The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has published the winter wheat recommended list for 2025.
Varietal ratings are derived from the mean of data from the 2022 to 2024 trials.
The relative yield of each variety is calculated as a percentage of control varieties. Yield ratings are determined from trials carried out in accordance with good commercial husbandry practices.
Recommended list
Four varieties are fully recommended.
Graham is a high-yielding, early-maturing variety with moderate resistance to lodging and moderate susceptibility to straw breakdown.
It has very good resistance to mildew and is moderately susceptible to Septoria tritici, yellow rust and fusarium ear blight.
Graham is moderately resistant to sprouting. It also has a good hectolitre weight.
KWS Dawsum is a moderately early maturing variety with good resistance to lodging and straw breakdown. It demonstrates very good resistance to mildew and yellow rust.
Dawsum has good resistance to fusarium head blight but is susceptible to Septoria tritici.
The variety has very good resistance to sprouting. In addition, it has a low 1,000 grain weight with a very good hectolitre weight and high Hagberg falling number.
Spearhead is a high-yielding, moderately early maturing variety. It is moderately susceptible to lodging and moderately resistant to straw breakdown.
Spearhead has very good resistance to mildew. It is moderately susceptible to Septoria tritici and fusarium ear blight.
The variety shows moderate resistance to yellow rust. However, it is susceptible to sprouting. Grain quality is moderate. Spearhead has a low Hagberg falling number.
Torp is a high-yielding, moderately late maturing variety. It shows good resistance to lodging and moderate resistance to straw breakdown.
The variety also demonstrates moderate resistance to Septoria tritici. It is moderately susceptible to mildew while susceptible to both yellow rust and fusarium ear blight.
Torp is moderately resistant to sprouting. It is also characterised by moderate grain quality and a low hectolitre weight.
Two varieties are provisionally recommended.
Champion is a very high-yielding, moderately early maturing variety. It has moderate susceptibility to lodging and moderate resistant to straw breakdown.
It shows very good resistance to mildew.
Champion is moderately resistant to Septoria tritici and fusarium ear blight. It has good resistance to yellow rust and moderately susceptible to sprouting. Grain quality is moderate.
Fitzroy is a high-yielding late maturing variety. It shows good resistance to lodging and straw breakdown.
The variety has very good resistance to mildew and yellow rust.
It also demonstrates good resistance to Septoria tritici.
Fitzroy is moderately susceptible to fusarium ear blight and has good resistance to sprouting. It also has a good hectolitre weight.