Winter wheat recommended and candidate lists

RL winter wheat harvest results continue to show low yields

• Fungicide-treated yields from 21 trials show an average yield of controls of 9.83 t/ha, which is 1.22 t/ha below the five-year average
• Fungicide-untreated yields from six trials are now available, with average yield of the controls of 7.74 t/ha, which is 0.98 t/ha below the five-year average
• Grain quality is generally good
• New candidates show high fungicide-untreated yields

Further harvest results for AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) winter wheat trials are reported today (26 August 2026).

New fungicide-treated results are reported from Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Angus. The average yield of control varieties is now 9.83 t/ha, 1.22 t/ha below the five-year average of 11.05 t/ha.

Two additional fungicide-untreated trials from Essex and Lincolnshire have also reported since the last update, with the average of the controls declining to just 7.74 t/ha, with high levels of both yellow and brown rust in susceptible varieties in the Essex trial.

Calculating yield results

Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties. In 2026 they are Skyfall, KWS Extase, LG Skyscraper, Bamford and Champion. The yield average from these varieties is represented as 100%.

2026 results

With two thirds of the 30 fungicide-treated trials and 11 fungicide-untreated trials having reported, and with trials from across the UK now in, these results should give a reasonable view of performance in 2026, though relative yields and variety ranking can still change and so the results should still be treated with some caution.

Fungicide-treated trials

The highest-yielding variety remains the newly recommended hard group 4 variety KWS Aintree on 109%, still well clear of the hard group 4 varieties KWS Scope on 106% and newly recommended RGT Guardsman, which has a specific recommendation for resistance to BYDV, on 105%. Newly recommended hard group 4s LG Defiance and LG Challenger are on 104% and 103% respectively, slightly below their five-year averages.

LG Redwald is now the highest yielding of the soft group 4s on 105%, with newly recommended Sparkler on 104%. Other soft group 4s are having mixed fortunes. Blackstone is above its five-year average on 102%, KWS Zealum, recommended only for the north region is on 100% and RGT Hexton is on 99%, below its five-year average.

The other group 4 varieties are performing close to their five-year averages. With the notably early newly recommended hard variety KWS Fowlmere and Champion on 103% with KWS Dawsum on 102%.

The soft UKFM soft Group 3 varieties are led at this stage by KWS Flute on 104%, with KWS Solitaire on 103% and Bamford on 102%.

In the bread making groups performance continues to be as expected. KWS Arnie is the highest yielding UKFM Group 2 on 102%, with newly recommended KWS Grebe on 101%. KWS Extase is on 100%. East/West variety KWS Equipe and KWS Palladium are on 99%. RGT Goldfinch which has a specific recommendation for resistance to BYDV on 89%. 

KWS Vibe is the highest yielding UKFM Group 1 variety at this stage on 97%, with newly recommended UKFM Group 1 variety Arlington on 96%, SY Cheer is on 96%, with Skyfall on 95% and Crusoe on 94%.  

Fungicide-untreated trials

The highest yielding variety at this stage is newly recommended hard group 4 variety RGT Guardsman, which has a specific recommendation for resistance to BYDV, on 120% of controls, 10% above its five-year average. Just behind is newly recommended hard group 4 variety LG Defiance on 119%, much more in line with its five-year average.  Also newly recommended hard group 4 variety LG challenger is on 114%. The other newly recommended hard group 4s KWS Fowlmere (105%) and KWS Aintree on (74%) show the impact of yellow rust on this year’s results.

LG Redwald is highest yielding of the soft group 4 varieties in these trials, on 111% with Zealum, recommended for the north, on 108% , newly recommended Sparkler is on 106%, RGT Hexton on 99% and Blackstone on 89%, well below its five-year average.

In the bread making UKFM Group 2s KWS Equipe highest yielding on 117%, with KWS Extase on 114% and KWS Arnie on 112%. RGT Goldfinch, which has a specific recommendation for resistance to BYDV is on 110%. Newly recommended variety Arlington is highest yielding of the UKFM Group 1 varieties on 114%, with KWS Vibe just behind on 112%.

Five-year average

Fungicide-treated trials

The 2026 results show yields based on one season. The five-year average is a better measure of variety performance over seasons and gives an indication of which candidate varieties are likely to be recommended in November. Despite the dry conditions in 2026, fungicide-treated over-year results largely reflect the current RL.

Newly recommended hard group 4 variety KWS Aintree on 108%, followed by LG Defiance on 106% and LG Challenger on 105% remain highest yielding. They are closely followed by KWS Scope, newly recommended hard group 4 variety KWS Fowlmere and Champion, all on 104%.

In the soft group 4 varieties, newly recommended Sparkler and LG Redwald are on 104%. As is the UKFM Group 3 variety, KWS Solitaire, with UKFM Group 3 varieties Bamford and KWS Flute on 103%.

KWS Arnie tops the UKFM Group 2 varieties on 103%, followed by the newly recommended KWS Grebe on 101%. The newly recommended Arlington is top in the UKFM Group 1 varieties on 97%, followed by KWS Vibe on 96% and SY Cheer on 95%.

Newly recommended hard group 4 variety RGT Guardsman, which has a specific recommendation for resistance to BYDV is on 102%.

Fungicide-untreated trials

While 2025 and 2026 have been dominated by yellow rust epidemics, the five year fungicide-untreated data includes years when other diseases were more widespread, giving a more rounded view of varieties.

Highest yielding in this dataset is the newly recommended hard Group 4 LG Defiance, on 117%, with newly recommended hard Group 4 LG Challenger on 114%. However splitting these is the newly recommended UKFM Group 1 variety Arlington on 115%, with UKFM Group 1 variety KWS Vibe also performing well on 109%.

UKFM Group 2 varieties are also performing well in fungicide untreated trials, with KWS Equipe, which his recommended only for the East and West and KWS Extase on 112% and KWS Arnie on 108%.

LG Redwald is the highest yielding soft group 4 on 109%, with newly recommended soft group 4 Sparkler on 106%.

Newly recommended hard group 4 variety RGT Guardsman, which has a specific recommendation for resistance to BYDV is on 110%.

Varieties that are susceptible to the new race of yellow rust, which is virulent against the Yr15 gene, have suffered over the last two years.  Champion (95%), LG Beowulf (97%) and LG Typhoon (97%) are notable in this regard. While newly recommended hard group 4 variety KWS Aintree (98%) is susceptible, its top ranking in the fungicide-treated trials shows that this new strain can be effectively controlled. 

2026 Candidates

The five-year averages are the best measure for assessing the potential of candidates and suggest likely additions to this year’s RL, though when they are considered for recommendation their overall balance of features including grain quality, agronomic characteristics and disease resistance will be considered in addition to yield.

Data can only be shown for varieties that have been added to the GB and NI Variety List (VL). Four candidates have not yet been listed.

Potential bread making varieties

KWS Voyage has the highest yield potential for a bread making candidate in fungicide-treated trials on 108% of controls, reaching 110% in 2026. Though its fungicide-untreated yield of only 103% and 94% in 2026 reflects its moderate yellow rust resistance rating. LG Windmill is on 101% and 104% in fungicide-untreated trials, with KWS Melesie and Gibson from Senova on 100% in fungicide-treated trials. Gibson is the highest yielding candidate with bread making potential in fungicide-untreated trials on 116%, with KWS Melesie on 113%.  

The decision on whether these varieties meet the specifications for bread making will be made by UKFM in time for them to be considered for adding to the recommended list in November.

Potential biscuit making varieties

Sunspire from Elsoms has the highest yield potential for a biscuit-making candidate in fungicide-treated trials, on 104%, with a fungicide-untreated figure of 115%. LG Spear and Lucifer from Elsoms are both on 102% in fungicide-treated trials, but LG Spear is higher yielding in fungicide-untreated trials at 116%, with Lucifer on 106%. Again the decision on whether these varieties meet the specifications for biscuit making will be made by UKFM when quality testing of the 2026 crop is completed.

Feed varieties

The highest yielding group 4 feed candidate in fungicide-treated trials is the hard feed candidate KWS Checkmate on 105%, which also has the highest yield of any candidate variety in fungicide-untreated trials at 126%. Soft group 4 variety NOS Beast is also on 105% in fungicide-treated trials, with a fungicide-untreated yield of 120%.  

The hard feed candidate Percy from KWS is on 104% in fungicide-treated trials and 108% in fungicide-untreated trails. Bastion from Agrovista is also on 104% in fungicide-treated trials and is on 115% in fungicide-untreated.

Other hard feed candidates are RGT Kraken (103%) with Girton from Senova, Bluebird from Elsoms, RGT Griffin and Dreadnought from Elsoms all on 102% in the fungicide-treated trials. With RGT Griffin highest yielding of these in the fungicide untreated trials on 118% followed by Dreadnought on 114% and Girton on 111%.

Soft feed candidates SY Mirage and RGT Hydra are both on 103% in fungicide-treated trials.  In fungicide-untreated trials SY Mirage is on 113%, with RGT Hydra on 111%.

Further information

Access the full trial results 

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