With more than half the Recommended List (RL) winter wheat trial results now in for analysis, the HGCA has said yields have held up well across most of the UK, except for the shallow soils in the East of England. The first yields now in from Scotland are showing an average yield of 11.1 tonnes per hectare; however, nationally yields remain 7 per cent below the five year average. image expired

HGCA said Conqueror, KWS Santiago and Oakley top the treated yields for the Group 4 wheat but the untreated yields show a different story; the agency revealed that, of the candidates, KWS Solo has performed well on yield both in the treated and untreated trials.

Changes are likely to be made in the brown rust resistance scores following the discovery of new races which can attack varieties in this year's UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey (UKCPVS) (more information can be found on this here). This will be of greatest concern in the East, but more manageable in the North and West.

Any changes in varietal resistance to brown rust will be reflected in this year's Recommended List varietal disease ratings and HGCA said the CropMonitor service will provide the latest on brown rust risk next season.