Wheat variety Arlington gains full Group 1 milling approval

UK Flour Millers has said the winter wheat variety Arlington has been confirmed as a full Group 1 variety, 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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Dr Matt Kerton at breeder DSV UK says Arlington is a variety that perfectly 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, but also meet the high standards required by millers,” he says.

Arlington has the protein, gluten strength, water absorption and bake performance required of a true Group 1 wheat, he adds, while also bringing the agronomic resilience growers need.

Matt Kerton © Tim Scrivener

“Arlington has been bred to combine end-use quality with robust field performance, 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.”

Arlington has a milling specification protein content of 12.5%, Hagberg Falling Number of 309sec and specific weight of 78.9kg/hl. UK millers have also highlighted its strong gluten quality, high water absorption, excellent bake performance and good loaf volume.

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.

He points out that the variety has a low vernalisation requirement, giving growers flexibility around later drilling, while its short, stiff straw helps reduce lodging risk and protect yield through to harvest.