The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has published its 2026 recommended list of winter barley varieties.

The listing is based on trials carried out during the 2024/2025 growing season.

It comprises a mix of two-row, six-row, and six-row hybrid varieties.

Six-row hybrid SY Canyon tops the production league with a relative yield figure of 106. The variety is early maturing with high yield potential.

It produces long straw and has moderate susceptibility to both lodging and straw breakdown.

Canyon has very good resistance to mildew. It has good resistance to rhynchosporium and brown rust and shows moderate resistance to net blotch. Grain quality is very good.

This is followed by Integral, with a relative yield value of 103, is a very early maturing, six-row variety with high yield potential.  It has a moderately short straw with good resistance to lodging and moderate resistance to straw breakdown.

Integral is moderately susceptible to mildew, rhynchosporium and net blotch. It has good resistance to brown rust. Grain quality is good.

The breeder has a claim that this variety is tolerant to Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV).

KWS Joyau has a relative yield value of 101. It is a very early maturing, conventional six-row variety with good yield potential.

Joyau is moderately short-strawed with good resistance to lodging and straw breakdown.

It has moderate susceptible to mildew and rhynchosporium.

The variety demonstrates good resistance to brown rust and net blotch. Grain quality is good. The breeder has a claim that this variety is tolerant to BYDV.

Orcade also has a relative yield figure of 101. It is a moderately early maturing, two-row variety with good yield potential.

Orcade is short-strawed and moderately resistant to lodging and straw breakdown.

The variety has good resistance to mildew, rhynchosporium and net blotch. It has very good resistance to brown rust. Grain size is large and grain quality good.

The breeder has a claim that this variety is tolerant to BYDV.

KWS Tardis has a relative yield figure of 100. It is a moderately early maturing, two-row variety with good yield potential.

Tardis is short-strawed with good resistance to lodging and moderate resistance to straw breakdown.

The variety is moderately resistant to mildew and brown rust. It demonstrates good resistance to both rhynchosporium and net blotch. Grain quality is good.

Belfry has a relative yield figure of 100. It is an early maturing, hybrid six-row variety with good yield potential.

Belfry is long-strawed with good resistance to lodging and moderate resistance to straw breakdown. It demonstrates moderate resistance to mildew and brown rust.

The variety has very good resistance to rhynchosporium and good resistance to net blotch. Grain size is small with a good hectolitre weight.

Molly has a relative yield figure of 98. It is an early maturing, two-row variety with good yield potential.

Molly has moderately short straw with moderate susceptibility to lodging and straw breakdown.

It demonstrates good resistance to mildew, brown rust, rhyncosporium, and net blotch.

The breeder has a claim that this variety is resistant to BYDV.

KWS Cassia has a relative yield figure of 94. It is a moderately early maturing, two-row variety.

Cassia is short-strawed with moderate resistance to lodging and straw breakdown.

The variety is moderately susceptible to mildew and susceptible to rhynchosporium. It demonstrates good resistance to brown rust and net blotch. Grain quality is very good.