Throughout harvest 2025, we are updating our handy interactive map with the latest data from the AHDB’s winter barley Recommended List harvest results.

Use the map below to find the five highest-yielding winter barley varieties at your nearest AHDB Recommended List trials site.

See also: Last year’s 5 top-yielding winter barley varieties

Winter barley summary

The harvest results from 14 of 16 fungicide-treated AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) winter barley trials have been published with the 2025 average yield at 9.80 t/ha, just 0.05 t/ha above the five-year average. The remaining trial in Dorset requires further investigation and will be published at a later date if it proves to be valid. One trial was rejected for yield after harvest due high variability within the trial. 

Varieties

In the fungicide-treated trials the two-rows have done very well. Caravelle and Capitol are highest yielding on 106%, with the six-row hybrid Kingsbarn is also on 106%.

Hybrid six-row varieties, newly recommended Quantock, Canyon and newly recommended Inys are all on 105%, alongside newly recommended two-row variety for the North Rosemary.

Six-row conventional BYDV tolerant variety Feeris has had a very good 2025 and sits, along with BYDV tolerant two-row Carpenter, which is only recommended for the East and West regions, on 104%. Other varieties with BYDV tolerance or resistance are two-row Organa (103%) six-row conventional Integral (103%) six-row hybrid Kestrel (102%) and Sixy (102%).

Other newly recommended two-row varieties have generally underperformed in 2025, falling below their five-year average. The highest yielding two-row variety in fungicide-treated trials on the current RL, Valencis is on 104%. Heraclis is on 103%, Arion, which is only recommended for the East and North regions is on 102%, along with Olena and Russo, recommended just for the East region.

Kitty is on 101%, but its resistance to barley yellow mosaic virus strain 2 (BaYMV2) and its very high specific weight will make it of particular interest to some growers.

Two-row malting varieties are in line with their five-year average yields, with Buccaneer on 97% and Craft 93% with Electrum on 95%. 

• Updated 28 August 2025