Two top winter wheat varieties, Dawsum and Extase, are set to increase market share and stretch their lead over competitors.

This is due to their solid packages of good yield, straw strength, disease resistance and specific weight.

Dawsum, the hard-milling feed wheat from plant breeder KWS, is expected to push its market share up to 17-18% this autumn, from 16% this season in the commercial C2 seed market.

Will Compson, the group’s UK country manager, says the variety’s all-round characteristics make it a good wheat variety choice in a time of more uncertain weather brought on by climate changes.

“We expect Dawsum to take market share off some of the older feed varieties such as Gleam and Graham,” he told Farmers Weekly at the Cereals 2023 event on the Thoresby Estate in Nottinghamshire.

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Risk-free wheats

Many growers are looking to more risk-free wheats with high yields, good disease resistance and stiff straw.

This is to cope with climate change and also changes to farm support, with the phasing out of direct subsidies under the Basic Payment Scheme.

Dawsum, which first appeared on the AHDB Recommended List some 18 months ago, has the third-highest fungicide-treated yield at 104%, after Redwald at 107% and Champion at 106%, and the second-highest specific weight after Costello.

Dawsum shows a good straw strength similar to Gleam and Graham, with a good 6.4 score for septoria and 9 for yellow rust.

This is ahead of popular feed varieties Gleam and Skyscraper, on a 1-9 scale where 9 represents good resistance and 1 is very susceptible.

Will also expects the breeder’s variety Extase to push up its market share to 15% from 14%, as the Group 2 milling wheat is likely to find increased popularity with millers due to the lack of new Group 1 breadmaking wheat varieties coming onto the market.

With Dawsum and Extase leading the wheat seed market this autumn, he sees Skyscraper and Champion vying for third place at about 8-9% of the market.

In the current season, the top 10 varieties are Dawsum, Extase, Skyscraper, Graham, Gleam, Champion, Skyfall, Crusoe, Zyatt and Insitor.

Will sees this autumn’s winter wheat-drilled crop area being largely unchanged at about 1.9m hectares.