KWS unveils new wheats

KWS Firefly and KWS Extase are both expected to be added to the AHDB Recommended List later this year.

KWS Extase is a potential Group 2 with unrivalled untreated yield that at 133% of controls is 20% ahead of the best untreated yield on the AHDB 2018-19 Recommended List.

A French-bred variety, KWS Extase combines outstanding resistance to the two principal foliar diseases, Septoria tritici and yellow rust. As befitting a potential Group 2, it offers excellent protein, Hagberg falling number and specific weight.

“KWS Extase is an exciting variety. It is genetically different to anything else we have in the UK which helps to explain its score of 7.3 for Septoria and 9 for yellow rust. It is also earlier to mature than Skyfall which will be welcome by growers hoping to spread the harvest workload,” says Will Compson, KWS Cereals and Sales Manager.

Although a quality wheat, its impressive disease resistance package is likely to extend its appeal beyond the eastern counties and into the west and north.

“It is an excellent variety prospect for the east where its high protein (13%), excellent Hagberg (325 seconds), solid specific weight (78.0kg/hl) and positive suitability for ukp export will appeal strongly to those in the east and south its disease resistance and early maturity will support its appeal in the north and west,” adds Will Compson.

KWS Firefly is a potential Group 3 also with excellent Septoria resistance, orange wheat blossom midge (OWBM) resistance and high untreated yields.

“KWS Firefly is well-suited to the east and west where its short and stiff straw combined with excellent resistance to both Septoria tritici (score of 6.3) and yellow rust (9) support yields of 106 and 105% of controls for treated and untreated respectively,” says Will Compson.

“KWS Firefly is a brilliant potential Group 3 variety and will help to sustain the appeal of biscuit wheats across the east and west regions. It has shown good suitability for uks exports in private trials and will support much-needed flexibility in our end-markets post Brexit,” adds Will Compson.