A consistent performer boasting high quality grain, an early harvest, tall straw and strong disease resistance, Evelina is proving itself repeatedly with mixed farmers as a feeder.

Available in Scotland from Alexander Harley Seeds (Mole Valley Farmers elsewhere), Evelina’s top notch disease resistance has made it a versatile variety suitable for growing in all regions in the UK. “This, alongside competitive grain yields, tall straw and high specific weights, makes it a very useful spring cropping option,” explained James Henderson, arable trader at Mole Valley Farmers.

“Evelina has been widely grown by our farmers for a number of years now, successfully achieving high yields of grain and straw across various seasons, having applied the correct use of bagged fertiliser and a full spray programme for weed and disease control.

“It is quick to establish and is early mature and has excellent disease resistance. It produces a nice bold grain ideal for home grown feed and with its extra straw length providing plenty of straw for bedding. And it continues to prove a popular and beneficial variety with livestock farmers,” he added.

Scottish farmer, David James Smith, in Angus, is a convert. “Evelina is not too late, it’s good quality and is always clean. We grow on average 40 acres a year," he said.

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He runs 85 suckler cows and followers and 300 sheep and sells Evelina through Cope Seeds and Grain. “The early harvest is beneficial to us up in Scotland and it had no disease issues. We will be growing it again this year and have done for the last five years,” he pointed out.

South Somerset mixed farmer, Mark Glanville has 235 milking cows and 120 beef cattle over 242 ha in Chard, and grows Evelina for feed. “We combine and crimp it, harvesting at 28% moisture,” he said.

“We grew it for the first time last year and we are growing it again. The grain quality is exceptional, and that was despite the drought we had last year."

Mark said that the variety suits him because it had an early harvest and tall straw. “The early harvest suits us, and we bed down the livestock on the straw, which is stiff with good standing. The strong disease resistance profile is also a huge benefit, and we had a really clean grain sample last year,” he added.

Gemma Clarke, of seed suppliers Cope Seeds and Grain, added. “In UK trials, Evelina showed outstanding disease resistance with no weaknesses, the grains produced high specific weights and had low screenings. It has quick establishment and is early to mature and the straw was visibly taller than other varieties.”