Results from the northern HGCA Recommended List wheat trials have brought national yields for this season closer to the five-year mean with harvesting completed.

But 2010 yields are still 0.6t/ha down on the over-years mean, Bill Handley, HGCA RL manager says.

“In general, it seems the heavier land yields are possibly the more disappointing, particularly in the south, where they don’t appear to have to reached their potential.”

Second-wheat yields were also generally quite disappointing, but variable, ranging from 4t/ha to a respectable 9t/ha.

Early maturing varieties, such as Cordiale, Grafton and Gallant, have slightly under-performed this season compared with their long-term averages and later maturing varieties.

“It could be that they didn’t have time to finish as well when the rain did come.”

None of the candidate varieties appears to be a huge leap forward in yield, although the hard feed wheat KWS Santiago takes over as the top-yielding variety by 1% over Oakley and Conqueror. “But its disease resistance is not that eye-catching, with fours for septoria and eyespot.”

Cocoon, Tuxedo and KWS Target, all soft wheats with Group 3 potential, are around the level of Invicta in yield. “But it will be important what the millers say about whether they are biscuit wheats.”

The same would apply for KWS Podium – as a Group 2 its yield is a little behind the top yielders in the category, but it does have orange wheat blossom midge resistance, which no other quality wheat, with the exception of Qplus, has, Mr Handley points out.