New KWS RL additions bring increased productivity and flexibility to all Groups and sectors

  • New KWS varieties top wheat and barley RLs
  • New addition has highest untreated yield on RL
  • New Group 1 variety sets new benchmark for protein production
  • New Group 2 trio takes top three places
  • New Group 3 varieties cover all market opportunities
  • New Group 4 leader is the highest yielding wheat on the RL overall
  • New KWS hybrid tops barley RL
  • New 2-row variety is highest yielding conventional barley

KWS brings eight new wheat varieties and four new barleys to the AHDB 2025/26 RL covering all Groups and sectors with many setting new standards for yield, quality and consistency of production, says KWS UK head of product management Kate Cobbold.

The arrival of the new genetics redefines the potential of varieties within the traditional Group system with many of the additions introducing new levels of dual purpose versatility, she believes.

"Significant successes for the new wheat varieties include the highest yield overall, a new Group 1 with the highest outright protein yield, top placings in Groups 2, 3 and 4 and the highest untreated yield of all varieties on the list.

"In barley, KWS' first hybrid variety to be launched also takes top slot for highest winter barley yield overall, together with a new 2-row addition becoming the highest yielding conventional variety on the list.

"These are unprecedented achievements. Seven out of the ten winter wheat additions on the new RL are KWS varieties, for example, with the number of top spots achieved reflecting our continuing focus on breeding varieties with the highest productivity for growers.

"KWS' breeding resources remain focused on delivering the highest levels of yield and end-product marketability to maximise revenue for growers while also building in the best agronomic properties and disease resistance traits into our varieties that we can.

"Achieving this has meant combining a wide range of genetic diversity, bringing together the best of UK, German and French parentage to give them real world resilience and durability.

"Our new varieties stand alongside proven market leaders like KWS Extase, KWS Dawsum and KWS Tardis as a new generation of varieties focused on helping producers meet the challenges of the future from both economic and growing perspectives."

Group 1 addition sets new benchmark for protein production


According to KWS UK technical manager for conventional crops Olivia Bacon, the new Group 1 KWS Vibe* slots into the new RL behind KWS Zyatt for yield but has the overall highest protein production potential on the list.

"KWS Vibe brings genuinely improved performance to a sector that has had few new additions in recent years.

"We believe KWS Vibe is the new 'protein banker' for the UK with the best combination of yield and protein of all varieties, but with a much better plant package for growers than previous varieties.

"Its yield of 98% of controls combined with a milling specification protein content of 13.2% sets it apart from its competitors, as does the most comprehensive agronomic package of all the key Group 1 players.

"This includes an 8 for yellow rust, a 6 for brown rust and a 6.6 for septoria tritici resistance combined with a Hagberg falling number of 283 and specific weight of 79.1 kg/hl. It really has everything you would wish to see in a Group 1."

New Group 2 trio takes top three places


With three new KWS varieties entering Group 2 taking the first three spots for outright yield, it's certainly a sector that is changing, particularly in light of the renewed appeal of Group 1 as a result of KWS Vibe, she believes.

"KWS Extase set a new standard for septoria resistance and untreated yield when it was introduced five years ago and many growers started choosing it for this reason, rather than its milling potential.

"New Group 2 additions KWS Arnie, KWS Equipe and KWS Newbie build on this position by adding improved disease resistance and higher yields combined with the same excellent milling potential.

"All six KWS Group 2 varieties have the advantage of being strong milling contenders when added value opportunities arise but they can also be exceptionally profitable when grown as high performance feed wheats in their own right.

"This in addition to their strong trait sets making them a valuable agronomic tool across a range of different production scenarios which altogether makes them a powerful addition to any portfolio.

"KWS Arnie, for example, is the new Group 2 leader with a yield some 4% points ahead of KWS Extase at 106% of control making it comparable to the very best Group 4s, together with the additional benefits of 7s for both yellow rust and septoria resistance.

"KWS Equipe takes second spot in Group 2 at 103% of treated controls plus it has the highest untreated yield of all varieties on the new RL at 92%, underlining the strength of its agronomics and real-world resilience. It has all the benefits of KWS Extase and more.

"KWS Newbie completes the trio of new Group 2s with excellent first and second wheat yields, particularly in the North where it yields [107%] of controls, plus its 9 for yellow rust and 6.2 for septoria tritici resistance will stand it in good stead across the country."

New Group 3 varieties cover all market opportunities


Turning to Group 3, new additions KWS Solitaire and KWS Flute can also be seen as Group 'disrupters' with their potential to serve all market opportunities be they distilling, export, feed or biscuits, Olivia Bacon believes.

"Like Group 2, Group 3 is also evolving with these new genetics providing a range of opportunities for growers that would not have been possible just a few years ago.

"In particular, KWS Solitaire, the top Group 3 variety on the new RL with a yield 107% of controls, brings exciting possibilities to all regions.

"In addition to high yields for all, additional benefits include outstanding septoria tritici resistance for the West, OWBM resistance for the East and distilling potential in the North.

"KWS Flute is also a good Group 3 all-rounder with a yield 106% of controls for the UK generally, rising to [108%] for the North region. It also has good distilling potential for Northern growers with good early sowing performance too."

New Group 4 leader is the highest yielding wheat on the RL overall


In Group 4, where KWS Dawsum's reliability and all-round strength have made it the UK's most popular wheat by area grown in recent years, KWS Scope tops the Group and the new RL overall with a yield of 108% of control for the UK as a whole, she adds.

"That rises to 111% in the West region so it's a true yield monster with the type of agronomic foundation that allows this performance to be delivered across the country plus it has a specific weight significantly higher than the next highest yielder on the list.

"A 7 for yellow rust, a 6 for brown rust and a 6.5 for Septoria tritici resistance give KWS Scope similar agronomics to KWS Dawsum with its specific weight of 78.9 kg/hl right up there too.

"KWS Scope's German parentage also adds diversity to a very strong sector and offers growers valuable choice in ever changing conditions with regard to disease pressure."

KWS tops RL with its first ever hybrid barley


According to KWS UK technical manager for hybrid crops Rory Hannam, the company's first hybrid barley Inys tops the RL for winter barley with a yield of 109% putting the company in a unique position.

"This allows KWS to offer a full portfolio of barley options for all growing situations and market opportunities.

"Although hybrids have been a key feature of KWS breeding for many years across crops such as sugar beet, maize, rye and more recently oilseed rape, Inys is our first hybrid barley to be launched, with the UK the first region to introduce it.

"That yield is going to make it very popular with growers, but Inys is a great performer in the field with good standing power and a solid agronomic package. Its 7% for brackling, for example, is the lowest of all hybrid barleys and also one of the lowest on the RL.

"It's topped RL list trials for yield in two out of the last three years, so it's a consistent performer, too."

Highest yielding conventional barley on RL too


Olivia Bacon stresses that while Inys has a strong pipeline of hybrid barley varieties behind it currently at various stages in the RL trial process, KWS' commitment to conventional varieties remains undiminished.

"There is without doubt a place for both conventional and hybrid barley varieties on farm.

"Depending on the end market and local growing conditions, farmers now have options for finding the most appropriate barley solution and that is the real benefit of the KWS position.

"KWS Tardis has been the UK's most popular winter barley for several years and now new KWS Valencis looks like being its natural successor continuing the tradition of high yielding conventional options.

"The highest yielding conventional variety on the new RL with a yield of 106%, KWS Valencis has shown consistent performance across the country and over the last three years with particularly good grain characteristics, too.

"It performs particularly well on light soils and its untreated yield of 91% of controls gives it real versatility in a number of production systems. Even in the challenging year of 2024, KWS Valencis' strong untreated yield and low brackling held up.

"KWS Heraclis is also added to the RL for the North where it achieves a yield of [108%] of control. It's a very stiff strawed variety with low brackling in a shorter plant type with good mildew and brown rust resistance."

High hopes for new RL Spring barley addition


KWS Enduris is a new potential dual purpose Spring malting barley added to the new RL and currently under macros scale testing for malting recommendation after 2025, Olivia Bacon adds.

"KWS Enduris has a short and stiff plant type with excellent performance in European brewing trials and good potential for autumn sowing so it's one we have high hopes for.

"Yield is a definite notch up from the current most popular malting varieties at 102% and agronomics look good as do grain characteristics."

Oilseed rape hybrid is E/W highest yielder with pod shatter and TuYV resistance


The new KWS hybrid oilseed rape Hinsta joins the 2025/26 RL as one of the highest yielding varieties in the East West region and also combines pod shatter and TuYV resistance, Rory Hannam points out.

"Hinsta is the latest development in our hybrid oilseed rape breeding programme, combining a strong disease package with a high oil content of 46.1% and intermediate resistance to verticillium wilt.

"It's a modern oilseed rape variety, packaging together the key traits that growers now want with strong hybrid vigour, proven resilience and exceptional yield potential."

* KWS Vibe will added to the GB and NI Variety Lists (VL) in January 2025, provided no representations are received. Once the variety is included in the Gazette as VL the footnote from the online tables will be removed.

[ ] = Limited data

About KWS

KWS is one of the world’s leading plant breeding companies. More than 5,000 employees* in over 70 countries generated net sales of around €1.8 billion in fiscal 2022/2023. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for over 165 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for corn, sugar beet, cereals, vegetables, oilseed rape and sunflowers. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield for farmers and plants’ resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested more than €300 million last fiscal year in research and development. 

*Excluding seasonal workers

For more information: www.kws.com.

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