Other crops (descriptive lists)

Spring oilseed Descriptive Lists in 2025, a story of abandoned trials and low yields

Descriptive lists (rather than recommended lists) are used when recommendation is not appropriate, but there is demand for data for varieties for which seed is likely to be available in the coming year.

Descriptive list trials for spring linseed and spring oilseed rape are conducted with the same rigour as other RL trials but are fewer in number. As a result, differences between variety yields may not always be statistically significant and caution should be used when looking at differences between varieties. Particular attention should be paid to LSDs (least significant differences). Varieties that differ by less than the LSD are not statistically different.

Spring linseed

Of the five spring linseed trials only three were declared valid. The other two suffered from poor establishment resulting in very low yields, with weeds also affecting one. Yields of the three remaining trials were also poor, with average yield of the control varieties at 1.28 t/ha being well below the five-year average of 1.82 t/ha. Yield of the controls in one trial was only 0.87 t/ha. In what was a very difficult year for spring crops.

Yield averages

Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties (Bingo, Buffalo and Abacus). With such a small number of trials the five-year average yields are a better guide to variety performance than the 2025 yields. Having said that, the highest yielding DL variety is Bingo on 109% and it was also joint highest yielding in 2025 on 115%.  Juliet also achieved 115% in 2025, though its five-year average is behind Bingo on 106%. Baroness was third highest yielding in 2025 on 106% though its five-year average is 100%. DL Candidate variety Balance yielded well in 2025 on 105% though this is slightly lower than its five-year average of 107%.

Other varieties yielded within a couple of percent of their DL yield in 2025, despite the hot dry weather. The exceptions being Skylark, which on 95% was well below its 104% five-year yield.

Spring oilseed rape

Spring oilseed rape is a challenging crop to trial and this proved to be the case once again in 2025. Two trials were badly infested with weeds with one also suffering poor pod set due to pollen. Both of these trials were abandoned for yield purposes. The third trial in Scotland was brought to harvest, though the average gross output yield of the controls was just 1.65 t/ha, well below the five-year average of 2.60 t/ha. Average oils were also well down on 2024 values.

Yield averages

As with linseed, with such a small number of trials the five-year average yields are a better guide to variety performance than the 2025 yield, which is based on just one trial. Lakritz remains highest yielding DL variety on the five-year average on 103%, with Lumen second on 97%. Though the DL candidate Crazy CL matches Lakritz with 103% on the five-year average. The conventional variety Fergus is on 93% ahead of the two herbicide tolerant varieties Contra CL and Cocktail CL both on 91%.

Further information

Access full trial results via the AHDB website: ahdb.org.uk/harvestresults

AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) trials test variety performance under optimum conditions. Care should be taken when making comparisons with commercial yields. Results from individual trial sites should not be used to make conclusions on variety performance. The RL publications are based on information from trials across the UK over several seasons. As more information becomes available from the current harvest, this will contribute to the over-trials averages – which comprise four years for oilseeds and five years for cereals. These averages provide better information for comparison between varieties. Performance variation is not the responsibility of AHDB. Since the focus is to test new varieties, not all RL varieties are presented. Yields for well-established varieties are published at ahdb.org.uk/rl

Winter rye and winter triticale Recommended Lists harvest results - it’s a mixed picture

AHDB Descriptive Lists (DL) rather than Recommend Lists (RL) are published for winter rye and winter triticale. DLs are used where recommendation is not appropriate, but for which there is a wish to provide some descriptive data within the RL system. The varieties on the DL are those for which seed should be available. Far fewer trials are run than for the RLs and differences between varieties should be treated with more caution.

All trials for the AHDB winter rye and winter triticale lists have now reported in and it’s a mixed picture, with average yield of the control varieties down for winter triticale, but well up for winter rye compared with the five-year average.

Yields

Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties. The average of the yields from these varieties is represented as 100%. All trials receive a fungicide and PGR program there are no fungicide-untreated trials.

Winter triticale  

Average yield of the control varieties in the four trials in 2025 is 10.13 t/ha, below the five-year average of 10.44 t/ha. In 2024, the two northern trials in Yorkshire and Fife were low yielding, with the trials in Dorset and Suffolk high yielding. In 2025 the situation is reversed, with the two northern trials higher yielding, reflecting the very different years weather wise. Disease levels in trials were generally low this year while grain quality is good, with protein and specific weight considerably improved on 2024 values.

With so few trials care must be taken not to overinterpret the results. Having said this, the highest yielding DL variety in 2025 is (as in 2024) Lumaco at 104% of controls, the same as its five-year average. Second highest yielding DL variety in 2025 is RGT Eleac at 102%, well above its five-year average. SU Askadus is third highest on 101%, also well above its five-year average. It might be tempting to put these good performances in 2025 down to drought tolerance, but the poor performance of SU Askadus in the drought affected Suffolk trial shows the danger of simplistic interpretations. The other two current DL varieties Kasyno (96%) and KWS Fido (95%) are yielding around their five-year averages.

There are two candidate varieties for 2025. Bicross yielding 97% and RGT Rutenac 99% in 2025 trials, but with their positions reversed in the five-year averages Bicross 99% and RGT Rutenac 97%. Both varieties are quite tall, with good protein and specific weight, based on limited data.  Both varieties will be added to the DL in December.

Winter rye

RL winter rye trials measure grain yield, not whole-crop yield, although the two are closely related. Data is available from three trials in 2025, a fourth trial being abandoned due to patchy establishment.

The average yield of the control varieties (11.83t/ha) is well above the five-year average (10.29 t/ha), with all three trials yielding well. Rye is generally considered to be drought tolerant, but the high yield in 2025 is not necessarily down to this. The abandoned trial was in Cambridgeshire and may have been drought impacted, had it continued it may well have been poor yielding, dragging the average down. Data from disease observation plots like for triticale shows the relatively low disease pressure this year. Grain quality is generally good, with specific weight similar to 2024, protein a little higher and Hagberg notably improved on 2024.

As with triticale differences between varieties should be treated with caution due to the small number of trials. Highest yielding in 2025 is KWS Emphor at 104%, matching its five-year average, with KWS Igor and SU Baresi on 102%, close to their five-year averages. SU Thor on 101% is well below its five-year average, while KWS Tayo also on 101% is just above its five-year average. All the other varieties are well below their five-year averages, except SU Perspective and SU Performer, which are both close to their five-year averages. With so few trials each year the five-year average is the better guide to future performance.

There is one candidate for the rye DL this year, but it has not yet been added to the GB and NI variety list, so data cannot be shown.

Seed may no longer be available for some varieties on these DLs or only available in small quantities and these will be removed from the DL in December.

Further information

Access full trial results via the AHDB website: ahdb.org.uk/harvestresults

AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) trials test variety performance under optimum conditions. Care should be taken when making comparisons with commercial yields. Results from individual trial sites should not be used to make conclusions on variety performance. The RL publications are based on information from trials across the UK over several seasons. As more information becomes available from the current harvest, this will contribute to the over-trials averages – which comprise four years for oilseeds and five years for cereals. These averages provide better information for comparison between varieties. Performance variation is not the responsibility of AHDB. Since the focus is to test new varieties, not all RL varieties are presented. Yields for well-established varieties are published at ahdb.org.uk/rl