Winter barley recommended and candidate lists

First Recommended List winter barley harvest results show disappointing yields, with the influence of drought and high temperatures evident

• First trials harvested coming in even earlier than 2025
• Results from four fungicide-treated RL trials in the east region are available
• Average control yield is 8.28 t/ha, which is 1.65 t/ha below the five-year average

The yield results from 4 of the 15 fungicide-treated AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) winter barley trials have been published today (16 July 2026). See the full list of trials. The trials from Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk have disappointing yields. All four trials have been harvested earlier than 2025, which was itself a very early harvest and average control yields are well down at three of the sites compared with 2025, though not all the control varieties are the same.

The current average treated yield of control varieties (8.28 t/ha) is 1.65 t/ha below the five-year average (9.93 t/ha). Though early trials in drier years are often lower yielding as they come off lighter soils, we can expect more trials to be impacted by the record breaking heat and drought we have experienced this summer.

The 2025–26 season         

Like 2025, good autumn drilling conditions and a largely benign winter left trials looking good with high yield potential, only for prolonged drought and record breaking high temperatures to cause early senescence and limit yields, especially on lighter land. Though trials further north and in Scotland still hold promise of good yields.

There have been widespread reports of BYDV and wheat Dwarf Virus (WDV) in crops this year. RL trials are treated for aphids in the autumn to control BYDV and though some BYDV and WDV has been noted during inspections, not at levels where a trial might need to be abandoned. There are now several varieties on the RL with resistance or tolerance to BYDV and one with tolerance of WDV, with some high yielding BYDV tolerant candidates this year.

Despite the dry spring, wet weather in May allowed disease to develop in some trials, with even moderately resistant varieties showing high levels of disease in fungicide-untreated plots (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Rhynchosporium in untreated winter barley trial in Devon

In years like 2025 and 2026 farmers are keen to know which varieties have performed well in the drought, but getting good drought data is difficult. Drought affected trials usually show a high degree of variability within the trial, related to slight differences in soil type that affect water availability. It is very difficult to separate this effect from variety susceptibility to drought. As a consequence of this variability, the most drought affected trials can be rejected for yield, though none have been so far this year.

Control varieties

Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties. In 2026 the control varieties comprise two malting varieties, Craft and Buccaneer, the two-row feed variety LG Caravelle, the six-row hybrid variety SY Kingsbarn and the six-row conventional variety KWS Feeris. The average of the yields from these varieties is represented as 100%.

2026 averages

As the current 2026 average values show yields based on data from only four sites they should be treated with caution, particularly this year with drought impacting performance.

As normal, a six-row hybrid variety tops the list for yield, though not the one we might expect, with SY Canyon the highest yielding at this stage on 109%. However, the next two highest yielding varieties are two rows, with newly recommended LG Catapult, which is tolerant of BYDV also on 109% and LG Capitol on 107%. All these varieties are outperforming their 5-year average yield at this stage. Next highest yielding is newly recommended six-row hybrid variety SY Barnabus on 107%.

The other six-row hybrid varieties SY Kingsbarn, Inys and SY Kestrel, which is resistant to BYDV, are matching their 5-year average yield on 104%, 104%  and 102% respectively. While SY Quantock is off to a slow start on 101%.

Of the other two-row varieties SU Arion, which is recommended for the East and North only is performing well so far on 105% with newly recommended for the East variety Darcie also on 105%. Other two row feed varieties are generally in line with their 5-year averages. Though KWS Valencis is notable for its lower yield in these first trials, on 101% at this stage.

The six-row conventional variety Integral (103%), which is also tolerant of BYDV is close to it’s five year average at this stage, as are the two malting varieties Buccaneer (98%) and Craft (90%).

2022–26 (five-year) averages

The five-year average values provide a better representation of performance across seasons. Though with so few trials in yet the results largely mirror the current RL. The newly recommended six-row hybrid SY Barnabus (106%) is highest yielding, with six-row hybrids SY Kingsbarn, Inys, SY Quantock, and SY Canyon all on 105%.

The two-row varieties LG Capitol and LG Caravelle are also on 105%, with KWS Valencis on 104%. BYDV tolerant varieties, the six-row conventional Integral and two-row LG Catapult are on 103% and along with NOS Olena and Russo, which is recommended only for the East.

Candidate varieties

All candidate varieties for 2026 have been added to the GB and NI Variety List (VL) and so data can be reported. Five-year averages provide a better prediction for candidate performance and will be used alongside grain quality and agronomic data to make decisions on recommendation in the autumn.

On this measure the six-row hybrid SY Fischer is highest yielding on 106% and is performing very well so far in 2026 on 109%. The two-row variety Inferno from Elsoms Ackermann Barley is also on 106% along with the six-row hybrid SY Fastnet.

There are a number of candidates with tolerance of BYDV. The highest yielding of these is the two-row KWS Lemuris, on 105%, with KWS Blis and LG Caprice on 103% and Paquita from Senova on 102%.

The final candidate is the six-row hybrid Idrys from KWS on 104%.

With nearly three quarters of this season’s trials to report these trial results should be treated as very provisional and it is important to note that yield and rankings of varieties will change as more data becomes available.

Further information

See our harvest results page