Recommended List Commentary From KWS UK

The outstanding performance in this year’s UK Recommended List trials has undoubtedly come from Oakley. 

At 108% of controls it is now the highest yielding variety available.  No newcomer could match it, let alone beat it.

According to KWS UK it was its strong tillering characteristics backed by an ability to continue to fill grain despite a typically dull UK summer that gave Oakley an edge.

As a result, it is now joint or top-performer for yield in the East and West Regions and was only pipped by one variety in the North.  Indeed it topped 15 out of 29 treated CEL trials last year.

TAG trials confirm that this was not a one off.  Here too the variety was top-performer, reports KWS UK commercial director, Andrew Newby.

“While Oakley may have produced the mammoth yield promised in its advertising campaign, for those looking for even higher yields in the higher risk early September drilling slot, Humber should be first choice,” he suggests

“With good winter dormancy, late primordia development and medium maturity, Humber is an ideal variety for early sowing.  

“Combine this with short, very stiff straw and a uniform tillering characteristic with a lack of primary tiller dominance and Humber is a low risk, easy variety to manage in this slot.

Humber combines these benefits with excellent eyespot resistance, an increasing problem in early sown wheat and a real plus point for the increasing area of second wheats we are seeing.

“Take it out of this early drill slot and Humber also has a role to play for those looking for a no-nonsense, low risk variety for drilling right through to December,” says Mr Newby.  “Here, Humber couldn’t be more straightforward.”

KWS UK suggests that the one to watch for next year is Viscount.  “The UK milling industry is looking for the next step forward in the Group 3 soft sector, and Viscount could be just what they need,” says Andrew Newby.

In NL2 trials, Viscount is the highest yielding potential Group 3 in trials across the UK.  Combine this with excellent agronomic characteristics and wheat orange blossom midge resistance and it’ll come as no surprise that KWS UK is fast-tracking multiplication.

 

Malting First

While best know for its big bold-grained feeds, such as Saffron, KWS UK now has a very high yielding potential winter malting barley to introduce.

As the highest yielding malting potential variety on the new Recommended List, Wintmalt, from the KWS Lochow breeding programme, is under IBD evaluation.

According to Andrew Newby it looks to have good malting characteristics and comes to the market at a time when the industry needs a new winter malter.

“IBD have done early testing of Wintmalt and confirmed that it has similar quality to the other malting varieties already on the list,” he says.

“In addition, it has been listed in Germany as a malting quality variety and is already in EBC trials in the Northern and Central regions.

“Furthermore, testing of this variety by Soufflet, Malt Europ, Cargill, DMG, Global Malt VLB and Viking Malt across Europe is confirming the suitability for Wintmalt in a number of countries.

A key characteristic is Wintmalt’s BaYMV resistance.  But Wintmalt is also short, has stiff straw and excellent resistance to Rhynchosporium and net blotch.