The process for recommending cereal and oilseed varieties has evolved, as explained by Jenna Watts and Paul Gosling from AHDB.
Harvest season is not only busy for farmers but also for the team behind the Recommended Lists (RL) for cereals and oilseeds. Each year, hundreds of trials are conducted from Cornwall to Aberdeenshire, producing annually updated variety data for 11 crops in both recommended and descriptive lists. This is a significant expansion from the first RLs introduced in 1944.
Nearly 25,000 trial plots are assessed annually, which would stretch from London to York if lined up end to end. This extensive testing generates the robust data that supports recommendation decisions.
Q. What drives a recommendation?
A. The number of varieties on the RL often sparks discussion, but about 80% of farmers surveyed in the latest RL review felt the current number of varieties is appropriate. However, detailed discussions have highlighted opportunities to refine the recommendation process.
Recent reviews also emphasised the importance of considering factors beyond headline fungicide-treated yields, with pest and disease resistance frequently noted as critical.
Q. How are varieties recommended today?
A. The RL project board and crop committees adhere to strict processes with one key question in mind: Will this variety potentially provide a consistent economic benefit to the UK cereals or oilseeds industry?
A decision tree guides these recommendations.
Until this autumn, very high-yielding varieties (at least 2% above the yield target) could receive automatic recommendation if they met minimum standards for disease, agronomic traits like lodging, and market specifications.
However, the process has become more rigorous. Varieties now need to meet stricter requirements and undergo committee review.
New target specifications have been introduced this year, raising the bar compared to the old minimum standards. For example, new targets cover mildew and brown rust in winter wheat, all winter barley diseases, and all oat diseases.
The importance of fungicide-untreated yield in wheat and barley, as well as mildew and crown rust in oats, has been elevated from medium to high.
If a variety does not meet these targets, it must demonstrate a strong balance of features compared to established varieties to gain recommendation.
In other words, it must offer something different that compensates for any weaknesses in key characteristics.
This approach is not a radical change but rather a continuation of a trend that has been developing for some time.
Given that different growers and end users have varying needs, the RL will always feature a diverse range of varieties, some of which may only appeal to niche markets.
Each spring, the crop committees review the targets in light of changing industry requirements to ensure that recommended varieties continue to meet the needs of the sector. The results of this year’s selections will be available in the RL 2025/26, set to be published online on two December 2024.
Get involved with the RL team
The crop committees consist of industry experts and representatives, including farmers and agronomists. If you believe you can contribute positively to the development of the RL and the recommendation of varieties, you can contact the team at rl@ahdb.org.uk or keep an eye out for opportunities to join the committees later in the year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here