Cereals 2026: Milling wheat offers premiums with lower inputs

Lincolnshire seed merchant Cope launched its new winter wheat variety at the Cereals 2026, offering growers an opportunity to earn milling premiums without the high inputs.

The new variety Chessum is a practical option for modern arable rotations, combining strong performance with high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and grain quality potential, says the company.

As growers continue to focus closely on margins and input efficiency, Gemma Clarke from Cope says varieties capable of delivering output with lower nitrogen requirements are becoming increasingly important.

See also: Norfolk grower’s verdict on new high-protein milling wheat Vibe

It combines a strong disease profile, including resistance to yellow rust and septoria, and premium potential with early miller backing, including acceptance by Heygates and growing interest across the trade.

Chessum has already attracted attention from farmers looking to maintain protein and performance while managing input costs more carefully.

Lincolnshire grower Colin Chappell, who is growing Chessum, says the variety fits closely with his approach to crop management.

“Chessum follows the ethos of how I like to grow my crops,” he says.

“I don’t like to feed my crops with a lot of nitrogen and, like Nelson winter wheat, you can put in lower amounts of N and still get a usable crop in terms of protein.”

Variety scrutiny

Gemma says the launch reflects increasing demand from growers for varieties that deliver both agronomic and economic performance.

“Growers are scrutinising every input much more carefully, particularly nitrogen,” she says.

“Chessum is a variety that offers strong all-round performance while fitting into a more efficient approach to crop management. That balance is becoming increasingly valuable.”

Chessum is a Cope exclusive variety introduced to the UK, sourced from renowned French breeder Lamaire Deffontaines.