Final results from the recommended lists spring barley trials have now been published, with 16 of the 21 fungicide-treated and six of the nine fungicide-untreated trials being accepted as valid. The other trials were rejected for yield because of lodging or strong field effects.

Yield of the control varieties in the fungicide-treated trials has finished at 7.84 t/ha, very close to the five-year average of 7.80 t/ha. Yield of the controls in the fungicide-untreated trials is 5.76 t/ha, well below the five-year average of 6.70 t/ha, pulled down by very low yielding trials in Lincolnshire and the Scottish Borders.

Yield calculation

Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties. In 2024 the control varieties comprise five malting varieties, RGT Planet, Laureate, LG Diablo, Firefoxx and Skyway. The average of the yields from the control varieties is represented as 100%.

2024 yield averages

Most varieties have yielded at or close to their five-year averages in the fungicide-treated trials in 2024. Highest yielding at 106% of controls is Bounty, which has provisional approval for brewing, and Belter (105%) which has provisional approval for brewing and malt distilling. Both were newly recommended last year.

Behind these are the feed variety Hurler and NOS Gambit which is not being progressed by the MBC, so has been re-classified as a feed variety and will be reviewed as a feed by the RL committee in November. Both of these varieties have finished on 104%.

Diviner, which is provisionally approved for malt distilling, LG Aquarius, which is provisionally approved for brewing use and market leader Laureate have finished on 103%.

Three varieties are on 102% of controls, Firefoxx, Olsen, which is provisionally approved for brewing and malt distilling and NOS Munro which is not being progressed by the MBC so has been re-classified as a feed variety.

SY Tennyson, which was given full approval for malt distilling by the MBC in the spring is on 100%.

The Null-Lox described variety CB Score has had a good 2024 finishing on 101%, as has the described grain distilling variety Fairing, which is on 93%. Both are above their five-year averages.

In the fungicide-untreated trials Belter has finished top in 2024 on 110% of controls, with Laureate still showing its robustness on 106%, despite being on the list since 2016. The Null-Lox variety CB Score has also done very well in 2024 at 103%. With all these varieties well above their five-year averages. Most other varieties have finished 2024 below their five-year averages.

NOS Gambit is on 103%, but is now considered a feed variety, with LG Aquarius, provisionally approved for brewing use, on 101%. Three varieties are on 100%, Olsen, provisionally approved for brewing and malt distilling, Skyway and the feed variety Hurler.

Five-year averages

The five-year average values provide a better representation of performance across seasons.

On this measure Bounty is on top at 106%, just ahead of Belter on 104%. Also on 104% is Hurler, the feed variety and NOS Gambit, with NOS Munro just behind on 103%, with both NOS Gambit and NOS Munro now reclassified as feed varieties. Also on 103% is newly recommended LG Aquarius. There then come five varieties on 102%, Diviner, SY Signet, Olsen, Firefoxx and Laureate.

SY Tennyson, given full approval for malt distilling by the MBC this spring is on 101% along with Skyway.

Described Null-lox variety CB Score is on 99% with described grain distilling variety Fairing on 91%.

In the fungicide-untreated trials, Belter is top at 105% of controls, alongside NOS Gambit, now re-classified as feed, with Laureate on 104%.

Four varieties have finished on 102% Olsen, LG Aquarius and the two feed varieties Hurler and NOS Munro.

The other newly recommended variety Bounty sits on 101%, with SY Tennyson on 98%.

For the malting varieties that are only provisionally approved by the MBC their suitability for different malting markets is yet to confirmed by testing, and growers should check with merchants about markets before committing to them.

Candidates

The five-year mean is the best way to assess the new candidates. These yields will be used to assess the varieties for addition to the recommended list in November, along with disease resistance, agronomics, grain quality and the assessment of the MBC. Data can only be shown for varieties that have been added to the GB and NI Variety List.

All this year’s candidates are potential malting varieties. Highest yielding in the fungicide-treated trials is LG Interceptor on 105% of controls, just ahead of LG Crossbow and SY Arrow on 104%. Admire and Ptarmigan are on 103% and NOS Tucana and KWS Enduris on 102%. Sailer is a Null-Lox variety so will potentially be added the RL as a described variety and is on 99%.

In the fungicide-untreated trials KWS Enduris is highest yielding at 107%, with Ptarmigan on 105% and Admire and SY Arrow on 102%. NOS Tucana and LG interceptor are on 101% and the null-lox variety Sailer is on 98%.

As with the recommended malting varieties, with only provisional approval by the MBC, the suitability of the candidates for different malting markets is yet to be confirmed by testing and growers should check with merchants about markets before committing to them.

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