New hybrid barley – SY Nephin

New on the AHDB winter barley RL for 2023/24, SY Nephin is a high-performance hybrid which combines high yield with excellent specific weight and outstanding disease resistance, explains Sarah Hughes, Syngenta UK marketing manager for hybrid barley.

“Usefully, SY Nephin has the highest resistance score against the key disease, Rhynchosporium, on this new RL,” says Mrs Hughes, “and this compliments its high untreated yield.

“A high untreated yield is typically indicative of a variety with excellent disease resistance. With weather patterns becoming increasingly unpredictable and extreme, and the effects of this on disease pressures, flexibility when it comes to a variety’s disease management and fungicide spray timings can be a significant benefit on-farm.”

Mrs Hughes says SY Nephin reflects Syngenta’s hybrid breeding expertise – which has provided high and stable yields, grass weed suppression effects, and other benefits associated with hybrid vigour. “Growers looking to try a new hybrid barley variety can choose SY Nephin with confidence,” Mrs Hughes adds.

New spring barley varieties – SY Tennyson and SY Signet

New on the AHDB spring barley RL for 2023 come the two new Syngenta spring malting barley varieties, SY Tennyson and SY Signet.  

“SY Tennyson joins the RL with the highest UK treated (105.2% treated controls) yield figure for a variety with potential for both brewing and malt distilling,” points out Syngenta seeds portfolio marketing manager, Kathryn Hamlen. “This high yield is seen throughout the regions, but particularly in the North and the East of the UK where it has given outstanding results. 

“SY Tennyson has a good agronomic profile, with stiff straw and a high untreated yield. It also has potential for the two main malting markets in the UK – brewing and malt distilling – which makes it an exciting prospect for growers and end users alike.”

Meanwhile, SY Signet is a high-yielding spring malting barley that is under test for brewing, says Mrs Hamlen. “SY Signet has shown the important characteristic of yield consistency over the last three years, a time when the UK has seen varied weather. 

“SY Signet also has a strong disease resistance profile and outstanding untreated yield (95% treated controls). These features, coupled with very good straw and grain characteristics, give SY Signet a strong all-round package for protecting yield and quality.”

Both SY Tennyson and SY Signet will continue to the next stage of industry testing with the hope of being future additions to the MBC list of approved varieties for UK malting markets, Mrs Hamlen adds.