High yield underlines strong year for winter wheat variety

• Good yield and disease resistance

• Consistent both in trials and on farm

• Performs well over different regions

A recommended list yield of 107% of controls underlines a highly successful year for winter wheat DSV Champion, says the plant breeder.

Despite 2024’s challenging conditions, DSV Champion performed well in both official trials and on-farm, says DSV UK’s Sarah Hawthorne.

“In real terms, DSV Champion is just 0.6% behind the new hard Group 4 leader but with a higher untreated yield, better yellow rust and septoria resistances – plus it is the equal second highest yielding winter wheat on the new Recommended List overall.

“That’s a really strong performance considering it made its debut on the list two years ago and this year there were ten new winter wheats joining the list.”

World record

With an incredible yield of 17.96t/ha, DSV Champion remains the unbeaten Guinness world record holder for winter wheat, says Ms Hawthorne. It was also the highest yielding variety in AHDB harvest results in 2024.

It’s a proven performer across different regions, growing slots and soil types plus it has shown remarkable consistency in AHDB trials over the last five years, achieving a yield of 111% of controls in 2024.

In the new RL, DSV Champion achieves a yield of 107% in both first and second wheat positions, 108% and 106% on the early and later sown drilling slots respectively and 106% and 108% respectively on light and heavy soils. “It’s a true all-rounder.”

On the agronomic front, DSV Champion scores for yellow rust (8)and septoria (7.6) contribute to an untreated yield of 86%. “This makes it ideal for a number of different production systems – from high input to regenerative.”

Solid performer

DSV Oxford has also done well with its yield of 104% of controls for the UK overall and 105% in the west region giving it a top five placing in the new RL’s Hard Group 4, says Ms Hawthorne.

“It’s a solid performer with a 9 for yellow rust resistance and a 6 for brown rust resistance giving it a sound agronomic foundation plus it performs strongly in the first or second wheat slot.

“DSV Oxford delivers reliable yields on light and heavy soils alike and can be early or late sown with a latest safe drilling date of mid-February. Untreated yield is the same as DSV Champion’s at a respectable 86%.”

New winter and spring oilseed rape additions

Hybrid oilseed rape DSV Cromputer joins DSV Crocodile in the clubroot resistant section of the recommended list.

“DSV Cromputer is the latest in our long line of clubroot varieties helping to bridge the gap between club protected and normal varieties and in many cases is outyielding them, says Sarah Hawthorne (pictured left).

“It’s a high vigour variety which is fast to establish and produces tall plants with a compact canopy, which is combined with TuYV (Turnip Yellow Virus) protection and improved stem canker resistance.”

Later flowering than its competitors, DSV Cromputer offers growers the ability to split the work load with spring sprays and lower risk the risk from frost damage.

Strong yielding with a gross UK output of 98% – rising to 99% for the East/West region – the variety scores well for oil content (45.5%), light leaf spot (6),  stem canker (5) and moderate verticillium wilt resistance.

DSV Cocktail joins the AHDB Descriptive List for Spring oilseed rape alongside the company’s other varieties Lakritz, Lumen, Contra, Crazy and Loparello.

“Out of seven varieties on the new DL for spring oilseed rape, six are from DSV with yields as high as 103% of controls and three varieties being Clearfield too,” says Ms Hawthorne.

“With the addition of DSV Cocktail, we now have a range high gross margin options for spring oilseed rape across the full range of production scenarios.”