By Ken Fletcher

SOME 29 new varieties have been added across all crops in this year's latest round of Recommended List varieties from AHDB, which was launched recently.

Increasingly, disease resistance is playing an ever more important role ion varietal selection and this is evident in some of the new to List varieties, which includes the first new soft wheat varieties in four years.

The winter wheat list sees an increase of five varieties, while the east/west oilseed rape list has been reduced by four and in total, 28 varieties have been removed from the RL.

Dr Simon Oxley, who heads AHDB’s Crop Production Systems, said: “This year’s biggest change is the addition of six new soft wheat feed varieties – the first new entrants for four years to a wheat category whose markets include distilling, soft biscuit wheat for export, and soft endosperm feed.

“This year, northern growers aiming for distilling markets have some exciting new varieties to consider, with improved yields, first-rate septoria tritici resistance and earlier maturity. Growers further south looking for uks biscuit export varieties or distilling varieties will also find something new.

“Feed growers in soft and hard feed markets will find varieties with a combination of high yield, early maturity, stiff straw and better septoria resistance.”

New wheat varieties that resist yellow rust, despite recent race changes, are on the List. Changes in the yellow rust population last season caused the ratings of some recommended wheats to fall but this year’s new entrants show good resistance to the disease, with ratings of 7 to 9.

Most wheat varieties new to the RL are in the relatively low risk category, with high disease and lodging ratings and a high untreated yield.

Dr Oxley added: “The relative risk of these new varieties is low, providing confidence to early adopters of new varieties. For all varieties, new and old, the RL shows information from previous seasons, so there is always a chance risks may change. AHDB disease monitoring is important for identifying any changes that occur in the new season.”

Septoria tritici ratings are now reported to a decimal place, showing exactly where on the rating scale varieties lie and the incremental improvements being made by breeders. Eight of the new varieties have resistance scores between 6.2 and 7.3.

Also new to the RL is reporting on percentage protein in milling trials. This is an important measure for the market when selecting milling wheat varieties, pointed out Dr Oxley, and this year’s list shows the percentage protein achieved in trials grown to milling specification, as well as the protein levels reported in all trials, both feed and milling.

"Higher-yielding quality wheats are more than capable of achieving market requirements for protein. This year’s list includes a new provisional nabim Group 1 high-yielding, high-quality bread-making wheat, KWS Zyatt," said Dr Oxley.

The new oilseed rape List also point to high yields combined with superior disease resistance. “New varieties show excellent overall resistance to light leaf spot and phoma stem canker. Growers looking for top notch resistance with opportunities for better integrated disease management have a new semi-dwarf variety to consider in DK Secret,” he said.

A new spring barley variety has the potential to be an innovative first for brewing, said the AHDB's expert.

Also, growers of feed barley can look forward to three new winter feed varieties – a two-row feed for the north (KWS Creswell), as well as a six-row conventional (Funky) and six-row hybrid (Sunningdale) for the UK.

There are three new spring barley varieties, under test for brewing, malt distilling and brewing, and grain distilling, but more tests are required before they achieve IBD approval. "This year sees the first potential brewing variety lacking a gene for lipoxygenase production, Chanson. This helps to improve flavour stability in the end product," pointed out Dr Oxley.

Winter wheats:

* KWS Zyatt is a new quality provisional nabim Group 1 winter wheat, which achieved good bread making qualities. It achieved the highest yield of all the Group 1 varieties and at similar proteins to Skyfall. It has stiff straw with good resistance to septoria tritici (6.4), yellow rust (7), brown rust (6) mildew (7) and eyespot (7). It is also similar in maturity to Crusoe, and Skyfall. It will undergo further quality testing as part of nabim’s two-step process in granting full Group 1 status.

* Bennington is the highest yielding Group 4 soft variety on the List, advancing yields in this soft feed category to levels seen in hard group 4 varieties. It is recommended for the east and west regions where the highest yields were seen.

* LG Sundance is a high yielding Group 4 soft feed variety, which has a medium rating for distilling. It also has the highest rating for septoria tritici (7.3) of all varieties – a breakthrough in achieving good resistance and high yield. It also has stiff straw, orange wheat blossom midge resistance and good resistance to yellow rust (9).

* Savello is a high-yielding Group 4 soft feed variety for the north, which is suitable for distilling with a medium rating. It has a high treated yield with the advantage of being earlier maturing than both Leeds and Revelation. It is stiff-strawed and has good resistance to yellow rust (8) and mildew (7). Although susceptible to brown rust (4), this is of lower risk in most seasons in the north of the UK.

* LG Motown is a high yielding Group 4 soft feed, which is an early maturing variety suitable for distilling with a medium rating. It has stiff straw and a good disease resistance package for mildew (8), yellow rust (9), brown rust (7) and septoria tritici (5.8).

* Moulton is a high yielding early maturing Group 4 soft feed variety for the UK, with a combination of being suitable for distilling with a medium rating and has uks export potential, achieving samples with high specific weight and Hagberg Falling Number. It has stiff straw and an overall good disease resistance package for mildew (7), yellow rust (8), brown rust (7) and septoria tritici (6.5).

* Hardwicke is a high-yielding early maturing Group 4 soft feed variety for the north, suitable for distilling with a medium rating. It is stiff-strawed early maturing with good resistance to yellow rust (8), brown rust (6) and septoria tritici (5.9).

* KWS Kerrin,a hard feed wheat, holds the crown as the highest yielding variety on the list recommended for the east and west. This yield advantage is in combination with stiff straw, orange wheat blossom midge resistance and good resistance to mildew (7), yellow rust (7), and brown rust (7).

* Shabras, another hard feeder, is recommended for the UK and combines a high yield with early maturity. It also has stiff straw and good resistance to mildew (7), yellow rust (8) and septoria tritici (6.2). The variety is, however, susceptible to brown rust (4).

* Freiston combines a high yield, early maturity and stiff straw, with good resistance to mildew (7), yellow rust (9), brown rust (7) and septoria tritici (6.7).

* Dunston combines a high yield with stiff straw and good resistance to yellow rust (7), brown rust (6), septoria tritici (6.7) and eyespot (6). This makes it one of the relatively lower risk varieties on the List.

Spring wheats:

* KWS Cochise is a quality nabim Group 2 wheat, but it showed a degree of variability in testing over three years, leading to its group 2 rating. It has the highest yield of all varieties in spring-sown trials, in combination with orange wheat blossom midge resistance, early maturity and good resistance to brown rust (8) and septoria tritici (6).

* KWS Chilham is a provisional nabim Group 2 wheat, which tends to show lower protein than a Group 1 variety, but with stronger gluten. It has good resistance to yellow rust (7) and septoria tritici (6), but is susceptible to brown rust (4). It also has resistance to orange wheat blossom midge

Winter barleys:

* Sunningdale is a high yielding hybrid six-row feed barley. Although it has a similar yield to Bazooka, it is earlier maturing with shorter straw. It performed particularly well in the north where it is the highest yielding variety on the List. It widens the choice available to six-row hybrid feed varieties for growers throughout the UK. It has good resistance to brown rust (6), rhynchosporium (7) and net blotch (6), plus resistance to barley yellow mosaic virus.

* Funky is a high yielding early maturing conventional six-row feeder with good resistance to mildew (6), brown rust (8), rhynchosporium (7) and net blotch (6), plus resistance to barley yellow mosaic virus. It is the only conventional six-row variety on the List.

* KWS Cresswell is a high yielding early maturing two-row feed variety for the north. It has stiff straw and good resistance to rhynchosporium (6), plus resistance to barley yellow mosaic virus.

Spring barleys:

* Chanson is under test for brewing and is the first recommended variety lacking a gene for lipoxygenase production. It is early maturing and has a high yield, particularly in the east and north. It is best to consider Chanson as a conventional variety under test for brewing, but with potential added benefits to the end user.

* LG Opera is under test for brewing and malt distilling. It is a high yielding early maturer, with relatively short straw and good resistance to brackling and good resistance to mildew (9)

* Dioptric is recommended for the north as a high yielding variety under test for grain distilling. It has a high specific weight, short straw with good resistance to brackling and good resistance to mildew (9) and ramularia (8).

Oilseed rape:

* Flamingo is a conventional variety that performs well on gross output in the East/West and combines early maturity and stiff stems with high resistance to light leaf spot (7). Phoma stem canker (4) will, however, require attention.

* Nikita now has a UK recommendation adding the East/West region to the North recommendation gained last year. It has a high UK gross output in combination with stiff stems, relatively early maturity and high resistance to light leaf spot (7). Phoma stem canker (4) will, however, require attention.

* Aquila is a restored hybrid that has a high gross output in combination with stiff stems, good resistance to light leaf spot (6) and to phoma stem canker (8). This variety achieves high levels of resistance to both diseases with no apparent penalties in gross output or agronomics.

* DK Secret is a restored hybrid semi-dwarf variety and will be the shortest variety on the List (9) in combination with high resistance to light leaf spot (7) and phoma stem canker (8). The gross output is favourable compared with the only other specialist semi-dwarf variety, Troy.

* Ergo is a high erucic acid (HEAR) variety for the east/west region and care should be taken to keep HEAR varieties away from others.

Oats:

* RGT Victorious and Griffin are conventional winter oat husked varieties. Victorious combines high yield with early maturity and achieved a good specific weight and kernel content. Griffin is also high yielding with similar positive characteristics in specific weight and kernel content. Both require attention to the risk of lodging.

* Peloton is a winter naked oat variety, with a combination of high yield and early maturity. It has good resistance to mildew (6) and crown rust (6).

* Yukon and WPB Elyann are two new husked spring oat varieties. Yukon achieved a high yield, early maturity and stiff straw, with decent specific weight and kernel content. It has good resistance to mildew (8). WPB Elyann is also early maturing but slightly lower yielding, though with a high kernel content at 80.7%, combined with a good specific weight. It has good resistance to mildew (7).