Two new Hyvido hybrid winter feed barleys and a spring malting variety from Syngenta have been added to the AHDB Recommended List.
SY Quantock is said to be the latest generation in yield potential from the company’s Hyvido range, with treated and untreated yields of 109% and 93% respectively.
“Putting this into perspective, the current popular high-yielding hybrid barley, SY Kingsbarn, has treated and untreated yields of 107% and 82% respectively on the new list,” says hybrid barley portfolio manager, Mark Shaw.
“SY Quantock has also produced exceptional yields across different regions and seasons, and its high untreated yield is consistent with its strong disease resistance profile – with ratings of 7 against Rhynchosporium and mildew, and 6 against net blotch and brown rust.”
He adds that the variety offers a very good grain specific weight of 70.4kg/hl, as well as good resistance to lodging with a plant growth regulator and early maturing.
The other hybrid variety, SY Kestrel, is the first from the Hyvido Neo breeding programme. It is also the first to bring barely yellow dwarf virus resistance (BYDV).
“As well as resistance to the MAV, PAV and RPV strains of BYDV, SY Kestrel also has tolerance to wheat dwarf virus (WDV), which is transmitted by leaf hoppers,” says Mark.
“BYDV can reduce winter barley yields by as much as half. A BYDV resistant variety means you’re less reliant on spraying against the aphids that transmit the virus or spraying on time. So it’s a key tool in growers’ BYDV management kit.
“It also fits nicely into the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) where there’s the potential payment for no insecticide use. However, SY Kestrel isn’t only about BYDV resistance.
“It also provides good yields, with a treated yield of 104% of controls and an untreated grain yield of 86%, and has produced consistent yield performance over different seasons.
“Like SY Quantock, it also provides good disease resistance ratings of 7 against Rhynchosporium and mildew, and 6 against net blotch and brown rust.
“It also has good grain specific weight of 68.7 kg/hl, good lodging resistance with a PGR and is early to mature.”
For malting spring barley, SY Arrow is the highest yielding variety on the list, with additional potential in brewing.
“It has a very high treated yield of 104% of controls,” she says, “and has produced strong performance across all regions and consistently strong performance over the past three years,” explains seeds portfolio marketing managing, Kathryn Hamlen.
“Currently under test for brewing and malt distilling, SY Arrow has produced outstanding results for the important quality characteristics of hot water extract (HWE) and predicted spirit yield (PSY) and has a specific weight similar to the current leading spring malting variety, Laureate.
“Agronomically, SY Arrow also has good disease resistance ratings, including 7 against Rhynchosporium and 8 against mildew.
“It also brings 7 ratings for resistance to lodging without a PGR and for resistance to brackling, while its maturity is earlier than Laureate.”
For more information go to www.syngenta.co.uk