KWS leads the charge with four out of six of the first-choice maize varieties for dry matter yield (t/ha) on the 2026 NIAB Descriptive List (DL) for favourable sites, strengthening its position as a key innovator in the UK maize market.

KWS also claims the top three spots on the less favourable list, with a total of six varieties added for the first time across the entirety of the DL.

Commenting on the announcement, Andrew Cook, KWS’s maize product manager, says: “We’re delighted that our varieties have secured such strong recognition on the NIAB Descriptive List for 2026.

“We’ve ramped up our testing and selection procedure and are now testing more varieties across more sites than ever before. This is allowing us to be more robust in our selection process and it’s clearly paying off.”

He says these new additions to the Descriptive List offer a real step-up in maize production standards.

“Joining the DL in 2025 with the second highest dry matter yield on the first-choice variety for favourable sites, KWS Zimo, boasts an impressive 19.6t/ha,” says Andrew.

“What makes Zimo particularly exciting is its well-balanced profile, with a starch content of 35.3% and 11.73 MJ/kg of dry matter, and with an FAO of 190, it establishes quickly and shows excellent early vigour.

“This makes it an ideal candidate for the forage and biogas sector, with a long growing season.”

KWS Reo has also earned itself a position on the list this year. With an FAO of 170,Andrew  believes it will be an attractive option for a lot of farming systems.

“These new varieties rising through the ranks are great news for growers - it’s never been more important to maximise your home-grown forage stocks and investing in a dependable variety is absolutely critical.

“When you see new candidates like Reo delivering tremendous dry matter yields, backed up by 36.7% starch content and an early vigour of 6.9, there is real scope to boost yields, improve disease resistance, and enhance adaptability to the changing climate.”

Andrew says KWS's success on the list is a direct result of their rigorous breeding and testing program, which places a strong emphasis on yield, disease resistance, and adaptability to both favourable and challenging growing conditions.

“With a robust line-up of from ultra earlies to later maturing varieties, we are confident this new generation of varieties will help maize growers achieve greater yields and a valuable forage crop.”