Graham and Extase are set to be the top picks for wheat growers in the South West of England, as their good disease resistance and stiff straw make them suitable varieties for this wetter corner of the country.

Richard Overthrow, regional agronomist at crop consultant Niab, sees the two cultivars as the region’s main contenders, with Gleam and Costello as third and fourth choices, while two newcomers, Cranium and Wolverine, are also worth a look.

He says feed wheat Graham’s good resistance to septoria (6.8), mildew (7), yellow rust (8) and fusarium ear blight (7) puts it in a good position to tackle the region’s wetter climate, on a 1-9 scale where 1 is very susceptible and 9 shows good resistance.

See also: Farmers needed for survey to help fight new grassweed

The variety performs well in a first-cereal situation across light and heavy soils, and with a stiff straw it shows the joint highest fungicide-treated yield alongside Kinetic for the western region on the AHDB Recommended List.

The group 2 milling variety Extase offers the highest yield of any variety in fungicide-untreated trials, reflecting its high septoria resistance rating (8), beaten only by Theodore (8.3), and also has high resistance to yellow rust (8), fusarium (6) and mildew (6).

The variety offers similar protein levels to that of Siskin, but Mr Overthrow notes that the area of Siskin is on the decline as the variety becomes outclassed by newer genetics. Although Siskin responds well when sown early on heavier soils, it has a moderate resistance to lodging and has the tendency to sprout.

Gleam is another contender for the region as the feed variety performs consistently across a range of soil types, sowing dates and rotations, with resistance to orange wheat blossom midge. It has a rating of 6 for septoria, mildew, fusarium and brown rust, and a lower rating of 5 for yellow rust.

Costello is another feed variety which does well in the South West, offering high resistance to mildew (8), yellow rust (9) and fusarium ear blight (7), along with excellent specific weight. However, given Costello’s high resistance ratings, Mr Overthrow says the variety isn’t looking as clean as he would expect this season.

New: Cranium

The new feed variety Cranium provides very good lodging resistance without plant growth regulator (8) and high fungicide-treated yields across a range of soil types in the Western region.

The variety offers good disease resistance, with a yellow rust rating of 8 and septoria and fusarium ratings of 6. It has a fungicide-treated yield potential of 104% for the West and its relatively late-maturing trait means it performs well under late drilling scenarios.

“The crop is holding up fairly well and is remaining green,” says Mr Overthrow. “In fact Cranium is cleaner than Skyscraper and close to it on yield.”

New: Wolverine

Another new feed wheat, Wolverine, comes with a specific recommendation for tolerance to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), which may benefit South West growers as the threat of aphid resistance in local populations to pyrethroid insecticides edges closer.

The late-maturing variety gives good fungicide-treated yields in the West, with a yield potential of 102%, and even performs well in the absence of BYDV. Although it has a stiff straw and good resistance to brown rust (8), there is a trade-off in traits when it comes to septoria (5.3) and yellow rust (5).

“This is an interesting variety which is worth considering as it is standout in trials when comparing BYDV infected crops,” says Mr Overthrow. “However, it comes with a greater cost of production due to its significantly reduced septoria resistance – far more expensive than the price of a pyrethroid spray application.”

Richard Overthrow was talking at a recent winter wheat variety trial open day in Kingsbridge, south Devon.