Early summer sees combinable crop growers bombarded with invitations to attend field trial open days – often with the promise of a BBQ and the chance for a blether away from the coalface.

While some trials events have a strong customer relations emphasis, on many other trial sites across the country there is valuable work going on once the catering van departs and the banners are packed away.

There are opportunities for growers to glean local knowledge backed by nationwide research investment that can make a real difference to next year’s harvest. The AHDB Recommended List project is celebrating its 80th year and remains the most comprehensive source of knowledge on variety performance for UK crop managers.

MORE OPINION | Labour wins big, But unexpected hurdles arise

MORE OPINION | No Scotland, no party! Scots sweep Great Yorkshire Show

Despite this long-lived success, replicated small plot trial research has become slightly unfashionable and undervalued in certain farming quarters – the central argument being that end users and governments are increasingly emphasising low-input, low-carbon grain with a side order of biodiversity.

Replicated small plot trials, on the other hand, are synonymous in the minds of some with ‘spray and weigh’ systems with over reliance on purchased inputs.

Small plot research can and does, however, deliver results that meet industry needs. After eight decades of change, the AHDB Recommended List is still going strong. The RL project is supported by a consortium of plant breeders, researchers and, crucially, organisations representing maltsters, distillers and flour millers.

The level of end-user engagement demonstrates that for many large-scale buyers the work of the Recommended List project contributes towards securing a consistent supply of the materials that they require.

Crop managers can use the available knowledge to make informed decisions based on their own needs. It is invaluable in providing a source of knowledge independent of seed marketing arrangements.

Some growers question if we are really making progress, particularly as extreme weather events confuse the year-on-year picture on farm. Many look back with nostalgia at past varieties that seemingly stood the test of time before being replaced with a succession of newcomers often with increasingly abstract names.

Picking out spring barley as being particularly relevant for Scotland, the average yields of malt distilling varieties grown in north region Recommended List trials show a strong upward trend from 2013 to 2023.

The average yield of the malt distilling varieties harvested in 2023 was 20% higher than in the 2013 harvest and the data indicates steady improvement over time.

This has been achieved using comparable inputs of fertiliser and plant protection products. It’s an example of plant breeding and variety selection leading to a real sustainability win – fewer resources required to produce each tonne of grain.

In other words, a growing market can be supplied while minimising additional greenhouse gas emissions and without increasing the farmed area at the expense of biodiversity.

In other crops, particularly winter wheat, change is essential to stay ahead of the evolution of crop diseases and the ever-more stringent restriction on crop protection products.

Implementing good farm practice and the principles of integrated crop management is not a matter of choice for long-term sustainability. Variety selection is the essential first step in maintaining output at an acceptable level of cost, risk and environmental impact.

In terms of the sustainability of commercial farming and supplying the mainstream market, the scientific method that underpins small plot replicated trials has much to offer.

We must also applaud growers and processors who are finding niches with compelling stories and the land managers who have the option to set their own environmentally-focused priorities.

However, even here the validated evidence available on variety traits can be used to assist in meeting farm objectives and end-user requirements.

A rejection of established research methods is neither necessary nor constructive – particularly if perceived success of alternative practices is used to influence government policy or consumer habits without solid evidence.

Despite the proven positives, variety trials cannot be all things to all growers. They are fair comparisons of varieties – they are not a blueprint for crop management or an opportunity to compare farming systems.

Some varieties of local value may not fit the national picture but there are independent organisations, including Scottish Agronomy Ltd, ready to champion local needs utilising established variety evaluation techniques.

Changes to the RL project will undoubtedly come because of the most recent review – but it won’t provide all the answers being sought by the industry.

Market research and collaboration between researchers and crop managers will remain of high importance as cropping systems adapt to the demands being placed on them by markets, governments, and the climate.

The trick is to recognise and properly value what we have in the RL system and for skilled crop managers to utilise the knowledge to achieve the objectives of each farming business.

BOX

Greg Dawson is senior combinable crop agronomist and deputy managing director at Scottish Agronomy Ltd. He is also chair of the AHDB recommended list oilseeds crop committee.

Scottish Agronomy Ltd is a co-operative providing independent agronomy advice to over 220 growers in Scotland. The field trials team are the largest provider of trials services to the AHDB Recommended List project in the northern region.