The latest AHDB Recommended Lists (RL) for cereals and oilseeds 2025/26, published this week, feature 40 new varieties, including a new UK Flour Millers (UKFM) Group 1 milling wheat for the second year running.
Winter wheat
There are ten new winter wheat varieties. This year, KWS Vibe (KWS-UK) has been listed as a provisional Group 1 variety, subject to the testing of commercial volumes of harvest 2024 grain samples by UKFM. Last year’s addition of SY Cheer (Syngenta Seeds) was the first new Group 1 wheat since 2017.
There are five new Group 2 varieties. KWS Arnie has the highest yield in the East and West regions, KWS Equipe has the highest untreated yield on the list and KWS Newbie is very high yielding in the North region. LG Shergar (Limagrain UK) has a very high yield in the North region. RGT Goldfinch (RAGT Seeds) has a robust disease resistance package, including BYDV and orange wheat blossom midge resistance, despite a lower yield potential. The AHDB notes it is likely to suit lower input systems.
Two new Group 3 varieties are added to the RL, both from KWS-UK. KWS Solitaire is high yielding in both treated and untreated trials and rated as good for distilling. KWS Flute also has a high treated yield, although not untreated yield and is medium for distilling.
Two new feed varieties make the Group 4 list, fewer than normal. RGT Hexton (RAGT Seeds) is a soft Group 4 with very high treated yield, especially in the North region, while KWS Scope (KWS-UK) is a hard Group 4 with very high yield, especially in the West region.
Spring wheat
The spring wheat list has four new varieties. There is a new Group 1 type from Agrovista, due to be named STR Pace once this has been confirmed by the Animal and Plant Health Authority, plus a Group 2, KWS Bezique from KWS-UK.
There are two new Group 4 spring wheats, WPB Fraser from Limagrain and Ophelia from Elsoms Seeds.
Winter barley
There are more new winter barley varieties listed than in a typical year, since many have regional recommendation and/or a specific recommendation for BYDV tolerance or resistance.
Nine new two-row feed varieties join the list. KWS Valencis (KWS-UK) and NOS Olena (Senova) have very high yields and good disease resistance. Kitty (Senova) is slightly lower yielding but one of only two RL varieties with resistance to barley yellow mosaic virus strain 2 (BaYMV2).
Russo (Agrii) is recommended for the East region, KWS Heracalis (KWS-UK) and Rosemary (Elsoms Seeds) for the North region. SU Arion (Saaten Union) is recommended for the North and East regions, with yield in the latter particularly high.
There are two new two-row feed varieties with BYDV tolerance – Organa (Senova) has a UK recommendation and LG Carpenter (Limagrain) is recommended for the East and West regions.
There are five new six-row feed barleys listed. The AHDB notes that the yield difference between six-row hybrids and two-row feed varieties has closed over recent years, but two new six-row hybrid varieties with a UK recommendation have re-opened the gap. They are Inys (KWS-UK) which is very high yielding, especially in the East and West regions, and SY Quantock (Syngenta) with a very high yield in the North and West regions.
Three of the new six-row varieties feature BYDV tolerance or resistance. Integral (Agrii) has a high treated yield, especially in the East and West regions, while Sixy (Elsoms) is slightly lower yielding in the East and West regions, but higher yielding in the North region.
Hybrid variety SY Kestrel (Syngenta) offers BYDV resistance (rather than tolerance) plus tolerance to wheat dwarf virus. It is very high yielding in the West region.
Spring barley
There are five new spring barley varieties – four for malting and distilling use, subject to Maltsters Association of Great Britain (MAGB) approval, and one for feed.
SY Arrow (Syngenta) offers high treated yields across all regions. Firecracker (Agrii) has a high treated yield, especially in the West region. Ptarmigan (Agrii) and KWS Enduris (KWS-UK) have slightly lower treated yields but high untreated yields, while Ptarmigan is earlier than most varieties which could suit growers in the North.
NOS Gambit (Senova) was originally recommended last year as a potential malting variety but dropped out of the MAGB testing process. After reassessment, it has returned as a feed variety.
Oats
There is one new addition – the spring oat variety Caledon (Saaten Union) with very high treated and untreated yields combined with good grain quality.
Winter oilseed rape
The AHDB states that most new winter oilseed rape varieties come with regional recommendations, reflecting the greater regional performance variation in the crop. But it warns the divisions between regions are not absolute – growers and their agronomists should consider which region is best for their conditions.
There is one new non-specialist hybrid variety for the UK – LG Adapt (Limagrain) with a very high treated yield across all regions and robust disease resistance.
There are two new varieties with a specific UK recommendation for resistance to the common strains of clubroot: Crusoe (NPZ-UK) and Cromputer (DSV).
There are three new non-specialist hybrid varieties for the East/West region – Maverick (NPZ-UK) which is high yielding and rated 9 for stem canker, Hinsta (KWS-UK) and Magelan (Limagrain) which are both slightly lower yielding but with good pest and disease resistance.
There are two new recommendations for the North region, including the whole of Scotland. LG Avenger (Limagrain) is a non-specialist hybrid with a very high yield and good light leaf spot resistance while Powerhouse (Elsoms Seeds) is a new conventional variety with the highest conventional yield in the North region.
“Farmers want robust varieties that help de-risk their businesses,” comments the AHDB RL manager Paul Gosling. “Breeders work hard to deliver new varieties to satisfy this demand. When coupled with the changes to the recommendation processes, the lists now feature varieties that deliver more diverse and stronger genetics. It is no longer about dirty, barn-filling varieties dominating the lists: it is about providing choice that meets the needs of the RL’s diverse users.”