Winter oats recommended list

Low yields for Recommended List winter oats confirm another difficult season

• Results from seven fungicide-treated and six of the corresponding fungicide-untreated RL winter oat trials are now available
• One fungicide-untreated trial was rejected after harvest due to poor data quality
• Average yield of control varieties in fungicide-treated trials is 7.25 t/ha, which is 1.54 t/ha below the 5-year average
• Average yield of control varieties in fungicide-untreated trials is 6.19 t/ha, which is 0.88 t/ha below the 5-year average

The harvest results for seven of the ten RL winter oat fungicide-treated trials are now available. Yield results from additional sites in Essex, Kent, Hampshire and Fife are now available. Each site has both a fungicide-treated and fungicide-untreated trial, though the fungicide-untreated trial in Kent was rejected after harvest because of poor data quality. The Kent trial is the lowest yielding fungicide-treated trial, with controls averaging 5.31 t/ha, while the Lincolnshire site remains highest yielding on 8.23 t/ha.

The average yield of control varieties in the fungicide-treated trials stands at 7.25 t/ha, compared with the five-year average of 8.79 t/ha, while in the fungicide-untreated trials the average yield of controls is currently 6.19 t/ha 0.88 t/ha below the five-year average of 7.07t/ha. There were very high levels of crown rust in the Devon trial which came in prior to panicle emergence, which had a dramatic effect on the yield in this trial.

2025/2026 season

The season began positively for RL winter oat trials, with drilling completed in favourable conditions and crops holding their condition well through the winter. This was followed by periods of extreme temperature and a severe lack of rainfall, which restricted yield potential.

BYDV has been recorded at significant levels in a small number of winter oat trials this year. RL trials are treated for aphids in the autumn to control BYDV, and although symptoms have been observed during inspections, they have not reached levels that would justify abandoning a trial.

Crown rust has also appeared at high levels in several fungicide-untreated trials, particularly at sites in Devon and Shropshire (results yet to report), clearly differentiating varieties with stronger resistance from those more susceptible. Mildew continues to be the dominant disease present in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Calculating yield results

Yields are represented as a percentage of the control varieties. In 2026, Dalguise, Mascani and Cromwell are the control varieties. The average yield from these varieties is represented as 100%.

2026 averages

With seven of the ten paired fungicide‑treated and fungicide-untreated trials to report, interpretation of results should still be approached with some caution.

In the fungicide‑treated trials, the highest‑yielding variety is the husked year‑4 candidate Maunsell from Senova at 112%, which will be considered for recommendation in autumn 2026. Among currently recommended varieties, RGT Southwark leads at 110%, followed by the newly recommended Rannoch and Dalguise at 105%. Mascani is at 94%.

Grain quality remains central to oat performance and early data shows the year‑4 candidate Maunsell has good kernel content in 2026, but specific weight is on the low side and sieving’s are a little higher than some varieties. Grain quality data forms an important part of the decision whether to recommend oat varieties, when data from the last three years will be considered.

In the fungicide‑untreated trials, the year‑4 candidate Maunsell again tops the list at 133%, driven by its high crown rust resistance. Rannoch is at 120%, and RGT Southwark at 116%, with crown rust ratings of 7 and 6 respectively. Dalguise on 107%, Mascani on 99% and Cromwell on 94% all have lower crown rust ratings.

Naked varieties typically yield lower but serve a distinct market. The only currently recommended naked variety is Peloton on 76% in fungicide-treated trials, with the year‑3 candidate Falcon close behind at 73%, though Falcon will not be eligible for recommendation until autumn 2027. In the fungicide‑untreated trials both naked varieties are yielding at 81% in 2026.

Five-year averages

The 2026 results represent yields from a single season, and while useful, they provide only a snapshot in what has been an extreme year. The five‑year average provides a better indication of varietal performance across seasons and offers a clearer view of whether varieties are likely to be recommended in the autumn.

Based on the five‑year averages, RGT Southwark is currently the highest‑yielding variety at 107%, closely followed by the year‑4 candidate Maunsell also on 107%, then the newly recommended Rannoch on 106%. Dalguise is just behind these on 104% and Cromwell on 102%.

In fungicide‑untreated trials, Maunsell leads at 121%, with Rannoch at 118% and RGT Southwark at 114%. Cromwell and Dalguise, both with lower disease resistance ratings are someway behind on 104% and 98% respectively, with Mascani also on 98%.

For the naked varieties, the year‑3 candidate Falcon is highest yielding at 78%, with the currently recommended Peloton at 77%. However, in fungicide‑untreated trials, Peloton is higher yielding at 84%, with Falcon slightly behind at 83%.

Further information

Access 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