A two-row feed winter barley for the east, a next level winter oat variety, a high yielding Group 4 spring wheat, a spring barley with malting potential and a promising winter triticale are Senova’s new additions to the AHDB Recommended and Descrptive  Lists for cereals and oilseeds 2026/27.

Darcie, a new two-row feed winter barley with resistance to both strains of Barley Yellow Mosaic Virus (BaYMV), comes on to the list with a treated yield of 106 and a specific recommendation for the East region. 

One of only two winter barley varieties on the list to offer dual soil-borne virus protection, Darcie also has a Rhynchosporium resistance rating of 7, a net blotch score of 6 and a very good grain specific weight of 70.9kg/hl. Together with stiff straw and a 7 rating for resistance to lodging, Darcie has given its highest yields in the east of the country but also performs very well in the north.

“The genetic potential of Darcie is clear when you look at its agronomic merit score,” says George Goodwin, managing director of Senova. “With its strong disease and virus resistance, stiff straw and lower screenings, it’s a variety that will appeal to growers.”

BaYMV is a spreading issue, with two strains of the virus now found in UK soils and no means of chemical control, he adds. “As Darcie has resistance to both strain 1 and 2, it avoids the yield and grain quality losses caused by infection.

“In contrast, most recommended varieties only have resistance to strain 1, so it’s good to see this dual resistance coming through in high performing varieties.”

Senova’s husked winter oat variety Rannoch has also been added to the AHDB Recommended List 2026/27 for cereals and oilseeds, bringing its much-needed combination of very high yields, good grain quality and agronomic strengths.

With a treated yield of 106 and an untreated yield of 92, Rannoch’s 4% yield advantage over Cromwell and 10% advantage over time-honoured Mascani take winter oat yields and performance on to the next level.

It combines this with a kernel content of 74.5%, a specific weight of 51.7kg/hl and low screenings of 3.3%, with initial tests confirming that it offers very similar quality to Mascani and the milling consistency that end users look for.

“Rannoch is a big step forward,” says George. “When you consider that its untreated yield is virtually on a par with the treated yield of the country’s most popular oat variety, it highlights what this introduction represents and the breeding progress that has been made.” 

A very high crown rust resistance rating of 8 is another feature of the latest addition to the winter oat line-up, which is complimented by a mildew rating of 5. Slightly taller than Senova’s other winter oat varieties, Rannoch has stiff straw and a resistance to lodging rating of 7.

“We’re really excited to see Rannoch added to the latest AHDB recommended List as it meets both the productivity and sustainability targets that growers are striving to reach,” notes George.

“It’s another variety to come from the renowned IBERS breeding programme and we’re looking forward to getting it out onto farms for autumn 2026 drillings.”

He adds that Rannoch also hits the spot when it comes to processing, keeping losses in the mill at an acceptable level, reducing cost pressures and improving mill efficiency. “That’s a key requirement of millers and it helps growers to access premium markets.”

Merkawa is a new hard Group 4 spring wheat, which comes onto the Recommended List as the highest yielding feed type with a treated yield of 107. Along with its excellent yield performance, Merkawa brings good all round disease resistance and early maturity. At 78cm tall, Merkawa has a 9 rating for resistance to mildew, 7s for both yellow rust and brown rust and a 5 rating for septoria.

Nolan is Senova’s new spring barley with malting potential. It joins the list with a treated yield of 103 and an untreated yield of 88, as well as improved malting qualities over many of the existing choices.

A dual-purpose variety suitable for brewing and distilling, Nolan has good Predicted Spirit Yield (PSY) and Hot Water Extract (HWE) figures, along with a specific weight of 67.9kg/hl and low screenings of 2.8%.

Nolan’s disease resistance ratings include a 9 for mildew, outstanding 8 for net blotch, 5 for Rhynchosporium and a 4 for brown rust – making it one of the cleanest varieties on the list.

As with all new spring barley varieties with malting potential, Nolan will now be submitted for MBC testing, the official process which assesses barley varieties for brewing, malting and distilling.

Bicross is a new winter triticale which has been added to the Descriptive List. An alternative type with drilling date flexibility, it has a yield of 99, a high specific weight, early ripening and an excellent yellow rust resistance rating of 9.