Two wheats ahead in HGCA variety trials
Two new feed wheat varieties Dickens and Kielder are giving the highest yields in the latest HGCA results across the first six of its 21 trial sites.
Dickens from French breeder Secobra and sold by Agrii yielded 108% and German breeder KWS’s Kielder 107% compared with leading feed variety Santiago at 106%.
“These two have done well in a difficult year, and overall wheat yields have held up well,” says Bill Handley, Recommended List technical manager at the HGCA.
Both wheats are hard-milling feed varieties and made it onto the HGCA Recommended List last November.
Two soft feed varieties, Leeds from KWS (100%) and Myriad from Limagrain (99%), have been disappointing giving yields some 4-5% below expectations, the HGCA reports.
The overall 2013 control mean yield of 10.25t/ha for winter wheat was 0.25t/ha higher than the long-term average yield, it adds.
In spring barley trials, candidate varieties Shada from Syngenta and KWS’s Aurelia are the highest yielding, with the Recommended List variety Propino also doing well, the HGCA says.
Five of the HGCA’s 20 spring barley trial sites have reported results.
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