Wheat variety Arlington gains full Group 1 milling approval

UK Flour Millers has given winter wheat variety Arlington full Group 1 approval, offering growers a new high-performing milling option for the coming season.

Arlington joined the AHDB Recommended List (RL) in December 2025 as a provisional Group 1 variety with good disease resistance scores and an untreated yield of 94%.

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UK Flour Millers head of technical and regulatory affairs Joe Brennan says: “Over the three years of testing, it has showed a strong gluten quality and consistent breadmaking ­performance.”

Arlington follows the recent additions of Cheer and Vibe to the Recommended List, meaning growers have choice across a range of new Group 1 varieties, he adds.

Matt Kerton © Tim Scrivener

Dr Matt Kerton, breeder at DSV UK, says Arlington is a variety that balances strong yield, top-tier baking performance and excellent agronomic traits, and has the second-highest untreated yield on the entire RL.

“Our breeding programme is focused on delivering varieties that perform well for farmers in the field and meet the high standards required by millers.

Matt highlights that Arlington delivers a UK treated yield of 99% of controls, just 1% behind the current Group 1 benchmark in AHDB data.

“It is also the highest-yielding Group 1 in the East region and the highest-yielding second wheat in the category.”

The variety has a milling specification protein content of 12.5%, Hagberg Falling Number of 309sec and specific weight of 78.9kg/hl.

However, UK Flour Millers has highlighted that due to potentially high yields for this Group 1 variety, nitrogen applications may need to be adjusted to achieve milling protein specifications.

Matt says the variety should feel familiar to growers with experience of Skyfall, while offering a more modern performance profile.

Arlington is agronomically very similar to Skyfall, but it brings stronger untreated performance and a valuable disease package, particularly when it comes to septoria and yellow rust, rated 7 for both.

“It also features resistance to orange wheat blossom midge – one of only two varieties to have this in Group 1 – and carries PCH1 resistance to eyespot,” Matt says.