KWS has six new high yielding wheats joining the 2022/23 AHDB Recommended List covering all four key Groups with a mix of spring and winter sowing varieties.
The additions join eight established KWS varieties taking the total number of the company’s wheats on the new RL to 14, says the company’s Dr. Kirsty Richards.
“It’s a real testament to the hard work of our UK-based breeding team and will be of immense benefit to UK growers to have such a diverse range of new and established genetics at their disposal for 2022.
“From a new spring-sown Group 1 premium milling specification variety to a high yielding Group 4 with an outstanding specific weight and untreated performance levels, we’re bringing an enhanced range of functional traits and marketing opportunities to UK growers.
“Whilst yield has always been a priority in recent years, our ‘Sowing for Peak Performance’ (SPP) thinking has put more emphasis on other features such as disease resistance, grain quality and later-drilling capability to help growers meet the challenges of the future.
“Our new RL additions show these qualities in abundance, giving growers genuine choice when it comes to finding the varieties that match their markets, growing conditions and production aspirations as closely as possible.”
Group 4 – KWS Dawsum and KWS Fixum
KWS Dawsum is a new Group 4 hard feed wheat with a yield potential 104% of control and an outstanding specific weight of 79.4kg/hl which will be of real interest to many growers following the poor specific weights of 2021, Kirsty Richards says.
“KWS Dawsum’s treated yield is pretty spectacular but it also has an untreated yield of 92% of control so it’s going to appeal to a wide range of growers with different production systems.
“This is underpinned by resistance scores of 9 for yellow rust, an 8 for mildew and a 7 for brown rust.
“Robust genetics ensure KWS Dawsum delivers to its full potential across the rotation regardless of heavy or light soil, early of later drilling and whether it’s in a first or second wheat slot. It’s a real work horse with short, stiff straw further adding to its reliability.”
KWS Fixum is another Group 4 addition in the shape of a spring-sown variety 3% higher yielding than the current highest yielding commercialised spring wheat, she points out.
“KWS Fixum is 14% higher yielding than Mulika when spring-sown with good performance in the late autumn slot, too.
“Agronomically, it’s difficult to see any weaknesses with an 8 for mildew, a 7 for yellow rust and an 8 for brown rust resistance.
“It’s a great ‘banker’ for any wheat portfolio with the combination of its flexibility and yield potential supported by early maturity and short, very stiff straw.”
Group 3 – KWS Guium and Brium
In Group 3, KWS Guium and KWS Brium have strong yields, good physical grain quality and potential for distilling with specific agronomic properties suiting them to different production scenarios, Kirsty Richards says.
“KWS Guium has excellent yield potential at 102% of control, is particularly strong in the Eastern biscuit growing regions and performs well in the popular second wheat slot, delivering excellent performance when later sown.
“Agronomically, it gets a 9 for yellow rust resistance and is orange wheat blossom midge (OWBM) resistant with medium height and stiff straw.
“Grain quality is better than many other Group 3s at 255 HFN and a specific weight of 78.1 kg/hl.”
KWS Brium is a slightly earlier maturing, slightly taller Group 3 than KWS Guium but its stiff straw ensures safe combining after other varieties have finished, which can help spread workloads significantly at harvest, she adds.
“Importantly KWS Brium brings non-Cougar septoria resistance combined with high yield to Group 3. Only KWS Barrel and Elicit have non-Cougar resistance at the moment and both these have out-dated yields.
“With yield at 100% of control for the UK and good performance in the East and North, it’s ideal as a second wheat with late-drilling potential supported by good mildew resistance at 7 and yellow rust resistance at 9.
“Grain quality is similar to KWS Guium and superior to many other Group 3s at 268 HFN with a specific weight of 77.3 kg/hl. It also has the potential to capture added value distilling markets.”
Group 2 – KWS Palladium
KWS Palladium brings high yields and strong disease resistance to Group 2, she adds.
“KWS Palladium has a three-year septoria resistance of 7.4 combined with a 9 for yellow rust and an 8 for mildew to give an untreated yield 90% of the treated control – just 3% behind the class leader KWS Extase.
“Its untreated yield is significantly better than all other comparative varieties with particularly strong performance in the West and when in the second wheat position, where 60% of milling wheats are sown.
“Quality-wise it’s got a specific weight of 76.9kg/hl, an HFN of 315 and a milling protein level of 13.1%, so it’s perfect for a range of baking uses with good gluten strength and loaf volume.
“It’s another short, stiff-strawed variety with an early harvest giving real security for producers whether they are growing this high quality wheat with the benefit of a full agronomic programme or going down a lower input route.”
Group 1 – KWS Ladum
One of the best examples of SPP thinking in action is the introduction of the spring-sown KWS Ladum as a full-specification Group 1 milling wheat, Kirsty Richards says.
“Against the backdrop of a shortage of Group 1 varieties coming forward in recent years, KWS Ladum combines excellent physical grain quality, including a specific weight of 78.0kg/hl, with a yield 8% higher than Mulika when sown in the spring slot.
“It performs well when late autumn sown, too, protected by a septoria resistance of 7 and a mildew resistance of 8 allied to early maturity plus short, very stiff straw.
“Good gluten quality and loaf volume conclude an optimum milling specification that also features a very high HFN of 324, a specific weight of 78.0kg/hl and a protein content of 13.2%.
”High yields combined with a high protein content and an overall specification that performs well for millers mean KWS Ladum takes Group 1 spring wheat to the next level.”
