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Know How / Barley / Variety selection

With spring barley on the up, more specialist buy-back contracts available than before and rapid plant breeding progress, barley variety choice is more complex than ever. See how old and new varieties have been performing, how to manage them and what the latest additions have to offer.

Case studies

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BARLEY

Brewing barley gains ground in this spring’s sowings  

Edward Watson turned to spring barley to try and beat blackgrass on his family’s heavy-land farm. He is now growing a malting crop to rival the profit from his top-quality…

HARVEST

Harvest 2023: New winter barley impresses in Yorkshire

Yorkshire Wolds grower Mark Ullyott is impressed with the new winter barley variety Caravelle, saying it is the best seed crop of barley he has grown for more than 10…

BARLEY

New winter barley impresses on disease resistance and yields

Essex grower Andrew Fairley says his crop of the new winter barley Caravelle is the healthiest looking of the five varieties he growing this season, and it is set the…

ARABLE

Soil virus prompts move to resistant winter barley variety

Soil-borne viruses have pushed a light land Somerset farm into growing only one variety of winter barley and one of winter wheat, which are resistant to the yield-damaging mosaic virus,…

PEST MANAGEMENT

Norfolk estate assesses risks in move to no-insecticides

An estate near the north Norfolk coast is farming with no insecticides across nearly two-thirds of its land, and is hoping for flexibility to qualify for payments under new environmental…

BARLEY

Bedford grower switches 100% to new spring malting barley

Bedfordshire grower Freya Morgan is set to switch 100% to the new spring malting barley variety Skyway as it outperforms industry favourite Laureate on her farm for yield and ease…

Practical advice

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VARIETY SELECTION

Seed expert's wheat and barley variety tips for autumn

With five new winter wheats and two winter barleys on the Recommended List, should farmers opt for a newcomer, or stick with tried and tested favourites this autumn? Farmers have…

BARLEY

Why spring barley can help growers cut their carbon footprint

Spring barley can help growers drive down their carbon footprint by using better varietal genetics and using the benefits of cover crops. Spring crops, in general, are seen as better…

BARLEY

Winter malting variety may help limit swing to spring barleys

Winter malting barley purchases by leading maltsters have fallen sharply over the past few decades and the advent of a new variety is seen as helping to give a more…

BARLEY

Advice on growing malting barley to gain from high premiums

Premiums of £55-£60/t for malting barley are being offered this harvest, with the price supported by beer's history of being recession-proof and the post-Covid recovery in beer sales. For these…

BARLEY

Spring malting barley varieties for 2022

New spring malting barley variety Tungsten could be a useful partner in the North for market leader Laureate due to its good northern yields and early maturity. The variety is…

VARIETY SELECTION

What the new winter malting barley variety offers to growers

Winter barley growers have a wider choice of malting varieties to choose from this autumn, with a new variety offering higher yields and earlier maturity than the mainstay Craft. Electrum,…

Insights

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VARIETY SELECTION

Variety list shake-up with 24 new winter wheats and barleys

Ten new winter wheat varieties and 14 new winter barley varieties have been added to the AHDB’s Recommended List for cereals and oilseeds 2025/26.  Many more new wheat and barley…

VARIETY SELECTION

Spring barley list sees four additions and net blotch scores

The new AHDB spring barley 2025-26 Recommended List has four new varieties and, for the first time this year, includes disease resistance ratings for net blotch. The four additions are under…

HARVEST

Harvest 2024: The 5 top-yielding spring barley varieties map

Throughout harvest 2024, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from 2024’s AHDB spring barley Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the five…

HARVEST

Harvest 2024: The 5 top-yielding winter barley varieties map

Throughout harvest 2024, we are updating our handy interactive map with the latest data from the AHDB's winter barley Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the…

VARIETY SELECTION

What makes the ideal wheat variety for regenerative farming?

Wheat growers looking for varieties most suited to a regenerative farming system are unlikely to find all the information they need on the AHDB Recommended List, believes one plant breeder.…

VARIETY SELECTION

New winter barley choices join varieties with good resistance

Winter barley variety choice is being boosted by the arrival of new resistance and tolerance traits, just in time to help growers minimise risk and keep inputs down. With farm…

VARIETY SELECTION

Which spring barley varieties to consider for 2024

Just four spring barley varieties make up the majority of seed sales in England, despite there being many more choices on the AHDB Recommended List. The testing system for the…

VARIETY SELECTION

New wheat and barley varieties rejuvenate Recommended Lists

The latest winter wheat varieties to be added to the AHDB Recommended List for 2024-25 are expected to breathe new life into at least two end-use groups, with most of…

HARVEST

Harvest 2023: The 5 top-yielding spring barley varieties map

Throughout harvest 2023, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from 2023’s AHDB spring barley Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the five…

ARABLE

Seed sales show heavy reliance on a limited number of varieties

After a testing season and difficult harvest, growers are sticking to a narrow range of varieties for the new cropping year. Farmers Weekly finds out what’s filling the drills. See…

HARVEST

Harvest 2023: The 5 top-yielding winter barley varieties map

Throughout harvest 2023, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from 2023’s AHDB winter barley Recommended List harvest results. Use the map below to find the five…

Online resources from AHDB

AHDB Recommended List 2024-25 Winter wheat

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AHDB Recommended List 2024-25 Winter barley

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AHDB Recommended List 2024 Spring barley

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AHDB Recommended List 2024-25 Winter oilseed rape

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