The winter barley varieties have brought excitement to trials this year across all sites and companies.

There are 20 varieties in the current recommended list trial with the Department of Agriculture and many of those offer good potential.

Of those varieties there is seed in production for 14, although some is in very small amounts.

The first thing that strikes you about the list is the increase in varieties which claim tolerance or resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), while the second is the improvement in the quality of six-row varieties.

Cassia (two-row) continues to be the standard for grain quality on winter barley, with a KPH value of 69.2 and makes up 12% of the seed.

KWS Tardis variety winter barley. \ Donal O'Leary

KWS Tardis (two-row) is the most popular variety with 48% of the seed. It’s very consistent with a stiff straw and is not prone to breakdown. It’s up to Cassia standards for grain quality.

KWS Joyau winter barley. \ Patrick Browne

KWS Joyau is BYDV-tolerant and is one of the early ripening varieties and it is good on lodging and brackling.

BYDV tolerance and resistance

In recent years, KWS Joyau has become known as the BYDV-tolerant winter barley variety, meaning that it displays symptoms of the virus, but yield should not be affected by the symptoms.

However, more of these varieties are coming on stream. It should be mentioned that the Department of Agriculture comments on its trial notes that the breeders claim BYDV tolerance and resistance for certain varieties.

Virus tolerance is an important trait in winter barley.

The Department of Agriculture has BYDV trials, which are separate to the recommended list trials. The trials are smaller.

The difference with this trial is that it will not receive an aphicide to see how varieties cope under BYDV pressure. This season that pressure was low.

However, going through results from the trials, it was clear that BYDV-tolerant varieties outperformed others in the BYDV trials in previous years.

At the Drummonds open day, the point was made that having a BYDV-tolerant or resistant variety means farmers are more likely to go with a pre-emergence herbicide to get on top of grass weeds. Otherwise, some growers may wait until it is time to apply the aphicide.

It should be noted that these BYDV-tolerant varieties do cost more than other varieties, but they do not add big expense.

The risk of infection and the likelihood of getting out with the sprayer need to be considered. In general, advice is still to spray these varieties with an aphicide, but if you don’t make it out with the sprayer risk should still be reduced.

Integral (six-row)

Integral is another six-row variety which claims BYDV tolerance. A comment from the Department was that it scored nine points higher on yield compared to Belfry where virus was present. To put that into perspective, Belfry is one of the highest yielding varieties on the recommended list. Integral outperformed Cassia on KPH. This is “unheard of” was the comment on this and it is also good on lodging.

Molly (two-row)

Molly claims to be a variety that is resistant to BYDV. The candidate variety is doing well on yield. It hit 112 in the BYDV trial and 103 in the recommended list trial. It has good resistance to rhynchosporium, but KPH is low.

Molly winter barley.

Orcade (two-row)

Orcade was another BYDV tolerant-variety that impressed. It is due to take up 2% of the seed availability in the autumn of 2023.

It stands out on quality with a thousand grain weight of 62.7 and a KPH value of 68.9. It has very low screening levels at 1.7%.

Orcade winter barley.