Yield is king again for latest wheats

Output and gross margin are priorities for breeder

Cereal genetics that maximise productivity are becoming increasingly important for plant breeders keen to help growers boost profitability.

Recent years have seen enhanced functionality added to crop options but high yields are also a priority – and the latest KWS varieties more than prove this, says Kate Cobbold, the breeder’s UK head of product and agro-services.

KWS saw eight new wheats added to the latest Recommended List – with top placings in all the key groups as well as in conventional and hybrid barleys. It shows that yield is once again king for growers, says Ms Cobbold.

The KWS Sowing for Peak Performance initiative of the last ten years or so which has put the emphasis on qualities such as overall resilience, disease resistance, field performance and consistency of production.

This saw varieties with good disease resistance and production reliability establish themselves as the UK’s most widely grown wheats in recent times. They include Group 2 KWS Extase and Group 4 all-rounder KWS Dawsum.

Productivity priority

But nothing stands still and a new set of criteria is starting to influence UK production needs – which is precisely the thinking behind the latest KWS Productivity Squared initiative.

Productivity Squared builds on Sowing for Peak Performance to put a variety’s ability to deliver the best gross margin centre stage of the decision-making progress.

“While output is a fundamental part of the productivity equation, so too is the cost of production, says Ms Cobbold. So, while yield dictates the top line in terms of revenue earned, cost of inputs is key in determining the final gross margin/ha.

“A variety that is more robust and requires less agronomic intervention will be able to contribute more to the bottom line than one that is needy and requires significant expenditure to deliver its full potential.

“That’s where disease resistance and resilience comes in, but marketability is important too. Being able to achieve premiums for your production adds markedly to the top line of the productivity equation.”

KWS wheat product manager Olivia Bacon says the diversification of the KWS wheat portfolio for 2025 offers growers more choice and, importantly, varieties that meet the production demands of growers.

“Group 1 new KWS Vibe, for example, brings the highest overall protein production to help growers maximise margins together with a comprehensive agronomic package.

“KWS Vibe brings genuinely improved performance to a sector that has had few new additions in recent years. We believe KWS Vibe is the new ‘protein banker’ for the UK with the best combination of yield and protein of all varieties – but with a much better plant package than previous varieties.”

Disease resistance

In Group 2, the three top spots are taken by KWS Arnie, KWS Equipe and KWS Newbie – building on KWS Extase’s legacy of high yields, good milling potential and strong disease resistance, says Ms Bacon.

“KWS Arnie is the new Group 2 leader with a yield some 4% points ahead of KWS Extase at 106% of control – making it comparable to the best Group 4s, together with the additional benefits of 7s for both yellow rust and septoria resistance.

“KWS Equipe takes second spot in Group 2 at 103% of treated controls plus it has the highest untreated yield of all varieties on the new RL at 92% while KWS Newbie delivers excellent first and second wheat yields.

“Group 3 additions KWS Solitaire, the Group’s new highest yielder, and KWS Flute are definite ‘disrupters’ with the potential to serve all market opportunities be they distilling, export, feed or biscuits.

“Like Group 2, Group 3 is also evolving with these new genetics providing a range of opportunities for growers that would not have been possible just a few years ago.”

Top performer

In Group 4, where KWS Dawsum’s reliability and strength have made it the UK’s most popular wheat by area in recent years, KWS Scope tops the Group and the new Recommended List overall with a yield of 108% of control for the UK as a whole, she adds.

“That rises to 111% in the west region so it’s a true yield monster with the type of agronomic foundation that allows this performance to be delivered across the country plus it has a specific weight significantly higher than the next highest yielder on the list.

“A 7 for yellow rust, a 6 for brown rust and a 6.5 for Septoria tritici resistance give KWS Scope similar agronomics to KWS Dawsum with its specific weight of 78.9 kg/hl right up there too.”