AHDB’s online edition of the Recommended Lists for cereals and oilseeds (RL) 2021/22 features major changes to wheat rust disease-resistance ratings.
Launched today (30 November 2020), the edition also sees the introduction of new disease ratings for winter rye (brown rust) and winter triticale (yellow rust).
Offering a rich mixture of broad-appeal and niche varieties, the new RL acts as a foundation for integrated pest management (IPM) and brings opportunities for a wide range of markets.
Paul Gosling, who manages the RL at AHDB, said: “The wheat brown rust and yellow ratings are now weighted, so the most recent years’ results have the largest influence on the rating. This approach makes the rating more sensitive to changes in rust populations, while still building on a valuable three-year data set.
“For wheat yellow rust and spring oat mildew, we have also changed the way we calculate disease ratings, relative to our susceptible and resistant variety fixed points. This ‘reset’ means, compared with the previous edition, the same amount of disease will result in a lower rating score. For rust, some varieties have dropped by as much as three rating points. We stress this is largely due to the way we calculate the ratings, rather than an indication of a major shift in rust races in 2020.”
The RL sees five new Group 3 biscuit winter wheats added, some with potential for distilling and export. Two new hard Group 4s provide extra options for growers, including one that brings a specific recommendation for resistance to Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) to the RL for the first time. A new soft Group 4 variety with excellent distilling quality also features for the North region.
Five new feed varieties feature on the list for winter barley. Three new two-row varieties offer improved yield, as well as good agronomics and quality. Two new six-row varieties offer better disease resistance and untreated yields, combined with good quality characteristics.
The two new spring barley varieties bring welcome advances. One is under test for brewing and potentially offers large yield increases over the current market leaders. The other, a feed barley, delivers strong yield and good overall agronomics.
For the first time, the winter oilseed rape list includes pod-shatter resistance data. The five new varieties, all hybrids, bring modest improvements in yield and disease resistance, compared with established varieties. Although most carry recommendation for the East/West region, a new recommendation for the UK offers particularly strong yields for the North region.
The RL 2021/22, which sees the addition of 21 and the removal of 25 varieties, can be accessed online. The print edition will be available later this winter. The RL web pages also feature details of the new disease-rating approach.
