Recommended Lists: exceptional year for barley
It’s barley bonanza time as 16 new winter and spring varieties are added to the HGCA Recommended List for 2103-14.
The high number of barleys joining the Recommended List represents the step change that has occurred in barley yields, both in the malting and feed categories, says Simon Oxley, manager of the Recommended Lists.
“The varieties have all done very well and they deserve their recommendation,” he stresses. “It’s been an exceptional year for the barleys.”
Targets will go up after such a year, so the numbers of new ones will be far less in subsequent years, he continues. “There’s no cap on the number that we can recommend and it’s important the list reflects the tremendous breeding progress that’s been made. The industry will now decide which ones they can support.”
Of the seven new winter barley recommendations, four are potential malting types, continues Claire Osborne of HGCA.
“It’s early days for these,” she says. “Until the maltsters have given their verdict, it’s not known whether they will all be taken up.”
The highest yielding is Talisman, from Senova. At 102%, it is ahead of SY Venture on yield and has a better disease-resistance package.
“Talisman has good resistance to mildew and rhynchosporium, as well as resistance to barley mosaic virus,” says Mrs Osborne. “Importantly, it also offers early maturity.”
The other three malting types – KWS Joy, Mezmaar and Soloman – all have a yield of 100% and resistance to barley mosaic virus.
“The varieties have all done very well and they deserve their recommendation.”
Simon Oxley
“KWS Joy may need attention to Rhynchosporium and Mezmaar has weaker straw than the others. Soloman is another to offer the early maturity,” she says.
Three new winter feed barleys have been added this year, but only one of them has a UK recommendation.
KWS Glacier, which is highlighted by Dr Oxley for its very high yields, joins the list with a yield of 107%. “It’s a big improvement over existing choices and has done well in all regions,” he says.
With stiff straw and a specific weight of 69.9kg/hl, KWS Glacier looks set to continue the KWS domination of the winter feed barley market, where it will join top-selling choice, KWS Cassia.
Matros and California, both from Limagrain, join the list with an east and a west recommendation respectively.
Both varieties were deferred from last year, but have given good yields this year. Matros has tall, stiff straw and good resistance to mildew, brown rust and rhynchosporium, but is without barley mosaic virus resistance.
California, which is recommended for the West, has good resistance to rhynchosporium and net blotch.
Of the nine new spring barley varieties achieving recommendation, the highest yielding is the new malting type from Syngenta, Sanette, at 109%.
“Sanette has potential for brewing,” says Mrs Osborne. “It has very good yields, both treated and untreated, and shows good resistance to disease, with the exception of brown rust.”
Farewell
Three winter barleys and two spring varieties were removed from the list. Element, Pelican and Purdey took their leave from the winter barley list, while Oxbride and Summit went from the spring types.
The other new malting variety, Glassel, which is under test for malt distilling, also comes from Syngenta. With a yield of 103%, it has good lodging resistance.
In the spring barley feed sector, seven new varieties make their debut. Yield is their main feature, with Tesla, Crooner and KWS Orphelia all having the highest figure of 106%. However, none of them outyields the malting type Sanette, which is 3% higher.
Kelim, which has a yield of 105%, has the best lodging resistance, while Tesla, KWS Orphelia and Rhynchostar all have good resistance to rhynchosporium.
Other new names include Natasia and Montoya. “They all show good resistance to mildew, but moderate resistance to brown rust,” concludes Ms Osborne.
Spring malting variety Sanette catches the eye, with high yields and solid disease resistance.
Ramularia ratings
Resistance ratings for ramularia appear on the spring barley Recommended List for the first time this year, reveals Dr Oxley.
The ratings, which vary from 3 to 8, will help growers to pick out varietal differences, following their observation in the field over the past few seasons, he says.
“Newly recommended Sanette shows good resistance to the disease and gets an 8.”
The new ratings are a result of ongoing development of the lists, he says. “Fusarium ear blight ratings have been included in the spring wheat list.”
