Average yield of controls is 2.03 t/ha below the five-year average at just 5.15 t/ha
Protein content is boosted by low yield
Specific weights reduced by drought conditions

Harvest Results are now available from five fungicide-treated RL spring wheat trials. One trial in Lincolnshire has been rejected for yield assessments. There are no fungicide-untreated trials for spring wheat.

The average yield of control varieties is 5.15 t/ha, well below the five-year average of 7.18 t/ha, reflecting the poor conditions for spring cereals this year due to the hot dry weather through spring and summer. All trials yielded below the five-year average, with the lowest yielding trial in Lincolnshire almost 3 t/ha below the five-year average.

Calculating yield results

Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties. In 2025, the control varieties are UKFM Group 1 variety KWS Ladum, UKFM Group 2 variety KWS Cochise and group 4 variety KWS Fixum. The average yield from these varieties is represented as 100%.

2025 results

With the small number of spring wheat trials there needs to be some caution exercised in comparisons between varieties. In particular, in 2025 good performance shouldn’t be interpreted as drought tolerance or vice versa. Having said that, the highest yielding varieties in 2025 are the group 4 feed varieties Everlong (107%) newly recommended WPB Fraser (106%) and KWS Fixum (103%). Newly recommended group 4 feed Ophelia has underperformed in 2025 on 97%, well below its five year average.

KWS Cochise is the highest yielding of the UKFM Group 2 varieties on (101%) with KWS Alicium and newly recommended KWS Bezique on 100%, and WPB Mylo on 98%.

In the UKFM Group 1 varieties KWS Harsum is highest yielding in 101%, with newly recommended STR Pace on 99%, KWS Ladum on 96% and both Nissaba and Mulika on 90%.

With low yield has come high protein content, with all the UKFM Group 1 and 2 varieties at 14% or more, with the exception of KWS Alicium. Hagberg falling numbers are a little lower than 2024, but still high. Specific weight has been impacted by the drought, with some failing to hit specification, notably Mulika.

Five-year average

The five-year average is a better measure of variety performance, especially with so few spring wheat trials each year.

The results largely reflect the current RL. Group 4 variety Everlong is highest yielding on 105% of controls, with newly recommended WPB Fraser on 104% just ahead of KWS Fixum on 103% and newly recommended Ophelia on 102%. UKFM Group 2 KWS Alicium is highest yielding of the milling varieties on 104%, with newly recommended UKFM Group 2 variety KWS Bezique on 103%. KWS Harsum is highest yielding of the UKFM Group 1 varieties on 101%, with newly recommended STR Pace just behind on 100%.

Candidates

Data can only be shown for varieties that have been added the GB and NI variety lists. The candidates are best judged on the five-year dataset. Charland is a potential bread-making variety and has yielded a disappointing 90% of controls, though it has very high protein, second only to Mulika in 2025. WPB Clifden is a feed variety and has yielded well on 105%, matching the best of the current varieties.

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