Hybrid breeding of wheat, barley and rye: developments to date and future prospects

1. The performance of hybrid wheat in France will determine whether breeding companies invest further in the development of hybrid lines specifically for the UK. Additionally, the performance of wheat hybrids in UK trials should be evaluated as this will also determine their introduction into British agriculture. This will establish the need for further research.

2. Hybrids should be assessed under different input levels to determine whether they are more suitable for lower input farming systems.

3. Further research to compare the newer hybrids with conventional varieties to determine whether the hybrids have sufficiently greater vigour at germination and during growth to warrant a lower seed rate is required. Experiments on current hybrids under a range of agronomic conditions would be useful.

4. There is a need to investigate market size and potential for premiums for unique qualities (especially industrial) which new hybrids may offer.