Leading seed breeder continues to impress with strong pipeline of new varieties

An expansive new variety line-up that includes 3 winter barleys, a spring wheat, an oilseed rape, a hybrid rye and the RL’s highest yielding spring oats variety demonstrates the real strength and depth in Elsoms Seeds breeding program according to Elsoms Head of Agriculture, Toby Reich.

Toby says” Beyond the 7 new varieties, what’s most pleasing is the wide choice of competitive varieties we now offer UK farmers across all the major crop types. In winter barley we have 3 new varieties available for 2025/26 including SU Arion – an exciting variety offering novel genetics and a robust disease package including a 6.3 for Rhyncosporium, a 7 for net blotch and an 8 for mildew. With a regional recommendation for both the North and the East supported by impressive yields of 107% in the North and 105% in the East plus a nice balance of positive traits including a big, bold grain we’re confident of its future success

“Also recommended for the North, winter barley Rosemary is well suited to early drilling and, with a treated yield of 106%, it looks a step ahead of its competitors. Six-row winter barley Sixy completes the Elsoms line-up, and, with solid all-around agronomics, tolerance to Barley Yellows Dwarf Virus (BYDV) and a full UK recommendation it will be a strong addition in what looks to be a competitive new winter barley line-up” adds Toby.

On spring wheat, Elsoms look to have found another new variety with great potential in Ophelia.

Toby says” Early maturing and offering good early vigour with very stiff straw, Ophelia responds well to high seed rates and a split fertiliser application strategy. It has excellent grain quality and offers a high specific weight of 80.3kg/hl”.       

On Oilseed rape, Elsoms secured another RL regional recommendation with Powerhouse – the highest yielding conventional variety for use in the North.

Elsoms OSR breeder Mark Nightingale says “Powerhouse is a big variety that offers conventional growers the lowest relative risk for the North, very strong disease resistance and high seed yields. It’s solid set of disease scores also includes a 7 for resistance to light-leaf spot”.

With Caledon, Elsoms now also offer growers the highest yielding spring oats variety on the new RL.

Toby adds” With a treated yield of 105%, 4% ahead of the next best variety, plus the highest untreated yield at 98%, Caledon offers outstanding disease resistance and a positive balance of agronomic features. Add in early ripening plus an impressive kernel content that make it highly suitable for milling and it looks a variety to follow.

“On the new AHDB Descriptive List for hybrid rye, SU Thor was the highest yielding new variety with a treated yield of 108%. Its dual-purpose – grain and bio-gas, and looks the ‘go-to’ hybrid rye for those growers going for out and out yield” he concludes.