BaYMV1 and BaYMV2 resistance combined with very high yields and excellent quality.
Darcie is an exciting new addition to the AHDB RL 2026/27 for the East and Senova’s expanding winter barley portfolio.
It offers very high yields, particularly in the East and North. Like its stablemate Kitty, Darcie offers a fantastic package to
growers – high performance, an excellent agronomic package, a superb specific weight and low screenings.
It combines this with excellent disease resistance and once again resistance to both BaYMV1 and 2, an increasing issue, particularly in the East where Darcie excels.
BaYMV is a soil borne virus which infects winter barley, disseminated through contaminated soil. Chemical control is not possible, therefore it is important to grow resistant cultivars in contaminated fields. The gene rym4 is efficient and is widely deployed in European winter barley cultivars and most varieties on the RL. This gives resistance to BaYMV1.
A second strain of the virus is overcoming the rym4 resistance in France and Germany and now the UK.
Varieties with the rym5 gene are resistant to this strain.
Effects of BaYMV
- Yield loss – up to 40% reported.
- Higher screenings.
- Lower specific weight.
- Lower protein content.
- Lower extract if a malting type.
Why grow Darcie?
- Rym5 resistance - Protection from both BaYMV strains
1 and 2. - We have two of the only RL strain 1 and 2 resistant varieties– Kitty and Darcie.
- Darcie offers greater protection to BaYMV, with the benefit of a superb specific weight, very high yields, good agronomics and disease resistance.
| Regional Yields | |
|---|---|
| UK T Yield (9.8 t/ha) | 104 |
| West T Yield (9.6 t/ha) | [101] |
| North T Yield (10.8t/ha) | 104 |
| Soil Type | Light (10.2 t/ha) | Heavy (8.9 t/ha) |
|---|---|---|
| Darcie | 103 | 105 |
| KWS Tardis | 103 | 105 |
| LG Caravelle | 104 | 107 |
| Annual Yields | 2023 (10.0 t/ha) | 2024 (9.9 t/ha) | 2025 (10.0 t/ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darcie | 104 | 103 | 103 | |
| KWS Tardis | 103 | 103 | 102 | |
| LG Caravelle | 105 | 105 | 105 |
| Grain Quality | |
|---|---|
| Specific weight (kg/hl) | 70.9 |
| Screenings % (<2.25mm) | 1.7 |
| Screenings % (<2.5mm) | 4.7 |
| Agronomics | |
|---|---|
| Resistance to lodging -PGR | - |
| Resistance to lodging +PGR | 7 |
| Straw length -PGR (cm)) | 94 |
| Straw length +PGR (cm)) | 88 |
| Brackling % | 10 |
| Ripening (days +/- LG Caravelle) | +1 |
Source:AHDB WB RL 2026/27
| Disease Resistance | |
|---|---|
| Mildew | 6 |
| Brown rust | 5 |
| Rhynchosporium | 7 |
| Net blotch | 6 |
| BaYMV1 and BaMMV | R |
| BaYMV2 | R |
MORE INFORMATION
