New winter malting barley varieties offer high yields and quality to growers
10 June 2010
Two new winter malting barley varieties which offer top end UK yields and malting quality on the HGCA Recommended List are being launched to growers this season by Syngenta Seeds.
Newly added to the Recommended List for 2010/11, both were also recently awarded Provisional Approval 1 for brewing use on the new Institute of Brewing and Distilling approved list announced at the end of May.
“At 100% of control varieties, new variety Winsome offers growers the highest UK treated yield figure of current winter malting barley varieties on the HGCA Recommended List,” says Syngenta Seeds UK cereals sales and marketing manager, Samantha Smith.
“Meanwhile the second new variety, Purdey, has the joint second highest UK treated yield figure on the List, alongside existing variety Flagon,” she adds.
“As well as these high yields, both varieties also have the top two figures for malting quality in terms of hot water extract on the HGCA Recommended List for winter barley,” says Ms Smith. “This is a guide to potential alcohol yield and an important measurement for end users.
“Winsome has the highest hot water extract figure on the List, and backs this up with a good specific weight of 69.7 kg/hl. But importantly, in many ways it is also practical to grow. It has no disease resistance ratings below 5.9, has ratings of 8.0 and 6.7 respectively against the difficult diseases of Rhynchosporium and net blotch, and it is the earliest ripening of the winter malting barley varieties on the HGCA Recommended List. Early harvesting is a key reason that many growers include winter barley in their rotations,” she adds.
“Purdey has the second highest winter barley hot water extract figure on the HGCA Recommended List and offers a good specific weight of 70.4 kg/hl.”
With a high East region yield, Purdey could also hold particular appeal for the many winter malting barley growers in the Eastern half of the country, says Ms Smith.
It has also been added to the HGCA Recommended List as one of only two varieties with specific recommendations for growers wanting a BaYMV resistant variety for malting, plus it has stiff straw and excellent resistance against Rhynchosporium and net blotch, with ratings of 7.8 and 7.9 respectively, she notes.
“The arrival of these two winter barleys could be very useful for growers looking to maximise income from high yields at a time when grain prices remain relatively low.
“Achieving Provisional 1 IBD approval before their launch was clearly an important milestone for both Winsome and Purdey. It indicates a level of end user interest at an early stage."
