United Kingdom - New soft wheat Bamford is the focus for winter wheat trials hosted by Elsoms Seeds and Saaten Union

Winter Wheat Takes Center Stage

Elsoms Seeds and renowned breeders Saaten Union hosted a trials day in Suffolk, attracting numerous farmers, agronomists, and seed trade representatives. The event showcased a wide range of crop varieties.  On display was winter wheat, winter barley, soft wheat, spring oats, and hybrid rye. Notably, Elsoms’ new winter wheat, Bamford, an early maturing, high-yielding Group 3 Soft wheat, stole the show. This variety is generating much excitement within the seed industry.

Bamford winter wheat is Elsoms new flagship variety

The trials event took place in Cowlinge and featured treated and untreated variety plots of various crops. With special attention on winter wheat, winter barley, soft wheat, spring oats, and hybrid rye, Elsoms’ Bamford stood out as the star attraction among participants.

Bamford: High yielding and flexible group 3 winter wheat

Trials site manager Andrew Creasy, representing Saaten Union UK, expressed enthusiasm for Bamford. He praised its remarkable performance with a treated yield of 106% and an impressive untreated yield of 92%. Furthermore, Bamford boasts an outstanding agronomic profile with strong disease resistance. Additionally, it is outperforming established Group 4 Soft wheats, with a yield averaging 2.5% above LG Skyscraper.

Bamford is suitable for multiple end markets

 
David Coop, Sales and Marketing Director, wholeheartedly supports Andrew’s views, stating that Bamford has the potential to revolutionise the wheat market. Moreover, the seed industry shows tremendous support, making it the undeniable star of this year’s trials.

Blackstone: Highest yielding group 4 winter wheat candidate on the RL

The top yielder among 23/24 RL candidates for the group 4s

Complementing Elsoms’ winter wheat portfolio are Blackstone and Bollinder. Andrew believes that both varieties show great promise for inclusion in the 2024 Recommended List (RL). For instance, Blackstone, a Soft wheat, impresses as the highest yielding candidate among this year’s Group 4 RL options. It boasts a treated yield of 103.5% and an extended drilling window. An appealing variety to growers seeking harvesting flexibility.

Bollinder: Elsoms hard winter wheat Offering

Bollinder, a Group 4 feed wheat, exhibits vigorous growth and optimal height. This firmly positions it as an exceptional candidate variety for the competitive Group 4 hard wheat sector. Additionally, its response to significantly reduced fungicide programs in trials and impressive disease resistance enhances its appeal to farmers.

Flourishing Winter Barley and Spring Oats

Elsoms’ winter barley lineup features two contenders: potential malting variety Buccaneer and conventional 6-row feed variety Valvira. Buccaneer, new to the RL last year, demonstrates a 4-5% yield lift over competitor varieties. Valvira, on the other hand, combines high yields with excellent disease scores and crucial resistance to the aphid-spread barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), making it a popular choice for growers in the South and West regions.

Winter malting barley variety Buccaneer

As for Asterion, the new candidate variety of spring oats, it generates significant interest. With a notable uplift in grain quality, recording 72.5% kernel content and a high specific weight, it has excellent potential for the milling market. Furthermore, it has a strong chance of inclusion in the new RL come November, subject to favorable buy-back contracts.

Thriving Hybrid Rye Varieties

In the hybrid rye plots, varieties SU Perspectiv, SU Arvid, and SU Baresi captured much attention. Bred by Saaten Union, these varieties represent a remarkable improvement in yield over SU Performer, the former go-to choice for wholecrop growers supplying the UK’s Anaerobic Digestion (AD) market. SU Baresi’s excellent disease resistance to brown rust and specific weight of 78.2kg/hl make it a prime candidate, with excellent seed availability projected for 2024.

SU Perspectiv demonstrated a 7-8% yield uplift in the North of England and Scotland

 
Continuing to impress in UK trials, is SU Arvid, displaying the highest fresh weight output across all varieties and excelling on both light and heavy soils.

Though still in its first year as an NL candidate, SU Perspectiv has already demonstrated a 7-8% yield uplift in cooler and less volatile growing conditions in the North of England and Scotland. Additionally, with strong disease scores and excellent lodging resistance due to its lower plant height, SU Perspectiv is an invaluable addition to Elsoms’ hybrid rye portfolio. Moreover, high demand for Perspectiv in Europe ensures good seed availability for the upcoming autumn.

An Exciting Portfolio

The successful winter crop trials event showcased an impressive variety portfolio, capturing the attention of farmers, agronomists, and seed trade representatives. Notably, Elsoms’ new winter wheat Bamford stood out as the star attraction, promising exciting prospects for agricultural farmers in the forthcoming seasons.