Winter barley recommended and candidate lists

Recommended List winter barley harvest results almost complete with yields close to the five-year average

Results from fourteen fungicide-treated and eight fungicide-untreated RL trials are available

• Average control yield is 9.80 t/ha in the fungicide-treated trials, which is 0.05 t/ha above the five-year average
• Average control yield in the fungicide-untreated trials is 8.24 t/ha, which is 0.31 t/ha above the five-year average
• Additional grain quality data is now available

The harvest results from fourteen of sixteen fungicide-treated AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) winter barley trials and all eight fungicide-untreated trials have been published today (20 August 2025). The new fungicide-treated trial from Devon is low yielding and has pulled down the 2025 average yield to 9.80 t/ha, just 0.05 t/ha above the five-year average. The remaining trial in Dorset requires further investigation and will be published at a later date if it proves to be valid. One trial was rejected for yield after harvest due high variability within the trial. 

Three new fungicide-untreated trials, from North Yorkshire, Devon and Dorset are all low yielding and have pulled down the 2025 average significantly to 8.24 t/ha, though it remains above the five-year average of 7.93 t/ha.

The 2024–25 season         

With all but one of the trials having reported now it seems that drought has not been the significant factor we expected, at least not everywhere. Though the very low yield of one of our trials on shallow soil over limestone in Lincolnshire shows the sort of drought effect farmers have been suffering in some areas.  

While yields have just about matched the five-year averages, grain quality data is positive, with specific weight high and screenings low. It is worth noting grain quality testing is done on cleaned samples, so will differ from values straight off the combine.

There are now several varieties on the RL and more candidates coming through with resistance to or tolerance of BYDV. It should be noted that RL trials are treated for aphids in the autumn to control BYDV.

Control varieties

Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties. In 2025 the control varieties comprise two malting varieties, Craft and Electrum, the two-row feed variety KWS Tardis, 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%.

2025 yield averages

With just one more fungicide-treated trial to report and all the fungicide-untreated trials having reported the current 2025 average values are likely to be a very good indication of the performance of varieties this year, one of high sunshine, low rainfall and low disease pressure.

Fungicide-treated trials

In the fungicide-treated trials the two-rows have done very well. LG Caravelle and LG Capitol are highest yielding on 106%, with the six-row hybrid SY Kingsbarn is also on 106%. Hybrid six-row varieties, newly recommended SY Quantock, SY Canyon and newly recommended Inys are all on 105%, alongside newly recommended two-row variety for the North Rosemary. Six-row conventional BYDV tolerant variety KWS Feeris has had a very good 2025 and sits, along with BYDV tolerant two-row LG Carpenter, which is only recommended for the East and West regions, on 104%. Other varieties with BYDV tolerance or resistance are two-row Organa (103%) six-row conventional Integral (103%) six-row hybrid SY Kestrel (102%) and Sixy (102%).

Other newly recommended two-row varieties have generally underperformed in 2025, falling below their five-year average. The highest yielding two-row variety in fungicide-treated trials on the current RL, KWS Valencis is on 104%. KWS Heraclis is on 103%, SU Arion, which is only recommended for the East and North regions is on 102%, along with NOS Olena and Russo, recommended just for the East region. Kitty is on 101%, but its resistance to Barley Yellow Mosaic Virus strain 2 (BaYMV2) and its very high specific weight will make it of particular interest to some growers.

Two-row malting varieties are in line with their five-year average yields, with Buccaneer on 97% and Craft 93% with Electrum on 95%. Electrum has now been removed from the list of approved malting varieties by the MBC and growers should speak to merchants about markets before continuing to grow it.

Fungicide-untreated trials

Performance of varieties in 2025 fungicide-untreated trials is a real mixed bag, with some performing well below, and some close to their five-year averages and a few well above. Generally it is the more disease resistant varieties that have performed below expectations, while the most susceptible have performed above what is expected, reflecting the low disease pressures this year, with just a little brown rust and mildew early on in trials. The very strong performance of some of the BYDV tolerant varieties in the Dorset trial suggests there was BYDV in the trial, but other BYDV tolerant varieties did not do well as there was brown rust as well and some lodging. Demonstrating the difficulties sometimes in interpreting the results of individual trials.

Newly recommended BYDV tolerant two-row LG Carpenter (112%) is highest yielding, just ahead of LG Caravelle and newly recommended BYDV tolerant two-row variety Organa, both on 111%. Some way behind these is LG Capitol (108%). Highest yielding of the six-row hybrids is newly recommended SY Quantock on 107%, with newly recommended two-row KWS Valencis and newly recommended six-row conventional BYDV tolerant variety Integral also on 107%.

Other six-row hybrids have generally underperformed in these trials, with SY Canyon on 106%, SY Nephin on 105% and newly recommended Inys on 98%, though more disease susceptible SY Kingsbarn on 99% is just ahead of its five-year average. SY Kestrel, which is resistant to BYDV is on 99%, again below its five-year average.

The remaining newly recommended two-row varieties Heraclis (106%) Russo and Rosemary (105%), NOS Olena and SU Arion (103%) are below their five-year average, though Kitty (98%) matches its five-year average.

Newly recommended six-row conventional BYDV tolerant varieties Inys (98%) and Sixy (95%) have had contrasting fortunes, reflecting their very different disease resistant profiles.

2021–25 averages

The five-year average values provide a better representation of performance across seasons, particularly with 2025 being such an exceptional year in terms of weather.

Fungicide-treated yields

The six-row hybrids are highest yielding in the fungicide-treated trials, with newly recommended varieties Inys and SY Quantock and SY Kingsbarn all on 107%. SY Canyon is next highest yielding (106%) with SY Nephin on 104%.

Highest yielding of the two-rows is LG Capitol, alongside KWS Valencis, both on 106%, just ahead of LG Caravelle on 105%.  Russo, recommended only for the East region, Rosemary and KWS Heraclis both recommended only for the North region, and NOS Olena are all on 104%.   

The highest yielding of the BYDV tolerant varieties is newly recommended six-row conventional Integral (105%) with Sixy on 104%. The newly recommended six-row hybrid with resistance to BYDV, SY Kestrel, is on 103% as is the newly recommended two-row with tolerance to BYDV LG Carpenter. Two-row with tolerance to BYDV, Organa is on 102%, with KWS Feeris, also tolerant to BYDV.

Other newly recommended varieties are Kitty and SU Arion, both on 103%.

Fungicide-untreated yields

The newly recommended BYDV tolerant two-row variety LG Carpenter is highest yielding on 112%, followed closely by two six-row hybrids, newly recommended SY Quantock and SY Nephin, with two-row LG Caravelle also on 111%. Just behind these on 110% are the BYDV tolerant varieties; newly recommended two-row Organa and newly recommended six-row conventional Integral, with six-row hybrid SY Canyon, and newly recommended two-rows KWS Valencis and KWS Heraclis also on 110%.

Other newly recommended varieties are widely spread, reflecting their different disease strengths and weaknesses. The last two years have been dominated by brown rust and varieties that are susceptible have suffered, while more resistant ones have done better.  Two-row Rosemary recommended for the North is on 109%, Russo for the East is on 108%, NOS Olena is on 105%, SU Arion for the East/West is on 104% and Kitty is on 98%. Six-row hybrid Inys is on 106%, and six row conventional Sixy on 92%, while six-row hybrid with resistance to BYDV SY Kestrel is on 103%.

In the malting varieties Buccaneer is well ahead on 108%, matching many two-row feeds, while Electrum is on 99% and Craft on 98%.

Candidate varieties

Data can only be reported for candidate varieties that have been added to the GB and NI Variety List (VL). It is the five-year yields that will be used to judge if they are added to the RL in the autumn, alongside their agronomic traits and grain quality.

The six-row hybrid variety SY Barnabus (108%) is highest yielding in the fungicide-treated trials with just one trial yet to be validated and is also highest yielding on 114% in fungicide-untreated trials, beating the best of the current varieties with additionally good specific weight. Screenings look a little high, though not concerningly so. SY Perowne (107% fungicide-treated and 105% fungicide-untreated) is just behind on yield and with slightly lower specific weight, but with better straw strength. Six-row hybrid Elvys sits behind these on treated yield (105%) though its fungicide-untreated yield is good (111%).

BYDV tolerant six-row conventional variety KWS Birdis (105% fungicide-treated and 109% fungicide-untreated) with good grain quality looks promising, though it does look a little weak on rhynchosporium. The BYDV tolerant two-row variety LG Catapult is on 104% fungicide-treated and a strong 111% fungicide-untreated.

Carrousel is a six-row conventional variety with tolerance to BYDV (102%). Previously it was under test for malting but it is no longer being tested by the MBC. It will be considered as a feed variety for RL purposes going forwards.

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