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Know How / Wheat / Variety selection

There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing which variety to grow, with markets favouring some and others having a strong regional or rotational reputation. Now with greater focus on their agronomic characteristics, find out which varieties are performing well and proving their worth, whatever their intended end use - milling or feed.

Case studies

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MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

Cotswold flour mill sources grain direct with stacked premiums

An eighth-generation flour mill business is sourcing grain direct from over 150 farms to produce one of the UK’s top artisan flour brands, while enabling growers to stack regenerative farming…

VARIETY SELECTION

New Group 4 spring wheat performs for flood-hit Lincs farmer

A newly recommended Group 4 spring wheat with a flexible drilling window has proved valuable for one flood-hit Lincolnshire farmer, delivering good yields in a challenging season from a late…

WHEAT

North Yorks grower warms to feed winter wheat Beowulf

Peter Chapman is impressed with the new top-yielding feed winter wheat variety Beowulf on his farm, and he will grow it commercially if the yield of his current seed crop…

WHEAT

Durham grower turns to 'regen' wheat variety

Durham grower Philip Vickers has turned to a relatively new feed wheat variety to help build a more sustainable regenerative cropping system involving direct-drilling and reduced synthetic crop inputs. Philip,…

VARIETY SELECTION

Wheat blends prove simple way to boost average yields

Growing a mix of different wheat varieties, known as a “blend”, rather than planting a single variety has proven to increase average wheat yields by nearly 0.5t/ha, reveals independent farm trial data.…

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…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Advice on getting the most from Dawsum winter wheat

One of a strong line-up of hard feed wheats available to growers, Dawsum accounts for almost 20% of all the winter wheat being grown in the UK this year. Joining…

VARIETY SELECTION

Insecticide-free wheat set for drilling this autumn

An insecticide-free winter wheat variety will be ready for growers to drill this autumn, with the hard-milling feed wheat Grouse hoping to attract interest from those not wanting to spray…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How to adapt management to specific winter wheat varieties

As new varieties arrive to the market, crops are planted over a wide drilling window and disease pressure evolves, tailoring winter wheat management to specific variety needs can help farmers…

WHEAT

How to choose the best winter wheat variety for sustainability

Five winter wheat varieties – Skyfall, Palladium, Astronomer, Tapestry and Typhoon – have been declared top for sustainability across the five established wheat groups. The agronomy group Agrii has rated…

VARIETY SELECTION

Insecticide-free wheat varieties set for drilling autumn 2023

Insecticide-free winter wheat varieties are set to be available for growers to drill in autumn 2023, as one plant breeder has developed the first wheat varieties with resistance to the…

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…

WHEAT

Wheat variety winners and losers in challenging season

Wheat variety performance in 2024 was affected by the double whammy of terrible growing conditions and high disease pressure, making it a more complicated story than usual. There’s no doubt…

HARVEST

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

Throughout the harvest season, we are updating our handy map with the latest data from the AHDB's 2024 wheat Recommended List (RL) harvest results. Use the map below to find…

VARIETY SELECTION

Winter wheat offers disease and virus resistance

After this season’s high disease pressure, a new winter wheat with strong resistance scores, plus immunity to two key pests, could prove a popular choice this autumn. RAGT’s Goldfinch has…

VARIETY SELECTION

Disease and weather shakes up in wheat variety choices

The savage 2024 growing season is dividing opinion about appropriate winter wheat variety choices for harvest 2025, with commentators recognising reasons to be concerned about some of the most popular…

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.…

WHEAT

Why growing milling wheat is reducing risk for Sentry

A crop of Group 2 Extase wheat producing a gross margin nearly £700/ha more than Siskin grown for feed in 2023 provided one trigger for Sentry to significantly expand its…

VARIETY SELECTION

New group 3 wheat tipped to rekindle shrinking sector

The arrival of Bamford, Elsom’s new soft Group 3 wheat, is being seen as a significant development for a market sector which has been on a stark decline since 2020.…

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…

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…

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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