A NEW hybrid winter feed barley will raise the yield bar for growers in Northern England.

Hyvido Sunningdale, being launched for this autumn, has the top North region yield on the AHDB Recommended List for winter barley for 2017-18.

Samantha Brooke, seed manager for breeder Syngenta, said that by delivering the equivalent of 10 t/ha, it is about 0.5 t/ha above some of the highest-yielding conventional winter barley varieties on the list in the north region, and about 0.3 t/ha above the closest yielding hybrid.

She said: “Hyvido hybrid barleys are noted for delivering high yields and plantings have escalated over recent years – to the extent they now account for about a quarter of the UK winter barley area.

“Hyvido Volume has played a central role in this growth. Recently, it has been joined by Hyvido Bazooka, which raised hybrid barley yields even higher. We knew that Scottish and Northern England growers wanted more.

“We have listened, and Hyvido Sunningdale was added new to the AHDB Recommended List for 2017. Its launch takes yield on a massive step.”

The overall UK yield of Hyvido Sunningdale is on a par with Bazooka, which at 109 per cent is the highest UK treated yield figure on the list, but Mrs Brooke said it is in the North where it really stands out.

“Its North region yield smashes even that of Bazooka by an extra four percentage points, or 0.3 t/ha. It also exceeds Volume by a massive seven percentage points, or 0.5 t/ha, she said.

“It is also earlier maturing than Bazooka. Given the longer growing seasons further north, that is important feature for Scotland and England.”

Hyvido Sunningdale also has good resistance to the wet weather disease of Rhynchosporium – with a rating of seven on the AHDB Recommended List. It produces long straw with a similar stiffness to Volume.