Winter barley recommended and candidate lists

Recommended List winter barley harvest results complete, with suppressed yields and evidence of BYDV impact

• Results from RL winter barley trials are complete, with fungicide-treated and untreated yields below the five-year average
• Average control yield is 9.50 t/ha in the fungicide-treated trials, which is 0.41 t/ha below the five-year average
• Average control yield in the fungicide-untreated trials is 7.60 t/ha, which is 0.57 t/ha below the five-year average

The yield results from 10 of the 15 fungicide-treated AHDB Recommended Lists winter barley trials have been published today (27^th August 2026). One trial was lost due to drought, with another lost due to significant secondary tillering. The other trials were lost due to technical problems with the trials. Unsurprisingly, this year trials in the north and Scotland have yielded above those further south. The final average fungicide-treated yield of control varieties (9.50 t/ha) is 0.41 t/ha below the five-year average of 9.91 t/ha.

The yield results from 6 of the 7 fungicide-untreated trials has also been published. The other trial could not be completed due to technical problems. The final average fungicide-untreated yield of control varieties (7.60 t/ha) is just 0.57 t/ha below the five-year average (8.17 t/ha). Disease was most evident in northern trials, though brown rust and some net blotch was seen in trials further south.

The 2025–26 season

There have been widespread reports of BYDV in crops this year. RL trials are treated for aphids in the autumn to control BYDV, but under high pressure this may not be sufficient. The trial in Dorset was sprayed once with a pyrethroid on 30^th October, 30 days after drilling, but ground conditions prevented any further insecticide applications and BYDV symptoms were evident in the trial in Spring.  The top four yielding varieties in the trial are BYDV tolerant or resistant varieties and seven of the eight top varieties are BYDV tolerant or resistant, demonstrating the value of this trait where BYDV is not controlled. There are now several varieties on the RL with resistance or tolerance to BYDV, with some high-yielding BYDV tolerant candidates this year.

There have also been widespread reports of Wheat Dwarf Virus (WDV) in both winter barley and wheat this year. One winter barley trial in Cambridgeshire showed some symptoms of WDV, but not at a significant level and there appeared to be no impact on yield. One current RL variety SY Kestrel has a breeders claim for WDV tolerance.

In dry seasons such as 2025 and 2026, growers are understandably keen to identify varieties that perform well under drought stress. However, generating reliable drought‑response data remains difficult. Trials affected by drought often show substantial within‑trial variability driven by subtle soil‑type differences that influence water availability. This makes it challenging to separate environmental effects from true varietal drought tolerance. As a result, the most drought‑affected trials may be rejected for yield, although only one trial was rejected due to drought in 2026.

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

Fungicide treated yields

The six-row hybrid SY Canyon is the highest-yielding variety in the fungicide-treated trials in 2026, on 107% of controls, above its five-year average. Just behind this is the newly recommended BYDV tolerant two-row variety LG Catapult on 106%, again above its five-year average, with two-row LG Capitol just behind these on 105%.  

A large number of varieties have finished on 104% in 2026. The two row varieties LG Caravelle, NOS Olena and newly recommended Darcie, which is recommended only for the East region, and which possesses resistance to BaYMV strain 2, and the six-row hybrids, newly recommended SY Barnabus and SY Kingsbarn.

Three varieties with tolerance/resistance to BYDV are on 103%, the six-row conventional variety KWS Feeris, which is now in trial as a control only, the two-row Organa and the six-row hybrid SY Kestrel, which also has a breeders claim for tolerance to WDV.

The two-rows KWS Valencis and Russo, which is recommended only for the East, the six-row hybrids Inys and SY Quantock and the six-row conventional variety Integral, which is tolerant to BYDV, are on 102%. All except Integral below their five-year averages.

The two malting varieties Buccaneer and Craft are on 97% and 91% respectively, in line with their five-year averages.

Fungicide untreated yields

With fewer trials, differences between varieties in fungicide-untreated trials should be treated with more caution.

Highest yielding in 2026 is the newly recommended BYDV tolerant two-row variety LG Catapult on 118%, followed by BYDV tolerant two-row variety LG Carpentar on 115% and BYDV tolerant two-row variety Organa on 113%, all well above their five-year average. It may be that some trials were infected with BYDV, though not all BYDV tolerant varieties have done well in these trials and so disease is clearly a factor as well.

Behind these are the two-row varieties LG Caravelle and LG Captitol on 108%, followed by two-row KWS Valencis and the six-row hybrids SY Barnabus and SY Canyon on 106%.

The malting variety Buccaneer is on 104%, with Craft on 97%.

2022–26 (five-year) averages

Fungicide treated yields

The five-year average values provide a better representation of performance across seasons. Newly recommended six-row hybrid SY Barnabus is highest yielding on 106%, 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 and newly recommended BYDV tolerant LG Catapult on 104%.

BYDV tolerant six-row conventional variety Integral, along with two-rows NOS Olena and Russo, which is recommended only for the East are on 103%.

Malting varieties Buccaneer and Craft are on 98% and 91% respectively.

Fungicide untreated yields

In fungicide-untreated trials newly recommended BYDV tolerant LG Catapult is highest yielding on 109%, alongside BYDV tolerant LG Carpenter and newly recommended six-row hybrid SY Barnabus. Just behind these is two-row LG Caravelle on 108%. Two-row BYDV tolerant Organa and six-row hybrid SY Canyon are on 107%. Six-row hybrid SY Quantock and two-row LG Capitol are on 106%.

The malting variety Buccaneer is on 104%, with Craft on 96%.

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.

The six-row hybrid SY Fastnet is highest yielding on 106% in fungicide-treated trials and 107% in fungicide-untreated trials, with the six-row hybrid SY Fisher also on 106% in fungicide-treated trials and on 103% in fungicide-untreated trials.  The two-row variety Inferno from Elsoms Ackermann Barley is also on 106% in fungicide-treated trials and is on 110% in fungicide-untreated trials.  

There are several candidates with tolerance to BYDV. The highest yielding of these is the two-row KWS Lemuris on 105% in fungicide-treated and 109% in fungicide-untreated trials, followed by  LG Caprice  on 103% in fungicide-treated trials and 110% in fungicide-untreated trials, with KWS Blis on 103% in both fungicide-treated and untreated trials. Paquita from Senova is on 102% in fungicide-treated and 101% in fungicide-untreated trials.

All the candidates have good specific weight, but SY Fastnet has slightly elevated screenings.

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