Cereals 2013: New red wheat available for the bread bin
A new red spring wheat named Barlow offers 30% more yield than its predecessor AC Barrie, said seed supplier Premium Crops.
The variety is being grown on contract for Hovis and one other miller this year, said group director Andrew Probert, who added that it has very similar height and disease resistance to its stablemate.
“Where it differs from AC Barrie is that it is a bearded wheat,” he added.
The variety can be sown from mid-March to mid-April and will need plant growth regulator treatment (PGR) to strengthen the straw, he added.
“Just like other red wheats, it needs a full PGR programme,” Mr Probert said.
The red wheat harvest is usually two weeks ahead of UK spring milling wheat varieties and yields will be about 5t/ha, he predicted.
“We also have another red wheat variety, Infinity, which gives an extra 10% yield when compared to AC Barrie,” he added.
