with a high treated gross output for the East/West region (103) and a treated gross output of 102 for the North, though based on limited data. It has high resistance to lodging, with good stem stiffness. Annika has high resistance to light leaf spot (7) and stem canker (6) and is resistant to TuYV.

Amarone is recommended for the North region only, with a high treated gross output (105) and is the equal highest-yielding variety in the North. It has high resistance to lodging, with good stem stiffness at maturity. Amarone has high resistance to light leaf spot (7) and
is resistant to TuYV.

New Clearfield varieties

These feature much improved gross output yield over current Clearfield varieties.

LG Constructor CL for the UK has a treated gross output in the East/West of 97 and high resistance to lodging, with good stem stiffness. It is a relatively early-maturing variety, with resistance to pod shatter. It has high resistance to light leaf spot (6) and stem canker (6) and is resistant to TuYV.

DSV Matrix CL for the UK, has a treated gross output in the East/West of 100 and in the North of 96. It is a relatively tall variety but has high resistance to lodging with good stem stiffness at maturity. Matrix CL is a relatively early-maturing variety, with resistance to pod shatter. It has high resistance to stem canker (8) and light leaf spot (6) and is resistant to TuYV.

DSV Crossfit is a hybrid variety with a specific recommendation for the East/West region for its resistance to the common strains of clubroot, though it may be susceptible to strains found in some fields. It has a gross output yield of 99 in the East/West region and high resistance to lodging. Crossfit has very high resistance to stem canker (9), and is resistant to TuYV and to pod shatter, being the first clubroot resistant variety on the RL to display these two traits. DSV’s Sarah Hawthorne commented: “These are high-performance new varieties designed to help growers make full use of the newfound confidence in oilseed rape production, wherever they are in the UK.”

The AHDB RL 2022/23 for wheat, barley, oats and winter oilseed rape, and variety comments, can be accessed online, alongside updated descriptive lists for spring oilseed rape, spring linseed, winter triticale and winter rye. The print edition will be available later this winter.