Two new Syngenta barley varieties added to the AHDB Recommended List

New on the 2022/23 AHDB winter barley Recommended List (RL), the hybrid feed barley, SY Canyon, is set to tick a lot of boxes for growers, says Syngenta seeds technical expert, Ben Urquhart.

As well as its high UK treated yield of 106% of control varieties, he says SY Canyon continues Syngenta’s recent heritage of breeding hybrid barleys with improved grain quality – with a specific weight of 71.2 kg/hl, the second highest figure of all varieties on the latest winter barley RL.

“High specific weight offers farmers reassurance when it comes to achieving grain quality contracts,” explains Mr Urquhart. “Yield-wise, SY Canyon has also performed particularly well in the West and consistently across different growing seasons. This is a trait of a dependable variety.

“SY Canyon also has the highest untreated yield figure on the new RL, at 89% of the treated controls. This, plus its good all-round disease resistance package, offers growers flexibility with integrated disease management.”

Usefully, Mr Urquhart says, with a figure of -1 on the RL, SY Canyon is also early-maturing, helping to spread harvest workloads and provide an early entry for following crops, such as winter oilseed rape.

“It also has the highest light land yield figure on the new winter barley RL, as well as good straw strength and good brackling resistance.

“Overall, SY Canyon could be an attractive option for growers looking to graduate from the hybrid Libra, and looking for Libra-like specific weight with higher yield.”

New spring barley – SY Bronte

New on the AHDB spring barley 2022 Recommended List (RL) in the malting category is the Syngenta variety, SY Bronte.

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Currently under MBC evaluation for brewing, SY Bronte combines very high treated yield, excellent grain quality and strong agronomic characteristics, says Syngenta seeds marketing manager, Tracy Creasy. 

“SY Bronte has also shown consistency in its yields in different regions and over different seasons. Agronomically, it has very good brackling resistance and good lodging resistance and, added to this, has a good combination of disease resistance and untreated yield. So it looks a consistent and secure option for the future. 

“Quality-wise, SY Bronte has good specific weight, low screening levels, and a very high hot water extract. 

“As a potential brewing variety, SY Bronte offers a valuable addition to spring barley choices going forward for growers in England,” Mrs Creasy adds.