Today, with the publication of the AHDB Recommended List (RL) 2026/27, a new set of cereal and oilseed varieties has been announced, offering farmers a more focused range and some significant improvements in yield potential.
RL provides independent UK-wide performance data from repeated trials over many years, providing growers with reliable variety comparisons to guide crop planning and seed selection.
The latest online version, released today (1 December), includes a wide range of mainstream and more specialized varieties, but fewer additions were made this year compared to deletions. AHDB says this has created a sharper and more selective list, including some excellent newcomers.
For the third year in a row, interim UKFM Group 1 milled wheat has been added to the range of winter wheat additions, joined by a powerful new Group 4 soft distiller variety and several hard Group 4 options.
While some of these Group 4 newcomers offer superior yields, several come with agronomic compromises that farmers and agronomists need to consider in their drilling plans, rotations, and application strategies.
Yellow rust resistance played a big role in this year’s decision. The compromise of a key resistance gene during the 2025 crop trial has prompted AHDB to revise the disease assessment of winter wheat varieties established earlier this year. Although some have experienced a sharp decline in yellow rust scores, many varieties, including newly recommended varieties, still maintain stable ratings of 7 to 9.
Market pressures are also influencing the direction of the list, with breeders and AHDB placing greater emphasis on disease resilience and consistency as producers seek to balance the potential for high yields against increased disease variability and input cost uncertainty.
Although there are only three new varieties added to the winter barley list, more than a quarter of the varieties currently on the list feature breeder claims for resistance or tolerance to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV).
Several new dual-use spring barley varieties are also on the list, with the potential to enter the competitive malting sector if commercial demand follows suit.
Our winter brassica recommendations include new options across all categories. Most varieties are recommended across the UK and show significant improvements in both yield and disease resistance compared to existing varieties. It’s a welcome development as growers continue to overcome pressure from cabbage stem flea beetles and fluctuating establishment conditions.
Paul Gosling, who oversees AHDB’s RL, said: “This has been a relatively quiet year for new varieties, with some of the new lists being short. The new releases include some niche varieties. These won’t appeal to everyone, but may suit some situations.”
He added that winter wheat decisions have been difficult after the “swing towards yellow rust resistance”, noting that AHDB includes several new hard group 4s despite being susceptible.
“Many varieties in this group are currently susceptible to this disease. However, the better yields of the new varieties than the current varieties justify the recommendation.”
