Seed Procurement Manager Hannah Carthy shares the shifts she’s seeing in autumn orders.
“There’s a plethora of new wheat varieties on AHDB’s Recommended List. KWS Vibe, a Group 1 milling wheat, is proving popular with Members keen to add value.
“The 2025 premium may be down to £28 per tonne (compared with up to £55 per tonne last year), but on £160 per tonne base it’s still attractive. I expect more Group 1’s in the ground this year. So far they’re making up 25% of AF Member orders compared with 15% this time last year.
“Other Group 1’s selling well are SY Cheer and KWS Zyatt (still the highest yielding Group 1). Some Members are concerned about yellow rust susceptibility, but it’s relatively inexpensive to control - although there’s no room for complacency.
“Group 4 winter wheat KWS Scope is selling well. A high yielder achieving 108% of controls, it’s expected to take a strong market share this year.”
The trends so far show more Group 1's will be drilled this year
“Confidence in winter malting barley continues to wane. It’s still important in rotations, but new barley variety uptake isn’t matching wheat. Worth roughly £145 per tonne, some Members say they can’t justify it simply to spread combine workload. More are turning to spring barley, with pre-orders for Laureate already in.
“We recently heard from key seed houses that there are promising barley varieties in the pipeline, including conventionals with BYDV tolerance and good hectolitre weights. I’m keen to see how they perform.”
“If you’re thinking of drilling early this year, choosing varieties with appropriate traits is key.
“Pick the right one depending on when (early, mid or late) and which aspect (north, east or west) & altitude you’re drilling, then match the agronomy.
“Whatever your cropping plans, remember this: right variety, right time, right chemistry.”
Hannah Carthy, AF Seed Procurement Manager
See which trends we’re seeing in crop protection product purchases this year. Read our recent analysis.
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