
• Latest winter wheats and barleys
• Influx of good genetics to the fore
• Strong agronomics from breeders
A bumper crop of new cereal varieties has been added to the AHDB’s Recommended List for 2025/26.
In total, 10 new winter wheats and 14 new winter barleys make their list debut – although 26 cereal and oilseed rape varieties have been removed after falling out of favour.
In-built traits
Eye-catching additions include a new UKFM Group 1 winter wheat variety for the second year running – and two new high-yielding UKFM Group 3 winter wheats hoping to revive the fortunes of this market segment.
The new lists also see an influx of varieties with a specific recommendation for resistance or tolerance to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) – including five new winter barleys and one new winter wheat.
Disease resistance
The spring barley list includes net blotch resistance ratings for the first time. Meanwhile, most new winter oilseed rapes have regional recommendations, reflecting the greater regional variation in performance in this crop compared to cereals.
AHDB recommended list manager Paul Gosling said: “Farmers want robust varieties that help de-risk their businesses. Breeders work hard to deliver varieties to satisfy this demand.
“The lists now feature varieties that deliver more diverse and stronger genetics. It is no longer about dirty, barn-filling varieties dominating the lists: it is about providing choice that meets the needs of diverse users.”
Wheat
Plant breeder KWS has eight new wheats and four new barleys on the list. They include KWS Vibe – listed as a provisional Group 1 wheat variety. Its status is expected to be confirmed this spring after UKFM has completed its harvest 2024 grain analysis.
UKFM Group 2 sees five additions, with various strengths and weaknesses to suit different situations. They include RGT Goldfinch from RAGT which offers a robust disease package, including BYDV and orange wheat blossom midge resistance.
Goldfinch shows good baking quality. Despite relatively low yields, the AHDB says it is likely to appeal to many growers, especially those interested in lower-input systems.
Barley
Fourteen new winter barleys have been added to the list – including seven new two-row feed varieties and two six-row varieties, alongside a number of varieties with built-in traits against barley yellow dwarf virus.
Two-row feed varieties include KWS Valencis and Senova’s NOS Olena, which both offer very high yields with good disease resistance. Also from Senova, Kitty is slightly lower yielding but has resistance to barley yellow mosaic virus Strain 2.
Six row varieties include KWS Inys, which is very high yielding, especially in the East and West regions. SY Quantock from Syngenta offers a very high yield in the North and West regions. Both have good lodging resistance and grain quality.
The full lists are available on the AHDB website, with printed copies available from this month.
Regional performance for oilseed rape
Most new varieties on the winter oilseed rape list have regional recommendations with just one addition – LG Adapt – having high treated yields and robust disease resistance across the whole UK.
The UK list also includes two new varieties with a specific recommendation for resistance to common clubroot strains.
Those varieties are Crusoe , from plant breeder NPZU; and Cromputer, which is from DSV.
For the East/West region, three new non-specialist hybrid varieties are recommended. Maverick (from NPZU) is very high yielding. It also has good disease resistance – rated 9 for stem canker – but it lacks pod shatter resistance.
Hinsta, from KWS; and Magelan1, from Limagrain; are slightly lower yielding. Apart from a stem canker rating of 5, these two varieties have good pest and disease resistance.
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