The distilling and soft feed varieties feed our main markets in Scotland and include some of the highest yielding examples in trials, but varieties for feed, biscuit and milling markets can include some useful agronomic traits as well as diversifying markets a bit.

Yield and the target market are obviously major boxes to tick in selecting varieties for this autumn but other useful traits for us include disease resistance, with septoria, yellow rust and mildew all being key drivers of fungicide inputs (and costs).

Read more - Embracing new experiences through education

Resistance to lodging and earliness to mature can also be attractive traits that help to reduce risks and input costs.

Some key varieties to consider:

Distilling and soft feed (nabim Group 4)

LG Skyscraper is the leading soft Group 4 variety. It is high yielding (103) and rated medium for distilling, but untreated yield is intermediate (81), and resistance to Septoria tritici is poor.

It is early maturing (0) and though it is tall, it has good straw strength and performs well as a second cereal.

Swallow is a new variety with high yield (102) and a good rating for distilling. Untreated yield has been intermediate (79). It is early maturing (0) and has very stiff straw (8). Disease resistance is below average, including increased weakness to Septoria tritici.

LG Spotlight retains a small market share as a distiller with excellent specific weight (78.0) and Hagberg falling number. Yield is competitive (101) and untreated yield intermediate (78), though it has above average resistance to sprouting (7).

Elation is an established choice among Scottish growers with good yield (101) and a high rating for distilling. Specific weight is very good (77.2), but this stiff-strawed variety has poor untreated yield (75) and intermediate maturity (+1).

KWS Jackal is an established variety with good yield (101) and a medium rating for distilling. Specific weight is below average (75.5) and untreated yield is poor (73).

LG Sundance has become outclassed for yield (99), but its untreated yield remains relatively good (83), with the best resistance to septoria tritici at 7.9, though yellow rust has appeared in some crops. This medium-rated distilling variety has low specific weight (73.8) and Hagberg falling number.

Biscuit making and distilling (nabim Group 3)

Elicit is an established dual-purpose biscuit-making and distilling variety. Yield is intermediate (100) and distilling use is rated good. It is early maturing (0) and has stiff straw. Untreated yield is intermediate (78).

LG Illuminate is a new biscuit-making variety with a medium distilling rating and limited data indicates a high yield (102). Untreated yield has been good (85), though resistance to septoria may be weaker than its rating (7.0) suggests. This variety suits early drilling and as a second wheat.

LG Prince is a new biscuit-making variety with a medium rating for distilling. Limited data indicates an intermediate yield (101) as is untreated yield (83), though resistance to septoria may be weaker than its rating (7.1) suggests. It suits early drilling and the second wheat slot, but specific weight is lower than average (74.8), and maturity later than (+2).

LG Astronomer is a new biscuit-making variety with a medium distilling rating. Limited data indicates a below-average yield (98). Although untreated yield has been good (86), resistance to septoria may be weaker than its rating (7.4) suggests. It has very good specific weight (77.8). This variety has a wide sowing window, including early drilling.

Other varieties of value in Scotland

KWS Barrel – this Group 3 variety is still a popular biscuit-making and feed choice, but it is rated poor for distilling. Its yield (103) advantage over other varieties has slipped, and untreated yield is poor (71) so it needs a robust fungicide programme. Specific weight is very good (77.2) and it has stiff straw.

RGT Saki is a soft Group 4 variety for feed only. It has high yield (102) and good untreated yield (85). However, resistance to septoria may be weaker than its rating (6.5) suggests and it is later to mature (+3) and suits early drilling. It is also a good second cereal.

SY Insitor is the highest yielding (105) hard Group 4 feed variety, with intermediate untreated yield (78). Specific weight is excellent (78.4) and Hagberg figures very good, though straw strength is below average (6) and needs stiffening. It has performed well as a second cereal.

Gleam has been a consistent hard Group 4 feed variety with high yield (102), but poor untreated yield (74). It suits all soil types and is a good as a first or second wheat.

KWS Extase is a Group 2 hard-milling variety with specific use in Scotland, with very good specific weight (78.4) and Hagberg figures. It has modest yield (98) but has attracted interest because of excellent untreated yield (93), stiff straw and early maturity (-1). It is susceptible to reduced seed set, with the risk likely to increase at exposed sites, or if grown north of the Lothians. It should not be sown early.

Winter barley variety choices

There has been really good progress in yield potential in some of the newer two and six-row winter barley options for Scotland.

Other agronomic traits are worth looking at too in the portraits – some carry specific weaknesses to key disease or differ markedly in standing strength. Early maturity can be important and we have also marked a few as doing particularly well on heavy soils.

Two-row feed varieties

KWS Hawking has intermediate yield (101) and good specific weight (68.7), but resistance to mildew is poor (5), whilst resistance to rhynchosporium and net blotch is intermediate (6). It has very good standing ability (8) and performs relatively well on heavy soils.

LG Mountain is very high yielding (105) with very good specific weight (69.4) and is currently the leading two-row. It has poor disease resistance (5) to mildew, rhyncho and net blotch, though it has good straw strength (7) and early maturing (-1). Performs well on heavier soils.

KWS Tardis is a new very high yielding variety (105) with very good specific weight (69.1), plus good resistance to rhyncho (7), but weak against mildew and net blotch (5). It has very stiff straw (8) and early maturity (-1). Limited data indicates top yields on heavier soils.

Bolton is a new variety with very high yield (105) and good specific weight (68.6). Intermediate resistance to mildew (6), but poor against rhyncho (5) and net blotch (5), though it has very good standing ability (8).

Bordeaux is very high yielding (104) with very good specific weight (69.9) and low screenings (5.5%). It has intermediate resistance to mildew (6) but is very weak to rhyncho and net blotch (4).

KWS Orwell is an established variety with intermediate yield (101) and specific weight (68.1), with intermediate resistance to rhyncho (6) but is weak against mildew (3) and net blotch (5). Has very stiff straw (8) and early maturity.

Valerie has intermediate yield (100) and excellent specific weight (70.0), but it has the best all-round grain and agronomic features among the two-row varieties, including relatively good untreated yield, with intermediate disease resistance (6). It has stiff straw (8) and early maturity.

KWS Tower has been a popular feed variety but is becoming outclassed for both treated untreated yield. It has intermediate specific weight (67.6), with very stiff straw (8) and early maturity (-1). Poor resistance to mildew (5) and rhyncho (5), and very poor against net blotch (4).

Six-row feed varieties

Funky is a conventional six-row with modest yield (104), but good specific weight (69.0). Screenings can be high (16.1), but it has good resistance to rhyncho (7) but is weak against mildew (5) and net blotch (5). Very stiff straw (8), and early maturity (-1) – performs well across different soil textures.

SY Kingston is a new hybrid with outstanding yield (108) and very good specific weight (69.7). Untreated yield is relatively good, with good mildew resistance (7) and intermediate ratings for rhyncho (6) and net blotch (6). Straw stiffness is towards good (7), but a good PGR programme is needed when lodging risk is high.

Belmont is an established hybrid variety with very high yield (107) and intermediate specific weight (68.7). Untreated yield is relatively poor, with weakness to mildew (5) and net blotch (5), though resistance to rhyncho is good (7). Straw stiffness is towards good (7), but a PGR programme is needed to reduce lodging risk.

SY Kingsbarn is 'the' hybrid with very high yield (107) and very good specific weight (69.7), and resistance to mildew is good (7), and intermediate to rhyncho (6), but weak to net blotch (5). Straw stiffness is towards good (7) but lodging high risk can be reduced with a PGR programme.

SY Thunderbolt is a new hybrid with high yield (107) and very good specific weight (69.6). Resistance to mildew is also very good (8), and intermediate to both rhyncho and net blotch (6). Straw stiffness is intermediate (6) and a robust PGR programme is needed.

Bazooka is another well-known hybrid with competitive yield (105) and very good specific weight (69.2). Resistance to mildew is weak (5) and intermediate to rhyncho (6) and net blotch (6). Straw stiffness is good (7), but a PGR programme will reduce risk.