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New winter wheat variety SY Cheer has been awarded full Group 1 milling status by UK Flour Millers in time for autumn drilling. SY... Milling wheat growers have new reason to be cheerful

New winter wheat variety SY Cheer has been awarded full Group 1 milling status by UK Flour Millers in time for autumn drilling.

SY Cheer is the newest of only five Group 1 varieties on the winter wheat Recommended List for 2024/25. Plant breeder Syngenta it could hold strong appeal for growers looking to reduce some of the risks of growing wheat for breadmaking.

As well as exceptional grain quality, SY Cheer boasts consistent yields – and no major weaknesses to the common foliar wheat diseases – including rust, says Syngenta seeds technical manager Matthew Bull.

Significant interest

“The Group 1 winter wheat market hasn’t had a new recommended variety since 2017 and was in desperate need. We see SY Cheer as a quality wheat made simple and expect it to gain significant interest, both from growers and millers.”

SY Cheer has 13% protein – matching the regular milling threshold. Other attributes include a Hagberg falling number of 299 and specific weight of 79.5 kg/hl, much higher than the typical thresholds of 250 and 76 kg/hl.

It has disease resistance ratings of 7.4 against yellow rust, 6.0 against Septoria tritici and 5.5 against brown rust. This balanced foliar disease resistance profile underpins its high and stable yields, says Mr Bull.

Breakthrough variety

Syngenta seeds portfolio marketing manager, Kathryn Hamlen, says the combination of quality, yield and disease resistance makes SY Cheer a potential breakthrough variety for growers.

“Over recent years the percentage of the UK wheat area planted with Group 1 varieties has dropped. Yet demand for Group 1 breadmaking wheat remains high. SY Cheer could reinvigorate the Group 1 market to help stabilise domestic production.

“We know weather extremes can make achieving grain quality specifications a gamble. The high quality of SY Cheer will hopefully bring reassurance to growers. The wet 2023 harvest illustrated the importance of a variety with an inherently high Hagberg.

Reassurance

“Similarly, with unpredictable disease epidemics, its disease resistance ratings and high untreated yield should give reassurance. Rust can reduce both yield and quality.”

Agronomically, Mrs Hamlen says SY Cheer has wide drilling date flexibility from mid-September to late January. It offers good lodging resistance with relatively long straw and medium maturity, she adds.

“Overall, we see SY Cheer as a high quality variety for milling wheat growers to consider as part of their portfolio.”