What will be the top-selling wheat varieties this autumn?

Extase is about to overhaul Skyfall as the top-selling winter wheat selection this autumn, pushed by its good illness resistance, stiff straw and early maturity.

Seed commerce consultants imagine the selection will promote out this autumn as growers select stable, sustainable varieties, fairly than search for out-and-out top-yielders.

Barry Barker, nationwide arable seed product supervisor at agronomy group Agrii, says the selection has seemed excellent and clear in the area all by way of the season.

“I think it will sell out and be the number 1 variety driven by its good disease resistance to septoria and rusts, standing ability and earliness,” he says.

See additionally: Winter wheat selection assessed for capability to chop fungicide prices

High septoria ranking

The selection has the second-highest septoria resistance ranking on the AHDB Recommended List at 8.1, simply behind Theodore, a prime 9 for yellow rust and a great stable 7 for brown rust, on a 1-9 scale the place 1 may be very inclined and 9 exhibits good resistance.

By utilizing the genetic potential of the selection, wheat growers might reduce on some inputs and in addition get good worth for cash from inputs similar to fungicides.

In addition, with the winter wheat space down almost 20% this season, Extase growers might nicely obtain a helpful premium for the Group 2 milling wheat, as millers will be keen to make use of all the home-grown wheat they will purchase.

“Those who do well out of Extase this season  are likely to put it in the ground for next season,” he provides.

Mr Barker expects Extase to be the top-selling selection in the licensed seed market, adopted by feed selection Gleam, then Skyfall – helped by its capability to be drilled late – with Graham and Skyscraper competing for fourth spot.

Popular in England

David Waite, northern seeds supervisor at agronomy group Frontier, additionally expects Extase to be the top-seller this autumn, significantly in England.

He believes the selection is at the starting of a development favouring those who supply a lot improved illness resistance, particularly to septoria.

The solely draw back for the selection could be seed availability, as many seed crops suffered from late drilling after which a really dry spring and are more likely to have low yields.

“The variety has a lot of positives – good septoria resistance, high hagberg, stiff straw and is at the higher end of the millers’ specifications for a Group 2 wheat,” he says.

Mr Waite doesn’t anticipate it to be grown too far north into Scotland, as its regional yield has not been that spectacular in the North, whereas Scotland is essentially a tender feed wheat market.

Top three in the West

Jonathan Baxendale, combinable seed product supervisor at seed provider Wynnstay, says Extase will be amongst his group’s three top-selling wheat varieties, together with Graham and Gleam.

The seed provider focuses on Group 1 milling and Group Four feed wheats and covers an space throughout the center of England from Shropshire to Yorkshire. In phrases of seed gross sales it’s third after Frontier and Agrii.

Mr Baxendale says wheat selection selection in the West typically focuses on these with a resistance rating of 6 and extra for septoria, particularly after the septoria fungicide chlorothalonil was banned.

“For this year, we are seeing the most interest in Extase after it sold out last year, and with no chlorothalonil for next season,” he says.