Higher yielding cereal and oilseed rape varieties have been given the seal of approval for next season’s drilling plans to help offset some of the inflationary pressures growers face from higher fertiliser, fuel and energy costs.

In the new AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) for 2023-24 are a winter wheat variety showing a leap forward in yield, a high-yielding winter malting barley along with a winter feed two-row variety to match the yield of hybrid barleys, and new oilseed rapes with improved yields, especially in the North.

Paul Gosling, who manages the RL for the AHDB, says the new varieties with better yields will help growers facing higher costs and improved disease resistance may allow them to cut back on inputs.

“Some of the new varieties offer growers the potential to cut back on input levels with their better disease resistances,” he told a recent RL briefing.

See also: Insecticide-free wheat varieties set for drilling in autumn 2023

He highlighted several additions:

• New soft feed winter wheat Redwald with a big jump in yield levels
• The first new winter malting barley variety added since 2018 in Buccaneer offering a big yield rise on old favourite Craft
• Three varieties, Caravelle, Bolivia and Nephin, offering advantages in the feed sector

There are a host of new oilseed rape varieties offering yield and disease gains led by Attica and Turing, a big jump in yield for a variety aimed at the North in Wagner, and a new conventional variety Tom for growers who prefer to save their seed.

Overall, 28 varieties have been added to the new RLs – five winter wheats, four winter barleys, seven spring barleys, seven oilseed rapes, one spring oat, one winter oat and three spring wheats, and 26 varieties removed.

Winter wheats

Redwald, the soft-milling feed wheat from Limagrain, is the highlight of the five varieties added to the list for its leap forward in yield and consistent performance over three years of official trials.

The variety recommended for the East and West regions has a fungicide-treated yield of 107%, well above fellow soft wheat Skyscraper at 103%, and just above previous top-yielder Champion at 106%.

“The variety is an incredible yield machine, head and shoulders above the others, but it’s a variety that will need to be looked after,” says John Miles, seed technical manager at agronomy group Agrii.

As a Sundance-cross, it has good septoria resistance at 6.7, the highest of the soft feed varieties, and has orange wheat blossom midge resistance, but it is relatively weak-strawed at a 5, below Skyscraper’s 6 and will need careful management.

Scores are in a 1-9 range and a high value indicates the variety show the character to a high degree.

In addition, the variety has a relatively low specific weight at 75.5kg/hl, equal to Champion, and well below top-scoring varieties Costello on 81.2 and Dawsum 80.

Jim Knight, seed business development manager at agronomy group Frontier, says straw strength is a drawback, but this can be managed with drilling later and by avoiding fertile soils.

“It will appeal to growers used to taller strawed varieties and who can hold off from early drilling. It looks particularly good in the second wheat slot and in the main to late drilling window,” he says.

Toby Reich, head of seeds at supplier Wynnstay, says as a vigorous growing variety it will fit in the later sowing slot, so could be ideal for those with grassweed problems. “This is going to be an important variety following Skyscraper, but it will need to be managed in the right way,” he says.

Zealum is another soft feed wheat, bred by KWS, yielding 103% and recommended for the North.

It shows good resistance to yellow rust (9) and mildew (7) and to midge.

Its northern yield is in line with Skyscraper, which accounts for 44% of the Scottish market, but is a little later to mature, although it brings better resistance to septoria (5.8).

The only hard feed wheat is Oxford, which comes with an East/West approval. It is a sister variety to Champion from breeders DSV, but gives stiffer straw and better quality.

Mr Reich says its improved standing and specific weight will be useful, while it shows good yellow rust resistance (9) and is midge resistant.

There is one new Group 2 miller, Ultimatum from KWS, which looks similar to the breeder’s previous Palladium, with better grain quality and a good disease package, especially yellow rust (9) and fusarium (7).

It is a Costello-cross and so has good specific weight at 79.6kg/hl.

In the Group 3 biscuit makers, there is Wilkinson from RAGT, which is the equal top yielder with Guium and Prince at 101%, and ahead of the most popular variety in this area, Astronomer at 99%, and is a non-Cougar type so avoids any problems of breaking down to septoria (5.5).

It has good eyespot resistance due to the Pch1 gene, but gives a low specific weight at 75.4kg/hl.

There were no new Group 1 breadmaking wheats on the list to add to the four existing ones of Zyatt, Skyfall, Crusoe and Illustrious.

New winter wheat varieties versus nearest rivals
Variety	Recommendation	Fungicide-treated yield (%)
Group 2 milling wheats
Ultimatum (KWS) (new)	UK	101
Palladium	UK	100
Extase	UK	102
Group 3 biscuit-making wheats
Wilkinson (RAGT) (new)	UK	101
Guium	UK	101
Group 4 soft feed wheats
Redwald (Limagrain) (new)	East and West	107
Zealum (KWS) (new)	North	103
Skyscraper	UK	103
Group 4 hard feed wheats
Oxford (DSV) (new)	East and West	104
Champion	UK	106
Dawsum	UK	104

Winter barleys

The two new star entries for winter barleys are the malting variety Buccaneer, which shows a big jump in yield above previous top-yielder Electrum, and on the feed side, the two-row Caravelle is set to be a first-choice variety in coming seasons.

Buccaneer, from Danish breeder Sejet, distributed by Saaten Union and marketed by Elsoms Seeds, shows a high yield of 100%, 4% ahead of Electrum and 6% ahead of the most popular winter malter Craft, with a good stiff straw and only a little later to harvest than the other two.

“If it can do this type of yield, and is accepted by the maltster, it could be a very useful variety for the future,” says Mr Miles.

The relatively tall variety shows better resistance to rhynchosporium (7) than the other two and better net botch (6), and an improved untreated fungicide yield of 87% – 8% ahead of the other two. It has a high specific weight of 70.3kg/hl.

“It looks to have no obvious weaknesses, the quality is good, it is as stiff as Electrum and has good resistance to brackling,” says Mr Knight.

George Goodwin, technical manager at Elsoms, says: “Based on the current malting test results, we are very confident that Buccaneer will achieve full malting approval status by December 2023. Seed will be available for autumn 2023.”

On the feed side, Caravelle from Limagrain shows a big leap in yield to 106%, equal to top six-row hybrid Thunderbolt and ahead of previous top two-rower Tardis on 103%, and Mr Miles says the variety looks impressive across the board with a high specific weight of 71.8kg/hl, only beaten by Cassia on 72.4.

“This is a phenomenal variety and likely to be a first-choice variety, and seed is likely to sell out quickly for next autumn’s drilling,” says Mr Knight.

It shows good disease resistance to mildew (7) and rhynchosporium (6), and it is as early to mature as Tardis, Orwell and Cassia.

“The variety shows early maturity and a good specific weight, two qualities we often look for, and will be an ideal entry for oilseed rape,” says Mr Reich.

A good disease-resistance package comes with Bolivia from Nordic Seeds, which is 2% below Caravelle for yield at 104%, and shows good resistance to mildew (7), rhynchosporium (6) and net blotch (6).

In the six-row hybrids, the latest offering from Syngenta is Nephin, which shows a high specific weight for a six-row hybrid at 71.4kg/hl, and the highest rhynchosporium rating of all winter barleys at an 8. Its yield at 105% is just behind leading six-rower Thunderbolt on 106%.

New winter barley varieties versus nearest rivals
Variety	Fungicide-treated yield (%)
Two-row malting varieties
Buccaneer (Sejet) (new)	100
Electrum	96
Two-row feed varieties
Caravelle (Limagrain) (new)	106
Bolivia (Nordic Seeds) (new)	104
Tardis	103
Six-row hybrid varieties
Nephin (Syngenta) (new)	105
Thunderbolt	106

Spring barleys

A plethora of seven new varieties are added to the spring barley list, but the six aimed at the malting market will take time to be approved by the maltsters and so availability will be restricted until the green light is given for them to enter a market dominated by Planet and Laureate.

Of the three aimed at the brewing market, Florence is from German breeder Breun and marketed by Senova.

It is the joint highest yielder at 105%, with good specific weight of 68.2kg/hl, good resistance to brackling and could compete with the two market leaders.

“Florence outperforms these two in most areas, from higher yields to better standing ability, grain quality and disease resistance.

Importantly, in the current high-cost climate, it also has a higher untreated yield than either of the current market leaders,” says Senova’s managing director Jeremy Taylor.

The two other potential brewing varieties are Sun King, from breeder Secobra, which has a yield of 104% with good resistance to mildew (9) and brackling, but is susceptible to rhynchosporium (4), and Signet from Syngenta, with a yield of 104% and high resistance to mildew (9) and brackling.

Two varieties aimed at both the brewing and malting market are Tennyson, from breeder Syngenta, with a yield of 105%, and has shown high yields in the North.

It shows good resistance to mildew (9) but is susceptible to brown rust (4) and rhynchosporium (3) and gives a low specific weight of 66.6kg/hl.

Second is Curtis, from KWS, which has a yield of 104% and high resistance to mildew (9) and rhynchosporium (7), but is susceptible to brown rust (4)

One variety focused just on the malt distilling market is Diviner, from Secobra, with a yield of 104% and has shown high yields in the North. It is a short, stiff-strawed variety with good resistance to mildew (9), but is very susceptible to rhynchosporium (3).

On the feed side, Hurler from Secobra shows an impressive yield at 107%, higher than the next best Cadiz and Malvern at 103%.

It shows good resistance to mildew (8), but is susceptible to brown rust (4) and gives a low specific weight of 66.2kg/hl.

New spring barley varieties versus nearest rivals
Variety	Fungicide-treated yield (%)
Malting varieties
Florence (Breun) (new)	105
Tennyson (Syngenta) (new)	105
Sun King (Secobra) (new)	104
Diviner (Secobra) (new)	104
Signet (Syngenta) (new)	104
Curtis (KWS) (new)	104
Skyway	105
Laureate	103
Planet	98
Feed varieties
Hurler (Secobra) (new)	107
Cadiz	103

Oilseed rapes

The hybrid Attica from Limagrain gives the joint top gross output of 107% after seven new varieties were added to the list and continues the success of the French breeder, and is 1% ahead of previous top variety Auckland.

Like other varieties from the breeder, it comes with pod shatter and turnip yellows virus resistance. It also shows good resistance to light leaf spot (7) and stem canker (7).

Three new hybrids from German breeder NPZ-Lembke and distributed by LSPB make the list – Turing and Vegas with UK recommendations and Murray for East/West.

These three do not have pod shatter or turnip yellows virus resistance, but show good resistance to light leaf spot and stem canker.

David Leaper, seed technical manager for oilseed rape at Agrii, welcomes these three as they look to give good stem health, which means that crop canopies stay green for longer and may help to improve yields.

Turing has the joint top gross output with Attica at 107% with good resistance to light leaf spot (7), while Vegas, with a gross output of 105%, has very good resistance to light leaf spot (8) and stem canker (9).

Murray at a gross output of 106% is recommended for the East/West, and has good resistance to light leaf spot (7) and stem canker (8).

Wagner is a hybrid from Limagrain recommended for the North with a gross output of 108%, ahead of the North’s most popular Aurelia at 104% and good resistance to light leaf spot (7).

Mr Knight says this could become the “go-to variety” for growers from North Yorkshire northwards for its high yield.

Tom is the only conventional added and comes from German breeder Cluser with a gross output of 102%, just ahead of Acacia’s 101%.

“Conventional growers should be looking at this variety and it could take market share from some old conventionals such as Campus and Flamingo,” says Mr Knight

Beatrix CL is a new Clearfield hybrid for the North from breeder DSV. It shows a gross output of 94% in the North. Clearfield varieties are those that are tolerant to specific imidazolinone herbicides.

New winter oilseed rape varieties versus nearest rivals
Variety	Gross output (%)
Recommended for the UK
Turing (NPZ-Lembke) (new)	107 (hybrid)
Attica (Limagrain) (new)	107 (hybrid)
Vegas (NPZ-Lembke) (new)	105 (hybrid)
Tom (Cluser) (new)	102 (conventional)
Auckland	106 (hybrid)
Acacia	101 (conventional)
Recommended for East/West
Murray (NPZ-Lembke) (new)	106 (hybrid)
Adonis	104 (hybrid)
Recommended for North
Wagner (Limagrain) (new)	108 (hybrid)
Beatrix CL (DSV) (new)	94 (hybrid)
Aurelia	104 (hybrid)

Spring wheats

Three spring wheat varieties are added to the list, all from KWS. The first is Group 1 Harsum, with a yield similar to Ladum at 102%, and both are 7% ahead of old favourite Mulika.

Harsum has given high hagbergs and good grain proteins, and shows high resistance to yellow rust, mildew and septoria, and has resistance to midge.

The other two, Alicium and Lightum, are Group 2s, with fungicide-treated yields of 105% and 102%, and both have resistance to midge.

Winter and spring oats

Two oats are added to the list with the first being the winter variety Cromwell, bred by IBERS in Aberystwyth and marketed by Senova, and has a yield of 102%, some 7% above old market favourite Mascani.

Cromwell is a Mascani-cross and has good specific weight of 55.3kg/hl.

“While Mascani will continue to be a popular choice, there are advantages in having more than one variety that both millers and growers have faith in,” says Tom Yewbrey, seed sales manager at Senova.

Vaughan is an early-maturing spring oat from RAGT with good resistance to mildew, but is susceptible to crown rust.

“Vaughan features the best combination of untreated yield, at 93%, and disease resistance among its comparators, including an 8 for mildew and 4.4 for crown rust,” says group technical sales manager Cathy Hooper.