Cereals supplier KWS has added five new high-yielding cereals and an oilseed rape to the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board 2018 Recommended List (RL).

KWS said it had marked “another outstanding year in variety development” with three new winter wheats, two winter barleys and an oilseed rape added to the AHDB 2017-18 Recommended List.

KWS UK, based at Thriplow, near Cambridge, is a supplier of new cereal varieties to UK agriculture.

KWS said it added the highest-yielding varieties to the Group 2 and 3 sectors last year, and will this year add the highest-yielding varieties in the Group 1 and Group 4 sectors:

  • KWS Zyatt has been recommended as a Group 1 bread-making wheat that combines high yields with “outstanding” grain quality and good all-round disease scores. The initial recommendation is provisional and is expected to be confirmed in spring 2017 following commercial milling tests by Nabim.
  • KWS Kerrin is the highest-yielding Group 4 variety to be added to the RL. A KWS Santiago cross, it takes yields on a step from its parent, said the supplier, and has an “exceptional” performance in the east.
  • KWS Hardwicke is a Group 4 soft wheat suited to distilling, Hardwicke is one of the shortest varieties (80cm) on the RL.

In Winter Barley, at 107% of controls, Funky is the highest-yielding inbred six-row to be added to the 2017-18 RL, said KWS, and is just 2% behind the highest-yielding hybrid.

“It does well across all regions and soil types, has demonstrated stiff straw and is quicker to reach ear emergence than its two-row counterparts, such as KWS Tower,” added KWS barley breeder David Harrap (pictured).

The second winter barley from KWS to be added to the RL is KWS Creswell, a two-row feed. KWS Creswell has been added to the RL for the north where it is the highest-yielding two-row at 106% of controls, 2% higher-yielding than any other two-row.

In Oilseed Rape, Flamingo is a conventional variety with east and west recommendation. It offers high treated seed yields, exceptional oil content and good disease resistance. A UK gross output of 108.5% of controls means it is the second-highest yielding variety on the RL and the highest-yielding candidate to be added to the list this year.

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