LG Flynn and LG Mountain offer growers two high yielding 2-row feed winter barley varieties, with differing desirable agronomic characteristics.
For growers looking to make the most of the opportunities offered by winter barleys, there are two new varieties available this autumn, from the very successful Limagrain UK barley breeding programme, that launched ‘California’ over five years ago.
LG Flynn and LG Mountain offer growers two high yielding 2-row feed winter barley varieties, with differing desirable agronomic characteristics – it’s important that growers choose the right variety for their situation on-farm.
LG Flynn offers growers agronomic attributes of good straw strength and disease resistance, combined with a very high specific weight – all key qualities of a ‘classic’ feed barley.
The variety also carries the valuable attribute of resistance to Barley Yellow Mosaic Virus (BaYMV).
In AHDB Recommended List 2019/20 trials across all regions, LG Flynn has performed consistently, producing high yields for both treated and untreated trials.
Its UK fungicide treated performance is 104%, against 103% for KWS Orwell, and 6% over KWS Cassia, at 98%. The variety also offers a strong disease resistance package, with a 6 against Rhynchosporium and a 6 for Net Blotch.
“The stand out attribute of LG Flynn is its high specific weight; at 69.8kg/hl, it has one of the highest specific weights available and is similar to KWS Cassia with low screening scores,” explains Limagrain UK’s senior barley breeder, Mark Glew.
“We know that farmers like to grow big, bold samples, and like with wheat varieties, good specific weight in barley would appear to be more robust, especially in times of stress or erratic weather patterns,” says Ron Granger, arable technical manager for Limagrain UK.
Specific weights for barleys were starting to drop in newer varieties, compared to older varieties. This came about as breeders’ drove to produce ever higher yielding varieties, unfortunately at the cost of grain quality.“
*LG Flynn and LG Mountain buck a trend, offering a combination of both high yields and high specific weight.
LG Mountain is one of the highest yielding 2-row feed barley varieties available, with a good all-round disease resistance profile, combined with early maturity and BaYMV resistance.
“This is a barley that represents a significant step forward in yield for 2-row barley varieties, over other commercial varieties we are really pleased with the consistency of yield over seasons and regions, and in treated and untreated trials – particularly in the east and north,” says Mark Glew.
LG Mountain has good grain quality attributes, with a very good specific weight of 68.9kg/hl – similar to KWS Glacier.
LG Mountain has an earlier maturity (-1) than LG Flynn (+1), which is valuable for growers looking at getting an earlier harvest for WOSR establishment.
“This earlier maturity, combined with a good specific weight, should also give growers confidence for securing yield potential in stressful seasons of drought, as seen in summer 2018,” says Mr. Glew.
