Breeder sees three new entrants on Recommended List

Three new cereal varieties from KWS have made it on to the HGCA Recommended List.

Wheat varieties Sterling and Conqueror were joined by two-row barley variety Cassia when the official list was unveiled last month.

Group 2 variety KWS Sterling joins the new Recommended List as the highest yielding breadmaker.

At 102% of controls, it stands some 4% ahead of Cordiale and Einstein, and just ahead of Panorama in Official Trials.

Agronomically, KWS Sterling is short and very stiff strawed. It also has good disease resistance ratings including a 9 for yellow rust.

KWS trials suggest it may be a good second wheat.

Andrew Newby, KWS commercial director, said the variety had attracted miller interest at an early stage.

“This was reinforced by the subsequent release of 60t of KWS Sterling to an interested end-user in the final year of trial.

Meanwhile, Conqueror takes second slot for wheat yield.

At 105% of controls, it joins the new UK Recommended List just 1% behind farm favourite Oakley and 2% ahead of any other hard feed wheat.

Cereal product manager Keith Best said Conqueror had performed well in the mainstream wheat area of Eastern England, with yields on a par with Oakley.

Its inclusion on the list came as no surprise, he added.

“Its stronger resistance ratings to yellow rust – particularly at the mature plant stage – make it the ideal foil to Oakley for those who are looking for the highest possible feed wheat yields.”

Conqueror will, like Oakley, respond to the high input regimes that feed wheat growers are adept at delivering,  and, backed by a high 8-rating for lodging resistance with PGRs, should deliver some very high gross outputs.

Barley variety Cassia joins the Recommended List as joint top yielding two-row but with bolder grain and stiffer straw than its competitor.

It is said to be similar in grain characteristics to its sister variety Saffron, currently the UK’s favourite winter barley.

Agronomically, Cassia has a strong disease resistance package with good resistance to net blotch and the rusts.

With a rating of 4 for Rhynchosporium, this disease would need to be managed, said Mr Best.

“Feed barleys of the calibre of KWS Cassia can provide growers with a much needed alternative to second wheats, easing workloads and providing an ideal entry to the following rape crop.”