Rising demand from the livestock sector, growing bedding requirements, expanding biomass markets and tighter overall supply have pushed straw values to levels that are now impossible for growers to ignore.

“Profitable and sustainable farming is increasingly about making every hectare work harder,” says Heather Oldfield of Limagrain. “When straw values are contributing a substantial proportion of a crop’s income, growers need information that looks beyond grain yield tables.”

The numbers tell their own story. At the start of 2026, wheat straw was trading at £66 per big Hesston bale, roughly 500kg. AHDB‘s more recent figures put big square barley straw at £86 ex-farm on average, with big square wheat straw ranging from £70 to £92 ex-farm depending on region.

In some areas, straw income is now running close to grain income on a per-hectare basis.

Nowhere is that clearer than at Grasby House Farm, where a rotation of sugar beet, potatoes, winter barley and spring barley sits alongside a straw trade that’s become central to the business.

Grown for seed, the farm’s barley crop does more than one job: alongside the seed contract, its straw goes to Cherry Valley, at sites in Walesby and Buslingthorpe, where it’s used for housing ducks.

Cherry Valley — now under Chinese ownership — pays well for straw, but it’s fussy about what it buys. “Quality has to be consistent, which means variety choice matters as much for straw length and brightness as it does for grain performance and yield,” explains George Thompson.

“This year, the farm brought in around 15 bales/ha, within its usual target range of 12 to 20 bales — worth roughly £247/ha in additional income on top of the seed crop itself.”

Putting varieties to the test

George carries out his own trials on the farm, and this year ran a comparison of two similar four-hectare fields, one drilled with a six-row hybrid barley, the other with Limagrain’s winter barley, LG Caravelle.

“LG Caravelle produced significantly more straw than the hybrid, and the quality gap was just as noticeable — the hybrid’s straw simply didn’t match what came off the Caravelle. So we are justified in our decision to grow the variety for our straw business.”

LG Caravelle produced a significant amount of straw in George’s comparison trials.

Agronomy on the farm is built around flexibility rather than a fixed calendar. Winter barley drilling isn’t rushed; last year it ran as late as the third week of October, once the preceding potato crop had finally come off the ground.

Cultivations alternate between plough and press, or a one pass stubble cultivation with a DTX depending on conditions, with a combination drill doing the sowing and nutrition applied according to soil testing.

Getting the crop right in the field is only half the job, though. Straw has to be stored properly too — kept on pallets, rodent-free, and, with growing concern over bird flu, now sheeted and covered in transit before it’s delivered to Cherry Valley as required, using a forklift.

“Straw is my all-year-round bread and butter,” says George. “But that does mean it has to be stored well but the extra value to the crop from the straw is well worth the effort.”

Not every grower treats straw as a product to sell, however. For Ryan MacCormack, manager at Dennington Estates in Suffolk, the value of straw is seen as part of the whole farming system, not as a standalone commodity to be maximised in isolation – but is an important contributor to the overall value of the crop.

“It is all about the full output off each hectare — every part of the crop has a value,” he says. “This may well be through the SFI contribution, the whole grain, and also the straw value, be that chopped or baled.”

Ryan believes that straw is an important contributor to the overall value of the crop.

Variety choice, he explains, is weighed across all those outputs together — grain quantity and quality, straw quality, and ultimately the total tonnage coming off the field.

With straw prices around £42 a tonne in the row in mid-August — sold rowed up rather than baled — Ryan points to the wider cost picture behind that decision.

“The greatest value for us comes from the grain, and then we would look at the straw — but it’s all part of the financial equation.”

That equation has to be balanced against costs and expected output, and also where the crop sits in the wider rotation, he points out.

“I look at where in the rotation the crop fits, what it’s following, how it’s going to be cultivated, and whether it’s going to be chopped or baled – all of which have associated costs.”

“Leaving straw in the row rather than baling it can save on additional combine costs. Chopping it, meanwhile, brings its own trade-offs: it can push up cultivation costs for the following crop and increase slug pressure, so in some situations, removing the straw altogether is the more cost-effective route.”

Despite a challenging season and yields coming in at 10-12% below last year, Essex grower Richard Carr of Lawling Hall Farm near the coastal town of Maldon, says that Crusoe winter wheat has once again delivered a reliable performance, averaging 8.9 t/ha.

Mr Carr is a big fan of the variety – ever since its launch onto the AHDB Recommended List 14 years ago, he has continued to grow Crusoe almost every year since, at his 220-ha farm.

Harvested between 13^th and 19^th July, his Crusoe crop is part of what has been described as one of the farm’s earliest harvests, since 1976. Drilled around 10^th October last year, Crusoe established well and continued to look strong throughout the season.

Farming in an already naturally low-rainfall area, Mr Carr chose Crusoe for its consistency, premium milling market and ability to deliver good protein levels: “I went for Crusoe due to its premium market, consistent performance and high protein content,” he says.

Reminiscing on the variety’s introduction to the market back in 2012, Mr Carr says that for him, Crusoe proved a natural successor to Hereward, which was beginning to show its age. Crusoe now sits as the farm’s main milling wheat, while LG Beowulf is grown on his farm further north.

Crusoe established well despite the early harvest.

Disease pressure was relatively low, with brown rust present but easily managed through the farm’s established approach. Overall, Crusoe stayed clean and required no significant management changes.

Looking ahead, Mr Carr plans to stick with a similar approach, although the increasingly frequent dry springs could prompt earlier nitrogen applications. In addition, observations from neighbouring farms suggest there may be benefits to getting fertiliser on earlier, when conditions allow.

With the crop marketed through local merchants Dengie Crops and North Herts Farmers, as well as going into local mills, Crusoe continues to have a clear role within his rotation.

“Crusoe looked good all season,” comments Mr Carr, adding that the crop “drilled and established well, similar to others on the farm.”

With 8.9 t/ha achieved, despite the incredibly testing season for most of the UK farming industry this year, Crusoe has unsurprisingly secured another place in next year’s rotation.

Winter Wheat has been a key part of the rotation at DM Sharp in Lincolnshire for several years, following root crops and providing the added benefit of helping with blackgrass. One variety in particular, LG Challenger, has delivered consistently high yields over the past two seasons despite the challenging growing conditions. 

Ben has been impressed by the performance of LG Challenger

Ben Sharp farms over 800 acres of arable land, investing heavily in rented land, meaning variety choice can have a significant impact on the business’s profitability. Having been impressed with LG Challenger’s performance last season, Ben retained some seed for this year’s rotation. 

Harvested in July, the crop delivered yields of 8.5-9.0t/ha, a strong return given the early Harvest date and the challenges caused by this summer’s drought. However, it wasn’t just the yield that impressed him.

 “The ears were fresh and clean, compared to other varieties which looked a bit browner and had smaller ears. The grain size was good, nice and even, with excellent all-round consistency. It’s a good variety that was easy to manage and didn’t struggle with disease.”

After two years of growing LG Challenger, Ben plans to make the variety his only wheat variety next season.

“I rent a lot of land, so the crop needed to deliver to pay the rent.” says Ben. “Based on its performance last year, I was confident that it would deliver high yields when I drilled it. Due to its consistent performance, LG Challenger will make up my entire wheat area next year. It’s chalk and cheese compared with other varieties.

“My livelihood depends on growing crops that perform, and this variety has certainly paid the bills.” 

Winter wheat plays an important role in Jeff Bush’s rotation, providing a reliable and consistent crop.  Jeff was looking for a variety that combined strong disease resistance with a high yield, and having been impressed with its performance in trials, he selected LG Defiance. 

With most of the farm’s grain marketed for feed, reliable and consistent crops are vital to Jeff’s farm. LG Defiance’s strong disease package and clean appearance in trial plots were among the first characteristics that caught his attention, giving him confidence ahead of drilling. 

At harvest, LG Defiance delivered yields of more than 10.25 t/ha, producing what Jeff describes as one of the best crops he has seen in recent years. However, it was not just the yield that stood out. 

“The cleanliness of the crop was what first impressed me. The trial results showed very little difference between treated and untreated plots because of its yellow rust and all-round disease resistance.”

The variety has also provided an important alternative within the farm’s wheat portfolio. While Jeff usually grows two or three varieties to spread risk, LG Defiance has quickly established itself as a key part of the rotation. 

“It gave us another strong option and put us in good stead,” he explains. “It stood very well throughout the season and performed exactly as we wanted it to.” 

Although the farm grows a considerable area of second wheat, Jeff chose to position LG Defiance in the first wheat slot, where he felt it offered a stronger package than other varieties. 

Following LG Defiance’s performance in a very difficult season, Jeff has no hesitation in growing the variety again. 

“We looked at a lot of trial sites and LG Defiance stood out as a strong variety. We didn’t see a better option. It fitted well with the way we farm, and we were able to save money on more expensive chemical products because we simply didn’t need them. It was easy to manage and delivered exactly what we were looking for.”

The hard Group 4 variety, LG Beowulf, has been a stand-out performer of harvest 2026 so far at Dennington Hall Farms, a 1,600 ha regenerative farming business in East Suffolk.

Despite the exceptionally hot, dry spring and summer, the 100 ha block of LG Beowulf, all grown as a second wheat, averaged 9.5 t/ha, with some areas achieving nearer 10.5 t/ha over the weighbridge, according to farm manager, Ryan McCormack. Specific weight was also very good, at 80-82 kg/hl.

“It looked well through the season, but we were never expecting to get record-breaking yields given the weather. The high temperatures we saw during flowering (33-35 C) had a massive impact, as did the drought, which made many crops drop a few tillers.

“So to have 100 ha of LG Beowulf average 9.5 t/ha and some areas do a tonne more than that, it is definitely a variety that has stood out for us this year.”

Limagrain’s arable technical manager, Ron Granger, says LG Beowulf has consistently demonstrated good performance over multiple seasons and variable growing conditions, retaining both yield and specific weight, even when the weather is more challenging.

“The big, bold grain can add weight to a crop which is especially important with the changeable seasons we’ve been experiencing,” he notes.

“LG Beowulf combines most of the desirable traits that farmers are looking for in a hard feed wheat, including high yield potential, stiff straw, good septoria resistance, excellent grain quality and OWBM resistance.”

Ron Granger highlights the consistent performance and grower appeal of LG Beowulf.

A key strength is its flexibility to perform across all UK regions and soil types, from light to heavy land, sowing timings (early, normal, or late), and rotational positions – it is equally suited to first, second or continuous wheat situations, he says.

While LG Beowulf, like many commercial varieties, is now susceptible to the newer yellow rust strain Yr15, careful monitoring and timely fungicide use will allow it to continue to perform at its best, he adds.

This season, Mr McCormack says his fungicide and fertiliser spend has been lower across the board, largely due to the dry weather, which allowed him to use more cost-effective chemistry to manage yellow rust risk at T0 and T1, and make further savings on later treatments.

“Altogether we spent around £94/ha on fungicides across the wheats,” he says. “In terms of fertiliser, most received around 170 kg N/ha in total, front-loaded towards the beginning of the season in anticipation of conditions turning dry, with 40 kg N/ha applied towards the end of May.”

Overall, with harvest around half-way through at the time of writing, the farm’s average yield across all winter wheats is 8.6 t/ha, which is around 10% down on normal due to the weather, Mr McCormack says.

“However, with a relatively low spend on inputs, if we can achieve somewhere closer to a 9 t/ha average across the 700 ha of wheat, I’ll be very pleased.”

Ryan McCormack has been impressed with the performance of LG Varieties throughout Harvest 2026.

This coming autumn, Mr McCormack plans to grow LG Beowulf again, alongside LG Rebellion, LG Defiance, and LG Lotus.

“It’s the first year we’ve grown LG Lotus, and we only had a small 10 ha area, which was part of the Defra-funded ADOPT trial, Roots of Change (ROC), but it averaged 10.23 t/ha, which I was again very pleased with.”

Likewise, his Crusoe, also part of the ADOPT trial, performed well too, coming in above the farm’s average at 9.5 t/ha.

Elsewhere, Mr McCormack is pleased with how his LG Defiance and LG Rebellion have performed in the farm’s low-input regenerative system, which involved direct drilling both varieties into a summer catch crop, and tailoring nitrogen and other inputs based on crop sampling through the season.

The LG Defiance averaged just above the farm’s overall average, while LG Rebellion was slightly below, however given the reduced inputs on these crops, their gross margin came in at a healthy £1,250/ha.

Find out more about LG varieties for the coming autumn at https://lgseeds.co.uk/.

Rob Atkin, Atkin Farms, Staffordshire

“Highest yielding variety on farm – second year in a row!”

The combines are rolling, and LG Rebellion is once again proving why it’s a firm favourite at Atkin Farms, Staffordshire.

Chosen by Rob Atkin for the second consecutive season thanks to its outstanding yield potential and robust disease resistance, LG Rebellion has delivered an impressive 16% above the farm’s five-year average yield.

Direct drilled with a HORSCH Avatar on 26th September, it’s had the following inputs:

Fungicide spend: £89/ha
Nitrogen: 180kg N/ha
Sulphur: 80kg/ha

Total Average Yield: 9.17t/ha
Spec weight: 79kg/hl

Compared to the East of the country, this part of the West Midlands has received adequate rainfall, but three intense heatwaves. LG Rebellion has looked strong from establishment through to harvest. With plentiful straw and another standout yield performance, it’s no surprise Rob plans to grow the variety again next season.

See LG Rebellion in action at harvest over on our socials!

For more on LG Rebellion or any of our other winter wheat and winter barley varieties – as well as all our leading OSR varieties, download the 2026 Arable Guide!

Crusoe still delivers after 14 years!

When a variety stays on the Recommended List for well over a decade and continues to perform on farm and in the mill, you know it’s doing something right.

At Dennington Hall Farms, Crusoe has once again proved why it’s one of the UK’s most trusted Group 1 wheats:

9.5t/ha yield
13.8% protein
350 Hagberg
83kg/hl specific weight
3.8t/ha straw yield

Grown as a second wheat it was direct drilled on 16th October into a summer catch crop, alongside 40kg/ha of Tundra winter beans to help provide an additional nitrogen boost. Just 170kg/ha liquid nitrogen was applied in three splits.

Despite the season’s challenges, the crop stayed clean throughout the year, with a total fungicide spend of only £95/ha.

With its strong agronomic performance, excellent milling quality and the valuable Group 1 premium, Crusoe is set to deliver one of the best financial returns on the farm to date this season.

It’s no surprise that Crusoe will be back in the rotation in 2027!

Want to read more on this great variety? Crusoe stands the test of time – LG Seeds

It is 14 years since Group 1 milling wheat Crusoe joined the AHDB Recommended List, which is quite a feat considering the many other varieties that have come and gone over that time.

Crusoe is now the oldest variety on the RL, yet remains popular among end users for its flour quality and baking performance, while its inherently high protein content continues to give growers the confidence to target premium milling wheat markets.

One of those is Essex farmer Richard Carr, who has grown Crusoe almost every year since its launch at his 220 ha (540-acre) farm near the coastal town of Maldon. This year, he has 85 ha of winter wheat in the ground at Lawling Hall Farm, split evenly between Crusoe and Skyfall, alongside a small area of SY Cheer.

“One of our biggest challenges farming in this area is the lack of rainfall, which means we struggle to achieve the really high yields that some new Group 4 varieties promise, despite being on strong wheat-growing ground,” says Mr Carr.

“That’s why we go for milling wheats; if yield is going to be compromised due to lack of rainfall, we’re better off going for a premium market instead.”

And in the 13 years he has been growing Crusoe, the variety has achieved milling specification every time, allowing him to build strong relationships with local buyers. “We need to be over 13% protein, but more often than not it’s nearer to 14% or above, which in some years can earn us a small extra premium on top of the milling price if supplies are tight.”

Switch to min-till

Recent years have seen a move away from plough-based establishment at Lawling Hall Farm, to a minimal tillage approach, although Mr Carr remains flexible, with decisions made on a field-by-field basis.

 “We’ve invested in drainage at the farm, which has made a big difference to soil health, crop uniformity, and has helped us go down the min-till route,” he notes. “It also means we can usually get a head start for early applications of fertiliser and sprays in the spring.”

Indeed, Mr Carr knows that early yellow rust, and later brown rust, is a risk in Crusoe, but says it is relatively easy to manage, providing disease is controlled properly from the outset.

“We typically start by applying a good triazole at T0 to make sure crops are clean going into the main growing season, and maintain this protection with other chemistry at T1, T2, and T3. In high-pressure years, we might need an interim spray to cover the gap between T1 and T2, but decisions really depend on disease pressure and the season.

“We’ve found that if we can keep yellow rust out from the start, then Crusoe is quite good at growing away from it once adult plant resistance kicks in.”

Getting onto ground early is also important for crop nutrition, with Crusoe typically receiving four applications of nitrogen each season, totalling 210-220 kg N/ha. The first is usually applied as urea in late February, followed by the main dose three to four weeks later, with the last ammonium nitrate plus sulphur going on in late April/early May. Crops also receive a foliar nitrogen top-up at cheesy ripe stage, as well as other micronutrients and trace elements throughout the season.

“Magnesium deficiency is one of the main issues, as although soil levels are quite high, they are prone to nutrient lockup, so we monitor crops with tissue testing and address with foliar treatments as necessary.”

Crusoe’s lack of orange wheat blossom midge resistance is something Mr Carr remains aware of, but says he has not needed to treat for the pest in the past five years. “Part of that might be due to the natural cycle of OWBM, or the fact that generally, farmers are now growing more midge resistant varieties.”

Safety in a catchy harvest

Mr Carr says Crusoe generally holds onto its Hagberg well in seasons where harvest gets delayed due to the weather, affording some level of security and flexibility. This can be particularly beneficial considering the farm does not have its own combine, but shares a hired machine with other neighbouring farms.

“Generally, if the weather is unsettled, we’ll prioritise combining the Skyfall first, as Hagbergs tend to drop quicker in that than in Crusoe .

“But one of our biggest stress relievers has been the recent investment in a 20 tonne/hour continuous flow system for cleaning and drying grain, which has made harvest management a lot easier, and is a good insurance policy that means we can cut at 20% moisture if need-be.”

Looking ahead to the coming autumn, Mr Carr plans to continue growing a similar area of Crusoe, but will also try a small area of two other new Group 1 varieties.

“At the moment, I can’t see any reason not to keep growing Crusoe. Any new varieties have got to prove themselves for both yield and quality before I make any significant changes.”

Lawling Hall Farm

• 220 ha farm near the Essex coast
• Predominantly heavy Windsor series clay soils
• Low annual rainfall, averaging 455-510 mm (18-20”) – ranging from 355 mm (14”) in 2025, up to 760 mm (30”)
• Cropping includes winter wheat (all Group 1s), lucerne, naked oats, winter beans and linseed
• Growing Crusoe since 2013
• Min-till establishment system

The launch of two new winter wheat varieties from Limagrain Field Seeds gives growers more options to achieve consistently high yields amidst an increasingly unpredictable climatic and economic situation.

LG Defiance and LG Challenger are both Group 4 hard wheats that have shown consistently high yield potential across different regions, seasons, soil types, and rotational positions, alongside good agronomic characteristics to reliably deliver strong returns.

“LG Defiance has the highest untreated yield on the 2026/27 AHDB Recommended List (95%), which is very rare for a hard feed wheat,” says Limagrain’s Arable Technical Manager, Ron Granger. “LG Challenger is third-best untreated yield on the list, illustrating the strength of genetics underpinning both varieties. Both contain good pedigrees, but the key is what we as breeders can get out of that parent material to deliver on-farm.”

Ron Granger, Arable Technical Manager, Limagrain UK

Both varieties are close to the best in terms of UK treated yield, at 109 for LG Defiance and 107 for LG Challenger.

Crucially, LG Defiance pairs this with solid disease scores for yellow rust (rated 8) and a 6 rating for Septoria, while LG Challenger is rated 7 and 6 respectively.

“With the changes to Yr15 resistance we’ve seen, selecting a variety with better yellow rust resistance, supported by an appropriate fungicide programme, is becoming an increasing priority,” notes Mr Granger. “Although everyone is talking about yellow rust, we can’t forget that Septoria is still the biggest yield-robber on most farms.”

Risk management

Frontier’s National Technical Manager, Seeds, Dr Kirsty Richards, says that with rising costs, unpredictable weather patterns, and evolving disease pressures, selecting good genetics to reduce risk and build resilience across the rotation is crucial.

“Yield is a big attraction of LG Defiance and LG Challenger, but it cannot be at any cost. Remember that 80% of crop potential is harnessed by putting the right variety in the right place, at the right time, for your situation.”

For LG Defiance, she believes its agronomic characteristics make it a particularly good choice for later drilling or second wheat situations, while LG Challenger’s growth habit and straw strength better suits earlier sowing. Mr Granger agrees, but adds that both varieties have shown excellent yield potential when sown during the main October drilling window.

“LG Defiance is a taller variety that will require a good split PGR programme. Limagrain trials support the fact that it responds well to PGRs and the reduced height has no impact on final yield potential, similar to varieties such as LG Skyscraper and LG Redwald.”

A further characteristic that builds resilience and helps meet market requirements under tough conditions is the excellent grain quality of both varieties, particularly their high specific weights at 77 kg/hl and 78.6 kg/hl respectively, notes Dr Richards.

Best crop on the farm

Staffordshire farmer Rob Atkin is growing a small area of LG Defiance this season to test whether the variety suits his farm, and so far he says it is the “cleanest and best looking crop on the farm”.

So far, LG Defiance is the cleanest and best-looking crop on the farm,” says Staffordshire farmer Rob Atkin

“In the past, we grew a lot of KWS Extase and Gleam, so when we saw these were in the parentage of LG Defiance, we thought it made sense to give it a try. We like to trial new varieties every year to see what works. So far, LG Defiance looks really good, but the real proof will come at harvest.”

Yield is a big consideration when choosing varieties, but Mr Atkin says robustness to diseases like Septoria and yellow rust is perhaps more important. “I want a variety that’s robust enough to stay clean and potentially give us the opportunity to reduce input costs while still maximising yield.”

Mr Atkin will be hosting an open day on 22 June, allowing growers to see first-hand the range of varieties he is growing this season. Learn more about the Staffordshire Demo Day.

High yields make financial and environmental sense

While recent rises in fuel and fertiliser prices may prompt some growers to consider cutting inputs, ADAS Senior Crop Research Scientist Christina Baxter insists productivity should remain the focus — yield is still ‘king’.

Analysis of results from more than 1,200 Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) wheat crops between 2013 and 2022 shows a “very convincing” relationship between gross margin and yield, dispelling any suggestion that high yields cost more to produce.

“On a per tonne basis, variable costs decline as yield increases, as does the carbon footprint. There’s often a criticism that high-yielding crops cost too much, are too risky, and are bad for the environment. But YEN data proves that’s not the case.”

There are many building blocks to a high-yielding crop, not least the weather and husbandry, but a key starting point is understanding the potential of individual fields and selecting a variety with the genetic profile that can deliver most in that situation.

The general approach to high yields has been to grow a crop that stays green for as long as possible. To support canopy longevity, you need to keep leaves clean so the crop gets maximum benefit from that leaf area and captures the most sunlight — in addition to ensuring sufficient rooting depth for late-season water uptake.

“Attention to detail, effective management, and good varieties all support strong productivity.”

Learn more about LG Defiance, LG Challenger, and the full range of Limagrain Field Seeds varieties at lgseeds.co.uk

Download your essential guide to oilseeds, winter wheat and winter barley – this year’s guide is jam packed with brand new market-leading varieties, plus a wealth of technical articles from our team!

This brochure covers the key agronomic attributes of individual varieties for securing yield potential. The data is taken from the AHDB RL with additional Limagrain data sets, offering you added insight when it comes to selecting the best variety for your farming system.

This latest guide includes articles from our technical team – Ron Granger and Liam Wilkinson on variety suitability on farm, and also a handy ‘6 tips for barley grain and straw yield’, something which could be really important this year.

We’ve also included articles from the OSR team – Product Manager Florentina Petrescu writes about how OSR has made a fantastic comeback this year, and highlights some stand-out varieties from the LG breeding programme.

As always, if there is anything else you would like to know, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

 Book onto our Demo Days!

Suffolk Summer Demo Day – Thursday 4th June 2026

Staffordshire Summer Demo Day – Monday 22nd June 2026

Limagrain Field Seeds is taking variety trials beyond the plot with the launch of a new UK farmer-led Demonstration Farm network.

The initiative is designed to give growers a clearer, more practical view of how varieties perform in real farming systems, moving away from purely small-plot data and into field-scale reality. Instead of relying solely on trial sites and headline figures, the network will showcase Limagrain genetics under the pressures that shape day-to-day farm decisions, including soil type, rotation, cultivation and input strategy.

Nicolle Hamilton, marketing director at Limagrain, says the aim is to give growers a different perspective. “We want to offer growers a more meaningful way of looking at our varieties, through a farmer lens,” she says. “That means taking them out of controlled conditions and putting them into real farming systems, managed by farmers making commercial decisions every day. While she stresses that formal trials and the AHDB Recommended List remain important benchmarks, she says they do not always reflect the realities of commercial farming.

“This is not about replacing trials, it’s about adding another layer,” she says. “Farmers want to know how varieties establish, how they cope with different soils and how they perform under lower inputs or after cover crops. That is where this approach adds value.”

“It’s about working with farmers, listening to them and learning from them.”

Heather Oldfield, Limagrain cereals product manager, says the strength of the network lies in its farmer-led approach. “This is about genuine collaboration,” she says. She adds the focus is not on identifying a single standout variety, but on understanding where different genetics fit. “There is no perfect variety,” she says.

“Success comes from putting the right variety in the right place. What works on one farm may not work on another. These Demo Farms help us show those differences in a way that is much more relevant to growers.”

The Farmers

The first two farms in the network are based in Suffolk and Staffordshire, offering two contrasting systems. Ryan McCormack hosts the East Anglian site at Dennington Hall Farms, while Rob Atkin farms over in Staffordshire. Together, they provide a broad snapshot of how varieties perform across different soils, climates and management approaches.

Ryan McCormack is testing Limagrain varieties in systems that include reduced tillage, cover crops, and livestock to understand what works best under these conditions

At Dennington Hall Farms, Ryan McCormack is running a highly integrated system combining arable, livestock and environmental management. The farm operates a 12-year rotation and places strong emphasis on soil health, with cover cropping, minimal cultivation and livestock grazing all playing a role. “I’m farming for margin, but also for my soils,” he says. “That means I need varieties that can cope with reduced tillage, cover crops and lower inputs. The only way to understand that is to test them in those conditions.” His trials include comparing multiple varieties under different establishment systems within the same field, giving a clear view of how genetics respond to management.

In contrast, Rob Atkin’s Staffordshire farm operates across a wide range of soil types, from heavy clay to high-organic-matter silt. The mixed farm includes combinable crops alongside beef and sheep, with a growing focus on soil health and cost control. “I still need yield to pay the bills,” he says. “But I want varieties that work on farm, not just in perfect plots. I want to know how they perform under pressure.” For Mr Atkin, the value of the network lies in its honesty. “It’s about seeing what works, what doesn’t and why, that’s far more useful than just looking at figures.”

Rob Atkin believes that seeing varieties in real situations helps him make better decisions

To help growers follow crops through the season, Limagrain Field Seeds is supporting the Demo Farm initiative with on‑farm demonstration days. These demonstration days offer the opportunity to see varieties in the field, discuss results with farmers and Limagrain experts, and gain practical insight into real‑world performance.

With many winter wheat crops carrying excellent yield potential into this spring, extra care is needed to manage the large biomass and retain strong tillers through to harvest.

That is the view of Limagrain Field Seeds UK arable technical manager, Ron Granger, who says close monitoring of crop growth stages and well-timed plant growth regulator applications are key to success, alongside careful nitrogen management and disease control.

“Because many farms drilled several weeks earlier last autumn, with a relatively kind establishment period and winter, this season is looking very different to previous years, with huge biomass and yield potential in a lot of crops.”

Taller, high biomass crops can inevitably be at greater risk of lodging though, so growers need to adapt how they manage them, focusing on manipulating growth to strengthen stems, retain high tiller number, and drive maximum yield, he says.

“Farmers need to get their PGR strategy right, otherwise it could be very easy to get caught out by the situation we’re facing this season.”

Timing is everything

The aim of a good PGR programme is to shorten the distance between internodes; keeping the first node tight to the basal node and then keeping the second node close to the first, which increases straw stiffness, Mr Granger says.

To achieve this, it generally requires a split PGR programme consisting of two carefully timed PGR applications; one just before the start of stem extension, usually around growth stage 29-30, when plants start to sit upright; followed by a second at the first node detectable stage, just prior to the second node moving (GS 31-32).

“In all the years I’ve been doing PGR trials, across thousands of variety plots, a split treatment has always been the approach that’s kept crops standing. On-farm, you can be more targeted to just a single variety, so growers can sometimes get away with a well-timed single application, but I still question whether many are getting the timing right.”

The best way to ensure accurate timing, is by looking at the primordia ear development, however he recognises that time is of value, so suggests using careful plant dissection to determine when individual nodes are moving, both off the base of the plant, and between differing nodes of interest. “Crops have been drilled earlier, and will move quickly, especially once nitrogen is applied, so be vigilant and proactive, don’t rely on calendar dates.”

Should conditions remain wet, growers may have no option but to apply a full rate single PGR programme, which Mr Granger says should be targeted around the first node detectable stage (GS 31).

If conditions turn very dry in late March into April, care needs to be taken with later PGR applications, as experience shows PGR products should not be applied to stressed crops, he adds. “We have seen from previous seasons of drought, that when plants are compromised in a drought situation, you can reduce yield by applying a PGR to the crop.

“It’s best to apply PGRs early, whilst crops are nice and healthy, there’s plenty of water available, and they’re growing strongly.”

Options to consider

Mr Granger says that there is a good range of products to choose from, and most PGRs are very cost-effective, especially once weighed against the potential risks to yield and quality from lodging.

His favoured options are based on chlormequat to restrict the internodal distance, plus trinexapac-ethyl to thicken stem walls. “This is my go-to PGR programme, whether used as a split or single application. If earlier treatment windows are missed, then mepiquat + prohexadione-calcium is another product to consider, as I feel it is a kinder product, which can be applied at later growth stages, allowing you greater flexibility.”

In high lodging risk situations, such as very high-yielding crops on fertile soil in coastal areas, the addition of ethephon + mepiquat at GS 37-39, could also be considered to shorten and stiffen the upper internodes, he adds. “But for me, this would be a last resort if a well-timed split PGR programme has not been implemented initially.”

Protecting grain and straw yield

Straw presently is of value, so whilst some growers planning to bale straw may worry that using PGRs will reduce straw height and therefore yield, Mr Granger dismisses this.

“The reality is that you can maintain both grain and straw yield by using PGRs. They help to retain tiller number, which in turn delivers higher yield and gives more straw, and ensures that those tillers keep standing, allowing you to harvest the crop in good condition. Lodged, dirty, or mouldy straw is of no value to anybody.”

Equally, Limagrain trials at Rothwell, Lincolnshire in 2024 (the last wet season), showed no detrimental effect on grain yield, from using PGRs under two different nitrogen regimes (see chart 1). The work compared an untreated (no PGR), a split PGR of chlormequat + trinexapac-ethyl, and a single PGR (chlormequat + trinexapac-ethyl) approach in a crop of LG Beowulf (see chart 2), at a standard nitrogen rate of 180 kg N/ha, and a higher rate of 225 kg N/ha, which was implemented to increase lodging pressure in the trials.

Chart 2

Chart 1

“There was no significant difference regarding the effect of PGRs on yield in either nitrogen regime, but there were differences in crop height, which is all positive in terms of the management of those crops, especially if growers are looking to use higher nitrogen rates to drive yield.

“As long as you get the PGR on correctly, you can then apply nitrogen rates applicable for high yield potential for your individual farm situation. The last thing you want is a flat crop at harvest. At present, crops are coming into spring with higher-than-normal biomass, so growers have an opportunity, with good agronomic input, to drive for high yield potential.”