The 2022 AHDB Barley Candidate List shows two new exciting sparring partners, LG Caravelle and LG Campus.
Winter Barley
LG Caravelle is an extremely high yielding variety (107% of control – UK), which is comparable to leading hybrids. Boasting an untreated yield of 90% puts it above all Candidate Control varieties. Its sucker punch at 71.0 kg/hl, will make competitors take notice, along with its excellent disease resistance combination of 7 for Mildew, 7 for Brown Rust and 7 for Rhynchosporium. With early maturity (0) and stiff straw, it looks like the variety that can go the distance.
Ron Granger, LG’s arable technical manager says “LG Caravelle shows the excellent work breeders are doing, by getting 2-row varieties to compete with hybrids. I am very excited by the prospect of LG Caravelle.” LG Campus also boasts a high yield (104% of Control – UK) above that of Control varieties. Slightly taller than stablemate LG Caravelle, it shows a good pedigree in the ring. With good consistency of performance across regions and a disease package of 7 for Brown Rust and 7 for Rhynchosporium, it looks to have strong credentials. Growers should watch closely the performance of both LG Caravelle and LG Campus this summer; both look to be exciting contenders in the winter barley market for the future.
Winter Wheat
For winter wheat, the new prize-fighter is LG Redwald – a Group 4 soft variety, with a parentage of LG Sundance x Generation. The future for the variety looks promising, with a treated UK yield of 106% of Control (untreated 88%), rising to 108% in the east and 107% in the west, showing it could be a real heavy weight!
A taller variety (95cm), with good straw strength and a later maturity (+2), LG Redwald also possesses a good disease resistance profile, with 7 for Yellow Rust, Brown Rust and Mildew, 6.4 for Septoria Tritici and OWBM resistance. Rated as neutral for distilling (the same as market leading LG Skyscraper), gives LG Redwald good end market potential. It also has an acceptable grain quality for a feed wheat, at 74 kg/hl.
LG Redwald is a high tillering, big biomass type so has potential for whole cropping or planting at a reduced seed rate.
Ron Granger comments “LG Redwald is a beast! It looks to be a strong, vigorous variety that has good consistency of yield potential over seasons and regions.”
