Genetic tolerance to barley yellow dwarf virus could become a standard feature of UK winter barley to protect yields while reducing reliance on insecticides.
Strong results for new two-row winter barley LG Catapult suggest BYDV tolerance can be delivered without sacrificing yield. The trait could become increasingly important as milder winters favour aphid survival and green schemes encourage lower insecticide use.
Provisional AHDB harvest results published in late July put LG Catapult at 105% of control varieties. It yielded close to conventional two-row feeds LG Capitol and LG Caravelle. It also recorded the highest yield in fungicide-untreated trials, at 116%.
“Although more results are still to come in, it’s clear that LG Catapult has done really well, in what has been another challenging season,” says Limagrain Field Seeds arable technical manager Ron Granger.
Rising pressure
The results follow a mild, wet winter in 2025/26, which increased aphid activity. Reports of BYDV in wheat and barley followed across the country this spring. Prolems were initially thought to be concentrated in the southeast and west. But Mr Granger believes the trial results suggest pressure may have been more widespread and sometimes went unnoticed.
“I think people underestimate the impact that BYDV can have, as you only need a small amount of virus to pull yields down,” he says. “When you have a high pressure year for BYDV, such as 2026, the value of tolerance in a variety like LG Catapult really comes to the fore.”
That proposition has been tested commercially by Lincolnshire farmer Ben Bateman, of B Bush & Sons Ltd, near Boston. The 2,400ha business grew 130ha of LG Catapult this season, including 25ha for seed. The farm first tried a small area last year. This season, its main 92ha block was grown near Lincoln.
Mr Bateman says neighbouring barley crops showed signs of BYDV during the spring, while LG Catapult appeared unaffected. No insecticides were applied because the land was entered into the Sustainable Farming Incentive no-insecticide option.
“In this region, we used to get cold, dry winters that would kill aphids off, but that doesn’t seem to happen anymore, with mild and wet conditions increasingly becoming the norm,” he says. “That means aphids – and the associated virus risk – are becoming a bigger threat, so if we can grow a variety that has tolerance, with no yield penalty, it’s a no-brainer. It’s another tool we can use to help de-risk the business, while reducing our environmental impact.”
Farm results
The commercial crop was drilled from late September into the first week of October. It followed wheat as a second cereal on average Grade 3 land. Despite the dry growing season, it yielded 8.6t/ha and produced a good grain sample.
Mr Bateman believes winter barley also benefited from its earlier maturity. A second wheat crop on the same land could have senesced prematurely and produced a poorer specific weight because of the lack of rainfall, he says. Spring cropping presents another risk. “With spring barley becoming more risky in dry springs, it makes sense for us to go for a high-yielding winter barley instead, especially if there’s a local demand for it nearby, as we have here.”
The business also grew 14ha of Recommended List Candidate LG Caprice, another BYDV-tolerant variety. Yields approached 10t/ha. Those results mean the farm plans to continue growing BYDV-tolerant varieties next season.
Wider adoption
Mr Granger believes the performance of LG Catapult demonstrates that breeders can introduce BYDV tolerance into two-row winter barley without compromising commercial performance. That matters because genetic resistance must compete with established varieties on yield and agronomic characteristics if growers are to adopt it widely.
LG Catapult combines BYDV tolerance with strong disease resistance, particularly against brown rust and mildew. It has a specific weight of 70.7kg/hl and good straw strength. Its relatively early maturity is similar to LG Caravelle. The variety suits several soil types, although heavier soils are preferred. Limagrain also says its performance remains consistent in seasons when BYDV pressure is low.
Mr Granger believes tolerance could become standard in UK winter barley varieties – similar to some other ountries. The economic argument will depend on varieties retaining their competitiveness in seasons when virus pressure is limited. Growers are unlikely to accept a substantial yield penalty simply to insure against BYDV.