The new six-row hybrid barley variety from Syngenta promises consistently high yields, good disease resistance and a comparable quality to conventional two row varieties.

Kingsbarn, which is officially launched to the market this autumn after a limited amount of seed was available to growers last year, is the third-highest yielding variety on the AHDB Recommended List.

“The top six varieties on the recommended list are hybrids; we have worked hard at the breeding programme to deliver that yield,” says Syngenta’s seeds marketing manager for hybrid barley, Mark Bullen.

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Kingsbarn is achieving a UK treated yield of 108% compared with control, just behind the leading two hybrid varieties, Belmont, and the second newest variety Baracooda – with both achieving 109%.

While hybrids are known for their yields, quality has been more elusive.

However, with a specific weight of 69.9kg/hl and low screenings, newer varieties like Kingsbarn are achieving the quality. 

“There has been a perception that hybrids have a poor specific weight. If you go back to 2004 and look at the average specific weight, it would be fair to say that it was poorer,” says Mr Bullen.

“Since 2005, we’ve worked on the platform of yield but also on the quality; this year they are now comparable.”

Reliability

Kingsbarn has also proved itself to be a reliable variety for quality, even in difficult years such as 2016, when it achieved more of its expected quality than other varieties in the Recommended List trials.

Mr Bullen says Kingsbarn is a step on from Syngenta’s current number-one leading hybrid variety by hectares grown, Bazooka.

Like Bazooka, this new variety offers great blackgrass suppression when sown at between 250-275 seeds/sq m.

Following hybrid barley’s success in suppressing blackgrass, Syngenta have been trialling its effects on other problematic grassweeds.

One year of trials has shown that it has a similar effect of brome, although must be used as part of an integrated approach.

The company also plans to conduct trials looking at ryegrass.