KWS Alderon Becomes Highest Yielding Spring Wheat
16th November 2011
KWS Alderon joins both the late autumn sown and spring wheat Recommended Lists announced today (Wednesday Nov 16).
With a late autumn sown yield of 110%, it is only beaten by one winter wheat barnfiller – Conqueror and then by just 0.2t/ha.
And, at 108% of treated controls in spring sown trials, KWS Alderon becomes the highest yielding variety on the spring wheat Recommended List.
It is the only new spring wheat to be recommended and underlines the commitment of KWS to breeding these wheats.
It is now the fifth from the company on a spring sown list that comprises of just eight varieties. And late autumn sown, the top three highest yielding wheats also come from the KWS plant breeding stable.
“An out and out high yielder, KWS Alderon will provide growers with a better quality sample than previous spring wheat front runner Belvoir,” says KWS UK spring wheat breeder, Gillian Covey.
It has a better specific weight, hagberg and protein and a better Septoria tritici rating than Belvoir and is another short and stiff variety making it easy manage.
Compared to the best Group 1 variety on the UK Spring Wheat Recommended List, KWS Alderon is 5% higher yielding. On RL data that gives KWS Alderon a 0.4t/ha advantage worth £60/ha – a useful figure that will need to be matched by the Group 1’s breadmaking premium.
Autumn sown, Ms Covey confirms that the variety is also a top-performer. With a November sown yield of 9.9t/ha it sits on a par with KWS’ newcomer from last year, KWS Willow.
“With growers looking to maximise their wheat area, true spring types such as KWS Alderon give them a very wide sowing window – in this case right through to April.
“By being able to secure yields on a par with winter wheats sown in November, KWS Alderon gives growers drill date flexibility in case the winter closes in sooner than expected,” she says.
