Matros and California, the winter feed barley’s from Limagrain, have been confirmed as official candidate varieties for the 2012 Recommended List.

“We are delighted that we have been able to provide the necessary data from trials sown this year to the Recommended List Board and that the outcome has been positive, with both varieties being accepted for reconsideration for this year’s Recommended List. The work that we have carried out reflects the value that both of these winter barley varieties have to the market place, and this is a very exciting development,” says Lee Robinson, of Limagrain.

“Both varieties yield well and offer significant improvements for specific attributes such as specific weight and standing ability as well as straw qualities, and robust foliar disease resistances.”

“Looking at each variety in more detail; California has maintained very consistent high yields in its four years of trials across both western and eastern regions, with an average across the two areas of 104 – very close to market leader KWS Cassia - although up for recommendation for the west of the country.  Its specific weight offering is a very respectable 69.3, well above that of Retriever. “

“California’s robust disease resistance ratings offer a 6 for mildew,  brown rust, yellow rust and Rhyncosporium  and a (7) for net blotch, and resistance to BaYMV make it a fairly straight forward variety to manage in what can be wetter western conditions.”

“However, where California stands out as a variety particularly suited for the west is its straw length of 88 and a rating of 8 for resistance to lodging as it is these valuable straw characteristics that are beneficial for livestock farmers,” he adds.

Matros is a proven high yielder with a UK treated yield figure of 104, nearly matching Retriever and doing particularly well in the east where it has out yielded KWS Cassia by 3% in official trials. It also offers a range of characteristics that will make it a valuable alternative to hybrid barley in the north.

“Matros provides excellent all -round disease resistance as you would expect from a Limagrain variety, crucially offering a 7 for mildew, brown rust and Rhynchosporium, as well as a 5 for yellow rust. The (4) for net blotch is based on limited data and this will be further evaluated this season. “

“In terms of quality, a comparison with Retriever is difficult as we do not have any sieving data on the RL, however based on figures from 2010-2011, Matros is much better for screenings than Retriever.”

“Like California, where Matros stands out is its potential extra straw yield, standing tall at 91cm. It is also stiff strawed and with a rating of 8 for lodging –a figure that not many other varieties on the list hold - it provides the ideal barley feed characteristics.“