To manage risk in the upcoming season, those growing spring malting barley should look to varieties that have produced consistent yields over multiple years, says Robert Jackson, Syngenta seeds technical expert for malting barley.
This should include performance data in tricky years, such as 2024, and should be taken in addition to clear market demand for the variety.
“Spring barley is a crop that can be very sensitive to its growing environment. So a variety with a track record of good performance across different seasons is useful. The 2024 season provided a notably tough test.
“Similarly, you need to be able to sell what you’ve grown. So good end market demand for the variety from maltsters is crucial.
“There are numerous spring malting barley varieties to choose from, but certainly one with a strong track record is Laureate. First added to the AHDB Recommended List (RL) in 2016, it has become the most purchased spring malting barley variety – accounting for more than 60% of spring barley purchased for malting from the 2023 crop, the most recent year of available data.
“Moreover, despite the challenging season, the average treated yield figure for Laureate in AHDB RL trials in 2024 was higher than its five-year average.
“The same pattern was also seen with its untreated yields. We believe this was down to its good disease resistance profile in a season that saw plenty of wet weather disease pressure.
“In addition, however, Laureate also seems to have withstood some of the drilling delays that affected farms during the wet 2024 season,” he adds.
For more information go to www.syngenta.co.uk